Kuzul

The Yankees were shooting themselves in the foot all night when they had opportunities with runners in scoring position.

And then Raul Ibanez came into the game and changed that with two at-bats.

The Yankees had an early opportunity to cut into Boston’s 2-0 lead, with runners on first and third and one out in the first inning.

Mark Teixeira weakly grounded into a double play to end the threat.

The Yankees were able to get on the board in the bottom of the second when Eduardo Nunez ripped the ball towards Jose Iglesias, who couldn’t field it cleanly, and Curtis Granderson scored to make it 2-1, Boston.

In the bottom of the third, with runners on first and third again, Teixeira again bounced into another double play to end another possible scoring inning.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, with runners on second and third and two out, Ichiro Suzuki hit a hard liner to center field to end the inning.

In the top of the ninth, Red Sox first baseman, James Loney, gave Boston an insurance run by hitting a solo home run off Yankees closer Rafael Soriano to make it 3-1.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees’ luck with runners on base changed.

Granderson started off the inning by singling off Boston closer Andrew Bailey, which lead to Ibanez coming up in a pinch-hit situation for Eduardo Nunez.

Ibanez cranks out a two-run, game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth to make it 3-3.

Bailey loaded the bases with only one out, and Teixeira had a chance to redeem himself for the awful night at the plate.

Unfortunately, Teixeira’s poor performance at the plate continued as he hit a weak fly ball to Jacoby Ellsbury in center field and it wasn’t deep enough to score the winning run at third. Robinson Cano hit a grounder to second base to end the inning and the scoring threat.

The bullpens continued to battle as Mark Melancon and Vicente Padilla pitched well for Boston while Derek Lowe gave the Yankees two solid innings.

In the bottom of the twelve inning with two outs, Francisco Cervelli was able to draw a walk on lefty Andrew Miller.

Granderson also walked to set up first and second with two outs, which again lead to Ibanez coming up in a big spot.

Ibanez then got a base hit past the shortstop and third baseman, allowing Cervelli to come around to score and win the game for the Yankees 4-3.

Lowe got the win for the Yankees (9-11) while Miller took the loss for Boston.

Because the Orioles defeated the Rays 1-0 on Tuesday night, the Yankees didn’t clinch the A.L. East, but all they have to do is win on Wednesday night and they will lock up the division.

In the 2012 regular season finale, it will be the battle of Japanese pitchers as Hiroki Kuroda looks to lock up the division for the Yankees, while Boston will counter with Daisuke Matsuzaka.

All year long, we’ve talked about the Yankees’ inability to hit with runners in scoring position, and it’s a reason why the Yankees had to play Boston until the 12th inning.

But Ibanez was able to step in and give the Yankees clutch hits when they needed it most, and hopefully it’s a trend that he can continue in October.

Given how the final month of the season has played out, it’s only fitting that the Yankees have to attempt to win the division on the final day of the season.

Many Yankee fans will be looking for the Bombers to wrap up the division on Wednesday night. I think they will get it done because they don’t want to end up tied with Baltimore and have to go to Camden Yards for a one-game playoff.

Despite a rough night hitting in key situations, the Yankees can feel good knowing they control their own destiny for the postseason.

Stay tuned, Yankees Universe.

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**** UPDATE (8:25 p.m.)*****

The Yankees will use Derek Lowe out of the bullpen when he arrives to New York on Monday, according to Marc Carig of the Newark-Star Ledger. David Phelps is expected to start in place of CC Sabathia when the Yankees start their series with the Texas Rangers.

Sources: Phelps starts Monday. Lowe expected to be in the bullpen by Monday

— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) August 11, 2012

Remember when the Yankees passed on Derek Lowe to sign A.J. Burnett in December of 2008?

It’s funny how things change in just four years, as according to Marc Carig of the Newark-Star Ledger, the Yankees have signed Lowe to a deal for the remainder of the 2012 season.

Source: Yankees have acquired Derek Lowe.

— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) August 11, 2012

The news of the Yankees signing Lowe comes after it was announced that they will put their ace CC Sabathia on the 15-day DL with elbow soreness.

