City Island News BX: Yanks-Pirates Split Doubleheader

City Island News BX: Yanks-Pirates Split Doubleheader: Yanks-Pirates Split Doubleheader By Howard Goldin BRONX, NEW YORK, MAY 19- For the first time in a decade, a single-admission...

Yanks-Pirates Split Doubleheader

Yanks-Pirates Split Doubleheader

By Howard Goldin

BRONX, NEW YORK, MAY 19- For the first time in a decade, a single-admission doubleheader was played in the Bronx. The last time Yankee fans in the Bronx could see two games in one day for the price of one was on September 29, 2004. A very large crowd of 46,858 took advantage of the fine weather to flock to Yankee Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Game One

The Yanks continued their domination over the Pirates in the Bronx with a 4-3 win in game one of the twin-bill. The victory raised the Yankee mark to 8-0 in their inter league games played in the Bronx.

A first inning solo homer by Pirate second sacker Neil Walker was answered by three Yankee runs in the bottom of the inning. The first five Yankee batters reached base successfully. Brett Gardner walked. Derek Jeter followed with a single. Jacoby Ellsbury was hit by a pitch, which loaded the bases. Mark Teixeira drove in two runs with a single, which increased his hitting streak to eight straight games. The third run was knocked in by Brian McCann who singled. 

In the second, a single by Kelly Johnson, augmented by a stolen base and a throwing error by the Pirate catcher brought him to third. He was driven across the plate by Gardner’s double.

After the contest, Yankee starter Hiroki Kuroda explained the benefit of the early scoring of his teammates, “They gave me an early lead in the game [and] I was more aggressive.”

Fortunately for the Yanks, the four runs were sufficient for the win as the team’s sole offense after the second inning was a single by Zoilo Almonte in the fourth. He was the only one of the last 20 Yankee batters to reach base and he was picked off first. 

Kuroda earned his first winning decision since April 14. He yielded three runs, five hits and two walks in his six innings on the mound. 

Yankee relievers, Matt Daley, Matt Thornton, Adam Warren and David Robertson blanked Pittsburgh in the final three innings. Robertson earned his eighth save of the year by retiring the last four Pirate batters, three by strikeout. 

The two day, three-game visit to the Bronx was a home coming for Pedro Alvarez, the Pirate third baseman. Alvarez, a native of the Dominican Republic, lived in the area as a teenager and attended an academically prestigious school in the Bronx, Horace Mann, before enrolling at Vanderbilt University. In the stands supporting the Pirate clean-up batter in his first MLB games at Yankee Stadium were his parents, sister and other relatives and friends. 

Alvarez’s single in the fourth gave him a hit in 18 of his last 20 interleague games.

Game Two

Thirty minutes after the first game concluded, the second began.

The rare opportunity to be in a ballpark for seven hours may be more difficult for some than they would have realized. The length of time affected both the crowd in the stands and the players on the field. 

The vast majority of the crowd left the park early. The starting lineup for each team in each game was quite different. The sloppiness was more apparent than usual. Each team committed two errors in the second inning, which allowed runners to score. Two base runners were thrown out trying to stretch and a runner was picked off base. 

Each starter, Vidal Nuno for the Yankees and Garrit Cole for the Pirates, pitched effectively for six innings. Interestingly, Cole was originally drafted by the Yankees, but did not sign so he could attend college. 

In the seventh, Yankee reliever Alfredo Aceves gave up a home run to Josh Harrison, the first batter he faced. The homer broke a 3-3 tie to give Pittsburgh the lead and eventually the win. The Pirates scored an additional run, but the Yankees did not. 

The 5-3 win by the Pirates ended the Yankee Stadium winning streak over Pittsburgh in the Bronx.

City Island News BX: Gunning Down Carjackers

City Island News BX: Gunning Down Carjackers: Hero or Vigilante? Man Charged with Gunning Down Carjackers BRONX, NEW YORK, MAY 16- District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announc...

Gunning Down Carjackers

Hero or Vigilante? Man Charged with Gunning Down Carjackers

BRONX, NEW YORK, MAY 16- District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced that a Grand Jury has indicted defendant Jeffrey Pierre in the shooting deaths of two men May 9^th, 2014 at 4:35 AM, on Rombouts Avenue in the Bronx.

Pierre, age 33, is alleged to have shot to death Kaiison Lewis, 23 and Jermaine Johnson, 28.

It is alleged that Pierre was in his 1998 Mercedes-Benz outside 3805 Dyre Avenue, waiting to get food, when Lewis and Johnson got into the car as well. The men then exited Pierre’s vehicle, running a block-and-a-half and getting in to Johnson’s car, a 2002 Acura, which was parked in front of 3730 Rombouts Avenue.

Pierre is accused of following them to that location, where he allegedly opened fire, killing both men. Thirteen shots were fired from a 40-caliber semi-automatic weapon at the two victims. Police say Pierre fled the scene and was apprehended a few minutes later on Dyre Avenue after throwing the gun on the ground. That 40-caliber firearm was recovered. During the investigation, a 9-mm semi-automatic weapon was also recovered on the ground lying next to Johnson’s vehicle.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Assistant District Attorney Paul Rosenfeld.

City Island News BX: Another Violent Week Across the Borough

City Island News BX: Another Violent Week Across the Borough: Another Violent Week Across the Borough By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, MAY 16- The mild temperatures have continued with the ...

Another Violent Week Across the Borough

Another Violent Week Across the Borough

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, MAY 16- The mild temperatures have continued with the string of violent incidents this past week that have left at least five people dead and 11 wounded, after nearly a half dozen incidents across the borough. 

At 11 p.m. on May 8, the body of a man was discovered by police on the roof of the Gun Hill Houses at 711 Magenta Street. Police say he had been shot in the head and back.

Detectives would later release photos of several tattoos on the man's arms and hand in hopes that someone would recognize the still-unidentified victim. described as a white male between 20 and 30 years-old.

Police were called to reports of shots fired at 4:42 a.m., on May 9, when they discovered two men who were shot and mortally wounded on Rombouts Avenue in the Eastchester section.

In what was being described as a carjacking gone wrong, police discovered Mount Vernon residents Jermaine Johnson, 28, and Kaiison Lewis, 23, both been shot multiple times. Johnson died at the scene and Lewis died a short time later at Jacobi Hospital.

Police have charged Jeffrey Pierre, 33, in the crime.

On May 11, officers in the 43rd Precinct were called at 4:45 a.m. to the intersection of Castle Hill Avenue and Gleason Avenue in the Parkchester section.

The 22-year old male victim was shot in the head and chest and died at Jacobi Hospital. A second victim was also shot, but was expected to survive.

Police in the 47th Precinct were called to 768 East 215 Street in Williamsbridge at 9:30 p.m. on May 11 and discovered Quashawn Thomas, 19, had been shot in the head.

Thomas was rushed to Montefiore Hospital North where he died a short time later. Police reported they continue to hunt for this assailant.   

City Island News BX: Bronx Veterans Honored

City Island News BX: Bronx Veterans Honored: Bronx Veterans Honored The Monroe college Student Veterans Association (SVA) participated in the official breakfast honoring Bronx v...