phil hughes

Entering last weekend, the New York Yankees sat atop the American League East to begin a crucial stretch in this young 2013 season, with 12 of their next 16 games against all 4 divisional foes. The team started with two convincing wins on Friday and Saturday against the Blue Jays, only to see Mother Nature postpone the potential sweep on Sunday. So with just 5 games of separation from Boston, Tamp

The Yankees enter Camden Yards posting a 12-6 record against American League East teams.  The Orioles have lost five straight and are looking to bounce back at home.  These clubs play three in Baltimore.  Here is a series preview:

The Yankees enter a three-game set at home vs. Seattle as one of baseball's best teams.  The Mariners enter the series hovering around .500 and have played for the most part inconsistent ball all year.  Here is a series preview.

  The Yankees and upstart Royals play three in Kansas City. New York comes fresh off a series win in rainy Colorado. Kansas City comes off a series loss to the Orioles in Baltimore.  Here is a Yankees-Royals series preview. Royals general manager Dayton Moore had a plan a couple years ago.  It was a plan to build through the farm, get pitching with some prospects and build an actual baseball team.

Tim Lincecum.  Remember him?  He won two CY Young awards back-to-back in 2008 and 2009 at age 24 and 25.  Now he can barely stay in the Giants' rotation.  Phil Hughes?  Bust at age 28.  Ivan Nova won 16 games in 2011 and hasn't been heard from since.  Ricky Romero was supposed to be the ace of the Blue Jays in 2009 and beyond.  Injuries and confidence have caused him to be a below average pitcher.

Back in 2010, the Yankees failed to get Cliff Lee because minor league infielder David Adams didn't pass a physical due to a bum ankle and so the trade never happened with Seattle and Lee went to Texas instead and helped the Rangers win the pennant.  Lee, at that time, was the surest pitcher in baseball.  He isn't that now, at the age of 34, but the Yankees should still go get him.

The Yanks enter a home series with Oakland having won four of the last five series, including recently Houston, where the pinstripes were crushed in game one but took the next two.  Moneyball-run Oakland, meanwhile, took two of three from the Angels.  These two teams will play three in the Bronx.  Here is a series preview.

The Yanks come off a series loss in Tampa where they could have easily been swept if not for 8th and 9th inning rallies in game two.  Toronto comes off a tough series loss at Camden Yards to the Orioles but were able to salvage a game three win 6-5 after losing two one -run games.  Now the Bronx hosts these clubs for four.  Here is a series preview.

The Yankees topped Tampa Bay in game two of a three-game series 4-2.  What seemed like a potential Rays sweep after game one and Matt Moore's dominating performance while CC Sabathia struggled could now be a Yankees series win, their fifth straight.

The Yankees were exposed by the Rays in Tampa Bay 5-1.  New York has now lost 12 of its last 14 games at Tropicana Field.

The once promising trio of Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes was supposed to be pitching greatness in pinstripes for 10 years.  Except that it never happened.  Ian Kennedy was traded to Arizona, the Yanks messed with Joba so much that he never regained his true set-up stuff and Phil Hughes became a wait-and-see ballgame that ended 100 innings ago.  But Ivan Nova was the savior.  Until

The Yankees won another series in Toronto and now head to Tampa Bay for three games. The Rays, fresh off a three-game sweep of the Athletics in which they outscored Oakland 17-4, are riding high.  Here is a preview of the upcoming series between the 2nd place Yanks and 4th place Rays in terms of the AL East division.