Sabathia was on the DL with a groin injury back on June 26, so this is a rare second stint on the DL for the Yankees lefty.

Andy Pettitte is still recovering from a fractured fibula that he suffered on June 27 and is not expected back until early September at the earliest.

Lowe had been designated for assignment by the Cleveland Indians after he posted an 8-10 record with a 5.51 ERA, pitching in 119 innings and making 21 starts so far this season.

Lowe is no stranger to pitching in the American League East, as he spent eight years with the Boston Red Sox (1997-2004).

His last year with the team was back in 2004, the same year they won the World Series for the first time in 86 years—a run that included coming back from and 0-3 and beating the Yankees in the ALCS. Lowe won Game 7 at Yankee Stadium for Boston.

Lowe was in the final year of the four-year, $60 million deal he signed with Atlanta, but was traded from the Atlanta Braves to the Indians before the season.

The Indians were on the hook for $5 million of the $15 million owed to Lowe, so with this signing of Lowe, they are on hook for a pro-rated version of the league-minimum.

Basically, the Yankees have acquired Lowe’s services for very little money.

It’s a risky signing because of Lowe’s ERA, but there are several upsides.

First, his playoff experience. Back in 2004, Lowe won all three deciding games for the Red Sox in the playoffs against the Angels, Yankees and Cardinals. That also included winning Game 4 of the World Series at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

His durability is another great factor.

Since 2002, Lowe has made over 30 starts each season for the Red Sox, Dodgers and Braves. With the Indians, he’s made 21, so whether he hits 30 in 2012 is in question.

Despite his age of 39, he does not get hurt and he can throw a lot of innings.

Lowe is known as a sinkerball pitcher who can still generate ground balls; Lowe had a 60 percent ground ball ratio while with the Indians.

Some people might not like the signing of Lowe, but the 39-year-old has been inserted right back into a pennant race and has a chance to reestablish himself pitching in the Bronx.

At worst, if he stinks and is still getting whacked around Joe Girardi can stick him in the bullpen and use him as a long reliever.

Lowe just got a second chance to redeem his 2012 season and another chance to pitch for a championship.

What will he do now as a member of the Yankees? Only time will tell.

Stay tuned, Yankees Universe.

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The New York Yankees have reportedly added Derek Lowe to their pitching rotation as the MLB postseason continues to draw nearer.

Major League Baseball reported via Twitter that the Cleveland Indians released Lowe yesterday.

OFFICIAL: @indians release RHP Derek Lowe.

— MLB (@MLB) August 10, 2012

Today, the Star-Ledger’s Marc Carig reports the Yankees have decided to give the 39-year-old a new opportunity, and that Lowe will be featured in the bullpen.

“Source: Yankees have acquired Derek Lowe.”

— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) August 11, 2012

“Indeed, Lowe is a bullpen guy for the Yankees.. Phelps starts monday.”

— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) August 11, 2012

Lowe is a two-time All-Star who had a 5.52 ERA through 21 outings this season, but a poor 41-to-45 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

The Yankees—unlike the Indians, who are 10 games back in the AL Central—are very much alive in the postseason race. They currently lead the Baltimore Orioles by six games atop the AL East.

The team’s 3.78 team ERA ranks 10^th in baseball and the pitching staff’s .268 batting average allowed ranks 19^th in the majors. Lowe provides the Yankees with an experienced an inexpensive option to help improve those numbers.

Lowe is already cemented in Yankees history for reasons that the team’s fans have tried to forget. The righty was pitching and recorded the win for the Boston Red Sox in their historic Game 7 win of the AL Championship Series in 2004.

Lowe is no longer the same player he was then, but he has been through deep playoff runs and has a World Series ring.

The Yankees, as always, expect nothing less than a championship this season. Signing a player with Lowe’s experience for cheap will not make a huge impact, but it is still a smart move going forward. 

