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Game 60 Recap: Back to .500

Ivan Nova, and the Yankees’ offense, haven’t come crashing back down to earth just yet. Nova cruised through six, running into a bit of trouble in the seventh, and finished with a quality start. He allowed six hits and three runs over 6 1/3, and behind a five-run fifth, earned the win in a 6-3 […]

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Yankees draft outfielder Blake Rutherford in first round

If you’ve been following draft coverage at all over the last few years, you’ve probably heard the name Blake Rutherford. The power-hitting high school outfielder has been wowing scouts on the showcase circuit for years now, and many speculated he would eventually be a top-five pick. Rutherford ended up falling to eighteen, and the Yankees […]

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The Yankees play favorites with their pitches

The Yankees’ rotation seems to be incredibly diverse, from some who get by with electric stuff to others who put away hitters with advanced pitchability. Despite the differences between each starter throws, their arsenals—the actual pitches they throw—happen to be very similar. Oddly enough, the patterns they show for each offering are extreme when compared […]

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Game 59 Recap: “Parm Does Harm!”

We’ve missed you, Yankees offense. We’re so happy you’re back, and just scored double digit runs on Wednesday night to beat the Angels 12-6. It took a couple of months, but you’re finally back. I think. It’s just eight days into June, but the Yankees are showing signs of life again. The offense that scored […]

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Looking for potential solutions at first base

It’s no secret that the Yankees are hurting at the first base position, both literally and figuratively. Mark Teixeira is out with a knee ailment, and it’s serious enough that the minimum diagnosis is three weeks. But past injuries like his wrist injury have hampered him even when he’s returned from the disabled list; who’s […]

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Game 58 Recap: “I’ll Huff, and I’ll Puff…”

Michael Pineda has struggled for much of this season, but Tuesday night he provided a small glimpse of what the Yankees think he can be. Save for a fifth inning in which he gave up three runs, including two on a home run to Kole Calhoun, Pineda was solid in New York’s 6-3 win. The […]

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What’s behind Michael Pineda’s struggles?

Nobody seems to know what to do with Michael Pineda. The Yankees pitcher has posted a garish 6.41 ERA in 59 innings of work, but the peripherals are all sterling: A 24.7% strikeout rate, a 5.5% walk rate, and a 93 cFIP all point to a solid #2 or #3 pitcher in the Bombers’ rotation. […]

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Game 57 Recap: An Unlikely Duel

One important concept that Sabermetrics teaches us is to prepare for regression. That being said, at any given point in the season a player could be playing above or below his true production level. We sometimes call these streaks. The Angels’ starting pitcher on Monday, Matt Shoemaker,  is almost certainly going through one of these periods. […]

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Ten Years Later: The night the Melk Man delivered

The night of June 6, 2006, was an ordinary Tuesday night for most people, but for fans of the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, it was typical. Typical because the teams were locked in a tight, well-pitched, and nerve-wracking contest. The pitching matchup pitted the Yankees’ Chien-Ming Wang against rookie David Pauley […]

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Game 56 Recap: Washed away

Dramatic tension is an important part of telling a good story. If there’s no conflict, a story becomes boring. We don’t feel compelled to stay engaged with the story, because what will happen is already clear. It’s why kryptonite had to be invented as a way to bring Superman to his knees. Nothing could stop […]