Bronx Bomber Ball

The battle for the AL East lead continued on Sunday, as the Yankees looked to sweep the Orioles and build on their first place, one-game lead. Another crazy, extra-inning game, each team fought all day long in a back-and-forth thriller. The story of the game was the Yankees’ inability to capitalize with runners on base/in scoring position, as evidenced by the just two runs on 13 baserunners in the first five innings. They also had plenty more RISP fails, including the bottom of the tenth, in which the bases were loaded with one out and Starlin Castro and Aaron Judge couldn’t knock anyone in. A combined 31 runners left on base between all the hitters combined, it came back to bite them, as Mark Trumbo’s RBI single in the top of the 11th put the Orioles ahead, avoiding the sweep. The 7-4 Orioles win ties the AL East back up between these two teams. Photo Credit: Seth Wenig/AP

On Saturday, April 8th, I sat in my seat at Camden Yards in a state of shock. After casually fouling a ball straight back into the stands, Gary Sanchez grimaced and I knew something was horribly wrong. He was promptly removed from the game. At this moment, I thought the season was over. Little did we know that this Yankees team was on the verge of turning a corner. Much of the Yankees resilience should be attributed to Austin Romine. While filling in for the injured Sanchez, Romine has performed more than admirably, exceeding pretty much anyone's expectations. Though already well regarded for his defense, and he certainly has not disappointed in this regard, Romine has improved drastically with the bat. The Yankees will definitely be happy once Sanchez returns, but they have not missed a beat in his absence. Photo Credit: Elsa/Getty Images

Different day, same story for the 2017 New York Yankees. In each win so far this season, a different player steps up. Granted, the Yankees have a talented team, with star power, and more than a few big-time players. But in contrast to the 2016 team, each day someone different shows up in the form of offense, defense or even pitching. Last night, the Yankees faced two huge deficits being down 9-1, and then 11-4. Anyone who watched the Yankees last year knew the game was over at that point. This year however, this team says no way. The grit, the resilience, the pick each other up attitude is contagious and spreading throughout the clubhouse. Watching the Yankees play this season is a pleasure thus far, and with a 14-3 record over the past few weeks, this team is loose and having fun. Photo Credit: AP Photo Frank Franklin II

Yes, I said it. Given, if it was the offseason or even the period before New York’s magnificent home stand, this headline would be laughable. The Yankees traded away some of their best players last July and focused on filling short-terms holes during the offseason with the exception of signing Aroldis Chapman. There was no question that their farm system was among baseball’s best, but 2017 was not the team’s slated year to be competitive. Most of the top prospects were still a year or two away, and the Yankees put a lot of reliance on young positions players to carry the offense. Julie Jacobson | AP

Man, how about this Yankees team lately? They just swept a two game series against the arch rival Red Sox, behind brilliant pitching performances from Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka, and hoped to continue their momentum into their second homestand of the year. Didi Gregorius made his first start of the season after missing almost a month with a shoulder strain. For the Yanks, C.C. Sabathia (2-1, 2.70 ERA), was on the mound, up against Kevin Gausman (1-2, 7.50 ERA) and the Baltimore Orioles. Photo by Julie Jacobson of AP

Tonight the Yankees wrapped up what is now a two game series (thanks to the rainout on Tuesday) against the Red Sox at Fenway. They were able to take the first game last night by a score of 3-1, as Aaron Judge celebrated his 25th birthday with a home run and Luis Severino dominated for seven innings. The Yanks are now 11-3 in their last 14 games, and hoped to continue that momentum tonight behind Masahiro Tanaka (2-1, 6.00 ERA). Chris Sale (1-1, 0.91 ERA) made his first start against the Yanks for his new club. Picture Credit: Elise Amendola of AP

Finally, after what seemed like two very long days the New York Yankees returned to action Wednesday night against their longtime rival, the Boston Red Sox. Last night’s game was postponed due to rain, and will be made up as part of a doubleheader on July 16 th . Although the A.L. East has been a wide open, competitive division for a few seasons now, the Yankees and Sox are still fairly even. Over their last 166 meetings they are dead locked at a record of 83-83. While it may still be April, this will be the first time in nearly six seasons that the Yankees and Red Sox both have a winning percentage over .575 when they play one another. Picture credit: AP Photo/ Elise Amendola

