Duda, Mets defeat Rivera once again, top Yanks 2-1

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Aaron Yorke

Wowee zowee. I don’t know which part of tonight’s Yankees vs. Mets game is harder to believe. The fact that the Mets trailed after eight innings despite a brilliant Matt Harvey outing (okay, definitely not that part)? The fact that Lucas Duda actually made a nice play on a Brett Gardner fly ball? The fact that David Wright’s scorching base hit in the ninth inning didn’t hit Daniel Murphy in the leg? The fact that the Mets defeated Mariano Rivera for the second straight time? The fact that that was the first time that Rivera has ever blown a save without recording an out?

Those last two are especially hard for me to wrap my head around. The last time the Mets faced Rivera, they trailed 2-1 in the ninth inning on July 3, 2011. Rivera retired the first two Mets batters before walking Jason Bay to open the door. Lucas Duda and Ronny Paulino then hit back-to-back singles to tie the game. Bay later delivered the winning hit for the Metsies with a single off of Hector Noesi in the bottom of the 10th.

Tonight, the Mets entered the ninth inning without even a single run on the board. Harvey had been awesome, but he allowed a run to score on Lyle Overbay’s two-out sixth inning single. With the way Hiroki Kuroda and David Robertson had shut down the Mets over eight innings, it looked like Harvey’s great effort would go to waste.

Instead, Murphy opened the last frame by flicking a Rivera fastball down the left field line for a double. Wright followed up by ripping a single up the middle to tie the game and he advanced to second when Gardner’s throw bounced away from catcher Chris Stewart. The next batter, Duda, fought off an inside cutter and hit a soft liner to right-center field to end the game. Just like that, the Mets had themselves an Amazin’ victory.

The 2013 Subway Series swings over to Yankee Stadium tomorrow night. Jeremy Hefner and David Phelps will take the mound for their respective sides.

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Yankees vs. Mets meet at Citi Field again

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Aaron Yorke

Terry Collins has dropped Ike Davis to eighth in the batting order against the right-handed Hiroki Kuroda. Strangely, Marlon Byrd is batting fifth.

Here’s the Yankees lineup:

The Mets get to see Reid Brignac for the first time this season, so that’s fun. What’s not fun is that Robinson Cano is batting second and not Jayson Nix. Joe Girardi thought he was Dusty Baker last night and batted a guy with a .600 OPS in the two hole, so of course Nix picked up a pair of hits and an RBI.

Hiroki Kuroda bombed in his last outing on May 22 with two home runs (five runs altogether) allowed in two innings. He left with a calf injury, which pushed this start back a couple of days.

Harvey is also coming off a lousy start, but it wasn’t as bad as Kuroda’s was. He allowed four runs in 6.1 innings while striking out six and walking three against the Reds. That’s almost a quality start! But seriously, we expect more out of the Mets’ ace and hopefully we’ll see it tonight as the Mets look for a third straight victory.

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Mets stuff: Wright hug, Harvey girlfriend, Puello vs. Pederson

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Aaron Yorke

Mets vs. Yankees again tonight! Anyone else wondering what Gary Cohen could have possibly up to last night? I’m guessing he was patrolling the streets of Queens as a masked vigilante, but he was probably just sick or something. Either way, Bobby V will be on television, which is always exciting.

Speaking of people named “V,” who could resist blogging about Matt Harvey’s newest squeeze?

Most recently, they were seen having dinner together at NYC eatery Willow Road, and were photographed attending the N.Y. Rangers game together on Thursday, May 23. In the sweet pic, Harvey is seen giving the 5’9 blonde bombshell a tender kiss on her forehead as she smiles, her hand rested comfortably on his chest.

Based on what I’ve seen of Anne V (whose real last name is Vyalitsyna in case you want to get creepy), she is pretty fly, so kudos to Harvey for hooking up. They seem to be TOTES ADORBS in that pic I linked to.

In other cute Mets news, David Wright hugged a fan last night as he was walking off the field at the end of the game. It was just precious and will probably make people love Wright even more than they do now. I mean, who doesn’t love a good hug?

Actual analysis: Is Cesar Puello better or worse than Dodgers outfield prospect Joc Pederson? Prospect expert John Sickels tried to find the answer today and decided that he liked Pederson better even though he admits that Puello has more upside. I’m just fine with that, because Pederson is rocking the Israel threads.

What makes Sickels’ article really interesting is that Ben Berkon at Amazin’ Avenue just listed Pederson as a possible trade target for the outfield-starved Mets. Desipte being talented, Pederson is finding his way to the majors blocked by huge contracts and Yasiel Puig, who is an even more talented prospect. You may remember Puig as the guy who just didn’t make many outs at all during spring training.

Anyway, the point is that Pederson could make the majors much more easily if he were in the Mets’ system, so maybe something can get worked out between the two clubs. With Wilmer Flores continuing to hit in Triple-A, current second baseman Daniel Murphy looks like a guy whom the Mets could trade away for young talent.

