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We may have heard our last Moose call. The news is unofficial, but it looks like Mike Mussina has decided to retire after an 18-year career. Mussina, who won 20 games for the first time this past season, will finish with a 270-153 record and a lifetime 3.68 ERA. He ranks 19th all-time with 2,813 career strikeouts.  The 2008 season was disappointing for the Bombers, but it would have been a nightmare without Mussina taking the hill every fifth day. There were highs (his near perfect game against the Boston Red Sox in 2001, his clutch relief performance in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS) and lows (his flatline personality, getting bumped from the rotation for a time during his miserable 11-10, 5.15 ERA season in 2007) for Mussina during his eight years in New York, but overall it was a great signing for the Yanks following the 2000 season. The news probably won't affect the Yankees pursuit of free-agent pitchers this offseason. The Bombers have already made an offer for CC Sabathia and it looks like A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe are also on their radar. Is that good news or bad news? I guess time will tell. Mussina's retirement could also open the door for Andy Pettitte to return to the Bronx next season. It would have been great if Mussina decided to come back for 2009, but the retirement rumor was floating around before the end of the 2008 season. It would have probably taken Moose three years to try and win 300 games for his career and I guess Mussina, who turns 40 in December, just didn't have it in him to go for it. Maybe the reports aren't true, or maybe Mussina will have a change of heart, but if he doesn't, I'll give him one final call. MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE!!! Thanks for the memories.
Boooooo! That was my response when the Yankees traded Wilson Betemit and minor league pitchers Jeff Marquez and Jhonny Nunez to the Chicago White Sox for Nick Swisher and right-handed pitcher Kanekoa Texeira. The Bombers plan to play Swisher, who can also play all outfield positions, at first base. "If the season started today, that's where he'd be," Cashman said. And although Swisher can play first and the outfield, he doesn't exaclty play those positions well. Put it this way -- he won't have to clear space on his mantle for a Gold Glove Award anytime soon.  My brother "broke" the news through an e-mail while I was at work yesterday. Vinny from Kearny also chimed in and none of us liked or really understood the trade. Vinny said he sounds like another designated hitter. My brother said he sounds like a slimmer version of Jason Giambi. Swisher's biggest attribute is that he walks a lot. Hey, that's great. But not when you bat .219 and hit only 24 homers as he did last season. He also strikes out a lot (135 times in 2008). It's not like he has Adam Dunn-like power. Hell, even Dunn hit .236 last year, and he blasted 40 home runs. This probably takes Mark Teixeira off the Yankees wish list. I wasn't thrilled with the idea of giving Teixeira an Alex Rodriguez-like contract, but I would have accepted it. This seemed like a stop-gap move, until I read that Swisher's contract runs through 2011. If you're looking for a silver lining, well, maybe this is it. Swisher is coming off an awful season, but posted better numbers during the two previous years in Oakland. Maybe 2008 was just an off year. Maybe. I'm a little behind this trade so you could read a more comprehensive take on things from Brian and Rickhouse. Speaking of late, I didn't comment on the Yankees re-signing Damaso Marte to a three-year, $12 million deal earlier in the week. Shame on me. I was surprised when the Yanks didn't pick up Marte's $6 million option for 2009. I thought he did a decent job for the Yanks last season. When he was used correctly, that is.  Then they locked him up for three years. I guess it's surprising move. It saves them money in the short-term and paying $4 million a year for a solid lefty reliever isn't a terrible decision. Unlike another one.
I've been overlooked once again.
Mick Kelleher was named the first base coach for the 2009 season. The Yankees will move last year's bench coach Rob Thompson to third base and Tony Pena will take up the role as Joe Girardi's right-hand man. Dave Eiland (pitching coach), Kevin Long (hitting coach) and Mike
Harkey (bullpen coach) will return in their respective roles next season.  The hiring of Kelleher was made after the Yanks jettisoned Bobby Meacham last month. Thompson didn't really distinguish himself as bench coach last year, but he'll make more of an impact at the hot corner. It'll be interesting to see if he's as much of a "gambler" as Meacham was last season. I like the promotion of Pena to bench coach. It was a bit of a waste to have him coaching first base, especially since he managed in the big leauges and earned Manager of the Year honors with the Kansas City Royals in 2003. Pena's experience should help Girardi during his sophomore season in the Bronx. Still, it would have been nice if the Yanks considered me for the job. Any job.
And I don't mean on the diamond. Joba Chamberlain was arrested early Saturday morning in Nebraska for allegedly driving under the influence, speeding and having an open container of alcohol in
his vehicle. I'm a pretty laid back kind of guy. Not many things bother me. But I have zero tolerance for drunk driving. It's beyond stupid. I just don't understand it.  This isn't going to affect Chamberlain's status on the Yanks (at least I don't think so), but he should know better. Yeah, it's easy to forget that he's still a "kid" (he just turned 23), but this type of thing is intolerable. He's got the Big Apple in the palm of his hand and he's making these kinds of decisions. Not the kind of Bomber news I wanted to hear early in this offseason. Smarten up Joba.
The facelift has begun. Bobby Meacham will not make baffling base-running decisions at third base for the Bombers in 2009. The word "fired" is being thrown around, but I think you need a multi-year deal in order to be terminated, right? Anyway, the Yanks parted ways with Meacham on Tuesday and speculation has already begun on his successor. Willie Randolph? Luis Sojo? Larry Bowa? Me? No word yet on where the Bombers are leaning.  The Yankees also waved good-bye to special pitching instructor Rich Monteleone. I wasn't sure what Monteleone's official title was after he was dismissed as the bullpen coach following the 2004 season. Now I know. Or knew, as it were. It may not be splashy, but it's Yankee news.
He's baaaaaaack. Brian Cashman agreed to a three-year contract Tuesday to return as general manager of the New York Yankees. The deal is reportedly worth about $8 million. There was speculation that Cashman would move on to Seattle or Philadelphia, but I was pretty confident that he was going to stay in The Big Apple. There has been a lot of finger pointing this season and Cashman received a fair share of it since the Yanks failed to make the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. A lot of fans and media were calling for his head, but I never really felt that Cashman was the only guy to blame.  Cashman's tenure as GM in the Bronx began in 1998 and there have been good times and bad times under his watch. The Bombers won championships in 1998, 1999 and 2000 and went to the World Series in 2001 and 2003. Cashman engineered the trade that brought Roger Clemens to New York in 1999, signed Mike Mussina as a free agent following the 2000 season and pulled the trigger on the Alex Rodriguez trade in 2004. That was the good. But Cashman was also responsible for bringing in Carl Pavano and Jared Wright in 2005, signing Kei Igawa in 2007 and failing to get Johan Santana this past offseason. That was the bad. I wasn't too keen on the Pavano, Wright or Igawa moves, but I sided with Cashman and the Yanks when they passed on Santana, albeit reluctantly. Here's what I wrote about it back in December. Obviously, that non-move turned out to be a disaster (for now) and I think that, combined with the Yankees poor 2008 season, contributed to the hate that grew for Cashman this season. Still, give Cashman credit for not wanting to leave when things got tough. "I've got a job to finish here," Cashman said in
a statement issued by the team. "That's the bottom line. "I consider coming off a season where we didn't reach the playoffs for the
first time since 1993 as a personal challenge. I've never been one to run from a
challenge, and I look forward to having the chance to go after this thing
again."
I don't think the Mariners or Phillies or any other team was going to give Cashman the deal the Yanks gave him, so that may have had something to do with him staying, but I like his grit. He realized missing the postseason was embarrassing considering the Yankees payroll and yet that didn't scare him away. This offseason will be big for the Yanks (when is it not?) and it will be interesting to see if Cashman continues to believe in the younger players or opts instead to go head-first and sign big-name free agents. Maybe a combination of both will do the trick. It's in your hands, Cash. And everyone will be watching.
And that is that. Mike Mussina went six strong, Xavier Nady homered and drove in three and Mariano Rivera notched his 39th save of the season as the Yanks downed the Red Sox 6-2 in Game 1 at Fenway Park.  I watched maybe six pitches of this game and it was after Mussina was out. Still, a big round of applause to The Moose for finally winning 20 games. At 39-years-old, Mussina became the oldest pitcher to record 20 victories for the first time. I don't know if Mussina is ready to call it a career, but if I were the Yanks, I'd bring him back for 2009. That said, Mussina will probably look for a three-year deal since he needs 30 wins for 300. It'll be interesting. The Bombers had a chance at the sweep and a 90-win season, but couldn't get it done in the nightcap. Sidney Ponson went six respectable innings, but Darrell Rasner allowed two runs in the eighth and Jose Veras gave up the game-winning hit with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning as the Red Sox edged the Yanks 4-3. The final tallies are in and they're not good. The Yanks finished in third place at 89-73, eight games behind the AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays and six games back of the wild-card winner Boston Red Sox. Next season will bring lots of change -- new ballpark, new players and a new attitude (Hank said so). Brian Cashman said he'll make his decision about coming back soon and I think he'll return. Once that happens, it's time to turn the page and look forward to next spring. This will be the first October in a while where I won't be coordinating with friends and family about where to watch Yankee playoff games. It's going to be strange when the playoffs start and the Yanks aren't there. Still, it makes me realize how lucky I was to watch all those games in the past 13 years. Fans have been getting spoiled and maybe this year will make everyone hungry again. That's my hope anyway.
A day-night doubleheader to end the season. Ugh. The Yanks and Red Sox were rained out Saturday. OK, fine. Man can't control the weather (yet). But for some reason, Major League Baseball is making the teams make up the game. Why, oh why? It's not like either of these games have playoff implications. The Yankees are ready to waive good-bye to the disappointing season and the BoSox are set for the postseason. Again, I ask you -- why?  Anyway, Daisuke Matsuzaka (18-2, 2.80 ERA) will go against Mike Mussina (19-9, 3.47 ERA) in Game 1. Sidney Ponson (8-5, 5.21 ERA) will battle Tim Wakefield (10-11, 4.24 ERA) in the nightcap. Obviously, the one worth watching will be Game 1 as The Moose tries to win 20 games for the first time in his career. I'm not sure why anyone would tune in for Game 2. That's why you can't predict baseball.
You're welcome, Tampa. Cody Ransom smacked two homers, Brett Gardner drove in four and Bobby Abreu collected his 100th RBI of the season as the Yanks thrashed the Red Sox 19-8 on a miserable, soggy night in Boston. Johnny Damon ripped his 17th dinger of the season and Robinson Cano finished with 5 ribbies. Alfredo Aceves started, but couldn't go the required five innings so the recipient of the offensive outburst was David Robertson. Robertson pitched two scoreless innings to improve to 4-0 on the year.  The Bombers win gave the Tampa Bay Rays their first-ever AL East Championship. Congrats guys, you deserved it. Rain tried, tried and tried to end this game prematurely (two delays halted play for over two hours), but they got all nine innings in (eventually). Derek Jeter was in the starting lineup for the first time since Sunday's Yankee Stadium finale, but left in the third inning with a sore hand. The Captain will most likely miss the final two games of the year. And it turns out that Mariano Rivera was pitching with a bum right shoulder all season. The Sandman may opt for a minor arthroscopic procedure to relieve inflammation and calcification. "If I don't get surgery, then I have to deal with what I've been doing for
the last two years," Rivera said. "It's a decision that I have to make. I'm the
one who is pitching. If the best thing for me is to get the surgery, then I
will."
Rivera could continue to take cortisone injections to alleviate the soreness, but the surgery seems very low-risk. The rehab time for the procedure is a few weeks so everything should be hunky-dory by the time spring training rolls around. Sidney Ponson (8-5, 5.21 ERA) will go against Daisuke Matsuzaka (18-2, 2.80 ERA) Saturday afternoon, weather permitting. Dice-K was scheduled to pitch Friday night, but the rain delay canceled those plans. David Pauley took his place as the emergency starter and was lit up. If the Yanks win their final two games it will give them 90 wins on the season. Yeah, I know. Big deal.
Leave it to Carl to end a good time. Carl Pavano couldn't get out of the fourth, Vernon Wells homered and drove in four and Roy Halladay went the distance to earn his 20th win of the year as the Blue Jays crushed the Yanks 8-2 in Toronto. Robinson Cano's RBI-single in the third gave the Bombers a 1-0 lead, but the good times didn't last. The Jays scored two in the third, three in fourth and two more in the fifth to put the game away. The Yankees scratched out another run against Halladay (which is pretty good for them), but it wasn't nearly enough.  The loss ends the Bombers' winning streak at seven. Brett Gardner was the offensive star of the game (for the Yanks), going 3 for 4 with a run scored. I didn't see the hits with my own eyes (who else's eyes would they be anyway?), but three hits against Halladay is pretty impressive. The Bombers used their "G" lineup again as Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Johnny Damon sat (Damon came in to pinch hit in the ninth, but grounded out to end the game). Francisco Cervelli, Wilson Betemit, Cody Ransom and old pal Melky Cabrera were some of the starters Thursday night. The Yanks head to Boston for the final three-game set of the year. Alfredo Aceves (1-0, 1.38 ERA) will go against Daisuke Matsuzaka (18-2, 2.80 ERA) in Friday's opener. A sweep would be meaningless, but it would still be nice to see.
Oh, if only we could start this thing over again. Phil Hughes went eight strong, Xavier Nady drove in two and Bobby Abreu launched a grand slam in the 10th inning as the Yanks bested the Blue Jays 6-2 in Toronto. Juan Miranda picked up his first Major League-hit in the fourth and his first extra-base hit in the 10th that started the Bomber rally. Jose Veras vultured the win to up his record to 5-2 on the season and Sidney Ponson got some work in as he finished things out.  If you haven't noticed, the Yankees are streaking. They have won seven games in a row and 10 of their last 11. What if, right? This ballgame zipped along and I missed most of Hughes' performance by the time I walked through the front door. I did notice that No. 65 didn't walk a batter and struck out six -- all on curveballs. Positive signs. The Yankee lineup had a Scranton/Spring Training flavor Wednesday night. Miranda, Wilson Betemit, Cody Ransom, Brett Gardner and Chad Moeller were in and Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Johnny Damon rode the pine (Damon came in to pinch-run in the ninth, but was thrown out trying to steal second base). In case you're wondering, Andy Pettitte's season is over. Pettitte has been battling shoulder problems for most of the second half. Ponson will take Pettitte's turn in the rotation Saturday in Boston. Pettitte is still considering whether to return next season. And I'm sure the Yanks are mulling whether they should sign him. And finally, Hank Steinbrenner continued to bitch and moan. Here's the latest diatribe from the Marlboro Man: Baseball went to a multidivision setup to create more races, rivalries and
excitement. But it isn't fair. You see it this season, with plenty of people in
the media pointing out that Joe Torre and the Dodgers are going to the playoffs
while we're not. This is by no means a knock on Torre -- let me make that clear
-- but look at the division they're in. If L.A. were in the A.L. East, it
wouldn't be in the playoff discussion. The A.L. East is never weak. Ask the
teams that finished behind us all of those seasons. I'll say it right now:
Boston should have made the playoffs in 1978. We beat the Red Sox in that
one-game playoff, but they still had a better record than the Royals, who won
the A.L. West. And that's one of many examples.
I'm happy for Joe, but you have to compare the divisions and the competition.
What if the Yankees finish the season with more wins than the Dodgers but the
Dodgers make the playoffs? Does that make the Dodgers a better team? No.
That's from the Sporting News which, by the way, is a great resource for sports news (go figure). Really, I still read magazines (yes, I'm a dinosaur) and I get Sports Illustrated, ESPN The Magazine and The Sporting News and SN is by far the best sports magazine. Anyway, I'm not sure what Boy George is trying to say in his little piece. If anyone has an idea, please let me know. The games go on. Carl Pavano (4-1, 4.99 ERA) will go against Roy Halladay (19-11, 2.81 ERA) as the Yankees try and sweep the series.
It's official -- there will be no October baseball in Yankee Land this season. Mike Mussina went five solid innings, Jason Giambi mashed his 32nd homer of the season and five relievers closed things out as the Yanks topped the Blue Jays 3-1 in Toronto. Robinson Cano gave the Bombers a 1-0 lead with an RBI-groundout in the second and scored the Yankees final run on a passed ball in the seventh. Mariano Rivera recorded his 38th save of the season to help The Moose earn his 19th win of the year. But it wasn't enough. The Red Sox came back to defeat the Indians 5-4 in Boston Tuesday night to clinch a playoff spot and eliminate the Yankees from the postseason for the first time since 1993. Cue the Overkill: I guess it had to happen eventually. There's nothing left to play for if you root for the pinstripes, but the games will go on. Phil Hughes (0-4, 7.96 ERA) will go against Yankee nemesis A.J. Burnett (18-10, 4.18 ERA) in the middle game. Hughes labored in his last start against the White Sox and picked up a no-decision in the Yanks 5-1 victory. Burnett's offseason stock is on the rise and he's gone 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA in four September starts. And A.J. loves pitching against the Yanks -- he's 3-1 with a 1.78 ERA in four starts against them this season. It may be odd to say this in September, but it's wait till next year time for the Yanks.
It opened a winner and went out a winner. Andy Pettitte did just enough, Johnny Damon and Jose Molina both clubbed homers and Mariano Rivera closed things out as the Yanks swept the Orioles 7-3 in the final game at Yankee Stadium. Jason Giambi added an RBI-single and Robinson contributed with a sacrifice fly to keep the Bombers shrinking playoff hopes alive for another day. But Sunday night's game was secondary to the grand sendoff for the storied ballpark.  The pre-game ceremony was great and if you missed it -- don't worry. I'm sure it will be replayed at some point and eventually available on DVD. Legends Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Reggie Jackson and many more were in attendance and Bernie Williams made his first appearance at The Stadium since 2006. Willie Randolph slide into second base and while Bob Sheppard wasn't able to make it to the festivities in person, his voice resonated throughout the ballpark one final time. I'll put up two videos to commemorate the final game. The first is Opeth's "To Bid You Farewell" which is one of the best songs they've ever recorded. If you've never heard it, give it a whirl -- I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. And how can you end a game at Yankee Stadium without a little Frank Sinatra? It's "New York, New York" one final time. Monday is an off-day for the Yanks and they'll start a three-game set against the Blue Jays in Toronto beginning Tuesday night. Mike Mussina (18-9, 3.57 ERA) will go against Jesse Litsch (12-8, 3.72) in the opener. Thanks for the memories Yankee Stadium. Here's hoping the new ballpark will have as many memorable moments as you had.
Don't cha know! Alfredo Aceves pitched another dandy, the bullpen continued to put up zeros and Robinson Cano ripped a bases loaded single in the bottom of the ninth as the Yanks blanked the Orioles 1-0 in the Bronx. Pitching was the story in this one -- the Bombers and Birds combined for only 10 hits -- and Baltimore was the first team to blink. It's just a matter of time before the Yanks are officially eliminated, but their razor-thin postseason hopes live another day with the victory.  The only downer was watching Derek Jeter get hit in the left hand to lead off the ninth. It was eerily similar to the May 20 game when Daniel Cabrera drilled Jeter in almost the same spot. DJ came out of the game, but X-Rays came back negative. The Captain should be in the lineup for the final game at The Stadium Sunday night. What am I saying -- should? He'll be in there. This was the last home broadcast for the YES Network and they did a good job. They didn't hit everything on Brian's checklist, but it was cool to hear Michael Kay and Ken Singleton reminisce about their times at The Stadium. YES also showed camera views from different seating areas. I still don't know how people can watch a game from the left field bleachers. It all comes to an end Sunday night. Andy Pettitte (13-14, 4.57 ERA) will go against Chris Waters (3-3, 4.75 ERA) in the final game at Yankee Stadium. Waters is coming off a complete game shutout win against the Blue Jays and is 1-0 with a 3.71 ERA in three road starts this season. This will the lefty's first look at the Yanks. Pettitte has dropped five straight games and has only one win in his past 10 starts. Andy has also struggled in the Bronx this season, he's 5-7 with a 5.32 ERA in 15 home starts. Still, Pettitte is 94-42 with a 3.70 ERA in his career at The Stadium and I'm sure he wants to go out a winner. I'm sure the old girl does, too.
It's a shame it doesn't matter anymore because it looks like this team is finally hitting its stride. Carl Pavano went five serviceable innings, Brett Gardner drove in a run and made two sparkling defensive plays and the bullpen's fist of doom -- Phil Coke, Brian Bruney, Damaso Marte, Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera -- closed things out as the Yanks edged the Orioles 3-2 at The Stadium. Baltimore took a 2-0 lead after two, but Robinson Cano ripped his 14th homer of the year to lead off the third and Gardner followed with with an RBI-double. Johnny Damon scored the go-ahead (and eventual winning) run on a wild pitch in the fifth.  The bullpen put the game on ice, but Gardner contributed to the victory with his arm and glove. Gardner gunned out Nick Markakis at the plate in the first and robbed Luke Scott of a home run with a dazzling grab in the fourth. I don't know if the Yanks have their center fielder for next season on the roster, but Gardner is doing his best to be noticed. This may be the offseason where the Yanks finally say goodbye to Melky Cabrera. This new and improved squad has won six of seven, but their " tragic number" for elimination stands at two for the wild card hunt. The Yankees number to be eliminated from the AL East race is one. That means the Yanks could be officially "out of it" by the time you hit the pillow Saturday night. Thanks to Dan Graziano for doing the math. Numbers and I don't get along. The middle game will be the Yankees final Saturday afternoon affair at The Stadium. Brian Burres (7-9, 6.32 ERA) will go against Alfredo Aceves (1-0, 1.80 ERA). Burres has split time as a starter and reliever this season (21 starts, 7 relief appearances) and hasn't excelled at either. The lefty has pitched only four innings in September and is 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA in those games. Burres has made four appearances against the Yanks this season (three starts, one relief) and is 1-0 with a 6.38 ERA. Aceves has looked great in his two starts this season (1-0, 2.08 ERA) and could creep into a role next year with a strong finish. Maybe the Yanks are looking to do the same.
Which team was fighting for the playoffs Thursday night? Mike Mussina was shaky early but finished strong, Derek Jeter picked up two more hits and a ribbie and Bobby Abreu went deep twice and drove in six runs as the Yanks destroyed the White Sox 9-2 at The Stadium. Robinson Cano picked up two more hits and has five hits in his last six at-bats. I guess his brief stint in the corner resonated.  The Yankees blew the game open with a four-run fourth inning and Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen pulled most of his regulars by the fifth. If I didn't know better I would have believed the Yanks were fighting for first place and not the White Sox. Sadly, that's not the case. Baby Bombers Juan Miranda, Francisco Cervelli and Humberto Sanchez all saw some action. Miranda got the start at first base and finished 0 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored. Cervelli suffered a broken wrist on a play at the plate against the Tampa Bay Rays in spring training and missed three months. Who knew that play would prove prophetic to the Yankees this season? Cervelli came in to catch in the eighth inning and didn't get a turn at the dish. Sanchez needed just 11 pitches (8 strikes) to get through the eighth. He didn't allow a baserunner and struck out one. The Yanks will welcome in the Baltimore Orioles for the final three games at The Stadium beginning Friday night. Radhames Liz (6-5, 6.90 ERA) will go against Carl Pavano (3-1, 5.26 ERA) in the opener. Liz went eight shutout innings in his last start against the Minnesota Twins, but is 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA in three September starts. The Bombers tagged Liz for nine hits and three runs in 4 2/3 innings during a 9-4 Yankee win on Aug. 22. Pavano picked up a win in his last start despite leaving in the sixth with a hip injury. Carl is 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA in two home starts this season. Let's see if the Yanks can send the old girl out with a sweep of the O's.
Good comeback. Phil Hughes labored through four but allowed only one run, Xavier Nady tied things up with an RBI-single in the seventh and later scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch and Johnny Damon and Alex Rodriguez blasted homers in the eighth as the Yanks clipped the White Sox 5-1 at The Stadium. Phil Coke pitched two more scoreless innings (that gives him 10 on the season) and Brian Bruney (who improved to 3-0 on the year), Joba Chamberlain and Edwar Ramirez finished things off as the Bombers picked up their fourth win in five games. A-Rod's opposite-field dinger gave him 12 seasons with at least 35 homers and 100 RBIs.  I thought Lance Broadway was hitting the hill for Chicago (you're good for nothing ESPN!), but Clayton Richard was on the mound instead and he baffled the Yanks into the seventh. He was pulled after Robinson Cano (who finished 3 for 3) doubled to put runners on second and third with two outs. Richard didn't give up the go-ahead run (Mike MacDougal uncorked the wild pitch), but he was tagged with the tough-luck loss. Work has been destroying me lately and I was forced to catch the later train tonight, so I missed Hughes' return to the Bronx, but John and Suzy gave me the skinny as I rode home. Sounds like it was the same 'ol, same 'ol for Hughes (too many pitches, not enough strikes) despite the new specs and switch back to No. 65, but it still may have been his best start this season in pinstripes. The Yanks revealed their 2009 schedule and the first regular season game at the new joint will be April 16 against the Cleveland Indians. The Bombers will begin the year on the road with trips to Baltimore, Kansas City and Tampa Bay. The Yanks will go against the National League East when Interleague rolls around in May. The Yanks will try and take three of four Thursday night and send Mike Mussina (17-9, 3.63 ERA) to the hill. The Pale Hose will go with former Yank Javier Vazquez (12-13, 4.13 ERA). Vazquez is 2-1 with a 1.83 ERA in three September starts, but is 5-7 with a 4.47 ERA in 15 road starts this season. Javy is 1-4 with a 6.14 ERA in five career starts against the Bombers. The Moose was battered in his last start against the Rays and lost his chance at a 20-win season in the 7-1 loss. It's been a rough go lately for Mussina, he's 1-2 with a 5.82 in his three September starts. It will be the Moose's last turn at The Stadium and he's pitched well there this season -- 10-7 with a 3.70 ERA in 19 starts. Make it a good one, Mikey.
And the winning streak ends at three. Andy Pettitte had one bad inning (which has been his MO lately), Jose Veras and Dan Giese each gave up one run in their inning of work and Juan Uribe picked up three hits and drove in two as the White Sox turned back the Yanks 6-2 in the Bronx. Johnny Damon banged out three hits, Brett Gardner collected two and Jason Giambi belted his 31st round-tripper of the year, but it wasn't enough.  The Bombers lone highlight came in the first inning when Derek Jeter ripped a hot-shot past Uribe at third to pass Lou Gehrig for the most career hits at Yankee Stadium. The single was The Captain's 1,270th in the Boogie Down. Jeter added another base hit in the fifth. Robinson Cano was back in the starting lineup and finished 0 for 4, but ran hard on his three groundouts. Does that really deserve praise? Is that where this thing has headed? Cano struck out in his other at-bat. Lance Broadway (1-0, 8.49 ERA) will go against newly recalled Phil Hughes (0-4, 9.00 ERA) Wednesday night. Broadway has pitched in five games this season (four in relief) and has given up 18 hits and four home runs in 11 2/3 innings. Hughes rejoined the Bombers Tuesday after leading the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees to the International League title on Friday night. Hughes struck out 12 through five innings in the win. It doesn't matter, but let's see if the kid can pick up a win before the year expires.
Looks like the Bombers are taking to their unaccustomed roll of spoiler. Alfredo Aceves pitched well in his second start, Xavier Nady blasted a two-run bomb and Wilson Betemit's pinch-hit RBI-double in the seventh snapped a 2-2 tie as the Yanks held off the White Sox 4-2 at The Stadium. Rookie Phil Coke picked up his first Major League win with one inning of relief and Mariano Rivera passed Lee Smith for second place on the all-time save list with his 36th save of the season.  Derek Jeter went 0 for 4 and remained tied with Lou Gehrig for most career hits in the Bronx. Robinson Cano was riding the pine to start this game, but came in as a pinch-runner in the eighth and actually made a nice defensive play in the ninth. Go figure. The pages are flipping off the calendar and Yankee Stadium's time is nearing the end. Cardinals manger Tony LaRussa was in attendance Monday night to soak in the sights for the final time. Again, if you haven't gone this season and you have a chance -- take it. Joba Chamberlain pitched one inning of scoreless relief and if it were up to Jorge Posada, the kid would be coming in from the pen next season and beyond. Andy Pettitte (13-13, 4.52 ERA) will go against Gavin Floyd (15-7, 3.77 ERA) Tuesday night. Floyd was perfect in August (4-0, 4.29 ERA in six starts), but is 0-1 with a 5.65 ERA in two September starts. Floyd gave up five runs in six innings against the Yanks on April 24, but picked up a no-decision in the ChiSox's 7-6 victory. Pettitte has dropped four straight games and is in danger of dropping below .500 for the first time since losing his first start of the season. A win will remedy that.
Huh! I guess baseball season is still going on. Carl Pavano picked up his third win of the season before exiting with an injury (how bout that?), Derek Jeter tied Lou Gehrig for most career hits at Yankee Stadium (an interesting bit of trivia) and Alex Rodriguez clubbed a first-inning grand slam as the Yanks bested the Rays 8-4 in the Bronx. Mariano Rivera notched his 35th save of the season and tied Lee Smith for second place on the all-time save list with 478.  I watched about two minutes of this game since I was watching the Giants-Rams game at my brother's joint. Yes, he's a Giants fan so he had a happy Sunday. Still, interesting things did happen at Yankee Stadium. Robinson Cano was benched after not hustling after a base hit grounder in the fourth. Cliff Floyd turned a single into a double when Cano didn't immediately chase the ball down after it went into the outfield. "That's a ball that we have to hustle after and get and keep Cliff Floyd from
getting to second," Girardi said. Cano countered with this: "Sometimes I let the team down. Ninety-nine percent of the time
I play hard. It's kind of frustrating not helping the team, and he's right." I see. And Pavano left in the sixth with a stiff hip to a chorus of boos and hisses. "I didn't hear a reaction, to tell the truth. I was just more saying to myself I'd like to have
gone deeper in the game," Pavano said. Yeah, right. Anyway, I really have no business writing about this game since I didn't watch it, but here's Brian's hostile take on things. The Yanks will start a four-game set with the first-place Chicago White Sox on Monday night. Mark Buehrle (13-11, 3.88 ERA) will go against Alfredo Aceves (1-0, 1.29 ERA) in the opener. Buehrle is 5-1 in his past seven starts and has given up just one run in his last 13 1/3 innings. He has had trouble on the road this year (3-8 with a 5.34 ERA in 14 starts) and against the Bombers in his career (1-5 with a 6.58 ERA in seven starts). Aceves pitched well in his first big league start last week and picked up his first career win against the first-place Los Angeles Angels. He'll try and knock off another first-place team Monday night.
Lose one, win one. It's the formula that has gotten this team to where it is today. Mike Mussina labored, James Shields did not and Bobby Abreu's solo homer in the ninth broke up the shutout as the Rays humbled the Yanks 7-1 in Game 1. Derek Jeter collected three hits, but the rest of the offense did next to nothing as the Bombers scored less than two runs for the 22nd time this season.  The Moose could get three more starts this season, but he'd have to win them all to reach 20 wins. Not impossible, but highly unlikely. I'd like to see him stay in single-digit losses, though. An 18-9 or 19-9 season looks more impressive than 18-10 or 17-11, doesn't it? Things went much better in the nightcap. Sidney Ponson couldn't get out of the fourth, but Phil Coke, Damaso Marte, Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera pitched well in relief and Xavier Nady and Bobby Abreu delivered RBI-singles in back-to-back innings as the Yanks edged the Rays 6-5 in Game 2. Derek Jeter picked up three more hits and Wilson Betemit's solo homer in the fourth helped ignite a five-run outburst across five innings as the Bombers battled back from a 4-1 deficit.  I didn't watch one inning of the second game so that little paragraph was the CliffsNotes version. I hope the box score and live action were similar. The Yanks will try and take the rubber game on Sunday and send Carl Pavano (2-1, 5.31 ERA) to the hill. The Rays will counter with Edwin Jackson (11-10, 4.06 ERA). Jackson has dropped his two September decisions, but went 4-1 in five August starts with a 2.27 ERA. He's 6-4 with a 3.31 ERA in 14 road starts this season and is 1-2 with a 4.23 ERA in five starts against the Bombers this year. The Angels smacked Pavano around in his last start and tagged him with his first loss of the season. The Yanks have won three of Pavano's four starts this year. Just playing out the string.
Even Mother Nature needs a break from baseball sometimes. The Yanks and Rays were rained out Friday night at The Stadium. The two squads will make up the game as part of a day-night doubleheader on Saturday. Rain swept across most of the Northeast and canceled six games Friday night. It sets the stage for a slew of double dips this weekend throughout Major League Baseball.  I erred on my matchup for Friday's game (thanks again, ESPN!). James Shields (12-8, 3.64 ERA) will go against Mike Mussina (17-8, 3.48 ERA) in the afternoon affair. The Moose gave up two homers in his last start against the Mariners (a loss) and has allowed 17 hits in his past 12 innings. Mussina is 10-6 with a 3.45 ERA at home this season and is 3-0 with a sparkling 1.96 ERA in three starts against Tampa this season. Matt Garza (11-9, 3.55 ERA) will oppose Sidney Ponson (8-5, 5.10 ERA) in the nightcap. Garza has dropped his last two starts despite pitching to a 3.75 ERA in those games. Matt is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in two starts against the Bombers this season. Saturday also marks the beginning of the Yankees final homestand at The Stadium. If you can, go out and say good-bye to the old girl before it's too late.
