SB Nation New York - Did The Butler Do It? Disputed HR The Difference In Yanks' 5-4 Losshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48977/ny-fave.png2011-08-18T06:57:38-04:00http://newyork.sbnation.com/rss/stream/21305282011-08-18T06:57:38-04:002011-08-18T06:57:38-04:00Yankees-Royals Score: Controversial HR Proves Difference In Yanks 5-4 Loss
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<p><font><font size="2">Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Replay didn't sway umpires, and <span>Billy Butler</span> came away with a disputed home run.</font></font></p>
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<p><font><font size="2">Butler's controversial round-tripper capped a four-run third inning, helping the Royals to a 5-4 win over the New York Yankees. Alex Gordon clubbed a three-run shot earlier in the frame, as Kansas City avoided a sweep.</font></font></p>
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<p>Joakim Soria labored through a 40-pitch ninth inning and gave up a run. <span>Jorge Posada</span>, who was celebrating his 40th birthday, batted with the bases full and struck out looking to end the game.</p>
<p>"I think at times he's under the ball a little bit," Royals manager Ned Yost said of Soria. "He got his pitch count up. He's got that pitch when he needs to and he did there against Posada. As long as he gets the save, I'm happy."</p>
<p>The Royals broke a four-game slide and won for just the second time in their last 10 games, thanks in part to the apparent umpiring gaffe.</p>
<p><span>Mike Moustakas</span> doubled high off the wall in right and <span>Alcides Escobar</span> singled. Gordon then homered to right-center for a 3-2 lead, and controversy ensued one out later.</p>
<p>Butler hit a ball to left-center field, and replays showed the ball, on a downward trajectory, hit off the top of the padded green wall and bounce back in play. A small chain-link fence is behind the wall, leading to more padding on the railing.</p>
<p>Immediately after second base umpire Dana DeMuth ruled home run, Yankees manager Joe Girardi came out to argue the call and the umpires went to replay for over five minutes.</p>
<p>When the umpires returned to the field, Butler bent down to grab his helmet, as if he was going to be called to second base for a double. Instead, Girardi and the rest of the Yankees in the dugout appeared shocked the call wasn't reversed.</p>
<p>"It's huge, especially if he's incorrect," Girardi said about the ruling by DeMuth.</p>
<p>Girardi said DeMuth told him it was clearly a home run.</p>
<p>"I wanted a clarity on the ruling because we were under the understanding that it had to go over both fences, but he said no they cleared that up in the first day of the ground rules and it only had to go over the first fence."</p>
<p>Girardi said he didn't protest initially because he believed the umpire.</p>
<p>"I looked at the replay and sure enough it did hit that chain-link fence," Yankees left fielder <span>Brett Gardner</span> said. "If that's not part of the fence, then it's a home run. I don't understand why that little piece of fence is there. It can probably lead to a lot of controversy over the years."</p>
<p>Butler wasn't complaining about the call.</p>
<p>"Our fences are tough with the wall out there, with the railing up top and it's a tough call either way," he said. "But it's what they ruled, so it was a home run."</p>
<p><span>Curtis Granderson</span> and <span>Russell Martin</span> homered for New York, which had won three in a row. <span>Derek Jeter</span> had four hits and scored once for the Yankees, who lead Boston by a half-game for first in the AL East.</p>
<p>Bruce Chen (8-5) yielded seven hits and three runs over six innings, and won his third straight start. Soria notched his 22nd save.</p>
<p>Bartolo Colon (8-7) allowed seven hits and five runs over five frames, and lost for the first time in five outings.</p>
<p>Granderson homered in the first inning, his 34th of the year, but Martin flied out with the bases full to stop the rally.</p>
<p>Nick Swisher singled in Granderson in the third before the bottom of the inning controversy.</p>
<p>A fielder's choice from Eric Hosmer plated Melky Cabrera in the fifth, but Martin went deep in the sixth for a 5-3 margin.</p>
<p>Jeter hit a line drive to Cabrera with one out in the ninth, but the center fielder couldn't hold the ball after making a diving attempt. Granderson singled and <span>Mark Teixeira</span> walked before Robinson Cano lifted a sacrifice fly. After a passed ball, Swisher walked, leading to Posada's strikeout.</p>
<p>Game Notes</p>
