7/26/2013- Yankees/Texas split series, Mets/Braves split series, NFL Training Camp, more

Hello everyone! I hope all of you had a great week this week! As you all know, NFL Training Camp is underway, and that means preseason is coming soon. More will be talked about as you read along. Here we go!

MLB
During the week, the Yankees were in Arlington, Texas to face the Texas Rangers in a 4 game set. The Yankees lost the 1st game due to fatigue, won the 2nd game, lost the 3rd game, and got a shutout win in the 4th game. Meanwhile, for the Mets, they hosted the Atlanta Braves in a 4 game set. The Mets lost the 1st game, won the 2nd game, lost in a blowout in the 3rd, and won the 4th game.

The Yankees will host the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend, before they head out to the west coast. One thing notable is that the Yankees have brought back Alfonso Soriano in a trade from the Cubs in exchange for a prospect. According to YES Network's Jack Curry, Soriano will wear #12. That means that Vernon Wells will switch to #22. For the Mets, they are in the DC area to take on the Washington Nationals in a 4 game set. The Mets won today in a 11-0 shutout against the Nationals in the 1st game in the day/night doubleheader. They will continue their series against the Nationals this weekend.

WWE
This past Monday on Raw was the fallout from the announcement of John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan at Summerslam. Raw kicked off with Brad Maddox hosting the contract signing of Cena vs. Bryan, as well as announcing that Daniel Bryan will be in a gauntlet match during the main event. What's notable about this edition of Raw, was the match between Daniel Bryan and Antonio Cesaro. Fans, such as myself were praising the match since it reminded me of ROH Wrestling. What's also notable was a wardrobe malfunction that occurred during a segment where the cast of Total Divas was on Miz TV. The malfunction happened to be from Brie Bella, which led to WWE making her issue an apology on Twitter for "the incident". If you're asking for photos, don't even think about it. You won't see it here. Google it if you're that curious. Anyways, here are the highlights from Raw:

UFC
Tomorrow night is UFC on FOX 8: Johnson vs. Moraga. Here is a preview of the event that will take place tomorrow:

NFL
As you all know, the NFL season is just around the corner as training camp officially kicks off. Prior to training camp, the New York Jets re-signed Braylon Edwards to a 1-year deal. What's notable about the Jets training camp is the quarterback competition between incumbent Mark Sanchez, and 2nd round pick Geno Smith. As for the Giants training camp, this will be the year where the Giants will have it in East Rutherford, NJ instead of Albany, NY.

I don't have any highlights from either camp, but I suggest watching Geico SportsNite on SNY to watch the highlights from both camps.

That's all I have to say for now. Have a good weekend!

- NYCKNP

7/22/2013- Mets def. Phillies 2 out of 3, Red Sox def. Yankees 2 out of 3, preview of WWE Monday Night Raw

Hello everyone! I hope all of you had a great weekend! Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Here we go!

MLB
This past weekend, the Mets hosted the Philadelphia Phillies in a 3 game set. The Mets lost on Friday, but had a good weekend to win the series. For the Yankees, they were in Boston to face the Red Sox in a 3 game set. The Yankees lost on Friday, won on Saturday, and lost in a heartbreaker late last night/early morning in an extra innings game.

Now it's officially time to move on. The Yankees will be in Arlington, Texas tonight to face the Texas Rangers in a 4 game set. The Mets will host the Atlanta Braves in a 4 game set this week.

Also, it was announced by MLB that Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers has been suspended for PEDs due to violation of their wellness policy.

WWE
Tonight on Monday Night Raw will be the fallout of the brawl between CM Punk and Brock Lesnar. A programming taping note: Tonight's Raw will be taped live, while next week's Raw will be taped tomorrow night. The upcoming episodes of SmackDown will be taped on Wednesday and Thursday.


 

7/19/2013- American League wins 2013 MLB All-Star Game, preview of Yankees/Red Sox; Phillies/Mets

Hello everyone! I hope all of you had a great week! Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Here we go!

MLB
This week in baseball has been slow due to the fact that it was an All-Star Break. On Tuesday's All-Star break, the American League shut out the National League 3-0. This was the 1st time since 2009 that the AL won the All-Star Game. The implications are that the AL Champions will have home-field advantage in the upcoming World Series.

What made that night interesting was when Yankees closer Mariano Rivera made his entrance at Citi Field in the 8th inning.

Now that the All-Star Game is over, baseball is back for the 2nd half. The Yankees will be in Boston to take on the Red Sox in a 3 game set this weekend, while the Mets will host the Philadelphia Phillies in a 3 game set. The Yankees have a very tough schedule in the 2nd half, and if they want to have a strong finish, they need to grind it out. The Mets, on the other hand have a slightly easier schedule in the 2nd half. The reason why is because the Mets have had 4 straight losing seasons, and when a team has had a longer losing season, the schedule is slightly easier.

My computer is acting up, so I will end it here today. I will talk more on Monday. Have a good weekend!