It didn't happen on the field, but Wednesday will be as close as the Yankees will get to a playoff-clinching celebration this season. Andy Pettitte couldn't get out of the fifth, Robb Quinlan singled in two runs and Xavier Nady's wild throw from left field brought in another as the Angels doubled up the Yanks 4-2 in California. The Bombers had runners on the corners with two outs in the ninth, but Francisco Rodriguez struck out Hideki Matsui to end the threat. It was K-Rod's 56th save of the season.  The Seattle Mariners knocked off the Texas Rangers shortly after this one and gave the Angels their fourth AL West title in the past five years. I was swamped at work for this one so I didn't even get a chance to listen to this mess. I guess that's a good thing. Thursday is an off day as the Yanks head back home and get ready to take on another first-place team, the Tampa Bay Rays, for a three-game set beginning Friday night. Sidney Ponson (8-5, 5.10 ERA) will go against James Shields (12-8, 3.64 ERA) in the opener. Shields has pitched well against the Bombers this season, but doesn't have anything to show for it. Shields is 0-2 with a 2.92 ERA in two starts against the Yanks this year. Ponson picked up a win in his last start against the Mariners and is 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in one start against the Rays this season. The Yanks may be out of it, but they could be watching a few more teams celebrate against them.
It may be too late, but the Yankees may have found themselves a pitcher. Alfredo Aceves went seven strong, Alex Rodriguez went deep (as is his wont against the Halos) and Johnny Damon added two more long balls as the Yanks downed the Angels 7-1 in Anaheim. Xavier Nady got the Bombers rolling with an RBI-double in the second and Derek Jeter passed Babe Ruth for second place on the all-time Yankees hit list with a single in the first. The Captain added another base hit in the seventh and now has 2,520 hits in his career.  I lasted until the fifth (or sixth, everything is a haze), but I liked what I saw from Aceves. Then again, there's an old saying that you should never judge a player in April or September. And last time I checked, the calender reads September. Still, it was good to see a young pitcher pitch well for the Yanks this season.
Ivan Rodriguez was out for this game with what Joe Girardi called "a little whiplash." That's my cue to put up a little Metallica. The Yanks will try and take the rubber game Wednesday afternoon and turn to Andy Pettitte (13-12, 4.49 ERA). The Halos will counter with Dustin Moseley (1-4, 7.90 ERA).
The frustration is starting to boil over. Carl Pavano was roughed up, the reinforcements in the pen followed suit and Torii Hunter and Ivan Rodriguez got into a shoving match as the Angels rolled up the Yanks 12-1 in Anaheim. Alex Rodriguez singled a run in the first inning for the Bombers, but it was all downhill from there. The benches emptied in the sixth and Hunter and I-Rod were both ejected. Dave Eiland passed out shortly after the fracas, but it looks like he's going to be OK.  I was in la-la land before the first pitch and didn't see one second of live action. This little writeup is both unnecessary and pointless, but I'm a completist of sorts. Alfredo Aceves (0-0, 1.29 ERA) will make his first pro start against Ervin Santana (15-5, 3.23 ERA) Tuesday night. I'll try and stay up for this one.
Lose two out of three to the worst team in the American League and what do you get? A fourth-place standing. Mike Mussina was given a 2-0 lead courtesy of solo homers from Derek Jeter and Xavier Nady, but Jose Lopez belted two of his own and Adrian Beltre drove in two as the Mariners dropped the Yanks 5-2 in Seattle. I erred on my "preview" of this game as the M's turned to Ryan Feierabend instead of Carlos Silva (thank you very much ESPN!) and it worked out well -- if you were rooting for Seattle. Feierabend gave up solo shots in the first two innings, but settled down and went seven innings to earn his first win of the season.  I would be lying to you if I said I watched more than 15 minutes total of this ballgame. Jeter finished 2 for 3 on the day and tied Babe Ruth for second place on the all-time Yankees hit list with 2,518. That was pretty much the highlight if you were a Bomber booster. The loss dropped the Yanks 8.5 games behind the Red Sox in the wild card "chase" and into fourth place in the AL East, 1/2 game back of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Yankees will head to California and take on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in a three-game set beginning Monday night. Carl Pavano (2-0, 4.20 ERA) will go against Jon Garland (12-8, 4.64 ERA) in the opener. Garland has given up five runs in each of his past three starts, but the Halos managed to win two of those games. It's been that kind of season for them. Garland is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in one start against the Yanks this season. Pavano picked up a no-decision in his last start against the Tampa Bay Rays, but the Bombers have won all three of his starts this season. Seems like the fight is no longer for the wild card, but for third place. These are dark days indeed, Yankee fans.
They're still fighting. Sidney Ponson made one mistake, but Bobby Abreu and Jason Giambi combined to knock in five runs and Hideki Matsui added three hits and an RBI as the Yanks stopped the Mariners 7-4 at Safeco Field. This was a pretty good ballgame that featured great defense (especially in the first five innings), big hits and a ton of managerial moves. Not bad for two teams that entered play a combined 40 games out of first place. The Bombers built a 2-0 lead thanks to solo homers from Abreu and Giambi, but Raul Ibanez took Ponson deep for a three-run blast in the bottom of the sixth. But the Yanks battled back and scored five times in the top of the seventh. Brian Bruney pitched a clean seventh and Joba Chamberlain fell into trouble after recording two quick outs in the eighth, but Mariano Rivera bailed him out and recorded his 33rd save of the season.  The daunting task continues, however. The Yanks are 7.5 games behind Boston in the wild card hunt with 20 games remaining. Mike Mussina (17-7, 3.39 ERA) will try and give the Yanks the rubber game Sunday afternoon. The Mariners will counter with Carlos Silva (4-14, 6.53 ERA). Silva has been a disaster since coming over from the Minnesota Twins. It started well -- Silva went 3-0 with a 2.79 ERA in April, but it has been a freefall from hell the rest of the way. Silva is 0-5 in his past nine starts and hasn't won a ballgame since June 28 against the San Diego Padres. Silva is 0-2 with a 13.00 ERA in two starts against the Bombers this season. Mussina gave up 10 hits in six innings in his last start against the Tampa Bay Rays, but came away with the victory. The Yankees have won the past seven games in which Mussina has started. The Moose is 2-0 with a 4.09 ERA in two starts against Seattle this season and is 19-5 with a 3.77 ERA in 29 career games against the Mariners. A 20th career victory against the M's would push Mussina a little closer to 20 wins on the season.
Whew! That was close! Andy Pettitte pitched a representative game, but Brandon Morrow was outstanding in his first Major League start and twirled 7 2/3 innings of no-hit ball as the Mariners shut down the Yanks 3-1 in Seattle. Pinch-hitter Wilson Betemit laced an RBI-double to right to break up the no-no and helped the Bombers avoid the shutout. Derek Jeter singled to lead off the ninth and brought the tying run to the plate in the forms of Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi, but it didn't materialize.  The Yanks made a roster move Friday and recalled Melky Cabrera from Triple-A. The word on the street is that Melky will be part of a platoon with Brett Gardner. That doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement. Still, maybe the demotion did him some good. Sidney Ponson (7-5, 5.13 ERA) will go against Ryan Rowland-Smith (4-2, 3.56 ERA) in the middle game. Rowland-Smith is also making the jump from reliever to starter and has done a pretty good job so far. Rowland-Smith 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA in seven starts this season and has won two starts in a row. He has also given up a home run in five consecutive games. Ponson is starting to wear down and couldn't get out of the fourth inning in his last start against the Tigers. The Yanks blessed him with an 11-2 lead and he failed to get the win. Ridiculous. Ponson is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in one start against Seattle this season. Let's see if the Yanks can manage more than two hits.
This is why you should never believe in anything. Darrell Rasner couldn't get out of the second, Scott Kazmir was wildly effective and a five-run ninth came too little, too late as the Rays stopped the Yanks 7-5 in Tampa. The Bombers didn't record their first hit until the fifth inning (a bloop double to right off the bat of Cody Ransom, who finished 3 for 3 with an RBI) with the Rays up 6-0. Alfredo Aceves pitched admirably (5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K) to keep the Yanks "in the game," Derek Jeter ripped a three-run homer and Alex Rodriguez launched another shot into orbit (yes, I know the game was played in a dome, but you get my meaning), but it wasn't enough.  The YES broadcast had some technical difficulties in the ninth so studio man Bob Lorenz filled in for Michael Kay and company. The Yanks went on to score five times in the frame, but Tampa made a pitching change and when the broadcast came back from commercial, the problem was solved. With Kay and crew back in control, Xavier Nady popped out on the first pitch to end the game. I think it's safe to say that Michael Kay was the reason the Yanks lost Thursday night. Anyway, by the time I got into the car after work the score was already 5-0, so I wasn't as "focused" as I usually am. In fact, I split time watching the Giants-Redskins game (yes, my mindset is starting to wander). Hence, no roundup. Will roundups still be a part of my Yankee postings for the remainder of the season? Dear reader, I just don't know. Up next for the Yanks, a three-game weekend series against the cellar dwelling Seattle Mariners. Andy Pettitte (13-11, 4.52 ERA) will go against Brandon Morrow (1-2, 1.47) in the opener. Morrow is 24-years-old and has spent the season pitching out of the bullpen. Friday night will be the kid's first career start. Bobby Abreu is 2 for 3 with a home run and three ribbies against Morrow. Pettitte was ripped up for six runs on 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings against the Blue Jays in his last start. The veteran lefty has given up six runs in each of his past two starts and finished August 1-3 with a 5.84 ERA in six starts. On the plus side, Andy is 8-4 with a 3.67 ERA in 14 road starts this year and is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in one start against the M's this season. I'm sure the ratings will be huge for this series.
Could this be the run everyone has been praying for? Carl Pavano's third start wasn't the charm, but the bullpen was stellar and Alex Rodriguez collected three hits and drove in four as the Yanks clipped the Rays 8-4 in St. Petersburg. The Bombers fell behind 1-0 after one, but came storming back thanks to some two-out magic. Eric Hinske couldn't corral Robinson Cano's fly ball to left in the second and Xavier Nady came around on the ribbie-double to tie the score at 1-1. Ivan Rodriguez followed with a blooper into right that turned into an RBI-double to give the Yanks a 2-1 lead and they never looked back. Jason Giambi and Hideki Matsui each drove in one and A-Rod punctuated the victory with a towering two-run shot in the ninth.  The only downer to this game was that the Red Sox also won. The Yankees remain seven back in the wild card chase. The Good:
The pen. Once again, there was a feeling of impending doom when Edwar Ramirez took the hill for Pavano in the fifth with runners on first and second and nobody out. Sure, the Yanks were up 6-3 at the time, but they've lost more than a few games like this during the year. Ramirez gave up a hard single to load the bases, but settled down and authored a line-shot double play and a pop up to keep the lead at three. Enter Phil Coke for the sixth. Were you surprised Joe Girardi turned to the 26-year-old rookie? I sure was. Well, the lefty went not one, but two perfect innings to record the first "hold" of his career. If you recall, Coke was originally part of the trade that brought Damaso Marte and Nady to the Bronx, but the deal was reconfigured. It was a good thing it was Wednesday night. Brian Bruney came in for the eighth and retired the Rays 1, 2, 3 on 11 pitches. It's never a good thing when you have to dip into your bullpen in the fifth inning, but these three guys were up to the task. The trifecta's numbers: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. Alex Rodriguez. It was a tough August for A-Rod (.243, 30 Ks), but he's off to a hot beginning in September. Rodriguez smoked an RBI-double in the third to help spark a three-run Yankee outburst. But his biggest hit of the night came in the ninth. Nady drilled a tape-measure shot Tuesday night, but nobody hits long homers like A-Rod. Rodriguez belted a ball high atop the catwalk in left to extend the Yankee lead to 8-3. I thought the ball hit the foul pole with the naked eye, but the Rays were complaining that the ball went foul. Tough luck for the Rays, right? Well, that was the case in the "old days," but not anymore! In case you forgot, Major League Baseball now has instant replay. Yep, the umps went to the video tape to determine if they made the right call. And upon further review -- they did. YES flashed the rule during the review and it says that only the crew chief has the authority to look at the play. Well, it looked like Rays manager Joe Maddon lobbied a bit for that review. Anyway, the dinger counted and the Yanks were on their way. Rodriguez finished 3 for 4 with a walk, 2 runs scored and 4 RBIs. Bobby Abreu. Alex Rodriguez was driving in the runs Wednesday night, but Abreu did a good job setting the table. Abreu cracked his 36th double of the season in the third and later scored the Yanks third run of the night on A-Rod's ribbie. The Candy Man also worked a 12-pitch walk with two outs in the ninth that brought A-Rod to the plate. I knew my scolding Tuesday night would do the trick. Abreu finished 2 for 4 with a walk, 2 runs scored and 2 stolen bases.  The Bad:Carl Pavano. Nobody expected Carl to win three in a row, did they? Pavano gave up a quick run in the first, but then seemed to settle down. That is, until the fourth. Pavano got two quick outs, but then gave up a double and a long home run to Gabe Gross. By the fifth it looked like he was out of gas as B.J. Upton singled to start the inning and Carlos Pena followed with a walk. Exit Mr. Pavano. If this was a game in April or May, Girardi may have allowed Pavano to work through it, but wins are at a premium right now and nobody is going to feel bad if No. 45 doesn't go at least five to pick up a win. Still, Pavano was due for a clunker and the Yanks were able to win anyway. Yes, I'm choosing to look on the bright side of things. Pavano picked up a no-decision with this: 4+ IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HR. The Ugly:Hands up! It was just your average, ordinary, run-of-the-mill stolen base, but it almost resulted in disaster. Abreu easily swiped second in the ninth, but dragged his left hand across the dirt as he slid. Bobby was flexing his left wrist as he took his lead and another injury is the last thing the Yankees need right now. Abreu seemed okay when the YES cameras showed him in the dugout, but the dread in me rose once again. Hopefully, it's not a big deal. The Yanks will go for the sweep Thursday night and give the ball to Darrell Rasner (5-9, 5.08 ERA). Tampa will counter with their ace Scott Kazmir (10-6, 3.13 ERA). Kazmir has solid overall stats, but finished 2-1 with a 4.02 ERA in August and hasn't gone more than six innings in his past seven starts. The young lefty has excelled at home, however, going 6-1 with a 2.30 ERA in 11 starts. Kazmir is 1-1 with a 1.64 ERA in two starts against the Yanks this year. Rasner pitched relatively well in his last start against the Blue Jays, but lost a chance at a win when the Yanks dropped that 7-6 heartbreaker in the Bronx. Still, The Ras has been stinking it up (0-1, 5.52 in six August games) and hasn't posted a "W" since July 12 (that's eight appearances ago if you're keeping track at home). Rasner is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in 4 1/3 career innings against the Rays. Is this too little, too late? We'll see.
Who was that third-place team? Mike Mussina went six serviceable innings, Xavier Nady clobbered a two-run homer and the bullpen finished things up as the Yanks cut down the Rays 7-2 in Tampa. The Bombers scored six unanswered runs at one point by doing the things they haven't been able to do consistently on offense this season. Jason Giambi hit a sacrifice fly to tie the score at 1-1 in the fourth, Jose Molina sacrificed Robinson Cano to third and Johnny Damon drove him in with a triple and Derek Jeter followed with an RBI-ground out with less than two outs.  Joba Chamberalin made his return from the disabled list and pitched well even though it looked like he wasn't firing on all cylinders. Dan Giese also came back from his stint on the DL and pitched a perfect ninth to close things out. Oh, where was this type of play all season? The Good:Mike Mussina. It wasn't a cakewalk, but The Moose did more than enough to come away with the victory. Mussina was helped out by some sloppy baserunning in the second when Eric Hinske willed himself a triple. The problem was that Willy Aybar was at first and stopped at third base. Yes, the rules clearly state that two runners cannot occupy the same base. Aybar was "thrown out" at home and the Rays didn't score in the inning. Still, Moose was a strike-throwing machine and even though he tired in the seventh, he gave the Yanks another quality start. Mussina improved to 17-7 with this: 6+ IP, 10 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K. Damaso Marte. It had the makings of another disappointing Yankee meltdown when Marte entered the game in the seventh, but the lefty got the job done. Marte took the hill with a runner on second and nobody out and quickly gave up a single and despair was in the air. But Marte struck out B.J. Upton and Carlos Pena before giving way to Chamberlain. Marte won't get an "H," or hold, in the box score, but he was instrumental in securing this win. Marte's night: .2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K. Xavier Nady. The X-Man has been slumping a bit lately (.222 in his past seven games coming into Tuesday's action), but he belted one of the longest homers you will ever see in the fourth to give the Yanks a 3-1 lead. It was Nady's 22nd tater of the year (9th as a Yank) and even though YES showed a few replays, I still can't tell what happened to that ball. Did it hit the catwalk? The roof? Anyway, it was here one second and gone the next. Therefore, Nady's X-Man persona will be everyone's favorite teleporter -- Nightcrawler. Nady finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and 2 RBIs.  The Bad:Bobby Abreu. There were only two Yankee starters who failed to record hits Tuesday night. One was Jose Molina, but he contributed with a sacrifice bunt so he gets a pass (even though he struck out in his other three at-bats). The Candy Man picked up the 0'fer and his average dipped under .300 with his effort (or lack thereof). Yeah, I know I'm being a jerk, but sometimes that's what has to be done to get guys back on track. Abreu finished 0 for 4. The Ugly:Home sweet home? The Rays are in first-place after a decade in the cellar, have the best record in the Majors and sport the game's best record at home (52-19 heading into Tuesday). In limped the Yanks, a team struggling to remain in the playoff hunt and a squad that has tortured Tampa since their inception. Was the place packed? Negative! The attendance at the Trop was announced at 21,629, and even that total seemed generous. For shame, Tampa fans. Carl Pavano (2-0, 3.27 ERA) will go against Edwin Jackson (11-8, 3.81 ERA) in the middle game. Jackson had a terrific August (4-1, 2.27 ERA) and hasn't given up more than three runs in his past seven starts. It seems like the hard-throwing 24-year-old is finally living up to his potential. Jackson is 1-1 with a 2.59 ERA in four starts against the Yanks this season. Pavano looked sharp in his last start against the Toronto Blue Jays and will continue his pursuit of a multi-year contract next season. Pavano is 3-2 with a 3.48 ERA in six career starts against Tampa Bay. One game at a time, fellas.
It was a battle of disappointing teams and the Bombers came out on top -- eventually. Sidney Ponson couldn't handle a big lead, Derek Jeter, Hideki Matsui and Xavier Nady drove in two runs apiece, Alex Rodriguez knocked in four and five relievers did just enough as the Yanks outslugged the Tigers 13-9 in Detroit. The Bombers scored four runs in the first, four more in the second and three in the third to race out to an 11-2 lead, but nothing has come easy this season. The Tigers battled back to cut the deficit to 11-9, but couldn't get any closer as the Yankees held on for dear life and escaped with the victory.  I was stuffing my face (again) and lost track of what was going on after the fifth. I did see the Tiger faithful give Ivan Rodriguez a standing ovation in his first at-bat since coming over from Detroit and it seemed to do him good. I-Rod finished 2 for 5 with two runs scored, with the last one coming on a nifty slide to give the Yanks their final run of the ballgame. I missed Phil Coke's debut in pinstripes (or road grays), but the lefty worked a scoreless inning with two strikeouts in his first big league action. The Yanks will head south and take on the first-place Tampa Bay Rays in a three-game set beginning Tuesday night. Mike Mussina (16-7, 3.41 ERA) will go against Matt Garza (11-7, 3.53 ERA) in the opener. Garza pitched a dandy in his last start (7.2 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K) as the Rays defeated the Blue Jays 1-0 in Tampa. The young righty finished 2-1 with a 3.44 ERA in August and is 7-2 with a 2.47 ERA in 13 home starts this season. Garza is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in one start against the Bombers this season. The Moose's quest for his first 20-win season has hit a bit of a snag lately. Mussina's last two starts ended in no-decisions, but he's been pitching extremely well. Mussina finished 3-0 with a 2.93 ERA in August and hasn't lost a game since July 28 against the Orioles. Moose is 6-1 with a 3.34 ERA in 10 road starts this year and is 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA in two starts against the Rays this season. I thought the Rays would fade as the year wore on, but they proved they have what it takes to make it for the long haul. Maybe the Yanks can take some notes.
The beat goes on. Andy Pettitte fell behind the eight ball early, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi hit solo homers, but that was all Roy Halladay would allow as the Blue Jays stopped the Yanks 6-2 in the Bronx. Toronto scored three runs in the first inning, thanks in part to a misplayed fly ball in left by Xavier Nady, tacked one on in the second and put the game away with two runs in the seventh.  I was stuffing my fat face with cheeseburgers, hot dogs and pasta (I'm Italian -- we have pasta with everything) during Sunday's contest, so I wasn't as "locked in" as I usually am. Therefore, no roundup. To be honest, I don't know if I'm going to be rounding up the rest of the games. Oh, sure, I'll be watching, but it takes some time and effort for me to round things up (believe it or not). We'll see. The BoSox also lost so the Bombers remain seven back in the wild card hunt. The Yanks will head to Detroit Monday to make up a May 11 rainout. I don't know why the powers that be scheduled the Yankees (or the Tigers) for an off day on Labor Day, but what do I know. Sidney Ponson (7-5, 4.80 ERA) will go against Justin Verlander (10-14, 4.53 ERA). Verlander was blasted in his last start against the Cleveland Indians (6 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 1 HR, 3 BB, 8 K) and finished 2-3 with a 4.70 ERA in August. Ponson was slapped around in his last start against the Red Sox (4.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 3 K) and hasn't picked up a win since Aug. 6 against the Texas Rangers. Both these teams were expected by many to make the playoffs this season, but it looks like they'll just be playing out the September string. That's why you can't predict baseball.
What a heartbreaker. Darrell Rasner pitched well enough to win, Ivan Rodriguez went deep and Hideki Matsui drove in two, but Robinson Cano's error in the seventh inning opened the door to five unanswered runs as the Blue Jays shocked the Yanks 7-6 at The Stadium. The Bombers blew leads of 2-0 and 6-2 en route to a devastating loss. The turn of events were both quick and brutal and dealt a serious blow to the Yankees already dwindling playoff hopes. Let's see if I can make sense of things with this roundup.  The Good:Ivan Rodriguez. I was tempted to leave this category empty since this was such a horrible loss, but I'm trying to be adult about things. I-Rod has been scrapping since putting on the pinstripes (and that's putting it politely), batting .173 with two extra base hits and one RBI in Aug., but had a solid game Saturday afternoon. Rodriguez hit his second home run since coming over from the Detroit Tigers to give the Yanks a 4-2 lead in the fourth. Pudge also reached on an infield single in the eighth to give the Yankees a short-lived two-out rally. It was I-Rod's first multi-hit game since Aug. 9, which was strange because I didn't remember him getting more than one hit in any game as a Yank. Rodriguez finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and a run batted in. The Bad:Robinson Cano. I've been sleeping a bit on Cano, but No. 24 has been hot with the bat lately. Cano ripped a solo shot in the fourth to give the Yanks a 3-2 lead. Robbie also singled and moved his average to .271 with his ninth multi-hit game of the month. Unfortunately, his defensive lapse in the seventh overshadowed his offensive contributions. Lyle Overbay grounded a tailor-made double-play ball to the Yankees second baseman, but Canu's flip to Derek Jeter was wide. Overbay reached on the fielder's choice and Adam Lind raced to third on the error. Instead of two outs and nobody on, the Blue Jays had runners on the corners with no outs. The Yanks were up 6-2 at the time, but that play changed the tenor of the game. Jose Bautista's single sliced the lead in half and Rasner was pulled after walking Gregg Zaun to load the bases. When the dust settled, the Jays had cut the lead to 6-5 and doom was in the air. Maybe Jeter could have made a better attempt at the ball and Rasner could have picked up his team by bearing down a little, but it was all set up by Cano's lazy throw. It's just the way things have been falling this year. Cano finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI, but he shouldn't feel good about it.  Brian Bruney, Damaso Marte, Edwar Ramirez. I really didn't want to put these guys in here since they've pitched well despite being overworked, but someone had to give up the runs. Bruney was put in an impossible situation in the seventh as he came in with the bases loaded and nobody out, but almost worked out of it. Almost. The Maltese Falcon struck out rookie Travis Snider for the first out, but then allowed a two-run single to Joe Inglett that cut the lead to 6-5. Bruney retired the next two batters to end the inning, but Vernon Wells singled to start the eighth and Joe Girardi turned to Marte. It wasn't a bad outing, but it wasn't good either. Marte allowed a single to put runners on first and second and recorded an out on a sacrifice bunt by Overbay. Enter Edwar with runners on second and third and one out. Bautista singled in the tying run and then Zaun pounded a ball into the dirt that traveled maybe 65 feet, but the fielder's choice was good enough to drive in the go-ahead run. The worst part? Bautista and Zaun, the guys who drove in the tying and eventual winning runs, were 0 for 27 and 0 for 20, respectively, before performing their magic. Unreal. The trifecta's finally tally: 2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 3 K. The Ugly:The rally that died. The Yanks were set up to tie and maybe win this game in the ninth, but it didn't happen. Jeter singled off the right field wall to start things and Bobby Abreu followed with a walk against closer B.J. Ryan. Alex Rodriguez stepped up to the plate with a chance to be the hero, but couldn't get the job done. A-Rod hit the ball hard, but right to third baseman Bautista (he sure was busy Saturday) who turned a 5-5-3 double play. Cody Ransom (who came in defensively for Jason Giambi in the eighth) flew out to left to end the game. Soul-crushing. Andy Pettitte (13-10, 4.37 ERA) will go against Roy Halladay (16-9, 2.69 ERA) in the rubber game Sunday afternoon. Halladay has ripped off three wins in a row, including a victory against the Yanks Aug. 21 in Toronto, and hasn't given up more than three runs in seven straight starts. And in case you forgot, he likes pitching against the Bombers. Halladay is 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA in four starts against the Yanks this season. Pettitte was slapped around in his last start against the Red Sox (4.2 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 3 K) and has only one win in his past six starts. But that win came against the Jays in Toronto on Aug. 20. Let's see what happens.
This wacky season marches on. Carl Pavano was super, Bobby Abreu drove in one and scored another and Mariano Rivera registered a five-out save as the Yanks trimmed the Blue Jays 2-1 in the Boogie Down. The Bombers didn't exactly solve A.J. Burnett (8 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K), but it was good enough to beat him for the first time in four tries this season. Joe Girardi managed this one like it was a playoff game (and I guess they are at this point) as he called on five relievers to nail down the victory.  Unfortunately, the Red Sox also won so the Yankees remain six games back in the wild card chase. The Good:Carl Pavano. I wasn't sure how the fans would react to Pavano as he took the Yankee Stadium mound for the first time since April 2007 (and as far as I could see the reaction was lukewarm), but I knew it would have turned virulent if he got off to a bad start. Joe Inglett singled to lead off the game, but Pavano got out of the inning without giving up a run and was in control for nearly his entire outing. I know it's hard to give this guy any praise (and I feel dirty doing it), but I have to be honest. Going up against Burnett is a tough assignment for any Yankee starter (especially this season), but Pavano was up to the task. Pavano retired 12 straight Jays at one point and struck out Alex Rios to end the sixth. Girardi pulled Carl after only 72 pitches, but I think Pavano was gassed. The Blue Jays hit three balls hard in the fifth and scratched out a run in his final inning. That's why pitch counts don't always tell the whole story. Anyway, Pavano upped his record to 2-0 with this: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K. Who woulda thunk it? Bobby Abreu. The Candy Man drove in the Yankees only run against Burnett in Toronto on Aug. 19 and he picked up where he left off Friday night. Abreu smacked an RBI-double to left to bring Johnny Damon home with the game's first run in the fourth. El Comedulce then advanced to third on an Alex Rodriguez infield single and raced home on Jason Giambi's shallow sac fly to left field. Bobby also nearly knocked Burnett's head off with a sharp line drive single in the sixth. I'm not sure if Abreu will be in pinstripes next year, but he's been the Yankees most consistent hitter this season. Abreu finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI. Mariano Rivera. It was a hairy situation -- runners on first and second with one out in the eighth and the Yanks clinging to a 2-1 lead. I trust Mo in any situation, but the Blue Jays had Inglett and Marco Scutaro due up. Oh, sure, they aren't the most feared hitters in the league, but they are the type of guys that could flare a single for a cheap run. But not tonight. Rivera got Inglett to ground into a fielder's choice and struck out Scutaro to end the threat. The Sandman had to go through the heart of the order in the ninth, but allowed only a one-out single before closing the door. Rivera notched his 32nd save of the year with this: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K.  The Bad:Jose Veras. The bullpen was nearly flawless Friday night. Nearly. Brian Bruney, Damaso Marte and Edwar Ramirez were perfect and Rivera was Rivera, but Veras wasn't up to the challenge. Girardi mixed-and-matched in the seventh, but Vera was summoned to pitch the eighth. It didn't work out. Rod Barajas greeted Veras with a ground rule double and Scott Rolen followed with a walk. Veras may have the second-best stuff coming out of the pen, but he can run hot and cold. Hopefully, he'll heat up. Veras' night: 0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K. The Ugly:The Joba Situation. I didn't think the Yanks would mess around with Joba Chamberlain after he injured his shoulder, but it looks like he's ready to return. Chamberlain threw 45 pitches on Thursday and is set to pitch in a simulated game Saturday. "We're going to see how he does tomorrow facing the hitters," Girardi said.
"The one thing that we've done is we have not rushed this and we have not tried
to get ahead of ourselves. We won't do that. After tomorrow's performance, we'll
make an evaluation to see if the next step is that he needs more time or we can
activate him." And it looks like when Joba comes back it will be as part of the bullpen brigade. "We couldn't necessarily bring him back as a starter if we activated him
right away, just because he's not built up," Girardi said. "I would have loved
to have him back three weeks ago, but that's not the case. We had to deal with
an injury and he's been feeling pretty good. We all feel good about that. We'll
make a decision sometime this weekend." I didn't like the way the Yankees handled the whole Joba situation earlier in the season and I really don't like that they plan to put him back in the pen. It feels like a disaster waiting to happen. But maybe I'm just paranoid. Darrell Rasner (5-9, 5.03 ERA) will go against John Parrish (1-0, 4.05 ERA) Saturday afternoon. Parrish has pitched in only seven games this season (four as a starter and three as a reliever) and hasn't thrown a baseball since Aug. 10 against the Cleveland Indians. The lefty's lone win this season came way back on June 28 against the Atlanta Braves. Parrish is 0-4 with a 4.50 ERA in 30 career appearances against the Yanks. Rasner couldn't get out of the fourth inning in his last start against the Baltimore Orioles, but picked up a no-decision in the Yanks 8-7 victory. The Ras is having a horrible month (0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in five games) and hasn't won a game since Jul 12 against the Jays in Toronto. Ranser is 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA in two starts against the Blue Birds this season and is 2-0 with a 3.57 ERA in three career starts against the Jays. Seems like a promising trend.
At least the last game between these rivals at the "old" stadium went the right way.  Mike Mussina went seven solid innings, the pen held the fort, Jason Giambi launched a pinch-hit, game-tying, two-run jolt in the seventh and then drove in the game-winning run with a base hit in the ninth as the Yanks nipped the Red Sox 3-2 at The Stadium. The win kept the Bombers within shouting distance of a wild card berth -- six games back of the BoSox with 29 games remaining. I was at my company's picnic Thursday so I didn't even get a chance to listen to John and Suzy call the action on this sunny afternoon. I was planning on watching the game when I got home, but gosh-darnit, I'm spent. So, I'm shirking my duties once again, but check out Brian's roundup if you want to get a feel for the game. I've already "pulled the plug" on the Yankees playoff chances, but that doesn't mean I've turned against them. I would love for this team to show me what's what and they took a baby step with a comeback win Thursday afternoon. The Yanks welcome in the Toronto Blue Jays for a three-game set beginning Friday night. Carl Pavano (1-0, 5.40 ERA) will make his first start in front of the home folks this season and will go against Yankee killer A.J. Burnett (16-9, 4.58 ERA) in the opener. Burnett was slapped around in his last start against the Red Sox (7 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 HR), but picked up a no-decision in the Jays 6-5 loss. I guess A.J. can only shine when he sees the interlocking "NY." Burnett struck out 13 Yankees in the Blue Jays 2-1 victory Aug. 19 in Toronto and is 3-0 with a 1.61 ERA in three starts against the Bombers this season. Pavano wasn't great in his last start against the Orioles, but it was good enough to give him his first win since April 2007. The "American Idle" needed 91 pitches to get through five innings in Baltimore and the Yanks would love it if he could increase both those numbers Friday night. Pavano is 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in five career starts against the Jays. I guess it's expect the worst and hope for the best the rest of the way.
It's over, Johnny. Sidney Ponson struggled, Bobby Abreu's miscue in right opened the door to a seven-run eighth inning and Dustin Pedroia and Jason Bay combined to knock in eight runs as the Red Sox pounded the Yanks 11-3 in the Bronx. The loss dropped the Bombers seven games back of the wild-card leading BoSox with 30 games remaining. The Yankees may still be mathematically "alive" for a playoff berth and I'm not one to give up easily, but that would require a serious run. And if you use your eyes, your common sense, you would realize that this team hasn't made a run the entire season. Why, or how, would they rip one off now? My brother and I were at my cousin's for this one and we were all hard pressed to come up with a positive spin for the rest of the year. I wish I could persevere through this latest setback and do my little roundup, but I'm tired. Sick and tired. So, no roundup. I knew there would come a year when the Yanks wouldn't make the postseason during their recent playoff run (and had a feeling that this could be it at the start of the season), but it still didn't prepare me for it. It's only fitting that I put up a final video/song for the Yanks and the 2008 season -- "Pull The Plug" by Death. Mike Mussina (16-7, 3.45 ERA) will go against Jon Lester (12-5, 3.49 ERA) in Thursday's afternoon finale. Again, I usually do a little "scouting" in this spot, but I'm just not up to it. And I don't think the Yanks are, either.