Ronald Alcides Torreyes Solorsano, better known to baseball fans simply as Ronald Torreyes, has been one of the many key players for the Yankees’ early season success. He was named the opening day shortstop when Didi Gregorius was injured during the World Baseball Classic.   He is tied with slugger Aaron Judge and the red-hot Starlin Castro for the team lead in RBIs and is fresh off a four-hit performance in Saturday’s game against the Pirates, which included a go ahead two-run double. His grit and grind style of play and powerful presence, despite his small stature, has made him a fun player to watch and a pivotal member of the Bombers. While Joe Girardi has already confirmed that Didi is their starting shortstop when he returns, Torreyes’ accomplishments did not go unnoticed and he will continue to see at-bats and field time at second, third, and short. So, how did Torreyes get to where he is today? Photo Credit: Brad Mills | USA Today

After being rained out last night, with a doubleheader rescheduled in July, the Yankees will begin a short two game series in Boston this Wednesday. The greatest rivalry in baseball will take place as the 11-7 Yankees face the 11-8 Red Sox. The Red Sox won the season series in 2016, winning 11 of the 19 games, including going 8-2 at Fenway Park, which included two series sweeps.

The Yankees parted ways with quite a few impactful players during their sell off at the trade deadline and in free agency in an attempt to decrease their payroll and get younger as they roll into the youth movement. Obviously, Brian Cashman since reacquired the traded Aroldis Chapman, but I will be providing you all with an update on the former Yankees who the team has seen depart over the last season.   Photo Via Outside Pitch

Man, I can safely say I never thought I would type the name of this article a year ago. Not ever. Out of the three outfielders that were with the Yanks during the 2016 season, Hicks was by far the worst, and Brett Gardner was the best, mostly due to his Gold Glove defense. However, this is no longer the case in 2017. At this point in the season, Gardner needs to be benched, and Hicks should be playing every day. Photo via AP

Interleague play provides baseball fans with an opportunity to see their team face off against ball clubs in the opposing league that they rarely get the chance to see. As enjoyable as it is to see the Yankees face off against teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, and Cincinnati Reds this year, it is disconcerting to see one of the team's most potent bats removed from the lineup. As we witnessed in the recent series against the Pirates, the pitcher is almost always an automatic out, especially an AL pitcher. Though Bartolo Colon's at-bats, for example, are quite entertaining, the NL needs to adjust to the times, and incorporate the designated hitter (DH) position. There is no logical reason to continue having the pitcher hit, therefore its time to do away with this trivial rule. The traditional baseball purists need to get over it. Photo Credit: CBS Sports

The Yankees bats were able to come alive Saturday afternoon as they won 11-5 in Pittsburgh. Having a mix of veterans and youth, the Yankees offense has been inconsistent at times, but completely different from last year. In April 2016, the Yankees scored 73 total runs, this season with seven games remaining in the month the Yankees have scored 91 runs. On Sunday, the Yankees were going up against a familiar face in the likes of Ivan Nova. Last summer, knowing that the 29-year-old was due to become a free agent, the Yankees sent Nova to Pittsburgh for a minor-league outfielder and left handed pitcher. Nova has been solid in the Burgh, and signed a three-year deal worth north of 26 million dollars. The Yankees are known for struggling against pitchers they are seeing for the first time, but how would they fare against one of their own that most likely has a chip on his shoulder? Photo Credit: Gene J. Puskar | AP

After losing the first game of the road trip, the Yankees took advantage of the Pirates’ bullpen for a 11-5 comeback victory. The Yankees used a five-run sixth inning to knock out starter Jameson Taillon, then put the game out of reach when Chris Carter finally made himself useful, and hit a three-run bomb. Aaron Hicks and Chase Headley tacked on back-to-back doubles in the eighth inning to remove any measure of doubt of a Yankees win. Oh, and Aaron Judge hit another home run in the ninth inning because he’s Aaron Judge and that’s what Aaron Judge does. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

