With just over two weeks left in the 2008-09 MLB Season, the New York Yankees are still searching for answers on what seems to be a disappointing year for them in the American League East. Yankees have a 78-70 (win-loss) slate and if things continue to go downwards they might not play in the playoffs.
Monday night they battle the American League Central leader Chicago White Sox 81-65 mark. Pitching coach Don Cooper has been juggling his rotation every way he can so that it lines up how the club wants it to, and that means that the club is prepared to bring LHP Mark Buehrle, RHP Gavin Floyd and RHP Lance Broadway each back on short rest to pitch in against New York Yankees in their three-game season series starting Monday night at the Yankee Stadium.
Starting off of the match up between Chicago White Sox’s Mark Buehrle, a left handed pitcher who has a (13-11, 3.88) and New York Yankees’ Alfredo Aceves. Buehrle stepped up when the White Sox needed a victory to end a three-game losing skid on Wednesday, pitched like an ace against Toronto and Roy Halladay. The left-hander allowed seven hits and two walks over 7 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out six. He improved his record to 10-3 at U.S. Cellular and made his 30th start for a club-record eighth consecutive season. Buehrle has not faced the Yankees this season but has a dismal 1-5 career mark, with a 6.58 ERA, against the Bronx Bombers. Buehrle is 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA at Yankee Stadium, making his final start at the historic ballpark.
One thing is for sure for this 25-year-old right-hander is that he can draw some early consideration for next year's rotation mix if he's able to keep the same level of confidence and composure as he opens New York's series with the White Sox. Alfredo Aceves threw 63 of his 89 pitches for strikes, walking none and striking out two, and turned a nifty double play to help his cause. The Mexican League product is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA through his first 14 big league innings.
For the second encounter between these two struggling teams vying for a spot in the playoffs, White Sox Gavin Floyd was flawless for seven innings against Toronto but as one of baseball’s hottest teams in the 2008-09 MLB Season, , Blue Jays caught Floyd four times in the eighth, as part of a six-run rally, ending Floyd's five-game winning streak and a stretch of nine straight starts without a loss. Floyd struck out two and walked one over 7 1/3 innings, giving him 125 strikeouts and 67 walks over 181 1/3 innings this season. Floyd received a no-decision against the Yankees this season, having allowed five runs in six innings during his lone start, and has no lifetime mark against New York either. Tuesday marks his second appearance and first start at Yankee Stadium.
Meanwhile, Andy Pettitte's struggles on the mound continued on Wednesday as he gave up four runs on nine hits to make an early exit after just 4 2/3 innings. He delivered a solid performance until the fifth inning, when he got into trouble and found himself in a bases-loaded jam. It marked Pettitte's fourth straight losing decision. While he is traditionally successful in the second half of the season, the veteran has posted a 3-6 record with a 5.43 ERA since the All-Star break. He has not faced the White Sox this season and looking forward to bring his A-game against Gavin Floyd.
As for the final day of their three-game season series White Sox’s Ozzie Guillen was going to use Lance Broadway on Sunday against the Tigers, but a series of rainouts made the right-hander unnecessary. Since no other starter will be available on Wednesday, Broadway is the likely to go. He has made one previous start this season, getting the win over Kansas City by allowing two runs in 5 1/3 innings on Aug. 14, but he has not been nearly as effective pitching out of the bullpen, as his 8.49 ERA indicates.
Phil Hughes is likely to get the call on Wednesday as the Yankees play the third of four games with the White Sox of the MLB 2008 Season. The right-hander was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday after helping to pitch his club to an International League championship, going 1-0 with an 0.69 ERA in postseason play. Hughes has not pitched in the big leagues since April 29 in Detroit, where he suffered a stress fracture in his ninth rib on the right side. He started against the White Sox on April 24 in Chicago but left after two innings due to rain.
source: MLB.com
Monday night they battle the American League Central leader Chicago White Sox 81-65 mark. Pitching coach Don Cooper has been juggling his rotation every way he can so that it lines up how the club wants it to, and that means that the club is prepared to bring LHP Mark Buehrle, RHP Gavin Floyd and RHP Lance Broadway each back on short rest to pitch in against New York Yankees in their three-game season series starting Monday night at the Yankee Stadium.
Starting off of the match up between Chicago White Sox’s Mark Buehrle, a left handed pitcher who has a (13-11, 3.88) and New York Yankees’ Alfredo Aceves. Buehrle stepped up when the White Sox needed a victory to end a three-game losing skid on Wednesday, pitched like an ace against Toronto and Roy Halladay. The left-hander allowed seven hits and two walks over 7 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out six. He improved his record to 10-3 at U.S. Cellular and made his 30th start for a club-record eighth consecutive season. Buehrle has not faced the Yankees this season but has a dismal 1-5 career mark, with a 6.58 ERA, against the Bronx Bombers. Buehrle is 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA at Yankee Stadium, making his final start at the historic ballpark.
One thing is for sure for this 25-year-old right-hander is that he can draw some early consideration for next year's rotation mix if he's able to keep the same level of confidence and composure as he opens New York's series with the White Sox. Alfredo Aceves threw 63 of his 89 pitches for strikes, walking none and striking out two, and turned a nifty double play to help his cause. The Mexican League product is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA through his first 14 big league innings.
For the second encounter between these two struggling teams vying for a spot in the playoffs, White Sox Gavin Floyd was flawless for seven innings against Toronto but as one of baseball’s hottest teams in the 2008-09 MLB Season, , Blue Jays caught Floyd four times in the eighth, as part of a six-run rally, ending Floyd's five-game winning streak and a stretch of nine straight starts without a loss. Floyd struck out two and walked one over 7 1/3 innings, giving him 125 strikeouts and 67 walks over 181 1/3 innings this season. Floyd received a no-decision against the Yankees this season, having allowed five runs in six innings during his lone start, and has no lifetime mark against New York either. Tuesday marks his second appearance and first start at Yankee Stadium.
Meanwhile, Andy Pettitte's struggles on the mound continued on Wednesday as he gave up four runs on nine hits to make an early exit after just 4 2/3 innings. He delivered a solid performance until the fifth inning, when he got into trouble and found himself in a bases-loaded jam. It marked Pettitte's fourth straight losing decision. While he is traditionally successful in the second half of the season, the veteran has posted a 3-6 record with a 5.43 ERA since the All-Star break. He has not faced the White Sox this season and looking forward to bring his A-game against Gavin Floyd.
As for the final day of their three-game season series White Sox’s Ozzie Guillen was going to use Lance Broadway on Sunday against the Tigers, but a series of rainouts made the right-hander unnecessary. Since no other starter will be available on Wednesday, Broadway is the likely to go. He has made one previous start this season, getting the win over Kansas City by allowing two runs in 5 1/3 innings on Aug. 14, but he has not been nearly as effective pitching out of the bullpen, as his 8.49 ERA indicates.
Phil Hughes is likely to get the call on Wednesday as the Yankees play the third of four games with the White Sox of the MLB 2008 Season. The right-hander was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday after helping to pitch his club to an International League championship, going 1-0 with an 0.69 ERA in postseason play. Hughes has not pitched in the big leagues since April 29 in Detroit, where he suffered a stress fracture in his ninth rib on the right side. He started against the White Sox on April 24 in Chicago but left after two innings due to rain.
source: MLB.com