The doomsday clock has ticked a little closer to midnight. Andy Pettitte was off, Johnny Damon was the lone offensive bright spot and Alex Rodriguez had a horrendous all-around game as the Red Sox slapped the Yanks 7-3 at The Stadium. The Bombers blew two leads (albeit early one-run leads), allowed the bottom of the BoSox order to flourish and left a small army on the basepaths. Not the kind of things playoff-bound teams do to win ballgames. I was in attendance for what was probably my last visit to the House That Ruth Built Tuesday night and it wasn't a memorable one. Still, it was cool to engage in some witty banter throughout the game with Mr. Brian. I'm not going to round things up (I'm too distraught) and while I still want to believe, this team is making it incredibly difficult. I will dedicate a video for this team, however. Maybe it will motivate the boys in pinstripes. Sidney Poson will make the start Wednesday night with the fate of the Yankees 2008 season hanging in the balance. If that doesn't tell you what kind of year this has been, nothing will.
It wasn't pretty, but beggars can't be choosers right now. Darrell Rasner had nothing and David Robertson and Edwar Ramirez followed suit, but Johnny Damon ripped a three-run homer, Robinson Cano smashed the go-ahead tater and Mariano Rivera earned a four-out save as the Yanks outslugged the Orioles 8-7 to sweep the three-game set in Baltimore. The Bombers blew a 7-2 lead in this one, but never hung their heads and came through when it mattered most. The win kept the Yankees five games back of the Boston Red Sox in the wild card hunt.  I said about 10 days ago that the Yanks needed to go at least 7-2 during this nine-game stretch and while they fell short of my expectations (finishing at 6-3), they haven't fallen out of the playoff race. And they managed to cut the Red Sox's lead from 6.5 games in the wild card down to five games. There's still a chance here, people. The Good:Robinson Cano. It's going to be a disappointing season for Robbie no matter how he finishes out, but he can partly redeem himself if he can get on another hot streak. Cano drove in the Yankees first run with a booming double to right in the second and later scored on Damon's home run. Then Canu put the Yanks ahead to stay with a solo shot over the center field wall in the seventh. Cano started strong after the All-Star break, but has cooled off in August. Maybe this series in Baltimore gets him going again. Cano finished 4 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI. Johnny Damon. Never underestimated an athlete's pride. It's almost like Damon has been determined to make up for his shaky play in center during the Toronto series. So far he's doing a good job redeeming himself with the bat. Damon laced a three-run bomb in the second to give the Yanks their first lead of the afternoon at 4-2. JD also got the party started with a single to lead off the Yankees three-run fourth. Shame is indeed a powerful motivator. Damon finished 2 for 6 with 2 runs scored and 3 runs batted in. Mariano Rivera. You know things are nip and tuck when the Yanks turn to Mo for three straight days. But Rivera knows what's expected of him and he delivered once again. The Sandman closed out the first two games in Baltimore and it was more of the same Sunday afternoon. Rivera came in with a runner on first and two outs in the eighth and quickly disposed of Jay Payton. The ninth was a little more exciting, but Rivera wasn't rattled. Brian Roberts worked out a two-out walk, stole second and advanced to third on Ivan Rodriguez's throwing error. But Rivera calmly struck out Nick Markakis to end the game. All in a day's work. Rivera earned his 31st save of the year with this: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K. The Bad:Darrell Rasner. It started well for Rasner as he retired the first two Orioles he faced, but things quickly fell apart after that. Melvin Mora and Aubrey Huff went back-to-back to give the O's a quick 2-0 lead after an inning of play. The Yanks battled back and gave Rasner a 4-2 lead and later a 7-2 advantage, but he couldn't hold it. In fairness, Derek Jeter and Xavier Nady's errors in the Orioles three-run fourth didn't help, but The Ras never had it. Rasner's location was off and his frustration level was running in the red. Just one of those days. Rasner got the offensive support, but picked up a no-decision with this: 3.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R (3 earned), 2 BB, 2 K, 2 HR.  Edwar Ramirez. Urkel came into the game to face the lefty-hitting Brian Roberts with two outs and a runner on third. Made sense. Ramirez's best pitch is his change-up and he was holding lefties to a .200 average this season. The Yanks were up 7-5 when Edwar entered, but Roberts crushed his 0-1 fastball over the fence in right-center to knot the score at 7-7. Very frustrating. Ramirez looked shocked after the homer and honestly I can't blame him. I didn't think that ball was gone off the bat. Still, it wasn't all bad for Ramirez as he came away with the win. That's why you can't predict baseball. Ramirez improved to 4-1 with this crappy line: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR. The Ugly:Home cookin? There are always a ton of pinstripe boosters in Baltimore when the Yanks come to town (it's the same story when the BoSox make it in), but it's almost shocking when you crunch the numbers. YES had a stat that should make every Oriole fan want to retch and vomit. The O's have drawn 1,630,651 fans this season. The Yanks have drawn 296,039 through the turnstiles and the Red Sox 355,237. Forty percent of the Orioles' attendance is made up when the Bombers and Sox hit Baltimore. For shame, O's fans. Monday is an off day for the Yanks as they travel back to New York and prepare to take on the Boston Red Sox in an important three-game series beginning Tuesday night (yes, they're all important now). Andy Pettitte (13-9, 4.17 ERA) will go against Tim Wakefield (7-8, 3.67 ERA) in the opener. Josh Beckett was originally scheduled to make this start, but the BoSox are pushing him back because of continued numbness in his fingers. Wakefield has been on the disabled list with a shoulder injury, but will be activated for Tuesday's game. The knuckleballer was pitching well in August before hitting the DL -- 1-0 with a 0.73 ERA in two starts. Wakefield is 0-1 with a 6.94 ERA in two starts against the Bombers this season. Pettitte was terrific in his last start against the Toronto Blue Jays and it was good enough to give him his first victory in nearly a month. Andy has gone at least seven innings in his past three starts and is 1-1 with a 5.06 ERA in three starts against the Red Sox this year. I'll be in the Bronx for Tuesday's tilt courtesy of Mr. Brian so that means a late night for me. Expect no roundup. In fact, I'm hoping I can make my train in time to get home. A three-hit shutout from Pettitte should do the trick.
Will wonders never cease? Carl Pavano earned his first win in over a year, Jason Giambi drove in three and the bullpen pitched four scoreless innings as the Yanks downed the Orioles 5-3 at Camden Yards. Alex Rodriguez doubled in the first run of the game and Hideki Matsui capped off the scoring with a solo homer in the seventh to give the Bombers their second consecutive win in Baltimore. The victory also brought the Yanks to within five games of the Boston Red Sox in the wild card chase.  The Good:
Carl Pavano. Every Yankee fan must have felt bile rise in their throats as Pavano trotted out to the mound in this game, but it is what it is. And since Pavano wears my team's colors, I'm going to divorce myself from emotion and put him in my "good" category -- no matter how rotten it makes me feel. The Yanks spotted Pavano a 2-0 lead in the first, which I thought was awfully nice of them. Pavano still got off to a rocky start though, allowing three hits in the first, but escaped without giving up a run (thanks to a nice double play orchestrated by Robinson Cano). But then Pavano pissed away the 2-0 lead by allowing three runs in the second. Lord knows what the reaction would have been if the game was played in New York (even though it seemed like Yankee fans outnumbered Oriole fans about 3-1 Saturday night). Still, Pavano regrouped and allowed the Yanks to retake the lead. His most impressive inning came in the fifth. Pavano drilled Kevin Millar to lead off the frame and then allowed a base hit to Jay Payton. But Pavano struck out the next three batters swinging, including Nick Markakis to end the threat. It wasn't pretty (in any way, shape or form), but considering it was his first big league start since Tommy John surgery and the Yanks need wins, it was good enough. Pavano picked up win No. 1 with this: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 2 hit batsman. Jason Giambi. The Giambino drove in the Yankees' second run with an infield single in the first (a very generous scoring) and then delivered the biggest hit of the night as he drilled his 25th homer of the season in the third. The two-run job got the Yanks right off the mat after the O's had taken a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the second. Giambi has been scrapping the past two months (.234, 3 HRs in July; .233 so far in August), but things may be turning around. Jay Jay has five hits in his last 11 at-bats. Giambi finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and 3 RBIs. The pen. The Yankees knew the bullpen was going to play a big role heading into this game. And the guys were up to the task. The trifecta of Brian Bruney, Jose Veras and Mariano Rivera combined for four innings of shutout ball to help seal the victory. Bruney has looked sharp since coming off the disabled list (2.70 ERA in eight appearances), Veras has recovered since his meltdown against the Angels on Aug. 9 (1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 HRs) and Rivera, well, Rivera is Rivera and earned his 30th save of the year. Keep it going, fellas. The combined totals: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K. The Bad:Bobby Abreu. The Yanks didn't exactly tear the cover off the ball (they finished the game with eight hits), but two players failed to get into the act. Ivan Rodriguez was one of them, but he had to deal with Pavano for most of the night, so he gets a pass. Sort of (see: Ugly). The Candy Man was the other. It's a bit harsh to give Abreu the goat horns since he went 5-for-5 on Friday night, but every game is different. I'm sure Bobby understands. Abreu finished 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.  The Ugly:Lucky break. The scene: the second inning. The situation: Markakis on first with two outs. The play: Melvin Mora strikes out swinging for the third out. Big deal, right? Well, the third strike hit the dirt and the catcher has to either tag the batter or throw to first (or second if you want to get technical) to officially record the final out. I-Rod did neither and trotted off the field (in fairness, the whole team was heading to the dugout). It was a rough inning for the Yanks (the O's scored three runs and took a 3-2 lead), but I-Rod has been in the league a long time (he's in his 18th season) and has to know the situation. Mora didn't think anything of it at first and looked like he was headed to the dugout, but then ran to first and then second. Markakis took third. When the smoke cleared (and YES came back from commercials) Mora was called out. Here's the official ruling according to home plate umpire Joe West: "The hitter walked toward the dugout to throw his bat and helmet away. He, in
doing so, has abandoned his effort to reach the next base. He's
called out, according to the rule." I think a lot of people fell asleep on that play and the Yanks were fortunate to get the call, but I-Rod could have made things a lot easier if he just tagged Mora after the strikeout. The Yanks go for the sweep on Sunday and will send Darrell Rasner (5-9, 4.93 ERA) against Daniel Cabrera (8-8, 4.98 ERA). Cabrera is having a rough August (1-2 with a 6.14 ERA in four starts) and is coming off a beating against the BoSox (4.1 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 2 HRs). But like A.J. Burnett, he's a guy who seems to thrive against the Yanks. Cabrera is 3-0 with a 3.15 ERA in three starts against the Bombers this season. Rasner pitched well enough to win in his last start in Toronto, but picked up a no-decision in an eventual 2-1 heartbreaking loss. The Ras is 1-2 with a 2.37 ERA in three starts against The Birds this season. Rasner had a bad start in August, but has given up just three earned runs in his past 11 2/3 innings. Keep doing what you're doing, Darrell.
 Just when you think this team is out, they pull you back in. Mike Mussina was so-so and left the game on the wrong side of the ledger, but Xavier Nady singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth, Cody Ransom ripped a three-run shot in the ninth and Bobby Abreu banged out five hits as the Yanks upended the Orioles 9-4 in Baltimore. The Bombers launched back-to-back jacks twice in this one and scored six runs in the final two innings to keep themselves within shouting distance (six games) of the Boston Red Sox in the wild card hunt.  Life interfered (but in a good way) so I wasn't as "tuned in" as I usually am for this game. John and Suzy kept me abreast for the middle innings (as only they can) and I watched the final 1 1/2 innings, but no roundup. To make up for it, I'll provide a bonus pictorial to my usual two for this pathetic excuse of a writeup.  And the moment I thought would never arrive will arrive Saturday night. Carl Pavano (0-0, 0.00) will take the hill for the Yanks against Jeremy Guthrie (10-9, 3.15 ERA). Guthrie is having an excellent season despite hovering around the .500 mark. The righty is 3-1 with a 1.50 ERA in August and has pitched into the sixth inning in all but two of his 27 starts this season. Guthrie is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA in two starts against the Yankees this season. Then there's Pavano. Pavano's last start was a good one (7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 2 K) as he picked up a victory in the Yanks 8-2 win over the Minnesota Twins. Unfortunately, that game came in April 2007. I don't know what to expect from Pavano and I'm sure I wasn't the only one who was disturbed watching him joke around on the bench during Friday night's win, but the Bombers are in a tough spot and they need him. May God have mercy on us all.
I've been putting up a brave front, but the end is nigh. Sidney Ponson had a terrible night, the bullpen was just as horrid, Marco Scutaro and Alex Rios combined for seven ribbies and Roy Halladay cruised as the Blue Jays thumped the Yanks 14-3 in Toronto. The final score doesn't even begin to illustrate what a thorough horse-whipping the Bombers absorbed Thursday night. The Jays scored at least one run in the first five innings, banged out 21 hits and put the exclamation point in taking two of three in the series.  I said last week that the Yanks needed to go at least 7-2 in this current nine-game stretch. Well, they are 3-3 so far and teetering on the brink of oblivion. If you stayed with this game until the bitter end, you are either a really die-hard fan or a delusional, crazy person. Maybe a combination of both. The Good:Hideki Matsui. There weren't a lot of positives to take out of this one, but Godzilla belted his first home run since coming off the disabled list. Matsui's three-run shot in the seventh got the Yanks on the board and proved that Halladay is indeed mortal. It was good to see Matsui go deep in his third game back, but it's hard for me to get too pumped up about it. Matsui finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and 3 RBIs. The Bad:Sidney Ponson and the rest. With Halladay on the opposing mound, the Yanks needed the Arubian Knight to be almost perfect. It didn't happen. Ponson wasn't just bad, he was really bad. There were a few balls that fell in front of Johnny Damon early on for hits, but they weren't the deciding factor. Maybe Brett Gardner makes those catches or Johnny D circa 2002, but Sir Sid was hit hard before getting the hook. And the bullpen provided little relief. David Robertson, Billy Traber and Chris Britton all gave up at least one run in their efforts. Edwar Ramirez was the only reliever to escape unscathed and he went just 1/3 of an inning. Ponson fell to 7-4 on the year, but the loss was a total team effort Thursday night. The combined totals: 8 IP, 21 H, 14 R, 3 BB, 6 K, 1 HR. The Ugly:Fat toad on the loose. This has nothing to do with Thursday's brutal loss, but a former Yankee was in the news recently and it wasn't for saving a cat from a tree. Hideki Irabu was arrested in Japan for assault. Here's the skinny:  Former Yankees pitcher Hideki Irabu was arrested yesterday for allegedly
assaulting a bartender after drinking 20 mugs of beer, a police official
said.
Irabu, 39, became angered after his credit card was rejected. He
then allegedly pushed the bartender against the wall, pulled his hair and
smashed at least nine liquor bottles at a bar in Osaka, western Japan, a police
official said on condition of anonymity, citing department policy.
The
bartender sustained no injuries. Irabu paid the bill with another credit
card.
The police official said Irabu admitted the assault. And my brother, cousin and I were wondering why he wasn't at the Yankees Old Timers' Game. The Yanks will head down to Baltimore and take on the Orioles for a three-game set beginning Friday night. Mike Mussina (16-7, 3.35 ERA) will lock horns against Radhames Liz (4-3, 7.47 ERA) in the opener. The O's are expected to recall Liz from Triple-A to make this start and a quick look at the numbers reveals why he was sent down. Liz was 2-3 with a 9.26 ERA in five July starts. Liz has made two career appearances against the Yanks and has allowed one run and three hits in 4 1/3 innings. The Moose has been a machine most of the season, but he's really turning it on in August. Mussina is 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA in four starts this month, but hasn't fared well against his former team this season. Mussina is 0-2 with an 11.12 ERA in two starts against the Birds this year. Will it be the beginning of a hot streak or the beginning of the end?
The pulse may be faint, but it's still there. Andy Pettitte was just dandy, Johnny Damon rebounded from a terrible game Tuesday night with two hits and an RBI and Derek Jeter continued his hot-hitting as the Yanks turned back the Blue Jays 5-1 at the Rogers Centre. Jason Giambi and Xavier Nady gave the Bombers a quick 2-0 lead in the first on a sac fly and an RBI-single, respectively, and Brian Bruney pitched two perfect innings in relief to seal the win. Even Hideki Matsui got into the act as he collected his first hit since coming off the disable list.  The Good:Andy Pettitte. It's the formula every pitcher wants to use -- throw strikes and record outs -- and Pettitte had it working Wednesday night. The veteran lefty allowed only two hits through five innings and gave the Yanks another quality start. Pettitte's only hiccup came with one out in the sixth when he allowed three straight singles and a run, but he gathered himself and struck out Vernon Wells swinging and retired Adam Lind on a fly ball to left to end the threat. I thought Pettitte had expended all his energy in that inning, but he came out for the seventh and worked a clean inning. He probably could have came out for the eighth (his pitch count was at 83), but Joe Girardi turned to Bruney. It worked out. Pettitte moved to 13-9 with this beauty: 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K. Derek Jeter. It's nitty-gritty time and that's Jeter's time to shine. DJ reached on an infield single in the first and came around to score, singled to left in the second and launched a two-run blast in the fourth to give the Yankees a 5-0 lead. Yes, it's been a down year for El Capitan, but he's starting to roll (and the Yanks desperately need guys to get hot) and has upped his average to .298 on the season. Better late than never. Jeter finished 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 2 runs batted in. Johnny Damon. It doesn't erase the defensive ineptitude from last night, but Johnny D bounced back with a solid offensive game Wednesday night. Damon led the game off with a single to left and later scored the first run of the game. JD also brought in the Yankees third run of the game with a fielder's choice grounder to second in the fourth. I'm sure Damon's play in center Tuesday night was eating him alive and it was good to see him come out swinging. Damon finished 2 for 4 with a walk, 2 runs scored and an RBI. The Bad:Alex Rodriguez. It's been a rough series so far for A-Rod. Rodriguez fanned three times on Tuesday night and while he cut down on the K's Wednesday night (he struck out once), he was the only Yankee who didn't contribute with either a hit, an RBI or a run scored. He also had a few bad throws from third, but was saved by some nice plays by Giambi at first. The Yanks need to start clicking offensively and they really need A-Rod to get on board. Rodriguez finished 0 for 4.  The Ugly:Pick of the litter? The Yanks still haven't named a starter for Saturday's game in Baltimore, but that didn't stop the team from naming another possible candidate for the gig. Victor Zambrano could be in the mix to make that start. Zambrano tossed five scoreless innings in Trenton on Monday. He hasn't pitched in the Majors this season and is probably a long shot, but there are reports that Carl Pavano is "suffering" from a stiff neck and Phil Hughes was roughed up in his last start (3.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 1 HB). Girardi said he'll reveal the winner on Thursday. I'm guessing that Pavano will get the nod (if his neck is OK, that is). The Yanks aren't going to rush Hughes and Pavano has had more work than Zambrano (which goes to show you how inactive he's been). I'm all tingly with anticipation. The Yanks will try to take two of three on Thursday night and send Sidney Ponson (7-3, 4.19 ERA) to the hill. His opponent will be Roy Halladay (14-9, 2.64 ERA). Halladay has been nearly unbeatable in August (2-1, 1.14 ERA in three starts) and has been a one-man wrecking crew against the Yanks. Doc Halladay is 2-1 with a 2.05 ERA in three starts against the Bombers this season and is 12-5 with a 2.88 ERA in 29 career appearances against the Yanks. Ponson hasn't been as dominating, but is quietly putting together a stellar August (1-1, 2.96 ERA in four starts). The Arubian Knight doesn't have good career stats against the Blue Jays (7-10, 4.59 ERA in 19 games), but pitches better north of the border. Sir Sid is 4-3 with a 3.19 ERA in eight career starts in Toronto. Play it again, Sid.
Oh, the humanity! Darrell Rasner made one mistake through 6 2/3 innings, A.J. Burnett was a strikeout machine and Johnny Damon committed a huge error that wasn't ruled an error in the eighth as the Blue Jays shocked the Yanks 2-1 in Toronto. This was a pitchers' duel from start to finish and the Bombers were in the lead for the majority of it. Unfortunately, this wasn't a boxing match and they didn't go to the judges to decide the winner. Actually, I don't know if the Yanks would have come out on top even if they did do that.  Bobby Abreu's hit-and-run RBI-double gave the Yankees a quick 1-0 lead in the first, but the bats were silenced after that. Alex Rodriguez led off the ninth with a bloop single over first, but was pegged out trying to take second. Some may question A-Rod's decision, but it was the right play. The ball was headed down the right-field line and Lyle Overbay made a great stop and an even better throw to nail A-Rod. Them's the breaks. Any loss at this point of the season is painful, but this one was like a shot to the temple. Let's do this quickly. The Good:Darrell Rasner. It wasn't as impressive as Burnett's 13-strikeout performance, but it was just as effective. Rasner worked out of a second and third, one-out jam in the first (set up by a Damon error that was ruled an error in center) and induced two double plays in the third and fourth as he breezed through six. But with one out in the seventh, Adam Lind drilled a 3-2 pitch over the wall in right to knot the score at 1-1. It was the lone blemish on Rasner's ledger. The Ras did everything the Yanks could have asked for, but I'm sure he would have liked to have that one pitch back. I sure wish he had it back. Rasner picked up a no-decision with this: 6.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 hit batsman, 3 K, 1 HR. The Bad:Johnny Damon. JD may have scored the Yankees lone run Tuesday night, but his defensive lapses in center were the real story. Damon was charged with an error in the first, but Rasner was able to work around it. Too bad it didn't happen the second time around. Marco Scutaro smashed a drive to center with a runner on first and two outs in the eighth. Damon had to go a long way, but had the ball in his sites. Unfortunately, he couldn't squeeze it home. The ball tipped off Johnny's glove and Joe Inglett scampered home on the "double" to give the Jays a 2-1 lead. I realize the only reason Damon is in center is to get Hideki Matsui's bat in the lineup (Godzilla went 0 for 3 in his return), but he should have made both of those plays. Sometimes things just don't go your way. Damon finished 0 for 3 with a walk and a run scored. Jason Giambi. Burnett was striking everybody out Tuesday night (actually Abreu and Robinson Cano were the only two Yankees who didn't K), but nobody went down more than The Giambino. Giambi struck out swinging not once, not twice, not thrice, but four times. For the sake of proper bookkeeping, the first three were courtesy of Burnett and the final one came against B.J. Ryan. In baseball lingo that's called the golden sombrero. Sounds nice, but it's not something anyone strives for. Giambi finished 0 for 4 with the 4 Ks.  The Ugly:Fading away? The loss dropped the Yanks 6.5 games behind the Red Sox and 5 games back of the Minnesota Twins in the wild card hunt. That's bad enough, but a quick look at the standings shows the Bombers lead the Blue Jays by just one game for that final playoff spot. If the Yanks don't get their act together during these next two games in Toronto, they could find themselves behind three teams in the wild card chase. Andy Pettitte (12-9, 4.30 ERA) will try and get the Yanks off the mat Wednesday night against David Purcey (2-3, 5.93 ERA). Purcey hurled six scoreless innings in a 4-3 Blue Jays victory over the Detroit Tigers in his last start. Purcey has made as many starts in August (three) as he's made during the first four months of the season (three). This will be his first career look at the Yanks. Pettitte pitched seven solid innings in his last start against the Kansas City Royals, but picked up a no-decision in a 4-3 Yankee loss. Actually, Pettitte's past two starts have been no-decisions and both games ended in 4-3 Yankee losses. Pettitte is 0-2 in his last four starts and hasn't picked up a victory since July 26 against the Boston Red Sox. Time to turn the tide, Andy.
It always looks easy when this offense clicks. Mike Mussina got off to a rocky start but rebounded nicely and Alex Rodriguez, Xavier Nady and Jason Giambi all went deep off Brian Bannister within the first two innings as the Yanks pummeled the Royals 15-6 at The Stadium. The Bombers fell behind 3-0 in the top of the first, but scored six runs in the bottom half of the inning, four more in the second and one more in the third to cruise to an easy victory. Derek Jeter collected four hits and Cody Ransom smacked a pinch-hit home run in the seventh (his first plate appearance in pinstripes) to complete the assault. The Yanks shaved another game off Boston's wild card lead and now trail the Red Sox by five games.  The Good:Alex Rodriguez. The mood at the ballpark was hopeful, but guarded when A-Rod stepped into the box with two runners on and one out in the bottom of the first. The Yanks hadn't been scoring runs, were already down by three and had a knack for leaving runners on in bunches. Rodriguez erased the deficit and the apprehension with one swing of the bat. His 28th long-ball of the season drew the Yanks even and helped open the offensive floodgates. A-Rod has had a rough August (.200 with seven ribbies heading into Sunday), but broke out of it in a big way. Let's hope it's the start of a hot streak. Rodriguez finished 3 for 3 with 2 walks, 3 runs scored and 5 RBIs. Jason Giambi. The Giambino may have 13 career grand slams, but he's struggled with the bases loaded this season. Giambi had just one hit in 14 plate appearances with the sacks full this year, but that one hit was a home run. He got his second hit on Sunday and it also cleared the bases. Jay Jay's grand slam in the second gave the Yankees a 10-3 lead and really put the game on ice. Giambi has gone back to the 'Stache and so far it seems to be working. It's a total win-win. Giambi finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and 4 ribbies. Mike Mussina. The Royals didn't exactly scald the ball against Moose in the first, but still managed to push across three first-inning runs. The Yankee offense gave Mussina a three-run cushion after one, but No. 35 fell right back into trouble in the top of the second. Kansas City opened the frame with runners on the corners and no outs. Then Mike turned it on. Mussina wiggled out of the inning without giving up a run and shut the Royals down the rest of the way. In fact, The Moose was perfect after the second. The Yanks gave away what should have been a win in Mussina's last start in Minnesota, but the bats made sure that this one stuck. Mussina improved to 16-7 with this: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 5 K. The Bad:Chris Britton. It didn't really matter and it's not like Britton is a premier pitcher in the league, but he should feel rotten about giving up a home run to the light-hitting Ross Gload. Gload entered the game with two homers on the year, but took Britton deep to right in the ninth for his third round-tripper of the season. Britton should feel even worse that it happened after a one-out walk. Again, it doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things, but a 15-4 win seems more convincing than 15-6. But that's just my opinion. Britton's afternoon: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR.  The Ugly:Battered and bruised. Jeter has had a rough 2008 and just when it looked like he was turning a corner another minor setback. The Captain was gunning for his fifth hit of the day when he was hit by a pitch in the seventh. The ball appeared to catch DJ on the left elbow. Jeter took his base and later scored the Yankees 12th run of the afternoon, but left the game after that. I doubt this latest hit-by-pitch will keep Jeter out of the lineup (in fact, I would be downright shocked if it did), but it seems like No. 2 has been taking a beating this season. And an old friend seems ready to rejoin the Yanks. Hideki Matsui had 15 at-bats in a simulated game on Sunday and his left knee appears to be fine. "Every time he would get to bat, it would just blow up, but it hasn't this
time," Girardi said. "So far the knee is good and we'll make a decision
tomorrow (Monday)." I'm surprised that Godzilla was able to work himself back to the big club. I'm sure Matsui will only be used as a designated hitter when he returns and that could make for some interesting lineup decisions. Still, Matsui is a good clutch-hitter and the Yanks haven't exactly excelled in that department this season. Monday is an off-day for the Yanks as they head to Toronto and will begin an important three-game set beginning Tuesday night. Darrell Rasner (5-9, 5.18 ERA) will go against A.J. Burnett (15-9, 4.67 ERA) in the opener. Burnett has won all three of his August starts despite posting an appalling 6.11 ERA. I don't know how teams beat up on this guy -- the Yanks can't seem to touch him. Burnett is 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA in two starts against the Bombers this season and is 5-2 with a 2.85 ERA in eight career starts against the Yanks. Rasner pitched well enough to win in his last start against the Twins (5 IP, 4 H, 3 R [2 earned]), but came up on the short end of a 4-2 Yankee loss. The Ras is 2-0 with a 4.91 ERA in two career starts in Toronto. In fact, Rasner's last "W" came against the Blue Jays in Toronto on July 12. I'll take more of the same please, Darrell.
It took nearly the entire afternoon, but a win is a win. Sidney Ponson spilled his guts out, the guys in the pen sparkled and Brett Gardner delivered the game-winning single in the 13th inning as the Yanks trumped the Royals 3-2 on a sun-soaked afternoon in the Bronx. This game was not for the squeamish. The Bombers fell behind (again), battled back (again), left a battalion on the bases (again), but this time they came out on top (surprise!). The offense continued to sputter and Joe Girardi continued to make questionable calls. I guess it was just business as usual for the 2008 Yankees.  How horrific were the bats? The two runs the Yanks scored in the seventh to tie the game were unearned. The Royals committed three errors (three!) and unleashed a wild pitch in the frame. Still, the Bombers need wins desperately right now so I won't dwell on the negative (see: Ugly). The Good:Sidney Ponson and the bullpen. No, it's not the name of some '70s prog rock group, but they did provide the soundtrack to this victory. Ponson delivered his fourth straight impressive start and relievers Damaso Marte, Brian Bruney, Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez, Mariano Rivera and David Robertson held the Royals down the rest of the way. Marte was the only pitcher who didn't record an out on the day (he issued a walk to the only batter he faced), but it looked like he was squeezed on a 3-2 pitch. Anyway, I hope the Yankee offense took this crew out to dinner after the game because they were a huge part of Saturday's victory. Robertson came away with the "W" (and upped his mark to 3-0 on the year), but he all these guys deserve a pat on the back. The pitching totals: 13 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 7 K, 1 HR, 1 hit batsman (Ponson), 1 WP (Ponson). Brett Gardner. The rookie put together the best game of his short Major League career Saturday afternoon. It's been a rough go for the rookie this season and he's looked overmatched most of the time, but his spirit is strong. Gardner pulled a double down the right-field line in the sixth for his first hit of the day and followed that with a single in the seventh. But the biggest hit came in the bottom of the 13th when he slapped a base hit to left to bring Robinson Cano home with the winning run. It was Gardner's second game-winning hit of the season. I'm still not sold on Gardner at the big league level, but he sure has a flair for the dramatic. Gardner finished 3 for 5 with a walk and an RBI. The Bad:Xavier Nady. I could make a case for almost every single Yankee batter in this space, but Nady is going to take one for the team on this one. X-Man worked out a walk in the fifth, but that was as good as it would get for him. Nady banged into a double play with runners on first and second and nobody out in the seventh that nearly killed a rally. X had a chance to atone for the twin-killing, but struck out with the bases loaded and one out in the eighth. All total, Nady left six runners on base Saturday afternoon. Shake it off, X. Nady finished 0 for 5 with a walk and 2 strikeouts.  The Ugly:Wasted opportunities and strange decisions. The Yanks did nothing against Zack Greinke for the first three innings, but they rallied in the fourth. Johnny Damon singled to open the frame and Derek Jeter and Bobby Abreu followed with base hits of their own. The Bombers were set up: bases loaded, nobody out and Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi waiting in the wings. Should be good for at least one run, right? Wrong! A-Rod struck out and Giambi bounced into a double play. The Yanks loaded the bases again in the eighth, this time with one out, and once again failed to score. Nady went down swinging and Robinson Cano flew out. Those were the two biggest wasted scoring opportunities (there were a few more, but I don't feel like reliving them). Then the bad decisions came. Ivan Rodriguez was hit by a pitch to begin the ninth. Gardner was up next and the situation screamed for a sacrifice. It was on at first, but Gardner fouled off a bunt attempt. Then Girardi called a hit and run on a 2-1 count. Gardner fouled the pitch off. A head scratcher. Gardner eventually walked. OK. Damon was up next and once again the situation cried "bunt!" It didn't happen. JD eventually struck out. I don't understand Girardi's logic. If Damon gets the bunt down, the Yanks would have had runners on second and third with one out and Jeter and Abreu coming up. The Royals would have had to either a) bring the infield in and pitch to Jeter or b) walk Jeter and pitch to Abreu with the bases loaded. Either would have been fine with me. The Captain eventually bounced into the inning-ending double play. It's been trendy to dump on Girardi (again, not without cause) and if Jeter got a base hit instead of grounding into his 150th double play of the season it wouldn't have mattered, but the thought process made no sense to me. And I won't even delve into Girardi's decision to go to Edwar in the ninth instead of Rivera. Some managerial decisions are hard, but these seemed like easy ones. Even to a scatterbrain like me. Mike Mussina (15-7, 3.30 ERA) will go for the Yanks in the rubber game and the Royals will counter with Brian Bannister (7-11, 5.36 ERA). Bannister has been in a real funk and hasn't won a ballgame since June 23 against the Colorado Rockies. BB gave up three home runs in his last start against the Chicago White Sox and is 2-6 with a 7.74 ERA in 11 road starts this season. Bannister is 1-0 with a 7.56 ERA in two starts against the Yankees this year. Mussina is coming off a tough-luck no-decision against the Minnesota Twins, but the Bombers came back to win that ballgame 9-6 in 12 innings. The Moose has gone at least seven innings in three straight games and is 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA in three August starts. Mussina picked up a no-decision in the Royals 3-2 victory against the Yanks on June 9 (8 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 3 K). Don't stop believin.