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Baseball is a great sport for fantasy owners because everything can be quantified. Every at bat is an individual event and can be meticulously scrutinized to the point where we can use sabermetric statistics to predict future success or failures.

Using some of these principles, we’re going to look at two players that are good “buy low” candidates and two pitchers that are good “sell high” candidates.

Begin Slideshow

The first week of September, 2011, Tribe fans packed the Jake for three straight games to watch the Detroit Tigers bring the Cleveland Indians‘ Cinderella regular-season run to a screeching, crashing halt.

The Indians threw Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez and Fausto Carmona at the Tigers, but to no avail—Detroit swept Cleveland. By the time Detroit swept Cleveland in another three-game series at Comerica Park at the end of the month, all had been decided.

After last season, no Wahoo Warrior will underestimate Detroit in 2012. The Tribe’s main competition in the AL Central Division came within two games of the World Series last season and added the 2012 free-agency class’ most high-profile prize: Prince Fielder.

Additionally, Chicago and Minnesota will certainly enjoy healthier rosters in 2012, as both clubs saw their 2011 seasons marred by injury. 

If the Cleveland Indians participate in the 2012 postseason, they will have undoubtedly bested their rivals from “that state up north.” Can the Indians negate Detroit’s profligate spending through sound management and small ball?

Tigers owner and Little Caesar’s founder Mike Ilitch has made a point of demonstrating his personal and financial commitment to adding a World Series title to his four Stanley Cup rings.

Fielder provided Tigers fans with the red meat—read, instant gratification—they sought after a stinging defeat at the hands of the Texas Rangers in the ALCS. The Prince could deliver Detroiters their first World Series title since 1984.

Back in the “Fortress of Frugality,” formerly known as Jacobs Field, the Dolan family, GM Chris Antonetti, President Mark Shapiro and the gang retaliated with the only weapon on which they can rely in a small market—pitching.

To bolster their pitching arsenal, the Tribe acquired the services of veteran professional Derek Lowe as well as the new Anglophonic ambassador to the Tribe’s Spanish speakers, control-man Kevin Slowey. At first base, the Indians required an everyday player hitting above the Mendoza Line. Enter Casey Kotchman, a tested career .268 hitter.

While Tribe fans may not enjoy the big-splash, SportsCenter-worthy acquisitions of big-market clubs, they can rest assured knowing their organization has resurrected itself several times in the last decade and has learned a thing or two about developing a baseball team from the ground up.

I was in my freshman year of college in 2007, the last time the Tribe played in the postseason. Before the Red Sox broke our hearts in the ALCS, the Indians eliminated the New York Yankees.

Surrounded by Yankees fans, I relished in posting one particular note on my neighbor’s door. It outlined exactly how much the $200 million Yankees organization had shelled out for each hit, each out, each run. Obviously, I taunted him with the fractional price the $61 million the Indians had paid. 

Before long, CC Sabathia was pitching for the Yankees against Cliff Lee and the Phillies in the World Series while the Indians sat at home. As an Indians fan, you really have to pick your windows for talking trash.

Now the Indians face a hegemonic power who threatens not just to pilfer the All-Star lineup we perennially rebuild, but to dominate our division and preclude us from playoff contention for the foreseeable future.

Will the 2012 Indians and their fans rise to meet the challenge? 

You can follow Brian on Twitter @StepanekButton 

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The Atlanta Braves are currently in second place in the NL East, which I find very impressive, yet they remain five games behind the Philadelphia Phillies. 

I know the Braves are quite capable of overtaking their first-place rivals—they have only a few obstacles that are keeping them from doing so.

In this slideshow, I will explain what these obstacles are and how the Braves can possibly overcome them.

Begin Slideshow

It is not a good time to be Derek Lowe right now.

Lowe, a pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, was arrested last night after police pulled him over and smelled alcohol, according to TMZ.com.

The pitcher refused a sobriety test, so the police took him into custody and had his car thrown in the impound lot, eventually charging him with DUI, reckless driving and an improper lane change. Lowe posted bond and is now out of jail.