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The Subway Series is no longer a big deal

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Aaron Yorke

Yes, readers of the internet, it finally happened. The Mets became a bad enough baseball team that Citi Field was only around three quarters of the way full for last night’s 2013 Subway Series opener.

Only 32,911 fans turned out last night to watch the Mets get by the Yanks 2-1 last night. David Wright hit a home run, Brett Gardner made one of the best catches you’ll see all season long, and Daniel Murphy hit an RBI single in the eighth inning that was SO CLUTCH.

Still, the attention is on the empty seats at Citi Field, because even when the Mets do good, the media must focus on the bad.

Even with phenom Matt Harvey pitching for the Mets on Tuesday, the average ticket on the secondary market for Tuesday’s game costs $112.49. Last season, the average ticket on the secondary market for the three Subway Series games at Citi Field all cost more than $120. (In fairness, last year’s games were all on the weekend.)

There’s no mysterious economic force driving down demand to watch the Mets and the Yankees play. The Yanks, even as successful as they’ve been this season, lack the star power that has driven fans to lust over them in the past. The Mets are just terrible, and while they have been terrible for a while now, the past few iterations of the Mets have waited until July to swoon their way out of contention. Not so this season.

  • In 2009, the Mets were 31-27 before playing the Yankees for the first time that season
  • In 2010, the Mets were 20-22 prior to the first match with the Yanks
  • In 2011, the Amazins came into the New York derby with a record of 21-22
  • Last season, the Mets were a surprising 32-26 before playing the Yankees in early June

It’s no wonder the demand to watch the Subway Series has diminished so much this season. In those previous seasons in which the Mets were awful, there was still hope in May and June. That’s a big difference compared to this season with the team is mired in a season-long slump, even with Wright and Matt Harvey playing so well.

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Borovnjak still good in Penn State’s 64-59 loss to Illinois

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Aaron Yorke

Yes, everyone loves Penn State’s ATTITUDE and “energy,” but somehow all that grit and hustle has yet to pay dividends in the win column yet. I hope in three or four years the team’s slogan is “We have very talented players on the roster this season.” That would get me revved.

Anyway, I’m familiar with the whole “no moral victories” thing, but there were a couple of theme’s from Thursday’s 64-59 Penn State loss that were positive continuations from what went on in the Michigan game. First, Penn State actually shot the long ball well, with 8-of-19 three-pointers going in (42 percent). Second, Sasa Borovnjak once again scored 17 points and was highly efficient on the offensive end.

I’m not sure if the three-point shooting will hold up. Jermaine Marshall got off to cold start from that range, but finished 4-for-8 (buoyed by some late game shenanigans), while Nick Colella looked legitimately comfortable shooting the ball and finished 2-for-3 from beyond the arc. Borovnjak’s hot play seems more real to me because he’s always been a smooth finisher at the rim, but nowadays he’s finally converting at the tail end of pick-and-rolls. That’s a great sign, especially considering that PSU’s only real point guard has missed almost the entire season with an Achilles injury.

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Penn State Basketball continues quest for Big Ten win in Illinois

Posted on February 21, 2013 by Aaron Yorke

“They want to win.  They care,” Chambers said.  “Nobody likes losing, and that’s why I think we have a good group of guys.  Some guys might mail it in at this point.  Some guys might say, ‘oh we lost, no big deal.’  But I don’t think our kids are making any excuses.  They come out everyday to try to get better and work.  The fact that there are still tears in that locker room after losses is impressive.”

Tears in the locker room! Remember when it was a big deal because the Miami Heat were crying in the locker room? They won a title a year after that. ATTITUDE!

Anyway, that quote is worth posting because the recent efforts of Penn State in close losses to Iowa and Michigan make it apparent that the team does really care and that the players aren’t just mailing in the rest of the season. That makes me confident that the team will win a Big Ten game this season despite the lack of a really easy game on the remaining schedule. Tonight, the Lions will give it their best shot on the road against an Illinois team that has rolled off four consecutive victories.

Illini shooting guard D.J. Richardson has picked up his game lately and is a big reason for Illinois’ February surge. Through the first half of the Big Ten schedule, Richardson scored more than 15 points just twice, but during his team’s four-game winning streak, he’s eclipsed that mark three times. Richardson has even managed to shoot 48 percent form the field during that stretch (very impressive when you consider that 28 of his 50 attempts have come from three-point land), which is worlds better than his season average of 39 percent.

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Payne, Spartans erupt in second half to put away Penn State

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Aaron Yorke

The Nittany Lions probably felt like little kids on punishment shortly after Adreian Payne entered the game for Michigan State along with Branden Dawson early in the second half of Michigan State’s 81-72 victory in University Park on Wednesday night.

Penn State had been hanging with its national ranked opponent for a good portion of the game. In the first half, the Lions predictably struggled to hit shots, but solid defensive play and a lack of turnovers helped keep their halftime deficit at only four points. Michigan State freshman Gary Harris opened up hot from three-point range, but the Spartans struggled with their shooting for most of the half. Meanwhile, D.J. Newbill found room to penetrate, which provided enough offense to keep PSU close.