It was a depressing game on an equally miserable night. Andy Pettitte persevered through seven and Derek Jeter picked up three hits and an RBI after missing a game with a bruised foot, but Mariano Rivera came apart in the ninth as the Royals squeaked by the Yanks 4-3 at The Stadium. Rain delayed the start of this game for an hour and a half, but really it just delayed another agonizing loss. The Bombers fell behind 3-0, but battled back with a run in the fifth and two more in the seventh to even things up. That's the only positive I can point out about this team right now. When they fall behind (which seems to be happening on a nightly basis) they usually fight back. They don't come all the way back (usually), but they keep plugging away. It doesn't mean much in the end if you lose, but it shows me that they haven't quit. The Yankees had chances throughout the night and had another opportunity at the end. But Jason Giambi (sporting the 'stache once again) flew out with the bases loaded in the ninth.  Anyway, this isn't Little League and you don't get extra points for trying. The loss dropped the Yanks an amazing 10.5 games behind the Rays in the AL East and 7 games back of the Red Sox for the wild card. I'm not one to throw in the towel, but I think you can safely say that a division crown is an extreme long shot -- at best. In fact, I won't even mention where the Yanks stand in the East from now on unless the deficit has been whittled down to a handful of games. It's been a while, but I'm going to round this puppy up. The Good:Andy Pettitte. It wasn't a thing of beauty, but Pettitte kept the Bombers in the game. A leadoff walk in the second led to the Royals first run and they tacked on two more in the fifth. Actually, Pettitte managed to keep the damage to a minimum in the fifth. The Royals loaded the bases twice in the inning, but came away with only two runs and couldn't deliver the knockout blow. It looks like Pettitte is starting to hit the wall, but he still manages to put forth a good effort most of the time. Unfortunately, the Yankees need a little bit more help from their starting pitchers lately. Pettitte picked up a no-decision with this: 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 4 BB (2 intentional), 1 hit batsman, 7 K. Derek Jeter. The Captain returned after a one-game absence and did his best to right the Yankee ship. Jeter drove in the first Yankee run with an RBI-single in the fifth and worked out a walk during a two-run rally in the seventh. Jete also kept hope alive with a two-out single in the ninth. I thought the recent call-up of infielder Cody Ransom meant that DJ's foot was worse than originally reported, but it seems to be OK. At least OK enough to play. Jeter finished 3 for 4 with a walk, a stolen base, a run scored and a run batted in. The Bad:Mariano Rivera. The Sandman usually hits the wall for a brief stretch in August and usually it doesn't matter. Usually. Oh, it matters this season. I checked the numbers and while there isn't any concrete proof to support my theory (Rivera's career ERA in August is 2.48 and opponents are batting .232 against him during the month), I'll stand by it just the same. And for whatever reason, it's been an almost automatic loss when Rivera hits the hill in a tie game this year. It was more of the same Friday night. Rivera struck out the leadoff man, but allowed a double to light-hitting Esteban German, an infield single to Mitch Maier and uncorked a wild pitch that brought German home with the eventual game-winning run. This isn't right at all. Rivera fell to 4-5 on the season with this: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 WP.  Justin Christian. JC didn't get into the ballgame until the ninth, but he played a big role in this one. Christian came in to pinch run for Wilson Betemit (who reached on a infield single to lead of the inning) and seemed poised to swipe second base. It didn't happen. Not only did it not happen, but the rookie managed to get picked off first for the first out of the inning. Unacceptable! Christian finished 0 for 0 with the gigantic pick off. The Ugly:Whoa! The Royals pushed across two runs in the fifth on Mark Teahen's ground-rule double, but they almost botched that up. John Buck scored the first run and put up his hand to tell German to ease up since the ball was dead. I don't know if German didn't see him or maybe just plum didn't believe him, but he kept up motoring. It was close, but Buck beat German to home plate and the two runs counted. Too bad. The Yanks really could have used a cheapie in this game. The Yanks also tweaked their roster before Friday's game. Richie Sexson was released to make room for Ransom and Melky Cabrera was sent to Triple-A. Brett Gardner will recalled and will take Melky's spot. The Yanks were hoping that Sexson would give them some added pop from the right-side when they picked him up off waivers, but it never worked out. Sexson also seemed to have trouble transitioning from an everyday player into a part-time one. Cabrera's playing time had dwindled in the past week or so and he wasn't exactly tearing it up when he was in the lineup. I had initially thought that Joe Girardi would start Johnny Damon in center with Gardner spelling him, but it was brought to my attention (and rightly so) that it would be foolish to bring up Gardner and not play him. Gardner got the start in center Friday and finished 0 for 4 with two strikeouts, but threw out German at home in the third. Sidney Ponson (7-3, 4.27 ERA) will try and give the Yanks (and fans) reason to hope Saturday afternoon. The Royals will go with Zack Greinke (9-8, 4.09 ERA). Greinke got off to a great start this season (3-0, 1.25 ERA in April), but hasn't been able to stretch that magic throughout the year. He's made two starts against the Bombers this season and is 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA. Ponson is coming off a tough-luck loss to the Twins, but has been solid in August (1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in three starts). The Arubian Knight is 1-0 with a 3.72 ERA in three daytime starts this year. Can Sir Sidney give the Yanks a fighting chance the rest of the way?
It's hard to say goodbye. The dynamic sports talk duo of Mike Francesa and Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo have gone their separate ways. Here's a quick snippet from the Newsday article: 
The reasons for the breakup are multi-faceted, and somewhat murky.
Operations manager Mark Chernoff said all parties agreed "the show has
kind of run its course." But Russo said that was true only to a point.
He said he could have carried on but was motivated to explore other opportunities.
"Basically, I'm looking for a different challenge in my life," Russo
said. "I'm 48 years of age. This might be the last chance I'm going to
get for a challenge if I want to take it."
Russo swore on his children's lives that he has no firm agreement or
contract, but industry sources say he is likely to land at Sirius
Satellite Radio for a lucrative deal worth up to $15 million over five
years.
"I have four or five options," he said. "Sirius would be one of them
... Obviously, I'm not stupid. I'm not going to leave FAN unless I have
something relatively secure."
Their relationship had been strained for several months, but I didn't think it was going to end in a divorce. I know a lot of fans like to rip on Mike and the Mad Dog (and I'm guilty of that, too), but they really changed the landscape of sports talk radio. Were they arrogant? Yep. Were they sometimes way off the mark? You bet. But they were good at what they did. And I'm not ashamed to admit that I'll miss listening to the godfathers of sports talk.
It all comes down to this. Well, not really, but the Yankees are about to embark upon their biggest nine-game stretch of the season. Nine games against three teams -- Kansas City, Toronto and Baltimore. Three teams that are a combined 15 games under .500 (174-189). That's the good news. The bad news is the Yanks are a combined 13-15 against those teams this year. A lot of people are ready to bury this team and really I can't blame them. The Yanks are playing like a mediocre club these days -- poor pitching, sloppy defense, horrible situational hitting and questionable baserunning. These guys are maddeningly inconsistent! One day the pitching is sold and the bats are silent. The next, it's the pitching that fails and the offense gets some hits. But some people want to make excuses. Yes, injuries have been a killer this year, but blaming them for the team's subpar play is loser talk. But Hank Steinbrenner seems very comfortable using them as a crutch. This news is a few days old, but here's a little snippet from the Marlboro Man in case you missed it: "I think it's very simple: We've been devastated by
injuries. No team I've ever seen in baseball has been decimated like
this. It would kill any team. Imagine the Red Sox
without [Josh] Beckett and [Jon] Lester. Pitching is 70 percent of the
game. Wang won 19 games two straight years. Chamberlain became the most
dominating pitcher in baseball. You can't lose two guys like that.
"It's not making excuses. It's reality."  I don't want to hear it. Tyler Clippard, Matt DeSalvo, Kei Igawa, Chase Wright and Jeff Karstens all made appearances in the rotation last season. Mike Mussina had an awful season and Carl Pavano made a quick cameo. They overcame it. Maybe Hank is covering for Joe Girardi. After all, Hank said he thought G.I. Joe was going to turn into "one of the greatest managers in the history of the game." I doubt that Hank would be this unforgiving if Joe Torre was still at the helm. And I'm tired of Boy George comparing everything to Boston. We're not on the playground here, Hank. Anyway, the season isn't over (last time I checked) and even though the Yanks find themselves 9.5 games behind the Rays in the AL East and 6.5 games in back of the Red Sox for the wild card, they still have a chance to pull themselves back into the race. The Yankees have six games remaining with both the Rays and the Red Sox and a 7-2 stretch (minimum) against these three teams could make those contests meaningful. Maybe I have my head in the clouds. Maybe I don't see the handwriting on the wall. And even though my shovel is ready and waiting, I'm not ready to bury this team. But the time to act is now.
Good beginning, bad ending. Darrell Rasner pitched relatively well, but Kevin Slowey was nearly flawless after the opening frame and Delman Young launched his second three-run homer in as many days as the Twins bested the Yanks 4-2 in Minnesota. Jason Giambi ripped an RBI-single off the baggy in right to give the Bombers an early 1-0 lead, but the offense went into a shell the rest of the game.  How bad was it? The Yankees scored their second run on what should have been the third out of the inning. Bobby Abreu K'd with runners on second and third, but Dennys Reyes uncorked a wild pitch on the strikeout and Ivan Rodriguez trotted home. The defense wasn't much better. Robinson Cano missed the bag on a potential double play in the fourth (I didn't see it, but John and Suzy were going off on Cano) that led to an unearned run and Giambi added another miscue which gave the team as many errors (2) as runs (2) Wednesday afternoon. I was listening at work for this one and it truly felt like a chore. I didn't witness it with my own eyes, but I know (I just know) the Yankees played terrible ball Wednesday. So, no roundup. The Bombers end this Road Trip From Hell with a 3-7 mark, stand 8.5 games back of the Rays in the AL East (as of this writing) and 5.5 games behind the Red Sox (ditto) for the wild card. And there are a few new injuries to boot. Dan Giese left the game in the sixth inning with a shoulder "stiffness." Giese is still scheduled to make his start Tuesday at Toronto, according to Joe Girardi. Derek Jeter was out of the starting lineup Wednesday with a bruised foot, but expects to play Friday night. Things are looking mighty bleak in Yankee Land, but I'm not ready to throw myself into the pit of despair. So, I'm going to dedicate Opeth's Bleak to the Bombers in hopes that it will exercise the demons. Thursday is an off day for the Yankees as they head home and prepare for a three-game set against the Kansas City Royals beginning Friday night. Andy Pettitte (12-9, 4.32 ERA) will go against Gil Meche (10-9, 4.24 ERA) in the opener. Meche is 4-0 in his past five starts and hasn't dropped a decision since July 2 against the Baltimore Orioles. The Royals have won seven straight games in which Meche has started. Pettitte pitched well against the Angels in his last start, but picked up a no-decision in an eventual gut-wrenching 4-3 Yankee loss Sunday. Andy has been scrapping a bit lately -- he's given up 17 runs in this past 17 1/3 innings. Pettitte is 1-0 with a 7.43 ERA in two starts against KC this year, but he's 12-3 with a 3.58 ERA in 21 career appearances against the Royals. Time to go on a run. Right?
There's still some fight left in these guys. Mike Mussina went seven strong, Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter combined for six hits and two runs batted in and Alex Rodriguez smashed the go-ahead homer as the Yanks outlasted the Twins 9-6 in 12 innings. The Bombers blew three leads in this one, including Mariano Rivera's first blown save of the year, but battled back to snap a four-game skid.  I was "out on the town" for this one, but came home just in time to see Delmon Young slice a game-tying, three-run jack off Rivera in the eighth. The Sandman was due to mess up sooner or later and I thought it would spell the beginning of the end for the Yankees. But they proved me wrong. Xavier Nady followed A-Rod's blast with a two-run shot of his own to keep the Bombers' playoff hopes alive. The win kept the Yanks 5 games back of the Red Sox in the wild card hunt and cut the Rays lead in the AL East to 8 games. My eyes are red and stingy after this one and I really don't have a feel for the entire game so no roundup. I'm just glad the Yanks escaped with a victory. Darrell Rasner (5-8, 5.28 ERA) will go against Kevin Slowey (8-8, 4.07 ERA) in the afternoon finale. The Yanks touched up Slowey for four runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings in an eventual 8-2 victory July 22 at The Stadium. Slowey is coming off a victory in Kansas City, in which he allowed one run on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, and is 4-4 with a 3.71 ERA in eight starts this season at the Metrodome. Rasner was skipped in the rotation Aug. 8 against the Angels, but came in to clean up Ian Kennedy's mess in the third (at least, he tried). The Ras threw 49 pitches in 4 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on five hits in a 10-5 Yankee loss. It will be Rasner's third start against the Twinkies this year. He's 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA so far. Rasner is 2-5 with a 6.25 ERA in eight road appearances this year. Can he become the Road Warrior the Yankees need?
These aren't good times, people. Sidney Ponson did all he could, but he gave up a two-run shot to light-hitting Adam Everett and Glen Perkins pitched eight shutout innings as the Twins blanked the Yanks 4-0 at the Metrodome. The loss dropped the Bombers to 2-6 on this current road trip, 9 games behind the Rays in the AL East and 5 games back of the Red Sox for the wild card.  The tone was set early on in this one. The Yanks couldn't come through with runners on first and third and two outs in the first, but their offensive impotence in the second inning was the killer. Robinson Cano led off the second with a base hit to center and later advanced to third on a throwing error by Perkins. Richie Sexon followed with a walk. The Bombers were set up: runners on first and third with nobody out in a scoreless game. But Ivan Rodriguez popped out to shallow center and Melky Cabrera grounded into a double play to end the threat. There was still a lot of baseball left, but the mood of the game had changed -- and not for the better. A lot may be made of Joe Girardi's decision to sit Johnny Damon and pencil Justin Christian as the leadoff hitter Monday night. I'll admit I was a bit surprised at the move, but it's not the reason they lost. The guys out there just aren't getting the job done and the Yanks aren't going to win games consistently unless the Derek Jeter's, Alex Rodriguez's and Robinson Cano's start coming through in key situations. My brother and I were watching the game at my cousin's house tonight and it's now late and I'm tired. Sick and tired. Therefore, no roundup. Frankly, there isn't a whole lot to write about. The Yanks are desperate for a win and will send Mike Mussina (15-7, 3.27 ERA) to the hill Tuesday night. Nick Blackburn (9-6, 3.60 ERA) will go for Minnesota. Blackburn is having a great August so far (2-0, 2.77 ERA in two starts), but the Yanks tagged him with a 12-4 loss at The Stadium on July 21. The Bombers banged out six runs (three earned) on seven hits in 1 2/3 innings. Blackburn pitched well in his first start this season against the Yanks, but was knocked out by Bobby Abreu's comebacker in the fifth inning during the Twins 5-1 victory June 1. Mussina has been lights out in August (2-0, 0.64 ERA in two starts) and will be making his third start against Minnesota this season. The Moose is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA against the Twinkies this year. Let's see if Mussina can give Yankee fans a reason to hope.
And so it goes. Andy Pettitte went seven gritty innings, but Joe Saunders was equal to the task and Chone Figgins dribbled the game-winning hit off Mariano Rivera in the ninth as the Angels edged the Yanks 4-3 in Anaheim. The Bombers jumped to an early 2-0 lead after one, but the Halos took the lead with three runs in the third. Robinson Cano tied the score with an RBI-ground out in the fourth. The remainder of the game turned into a battle of attrition. The Yankees had chances in the seventh and eighth innings to take the lead, but came up empty. Justin Christian doubled to open the seventh and was sacrificed to third. But Johnny Damon struck out and Derek Jeter popped out to end the threat. Alex Rodriguez doubled with one out in the eighth, but was thrown out trying to steal third base. It was a bang-bang play and A-Rod may have been safe, but the replay was inconclusive. And to be honest, I thought he was out with the naked eye. Anyway, the Yanks came away with no runs.  The loss drops the Yanks 8.5 games behind the high-flying Rays in the AL East, but keeps them 4 games back of the Red Sox in the wild card chase. The Good:Andy Pettitte. The Yankees needed a big effort from their veteran lefty and if not for one bad inning, No. 46 could have pulled out a win. But you don't get to drop your worst inning from the box score. Pettitte pitched in and out of danger for most of the afternoon, but he couldn't escape a very unlucky third inning. Gary Matthews opened the frame with an infield hit and Mike Napoli doubled just inside the third base line. Those were bad enough, but the next infield hit was the killer. Figgins laced a shot that was ticketed to center, but Pettitte got his glove out and almost snagged the liner. He didn't, however, and the ball bounced harmlessly to Jeter for an infield hit. If Pettitte made the play he may have had a shot at a double play or at the very least it would have been the first out of the inning. None of those scenarios happened. A run scored on the single and the Angels went on to score three runs in the frame (which also included an ugly balk by Pettitte). Still, Pettitte regrouped and gave the Yanks a solid outing so I'm going to dedicate Iron Maiden's The Trooper to him. Pettitte picked up the no-decision with this: 7+ IP, 10 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K. The Bad:Damaso Marte. The Yankee lefty did some good, but it couldn't wash away his bad. Marte entered the game in the eighth inning with a runner on first and nobody out and retired Vladimir Guerrero, Torii Hunter and Garret Anderson in order. That was the good part. It was a different story in the ninth. Howie Kendrick singled to open the ninth, but there's no shame in that. Kendrick is a good hitter and he's murdered the Yanks in his short career. Marte struck out Gary Matthews for the first out, but then committed his unforgivable sin. He walked the next batter -- Napoli. Now, Napoli has some pop and one day may turn into a decent hitter, but he entered Sunday's action with a .215 average. Unacceptable. That was all for Marte. He may not have given up the game-winning hit, but Marte played a big role in making it happen. Marte fell to 0-2 as a Yank with this: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K. Robinson Cano/Wilson Betemit. Robbie went hitless, but picked up an RBI, and Betemit struck out in a pinch hitting appearance in the ninth, but they aren't earning my contempt for their offense. No, their defense, or lack thereof, in the ninth is the reason I'm putting both of them in the corner. Rivera came in to face Figgins with runners on first and second and one out in the ninth. Figgins hit a weak ground ball between first and second. Betemit gave up on it too soon and retreated to cover first base. That was a mistake because every infielder should have tried to do everything possible to keep the ball from going into the outfield. Still, I don't think Betemit would have made the play and he felt it was his responsibility to get to the bag. OK. He was wrong, but OK. But I don't know what Cano was thinking on the play. He actually stopped and assumed Betemit was going to make the play. Cano had no other responsibility other than making a play on the ground ball. He hesitated and the ball trickled into right field for the game-winning hit. Inexcusable! The Ugly:Close call. The last thing the Yankees need is to have another pitcher go down with an injury, but it almost happened in the sixth. Anderson led off the inning with a line shot off Pettitte's right leg. Pettitte scrambled after the ball and made a nice play to get Anderson at first, but the greater concern was for Andy's health. Girardi and Stevey Donahue came out to take a look at Pettitte, but the big lefty shook it off and stayed in the game. Things have been dark in Yankee Land lately, but they may have shut off the lights if Pettitte was injured on that play. The Yanks will now embark on the final leg of this 10-game road trip from Hell with a three-game set against the Minnesota Twins. Sidney Ponson (7-2, 4.23 ERA) will go against Glen Perkins (8-3, 4.38 ERA) in the opener Monday night. Perkins has put together a solid season and it could have been even better if not for his two starts against the Bombers this season. The 25-year-old is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA against the Yankees, including a 5-1 loss at The Stadium in which he showed up second baseman Alexi Casilla for forgetting how many outs there were. Ponson is coming off two dazzling starts against two very good offensive teams (Texas Rangers and Angels). The Arubian Knight will be making his fourth start against the Twinkies this season (two with the Rangers, one with the Yanks). Sir Sid is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA this season against Minnesota and is 11-2 with a 2.55 ERA in 16 career appearances. He doesn't pitch as well at the Metrodome, though. Ponson is 5-6 with a 4.38 ERA in 11 lifetime starts under the dome. This may be the make-or-break series for the Yanks this season. The Twins are battling the Chicago White Sox for the AL Central crown (they're a half game out as I write this) and are 1.5 games behind the Red Sox for the wild card berth. A poor showing in Minnesota and the Yankees could find themselves in a deeper hole (yes, it's possible to sink further). Time to see what the Bombers are made of.
Is this the beginning of the end? Dan Giese went six solid innings and Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi hit back-to-back homers in the sixth, but the bullpen suffered a complete breakdown as the Angels routed the Yanks 11-4 in Cali. The Bombers had a 2-0 lead after six and went up 3-1 on a Johnny Damon RBI-single in the seventh, but it wouldn't stand up. Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez and David Robertson combined for two innings of abysmal relief to drop the Yankees 7.5 games behind the front-running Rays in the AL East and 4 games back of the Red Sox in the wild card chase.  To call this a disappointing loss would be an understatement. I went into the game with low expectations, but my optimism grew as the game went on. But then the roof caved in. It just goes to show you -- never believe in anything. It was as close as a team can come to getting a collective kick in the nuts. The Good:Dan Giese. If you just caught the final score you may have assumed that Giese was lit up. He was not. The 31-year-old used all his powers and all his skills, but wasn't rewarded for his effort. Giese doesn't have great stuff (I'm not sure he even has good stuff), but he kept the Angel hitters off balance and gave the Yanks more than they could have expected. Does Giese get another start based on Saturday's performance? I'm not sure and, more importantly, does it even matter at this point? Giese picked up a tough luck no-decision with this: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HR. The Bad:The pen. I could take each guy one by one, but masochism just isn't my thing. Jose Veras was the first man in for the Yanks in the seventh and promptly gave up a solo shot to Garret Anderson to cut the Yankee lead to 3-2. That was just the beginning. Veras retired the next two batters, but then allowed another solo bomb, this time to Mike Napoli, to tie the score. Veras managed to get out of the inning (it took some work, but he eventually recorded the final out), but the groundwork had been laid. Next up: Edwar Ramirez. Edwar's July was nearly perfect, but it's been a different story in August. Ramirez gave up four runs to the Angels last week in New York and still came away with a gift win. He wasn't so lucky Saturday. Vladimir Guerrero greeted Urkel with a homer to give the Halos a 4-3 lead. Then things quickly got out of hand -- double, single, error, stolen base, double. Exit Ramirez, without registering an out. Enter: David Robertson. D-Rob had given up at least one run in his past three appearances and he stayed true to form. A 7-3 deficit ballooned to 11-3 when the smoke finally cleared. Ramirez was saddled with the loss, but it was really a total team effort from the bullpen. The terrible three combined for this eyesore: 2 IP, 11 H, 10 R (9 earned), 1 BB, 3 K, 3 HR, 1 WP.  The Ugly:Say what? Ian Kennedy made his return to the Yanks on Friday night and pitched terribly. That may have had Yankee fans hanging their heads, but Kennedy wasn't bothered at all. I'll pull this part right out of the link: After the game, he [Kennedy] smiled throughout his interview with New York media.
"I'm just not real upset about it," Kennedy said. "I'm just going to move on.
I've already done that."
Sometimes quotes are taken out of context and I don't want a pitcher to dwell on a bad outing, but his comments didn't really sit well with the Yanks. During Friday night's telecast, Michael Kay said some of the Yanks were put off by I-Kenn's attitude coming into this season. Many felt Kennedy displayed a cockiness without the resume to back it up. Players that were asked to respond to Kennedy's words had no comment. "That wouldn't be right," Mike Mussina said. Girardi tried to cover for Kennedy, but I'm not sure anyone is buying what he's selling. "Some guys understand how to handle the media a little bit better than
others," Girardi said. "When you play in New York, not only is it a learning
process on how to play in New York, I think it's also a learning process on how
to say exactly what you mean." Smarten up, kid. The Yanks will try to avoid the sweep on Sunday and give the assignment to Andy Pettitte (12-9, 4.34 ERA). The Angels will counter with lefty Joe Saunders (14-5, 3.03 ERA). Saunders is putting together a magnificent season and hasn't given up more than three runs in his past nine starts. But the Yanks have had success against him in the past. Saunders is 1-1 with a 10.80 ERA in two career starts. Pettitte was rumored to miss this start with a tired arm, but he'll take the hill (and it's not like the Yanks have a ton of options to take his turn at this point). Andy has been terrible in his past two starts -- 10.1 IP, 17 H, 14 R, 6 BB, 3 HR -- and one of those games came against the Angels July 31 in the Bronx. The veteran lefty is 6-4 with a 3.67 ERA in 12 career starts in California. Let's see if the Yanks can escape from L.A. with a win.
What a mess. Ian Kennedy's return didn't last long, his cohorts Darrell Rasner and Brian Bruney didn't fare much better and Torii Hunter drove in four runs as the Angels doubled up the Yanks 10-5 in Anaheim. Alex Rodriguez busted out of his slump with his 25th round-tripper in the second and Xavier Nady's roller along the third base line actually gave the Bombers a 3-2 lead after two and a half innings of play. But the Halos answered with three runs in the bottom of the third, a single run in the fourth and four more in the seventh to ice it.  The loss drops the Yankees 6.5 games back of the Rays in the AL East and keeps them 3 games behind the Red Sox for the wild card. I'll be honest with you dear reader, I was in and out of this one. I don't know whether the work week, my advancing age or the Yankees play had me nodding in and out Friday night. Let's go with a combination of all three. Therefore, no roundup. I was encouraged, however, to see the Yanks fight back after falling behind 2-0 and trim the lead to 6-5 after six, but the pitching situation is sapping the life out of me. And it won't get any easier. Dan Giese (1-3, 2.51 ERA) will go against John Lackey (9-2, 3.10 ERA) in the middle game Saturday afternoon. Lackey picked up a no-decision in his last start against the Yanks on Aug. 3. He gave up four runs in six innings in what turned into a wacky 14-9 Yankees victory. Lackey is 4-1 with a 3.56 ERA in seven home starts this season. Giese is the latest Yankee to have his name picked out of a hat to start. Giese has pitched well as a reliever (1-1, 1.25 ERA in 21 2/3 innings) and last pitched in that 14-9 win, hurling three scoreless innings, but hasn't done as well as a starter. He's 0-2 with a 5.06 ERA in two starts. But the way things are going in Yankee Land, that's good enough to get start No. 3. Hope it's the charm.
I wish every Yankee hurler could be like Mike. Mike Mussina was as tough as nails, Derek Jeter drove in two and Mariano Rivera notched save No. 28 as the Yanks blanked the Rangers 3-0 in Texas. The Bombers didn't exactly rough up Scott Feldmen, but it was good enough to give them the split after dropping the first two games. The Yanks also picked up a half-game on the idle Red Sox in the wild card hunt and a game on the AL East leading Rays with the victory. The Good:Mike Mussina. The ace of the staff did his thing once again. Mussina allowed at least one baserunner in every inning except one, but was able to induce a double play or muscle up for the strikeout to work out of jams. It's been amazing to watch The Moose pitch this season and while morale may be low for most Yankee fans, they would have been shot to hell if not for No. 35. The Moose also became just the 19th pitcher in American League history
to amass the 3,500 inning plateau. And he seems to be getting better
with age. But just like last night when Joe Girardi pulled Sidney Ponson with out in the seventh, I was surprised that Mussina got the hook after seven. Eh, it worked out. Mussina improved to 15-7 with this: 7 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K. And just to reinforce Mussina's status as the ace, here's a little Iron Maiden doing Aces High: Derek Jeter. El Capitan! Giradi gave Jeter the start at designated hitter Thursday night and No. 2 responded. Jeter drilled a mighty wallop in the first to give the Yanks a quick 1-0 lead. It was Jeter's seventh homer of the season and his first since July 21. DJ also drove in a big insurance run with an RBI-single in the top of the ninth to stretch the Bomber lead to 3-0. It wasn't all good though, as Jeter was nailed trying to advance to second on the throw. Still, the Captain drove in two runs for the second straight night. I'll sign up for that kind of production every night. Jeter finished 3 for 4 with a walk, a run scored, a stolen base and 2 RBIs. The Bad:Alex Rodriguez. I guess you can't go home again. A-Rod's struggles continued at his old stomping ground as he put in another 0-fer. Rodriguez hit a few balls hard, but you don't score points for almost getting hits. Rodriguez struck out four times, bounced into four twin-killings and finished 0 for 14 in the four-game series. At least No. 13's slump isn't affecting his defense -- A-Rod made a nice diving stab for a force out in the fifth. Still, the Yanks need to go on a hot streak and they'll need A-Rod's bat to get going. Rodriguez finished 0 for 4.  The Ugly:Oh, dear God, no! Mr. Brian's Andy Pettitte news through fifth inning radio man Mark Feinsand nearly made me scream and shake my fists at skies above this afternoon. Pettitte was rumored to miss his scheduled start Sunday against the Angels with arm fatigue, but it looks like that won't happen. “He’s starting Sunday,” manager Joe Girardi said. “Whether I start him on
five days or six times the next time, I don’t know. But he’s our starter
Sunday." The Yanks have an off day this coming Thursday. I'm relieved that Pettitte will make his start, but his comments didn't really fill me with unbridled joy. “Do I feel as good as I’d like to? No. But it’s that time of year," Pettitte said. Yep, it's the dog days all right. The Yanks will jet to the left coast to take on the Los Angels Angels of Anaheim for a three-game set. Ian Kennedy (0-3, 7.41 ERA) will go against Jered Weaver (9-9, 4.37 ERA) in Friday night's opener. The Yanks bashed four homers against Weaver en route to an 8-2 victory Aug. 2 in the Bronx. But Dream Weaver is a better pitcher at Angels Stadium. Weaver is 4-4 with a 3.69 ERA in 10 home starts this season. Kennedy's last start in pinstripes came on May 27 in Baltimore and it wasn't a good one. I-Ken gave up four runs (three earned), including two long balls, in three innings, but picked up a no-decision in the Yanks' 10-9 loss to the Orioles. Kennedy has pitched well in Scranton -- he's 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA in his past four starts there -- but his ability to pitch in the minors has never been a question. It's whether he can take that next step and become a reliable starter in the big leagues. He'll get another shot against the Halos.
Well, that was a pleasant surprise. Sidney Ponson got off to a rocky start but righted the ship, Derek Jeter knocked in a couple of runs and the bullpen finished things off as the Yanks downed the Rangers 5-3 in Texas. The Bombers fell behind early (which seems to be their MO lately), but Wilson Betemit got the team on the board with an RBI-double in the
third and Jason Giambi added another mustacheless home run in the
fourth to extend the lead.  How important was this win? Well, Joe Girardi managed like it was the seventh game of the World Series, using three relievers in the eighth inning to secure the victory. Mariano Rivera returned after sitting a few days and recorded his 27th save in as many chances this season. The Rays and Red Sox also won Wednesday so the Yanks stayed even in the standings. But it wasn't all rosy for the Yanks. Ivan Rodriguez left the ballgame after getting run over at the plate by David Murphy in the bottom of the second inning. It was an old fashioned collision at home and I-Rod went down a hero, securing the ball and the out to end the frame. Bobby Abreu also deserves some praise for a making a strong throw to nail Murphy. Murphy left the game after an inning and was later placed on the disabled list with a strained posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Rodriguez bruised his right knee in the crash up and is listed as day-to-day. The Good:Sidney Ponson. The Arubian Knight has been hit or miss with the Yankees and Wednesday night was definitely a hit. Ponson looked destined for an early exit after giving up two runs in the second inning (and it could have been more if not for Abreu and Pudge), but regrouped and pitched a whale of a game. Sid gave up only two hits the rest of the way (one was home run by Michael Young) and I was a little surprised that Girardi took him out with one out in the seventh. That makes two solid starts in a row against two very good offensive teams for Sidney. Maybe the Yanks can count on Ponson the rest of the way. Maybe. Ponson improved to 7-2 with this: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR. Derek Jeter. The Captain is having a subpar season and has been grounding into a ton of rally-killing double plays lately, but he came through with a couple of big hits Wednesday night. Jeter put the Yankees ahead 3-2 with an RBI-single in the third and drove in a big insurance run with a ribbie-double in the fifth to push the advantage to 5-2. DJ also caught a bit of luck in the third after he was picked off first. Young muffed the throw from first baseman Chis Davis and Jeter took second on the play. It didn't come to anything, but maybe it's a sign that Jeter and the Yanks are due to catch a few breaks. Jeter finished 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 RBIs.  The Bad:Alex Rodriguez. It's been a rough three days in Texas for the reigning MVP. Rodriguez put up another 0-fer in his old stomping ground and is hitless in his last 10 at-bats. A-Rod is batting just .142 so far in August and has struck out eight times in 21 ABs. Take a deep breath and relax, Alex. Rodriguez finished 0 for 4. The Ugly:Another pitcher down. It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, but the Yanks place Joba Chamberlain on the disabled list with right rotator cuff tendinitis. The Bombers recalled Chris Britton and plan to call up Ian Kennedy to pitch Friday night in Anaheim. The plan is for Joba to rest a week and then begin a throwing program. I don't buy it. The Yanks babied Chamberlain when he was healthy. Does anyone think they'll take a chance with him now that he's injured? Unlikely. I hope I'm wrong and I hope Joba has a miraculous recovery, but I think we've seen the last of No. 62 this season. Mike Mussina (14-7, 3.44 ERA) will try and give the Yanks a split and goes against Scott Feldman (4-4, 4.97 ERA) Thursday night. Feldman somehow finished 2-0 in July (four starts) despite posting a god-awful 7.06 ERA. He pitched marginally better in his last start against the Blue Jays (5.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R [3 earned], 3 BB, 4 K), but picked up his first loss since June 13. Feldman held the Yanks to one run through 5 2/3 innings in the Rangers' 2-1 victory June 30 at The Stadium. The Moose picked up the loss in that game in June, but he's been on the losing side only once since then. Mussina is coming off a dazzling performance against the Angels and hasn't issued more than two walks in his 23 starts this season. The Moose is 6-4 with a 3.94 ERA in 12 career starts in Texas. Just take it one day at a time, fellas.