Needless to say, this is the last thing Lowe and the Braves wanted. The veteran pitcher is a major part Atlanta’s rotation, and this is a needless distraction during a season.

Furthermore, for Lowe to be that drunk at 10 p.m. is a little disturbing. It’s simply irresponsible to put himself in a situation like that, especially when he’s slated to pitch Sunday.

However, this isn’t the first time Lowe has been linked to alcohol and excess.

Per Kevin Roderick of LAObserved.com:

Trinka Lowe alleged in her deposition that the pitcher’s agent, Scott Boras, suggested an “intervention” to deal with the player’s drinking and told her the Red Sox did not re-sign Lowe after the 2004 season because of his alcohol problem. In his deposition, Derek Lowe acknowledged that the Red Sox thought he had a drinking issue but that he disagreed.

According to Fineman, Trinka Lowe said the alcohol issue got so bad when Boston was in the playoffs in 2004 that bullpen catcher Dana Lavangie phoned her at home in Fort Meyers, Florida “and told me that I needed to come up to Boston because Derek was falling apart….He was depressed. They had taken him out of the starting rotation. He was in the bullpen. They told him pretty much he wasn’t going to touch the baseball for any of the playoffs.”

Lowe would get drunk last season in the Dodgers clubhouse with clubhouse manager Dave Dickinson, Trinka contends. Dickinson told Fineman “he would drink with Lowe occasionally after games, but not every night. And he also said he did not see Lowe get drunk in the clubhouse.”

It’s clear now that he has to get help for himself.

Lowe simply cannot be living like this anymore because now he’s not just risking his own life, he’s putting others in dangers as well.

If he doesn’t get help for this issue, it’s going to consume him and cut short what has been a very underrated career. It’s sad to see it come to this, and you have to wonder what the Braves are going to do about this very delicate situation.

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Braves right-handed starter Derek Lowe was arrested under suspicion for driving under the influence Wednesday night. Lowe was stopped around 10p.m by State Patrol on Peachtree Road at Ronson Road in Atlanta. After smelling a strong alcoholic odor, the officer conducted a field sobriety test; Lowe however refused to take the state-administered alcohol test. Lowe also received additional charges of reckless driving and failure to maintain lanes while allegedly racing another car according to Atlanta Law Enforcement.  Lowe’s Porsche was impounded and he was booked in the Atlanta City Jail.  The news comes at a bad time for Atlanta, who already has been plagued with bad press regarding the homo-phobic comments of pitching coach Roger McDowell.The Braves Organization has announced the situation would be assessed later today. 

He was released early this morning after posting bail of $2,944.CBS Atlanta News has released this video of Lowe exiting the Jail early this morning. 

http://www.cbsatlanta.com/local-video/index.html?grabnetworks_video_id=4668722

—for more breaking news and in-game updates follow me on twitter @MLBeatWriter

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Not everybody can land Doc Halladay or Jon Lester.

Wins are hard to predict—just ask Felix Hernandez.

Here are some value guys that in theory should help bolster your win total. All average draft positions are from Mock Draft Central.

Phil Hughes, New York Yankees: You know the Yankees are going to win games.

Hughes has the talent to pick up a bunch of those victories; though he slowed in the second half of last year, he finished with 18 wins. His ERA and WHIP should be solid enough, along with a fair amount of strikeouts, to make him a deal at his ADP of 154.

Even with his disastrous 2008 season when he posted a 1.71 WHIP, Hughes has a lifetime WHIP of 1.27.

Carl Pavano, Minnesota Twins: Every year, A.L. Central teams seem to load up to take down the Twins. Yet almost every year, the Twins raise another A.L. Central banner.

Pavano has averaged 15.5 wins the past two years, including a solid 17-11 last year for the Twins. He once was a running joke for being injury prone, but has tossed 420-1/3 innings over the past two years.

With an ADP of 295, you can hardly pass up the 14+ win potential.

Tim Hudson, Atlanta Braves: Hudson has an ADP of 151, so he’s a borderline value.