Michigan State was hurt in the first half by the absence of Payne and Dawson, both of whom were benched by head coach Tom Izzo in response to a scuffle that morning that caused damage to the Nittany Lion Inn. However, there were no criminal charges filed, and both players entered the game just three minutes into a high-scoring second half.

PSU played a surprising amount of man-to-man defense in this game, and it was working until Payne came in. The 6’10”, 240-pound junior was simply too much for Sasa Borovnjak to handle. Payne dominated on the inside with 3 offensive rebounds and 20 points in just over 16 minutes of time on the court. He even stepped back and hit a three-pointer when he apparently grew tired of bullying the Lions on the block. The word “beast” gets thrown around a lot lately, but that term is the only appropriate way to describe how Payne played in the second half of this game.

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Two Michigan State players benched for tonight’s Penn State basketball game

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Aaron Yorke

Two Michigan State basketball players were involved in an incident this morning in the Nittany Lion Inn. Diamond Leung of MLive.com is reporting that the incident was a fight, and that there was punching and shoving involved. The players involved haven’t been revealed yet, and no charges have been filed, but I’ll update this post if more info comes out.

UPDATE: The two Michigan State players involved in the fight were Branden Dawson and Adreian Payne. Both players will be benched tonight. Everything I wrote below is still relevant. Penn State obviously still needs to shoot better, but the emphasis on zone defense could be lightened if Derrick Nix goes to the bench. When Nix is on the floor, PSU does not have a single player to put on him, so they should still resort to zone.

With Payne and Dawson out, Alex Gauna (6.5 minutes per game) and Russell Byrd (9.6 minutes per game) could see more playing time. Penn State now has a legitimate chance to steal this game.

Original Story: Anyway, assuming no key Spartans are forced to sit this game out, Penn State will have its work cut out once again in its fifth Big Ten game of the season. The Lions are fresh off of their worst offensive game of the season (that’s saying something), in which they scored 42 points and shot 26 percent from the field in a loss at Purdue.

Penn State is at home tonight (7:00 ET, BTN), but the team has shown no signs so far of breaking out of its season-long offensive woes. Here’s a great video from the official PSU site showing Brandon Taylor and D.J. Newbill talking about how if the team continues to play hard, good things will happen.

Unfortunately, playing hard will not cure lousy shooting. Penn State may have a game in which someone like Taylor or Jermaine Marshall gets hot from long range, but in general it will continue to be a poor shooting team for the rest of the season.

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Penn State basketball housed by Northwestern 70-54

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Aaron Yorke

Ah, what can I say about this Nittany Lion loss that hasn’t already been said about countless other Nittany Lion losses? Well, for one, it was to Northwestern. Penn State did lose twice to the Wildcats last season, but at least the game was close when the two teams played in State College. That was not the case this time around.

D.J. Newbill had some nice drives to the hoop, but he missed pretty much every shot that wasn’t a layup, and the Lions as a whole shot 32 percent from the field. Newbill scored 20 points and Jermaine Marshall finished with 13, but both players connected on fewer than 40 percent of their shots. At least Newbill got to the free throw line (8-for-9) and only turned the ball over twice.

On defense, Penn State switched between man-to-man and zone, but neither strategy could keep Northwestern point guard Dave Sobolewski in check. The sophomore was effective whether he was slashing to the hoop or shooting from the beyond the arc, and he scored 18 points for the Cats while dishing out a game-high 5 assists.

Northwestern also had three other players in double figures. The team’s leading scorer, Reggie Hearn, made a habit of going to the free throw line (7-for-11) on his way to 14 points. Jared Swopshire scored 9 points in the game’s first 10 minutes on his way to a total of 17, and freshman Kale Abrahamson showed off his three-point shooting skills (3-for-5) to finish with 10 points.

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Penn State Basketball needs to be men, play for 40 versus Northwestern tonight

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Aaron Yorke

Penn State hosts Northwestern tonight at 8:00 ET on ESPNU in a game that will be each team’s best chance so far to get a Big Ten win. I expect Northwestern to be a bit more desperate because it actually has a number of seniors who are major contributors. Penn State is a young team that was more or less playing for the future ever since Tim Frazier got hurt in November.

That said, Pat Chambers is not going to lay down for anyone. In this week’s press conference, he stressed the need for Penn State to play with effort and focus for an entire game. “We have to play Penn State basketball for longer than 20 minutes,” said Chambers, “That’s the bottom line. It’s gotta be for 40.”

Unfortunately for the Lions, so far this season “Penn State basketball” has meant taking and missing way too many jump shots. In a conversation with GoPSUSports.com, D.J. Newbill said that the team has to stop settling for jumpers, but it’s very hard to take him seriously when PSU has all of 12 free throw attempts through two conference games.

No one on Penn State is particularly good at shooting jump shots, but Newbill is worse than his teammates, so he should stick to driving to the basket against Northwestern tonight while Brandon Taylor and Jermaine Marshall handle the shooting.

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