This team has guts, but it wasn't enough.
Andy Pettitte was off, Brian Bruney provided little relief and Alex
Rodriguez grounded into a double play to end it as the Rangers bested
the Yanks 8-6 in Arlington. This game smelled like a loss as soon as I
turned on the television and the Bombers could have rolled over and
died several times, but they fought back from 5-1 and 8-2 deficits to make things close.
They just couldn't get over the hump. Bouncing into four double plays
will do that.  The Rays and Red Sox both won so the Yankees slipped 6.5 games back of
Tampa in the AL East and 3.5 games behind Boston in the wild card hunt.
I'm feeling very fatigued and this game sapped what little strength I had left so I'll quickly round this one up.
The Good:
Richie Sexson. The Yanks were unable to get a big hit all night, but
Sexson delivered in the eighth. Big Sexy stepped up to the plate with
the bases loaded and the Bombers down 8-2 and ripped his first homer in
pinstripes. It would be as close as the Yanks would get, but maybe Sexson's
dinger shows that he still has something left in the tank. Sexson
finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and 4 RBIs.
The Bad:
Andy Pettitte. The Yankees really needed a quality start from the
veteran lefty, but it didn't happen. Pettitte served up a two-run
homer to Josh Hamilton in the first and gave up single runs in the
second, fourth and sixth before exiting. It was the second straight
poor performance from Pettitte. And the Yanks just can't afford to
have awful starts at this point in the season. Pettitte fell to 12-9
with this: 5 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 HR.
Brian Bruney. The Maltese Falcon has pitched well since returning from
his foot injury on Aug. 2, but he crapped the bed Tuesday night.
Bruney entered the game in the seventh with two outs, runners on the
corners and the Yanks trailing 5-2. It didn't turn out well. Bruney issued a walk and then Chris
Davis laced a bases-clearing double to give the Rangers an 8-2
advantage. That was bad enough, but Sexson's grand slam in the
following inning made these three runs sting even more. The box score
will deceive, but the people know what happened out there. Bruney's
horrorshow: .1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K.
The Ugly:By the time I get to Alabama. It's never a good sign when the name Dr. James Andrews pops up. And it just popped up. Joba Chamberlain will head down to see the Doc about his aching shoulder. The Yanks are trying to downplay the situation, but I'm not buying it. Chamberlain is already scheduled to miss his next start (Ian Kennedy will take his place Saturday against the Angels) and will most likely land on the disabled list, even if it's a minor injury. May God have mercy on us all. The Yanks will try and snap out of this funk and give the assignment to Sidney Ponson (6-2, 4.23 ERA). Tommy Hunter (0-0, 10.80 ERA) will take the ball for Texas. Hunter is another Ranger baby, just 22-years-old, and is coming off his first career start. The Blue Jays smacked Hunter around for six runs on eight hits in five innings, but he walked away with a no-decision as the Rangers won the game 9-8. Ponson did everything anyone could have possibly asked for in his last start against the Angels. Except win. The Arubian Knight spun seven shutout innings, but picked up a no-decision in the Yanks eventual 1-0 loss. The Rangers beat up Ponson to the tune of seven runs on nine hits in five innings July 2 at The Stadium. But Sir Sid picked up a no-decision as the Yanks went on to win the game 18-7. This will be Ponson's first visit back to Texas since the Rangers released him. Release your anger on them, Sid.
Not a great way to start a 10-game road trip. Joba Chamberlain fell apart in the fifth and then left with an injury, Xavier Nady provided a lift with a game-tying homer in the eighth, but Damaso Marte give up a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth as the Rangers slapped the Yanks 9-5 in Texas. The Bombers blew leads of 3-0 and 4-2 in this one en route to a disappointing loss. They also missed a golden opportunity to gain ground on the Rays and Red Sox, as both teams lost on Monday.  All loses hurt, but some hurt more than others. This was one of those loses. The Good:Jason Giambi. Mustache? We don't need no stinkin' mustache! The Giambino waved goodbye to the upper lip hair and responded with three hits. Giambi sliced an RBI-single to left in the first to give the Yanks a quick 1-0 advantage. Then Jay Jay clubbed a solo shot into the upper deck in the fourth to give the Bombers a 2-0 lead. The 'stache obviously ran its course, but I'll admit it, I'm gonna miss it. Giambi finished 3 for 4 with a run scored and 2 RBIs. Xavier Nady. The Yanks seemed poised to go down meekly after blowing a 4-2 lead, but Nady wouldn't allow it. X blasted an opposite-field home run in the eighth, his fourth since putting on the pinstripes, to tie the score at 5-5. It went for naught, but Xavier once again proved he can come through in the clutch. Because of his tenacity, his X-Man persona for Monday will be Wolverine. Nady finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and a ribbie.  The Bad:Damaso Marte. The Yankee lefty fell into trouble as soon as he toed the rubber with one out in the eighth. David Murphy greeted the reliever with a triple to right, but Marte rallied and retired Chris Davis and Jarrod Saltalamacchia to end the threat. Things didn't go so swimmingly in the ninth. Marte recorded two outs, but also managed to walk the bases loaded. Then Marlon Byrd stepped up and destroyed the first pitch he saw deep into the Texas night to give the Rangers the victory. Why did Joe Girardi stick with Marte? Good question. Marte picked up his first loss as a Yankee with this: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 HR. Joba Chamberlain. It was easily the worst career start for the young right-hander. The Yankees spotted Joba an early 3-0 lead and then got a run right back after the Rangers cut the lead to 3-2 in the fourth. But the fifth frame turned out to be the inning from hell for Joba and the Yanks. The Rangers had a runner on first with no outs when Ian Kinsler tapped a little dribbler in front of the plate. Ivan Rodriguez pounced on it and turned it into a double play -- at least it was called a double play at first. But second base umpire Bob Davidson ruled that the ball hit Kinsler while he was still in the batter's box. The replay was inconclusive (at best) and the play was overturned. I don't know how Davidson felt confident enough to overrule the call from his position at second, but the play stood. Kinsler eventually worked a walk and with one out, Michael Young belted a three-run homer to give Texas a 5-4 lead. Then it got worse. Chamberlain struck out Josh Hamilton for the second out, but then started lingering around the mound. Joe Girardi and Stevey Donahue ran out to investigate and Chamberlain pointed to his right shoulder. And that was the end of Joba's night. Right now the Yanks are calling it a "stiff shoulder." He'll miss his next start. Let's hope that's all he'll miss. This team has shown a lot of resiliency this season, but I don't know if they could overcome Joba missing significant time. Chamberlain's no-decision went like this: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 5 K, 2 HR. The Ugly:Crazy from the heat. This was a wacky game almost from the get-go. Alex Rodriguez was called out on strikes in the third inning when he wasn't granted time from home plate ump Andy Fletcher. The Yanks pushed across a run in the fourth thanks in large part to two balks by Vicente Padilla. Ivan Rodriguez got crossed up in the fifth on a pitch with a runner on first base. And finally, Pudge almost took Joba's head off in the fifth during the double play that was called a foul ball. They just shouldn't play ball when the temperature reaches 150 degrees. The Yanks will try and regroup from this loss and send Andy Pettitte (12-8, 4.18 ERA) to the hill. Texas will start Matt Harrison (2-2, 7.40 ERA). Harrison will be making just his sixth career start on Tuesday. The 22-year-old has given up 31 hits and has issued 14 walks in 24 1/3 innings this season. Pettitte was roughed up in his last start against the Angels and hasn't faired well pitching in his home state. Andy is 2-3 with an 8.10 ERA in six career starts in Texas. Let's see if Pettitte can provide a pick-me-up.
Never say die! Darrell Rasner had nothing, but Dan Giese provided quality relief, Xavier Nady drove in six runs and Justin Christian proved to be a lethal weapon off the bench as the Yanks upended the Angels 14-9 in a see-saw affair at The Stadium. The Bombers fell behind 5-0 after four but chipped away and eventually took an 8-5 lead, only to watch it evaporate on a Mark Teixeira grand slam in the eighth. Did the Yankees hang their heads? Did they wallow in self-pity? Did they wonder what if? No! Let that be a lesson to you kids out there!  The Bombers answered the Halos' four-run eighth inning with six of their own in the bottom half and earned a split of the series. This game had a bit of everything: big hits, wasted opportunities, good defense, horrible defense, ugly pitching, solid pitching, terrific baserunning and terrible baserunning. I'm just glad the Yanks came out on the winning end. The Angels are running away with the AL West so this shouldn't sting as much (even with their four errors), but a Yankee loss could have sent the team in a downward spiral. The Good:Xavier Nady. It hasn't taken long for Nady to get acclimated to his new digs. The X-Man got the Yanks back in the game with a two-run double in the sixth to cut the Angels lead to 5-3. It was Nady's third double since joining the Bombers and 30th overall on the season. Then X showed he has the stomach for pressure spots as he crushed a three-run shot in the seventh to give the Bombers an 8-5 lead. Nady also delivered an RBI-single in the eighth to pad the lead to 13-9. X could have had another run batted in, but some sloppy baserunning cost him and the Yanks another run in the fourth (See: Ugly). Nady came through like an X-Man and had a monster three innings so his X-Men persona for Sunday will be Beast. It's only fair. Nady finished 4 for 5 with a run scored and 6 RBIs.  Justin Christian. The Yankees reserve outfielder and designated pinch runner didn't enter this wild affair until the eighth, but his presence was definitely felt. Christian came in to run for Ivan Rodriguez (I'm not sure why Joe Girardi waited until the count ran to 3-2 on Melky Cabrera before inserting JC, but what do I know?), who singled to open the inning. Christian went on the 3-2 and Melky hit what could have been a tailor-made double play to short, but Erick Aybar couldn't handle it and both runners were safe. Maybe Aybar rushed the play or maybe he just messed up, but Sister Christian's hustle and speed sure factored into the error. But JC wasn't done. Christian continued to push the envelope and on the next pitch took off for third base. Jeff Mathis' throw went into left and Christian raced home with the tying run. Christian eventually came up to bat in the eighth and contributed with an RBI-single to give the Yanks their final run of the ballgame. Impressive performance. Christian finished 1 for 1 with a run scored, a stolen base and a run batted in. Dan Giese. It may get lost in the shuffle, but Giese was a major reason why the Yanks still had a fighting chance in this one. Giese came in for the ineffective Rasner in the fifth with the Bombers trailing 5-0 and notched three scoreless innings. If there was any justice in the world, Giese would have picked up a victory after the Yanks took an 8-5 lead in the seventh, but we all know how that goes. Still, it was a great job by the Yankee reliever. Giese's afternoon: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K. The Bad:Darrell Rasner. It started badly and never got any better. Rasner gave up two runs in the first and never seemed to regroup after that. The Ras put up a zero in the third, but gave up another deuce in the fourth to put the Yanks behind the eight-ball at 5-0. Girardi almost made a pitching change with two outs in the fourth, but for some reason kept Rasner in the game at that point. Rasner retired the next batter to round out his start and it wasn't a good one. The only positive for Rasner was that the Yanks came back to win this game. Rasner's line: 4 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 1 K. Edwar Ramirez. It started innocently enough with a two-out walk in the eighth. Usually those come back to haunt you, but the Yanks were up by three at the time and Edwar has been pretty solid this season. In fact, he hadn't given up a hit since June 30. But the walk was followed with a hit and then another walk. Still, I had faith. My unwavering support was not rewarded. Teixeira deposited a 1-0 pitch into the right-field seats to give the Angels the lead. I was crestfallen. They've been playing this game for millions of years, but I don't think a reliever has ever recorded a win after posting such a disastrous inning, but that's exactly what Ramirez accomplished on Sunday. And that's why you can't predict baseball. Ramirez improved to 3-0 on the season with this atrocity: 1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HR. The Ugly:Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. Bobby Abreu has been swinging a hot stick lately (and he went 3 for 4 with a ribbie on Sunday), but his decision on the basepaths in the fourth defied logic. The Yanks were down 5-0 and had the bases loaded with one out. Nady lifted a fly ball to left. Derek Jeter tagged up at third and raced home with what should have been the Yankees first run. Should have been. For some reason, Abreu decided to tag up at second and tried to take third. It didn't work out. Not only was Abreu out by a mile, but he was tagged out before Jeter crossed the plate. The run didn't score and the inning was over. Unacceptable! Abreu made up for it with an RBI-single to knot the score at 5-5 in the seventh and the Yanks eventually exploded for 14 runs, but that wasted run would have been devastating if circumstances turned out differently. Don't ever do that again, Bob. The Yanks will hit the road and begin a four-game set with the Texas Rangers on Monday night. Joba Chamberlain (4-3, 2.24 ERA) will go against Vicente Padilla (12-5, 4.52 ERA) in the opener. Padilla had a strong May and April, but his ERA has risen steadily in the past two months. Vinny finished 3-2 in June despite posting a 5.23 ERA and went 2-1 in July with a 6.35 ERA. Padilla is 1-1 with a 5.23 ERA in two career starts against the Bombers. Chamberlain has looked sharp in his past two starts -- both victories. Joba earned a no-decision against the Rangers on July 1, giving up two runs in four innings in a 3-2 Texas victory. It will be his second career go-round against the Rangers. Let's see if the Yanks can take their flare for the dramatic on the road.
It was Old Timers' Day at The Stadium and The Moose made them all proud. Mike Mussina went seven dazzling innings and Wilson Betemit, Bobby Abreu, Jose Molina (yes, Molina) and Alex Rodriguez all went deep as the Yanks overpowered the Angels 8-2 in the Bronx. The Halos took an early 2-0 lead and Jered Weaver struck out the first four batters he faced, but the Bombers regrouped and stormed back for the victory.  The Good:Mike Mussina. The old man continued to hold off Father Time. The Moose ran into a bit of trouble in the second by loading the bases with one out and almost worked out of it. Jeff Mathis grounded to third in what looked like an inning-ending double play, but Gary Matthews went in hard at second and forced a bad relay throw from Betemit. Two runs scored on the error. That was as good as it would get for the Angels. The 39-year-old Mussina went on to retire the next 16 hitters and pick up the victory. Age is just a number, Mikey. Mussina improved to 14-7 with this: 7 IP, 2 H, 2 R (1 earned), 2 BB, 5 K. Jose Molina. Who said this guy can't catch every day? Molina was penciled into the lineup for the first time since the acquisition of Ivan Rodriguez and responded. The husky catcher recorded three hits and also belted his first home run of the season. It's amazing what a few days off can do for a player. It looks like Molina will be Mussina's personal catcher the rest of the way and if these are the results (for both guys) no one is going to argue. Molina finished 3 for 3 with 3 runs scored and an RBI. Bobby Abreu. Another day, another long ball for Abreu. The Candy Man continued his torrid hitting with a solo shot in the third to give the Yanks a 4-2 lead. It was the fourth homer in the past four games for Bobby and his 15th of the season. Abreu can be streaky and right now the streak is set on hot. He's batting a sizzling .409 in his past five games with four round-trippers and eight runs batted in. Keep the good times rolling, Bob. Abreu finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and 2 ribbies. The Bad:Melky Cabrera. The Yanks banged out 11 hits on the afternoon, but The Melk Man didn't join the parade. In fact, Melky was the only regular who didn't reach base with either a hit or a walk. Cabrera had a decent July (.272), but he has never really found a groove this season. At least he hasn't taken his offensive problems into the outfield. And who knows, maybe he's due for a bust-out month at the plate. Cabrera finished 0 for 4.  The Ugly:
Getting old. It was the final Old Timers' Day at the "old" Yankee Stadium and it turned into the biggest gathering of former Bombers in the history of the game. Rickey Henderson, Buck Showalter and Tony Fernandez were among those that made their "debuts" at the game and the staples of Yankee lore, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford and Reggie Jackson, were also in attendance. The Bombers also welcomed back Willie Randolph and he received one of the loudest ovations of the afternoon. Michael Kay can go overboard from time to time (no, it's true), but he was right when he said that no other organization can assemble a group of All-Stars, Hall of Famers and Legends like the Yankees. Some organizations don't even try anymore. So, what's so ugly about all this? The fact that guys I grew up watching are now participating in this game! The golden era of the mid and late 90s may be ancient history to many (people have short memories), but those days still seem like yesterday to me. Now Tino Martinez, Jeff Nelson, Ramiro Mendoza, Tim Raines, Paul O'Neill, Graeme Lloyd and Homer Bush are the old men. I've come to grips with watching guys like Wade Boggs, Darryl Strawberry, Dave Winfield and Don Mattingly (who was really missed on Saturday) take the field since I was a kid when their careers started, but now the players I watched as a young man are involved. It's too bad we gotta get old. Then again, I guess that's what makes these occasions so special. The Yanks will go for the split and send Darrell Rasner (5-8, 4.92 ERA) against John Lackey (9-2, 2.93 ERA) Sunday afternoon. Lackey went 3-1 in July despite a 6.06 ERA in five starts. But Lackey was excellent in his last start against the Boston Red Sox, coming within two outs of hurling a no-no at Fenway Park. Lackey is 4-7 with a 4.81 ERA in 13 career starts against the Yanks. Rasner pitched reasonably well in his last start against the Orioles, but picked up the "L" in a 7-6 Bomber loss. This will be The Ras' first look at the Angels. H.P. Lovecraft said, "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." Maybe I'm being a tad dramatic (a tad), but maybe Rasner being an unknown to the Halos will work in his favor. Hey, it's worth a shot.
These are the kind of games that age you as a fan. Sidney Ponson made a claim for another start with seven shutout innings and Damaso Marte contributed with an impressive eighth, but Mariano Rivera gave up a run in the ninth as the Angels nipped the Yanks 1-0 in the Boogie Down. It was a pitchers' duel (obviously, the final was 1-0) and the first guy to blink was going to be the loser.  And it's always weird when it turns out to be Rivera. The loss also dropped the Bombers 5.5 games back of the Rays in the AL East. So, after starting the second half with eight straight wins, the Yanks have now lost five of their past six. Yep, the season is a marathon. The Good:Sidney Ponson. It wasn't exactly a Picasso, but The Arubian Knight matched Ervin Santana pitch for pitch. He got some help from the defense (Bobby Abreu in right, Melky Cabrera in center and Wilson Betemit at first), but also worked out of a bases loaded, one-out jam in the fifth. And it all went to waste. If you told me before the game that Ponson would hold the Angels to no runs on two hits through seven I would have called you a madman. And if you told me that the Yanks would still lose the game I would have punched you in the face. Ah, well. Ponson settled for a no-decision with this effort: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 1 K. The Bad:Mariano Rivera. The numbers are out there and I still can't wrap my head around it. Rivera is 26 for 26 in save situations, but somehow falls apart when the spotlight dims. Michael Kay gave the stats during the broadcast and in case you missed it, I'll regurgitate it for you. The Sandman had allowed seven runs this season. Five of the seven runs came in tie games. Unfathomable. Well, Mo entered Friday's action in the ninth with the score tied and gave up his eighth run of the season. That's why you can't predict baseball. Rivera fell to 4-4 with this: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K. The Ugly:Nonsense. I've said (and written) it before, but I guess I'll have to say (write) it again since no one seems to be getting the message. Why is Major League Baseball compelled to suspend a pitcher for throwing at a batter (allegedly) even though the pitcher received an ejection during that ballgame? Also, how on God's Green Earth does it make sense to throw a pitcher out of a game for almost hitting a batter and then suspending him for it? That's the case for Edwar Ramirez. Ramirez was kicked out of Wednesday's game against the O's after his first pitch sailed high and wide to Kevin Millar. The suits have handed down a three-game suspension for Ramirez. Edwar will appeal. Fight the power, Urkel! The Yanks also made a roster move Friday. Brian Bruney (remember him?) was called up from Triple-A and reliever Chris Britton was sent back down to Scranton. Bruney hasn't pitched since injuring his foot against the Chicago White Sox on April 22. The Maltese Falcon opted out of season-ending surgery and instead choose to rehab. I guess it worked. The Yanks will try for the split this weekend and send Mike Mussina (13-7, 3.56 ERA) against Jered Weaver (9-8, 4.11 ERA) on Saturday. Weaver is coming off a solid July (2-0, 3.27 ERA in four starts) and has walked only 38 batters in 124.2 innings this season. Dream Weaver is 2-0 with a 3.27 ERA in two career starts against the Yankees. The Moose was shellacked in his last start against the Orioles, giving up six runs on eight hits in five innings, but still finished the month of July at 3-1 with a 2.61 ERA. Mussina is 15-9 with a 3.71 ERA in 31 career starts against the Halos. Saturday will also mark the final Old Timers' Day at the "old" Yankee Stadium. The Angels-Yankees game will be on FOX (guh!), but YES will broadcast the ceremonies beginning at 1:30 p.m. Should be fun.
They say speed kills, but three-run homers can be just as deadly. Andy Pettitte never looked comfortable and Torii Hunter, Juan Rivera and Vladimir Guerrero each mashed three-run bombs as the Angles squashed the Yanks 12-6 at The Stadium. The Yanks were never in this one (although they flirted with a minor comeback with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to cut the lead to 6-2) and with the loss dropped 4.5 games behind the idle Tampa Rays in the AL East.  Ivan Rodriguez made his pinstriped debut Thursday and had a rough night. I-Rod finished 1 for 3, but allowed three stolen bases (not all his fault), never seemed to get on the same page with Pettitte, absorbed a wild pitch and was thrown out at the plate (See: Ugly). Hang in there, Pudge. The Good:
Bobby Abreu. The Yankee offense started and ended with The Candy Man. Abreu notched his third home run in the past two days with a solo blast in the fourth inning to give the Yankees their first run of the ballgame. Bobby knocked in his second run of the game with a ground out in the ninth to cap the Bombers' scoring. Abeu has been hot, hot, hot lately. He brought a .524 average over his past seven games into Thursday's action. Abreu finished 1 for 5 with a run scored and 2 RBIs. The Bad:Andy Pettitte. It looked gloomy from the start. Pettitte tap danced in and out of trouble in the first two innings, but the Angels dropped the hammer on him in the third. Hunter burned Pettitte for a two-out, three-run jack for a 3-0 Angles lead and Rivera eventually followed with a three-run dinger of his own to double the lead to 6-0. The Angels never looked back. Andy managed to pitch into the sixth (a minor miracle considering his rocky third inning), but was pulled after giving up another run and allowing runners on first and second with one out. Pettitte fell to 12-8 on the season and his final numbers look even worse thanks to this next guy: 5.1 IP, 11 H, 9 R, 3 BB, 4 K, 2 HR. Chris Britton. The Yankees called up Britton from Triple-A ( Chad Moeller was designated for assignment) on Thursday and it didn't take long for the chunky right-hander to see some action. Britton, who's back in New York for the fifth time this season, entered the game in the sixth with the Bombers down 7-2 and gave up another two-out, three-run blast to push the deficit to 10-2. Britton took one for the team and finished out the rout, but not before giving up two more runs. Britton's ugliness: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HR.  The Ugly:Bad call. It didn't matter in the final analysis, but the Yanks were robbed of another run in the seventh inning and it came on a pretty kooky play. The Bombers had runners on first and third with nobody out and Johnny Damon at the dish. Darren Oliver was on the hill for the Angels (can you believe he's still around? And that he's having a good year?). Damon laced a line drive back to Oliver, who fumbled it and then turned for the force out at second. Oliver nearly stumbled on the throw and almost launched it into center, but shortstop Erick Aybar made the stop and recorded the out. Then Aybar fired home and nailed I-Rod racing home on the play. Only he didn't nail him. Even in "regular" speed, Pudge looked safe and it was later confirmed on the replay. And it wasn't even close. Umpires are human and home plate ump Ed Hickox proved that on Thursday night. The only saving grace was that his call came in a blowout. The trading deadline came and went and the Yanks didn't make any major moves. But the Red Sox sure did. Manny Ramirez was sent packing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-way deal that also included the Pittsburgh Pirates. In essence, the trade was Ramirez for Jason Bay. Bay and Ramirez's numbers are pretty comparable this season, but I think everyone will agree that Man Ram is by far the better hitter. I'll admit that I was a bit surprised by the move. Oh sure, Ramirez was rumored to be on the block, but I didn't think the Sox would pull the trigger. Anyway, Bay is a nice player, but Boston will miss Manny's bat in the lineup. And that's good news for the Yanks. The Yankees did make a couple of trades, but they were minor. Alberto Gonzalez was sent to the Washington Nationals for right-hander minor league pitcher Jhonny Nunez and LaTroy Hawkins was shipped to the Houston Astros for infielder Matt Cusick. The Bombers also signed veteran pitcher Victor Zambrano to a minor league deal. I don't see any of these guys helping the Yanks for the stretch run (or in the future). The Yanks will try and get back on track Friday night with Sidney Ponson (6-2, 4.59 ERA). The Angels will start Ervin Santana (11-5, 3.57 ERA). Santana is having a great season, but was a bit spotty in July. Santana finished 2-2 with a 4.36 ERA in five starts during the month and has dropped his past two decisions. Ervin (who changed his name from Johan as to avoid confusion with another pitcher) is 4-1 in five career starts against the Yanks, but sports a bloated 6.15 ERA in those games. Ponson was slapped around in his last start against the Red Sox, giving up seven runs on 10 hits in four innings in a 9-2 Boston victory. The Arubian Knight's time in the rotation may be winding down (it should be, anyway), but the Yanks are 4-1 in his starts this season. Ponson is 7-2 with a 4.67 ERA in 13 career appearances against the Halos. Time to flip the calendar to August. Hopefully, Sid won't make it a dog day.
Order was restored. For one day, anyway. Joba Chamberlain posted his first win as a starter in front of the home folks, Bobby Abreu went deep twice and Alex Rodriguez slammed homer No. 23 on the season as the Yanks crushed the Orioles 13-3 on a muggy afternoon in the Bronx. The Bombers scored four in the sixth and four more in the eighth to put the game on ice and snap a three-game losing streak. The victory kept the Bombers four games back of the Rays in the AL East.  I was at work for this one and while John and Suzy kept me in the loop, I was distracted for the better part of the game. For starters, work got in the way (unacceptable) and I'm also battling a cold. Who gets a cold in the middle of the summer? It seemed like I was going to the bathroom to blow my nose every 15 minutes. People at work must think I have a drug problem. Anyway, no roundup. The win was cool and the Yanks also pulled the trigger on an interesting trade. The Yankees shipped Kyle Farnsworth to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for Ivan Rodriguez. I gotta tell ya, this one caught me by complete surprise. I didn't think the Yanks needed to upgrade at the catcher spot, but I guess the Yankees felt like they did. I-Rod should improve the lineup and he's still one of the best defensive catchers in the league. But I'm shocked that the Bombers decided to fiddle with the most consistent part of their team -- the bullpen. I'll admit that I'm not the biggest Farnsworth fan in the world and he can frustrate with the best of them, but he turned it around this season and pitched relatively well. Sure, I still didn't trust him in a big spot, but he managed to do the job for the most part. I suppose the Yanks decided to get rid of him while his value was at its highest. I don't know -- I have mixed feelings about this trade. I suppose Jose Veras will move into the eighth inning spot and Edwar Ramirez and Damaso Marte will mix-and-match in the sixth and seventh. The Yanks will welcome in the red-hot Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for a four-game set starting Thursday night. Jon Garland (9-6, 4.30 ERA) will go against Andy Pettitte (12-7, 3.76 ERA) in the opener. I usually have some stats for each pitcher in this spot, but my stuffy head is pounding like a jackhammer, so please forgive me as I skip the numbers for today. Let's see how the Yanks fair against the juggernaut from the West.
This one smarts. Darrell Rasner pitched well enough to win, but Damaso Marte provided little relief and Aubrey Lewis Huff collected four hits and drove in four as the Orioles edged the Yanks 7-6 at The Stadium. The O's took a 2-0 lead after four innings and later extended it to 6-1 with four runs in the seventh, but the Yankee refused to quit. Robinson Cano cut the lead in half with a two-run single in the eighth and Bobby Abreu and Jason Giambi keyed a three-run ninth. The Bombers had the tying run at second with one out, but Cano and Wilson Betemit both whiffed to end the comeback and the ballgame.  The Yanks have followed their eight-game winning streak with a three-game skid. The Good:Jason Giambi. It was a bitter-sweet night of sorts for The Giambino. Jay Jay entered Tuesday's game with a paltry .189 average for the month of July, but responded with three hits on the night. Giambi singled just over the head of Brian Roberts in the sixth (and flipped Roberts the bird as he rounded first), blooped a base hit down the left field line in the Yankees two-run eighth and smashed a two-run single off George Sherrill's foot in the ninth. That was the positive. The negative was Giambi's earlier at-bats. Giambi flew out to left with runners on first and third to end the first inning and grounded out to second with the bases loaded to kill a rally in the third. Baseball always finds a way to keep a guy humble. Giambi finished 3 for 5 with 2 RBIs. The Bad:Damaso Marte. It wasn't an enviable position to be in, but that doesn't excuse the execution. The newest Yankee reliever entered the game in the seventh with runners on first and second and nobody out and proceeded to crap the bed. Single, double, double and the Orioles 2-1 lead ballooned to 6-1. That wasn't part of the plan! It wasn't a pretty sight and even though Rasner was tagged with the loss, Marte should get half a loss with his effort Tuesday night. Marte's stinker: 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB (intentional), 1 K. Mariano Rivera. It's almost heresy to curse The Sandman, especially when he comes in with the Yanks down by three runs, but he couldn't keep the Orioles at bay in the ninth and it may have cost the Yanks a shot at extra innings. Rivera entered the game in the ninth with the Yanks trailing 6-3 and promptly gave up a solo jack to Huff. You could say that Huff just got lucky, but you'd be wrong. Huff launched a ball into the upper deck that went just foul a few pitches before depositing his 22nd homer of the year over the right field wall. You can't predict the future (believe me, I've tried), but that seemingly innocent run came back to haunt the Yanks in the ninth. Woulda, shoulda, coulda. Rivera's night: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR. The Ugly:
Quick trigger. I'm not complaining (then again, maybe I am) since Daniel Cabrera was cruising and the Yankees seemed powerless to stop him, but home plate umpire Chad Fairchild's decision to eject Cabrera after hitting A-Rod with a pitch in the eighth was ridiculous. Yes, Rodriguez took him deep in the sixth, but that doesn't mean Cabrera meant to drill him. And even if he did (Abreu led off the eighth with a double so first base was open), are we at the point in baseball where a pitcher can get tossed without warning? I can understand if it's obvious, but I don't think that was the case Tuesday night. And yes, I know the ump can throw out a pitcher without a "physical" warning, but it just seemed wrong to me (and I was rooting for the Yanks in case you didn't know). I don't want to get into the whole "when I was a kid" rant, but sometimes I don't know what sport I'm watching anymore. The Yanks will try and avoid the sweep Wednesday afternoon (yes, another mid-week day game) and send Joba Chamberlain (3-3, 2.30 ERA) to the hill. The O's will go with Dennis Sarfate (4-1, 3.78 ERA). This will be Sarfate's first start of the season and first start of his career. He's made three lifetime appearances against the Yanks and has given up one hit in four innings. No Bomber has more than two career at-bats against Sarfate. Chamberlain was dominant in his last start, holding the BoSox scoreless through seven innings in the Yankees 1-0 victory July 25. Joba has made a smooth transition into the rotation, but he's still searching for his first home win as a starter. Wednesday would be a good time to get it.