<p>Yankees third baseman <span>Alex Rodriguez</span> will be with team in Minnesota Thursday, but is not expected to be activated off the disabled list. He's been out since July 8 due to right knee surgery...Chen moved to 2-5 lifetime against the Yankees, while Colon fell to 15-9 vs. the Royals...Cabrera has a 10-game hitting streak...The last Yankees player that was not a pitcher to appear in a game at the age of 40 or older was Lou Piniella who played 29 games with the Yankees in 1984. </p>
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<th class="td-left"> <span>Final - 8.17.2011 </span> </th> <th> 1 </th> <th> 2 </th> <th> 3 </th> <th> 4 </th> <th> 5 </th> <th> 6 </th> <th> 7 </th> <th> 8 </th> <th> 9 </th> <th>R</th> <th>H</th> <th>E</th>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="loss"> <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">New York Yankees</a> </span></td>
<td>1</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>1</td>
<td class="highlight">4</td>
<td class="highlight">10</td>
<td class="highlight">0</td>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="win"> <a href="https://www.royalsreview.com/">Kansas City Royals</a> </span></td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>4</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>X</td>
<td class="highlight">5</td>
<td class="highlight">8</td>
<td class="highlight">0</td>
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<td colspan="13">WP: <span>Bruce Chen</span> (8 - 5) <br> SV: <span>Joakim Soria</span> (22) <br> LP: <span>Bartolo Colon</span> (8 - 7)</td>
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https://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/8/18/2370056/yankees-royals-score-controversial-billy-butler-home-run-replayRyan Jones2011-08-17T15:18:57-04:002011-08-17T15:18:57-04:00New York Yankees (74-46) At Kansas City Royals (50-73), 8:10 P.M.
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<p>(Sports Network) - <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Bartolo Colon</span></span> hopes to keep the <span class="sbn-auto-link"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">New York Yankees</a></span> atop the American League East standings this evening when he tries to lead his team to a three-game sweep of the <span class="sbn-auto-link"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.royalsreview.com/">Kansas City Royals</a></span> at Kauffman Stadium.</p>
<p>The Yankees took over sole possession of first place in the American League East on Tuesday, as <span>Robinson Cano</span>'s three-run homer in the fourth inning provided the difference in New York's 9-7 triumph.</p>
<p>Cano drove in four total runs while <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Russell Martin</span></span> hit a two-run single for the Yankees, who moved a half-game ahead of Boston -- which split a doubleheader with Tampa Bay -- for the division lead.</p>
<p>New York won the opener of this three-game series on Monday by a 7-4 score, and has claimed five of its last six games. All of those victories have at least one thing in common -- lots of offense. The Yankees have totaled a minimum of six runs, and a combined 40 runs, in those five wins.</p>
<p>They did their damage Tuesday against Kansas City rookie starter <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Danny Duffy</span></span> (3-7), who allowed a career-high eight runs in three-plus innings.</p>
<p>"If you score seven runs, you should be able to win a ball game," said Royals manager Ned Yost. "We think we've come a long way as an organization in a lot of areas. We still have to continue to refine our starting pitching and get better in that department."</p>
<p>New York starter <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Ivan Nova</span></span> (12-4) won his fifth consecutive start and his eighth consecutive decision despite allowing seven runs in 5 1/3 innings.</p>
<p>"We won the game. Bottom line is we won the game," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.</p>
<p>Hoping for that same kind of support this evening will be the resurgent Colon, who is 8-6 with a 3.31 ERA on the year. Colon did not get a decision on Thursday against Anaheim, but pitched well, surrendering a pair of runs and five hits in six innings.</p>
<p>He is 15-8 lifetime versus the Royals with a 4.80 ERA in 26 starts.</p>
<p>Kansas City, meanwhile, will counter with left-hander <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Bruce Chen</span></span>, who has struggled mightily in his career against the Yankees, going 1-5 with a 6.71 ERA in 16 games (12 starts). He also hasn't beaten them since 2005 while with Baltimore.</p>
