Edison Volquez (2.18 RA+, 10.7 K9) stands in their way Friday opening a three game series with the Reds.

Taking advantage of a weakness and stealing eight bases in nine attempts in the three games against the Padres. The run Melky scored in the fifth without a hit was a thing of beauty. Mike Scioscia would’ve been proud.

ARod has homered in 4 straight, Yanks have won 6 straight.

Welcome back, Sidney

(AP)

2nd in AL in HR (17), 3rd in OPS (.998), 5 wins in a row!

Austin Jackson’s OPS is back over 800 at Double-A Trenton as he went 4-for-5 and homered in his fourth straight game tonight. He’s starting to show power like he did last year. Jackson is the best hitting prospect in the Yankees system.

Alfredo Aceves (also at Trenton) shutout Harrisburg over eight innings allowing only one hit and two walks. He faced the minimum amount of batters with three double plays and four strikeouts. Aceves is shooting through the system, even with his advanced age its impressive.

Bryan Smith: Every time we talked about Christian Friedrich this spring, we wrote that no one was in Friedrich’s zip code in terms of curveball grade. However, after watching Seminole after Seminole swing through Jeremy Bleich’s hook, I think there’s a competition for the crown. Bleich’s fastball was topping out at 90 mph, but it didn’t matter, as he was in command and impossible with two strikes. Bleich was seen as something of an overdraft, but the Cardinal has bounced back from injury rather perfectly.

(AP)

Four in a row!

Yankees are 16-9 since ARod’s return from the DL. The rush is on.

In the first game of the College World Series against Florida State on ESPN, Yankees supplemental 1st round pick and Stanford LHP Jeremy Bleich held down the Seminoles:

5 IP 6 HA 1 R 2 BB 7 K

The highlight of his preformance was striking out 5th overall pick Buster Posey with runners on in a 1-0 game in the 5th inning.