- NYCKNP

7/16/2013- preview of 2013 All-Star Game

Hello everyone! This is a special Tuesday edition of Wrestling with Green Pinstripes since the 2013 MLB All-Star Game will be starting soon as I'm writing this. Here are the lineups for the 2013 ASG:

National League

• Brandon Phillips 2B (Reds)
• Carlos Beltran RF (STL)
• Joey Votto 1B (Reds)
• David Wright 3B (NYM)
• Carlos Gonzalez LF (COL)
• Yadier Molina C (STL)
• Troy Tulowitzki SS (COL)
• Michael Cuddyer DH (COL)
• Bryce Harper CF (WAS)

Starting pitcher: Matt Harvey (NYM)
Manager: Bruce Bochy (SF)

American League

• Mike Trout LF (LAA)
• Robinson Cano 2B (NYY)
• Miguel Cabrera 3B (DET)
• Chris Davis 1B (BAL)
• Jose Bautista RF (TOR)
• David Ortiz DH (BOS)
• Adam Jones CF (BAL)
• Joe Mauer C (MIN)
• J.J. Hardy SS (BAL)

Starting pitcher: Max Scherzer (DET)
Manager: Jim Leyland (DET)

Yesterday was the Home Run Derby. Here are the highlights:

That's all I have to say right now. Enjoy the game everyone. I'll be back later this week to give my thoughts after the game.
 

7/15/2013- WWE Money in the Bank results, Pirates def. Mets 2 out of 3, Minnesota def. Yankees 2 out of 3

Hello everyone! I hope all of you had a nice weekend! Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Here we go!

WWE

Last night was the Money in the Bank PPV, and it took place at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. Overall, there were 8 matches on the card. One was the pre-show while the rest was the PPV. Here are the results:

WWE App/Facebook/YouTube/Yahoo/WWE.com

• The Shield (Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) def. The Usos to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship

PPV

• Damien Sandow wins the World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank ladder match*
• Curtis Axel def. The Miz to retain the Intercontinental Championship
• AJ Lee def. Kaitlyn via submission to retain the Divas Championship
• Ryback def. Chris Jericho
• Alberto Del Rio def. Dolph Ziggler via DQ to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
• John Cena def. Mark Henry via submission to retain the WWE Championship
• Randy Orton wins the WWE Championship Money in the Bank ladder match**

(*)- other participants included Jack Swagger, Antonio Cesaro, Fandango, Wade Barrett, Dean Ambrose, and Cody Rhodes
(**)- other participants included Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, Rob Van Dam, Christian, and Sheamus

Originally, Kane was scheduled to be part of the WWE Championship MITB, but was taken out in the last minute due to an attack from The Wyatt Family last Monday on Raw. Tonight's Raw will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

MLB
The Yankees hosted the Minnesota Twins in a 3 game set. The Yankees won on Friday, but lost the series over the weekend in a heartbreaking fashion. For the Mets, they were in Pittsburgh to take on the Pirates in a 3 game set. The Mets lost the 1st 2 games, but avoided a sweep yesterday. The Mets have a record of 41-50 record in the 1st half while the Yankees have a 51-44 record. Both are in 4th place, and things need to change in the 2nd half.

That's all I have to say for now. I'll be back tomorrow to talk about the All Star Game.

-NYCKNP
 

7/12/2013- Mets sweep SF Giants, Royals/Yankees split series, preview of Money in the Bank PPV

Hello everyone! I hope all of you had a great week this week. Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Here we go!

MLB
After the blown save by Mariano Rivera on Sunday against the Orioles, the Yankees had a let down on the 1st 2 games against the Kansas City Royals at home. However, the Yankees answered back with a home run, and a grand slam on Wednesday to win the 3rd game of the series and made a come from behind victory on Thursday. What made Thursday's game notable was the return of Yankees captain Derek Jeter. However, the return was short lived as Jeter exited the game in the 8th inning due to problems in the quadriceps muscle. Jeter will not be playing this weekend against the Minnesota Twins and will use the All-Star break to determine whether he's ready to play or not.

Meanwhile, the Mets were in San Francisco taking on the Giants in a 3 game set, and the Mets swept them in 3 games. The 1st 2 games were come from behind victories, while the 3rd game sealed the deal. The Mets will be in Pittsburgh this weekend taking on the Pirates in a 3 game set before the All-Star Break.

WWE
This past Monday was the Raw before the Money in the Bank PPV. Here are the highlights from Raw:

Tonight on SmackDown, there will be a contract signing between Kaitlyn and AJ Lee. This is probably the 1st time that has happened in the women's division.

7/8/2013- UFC 162 results, Yankees def. Orioles 2 out of 3, Mets def. Brewers 2 out of 3, more

Hello everyone! I hope all of you had a great weekend despite all of the heat outside. Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Here we go!