<p>Chen, though, enters tonight's tilt having won his last two starts and is coming off a brilliant effort on Friday in Chicago that saw him allow just a hit over six scoreless innings to run his record to 7-5 on the year, while lowering his ERA to 4.15.</p>
<p>"He's the winningest pitcher we've had here in the last two years, and it's because he's crafty, he doesn't give in, he changes speeds and keeps the ball down," Yost said after that outing.</p>
<p>However, New York is 26-10 against left-handed starters this season and has posted wins in 14 of its last 17 games against them. The Yanks are also batting .285 against all left-handed pitchers and have hit 47 homers against southpaws this season.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/8/17/2368926/new-york-yankees-kansas-city-royals-10-p-mEd Valentine2011-08-17T05:59:36-04:002011-08-17T05:59:36-04:00Yankees-Royals Score: Robinson Cano Picks Up Ivan Nova In 9-7 Win
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<p><font><font size="2">Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Robinson Cano's three-run homer in the fourth inning provided the difference, as the Yankees out-slugged the Royals, 9-7, at Kauffman Stadium.</font></font></p>
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<p><font><font size="2">Cano drove in four total runs while <span>Russell Martin</span> hit a two-run single for the Yankees, who moved a half-game ahead of Boston -- which split a doubleheader with Tampa Bay -- for the AL East lead.</font></font></p>
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<p>New York won the opener of this three-game series on Monday by a 7-4 score, and has claimed five of its last six games. All of those victories have at least one thing in common -- lots of offense. The Yankees have totaled a minimum of six runs, and a combined 40 runs, in those five wins.</p>
<p>They did their damage Tuesday against Kansas City rookie starter <span>Danny Duffy</span> (3-7), who allowed a career-high eight runs in three-plus innings.</p>
<p>New York starter Ivan Nova (12-4) won his fifth consecutive start and his eighth consecutive decision despite allowing seven runs in 5 1/3 innings.</p>
<p>"If you score seven runs, you should be able to win a ball game," said Royals manager Ned Yost. "We think we've come a long way as an organization in a lot of areas. We still have to continue to refine our starting pitching and get better in that department."</p>
<p>The Royals rallied to take the lead in the third inning, which <span>Alcides Escobar</span> opened with a triple. Alex Gordon grounded out to plate Escobar, and <span>Melky Cabrera</span> followed by blasting a hanging curveball over the right field fence. <span>Jeff Francoeur</span> doubled in a run later in the frame for a 5-3 edge.</p>
<p>But New York responded in a big way in the fourth.</p>
<p>Brett Gardner bunted his way on base and scored on <span>Derek Jeter</span>'s double to left. Curtis Granderson then reached on a sacrifice bunt, sending Jeter to third, and <span>Mark Teixeira</span> singled to tie the game.</p>
<p>Cano came up next and engaged in a long plate appearance against the left- handed Duffy, who threw two consecutive balls to move the count to 3-1. Cano then fouled off seven consecutive pitches in and around the strike zone.</p>
<p>The 12th pitch Duffy threw was a slider that started out inside to the left- handed Cano and sliced back toward the middle. But it caught a lot of the plate and was up, and Cano crushed it well beyond the wall in right-center field for an 8-5 lead.</p>
<p>"I didn't know what he was going to throw on that pitch," Cano said. "I was just thinking about swinging at a strike."</p>
<p>The blast signaled the end of Duffy's start and his first career outing against the Yankees.</p>
<p>The Royals made the game close in the sixth, when Francoeur singled and <span>Johnny Giavotella</span> walked with one away. Catcher <span>Salvador Perez</span> smacked a double to the wall in left-center to bring Kansas City within 8-7, and chased Nova in the process.</p>
<p>However, Boone Logan retired the next two Royals hitters to end the threat, and New York got one of the runs back in the next inning. Gardner tripled to the right field corner and Jeter singled him home.</p>
<p>Logan, Rafael Soriano, <span>David Robertson</span> and Mariano Rivera held the Royals without a baserunner over the final three innings. Rivera picked up his 32nd save with a flawless ninth.</p>
<p>The Royals had stormed out to a lead in the first inning, when <span>Eric Hosmer</span> doubled in a run and scored on Francoeur's base hit. But the Yankees got an RBI single from Cano and Martin's two-run hit to grab a 3-2 edge in the third.</p>
<p>Game Notes</p>