For anyone who has been watching the Yankees, Aaron Judge has to bring you some excitement. His towering homeruns will impress even the most modest of baseball fans, but how important is it for Judge to be a lasting force in the Yankees lineup? It’s everything. Judge fits the mold of how to succeed in New York. He is likeable, he says the right things, and he hits the ball really, really far. It may be early, but if Judge consistently plays to his potential, he will be the face of the Yankees for many years to come. Photo Credit: Elsa/Getty Images

You can argue that the New York Yankees have been one of the bigger surprises this season, coming off a home stand in which they swept the Tampa Bay Rays, St. Louis Cardinals, and took two of three from the Chicago White Sox. The entire team seemed comfortable coming into The Burgh, and rightfully so. C.C. Sabathia was on the mound tonight for the Yankees, and he has been the club’s best pitcher, entering the game at 2-0 with a 1.47 ERA in just three starts. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

It was April 21, 2012. Derek Jeter was hitting .384, Eduardo Nunez was still everyone’s favorite Yankee, and the Yankees bullpen consisted of the deadly duo of Clay Rapada and Cody Eppley. Sarcasm aside, it was a warm Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park and the Yankees were suiting up to play against their infamous rivals the Boston Red Sox, who were in the process of celebrating 100 years of their historic ballpark, Fenway Park. The Yankees slated veteran Freddy Garcia, who was resigned the prior offseason after a surprisingly decent first season in pinstripes, to pitch against the Red Sox. The Red Sox countered with southpaw Felix Doubront, who was in his first full season in the Red Sox starting rotation. The Yankees were off to a similar start as they are in 2017, coming into the game with an above .500 record. They were also a team stacked with veteran talent. The Red Sox were in the cellar of the division and were looking to gain some momentum early on in the season against their

The New York Yankees will travel to Pittsburgh to play the Pirates in a three game series this weekend and hope to keep some of their winning mojo from an extremely successful homestand. The team went an outstanding 8-1 over the past nine games with impressive pitching and dominant hitting. New York scored a combined 52 runs over the past nine games while only allowing 21.

Even since before he came to the Yankees, Michael Pineda has been a tantalizing talent and an equally frustrating one as well. Pineda broke into the big leagues with the Seattle Mariners in 2011 and has always flashed plus stuff but he has also had trouble with consistency and had some untimely run ins with the injury bug as well. This is probably a piece that gets written somewhere early in every season when Big Mike pitches well, but could this finally be the year that Pineda puts it all together and pitches like the ace we continue to see flashes of? Photo Credit: Getty Images

The Yankees headed into tonight’s game looking to bounce back from a tough 4-1 loss to the White Sox on Tuesday night. They responded by winning 9-1 to take the series against the White Sox. The Yankees won this game easily with huge hits from Aaron Judge, Chase Headley, and Starlin Castro. The Yankees end their nine-game home stand 9-1 heading into the weekend. Photo Credit: Seth Wenig/AP

I'm going to try my best to stay grounded here because my better  judg ment  tells me to, but at the risk of jumping the gun a  bit...is  this the year Yankees' second baseman Starlin Castro finally puts it all together?   I would like to begin by reminding  everyone, myself included, that Castro did this to us last year too upon donning the pinstripes for the first time.  In his first month with the team,  Starlin  came out guns blazing, hitting at a .305 clip in April of 2016 with 12 runs batted in.  After two seasons of Brian Roberts, Dean Anna, Jose Pirela, Brendan Ryan and everyone's favorite Stephen Drew, Yankees fans could finally rejoice:  w e had a real, honest-to-goodness second baseman!     Photo Credit: Getty Images

The Yankees run-parade came to an abrupt end on Tuesday evening when the Chicago White Sox pitcher Miguel Gonzalez shut down the offense pitching a strong eight innings while surrendering just one run. Manager Joe Girardi decided to sit key hitters, including the hot-bat Chase Headley and Aaron Hicks. Still, others like Aaron Judge and Starlin Castro did little to provide a spark for the offense. AP Photo