That was a thorough ass-whipping. Mike Mussina didn't have it, Adam Jones belted his first career grand slam and Kevin Millar added a three-run bomb as the Orioles drilled the Yanks 13-4 at The Stadium. This one was over early as Baltimore scored four runs in the second and Jeremy Shane Guthrie held the Bombers to just two hits through the first six innings. It was the second consecutive loss for the Yanks and snapped their 10-game home winning streak.  The only silver lining was that Tampa Bay and Boston both lost, so the Yankees didn't lose any ground. Yes, I'm looking at the bright side of things. The Good:Xavier Nady. There wasn't much to cheer about Monday night, but X-Man got his first hit in pinstripes and it just happened to be a home run. Nady blasted a solo shot in the seventh to break up the shutout and slice the Oriole lead to 11-1. The new left fielder also contributed with his glove as he started a relay on a Nick Markakis double in the first inning that cut down Brian Roberts at the plate. Seemed important at the time. Nady finished 1 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI. The Bad:Mike Mussina. The starts just weren't aligned for The Moose Monday night. Mussina wiggled out of trouble in the first inning thanks to the Nady-to-Jeter-to-Molina putout at the plate, but it all fell apart in the second. Yankee-killer Millar cracked a three-run dinger in the second and Ramon Hernandez followed with a solo blast to give the Orioles a lead they would never relinquish. It was the first two round-trippers Mussina has allowed since June 20 against the Cincinnati Reds. These things happen. Mussina fell to 13-7 with this: 5 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 2 HR. David Robertson. Mussina was bad, but Robertson was even worse. D-Rob entered the game in the sixth with the Yankees down 6-0 and left with the team down 11-0. It was Robertson's worst outing by far in pinstripes and the first runs he's given up since July 6 against the Red Sox. Jones' grand slam was also the first homer that Robertson has given up in his Major League career. Shake it off, rookie. Robertson's night: .1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 0 K, 1 HR.  The Ugly:Robbery. Third base coach Bobby Meacham has been a windmill machine this season, but for some reason he decided to put up the stop sign in the eighth inning and it cost Melky Cabrera an RBI. I'll set up the scenario in case you missed it. Robinson Cano was at second base with two outs and Cabrera at the plate. Melky lined a base hit to center. Cano took off with the crack of the bat and center fielder Adam Jones conceded the run. Robbie would have scored easily on the play and was ready to round the bag, but for some reason Meacham held him up. Cano was stunned and frankly so was I. Cano was eventually stranded at third. Now, that one run didn't matter in the end, but it robbed Melky of an easy RBI. Meacham should buy Melky a steak or something. And if you didn't hear, Jorge Posada decided to have season-ending shoulder surgery. The Yanks will definitely miss him, but it's the smart move. Posada has heart, but he wasn't doing himself or the Yankees any good by trying to play through it. No date has been set for the surgery, but the rehab will take at least six months. The Yanks will send Darrell Rasner (5-7, 4.83 ERA) to the hill Tuesday night against Daniel Cabrera (6-6, 4.86 ERA). Cabrera has good stuff, but can't ever seem to put it all together. He's having an awful July (1-2, 6.07 ERA), but he likes pitching against the Bombers. Cabrera is 2-0 with a 2.77 ERA in two starts against the Yankees this season. Rasner pitched well in his last start against the Minnesota Twins (5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 2 K), but picked up a no-decision in the Bombers 8-2 victory. The Ras has had success against the Birds this season. He's 1-1 with a 0.69 ERA in two starts, but he should keep away from the Orioles right fielder. Markakis is batting an eye-popping .818 (9 for 11 with one homer) against Rasner in his career. Time to put an end to this mini-losing streak.
It had to end sooner or later. Sidney Ponson was off (really, really off), the offense couldn't deliver the big hit and David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell combined to drive in seven runs as the Red Sox buried the Yanks 9-2 in Beantown. The loss snaps the Bombers winning streak at eight and keeps them three back of the Rays in the AL East and two games behind the BoSox for the wild card.  The Good:Dan Giese. With LaTroy Hawkins cut loose, Giese becomes the mop-up, spot start, garbage man for the Yanks. He played the garbage man role Sunday night. Giese came into the game in the fifth inning with the Bombers trailing 7-2 and finished things out. Sure, he gave up two runs during his four innings of relief, but he allowed Joe Girardi to save the bullpen some wear and tear. The Yanks weren't coming back in this one and it would have been borderline criminal if they had to use three or four relievers to get through the rest of the ballgame. Giese's performance will most likely go unnoticed, but he did his job. What more could you ask for? Giese's night: 4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 0 K. The Bad:Sidney Ponson. So much for being a good luck charm. The Yanks had won all four of Ponson's starts in pinstripes, but it was a different story Sunday night. Things looked bad right off the bat as the Red Sox touched up the Arubian Knight for three first-inning runs. It wouldn't get any better. Ponson allowed at least one run in all four of his innings and left with the Yanks down 7-0. And in the "in case you're wondering department": Jarrod Washburn went eight innings on Sunday, giving up one run on four hits to help the Mariners beat the Blue Jays 5-1. Ponson fell to 6-2 on the year with this mess: 4 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR. The Ugly:Wasted opportunities. Jon Lester pitched a great game Sunday night, but the Yankees had their chances early on. The Bombers had at least one runner on in the first five innings, but couldn't push a run across until the fifth -- and even that was disappointing. The Yanks loaded the bases with nobody out in the frame and came away with just two runs. That may not seem like a big deal, but it could/should have been much more. And the Yanks didn't exactly tear the cover off the ball during their two-run outburst: the runs came in on a Derek Jeter dribbler up the third-base line and a walk to Bobby Abreu. Still, the Yanks cut the Boston lead to 7-2 and had Alex Rodriguez, Xavier Nady and Robinson Cano coming up with the bases still loaded and nobody out. The three didn't come through. A-Rod lined out hard to third. Nady lifted a shallow pop to center and Cano bounced back to the box. The Yanks managed just one more hit the rest of the way. The Yanks head back to the Bronx and will host the Baltimore Orioles for a three-game set beginning Monday night. Jeremy Guthrie (6-8, 3.58 ERA) will go against Mike Mussina (13-6, 3.26 ERA) in the opener. Guthrie may have a losing record, but he's probably been the O's best starter this season. The Yanks handed Guthrie his sixth loss of the season on May 28, but he's 4-2 in 10 starts since then. The Moose is coming off his most dominant start of the season against the Twins (8 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K) and is 3-0 with a 1.04 ERA in his four July starts. But Mussina had his worst outing of the year against the Orioles on May 20 at The Stadium. The Moose lasted just 2/3 of an inning, giving up seven runs on five hits (only one run was earned, but Mussina was roughed up) in a 12-2 Oriole victory. But a lot has changed since then. And a new winning streak awaits.
I can really get used to this. Andy Pettitte recovered from a rocky beginning, Robinson Cano banged out three hits and drove in three and the bullpen continued its excellence with three innings of one-hit ball as the Yanks blasted the Red Sox 10-3 in Boston. The BoSox jumped out to a 2-0 first inning lead, but the Bombers chipped away with a run in the third and two more in the fourth. Then the Yanks erupted for four runs in the sixth and put the game on ice with three more in the eighth.  Newcomers Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte saw their first action in pinstripes (OK, the road grays) and contributed. Nady walked and scored a run and Marte struck out David Ortiz in the seventh with runners on first and second. To make room for X-Man and Marte, the Yanks sent Brett Gardner back to Scranton and LaTroy Hawkins was designated for assignment. And a Red Sox-Yankees game wouldn't be complete without some fireworks. Craig Hansen drilled Alex Rodriguez in the left arm in the eighth. Retribution for Kevin Youkilis on Friday night? Parties involved are leaning toward no (and Hansen's outing was wild -- he walked three, hit A-Rod and uncorked a wild pitch in 2/3 of an inning), but use your eyes, your common sense. It looked like a perfect set-up. And yeah, both benches were warned again after the play. The Good:Andy Pettitte. It wasn't exactly a tour de force, but Pettitte got the job done. Pettitte wasn't helped by A-Rod's error in the first inning and it helped the Red Sox take an early 2-0 lead. But the old lefty battled and gave the Yanks a chance to fight back. The BoSox had at least one runner on in every one of Pettitte's six innings, but No. 46 allowed only one run the rest of the way -- a solo homer to J.D. Drew in his final inning of work. Pettitte won his third in a row and moved his record to 12-7 with this: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R (1 earned), 3 BB, 7 K, 1 HR. Robinson Cano. I'm starting to run out of superlatives for Cano. Robbie was "held in check" Friday night -- he only managed one hit. It was a different story Saturday afternoon. Cano blasted a homer into Fenway's version of the black in center to tie the score at 2-2 in the fourth. Canu then drove in the final runs of the game with a two-run double in the eighth to give the Yanks the 10-3 lead. Cano is hitting .480 in his past seven games and has pushed his overall average to .270. I'm tellin ya -- he's hot! Cano finished 3 for 4 with a walk, a run scored and 3 RBIs. Melky Cabrera. The Melk-Man is having an off year, but he's showing signs of breaking out of his doldrums. Cabrera reached on a bunt single with one out in the fourth, swiped second and then came around to score on Johnny Damon's single to give the Yanks a 3-2 lead. Melky was also a catalyst during the Yanks four-run sixth, doubling to left to put runners on second and third with no outs. It's not as dramatic as Cano's resurgence, but Melky has recored two hits in six of his past 10 games. Keep grinding, Melky. Cabrera finished 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and his 8th stolen base.  The Bad:Jose Veras. It's not that Veras was terrible, but he forced Joe Girardi to dip into the pen when he shouldn't have. Veras started the seventh inning with the Yanks up 7-3 and after striking out Kevin Cash, he walked Dustin Pedroia and allowed a single by Youkilis. I think Girardi would have normally stayed with Veras, but it was an opportunity to use the lefty Marte against Ortiz. Hang in there, Jose. It's no big deal. Veras' line: .1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K. The Ugly:Cramp! It looked like the Baseball Gods were about to strike the Yanks with another injury in the eighth. Damon grounded a ball to second base, but something happened when he stepped out of the box and he hobbled down the line. My mind began to race with roster possibilities if Damon was headed for another stint on the disabled list. Luckily, it turned out to be nothing more than a cramp. You had me worried for a second there, JD. Remember to stay hydrated next time. The Yanks go for another sweep Sunday night and will give the ball to Sidney Ponson (6-1, 4.02 ERA). The BoSox will counter with Jon Lester (8-3, 3.20 ERA). Ponson has been inconsistent since coming to the Bronx in June, but he's been a good luck charm of sorts. The Yankees are 4-0 in Ponson's four starts in pinstripes. But the Red Sox seem to have Ponson's number. Check out this stats Boston hitters have against Ponson: Manny Ramirez (.404, 1 HR, 11 RBI), Jason Varitek (.317, 2 HR, 5 RBI), David Ortiz (.444, 2 HR, 8 RBI) and Kevin Youkilis (.444, 0 HR, 2 RBI). Lester is having a dynamite July (1.90 ERA in three starts) and hasn't been tagged with an "L" since May 25 at the Oakland Athletics. The young lefty pitched a complete game shutout against the Bombers at Yankee Stadium on July 3. But the Yanks are a different team now.
Sometimes one isn't the loneliest number. Joba Chamberlain dominated through seven, Jason Giambi knocked in the game's only run with an infield single and Mariano Rivera recorded five outs to nail down his 26th save of the year as the Yanks blanked the Red Sox 1-0 at Fenway Park. This game was just as advertised: strong pitching, tense moments and continued bad blood. The Bombers are now officially streaking. Their seventh straight win kept them unbeaten since the break and moved them two games back of Boston in the wild card race.  I was at Brian's for this one and it was a lot of fun. But if you ever have Buffalo wings with him be prepared to watch him plunder all the legs. Even his wife wasn't spared his selfishness. Luckily, I'm a go-with-the-flow type of guy. The Good:Joba Chamberlain. It was a month to the day since Chamberlain last won a ballgame. I guess all good things to those who wait. Joba got back in the win column with a superb performance Friday night. The Red Sox managed only three hits against No. 62 and never got a runner past second base. And even though Chamberlain is the youngest starter in the Bomber rotation, he just may be their greatest enforcer (see: Ugly). It was the 10th start of the year for Joba and he hasn't given up more than three earned runs in any of them (yes, I know he didn't last long in his first two starts, but you get the gist of what I'm saying). Outstanding. Chamberlain evened his record to 3-3 on the season with this masterpiece: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K. Mariano Rivera. Inheriting runners on first and second with one out in a 1-0 game? Not a problem for The Sandman. Rivera entered the game in the eighth inning with the Yanks clinging to their one-run lead and quickly took care of business. Mo struck out Jacoby Ellsbury for the second out and then induced Dustin Pedroia to tap back to the box. The Red Sox put the tying run on with one out in the ninth, but Rivera ended things by striking out Mike Lowell (who didn't like the called third strike and got himself tossed) and J.D. Drew to remain a perfect 26 out of 26 in save opportunities this season. Good stuff. Rivera's line: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K. Jason Giambi. The 'Stache was looking darker and that can only mean good things for the Yanks. Giambi came through in the third inning with a two-out RBI-single that barely touched the lip of the grass to give the Bombers the only run they needed. This was a case of the "shift" actually working to The Giambino's advantage. On almost every other batter, Jay Jay's hit would have been an inning-ending grounder to short. Sometimes you eat the bar and sometimes, well, he eats you. Giambi finished 1 for 4 with an RBI. The Bad:Kyle Farnsworth. I feel lousy shaking my head at Kyle since he entered the game with nine straight hitless innings, but he made things too exciting at the end. Farnsworth started the eighth inning and quickly gave the BoSox hope. Jed Lowrie led off the frame with a single and after getting Jason Varitek to foul out to short (why he wasn't bunting, I just don't know), Farnsworth gave up an infield hit to Coco Crisp. It was a little dribbler up the first-base line that may or may not have kicked foul, but Farnsworth tried to field the ball and tag Crisp. Good idea, bad execution. Farnsworth couldn't corral the ball and Crisp reached first. On any other night, Farnsworth may have been given a chance to work out of the jam. But not this night. Shake it off, Kyle. Farnsworth's night: .1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  The Ugly:Unprecedented? Yes, there is bad blood between Kevin Youkilis and Joba Chamberlain. Joba was ejected for throwing two pitches behind Youkilis last season (a ridiculous penalty). There was also a minor skirmish on July 6 at The Stadium this season. Well, things were dialed up another notch Friday night. Chamberlain fired a 2-0 pitch up and in on Youk and sent the big guy to the ground. Youkilis jumped up, both benches readied themselves, but ultimately nothing materialized. Except a warning from home plate umpire Marty Foster. You would have thought Youkilis was beaned on the play. Au contraire mon frier. Not only was Youkilis not hit on the pitch, but the ball actually hit the bat for a strike. I can't be 100% sure, but I believe it's the first time that both benches were warned on a pitch that was a foul ball. I hate when umps issue warnings to begin with, but this one was downright nutty. And no, I don't think Joba was trying to hit Youkilis. Why start an inning by putting a runner on base in a 1-0 game? Chamberlain came back to strike out Youkilis so I suppose it wasn't all bad. TRADE TALK:And in case you missed it, the Yanks pulled off a trade Friday night. The Bombers sent Ross Ohlendorf and three minor leaguers, right-hander *George Kontos, left-hander *Phil
Coke and outfielder Jose Tabata, to the Pittsburgh Pirates for outfielder Xavier Nady and lefty reliever Damaso Marte. With the absence of Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada, the Yanks desperately needed another bat to fill out their lineup and Nady should offer instant offense. X-Man is hitting .330 this season 13 homers and 57 RBIs. The Bomber pen has rounded into one of their strengths this season, but they lacked a left-hander. Marte gives them the lefty they craved. I wasn't hell-bent on getting a lefty just for the sake of getting a lefty, but Marte is a great addition. Marte is 4-0 this season with a 3.47 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings and can pitch to both righties and lefties (he's holding right-handers to a .200 average. Lefties are hitting .255). Ohlendorf was a bit of a head-scratcher for the Yanks. He's got great stuff, but can't seem to control it and sometimes doesn't trust it. He also suffered from not having a definitive role with the club. I'm not sure if the Bucs see him as a starter or reliever. Tabata was highly touted, but has struggled this season at Double-A Trenton (.248, 3 HR, 36 RBI, 10 stolen bases) and actually went AWOL during the year. All and all, a great trade pulled off by Cashman and the Yanks. * Late word: Turns out Coke and Kontos (sounds like a tropical paradise, doesn't it?) will remain in pinstripes. The Yanks will instead part with right-handed pitchers Dan McCutcheon and Jeff Karstens. Andy Pettitte (11-7, 3.86 ERA) will go against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (6-7, 3.69 ERA) Saturday afternoon on FOX. Pettitte is coming off a brilliant performance against the Oakland Athletics, spinning eight innings of one-run ball in the Yankees 2-1 victory. The Red Sox battered Pettitte for six runs (five earned) in 4 2/3 innings during a 7-0 win on July 3 at The Stadium. Andy is 5-2 with a 3.70 ERA in 14 career appearances at Fenway. Wakefield may be Boston's most consistent pitcher right now. The knuckleballer has gone at least seven innings in nine of his past 10 starts, went 2-1 with a 2.31 ERA in June and is sporting a 2.96 ERA so far in July. The Yanks managed three runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings in their 5-4 victory in the Bronx on July 6. Wakefield picked up a no-decision in that one. Should be another good one.
 The Moose is kicking ass and taking names! Mike Mussina dominated for eight innings, Justin Christian picked up two hits and drove in a pair and Alex Rodriguez knocked in two more as the Yanks vanquished the Twins 5-1 under threatening skies at The Stadium. Richie Sexson added a sacrifice fly and Robinson Cano recorded his sixth straight multi-hit game to help keep the Bombers perfect since the break. The Yankees have won six in a row, 10 straight at home and completed their second consecutive series sweep. Not bad. Life once again interfered for me during this weekday afternoon affair, however. The culprit? Work. Oh, I listened to John and Suzy call the action, but it was hard for me to stay in the flow. Example: I didn't know that Twins second baseman Alexi Casilla's brain freeze in the fifth happened until I came home and watched the highlights. (Casilla lost track of the outs and instead of completing an
inning-ending double play, he registered just a force out at second base. Christian followed with his two-run double.) Sterling may have mentioned it on the air ( may have), but if he did, I didn't hear it. Anyway, no roundup today, but I have to give Christian his due. So, here's some Night Ranger just for Justin: Thursday is an off-day and the Bombers will head up to Boston for a three-game set with the Red Sox beginning Friday night. Game 1 will feature a battle of flamethrowers: Joba Chamberlain (2-3, 2.52 ERA) will go against Josh Beckett (9-6, 3.98 ERA). Beckett has been a wrecking machine against the Yanks so far this season. He's 3-0 with a 3.92 ERA in three starts against the Bombers this year. But many Yankee batters have pretty good career numbers against him: Alex Rodriguez (.290, 1 HR, 7 RBI), Derek Jeter (.300, 1 HR, 3 RBI), Robinson Cano (.333, 1 HR, 5 RBI), Melky Cabrera (.296, 0 HR, 4 RBI) and Richie Sexson (.300, 0 HR, 2 RBI). Chamberlain pitched well in his start against the BoSox on July 6, giving up three runs on four hits in six innings, but picked up a no-decision in the Yankees 5-4 victory. Joba has had a solid July (3.57 ERA), but doesn't have much to show for it with an 0-1 record in four starts. Can the Yanks roll a lucky seven come Friday night?
All too easy. Darrell Rasner pitched well, but in bad luck, Bobby Abreu launched a two-run bomb and Robinson Cano picked up two more hits and two runs batted in as the Yanks slammed the Twins 8-2 at The Stadium. This one was a pitchers' duel through six, but the Bombers exploded for three runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh to stay unbeaten since the All-Star break and moved a season-best 10 games over .500 with their fifth straight victory.  Rasner gave up only two runs through 5 2/3 innings, but left trailing 2-1. David Robertson came in to relieve and was the beneficiary of the offensive outburst. D-Rob vultured his second win in four days with just one pitch. Yep, sometimes baseball is just unfair. The bullpen continued to flex its muscles as Jose Veras, Kyle Farnsworth and Dan Giese wrapped things up with three innings of one-hit ball. The Good:Bobby Abreu. The Yanks seemed destined for another dismal offensive performance when Abreu stepped up to the plate with the score 2-1 Twinkies in the sixth. But El Comedulce sparked the Yankees with one swing of the bat. Abreu crushed a 1-1 pitch deep into the Bronx night with Johnny Damon aboard to give the Bombers a 3-2 lead. The Yanks would go on to score five more runs and coast to the win. Bobby has been slumping in July (.234 average heading into Tuesday night) and his dinger was his first since June 25 at Pittsburgh. Maybe this will jump-start his bat. Abreu finished 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI. Robinson Cano. Another night, another two hits for Robbie. Cano continued to wield a mighty stick with his fifth straight multi-hit game. Robbie's RBI-single in the second gave the Yankees an early 1-0 lead. Cano added another ribbie-single during the Bomber's three-run sixth to extend the lead to 4-2. Keep on keepin on, Rob. Cano finished 2 for 4 with 2 runs batted in. Derek Jeter. Cano's hot-hitting has garnered most of the attention (and rightfully so), but The Captain is also starting to heat up. DJ's two-run double in the seventh gave the Yanks a more comfortable 6-2 lead. Jeter drove in two runs for the second straight night and is working on a modest four-game hitting streak. It's been well documented that Cano is a strong second-half hitter, but Jeter also comes alive when the weather turns oppressive. DJ is a career .322 hitter after the All-Star Game. Jeter finished 1 for 5 with a run scored and 2 ribbies. The Bad:Melky Cabrera. The Melk-Man has been hitting well since the break (.353 in four games), but he didn't have a good one Tuesday night. Cabrera went hitless and also committed his fourth error of the year in the first inning. And it was an egregious one. Denard Span singled to center to open the game and Melky came in to field the ball, but misplayed it and Span advanced to second base. Physical error? Negative. Melky fumbled the ball because he was waving his hand in acknowledgment to the bleacher creatures' roll call. Inexcusable! The error didn't cost the Yanks, but Melky has to know better than that. Cabrera finished 0 for 4.  The Ugly:Screw you, doc. This news is a day old, but I forgot to mention it. Doctors recommended season-ending knee surgery for Hideki Matsui, but Godzilla will try and make it back without going under the knife. "I still have a strong desire to come back this year and be a force for the
team," Matsui said Monday. I like Matsui's grit, but GM Brian Cashman didn't seem to think it would make a bit of difference. "I wouldn't say I'm optimistic, personally," Cashman said. "I think it speaks a lot to his heart. The doctors looked at him and
recommended surgery, but he wants to see if he can fight through it and continue
to play. And there's no harm. He's not going to make it any worse by doing that.
So we'll see. But I'm not optimistic." Prove 'em wrong, Matsui. The Yanks will go for the sweep Wednesday afternoon. Mike Mussina (12-6, 3.49 ERA) will battle Glen Perkins (7-2, 3.84 ERA). Perkins has won five of his past six decisions and hasn't dropped a game since May 30 when the Yanks drubbed him for five runs on 10 hits in four innings. The Moose has been spectacular in July (2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in three starts) and is 21-6 with a 3.18 ERA in 31 career starts against Minnesota. Mussina was the winning pitcher for the Yankees in their May 30 win against the Twinkies at the Metrodome. Time to take this winning streak to six.
This team can score runs! Alex Rodriguez clouted a homer and drove in three, Robinson Cano continued his torrid hitting and Sidney Ponson did just enough as the Yanks crushed the Twins 12-4 at The Stadium. This game was knotted at 2-2 heading into the bottom of the second, but that's when the Bombers seized control. The Yankees put up a four-spot in the frame, two in the third and put the game away with three more in the sixth. Johnny Damon made his return from the disabled list and contributed with a double and an RBI (and another broken bat), Derek Jeter blasted a round-tripper into the bleachers in right and the bullpen trio of Edwar Ramirez, David Robertson and LaTroy Hawkins was nearly flawless as the Yankees cruised to their fourth straight victory.  The Good:Alex Rodriguez. It's been a roller-coaster month of July for Rodriguez (personally and on the diamond), but it looks like he's ready to go on a tear. At the plate that is. A-Rod belted his 21st home run in the first to give the Yanks a quick 2-0 lead. Rodriguez then knocked out Twins starter Nick Blackburn in the second with an RBI-single to left that put the Yankees up 6-2. The Bombers have been scrapping on offense, but if A-Rod catches fire he may be able to carry this team like he did in the early part of 2007. Rodriguez finished 2 for 3 with a walk, two runs scored and 3 runs batted in. Robinson Cano. If only Robbie could bottle this second-half magic. Cano continued to sizzle and pushed his average to .260 with another multi-hit game. That makes four in a row. Canu went upper tank in the third for his eighth homer of the year and second in four games. He added an RBI-single in the sixth. Robbie entered the game batting .345 so far in July. That number will go up after Monday night. Cano finished 2 for 5 with a run scored and 2 ribbies. Jose Molina. Wally Pipp anyone? OK, that's beyond absurd, but the Yanks will be seeing a lot more of Molina (see: Ugly) and he responded with his first three-hit game of the season. Even his out in the third inning was a productive one -- his ground ball to first moved Cano over to third base with one out. Molina also showed he's got fire in the belly on a play at the plate in the second. Brendan Harris rounded third on a base hit by Alexi Casilla and headed for home. Bobby Abreu threw a strike to Molina and seemed to nail Harris. Not so, according to home plate ump Mike Everitt. It was a bang-bang play, but it looked like Molina made the tag. The ball also beat Harris to the dish, which is usually a deciding factor. Well, Molina was incensed. He slammed his helmet to the ground and argued the call. It went for naught, but it was good to see Molina fired up over the play. Again, no one expects Molina to replace Jorge Posada offensively, but they won't lose anything defensively and I think the Yanks would be thrilled if he could hit around .240. I think Molina is up to it. Molina finished 3 for 4 with a run scored.  The Bad:Jason Giambi. Baseball is a humbling sport. One day you're the hero, the next you're a bum. All right, that's too harsh, but the Yankees banged out 16 hits on the night and not one of them came from Giambi. Jay Jay was also the only starter to register a zero in the hit column. It was one of those no-contact nights for Giambi -- four plate appearances equaled three strikeouts and a walk. Don't fret, Jason. There's always tomorrow. Giambi finished 0 for 3 with a walk. The Ugly:Going under the knife? The Yanks put Jorge Posada on the DL Monday. I'm not a doctor, but even I could see that Posada's ailing right shoulder wasn't getting any better. Jorgie tried his best to give it a go, but he couldn't throw runners out and was becoming a liability behind the plate. Posada is scheduled to have an MRI on his shoulder Tuesday and will make a decision about season-ending surgery. Jorge was going to have surgery at the end of the season regardless and the longer he puts it off, the longer it will take for him to come back next season. The Yanks will definitely miss his bat and his leadership, but if I was Posada, I would have the surgery now and come back fresh next season. Hopefully. Darrell Rasner (5-7, 4.97 ERA) will go against Kevin Slowey (6-6, 4.26 ERA) in the middle game Tuesday night. Slowey is 4-0 in his past six starts, but the Detroit Tigers blasted him for six runs on nine hits in his last start. But the Twins came back to win the ballgame so Slowey picked up a lucky no-decision. Slowey has made one career start against the Bombers and it wasn't a good one. The Yanks five runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings. Rasner battled through five innings and picked up a win in his last start against the Toronto Blue Jays. It was his first victory since he defeated the San Diego Padres on June 18. The Twins handed Ranser and the Yanks a 5-1 loss on June 1 in Minnesota. The Ras is 1-1 with a 3.97 ERA in two career starts against the Twinkies. Let's see if Rasner can be the recipient of another offensive explosion.
This one didn't take long. Andy Pettitte mesmerized through eight, Jason Giambi cracked a game-tying homer in the sixth and Jose Molina ended the ballgame by gunning out Rajai Davis trying to swipe second base as the Yanks squeaked past the A's 2-1 on yet another hot and humid afternoon in the Boogie Down. Alex Rodriguez's sacrifice fly in the third gave the Bombers an early 1-0 lead, but Justin Duchscherer matched Pettitte nearly pitch for pitch and Ryan Sweeney evened the score with an RBI-single in the sixth. Then the Giambino took matters into his own hands and Mariano Rivera nailed down his 24th save (with the assist by Molina) to seal the deal. The Yankees moved to 3-0 since the break, recorded their seventh straight win at home and moved a season-best eight games over .500.  Looks like this team could be settling into a groove. The Good:Andy Pettitte. The native Texan was in the zone Sunday afternoon. Pettitte was a strike-throwing machine and even when he missed, it wasn't by much. The Athletics manufactured a run in the sixth on a double, a sac bunt and a single, but that was all the old lefty would allow. I was a bit surprised that Joe Girardi sent Pettitte out for the eighth considering the heat and his pitch count, but Andy quelled my concerns with two strikeouts and a fly out to wrap up an impressive performance. Pettitte could use some more run support (the Yanks have scored a grand total of three runs in his past two starts), but if he keeps pitching like this good things are going to happen. Pettitte moved to 11-7 with this beauty: 8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 9 K. Jason Giambi. The 'Stache has been slumping a bit in July (.171 average heading into Sunday's action) and I feared the clippers were about to come out, but a perfect afternoon may have averted a trip to the barber's chair. Giambi walked in his first two at-bats (one intentional) and then busted out the wood with his 20th bomb of the season in the sixth. It's the 11th time in The Giambino's career that he has reached the 20-homer plateau. Giambi then capped his day by beating the shift and legging out an infield single in the eighth. The mustache lives on. Giambi finished 2 for 2 with 2 walks, a run scored and an RBI. The Bad:Top heavy. The Yankees moved the hot-hitting Robinson Cano to the fifth spot in the order Sunday and it worked out (Cano went 2 for 4), but that left the team incredibly weak from 6 to 9. Wilson Betemit, Melky Cabrera, Jose Molina and Brett Gardner combined to go 0 for 11 with 1 walk. I understand Jorge Posada was sitting this one out and the loss of Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui doesn't leave many options (and Duchscherer wasn't exactly a slouch out there), but it still doesn't stop it from being frustrating. Thankfully, there's good news on the horizon. Damon may be ready sometime this week. Thank God.  The Ugly:Atypical putout. It's not often you pencil in a 9-5-6 fielder's choice in your scorecard, but that's what happened Sunday. With Ryan Sweeney on first and one out, Bobby Crosby hit a fly ball to Bobby Abreu in right. Abreu had a little trouble with the sun, used his hands to shield his eyes, corralled the ball for the second out and then dropped the ball making the transfer. Seemingly. First base umpire Hunter Wendelstedt didn't see it that way. He ruled that Abreu never made a clean catch and the ball was in play. I think Abreu made the catch, but who cares what I think, right? Anyway, that's when the fun began. Sweeney retreated to first and then took off for second once the ball was ruled live. Abreu fired the ball into second, but overthrew Derek Jeter. Thankfully, Alex Rodriguez was backing up the play. He made the catch and flipped the ball to Jeter for the force out at second. You just never know what you're going to see at a ballgame. Speaking of new experiences, I was at today's ballgame and if you were searching for me behind home plate -- sorry. Vinny from Kearny "misread" the tickets and we weren't in the "dream" seats. But the seats we did get weren't too shabby. We were in the first row down the first-base line, right next to the photographer's den. I was so close to the field I could have spit right on first base coach Tony Pena if I wanted to (but I wouldn't do that -- I'm a good guy). Anyway, you have to stay on your toes sitting that close to the field. A line drive could wind up in your teeth before you know it, but we didn't get much action. That is, until two outs in the eighth. Oakland's Jack Hannahan was up at the plate and fouled a 3-2 pitch down the line. I rose from my seat and stuck out my right hand. I didn't think I had a shot at first, but then I realized, "Hey, I can get this." The ball glanced off my hand, somehow bounced behind me and landed in my seat. Vinny picked up the ball and handed it to me. But I must admit that I was a bit embarrassed that I didn't make the "clean" catch (and I contend that I would have made the play if my hand wasn't so damn sweaty). Then I heard someone yell, "Give it to the kid." So while I was still hot with embarrassment (and possibly heat stroke) I handed the ball to a kid sitting behind me. He said thanks and the people around us gave me a hand. Later his mom tapped me on the shoulder and said I made the little guy's day. All in a day's work, I suppose. Next up for the Yanks, a three-game set with the Minnesota Twins beginning Monday night. Nick Blackburn (7-5, 3.65 ERA) will go against Sidney Ponson (5-1, 3.96 ERA) in the opener. Blackburn has pitched well lately and has given up two or fewer runs in five of his past six starts. The 26-year-old faced the Yanks on June 1, but left after Abreu lined a shot off his face in the fifth. Blackburn had given up just one run in 4 1/3 innings, but failed to qualify for the win in the Twins 5-1 victory at the Metrodome. Ponson has been hot and cold since joining the Bombers. The Arubian Knight pitched six scoreless innings in his pinstriped debut against the Mets, was rocked for seven runs in five innings against the Texas Rangers and held the Rays to one run through six in his last start. Hopefully, Ponson can put together two quality starts in a row Monday night. One thing is for sure, he likes pitching against the Twinkies. Ponson is 10-2 with a 2.42 ERA in 15 appearances against Minnesota. Keep the good vibes going, Sid.