<p>Yost was ejected in the fourth inning for arguing...Cabrera's homer was his career-high 16th of the season, and extended his hitting streak to nine games. His previous career best for homers was 13 in 2009, when he played for the Yankees...The Royals have dropped their last four games...The Yankees are 26-10 vs. left-handed starters this season. </p>
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<th class="td-left"> <span>Final - 8.16.2011 </span> </th> <th> 1 </th> <th> 2 </th> <th> 3 </th> <th> 4 </th> <th> 5 </th> <th> 6 </th> <th> 7 </th> <th> 8 </th> <th> 9 </th> <th>R</th> <th>H</th> <th>E</th>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="win"> <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">New York Yankees</a> </span></td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td class="highlight">9</td>
<td class="highlight">12</td>
<td class="highlight">0</td>
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<td class="td-name"><span class="loss"> <a href="https://www.royalsreview.com/">Kansas City Royals</a> </span></td>
<td>2</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td class="highlight">7</td>
<td class="highlight">9</td>
<td class="highlight">1</td>
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<td colspan="13">WP: <span>Ivan Nova</span> (12 - 4) <br> SV: <span>Mariano Rivera</span> (32) <br> LP: Danny Duffy (3 - 7)</td>
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https://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/8/17/2368025/yankees-royals-score-robinson-cano-mvp-ivan-nova-danny-duffyRyan Jones2011-08-16T12:57:25-04:002011-08-16T12:57:25-04:00New York Yankees (73-46) At Kansas City Royals (50-72), 8:10 P.M.
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<p>(Sports Network) - <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Ivan Nova</span></span> tries to win his eighth straight decision this evening when the <span class="sbn-auto-link"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">New York Yankees</a></span> continue a three-game series with the <span class="sbn-auto-link"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.royalsreview.com/">Kansas City Royals</a></span> at Kauffman Stadium.</p>
<p>Nova, who hasn't lost since June 3, won his third straight start since a stint in the minors on Wednesday against the <span class="sbn-auto-link"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Los Angeles Angels</a></span> of Anaheim, as he allowed three runs and five hits in six innings and upped his record to 11-4 on the year to go along with a 3.85 earned run average.</p>
<p>"I think he's made great strides since last year as a starter," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of Nova. "There were times where big innings got away from him. I think he's just become more consistent. I think he took it as a challenge that, 'This would be the last time you're able to send me down.'"</p>
<p>The 24-year-old hurler was hammered by the Royals in his only other appearance against them earlier in the year, surrendering eight runs (four earned) and 10 hits in just three innings.</p>
<p>New York pulled into a tie atop the American League East standings with idle Boston on Monday, as Derek Jeter's two-run triple helped the Yankees to a 7-4 victory.</p>
<p><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>A.J. Burnett</span></span> (9-9) lasted just 5 2/3 innings -- the 11th time this season he's failed to go at least six innings -- and allowed three runs and 10 hits. He gave up all his runs after Kansas City loaded the bases in the fifth, but got a key double play to escape further damage.</p>
<p>The Royals turn to a young hurler of their own tonight in lefty <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Danny Duffy</span></span>, who is 3-6 with a 4.97 ERA. Duffy lost his second straight start on Thursday, as he allowed three runs and five hits over seven innings to the <span class="sbn-auto-link"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.draysbay.com/">Tampa Bay Rays</a></span>.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/8/16/2366490/yankees-royals-al-east-standings-ivan-nova-aj-burnettEd Valentine2011-08-16T12:27:34-04:002011-08-16T12:27:34-04:00Yankees At Royals: Offense Carries A.J. Burnett To Victory
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<p>-- See <a href="http://pinstripealley.com" target="new">Pinstripe Alley</a> for complete discussion and analysis</p> <p>Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>A.J. Burnett</span></span> looked like he was heading for another frustrating loss or no-decision, having just given up the lead in the fifth inning.</p>