Well before the start of the 2017 season, the New York Yankees had many questions about their roster. Last season, a major strength of the Yankees was their bullpen. After some late season acquisitions (getting Adam Warren back, and trading for Tyler Clippard) the bullpen seemed to be rounding into form. After winning a World Series with the Cubs, Aroldis Chapman got his wish and resigned with the Yankees. The strength of this team remains the same, if a starter can get to the sixth or better yet the seventh inning, the game should be over. What about the rest of the team? The Yankees this season have a great mix of veteran talent, and youth. Unlike the last couple of seasons which have been tough to watch, through 13 games this team has a different buzz. Veterans such as Jacoby Ellsbury, Matt Holliday and CC Sabathia are showing the kids what it takes to be in the majors, but you have to believe the kids are teaching the vets how to have fun and enjoy the game again. This is only a

Heading into the 2017 season, one of the strengths of this Yankee team, along with the youth movement and the back end of the bullpen, was the first base position. Greg Bird and Chris Carter were expected to make up a powerful, dynamic duo for the Bronx Bombers and hopefully revitalize first base for New York, one of the glaring weaknesses of last year's team. Photo Credit: Rich Schultz | AP

The Yankees handed the ball to rookie Jordan Montgomery for his second career major-league start seeking their eighth straight win against a rebuilding Chicago White Sox team that came into New York with a 6-5 record. The White Sox, who similar to the Bombers have focused more on a team centered around youth, sent former Texas Ranger Derek Holland, who was looking to bounce back from three consecutive injury plagued seasons to the mound. Holland came into the game with a career earned run average against the Yankees above six. Montgomery had another strong outing, leading the Yankees to their eighth straight victory with a 7-4 win. Photo Credit: Jim McIsaac | Getty Images

On a bi-weekly basis I will be providing an update of the Yankee’s top prospects in the format below. My goal is to monitor and analyze the development of our newly acquired young players throughout the ups and downs of the long baseball season. As we all know, it’s been quite some time since the Yankees had this type of powerful minor league program, so I want to make sure I cherish the opportunity to cover them and bring as much light to these players as possible to our loyal readers. Enjoy. Photo Credit: Kim Klement/USA TODAY SPORTS

Who would have thought that in 2017 CC Sabathia would reclaim his former title as Yankees ace? That's right, nobody. Granted, it is still only mid-April so things will change as the season progresses, but there is no denying that Sabathia has been the Yankees best starter thus far. With Masahiro Tanaka struggling, Michael Pineda trying to move past the inconsistencies that have plagued his career (though he's had two straight great starts), and Luis Severino and Jordan Montgomery establishing themselves as major leaguers, old reliable CC Sabathia has provided the Yankees starting staff with a much needed steady presence. In his three outings this season, Sabathia has gotten better each time. It appears that Sabathia has finally succeeded in his attempt to transform himself as a pitcher with diminishing velocity. If Sabathia can keep this up, Yankees fans might just be begging for him to return next season, albeit at a much lower salary than he's accustomed to earning.

The Yankees enter their 13th  game of the season at 8-4, winners of seven consecutive games.  This week they'll welcome in the Chicago White Sox before hitting the road for games at Pittsburgh and Boston. The trip to New York is the last leg of a nine game road trip for Chicago, having previously played at Cleveland and Minnesota, going 4-2 over that stretch.  Chicago carries a 6-5 record into the series, seeking to hand the Yankees their first loss in over a week.  The Yankees will look to keep things going as they are enjoying one of their better Aprils over the past few seasons.  

Fresh off his run at perfection in the Yankees home opener last Monday, Michael Pineda once again took the mound for the Yankees  on Sunday night, opposed by former Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright, as the Yankees sought their second consecutive series sweep of the homestand.  Led by a perfect 3-for-3 night from Greg Bird including a tape measure home run of 429 feet into the bleachers, the Yankees were able to win their seventh straight game by a score of 9-3. Photo Credit: Steve Ryan

The New York Yankees are in a stage that most fans have never witnessed. The “Evil Empire” that is known for going all out on opening their check books to lure in the respective year’s most coveted free agent is in the midst of a youth movement. The phrases “rebuilding” and “waving the white flag” have commonly been used to describe the overhaul that has been occurring over the past eight or so months. “Retooling” is the description that the Yankees’ front office has used to label their recent transactions. The team still consists of veterans who are being paid for their past contributions more so than their current ones, however, the Yankees are more reluctant than ever to give the kids in the farm system an opportunity to be significant contributors to the major-league club. One of these kids is rookie left handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery. Photo Credit: Al Bello/Getty Images