It's all about finding ways to win. Joba Chamberlain was solid through six, Robinson Cano picked up four hits, Wilson Betemit knocked in the tying-run in the ninth and Jose Molina delivered the game-winning "hit" in the 12th as the Yanks outlasted the A's 4-3 on another scorcher at The Stadium. Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner gave the Bombers an early 2-0 lead, but the offense wasted numerous chances to blow the game open and allowed the Athletics to creep back. Jose Veras and Mariano Rivera allowed the tying and go-ahead runs, respectively, but the Yanks fought back and eventually sent everyone home happy when Lenny DiNardo drilled Molina in the right leg with the bases juiced.  This may not have been a game for the ages, but it was filled with its share of topsy-turvy moments. The two squads combined to: battle back, blow leads, hit in the clutch, leave countless runners on base, turn terrific defensive plays and commit awful fielding errors Saturday afternoon. But, you never have to apologize for winning ugly. There were a lot of heroes and goats in this one. Let's see if I picked the right ones. The Good:Jose Molina. It probably wasn't the way Molina imagined it, but the Yankee catcher drove in the game-winning run with one out and the bases loaded in the 12th inning by taking one for the team. Molina came in for Jorge Posada (who had a run rough game offensively and defensively) in the 10th inning and had an opportunity to end things in the bottom of that frame, but grounded out with runners on first and second and two outs. He didn't miss his chance the second time around. Molina was nearly hit on the first pitch of the at-bat and then did his thing on a 1-2 pitch. Heroic moments come in many forms. Molina finished 0 for 1 with a HBP and an RBI. Robinson Cano. It's amazing how locked-in Cano looks right now. Almost every hit is a line drive off his bat. Cano started the second inning with a base hit and came around to score the Yankees first run on an RBI-single by Cabrera. But his biggest contribution came with two outs and nobody on in the ninth with the Yanks trailing 3-2. Robbie drilled a double to keep hope alive and then scored the tying run on Betemit's single. Canu's four hits pushed his average to its highest level (.256) since he went 1 for 3 on Opening Day. It's been a long time coming. Cano finished 4 for 6 with 2 runs scored. Wilson Betemit. Before Molina had his moment to shine, there was Betemit. The Yanks were on their way to a disheartening loss when Betemit laced a clutch, two-out single in the ninth off A's closer Huston Street to tie the score at 3-3. Wil also doubled and scored the Yankees second run of the ballgame during their two-run rally in the second inning. And he put down a pretty sacrifice bunt to advance Cano to second with one out in the 11th inning (but it went for naught). Injuries to Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon have given Betemit more playing time, exposing his short-comings and reinforcing his status as a bench player, but on this day he contributed like a starter. Betemit finished 2 for 4 with a walk, a sac bunt, a run scored and a run batted in.  The Bad:Jose Veras. The Yanks looked like they had their formula in place for another victory. Strong starting pitching, just enough offense and then turn it over to the bullpen. It seemed like the right idea, but things never seem to work out the way they are drawn up. Veras came in with a 2-1 lead in the seventh and left with the scored tied at 2-2. It was doubly frustrating since the tying run scored on a wild pitch. This is the second poor showing from Veras in his past three outings. I hope it isn't a sign of things to come. Veras' line: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 WP. Mariano Rivera. The Sandman may be perfect in save opportunities this year, but he was on his way to his fourth loss of the season with his ninth inning performance Saturday afternoon. Rivera is rarely smacked around and the A's didn't exactly tear the cover off the ball as they pushed across the go-ahead run. A bloop hit, a stolen base and an opposite-field single and Oakland had the lead. Still, a run is a run and if Betemit and Molina didn't come through it would have been a tough loss. Mo came back to strike out the next three batters after allowing the run, but it came a tad too late. These things are a blip on the radar screen for Rivera, but they must still be documented. Rivera's day: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K. The Ugly:Here we go again. The Yanks were a RISP machine Friday night, but they reverted back to their old ways Saturday afternoon. This hot and cold garbage is really getting old. Case in point: the second inning. The Yanks had already taken a 2-0 lead, put runners on second and third with no outs and had Derek Jeter, Bobby Abreu and Alex Rodriguez striding to the plate. How many more runs did they score in the frame? Zero! The A's even had the infield in! A dribbler could have brought home two. A fly ball would have been good for a run. Instead, all three hitters struck out. This will not stand. The Yanks go for the sweep Sunday afternoon and will send Andy Pettitte (10-7, 4.03 ERA) against Justin Duchscherer (10-5, 1.82 ERA). The Duke is still fighting a throat infection and that may be the only thing that has gotten the best of him this season. The All-Star right-hander hasn't given up more than three earned runs in any of his 16 starts this year. Duchscherer defeated the Yanks 5-1 on June 11 in Oakland, allowing one run on five hits in seven innings. He's 6-1 in his past eight starts. Pettitte hasn't been nearly as dominant, but he's 7-2 in his past 11 starts. Not too shabby. Pettitte dropped a 4-1 decision to the Blue Jays on the final day before the break, but twirled eight shutout innings against the Tampa Bay Rays in the Yankees 5-0 win on July 8. No. 46 bested the A's 4-1 on June 12 in Oaktown, allowing one run on five hits in eight innings. I'll be in attendance for Sunday's game. Vinny from Kearny scored "dream seats" in the first row right behind home plate. So, if you're watching, look for two Italian-looking guys with shaved heads who won't be waving to the camera. This will be my third trip to The Stadium this year and so far I'm sporting a disappointing 0-2 record. C'mon Yanks, win one for the Mikester.
Back in the saddle, baby! Mike Mussina picked up where he left off, Alex Rodriguez had an eventful evening and Robinson Cano belted a three-run blast as the Yanks clubbed the A's 7-1 on an oppressively hot night in the Bronx. Newest Bomber Richie Sexson collected his first hit and run batted in with a clean single up the middle in the first and the relief corps of David Robertson, Edwar Ramirez and LaTroy Hawkins combined for three dazzling innings to give the Yankees their first win after the break.  Nice start, fellas. The Good:Mike Mussina. The Moose may have been snubbed for the All-Star Game, but he continued to flash his first-half prowess. It was a rocky beginning for Mussina as the Athletics touched him up for a run in the first inning, but he settled down and cruised to the victory. Well, maybe not cruised since he retired the side in order only once, but you just got the feeling that Oakland wasn't going to put together enough offense on the night. At least, I did. Mussina's defining moment came in the fifth when the A's put runners on first and second with nobody out. But The Moose recorded a strikeout and then induced Emil Brown to hit into an inning-ending double play. Mussina upped his mark to 12-6 with this: 6 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K. Robinson Cano. It's July. It's hot. It was a home game. Time for Cano to shine! Actually, Robbie entered Friday night's game with one hit in his last 17 at-bats, but he ripped a tie-breaking three-run bomb in the third to give the Yankees a 4-1 lead. The Bombers never looked back. It's been said many times by many people (I think I may have chimed in once or twice) that Cano is a strong second-half player. Well, I've got the numbers to back up the claims. Cano is a career .334 hitter in the second half. And we all know numbers don't lie. Cano finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and 3 RBIs. Alex Rodriguez. No one could ever accuse Rodriguez of being a wallflower. Rodriguez was all over the joint Friday night -- in the field, at the plate and on the basepaths. A-Rod scored the Yankees second run on Cano's three-run tater in the third and crossed the plate with the final run of the game with his 20th homer of the season in the sixth. But the scariest moment came in the first inning when Rodriguez was involved in a collision at home. A's right fielder Ryan Sweeney came up firing on a two-out single by Cano and delivered a seed to catcher Kurt Suzuki. A-Rod lowered his shoulder, but couldn't jar the ball loose and was called out. Thankfully, he was OK. Could you imagine if this team lost A-Rod for a spell? Again? I shudder at the hypothetical. Rodriguez finished 3 for 4 with a walk, a stolen base, 2 runs scored and 2 runs batted in.  The Bad:Jose Molina. This was a toss-up between Molina and Brett Gardner (who also went 0 for 4), but I'll wag my finger at the Yankee catcher since he's a veteran. That's a pretty sorry reason, but Gardner has the built-in excuse of being a rookie. Molina shouldn't be this bad. June was Molina's best month this season (.257 -- not exactly stellar), but he's off to a horrid July. Molina came into Friday night's action with a .211 average for July and did nothing to up that number. Nobody expects Molina to bat .300 (that would be cool, though), but he's better than his season average of .220. Right? Molina finished 0 for 4. The Ugly:Godzilla's demise? The news on Hideki Matsui's ailing left knee isn't good. The knee swelled up earlier in the week and Matsui was examined by team doctor Stuart Hershon on Friday. Godzilla is set to visit with Scott Rodeo -- the man who performed arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in November. After Monday, "we'll have a better idea what direction it'll take," Cashman
said. "Surgery certainly has moved up on the list of options." Not exactly what Matsui and Yankee fans want to hear. I suppose it's just a matter of time before the Barry Bonds rumors really get hot and heavy. Joba Chamberlain (2-3, 2.62 ERA) will go against Sean Gallagher (4-4, 4.25 ERA) on Saturday afternoon. Gallagher came over from the Chicago Cubs in the Rich Harden deal and was impressive in his first American League start last week. Gallagher gave up two runs and struck out seven in seven innings as the A's defeated the Angels 9-2. This will be the 22-year-old's first look at the Yankees. Chamberlain was outpitched by Toronto's Roy Halladay in his last start, giving up three runs in 6 2/3 innings, as the Blue Jays downed the Bombers 5-0. Chamberlain is still searching for his first win at home as a starter. This will be Joba's first action against Oakland. Let's see who makes a better first impression.
It's feast or famine with this team. Andy Pettitte made one big mistake through his six innings and A.J. Burnett was dominant as the Blue Jays downed the Yanks 4-1 on the final day before the All-Star break. Once again, the Bomber offense was held in check. The Yankees have played 12 games in July and have been held to three or fewer runs in seven of them. They are 6-6 during that span. How'd they ever win six?  The Good:Jason Giambi. The Yankees were two outs away from being shutout for the second time in three days and third time this month before The 'Stache stepped up to the plate. The Giambino launched his 19th round-tripper of the year to prevent the embarrassment. That was all the offense, folks. Giambi finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and the lone RBI. The Bad:Andy Pettitte. I was a bit conflicted about putting Pettitte in the bad category since nothing short of a shutout is good enough with the way the Yanks are hitting, but his one faux pas in the second was huge. The Blue Jays already had a 1-0 lead (thanks in part to another misplayed ball by Bobby Abreu in right) and had runners on first and second with no outs. Light-hitting Marco Scutaro was up and in sacrifice mode. Pettitte got ahead 0-2 to take off the bunt and Scutaro responded by blasting a three-run homer to left. Just like that the Jays were up 4-0 and you could just sense that the game was over. Pettitte didn't allow a run the rest of the way, but giving up Scutaro's third dinger of the year was inexcusable. "If we want to make the playoffs, we've got to be better," Pettitte said after the game. Here, here. Pettitte dropped to 10-7 with this: 6 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 HR. The Ugly:Third place at the break -- again. This is the second straight season that the Yankees are looking up in the standings heading into the All-Star Game. The Bombers finished the first half in third place in the AL East, six games back of the Boston Red Sox and 5.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the wild card. Disappointing, but I'm going to shine a bit of sunshine on this (or make excuses, you decide). The Bombers are five games over .500 (they were 42-43 at the break last year), have gotten zero wins from two starters (Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy), lost Chien-Ming Wang until at least September, watched Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada go down with injuries for a combined seven weeks, put Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui on the disabled list and they're still in the thick of the hunt. The Yanks went on a tear in the second half last season. Let's see if they can give us an encore. The Yanks will be off until Friday (they get an extra day for some reason) when they welcome in the Oakland Athletics for a three-game set. Mike Mussina (11-6, 3.61 ERA) will go against Joe Blanton (5-12, 4.96 ERA). Blanton has had a rough-go this season. He finished 1-4 with a 7.16 ERA in June, including a 4-1 loss to the Yankees in Oaktown. Blanton is 0-3 with an 8.18 ERA in four career starts against the Yanks. The Moose has been on the receiving end of the lackluster offense. Mussina has given up eight runs in his past 26 innings (2.76 ERA), but is 1-2 in those four starts. The Moose is 17-10 with a 3.82 ERA in 34 career starts against the A's. So take some time off, relax and come back ready to play, Bombers. It gets late early around here.
Offense to the rescue! Darrell Rasner persevered through five and Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Brett Gardner drove in three runs apiece as the Yanks ripped the Blue Jays 9-4 at the Rogers Centre. This wasn't a game for the time capsule -- each team made two errors and left a small army on the basepaths -- but it was the Bombers biggest offensive explosion since their 18-run outburst against the Texas Rangers on July 2.  Rasner wasn't sharp and gave up four runs in the first after Jeter spotted him a 1-0 lead in the top of the frame. But to be fair, the Ras was also betrayed by his defense. Bobby Abreu misplayed two balls in right (although neither play resulted in an error) and Chad Moeller was called for catcher's interference during the Blue Jays four-run first, but Rasner battled and didn't allow a run the rest of the way. In the end, he was rewarded with his fifth win of the season. And the bullpen relief of Edwar Ramirez, Jose Veras, Kyle Farnsworth and LaTroy Hawkins combined to allow just one baserunner in four innings to seal the victory. The Good:Derek Jeter. El Capitan got the Yankees off and running with an opposite-field blast to lead off the game. It was Jeter's first homer in nearly a month -- his last dinger came on June 13 against the Houston Astros. It was DJ's fifth round-tripper of the year and 200th of his career. Jeter also drove in the second run of the Yankees four-run second inning on an error by second baseman Marco Scutaro. It could (should) have been an inning-ending double play, but you can't assume the DP (for whatever reason) so Jeter was awarded an RBI. Then Jeter completed the trifecta by driving in Gardner with an RBI-single to center in the third to give the Yanks an 8-4 lead. Three innings -- three runs batted in for The Captain. Not too shabby. Jeter finished 2 for 5 with a run scored and 3 RBIs. Alex Rodriguez. The final score doesn't reflect it, but the Yanks were down early and A-Rod's at-bat in the second inning was critical (at the time). The Yanks were down 4-3 and had the bases loaded with two outs. Toronto starter Jesse Litsch was on the ropes, but if he got out of the inning with the lead it may have turned his outing around. A-Rod didn't give him that chance. Rodriguez laced a two-run single to center to give the Yanks a 5-4 lead and they never looked back. A-Rod added career homer No. 537 in the fourth inning to pass Mickey Mantle for 13th place on the all-time list. It was an all-or-nothing afternoon for A-Rod. He finished with two hits, but also whiffed three times. Hey, these things happen. Rodriguez finished 2 for 5 with a run scored and 3 ribbies. Brett Gardner. The rookie's average doesn't show it, but he really looks like he knows what he's doing at the plate (well, I hope he knows what he's doing, right?). Gardner cut into the Yankees three-run deficit with an RBI-single in the second after a tough at-bat. Then in the third, Gardner padded the Bomber lead with a two-run base hit to right that gave the Yanks a 7-4 lead. But he isn't just a punch and judy hitter -- the kid also has an eye. Gardner finished 2 for 2 with 2 walks, 2 runs scored and 3 runs batted in. The Bad:Jason Giambi. There was only one Yankee who didn't reach base Saturday afternoon and that man was The 'Stache. Giambi also seems like he's starting to hit the wall -- he's batting .137 so far in July. The fans decision to keep him out of the All-Star Game may be a blessing in disguise. The upcoming time off should recharge The Giambino's batteries for the second half. Giambi finished 0 for 4. The Ugly:Paradise regained? The Yanks signed pitcher Eric Milton to a minor league deal Friday. The left-handed starter was drafted by the Yankees in 1996, but was traded to the Minnesota Twins in a deal that brought second baseman Chuck Knoblauch to the Bronx before the 1998 season. Milton is recovering from Tommy John surgery he had last June and will continue his rehab at the Yankees Minor League complex in Tampa, Fla. "Obviously, we'll have to see how he does. But it's the beginning stages of him
getting back to the big leagues," Joe Girardi said. I'm not sure if the Yanks expect Milton to be able to contribute to the team this season, but I would be shocked if he could. I also hope this isn't the only move the Yanks are going to make to sure up the starting rotation. Also, sad news from the Yankee family. Bobby Murcer passed away Saturday after a battle with brain cancer. The former Yankee player and broadcaster was 62. Daily News writer Bill Madden has a great piece on Murcer and even though I never met him personally, his easygoing and friendly nature translated through the television screen. I was too young to remember Bobby Murcer the baseball player, but he has a special link to a player I grew up idolizing, Don Mattingly. Both players had the unfortunate fate of missing championship seasons during their careers in New York. Murcer came to the Yankees after their World Series run in the early '60s and was in Chicago during the championship years in the late '70s. Mattingly also missed out -- he arrived after that '70s run and left just before the dynasty of the late '90s. In a way, I think that endeared both players to the fans. Ask any Yankee fan who grew up during the late 1960s to name their favorite player and almost every one will respond with Bobby Murcer. Rest in peace, Bobby. The Yankees will wrap up the first half Sunday afternoon and send Andy Pettitte (10-6, 3.93 ERA) to the hill. The Blue Jays will counter with A.J. Burnett (9-8, 5.23 ERA). I have no idea how Burnett is only one game over .500 with an ERA in the 5's, but it does seem to be a fact. I checked. Twice. Burnett earned his first win of the season against the Yanks on April 2, and is 4-2 with a 3.18 ERA in seven career starts against the Bombers. Pettitte has pitched like a man possessed lately. The crafty lefty is 7-1 in his past 10 starts and is coming off an impressive performance against the Tampa Bay Rays. Pettitte went eight shutout innings, giving up only four hits and no walks in a 5-0 Yankee victory. Andy is 11-4 with a 4.11 ERA in 17 career appearances against the Blue Jays in Toronto. Let's see if the Yanks can take the rubber game and finish with a win before the break. 
Hard to score runs (and win) with two hits. Joba Chamberlain gave up three runs and struck out nine, but Roy Halladay was masterful, spinning a two-hit shutout as the Blue Jays blanked the Yanks 5-0 in Toronto. This one was over as soon as Lyle Overbay singled in the game's first run in the third inning. The Yankees best scoring opportunity came in the first when leadoff hitter Brett Gardner was drilled in the leg and then stole second with nobody out. But Derek Jeter grounded out to third and Bobby Abreu and Alex Rodriguez went down on strikes to end the threat.  The Bombers have followed up their four-game winning streak with two straight losses. The offense continues to struggle (hell, Paul Maholm shut them down Thursday night in Pittsburgh. Who expected them to do anything against Halladay?) and it couldn't have come at a worse time. The first-place Rays have lost five games in a row, but the Yanks haven't been able to take advantage. Pity. The Good:Alex Rodriguez. There was nothing good about this game, but I'll give A-Rod the nod because he recorded the first (and nearly only) base hit for the Yankees. Rodriguez's fourth-inning single broke a personal 1-for-14 slump and ruined what could have been a memorable night for Doc Halladay. Maybe this will get A-Rod started. Rodriguez finished 1 for 4. The Bad:Billy Traber. There was no way the Yankees were coming back in this one (not with Halladay on the mound), but Traber ended any delusions in the eighth. Overbay doubled with one out and Matt Stairs followed with a two-run shot to right to give the Jays an insurmountable 5-0 lead. Traber, in theory, should be death on lefties with his unorthodox delivery, but it doesn't translate in this thing we call reality. Left-handers are batting .360 against Traber this season with two home runs. But Traber is holding righties to a .182 average. Go figure. Traber's night: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HR.  The Ugly:Feeling blue. Don't get me wrong, I love the blue unis (and the old green and gold Oakland A's uniforms). I grew up in a time when the Royals, Cardinals and Phillies all sported the powder blue away digs, but I always thought Toronto had the worst of them. I never cared for the old Blue Jays logo and I don't understand why the numbers look the way they do. It always seemed a little half-ass to me. Darrell Rasner (4-7, 4.94 ERA) will try and get the Yanks back on track Saturday afternoon and goes against Jesse Litsch (8-5, 4.01 ERA). Litsch had a fabulous May (4-0, 2.08 ERA), but he's fallen back to earth in the past six weeks. The Angels roughed him up for eight hits and six runs in 5 1/3 innings in his last start. The Yanks started Litsch's slide with a 5-1 victory against him on June 4. Rasner has also cooled off after a hot start. The Ras was 3-1 with a 1.80 ERA in May, but he's followed that up with a horrendous June (1-5, 6.47 ERA). Rasner was ripped for 10 hits and six runs in his last start against the Red Sox and has dropped three straight decisions. But on a brighter note, Rasner is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in one career start against the Blue Jays. I'll take a repeat performance.
Damn rainout. Mike Mussina pitched well enough to win and Bobby Abreu delivered a clutch two-run single to tie the score in the seventh, but Nate McLouth answered with a two-run bomb in the bottom of the frame as the Pirates doubled up the Yanks 4-2 in a makeup game in Pittsburgh. It's too bad the Yankees couldn't carry over the three runs they scored in the June 26 game -- they really could have used them.  Paul Maholm kept the Bombers in check for most of the night this time around, but the Yanks had a chance in the ninth against Damaso Marte. Jason Giambi came up to the dish as the tying run with one out in the eighth, but Marte got The 'Stache to fly out to center after a tough at-bat. Derek Jeter then bounced out to first to end the game. The loss snaps the Yankees four-game winning streak. The Good:Bobby Abreu. Another day, another big hit for the Candy Man. Abreu struck out with runners on first and second in the fifth inning to end a scoring threat, but he didn't let another opportunity pass him by in the seventh inning. The Yanks loaded the bases with two outs and Abreu laced a two-run single to right to knot the score at 2-2. Unfortunately, that was all the offense the Yankees would muster. Abreu finished 1 for 3 with a walk, a stolen base and 2 RBIs. Mike Mussina. It's a sin what the Yankees are doing to Mussina. The Moose was
victimized by both his catchers in the fifth inning. Jorge Posada was
at first base Thursday night and failed to hold on to a relay throw
that would have resulted in a double play. Instead of two outs and
nobody on, McLouth reached on the fielder's choice (can't assume the
double play my ass!) with one out. McLouth then swiped second and
scampered to third when Jose Molina skipped the throw into center field
for an error. Freddy Sanchez then delivered a sacrifice fly to give
the Pirates their second run of the game. Freddy Sanchez also gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead with an RBI-single that just floated over the glove of Jeter at short. The Moose really deserved a better fate, but at least he smacked an opposite-field single in the fifth. Mussina picked up a no-decision with this: 6 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 5 K. The Bad:Jose Veras. Leadoff walks always seem to come around and score. Especially when they're followed up with a home run. That's how Veras' night started. Veras came in for Mussina in the seventh and walked Jack Wilson and then gave up a two-run shot to McLouth. It was the first homer Veras has given up since June 21 against the Cincinnati Reds, which was also the last time he allowed an earned run. Talk about bad timing. Veras picked up the loss and fell to 2-1 on the year with this: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 HR.  Alex Rodriguez. The Yanks didn't put together many rallies, but A-Rod manged to kill the few they had. Rodriguez struck out in the first with a runner on and one out, flew out to center with a runner on second and two outs in the third and bounced into a fielder's choice with runners on first and second and two outs in the seventh. The Bomber offense is struggling and it's up to A-Rod to get things going again. Rodriguez finished 0 for 4. The Ugly:An absent All-Star. Jason Giambi didn't get the people's vote for the American League's final slot in the All-Star Game, but another Yankee will also miss the Midsummer Classic. Public address announcer Bob Sheppard still isn't feeling well and won't be able to man the mic on Tuesday night in the Bronx. "I am not going to be physically able to perform my duties during the
All-Star activities," Sheppard, 97, told The Star-Ledger from his home in
Baldwin, N.Y. "I notified the Yankees that my back-up, Jim Hall - H-A-L-L - will
be filling in for me." Sheppard, who hasn't worked a game during this final year of Yankee Stadium, doesn't know when he'll be back. He's been sorely missed. The Yanks will head north and take on the Toronto Blue Jays for their final three-game set before the break. Joba Chamberlain (2-2, 2.45 ERA) will go against Roy Halladay (10-6, 2.88 ERA) in Friday night's opener. Halladay is 7-1 in his past 10 starts and will be facing the Yanks for the third time this year. He's 1-1 with a 3.46 ERA in his previous two starts. Chamberlain made his first big league start against the Jays on June 3 at The Stadium and picked up a no-decision in a 9-3 Yankee loss. Joba picked up his first win of the year (in relief) against the Jays on April 3. Chamberlain has a 1.11 ERA on the road this season and is 1-0 with a 0.79 ERA in seven career appearances against the Blue Jays. Looks like it's a set up of the unstoppable force vs. the immovable object. Let's see who will come out on top.
 The win was as sweet as candy. Sidney Ponson bounced back with a solid effort, Jason Giambi had an RBI-single on Mustache Day and Bobby Abreu doubled in the game-winning run as the Yanks clipped the Rays 2-1 in 10 innings at The Stadium. The bullpen trifecta of Jose Veras, Kyle Farnsworth and Mariano Rivera also came up big time with four innings of shutout ball to help secure the victory.  The win gives the Bombers a sweep of the two-game set and moves them to within 6.5 games of Tampa Bay in the AL East. I was listening to this one at work, but I was in a meeting for the first hour and my duties kept me from giving this ballgame my undivided attention throughout the afternoon. Hence, no roundup. It would be silly -- nay -- dishonest if I tried. Plus, I'm feeling a bit fatigued. But enough of my complaining. Thursday was supposed to be an off-day, but the Yanks will travel to Pittsburgh and make up a rain out against the Pirates. And strangely enough, the same two pitchers from that June 26 game will square off once again. Mike Mussina (11-6, 3.64 ERA) will go against Paul Maholm (5-5, 4.05 ERA). The Bombers jumped on Maholm for three runs in the first before the rain came. Maholm pitched well in his last start against the Milwaukee Brewers (8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K), but picked up a no-decision in the Pirates 2-1 loss. The Moose was dynamite in his last start against the Boston Red Sox and is holding lefty batters to a .225 average this season. Mussina has a perfect lifetime record against teams that play in his home state of Pennsylvania (1-0 with a 0.00 ERA against the Pirates and 4-0 with a 2.93 ERA against the Philadelphia Phillies). The Moose doesn't have to be perfect on Thursday night. A win will do.
These guys aren't so tough. Andy Pettitte twirled eight shutout innings, Derek Jeter contributed with his bat and glove and Melky Cabrera started a three-run eighth with a home run as the Yanks blanked the Rays 5-0 on a sticky night in the Bronx. Bobby Abreu, Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano each collected two hits and Edwar Ramirez added a perfect ninth to help move the Bombers to within 7.5 games in the AL East.  The Good:Andy Pettitte. The word "gem" is thrown around a lot these days, but I don't think anyone could fault me for using that word to describe Pettitte's performance Tuesday night. Pettitte gave up two bloops, two infield singles and didn't walk a batter through eight stellar innings. The Rays mounted their only serious threat in the seventh when they put runners on the corners with two outs, but Pettitte got out of it (with help from a great play by Jeter) without allowing a run. I was a bit surprised that Joe Girardi sent No. 46 out for the eighth, but Pettitte responded with his fifth 1,2,3 inning to shut me up. Pettitte improved to 10-6 on the year with this: 8 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K. Derek Jeter. The Yanks were on the verge of wasting a third inning that began with runners on second and third with nobody out, but The Captain refused to allow that happen. Jeter's two-out, opposite-field double brought in Robinson Cano and Jose Molina to give the Yanks all the runs they would need. DJ then made the defensive play of the night in the seventh. With runners on first and third and two outs, Willy Aybar grounded a ball between short and third. Jeter ranged far to his right, made the backhanded stab and threw a strike to Cano at second base to nip Dioner Navarro. End of threat and end of inning. Jeter finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and 2 RBIs. Robinson Cano. Robbie's bat continued its summertime sizzle. Cano singled to open up the third and came around to score the Yankees first run on Jeter's two-run double. Cano then drove in the final run of the night with an RBI-single to center in the eighth after a grueling at-bat. There have been many false starts with Cano's bat this season, but I think the hits are finally here to stay. Canu is batting .407 so far in July and upped his overall average to .255 with a two-hit night. He also made some snazzy plays in the field. Cano finshed 2 for 4 with a run scored and a run batted in.  The Bad:
Wilson Betemit. The Yanks are going to be without Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon for a while and that means Betemit will be getting more playing time. He didn't make the most of it Tuesday night. Betemit struck out twice and lined out to center with runners on first and second and one out in the eighth. Betemit had a decent June (.267), but he's off to a rocky July (.150). Wil finished 0 for 4. The Ugly:Fireworks on the Fourth. In another case of rivalries spilling out of control, a Massachusetts man was charged with attacking another man with a baseball bat because he thought the victim was a Yankees fan. Robert Correia, 20, of East Falmouth, allegedly struck William Nestor, 29, in his side and forehead following a July 4 fireworks celebration. Correia pleaded not guilty Monday and is being held until a hearing on his bail status Wednesday. Can't we all just get along? The Yanks will go for the mini-sweep Wednesday afternoon and send Sidney Ponson (5-1, 4.19 ERA) to the hill. The Rays will counter with Edwin Jackson (5-6, 4.08 ERA). Jackson will be making his fourth start against the Yanks this season. He's 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in his previous three starts and is holding the Bombers to a .212 average. Jackson is coming off a stellar performance against the Kansas City Royals (8 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K). Ponson was battered in his last start against the Texas Rangers (5 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 3 BB, 2 HR), but picked up a no-decision thanks to the Yankee bats. The Rays handed the Arubian Knight his first loss of the season on May 26 when he was a member of the Rangers. Tampa Bay bruised Ponson for five runs on 12 hits in five innings. It will be Ponson's third start with the Yankees this year. So far, it's been one good one and one bad one. I guess that means the Yanks should expect a good one on Wednesday. Right?
The kid is all right! Alex Rodriguez went deep for the 536th time in his career, Robinson Cano tripled in two runs and Brett Gardner delivered the game-winning hit off closer Jonathan Papelbon as the Yanks slipped past the Red Sox 5-4 in 10 innings. Joba Chamberlain pitched well (except for the fifth frame) and Mariano Rivera pitched two overpowering innings (including an impressive strike out of pinch-hitter Manny Ramirez on three pitches) to earn the win and even his record to 3-3 on the year.  Joe Girardi was tossed for arguing balls and strikes, Kevin Youkilis felt threatened by a Chamberlain fastball that sailed behind him and everyone seemed disgusted with home plate umpire Laz Diaz's strike zone. Just a typical night when the Yanks and BoSox get together. The Good:Brett Gardner. The rookie may be on his way to cult hero status. Gardner singled after G.I. Joe got the boot, stole second and scored on Derek Jeter's single to center to slice the Boston lead to 3-2. But the people will remember Gardner for his gritty at-bat against Papelbon in the 10th. Gardner battled back from an 0-2 count and finally delivered a two-out, infield single to send the Yankee faithful home with smiles. The kid is only batting .143 so far, but he's a fighter at the dish. The hits will come. Gardner finished 2 for 5 with a run scored, a stolen base and the game-winning RBI. Robinson Cano. Robbie is continuing his summer surge. Cano ripped a two-run triple to tie the score at 4-4 in the seventh and started the 10th inning with a single to center. Canu batted .287 in June to raise his overall average 24 points and he's hitting .391 so far in July. Keep it up, Robbie. Cano finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and 2 ribbies. Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod got the Yanks on the board in the second with a solo shot to left. It was Rodriguez's 18th homer of the season and tied him with Mickey Mantle for 13th place on the all-time home run list. Rodriguez also started the Yankees two-run seventh with a leadoff single. A-Rod finished 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and a run batted in.  The Bad:David Robertson. I'm not sure why Rob Thompson (Joe Girardi) went to Robertson in the seventh. The Yanks had just moved to within one run at 3-2 and could have gone to Jose Veras or Edwar Ramirez in that situation. They opted for Robertson and he didn't come through. Jeter's throwing error didn't help out matters, but Robertson still gave up an RBI-double to light-hitting Kevin Cash. Robertson's night: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K. The Ugly:His first time. It comes as no surprise, but the Yanks made it official and placed Johnny Damon on the 15- day disabled list with a bruised left shoulder. It's Damon's first visit to the DL in his 13-year career and he probably won't be ready for action after the 15 days. "It could be longer," Cashman said. "I certainly don't want to represent that
he'd be ready in 15 days. It's probably a push." The Yankees called up outfielder Justin Christian to take JD's place. Monday is an off day for the Yanks and they will welcome in the first-place Tampa Bay Rays for a mini-two game set beginning Tuesday night. Scott Kazmir (7-3, 2.63 ERA) will battle Andy Pettitte (9-6, 4.22 ERA). Kazmir had a spectacular May (5-1, 1.22 ERA), including a 5-2 win against the Yanks, but he's been shaky lately. The Kaz has given up 12 hits and seven earned runs in his past 10 innings. The young lefty is 3-3 with a 2.68 ERA in 10 career games against the Yankees. Boston hammered Pettitte for six runs (five earned) in 4 2/3 innings in his last start. Pettitte is 0-2 with an 8.00 ERA in two starts against the Rays this season. But Pettitte is 14-4 with a 3.84 ERA in 24 career appearances against Tampa. Time to take a bite out of that nine game deficit.