<p>But the <span class="sbn-auto-link"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">Yankees</a></span> offense rallied to go back on top in the sixth, highlighted by Derek Jeter's two-run triple, to guide New York to a 7-4 victory over the <span class="sbn-auto-link"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.royalsreview.com/">Royals</a></span> and help their starter win for the first time in more than a month.</p>
<p>Burnett (9-9) lasted just 5 2/3 innings -- the 11th time this season he's failed to go at least six innings -- and allowed three runs and 10 hits. He gave up all his runs after Kansas City loaded the bases in the fifth, but got a key double play to escape further damage.</p>
<p>Because of his teammates' subsequent run support, the right-hander picked up his first win since June 29. He was 0-3 with a 6.00 earned run average in seven starts since.</p>
<p>"I used a changeup a lot to both righties and lefties, got a couple of ground balls when I needed it with that pitch," Burnett said.</p>
<p>Jeter finished 3-for-4 with three RBI while <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Brett Gardner</span></span> had two hits and drove in two for New York, which pulled into a tie with idle Boston atop the AL East standings.</p>
<p><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Felipe Paulino</span></span> (1-5) allowed five runs in 5 1/3 innings to take the loss for Kansas City, which was coming off a 1-6 road trip. Rookie second baseman <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Johnny Giavotella</span></span> had a career-best three hits.</p>
<p>The Yankees jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning, when Gardner's base hit up the middle and Jeter's line-drive single past diving shortstop <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Alcides Escobar</span></span> plated runs.</p>
<p>They had a chance for more with the bases loaded and two out, but Gardner was caught trying to take home when the ball bounced away from catcher <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Salvador Perez</span></span>.</p>
<p>Burnett made the lead stand through the first four innings, facing the minimum in the first and third. But Kansas City got to him in the fifth.</p>
<p>Singles by <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Mike Moustakas</span></span>, Escobar and <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Alex Gordon</span></span> loaded the bases with one away, bringing up former Yankee Melky Cabrera. Burnett got ahead of him, 0-2, but threw a couple pitches high. A third high pitch, which almost sailed past catcher <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Russell Martin</span></span>, made the count full before a ball in the dirt forced in a run.</p>
<p><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Billy Butler</span></span> then slapped a single down the right field line, plating two more runs for a 3-2 Royals lead.</p>
<p>However, <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Eric Hosmer</span></span> grounded into a double play and the Yankees rallied in their next at-bat.</p>
<p>Like Kansas City the inning before, New York strung together three consecutive singles. However, <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Jorge Posada</span></span> went first to third on Martin's base hit, allowing him to score when Gardner singled to right.</p>
<p>Jeter followed with a triple to the wall in right-center to give New York a 5-3 edge and chase Paulino.</p>
<p>"The reason they make a lot of money is because they don't miss mistakes," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Every ball that he (Paulino) got hurt on were pitches up."</p>
<p>The Yankees added runs in the seventh and eighth -- on singles by pinch-hitter <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Andruw Jones</span></span> and <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Mark Teixeira</span></span>, respectively -- while their bullpen limited the Royals after Burnett was removed.</p>
<p><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Boone Logan</span></span> recorded the final out of the sixth and the first in the seventh, when <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Rafael Soriano</span></span> gave up an RBI double to Cabrera. But he got out of the inning without giving up another run.</p>
<p><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>David Robertson</span></span> pitched a scoreless eighth, and <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Mariano Rivera</span></span> worked a flawless ninth for his 31st save.</p>
https://newyork.sbnation.com/new-york-yankees/2011/8/16/2366422/yankees-at-royals-schedule-scoresEd Valentine