Considering his ability to win at a high clip (lifetime .655 winning percentage) with a low ERA and WHIP (lifetime 3.42 and 1.25 respectively), I think he achieves value status.

Bronson Arroyo, Cincinnati Reds: Arroyo won 17 games last year giving him three straight seasons with at least 15 wins.

His ERA has been south of 4.00 the past two years making Arroyo a strong value with his ADP of 323.

Derek Lowe, Atlanta Braves: At some point Lowe will crap out or hang up his cleats, but until then he remains a solid pitching option. He has recorded at least 12 wins the past nine years and has averaged 15 over the past three. His ERA and WHIP, aside from running high in 2009, have been solid since 2005.

He’s just a nice veteran option to fill out your staff. His ADP is 331 so he’s not much of a risk if he struggles.

Ervin Santana, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Santana shook off the rust to win 17 games after dealing with elbow issues in 2009.

He literally alternated good and bad months last year, but finished with a sub-4.00 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP. He also recored 169 strikeouts making him a solid value with an ADP of 211.

Mike Pelfrey, New York Mets: Pelfrey won 15 games last year and averaged 12.7 over the past three years. He was 10-3 at home with a 2.83 ERA, making him a nice option to use when the matchups are right.

His ADP is 265.

Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox: 2010 was a lost year for Beckett, but if he’s healthy he can be a dominant pitcher.

His ADP of 176 makes him a great value pick.

Also check out:

• 2011 Fantasy Baseball Value Picks
• 2011 Fantasy Baseball Profiles
• 2011 Fantasy First Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only First Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only First Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Second Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Second Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Second Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Third Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Third Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Third Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Shortstop Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Shortstop Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Shortstop Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Catcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Catcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Catcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Outfielder Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Outfielder Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Outfielder Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Starting Pitcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Starting Pitcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Starting Pitcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Closer Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Closer Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Closer Rankings

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There are no sure things in sports, but sometimes, you can come close.

In baseball, some players are so consistent that a look at their previous three or so years can give you a pretty good estimation of how they will perform in the coming season.

Here’s what Braves fans can reasonably expect.

Chipper Jones will get hurt; no rational human being can expect anything close to a full, healthy season from Chipper.

He hasn’t played more than 150 games since 2003, and many of the games in which he does appear are single pinch-hitting appearances or early exits after tweaking some body part. He further weakens the team with all those games where he’s too hurt to play, but not hurt enough to go on the DL.

Consider that he’s also had a steady three-year decline in slugging and he’s a $14 million dollar albatross around the Braves’ collective neck.

This leads us to our next guarantee.

Derek Lowe will eat innings and record double-digit wins. Roto players hate him, but since becoming a starter, Lowe has never failed to win in double-digits and never misses a start.

Considering the nightmarish wave of injuries that befell the Braves rotation in 2008, it’s no wonder Frank Wren was willing to overpay for this workhorse.

Dan Uggla will hit 30 homers and make 15 errors. Since Uggla joined the big leagues, he is second only to Albert Pujols in homers by National League right-handed hitters. Both his power numbers and his fielding stats have held steady over the course of his career.

Considering how hotly contested the Braves playoff series with the Giants was, despite Atlanta’s dearth of power and poor fielding in the series, I think Atlanta can stomach the occasional error from their new slugger.

Brian McCann will be Brian McCann and Martin Prado will be Martin Prado. Two models of consistency, McCann can be relied on for 20 homers, Prado will bat .300 and both will provide steady defense and a positive presence in the clubhouse.

The only question will be: Who plays left field when Prado takes over third base after Chipper’s inevitable injury?

Nate McLouth will stink.

Frank Wren has said that the Braves need McLouth to return to the form he showed in Pittsburgh, but let’s be clear about something: Nate McLouth had one terrific year in Pittsburgh in 2008, but was never that caliber of player before or since. Even at his best, he still only batted .276 with a .350 on-base percentage.

Take away his one atypical season and McLouth is a 10-homer, 12-steal guy with a .250 batting average. Hardly worth a starting spot on a championship contender.

Those are my guarantees for the season. Anyone else see any sure things for the Braves in the coming year?

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