James Kaprielian has had a career with much success in the early going juxtaposed against crushing elbow injuries. This all started in 2016 in Single-A Tampa for Kaprielian when his season came to an abrupt end with elbow pain. He was later diagnosed with a right flexor tendon strain, and would not pitch until the Arizona Fall League. After making just two appearances between major and minor league Spring Training, his began experiencing elbow pain again, now getting to the point many Yankee fans feared was coming - Tommy John Surgery. So after building such a strong resume in the minor leagues, Kaprielian’s future has come into question just as quickly as he became a top prospect. Photo Credit: Presswire

Every year on April 15th, players all around the game of baseball honor a true legend in Jackie Robinson for the day he made his MLB debut. Many decades have passed since Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball but his impact is still seen today. Throughout the majors, we see players of all races and from many different countries. Baseball is no longer just America’s pastime, it has become a pastime of the world. Today in New York, all players paid homage in the way of wearing number 42, a number that is retired throughout all of baseball. Photo Credit: Julie Jacobson | AP

On a beautiful Friday night in the Bronx, the New York Yankees came with a 5-4 record and winners of four straight. Pitching has been the story during this four-game stretch as the ERA has gone from a 4.61 over the Yankees first five games, to a solid 2.00 ERA over the last four games. The offense has also been improving, averaging six and a half runs a game while hitting for a .256 average. Aaron Judge has been worth the price of admission and Chase Headley has started the season hot. The Yankees are off to a decent start after a slow beginning in Tampa Bay, and if this young team is to be in contention come September, the Yankees can ill afford to fall behind as they did last season. Photo Credit: Adam Hunger | USA TODAY Sports

In the 14th edition of the Bronx Bomber Ball podcast, Steven Eareckson and Chad Raines discuss a plethora of issues pertaining to the 2017 New York Yankees. This segment includes an overall assessment of the Yankees performance thus far, a recap of the Bombers' recent success over the last four games, the upcoming series against the St. Louis Cardinals, and in depth conversations on certain players. Steven and Chad take time to discuss James Kaprielian's upcoming Tommy John surgery, Greg Bird's struggles, Aaron Judge's hot streak, and take questions from the dedicated followers of the BBB!  The season may have just begun, but we here at the BBB have got you covered. Make sure to keep up with us on Twitter and continue giving our pieces a read! Follow @SteveTheScholar Follow @chad_rain Follow @BronxBomberBall

Two of the more storied franchises in all of baseball will face off in an interleague matchup, as the New York Yankees play the struggling St. Louis Cardinals for a three game weekend set. The Yanks stand at 5-4 to this point, which is tied for second in the AL East and are currently on a four game winning streak. On the other hand, the Cardinals have a 3-6 record that’s dead last in the NL Central and just one win better than the worst team in the NL, the 2-6 Atlanta Braves.

The Yankees came into tonight's series finale against the Tampa Rays looking to win their fourth consecutive contest. A combination of strong pitching and a pair of home runs helped propel New York to a series sweep with a 3-2 victory at Yankee Stadium. Photo Credit: Yankees Twitter

In the bottom of the seventh inning of Wednesday’s matinee against the Tampa Bay Rays, Aaron Judge hit his third home run in as many games. Through eight games, Judge is batting .308 with three home runs and seven RBIs. Early on in the campaign, the 6'7" right fielder has shown a propensity for producing clutch hits with exit velocities nearing 120 mph. Photo Credit: Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

Coming into game two of a three game set with the division rival Rays, all Yankees fans eyes are set on the debut of the 6’6” 24-year-old southpaw pitcher Jordan Montgomery, who officially won the fifth spot in the club’s rotation. Kyle Higashioka, who had been called up to catch with Gary Sanchez being on the 10-day disabled list due to a right bicep strain, made his second appearance, and first career start for this afternoon’s game. This was a good move by Joe Girardi, as both have played together throughout the minor leagues, matching up 13 times in AA/AAA last year with Montgomery going 9-1 with a 1.02 ERA, 64 strikeouts compared to 22 walks. Montgomery had a solid outing keeping the team in the game, and the Yankees were once again able to pile on runs in the late innings to cruise to an 8-4 win, which featured a third straight game with an Aaron Judge homer. Photo Credit: Al Bello | Getty Images