UFC

UFC 162 took place on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. To say that the night was a surprise would be an understatement. Overall, there were 11 fights on the card. 2 were streamed on Facebook, 4 were aired on FX, while the remainder aired on PPV. Here are the results:

Facebook

• Mike Pierce def. David Mitchell via TKO in Round 2
• Brian Melancon def. Seth Baczynski via KO in Round 1

FX

• Edson Barboza def. Rafaello Oliviera via TKO in Round 2
• Gabriel Gonzaga def. Dave Herman via TKO in Round 1
• Norman Parke def. Kazuki Tokudome via unanimous decision
• Andrew Craig def. Chris Leben via split decision

PPV

• Cub Swanson def. Dennis Silver via TKO in Round 3
• Mark Munoz def. Tim Boetsch via unanimous decision
• Tim Kennedy def. Roger Gracie via unanimous decision
• Frankie Edgar def. Charles Oliviera via unanimous decision
• Chris Weidman def. Anderson Silva via KO in Round 2 to become the NEW UFC Middleweight Champion

The main event was shocking since Silva was Middleweight Champion from 2006 until Saturday night. Nonetheless, congrats to Chris Weidman on becoming the new champion. Here is a recap of UFC 162 from Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan.

MLB
After the Yankees swept Minnesota, they were home to host the Baltimore Orioles in a 3 game set. The Yankees won the 1st 2 games in a come from behind victory, but yesterday's game was a loss due to Mariano Rivera blowing a save in the 9th inning. Meanwhile for the Mets, the Mets beat the Brewers on Friday night, lost on Saturday night, and won on Sunday to win the series.

The Yankees will host the Kansas City Royals in a 4 game set, while the Mets will be in San Francisco to take on the Giants in a 3 game set.

WWE
This past Friday on SmackDown, CM Punk made an appearance, and confronted World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio.

After the confrontation, the two met in a match in the main event of SmackDown, and things got ugly.

Tonight on Raw will be the go-home show before the Money in The Bank PPV, and Raw Managing Supervisor Vickie Guerrero will have a performance evaluation by the McMahons to determine her future.

That's all I have to say for now. Have a good week!

- NYCKNP
 

7/5/2013- Yankees sweep Twins, Mets/Diamondbacks split series, more

Hello everyone! I hope all of you had a great 4th of July! Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Here we go!

+MLB 
After a heartbreaking loss to the Orioles last weekend, the Yankees were in Minneapolis to take on the Minnesota Twins in a 4 game set. The 1st 3 games were come from behind wins, while the series finale sealed the deal as they got ahead and stayed in the lead. Although the 1st 3 wins were come from behind wins, it was much needed since the Yankees dropped to 4th place at the end of June. With the sweep, the Yankees moved up to 3rd base in the AL East. However, they will host the Baltimore Orioles in a 3 game set, and the Yankees need to win this series in order to tie for 2nd place in the division.

Meanwhile for the Mets, they hosted the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 4 game set. The Mets came from behind in extra innings to win on Monday, got a win via blowout on Tuesday, suffered a heart breaker on Wednesday, and fell short in Extra Innings after playing a competitive game on Thursday. This weekend, the Mets will be in Milwaukee to face the Brewers in a 3 game set.

+WWE 
This past Monday on Raw was the main event between WWE Champion John Cena vs. World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio in a "Champion vs. Champion" match. What I liked about it was that they hyped up this match by showing the great professional wrestlers to hold the WWE Championship and/or the World Heavyweight Championship (NWA/WCW/WWE).

Also, the tag team match of CM Punk and Curtis Axel vs. The Prime Time Players was a victory for the Paul Heyman guys, but it was very clear that Punk and Axel weren't on the same page.

It was announced by Stephanie McMahon that Vickie Guerrero will be evaluated on her job performance next Monday on Raw. This could mean that Vickie might be promoted to Raw General Manager or be "terminated" altogether.

+UFC - Ultimate Fighting Championship

UFC 162 is tomorrow night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main event is Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman for the UFC Middleweight Championship.

That's all I have to say for now. Have a good weekend everyone!

- NYCKNP

7/1/2013- Orioles swept Yankees, Nationals def Mets 2 out of 3, preview of WWE Raw

Hello everyone! I hope all of you had a good weekend this weekend. Let's cut to the chase, shall we? Here we go!

MLB
During the weekend, the Yankees were in Baltimore to face the Orioles at Camden Yards, and this was a series Yankees fans want to forget. The Yankees had an early lead in the game, as well as a no-hitter going on from CC Sabathia. However, the no-hitter bid was gone, as well as the lead. Therefore the Yankees lost on Friday, as well as Saturday in a blow out, and Sunday. With this 5 game losing streak, the Yankees have now dropped to 4th place in the AL East.

The Yankees will be in Minnesota for a 4 game set against the Twins at Target Field. The silver lining for the Yankees is that Alex Rodriguez is cleared to start rehab assignment. Despite the controversy, the Yankees need one of their top stars back in the lineup. How long can they use the fill-in players?

On the other side, the Mets hosted the Washington Nationals in a 3 game set this weekend. The Mets lost on Friday, won on Saturday, and lost on Sunday to lose the series. The Mets will host the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 4 game set.

WWE
Tonight on Raw, CM Punk and Curtis Axel (Paul Heyman Guys) are booked to take on the team of The Prime Time Players. Can Punk and Axel co-exist as a team, or will there be dissension. Tune in tonight on Raw at 8/7c on USA.

That's all I have to say for now. Enjoy your 4th of July everyone! Also, I would like to say Happy Canada Day to all of my readers from Canada.

- NYCKNP