On-Base Perception
Newsday's new all-encompassing baseball blog on the Yankees, Mets, MLB and more from around the sport.
Why are strikeout rates at an all-time high?
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When Mariano Rivera struck out Jason Castro to close out Tuesday night's Yankees victory, it marked the 267th time an Astro had struck out in 27 games. Going into Saturday's games, they had struck out 300 times in 30 games, or 10 per game, the most in the majors.
Fun fact: Thursday's 18 strikeouts marked the 15th time that the Astros were rung up in double figures.
It's not just the...
Read more »By the numbers: How the Mets rallied against the Braves
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ATLANTA -- Just like many of his peers, Mets manager Terry Collins routinely leaves himself open for second guessing. Whether it be his lineup construction, or bullpen management or in-game decision making, he has never shied away from cutting against the grain.
After all, Collins is the same man who ordered an intentional walk of Donovan Solano on Monday even after he fell behind in the count...
Read more »Mets demote Colin Cowgill, promote Andrew Brown
Photo credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa
ATLANTA -- The Mets' outfield carousel turned once more on Friday when the team demoted Collin Cowgill and replaced him with Andrew Brown.
Cowgill hit a grand slam on Opening Day, though his performance only slid downhill from there. After a reduction in his playing time, Cowgill was ultimately optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas with a .157 average with two homers and eight RBIs in 19 games.
The...
Read more »State of the Yankees by beat reporter Erik Boland
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Can CC Sabathia survive without a mid-90s fastball?
Who's the odd man out of the outfield when Curtis Granderson returns from the disabled list?
Yankees beat reporter Erik Boland takes you inside the Yankees clubhouse and the mind of manager Joe Girardi with detailed information and analysis on the state of the team in our newest video....
Read more »Joba Chamberlain placed on DL by Yankees
Photo credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams, Jr.
Another one bites the dust.
The Yankees announced that right-handed reliever Joba Chamberlain would be placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right oblique strain, adding yet another injury to a season full of them. The DL stint is retroactive to April 28.
Chamberlain is 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA and one save in 9.1 innings this season.
He'll be the 10th member of the Yankees 40-man...
Read more »Terry Collins likes Mets approach, despite results
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MIAMI -- Mets manager Terry Collins said on Wednesday morning that he's been pleased with his team's approach at the plate, even though that approach hasn't led to any results.
While the Mets continue to work counts, he said the issue has stemmed from simply missing good pitches to hit, and failing to do damage against opposing bullpens. Hitting coach Dave Hudgens echoed the message, preaching...
Read more »Edwin Encarnacion hits moonshot off Jon Lester
Photo credit: AP
Toronto Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion had hit 47 home runs at the Rogers Centre before Tuesday, but he never hit any quite like this one.
With the Jays leading the Boston Red Sox 4-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Encarnacion hit an absolute moonshot off of Jon Lester that landed in the fifth deck in left field. He's only the 14th player ever to hit one into the 500 level at Rogers...
Read more »What we've learned one month into the MLB season
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One month into the season, we’ve learned quite a few interesting facts about some contenders:
The pen is not mightier
The Cardinals are one of the top teams in baseball once again this season. After winning the World Series in 2011 and making it to Game 7 of the National League Championship Series against the eventual World Champion Giants last year, St. Louis is now a half-game out...
Read more »Vidal Nuno makes MLB debut for Yankees
Photo credit: Jim McIsaac
Buried in the Yankees’ embarrassing 9-1 loss to the lowly Astros on Monday night was a glimpse of what could turn out to be a bright spot for the organization. Left-hander Vidal Nuno took the mound to start the seventh inning, making his MLB debut, and worked three shutout innings to finish the game, allowing four hits, no walks and striking out two.
He threw 38 pitches, 28 for strikes, and...
Read more »Chris Nelson could be option for Yankees to replace Kevin Youkilis
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If Kevin Youkilis hits the disabled list with the back issues that have led him to play in only one game since April 20, the Yankees have some options on the open market to replace him.
Internally, the organization is light on infielders. Injuries to Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez have exposed this area of shallow depth, forcing Jayson Nix and Eduardo Nunez into more prominent action than...
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