It was great to see Michael Pineda mow down the Tampa Bay Rays in the New York Yankees home opener on Monday. Pineda was everything you can ask for as a fan, mixing his pitches and keeping the Rays’ hitters off balance all afternoon. He took a perfect game into the 7th  inning, finally giving up a hit to known Yankee killer Evan Longoria. When all was said and done though, Pineda finished giving up two hits over 7 2/3 innings, with 11 strikeouts and ZERO walks. It was a pitching line that the team envisioned when he first came over in the trade with the Mariners. Photo Credit: Howard Simmons/New York Daily News

Jordan Montgomery will be the fifth starter in the Yankees rotation, making his Major League debut on Wednesday in the Bronx. Standing at 6’6,” the left hander has a pretty nice arsenal of pitches for such a young guy.   He has a four-seamer, curveball, cutter, changeup, and a sinker.   Before Spring Training, he was considered a long shot to make it to the big leagues out of camp.   But after his impressive spring, he made Joe Girardi seriously consider bringing him up. He pitched 19.2 innings and allowed seven earned runs and struck out 17. He made six spring appearances including two starts pitching to a 3.20 ERA.   Last season Montgomery was in both the Double-A and Triple-A where he had a 2.19 ERA and struck out about 23% of the batters he faced.   With his dominance in the minor leagues, Montgomery's development was kickstarted.  Photo Credit: Chris O'Meara | AP

We are now seven games into the season, and the Yanks are coming off their third win. They’ve looked so much better these past two days than they did the other five games, which is a plus. There is no game tomorrow however, so I thought I would share some of my thoughts heading into the third off day of the season. Photo Credit: John Munson

The New York Yankees opened 2017 at Yankee Stadium with a solid 8-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The team once again had an offensive outburst in the late innings this time with five runs in the eighth. Starlin Castro hit a home run, Chris Carter tripled and Matt Holliday doubled all in the eighth inning as the team cruised to their second straight win. The story of this game was Michael Pineda's run at a perfect game, which had broken up on an Evan Longoria double with two outs in the seventh inning. His outing helped spark the offense in an exciting home opener.   Photo Credit: John Munson 

The New York Yankees play the divisional rival Tampa Bay Rays in their home opener.   While the Yanks lost their first two series one being to the Rays, Tampa Bay is coming from a surprising three games to one victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees should be looking to get some home field magic and some easy homeruns in their first series at home to avoid their third straight series defeat.

The Yankees took on the Orioles on Sunday afternoon looking to avoid the series sweep and avoid falling to 1-5 through their first week of the season. Without Gary Sanchez (disabled list), Jacoby Ellsbury (rest), and Greg Bird (rest/hurt) in the starting lineup, the Yankees send out a different look against left-hander Wade Miley of Baltimore. Likewise, the Yankees sent a lefty of their own to oppose Miley in CC Sabathia. While Miley was all over the place early in the game, the Yankees were unable to take advantage of his wild performance mustering just one hit off him in five innings. Sabathia was very effective in keeping the Yankees in the game, and a late rally that included an Aaron Judge home run gave the Yankees a much needed late-inning victory. The Yankees were helped by 11 total walks at the plate, including three in a critical four-run ninth inning to win 7-3. Photo Credit: Patrick Semansky | AP

At the conclusion of the 2017 season, "ace" pitcher Masahiro Tanaka has the option to opt out of his current deal with the Yankees and become a free agent. Since arriving to the Bronx, Tanaka has been quite inconsistent. Though he's shown flashes of brilliance, he has been nowhere near the dominant pitcher he was in Japan. This was to be expected given the elevated level of competition present in the majors; however, he is not the ace he's being paid to be. The Yankees are paying Tanaka $22 million this season. This is already a gross overpay. If the Yankees were to give him a penny more than his 2017 salary, that would be a derogation of duty on Brian Cashman's part. The Yankees have two options: they can either let Tanaka walk at the end of the season, or trade him at the deadline, if he starts to perform like he did last season. I'd be in favor of either, as long as Tanaka is pitching for another team come 2018. Photo Credit: Greg Giume/Getty Images