It was more exciting that it should have been, but a win is a win. Mike Mussina spun six shutout innings, Brett Gardner contributed with his bat and arm, and Mariano Rivera danced with the devil in the ninth as the Yanks edged the Red Sox 2-1 in the Boogie Down. The Bomber offense continued to spin its wheels, but the Yanks can't really worry about how they win ballgames at this point.  The Yankees handed Rivera a 2-0 lead thanks to a two-out, RBI-single from Melky Cabrera in the second and a sacrifice fly from Gardner in the sixth. A 2-0 lead for Rivera? Turn your sets off, right? Well ... Rivera allowed a leadoff single, hit Manny Ramirez and then Mike Lowell singled to trim the lead to 2-1. Mo then clipped Kevin Youkilis to load the bases with nobody out. But then The Sandman realized just who he was and what the hell was going on. Rivera struck out Coco Crisp, got Jason Varitek to pop to first and ended the drama by K'ing Julio Lugo for his 23rd save in as many chances. What a showman! The Good:
Mike Mussina. It didn't start off well for The Moose. Mussina allowed a single, double, hit a batter and uncorked a wild pitch in the first inning, but escaped without giving up a run. That frame would be the hardest part of Mussina's afternoon. Mussina allowed only two more hits the rest of the day and they both came with two outs. The Yanks aren't giving Mussina any room for error lately (the Bombers have scored a total of five runs in Mussina's past three starts), but he made it stand up and earned his first win against the Red Sox in three chances this season. Mussina improved to 11-6 with this: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 2 hit batsman, 1 WP. Brett Gardner. The rookie is getting more playing time because of the injuries to Hideki Matsui and now Johnny Damon, and he's making the most of his opportunities. Gardner came up big in the first inning when he gunned out Dustin Pedroia at second base. It's hard to predict future events, but J.D. Drew followed with a double and Pedroia would have walked home with the game's first run if not for Gardner. Gardner then delivered what turned out to be the game-winning RBI with a sac fly to left. It wasn't a sexy day in the box score, but Gardner was key Saturday afternoon. Gardner finished 0 for 3 with a run batted in.  Melky Cabrera. The Melk-Man has been feeling the heat and is probably looking over his shoulder, but so far he's responding to the pressure. Cabrera came through with a two-out single to the right side that brought home Jason Giambi (who had a nifty slide at the plate) for a 1-0 Yankee lead. Melky also delivered a single during the Yankees one-run sixth inning and made a snazzy catch on a liner in the fourth. It's been a rough couple of months, but Cabrera is off to a hot July -- he's hitting .357 in four games. Cabrera finished 2 for 4 with an RBI. The Bad:Bobby Abreu. The Yankee offense has been struggling and the team's No. 3 hitter is as guilty as anyone. Abreu batted. 252 in June and isn't off to a hot start so far in July. Bobby picked up two hits in the Yankees 18-7 beating of the Rangers earlier in the week, but he's 3 for his last 23 (.130) and has driven in just two runs in his past eight games. Abreu finished 0 for 3 with a walk. The Ugly:Jose Molina. They don't call them the tools of ignorance for nothing. Molina was drilled right in the nuts with a 90-plus-mile-an-hour heater Monday night against the Rangers and took a shot off the neck on a check swing by Pedroia in the eighth. Both incidents sent Molina sprawling to the ground. The Yanks are carrying three catchers for fear of losing Jorge Posada again, but they may have to worry about Molina if this keeps up. Joba Chamberlain (2-2, 2.22 ERA) will try and give the Yanks the split against knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (5-6, 3.72 ERA) Sunday night. Wakefield is putting together a pretty solid season and has gone at least seven innings in seven straight starts. Wakefield is 9-16 in with a 5.03 ERA in 45 career appearances against the Yankees. Chamberlain lasted only four innings in his last start against the Rangers, but picked up a no-decision. Joba is holding righty batters to a .202 average and is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in three career appearances against Boston. Let's see what the Baby Ace can do against the Red Sox in a starting capacity.
I guess that closed-door meeting didn't help. Darrell Rasner was battered through five and Mike Lowell's three-run shot in the fifth snapped a 3-3 tie as the Red Sox topped the Yanks 6-4 at The Stadium. The Bombers raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first on the strength of an Alex Rodriguez two-run double and a sacrifice fly by Jason Giambi, but it wasn't enough. The Yanks have dropped five of their past six, fallen 9 games back of the Rays and tumbled into fourth place in the AL East.  And if that wasn't bad enough, the Yanks may have lost Johnny Damon for a while. Damon crashed into the left field wall trying to make a catch on a deep drive by Kevin Youkilis in the third inning. JD almost made a spectacular grab (I was listening on the radio at this point and John Sterling had no idea what happened), but the ball popped out of his glove, balanced itself on top of the ledge and then fell back onto the field for a two-run triple. Johnny D left the game with what was later revealed to be a contusion and sprain of the AC joint of his left shoulder. He's listed as day-to-day, but this injury could land Damon on the disabled list for the first time in his career. The Yanks also made a roster move before Friday's game. Billy Traber was called up and infielder Alberto Gonzalez was put back on the Scranton shuttle. And I'll be honest Yankee fans, I missed most of this one because I was stuffing my face with burgers, dogs, spare ribs and other all-American eats. Yeah, I'm a fat-ass. Hence, no roundup. Mike Mussina (10-6, 3.87 ERA) will match up against Justin Masterson (4-2, 3.75 ERA) Saturday afternoon. The 23-year-old Masterson has done an admirable job since becoming a regular starter and is holding righty batters to a .163 average, but he's given up 12 hits, 8 runs and 9 walks in his last 12 innings. This will be his first look at the Yankees. The Moose has dropped his last two decisions, but the Yanks have scored just three runs in those ballgames. The Red Sox bested Mussina twice in April, but that was before The Moose perfected his new pitching style. Still, Mussina should stay away from Manny Ramirez. Manny is a career .280 hitter with nine homers and 24 RBIs against Moose. One win won't erase this recent swoon, but it would sure make me feel a bit better.
The offensive firepower lasted roughly 24 hours. Andy Pettitte didn't have it for the first time in weeks, Derek Jeter made a costly error and Jon Lester spun a complete game five-hitter as the Red Sox whipped the Yanks 7-0 in the Bronx. The BoSox jumped ahead with two runs in the first and two more in the second and coasted to their first victory in six games. The Bombers reverted to their punchless offensive ways just one night removed from an 18-run outburst. The closest the Yanks had to a rally came in the first when they put runners on first and second with nobody out. But Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi both struck out with runners on the corners to end the threat.  The Good:Dan Giese. A Yankee comeback never materialized, but Giese kept the dream alive with some fine relief work. Giese probably won't get another shot in the starting rotation (barring another injury), but he's pitched well coming out of the pen. Giese sports an impressive 0.80 ERA when coming in from behind the center field wall. Giese's night: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K. The Bad:Andy Pettitte. Jeter's error in the first didn't help matters, but the old lefty was off Thursday night. Pettitte labored and had trouble throwing strikes. The Red Sox had at least one runner on base in every inning and Kevin Youkilis' double in the fifth finally knocked Pettitte out of the ballgame. Pettitte has a tendency to follow up a string of great starts with a string of not so-great starts. Let's hope that trend doesn't continue. Pettitte lost for the first time in 10 starts with this: 4.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R (5 earned), 3 BB, 2 K. Derek Jeter. It was a tough night for the Yankee captain. Manny Ramirez hit a ground ball to short in the opening frame for what should have been an inning-ending double play, but DJ's relay throw to first was off the mark. The miscue allowed Dustin Pedroia to score and gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead. Mike Lowell followed with an RBI-single to left and things quickly degenerated from there. Jeter also banged into a double play to snuff out a potential rally in the third. Mama said there'd be days like this. Jeter finished 1 for 3 with a walk. The Ugly:Are things that different? At this point last season, the Yanks were 40-41 and 10.5 games behind the first-place Red Sox. Things looked bleak in 2007, but the Yanks managed to get themselves together and made the playoffs for the 13th straight year. I've been more positive about the Yankees this season, but is my sunny outlook justified? True, three-fifths of the opening day starting rotation is missing (Chien-Ming Wang, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy) and Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and now Hideki Matsui have spent time on the disabled list, and still the Yanks are four games over .500. But they now find themselves 8 games back of Tampa, in third-place and have been playing the kind of baseball usually reserved for mediocre teams. Maybe it's their recent inability to score runs that has given me pause, but I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this team for the first time this season. Darrell Rasner (4-6, 4.42 ERA) and Josh Beckett (7-5, 3.65 ERA) will do battle on Independence Day. Beckett defeated the Yanks twice in April and had a splendid June (2-1, 2.38 ERA in five starts). He's 3-2 with a 5.90 ERA in five career regular season starts at Yankee Stadium. Rasner pitched well in his last start against the Mets, but was tagged with the loss. The Ras is coming off a bumpy June (1-5, 6.47 ERA) and will be making his first appearance against the BoSox. The Yanks need to regain their Powersurge so here's Overkill's classic to help them get back on track. Enjoy!
Hank sure knows how to motivate. Sidney Ponson was awful in his second start, but Jason Giambi drove in six and Alex Rodriguez scored four runs as the Yankees thrashed the Rangers 18-7 at The Stadium. The Bombers unloaded with nine runs in the seventh and followed that with a three-run eighth to bury Texas. It was an orgy of singles, doubles, homers and walks as every Yankee regular finished with at least one hit. Even rookie Brett Gardner got in on the act, picking up his first Major League hit and run batted in with a single to right in the seventh.  The offensive outburst snapped the Yankees mini-malaise at three games. The Good:Jason Giambi. The legend of the mustache continues. The Giambino stepped up to the plate in the third with the bases loaded and the Yanks down 3-1. Not for long. Giambi drilled a 2-1 pitch into the upper deck to give the Bombers a 5-3 lead. With one swing of the bat, Jay Jay equaled the Yankees offensive output in the past three games. But Giambi wasn't done. The Yanks blew a 6-3 lead and trailed 7-6 when Giambi batted with runners on first and second in the seventh. The Giambino laced a double into the left field gap to give the Yanks a lead they would never relinquish. I think it's time the Yanks waive their obviously discriminatory "no beard or long hair" rule and allow Giambi to grow his locks and chops. I'm tellin ya -- he would be an unstoppable offensive force! Giambi finished 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 6 ribbies. Alex Rodriguez. The game was already out of hand, but A-Rod launched career homer No. 535 to cap the Yankees nine-run seventh. It wasn't one of the typical, high-arching boomers that Rodriguez usually hits -- it was a line-shot to the short porch in right. I guess that shows that A-Rod is completely locked in right now. Rodriguez finished 2 for 3 with 2 walks, 4 runs scored and 3 RBIs. Edwar Ramirez. It may get lost in the shuffle of all the runs scored, but Ramirez really gave the Yanks a chance to rally back with two innings of shutdown relief. Edwar had a rough month of June (7.36 ERA), but he looked great in his first July appearance. Keep it up, Urkel. Ramirez picked up the win and upped his record to 2-0 with this: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K.  The Bad:Sidney Ponson. I guess lightning doesn't strike twice. Ponson wiggled out of trouble in his first Yankee start against the Mets and finished with six shutout innings and the victory. That wasn't the case Wednesday night. Ponson zipped through the first two innings, but then the wheels started to fall off. The Arubian Knight couldn't hold on to an early 1-0 lead and then blew a 6-3 lead by giving up two homers in the sixth. Shake it off, Sidney. Ponson was fortunate to pick up a no-decision with this: 5 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 3 BB, 1 K, 2 HR. The Ugly:The end for Godzilla and Frankenstein? Hideki Matsui will be out until at least the All-Star break with that sore left knee. The Yanks had hoped to have Godzilla take batting practice this weekend, but that's not going to happen. "He did some work with the physical therapist and he hasn't
gotten cleared to do anything," Cashman said. "Once the knee calms down, the
swelling gets out of there, he'll start doing some work. But he's not there
yet." Maybe I'm just being a nervous Nancy, but I get the feeling Matsui's season is sitting on a razor's edge. And the season may be over for Shelley Duncan. The Yankee sparkplug separated his shoulder making a diving catch Tuesday night for Scranton. "We're going to deal with some timeframe, it's just a
matter of how long," Cashman said. "That's a lengthy injury. That's all I got right
now." The Red Sox head into the Bronx for a four-game set starting Thursday night. Andy Pettitte (9-5, 3.98 ERA) will go against Jon Lester (6-3, 3.48 ERA). Lester is 3-0 in his past five starts and hasn't lost since May 25 against the Oakland A's. But the young lefty was rocked for six runs and allowed two homers in his last start against the Houston Astros. Lester has had one career start against the Yanks and was ripped for seven runs in 3 2/3 innings. Pettitte was super in June, going 4-0 in six starts with a 3.76 ERA. Andy was won four straight starts and hasn't been on the losing side of the ledger in six weeks. Pettitte is 15-6 with a 3.45 ERA in 27 lifetime appearances against the BoSox. First place may not be on the line this holiday weekend (damn Rays), but I don't think that will diminish the intensity. Do you?
This is madness! Joba Chamberlain, Dan Giese, David Robertson and Jose Veras combined for eight solid innings, but Ian Kinsler doubled off Mariano Rivera to open the ninth, swiped third and then scored on a Michael Young RBI-single as the Rangers outlasted the Yanks 3-2 at The Stadium. Kinsler was a one-man wrecking crew Tuesday night: he banged out two hits, worked out two walks, stole three bases and scored the winning run. The Bomber offense continued to sputter, even though they doubled their run total from Monday night and managed more hits than in their previous two games combined.  This game was also a second-guesser's dream. Chamberlain labored through his four innings and threw 91 pitches, but you could have made an argument for him to go out for the fifth. But the pen pitched well, so that's a moot point. Also, Joe Girardi left David Robertson in to pitch the seventh against the heart of the Ranger offense after the Yanks tied the score in the bottom of the sixth. It was a bit sweaty, but the rookie rewarded his manager's faith in him by putting up a zero. But the biggest head scratcher came in the bottom of the ninth. Wilson Betemit led off with a walk and Alberto Gonzalez came in to pinch-run. Melky Cabrera was up next and I assumed the bunt was on. It wasn't. Melky has been stinking it up at the plate and it was a situation that screamed for a sacrifice. Instead, Melky fell behind 0-2 and eventually bounced into a double play. Frustrating. The Yanks have now dropped three straight and trail the first-place Tampa Rays by 7.5 games. The Good:
David Robertson. When Michael Kay asked Ken Singleton if he was surprised Robertson was in to pitch the seventh, I responded with a "Yes!" out loud to no one. Well, Robertson shut me up by maneuvering through the meat of the Ranger order. It wasn't a clean inning -- in fact, Robertson dodged a few land mines -- but he struck out Young on a nasty curveball, got Josh Hamilton to line out to left and retired David Murphy on a fly ball to center. The performance should give D-Rob confidence the next time he's in a jam. Robertson's night: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB (1 intentional), 3 K. The Bad:Melky Cabrera. The Melk-Man is behind on his deliveries. Cabrera twice came up during Yankee rallies and both times made the final out of the inning. Melky flew out to left with runners on first and second in the fourth and flew out to center with runners on first and second in the sixth. True, both of those situations came with two outs, but sometimes you have to come through with a clutch hit. And Cabrera has been due. He's 0 for his last 18 at-bats and his average has plummeted to .240 on the season. At least there's nothing wrong with Melky's arm -- he gunned out Chris Davis at third in the second inning. Cabrera finished 0 for 4. The Ugly:The Bronx is no place for the wave. Here's the situation: Seventh inning, tie game, Rangers have a runner on second with one and Hamilton, the league's RBI leader, at the plate. The count is 1-2 and the crowd is on their feet. Are they cheering for the strikeout? Negative. They're doing the wave! It was a disgraceful display. I'm ashamed to be a Yankee fan today. Sidney Ponson (5-1, 3.50) will try and avert the sweep and will match up against Luis Mendoza (1-2, 5.40 ERA). Mendoza has worked as both a starter and reliever for the Rangers this season. He's holding right-handers to a .194 average, but southpaws are hitting a robust .417 against him. This is his first look at the Yankees. Ponson started the season as a Ranger, but was let go for disciplinary reasons. The Arubian Knight spun six innings of shutout ball against the Mets in his first start as a Yank last week. Ponson is 8-2 with a 4.82 ERA in 17 career appearances against Texas. Let's see if Ponson can deliver another shocker.
Holding a team to two runs, with this offense, should be enough to win on most nights. Monday wasn't one of those nights. Mike Mussina was a strikeout machine, Alex Rodriguez hit one of the longest home runs you'll ever see from a right-handed batter at The Stadium and Jason Giambi legged out his first triple of the year, but Scott Feldman and friends put the clamps on as the Rangers squeezed by the Yanks 2-1 in the Bronx. The closest the Yanks came to an honest-to-goodness rally came in the second when they put runners on first and second with nobody out. But Jorge Posada flew out and Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera grounded out to end the threat.  Baseball is a game of numbers and here are some to chew on. In the past three games, the Bombers: - have scored five runs
- have a team average of .138
- have four extra-base hits
- are hitting .167 with runners in scoring position
Add it up and they Yanks are lucky to be 1-2 in those games. On a side note: the Yanks sent outfielder Justin Christian to Scranton and called up the speedy Brett Gardner. Brian
has been high on Gardner for a while and even though he went 0 for 3,
he swiped his first Major League base in the fifth inning. The Good:Alex Rodriguez. Yankee Stadium isn't really conducive to right-handed power hitters, but A-Rod is no ordinary power hitter. Rodriguez blasted a shot that bounced deep into Monument Park and went into the left-center field bleachers. The only player that I can remember actually hitting a ball into those bleachers was Juan Encarnacion (off Ramiro Mendoza in, I believe, 1998). I was watching that game with my brother and our jaws nearly hit the floor after his tater. But what was most impressive about A-Rod's shot was that it came on a 74-mile-an-hour curveball. The power generated was all No. 13. Anyway, the dinger was No. 534 for A-Rod, tying him with Jimmie Foxx for 14th place on the all-time home run list. It was also all the offense the Yanks would muster on the night. Rodriguez finished 1 for 3 with a walk, a stolen base, a run scored and an RBI. The Bad:1 through 8. The Rangers came into Monday's action with the American League's worst ERA (4.89), the highest batting average against (.280) and tied for the most hits allowed (822). And what did the Yanks do against this staff? They managed four hits and scored one run for the second straight game. Unacceptable! A-Rod gets a pass since he provided the run, but I'm holding everyone else in the lineup accountable for this loss.  The Ugly:Always wear a cup. Jose Veras entered the game in the eighth and gave up a leadoff double to Michael Young. Josh Hamilton was up next for the Rangers and Jose Molina flashed the signs behind the plate. Nothing out of the ordinary, right? Well, someone didn't remember the progression with a runner on second. Veras threw a fastball and Molina was expecting, well, he was expecting something else. The heater hit him square in the nads. Molina fell like a sack of potatoes as Young advanced to third. But give Molina credit, he went after the ball even though he was in obvious pain. I'm sure he'll be pissing blood tonight. Joba Chamberlain (2-2, 2.03) will try and put the brakes on this mini two-game skid Tuesday night and will battle Kevin Millwood (5-4, 5.08 ERA). Millwood was a disaster in June, giving up 44 hits in 31 innings with a 6.10 ERA, but somehow finished 2-1. But I suppose that's an improvement since his ERA in May was 7.45. Millwood is 1-4 in six career starts against the Yanks. Chamberlain earned his first win as a stater in his last game against the Pirates in Pittsburgh. Joba is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his five starts this season and is holding righties to a .194 average. Time to get that first win in front of the home folks.
On Saturday, the Yanks made the most out of their hits. They couldn't repeat that feat Sunday afternoon. Darrell Rasner held the fort for five innings and Wilson Betemit hit a gargantuan tater in the seventh, but Oliver Perez dominated in his seven innings and the pen finished it off as the Mets snipped the Yanks 3-1 at Shea Stadium. The Bombers managed only four hits on the day, but still had a chance in the ninth. Derek Jeter opened the frame with a single off of closer Billy Wagner with the heart of the order coming up. But Alex Rodriguez just missed a game-tying jack with a fly out to left. Jorge Posada followed with a groundout and Betemit went down looking for the final out of the ballgame.  But the story of the game was Perez. Ollie upped his career mark against the Yanks to 5-1 with seven shutout innings, including eight strikeouts and zero walks. How is this guy just 6-5 with an ERA hovering around 5.00 this season? The Good:Wilson Betemit. Hits and runs were at a premium for the Yanks and Betemit was the offense. Betemit got his first start at second base against the lefty Perez and responded by hitting a titanic solo shot that cleared the bleachers in left. Wil entered the game with a .235 career average from the right side, but he's batting a more respectable .260 this season. It was also his second homer off a left-hander this year. Betetmit finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and the lone RBI. The Bad:David Robertson. I don't want to dump on the newest Yankee reliever (after all, it was his first big-league game), but the rookie gave up a big run in the sixth. Actually, I question why Joe Girardi would go to Robertson in a 2-0 game in the sixth. I guess he wanted to get the kid's feet wet. In any event, Robertson managed to control his fear for the most part, but his wild pitch with runners on first and second was key and turned into a David Wright sacrifice fly. That put the Mets up 3-0. That meant a bloop and blast wouldn't get the job done. Yes, the Yanks managed to move back to that scenario after Betemit's home run, but it still was an important run. Or maybe I'm just being too critical. Robertson's Major League debut went like this: 2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 WP. Melky Cabrera. Another day, another poor offensive showing for Melky. Sure, the Yanks managed only four hits on the day, but Cabrera's struggles at the plate continued. The Melk-Man finished 0 for 11 this weekend at Shea and has seen his average dip to .246 on the season. Melky finished 0 for 3, but reached on an error in the seventh.  The Ugly:Fits and tantrums. Speaking of errors, Jose Reyes continues to show errors in judgment on the field. Melky hit a routine grounder to Reyes for what looked like the final out of the seventh, but Reyes was a bit lazy with his throw and Carlos Delgado had to come off the bag to make the catch. He didn't. The ball tipped off his glove and went into the Mets dugout for a two-base error. The miscue was charged to Reyes, but it was a play Delgado should have made. Reyes' reaction? He stomped around the infield and eventually slammed his glove to the dirt in disgust. Maybe he was upset with his throw (unlikely) or with Delgado's effort. Either way, his behavior was uncalled for and ridiculous. I was watching the game on YES (surprise, surprise) and Michael Kay and Ken Singleton ripped into Reyes. Singleton went as far as saying that that type of reaction wouldn't stand back when he was playing. I wonder if the guys on SNY were as critical. I also wonder how things will go down in the Mets locker room. The Yanks head back to the Bronx for their final homestand before the All-Star break and welcome in the Texas Rangers for a three-game set beginning Monday night. Mike Mussina (10-5, 3.93 ERA) will go on three days rest and locks up against Scott Feldman (1-3, 4.60 ERA). Feldman has been Mr. No Decision lately -- he's 0-2 in his past eight starts. In fact, he hasn't won since spinning six shutout innings in a 4-0 victory over the Oakland A's on May 9. Feldman has made one career appearance against the Yanks and it wasn't a good one. He pitched 1/3 of an inning and gave up three runs on three hits for an 81.00 ERA. The Moose's last start in Pittsburgh was cut short after two innings because of the rainout so he'll get the call instead of Joba Chamberlain. Mussina is a creature of habit and hasn't enjoyed pitching on short rest in the past (4-4 with a 4.95 ERA in 10 starts), but this is the new, improved Mike Mussina. Moose is 4-1 in his past six starts and is 17-12 with a 3.76 ERA in 35 career starts against the Rangers. The second half of the season has officially begun for the Yanks. Let's see what they're made of.
Sometimes you just have to make the most out of your limited opportunities. Andy Pettitte was a bulldog through six, Robinson Cano continued his resurgence with two hits and a ribbie and the bullpen put a bow on things as the Yanks edged the Mets 3-2 in Flushing. The Bombers managed only five hits on the afternoon, but they made them count. Jason Giambi put the Yanks on the board with an RBI-groundout in the fourth inning and Jorge Posada followed with a sacrifice fly to help build a 2-1 Yankee lead.  But the play of the game came in the fifth. The Metropolitans had Damion Easley on first and Jose Reyes at second with two outs and David Wright at the plate. For some reason, Reyes took too many steps off second. I'm not sure if he was stealing third or if he was bluffing or if he was trying to get a better secondary lead. Whatever the case, Pettitte whirled and picked him off at second. Inning over. You can't get into the business of predicting the future, but Wright blasted a homer to left when he resumed his at-bat in the sixth. The Good:Andy Pettitte. The lefty sage continues to impress. Pettitte doesn't have the sexiness of his counterpart Johan Santana, but he held his own in this pitcher's duel. Andy had his scoreless innings streak snapped at 20 when he allowed a solo shot to Ramon Castro in the second inning, but that didn't quell his intensity. The Mets had at least one baserunner in every inning against Pettitte, but No. 46 was able to keep the Blue and Orange at bay. Pettitte also battled through two rain delays -- one at the start of the game and another in the sixth -- and made the play of the game when he picked off Reyes in the fifth (his eighth pickoff of the season). Pettitte won his fourth straight and improved to 9-5 on the year with this: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 K, 2 HR. Robinson Cano. Hits were scarce for the Yanks on Saturday afternoon, but Cano managed to pick up a pair. Robbie's first hit was a little dribbler up the third-base line that went down as an infield hit. Hey, they all look like line drives in the box score, right? But Cano regained his manhood with a clean RBI-single to right in the sixth to extend the Yankee lead to 3-1. Cano is working on a modest six-game hitting streak and is hitting .461 in those games. Glad to have you back, Robbie. Cano finished 2 for 4 with a run batted in.  Jose Veras/Kyle Farnsworth/Mariano Rivera. This seems to be the plan the Yanks want to implement when they have a lead in tight ballgames. They aren't concerned with the Rivera (who would be?), but Veras and Farnsworth are the wild cards. Well, things came up Aces on Saturday. Veras started the bridge to Mo with a scoreless seventh and Farnsworth zipped through the eighth. Then Rivera turned in his 22nd save in as many chances with a 1,2,3 ninth. I love it when a plan comes together. Here's the pen's combined effort: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K. The Bad:Melky Cabrera. I don't want to pick on Melky, but the kid continues to swoon. The Yanks didn't hit well as a team on Saturday (Santana was solid even though he was tagged with the loss), but Cabrera was the only regular who didn't reach base (via a hit or walk) or drive in a run. The Melk-Man hasn't let his offensive struggles carry out into center, but his average has dipped down to .249 on the year. Cabrera finished 0 for 4. The Ugly:
Godzilla is hurting. The Yankees are "cautiously optimistic" that Hideki Matsui's stint on the 15-day disabled list will be just what the doctor ordered and not a precursor to surgery. Matsui had his left knee drained for the second time this season on Friday. "He's been bothered by it, and it's a concern," said general manager Brian
Cashman. "We DL'd him to give it some time to calm down. I think he's running at
about 75 percent now, and hopefully we can get him back to 100 percent." Let's hope so. Darrell Rasner (4-5, 4.50 ERA) will try and give the Yanks the sweep in their final regular season visit to Shea Stadium and will lock up against Oliver Perez (5-5, 5.29 ERA). Perez held the Yanks to two runs through 7 2/3 innings in an 11-2 Mets victory at The Stadium on May 18. But Ollie has given up 16 hits and nine runs in his past 11 innings. Perez is 4-1 with a 2.88 ERA in five career starts against the Bombers. Rasner was battered in his last start against the Pittsburgh Pirates and has had a putrid June. The Ras is 1-4 with a 7.00 ERA in his past five starts. Rasner will also be returning to the scene of the crime. His season was cut short last year at Shea when an Endy Chavez comebacker broke his finger. It's payback time.
Much better. Sidney Ponson twirled six innings of shutout ball, Robinson Cano went deep and drove in three and Bobby Abreu collected four hits and three RBIs as the Yanks pummeled the Mets 9-0 at Shea for a split of the two stadium doubleheader. How dominating was the nightcap for the Bombers? Kei Igawa came in for the ninth and actually put up a zero! It's now obvious that Igawa's role has been defined.  The Good:
Sidney Ponson. What a pleasant surprise! The Yanks really needed someone to give them a shot in the arm after absorbing a drubbing in Game 1 and Ponson was the guy. It wasn't easy and it wasn't necessarily pretty, at least at the beginning, but the Arubian Knight got the job done. The Mets loaded the bases with nobody out in the second, but Sid struck out Pedro Martinez, popped up Jose Reyes and got Luis Castillo to ground out. The encore in the third wasn't as dazzling, but impressive nonetheless. The Metropolitans had the bases juiced with one out and Ponson induced Ramon Castro to tap into the inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. Sid also did the job with the bat: sacrificing Jose Molina to second during the Yanks two-run sixth inning. Ponson picked up his first win in pinstripes and upped his mark to 5-1 this season with this: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 4 BB (1 intentional), 4 K, 1 WP. Bobby Abreu. El Comedulce started to heat up in Pittsburgh and his smokin bat made its way back to New York. Abreu went hitless in Game 1, but went to work in the nightcap. Bobby walked, swiped second and eventually came around to score the Yanks first run of the night on a Cano groundout in the fourth. Bobby kept the good times rolling with an RBI-single in the fifth to give the Yanks a 3-0 advantage and doubled home Derek Jeter in the sixth to pad the lead to 6-0. Abreu eventually capped the Yankee offensive outburst with a two-run single in the seventh. Four innings -- three RBIs and a run scored. Not too shabby. Abreu finished 4 for 4 with a walk, a run scored, 3 runs batted in and 2 stolen bases.  Robinson Cano. Robbie also began swinging a hot wand during the Yankees abbreviated stay in Pittsburgh and he stayed in the zone Friday night. Oh, he can still frustrate, especially when he swings at the first pitch in key situations, but the results were there. Cano came up with the bases full and nobody out in the fourth and gave the Yanks a 1-0 lead with an RBI groundout. Robbie reprised his role in the fifth (this time with one out) and hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Jeter. It wasn't very sexy, but Cano had two ribbies on two swings. Then Cano really dug in and ripped his sixth homer of the year to start off the seventh. It was his only hit of the game, but Canu looks like he's finally locked in. The hits should be coming in bunches now (hopefully). Cano finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and 3 RBIs. The Bad:
Melky Cabrera. Every Yankee regular had at least one hit or scored a run Friday night. All but one. Melky was the guilty party. Cabrera got off to a good start this season, but his average has really dipped in the past two months. The Melk-Man hit .299 with 5 homers in April, but has followed that up with a poor May (.234, one homer) and June (.228, one homer). The falling power numbers don't concern me, but Melky isn't a .230 hitter. Is he? Cabrera finished 0 for 4 with a walk (intentional). The Ugly:Awkward. Johnny Damon looks like he's recovered from his arch problem, but his slide into home in the fifth had disaster written all over it. Damon motored home on an Abreu single to right and (slid? fell? collapsed?) on the dish for the Yanks third run. Nothing JD does on the field would be considered "pretty" by anyone other than his closest and dearest family and friends, but he was lucky he didn't snap an ankle on that play. It will be a battle of lefties on Saturday as Andy Pettitte (8-5, 4.04 ERA) will go against Johan Santana (7-6, 2.93 ERA). These two matched up on May 17 in the Bronx with Santana earning the victory in the Mets 7-4 win. Santana has a 1.87 ERA for June, but that hasn't translated into W's. He's 1-3 in his past five starts and is fresh off of giving up a grand slam to Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez on June 23. Still, Johan is 4-0 in nine regular season games against the Bombers with a 2.98 ERA and posts a 2.05 ERA in 5 lifetime appearances at The Stadium. Pettitte hasn't given up a run in 19 innings and is 3-0 with a 3.89 ERA in June. Andy is also 5-0 in his past seven starts and hasn't lost since that showdown against Johan and the Mets in May. Time for some retribution.
What a horrific display! Dan Giese couldn't regain the magic from his first start, David Wright picked up four hits and drove in three and Carlos Delgado turned the clock back to his salad days in Toronto with two homers and nine runs batted in as the Mets annihilated the Yanks 15-6 in Game 1 of a doubleheader in the Bronx. The Metropolitans banged out 14 hits, worked out 7 walks and also managed to leave 18 runners on base en route to the romp.  The Bombers were actually leading this one 4-3 heading into the fifth, but the Mets scored three runs in the top of the frame and put up five more in the sixth to blow the game wide open. Then the Blue and Orange added insult to injury with a four spot in the eighth. Every Yankee hurler was terrible on Friday afternoon (Giese, Edwar Ramirez, Ross Ohlendorf and LaTroy Hawkins) and gave up at least one run. Disgraceful. I was at "the office" for this one and John and Suzy kept me informed for nearly five innings, but then my workload wrapped itself around my ankle and dragged me down to some great abyss. This happened to coincide with the Yanks pulling the chain on themselves and flushing this game down the toilet. Therefore, I will not round up this atrocity. The Yanks did make some roster moves after the game, however. Hideki Matsui was placed on the disabled list (surprise, surprise) with a sore left knee and Sidney Ponson took his place (also not a surprise since he was slated to start Game 2). And Ross Ohlendorf, fresh off his horrific beating, was banished to Scranton and Kei Igawa (this guy just won't go away!) was called back up. The Big O must have really pissed off the Yankee brass if they believe Igawa can do a better job than he can. And so the Mets sweep the final regular season series between their crosstown rivals at "old" Yankee Stadium. Very sad. Now let's never speak of this again.
The Yanks and Pirates were washed out Thursday night, but my brother and his girlfriend waited until the bitter end. They're diehards! Jen snapped off some more pictures so I thought I'd share. Enjoy!  More rain-soaked shots after the jump!
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That fickle mistress known as Mother Nature reared her ugly head Thursday night. Johnny Damon, Derek Jeter, Bobby Abreu and Alex Rodriguez ripped off four straight extra-base hits in the top of the first to give the Yankees a quick 3-0 lead, but rain halted action after 2 2/3 innings with the Bombers up 3-1. The game will be made up July 10.  Two positives (if you're that type of person) from the game: Johnny Damon returned after missing the past two games and laced a double in his first at-bat. He didn't bust it going around the bases, but he he looked good enough to go. And the Bomber bullpen should be plenty rested come tomorrow's doubleheader. The Yanks head back to New York and begin a four-game set with a doubleheader against the Mets Friday afternoon in the Bronx. Game 1 will match Dan Giese (1-2, 0.64 ERA) against Mike Pelfrey (4-6, 4.30 ERA). Pelfrey has had a solid month of June (2-0, 2.81 ERA) and hasn't dropped a decision since May 26 against the Florida Marlins. This will be his first look at the Yanks. Giese pitched well in his first-ever start against the Cincinnati Reds last week, but was charged with the loss despite not allowing an earned run in his 6 2/3 innings of work. Giese has issued only one walk in 14 innings this season. Game 2 will be played in Flushing and features newest Yankee Sidney Ponson (4-1, 3.88 ERA) going against Pedro Martinez (2-1, 6.57 ERA). Pedro has been inconsistent since coming off the disabled list and was smoked for six runs in 4 1/3 innings in his last start against the Colorado Rockies. Martinez is 11-10 in 31 career starts against the Bombers with a 3.03 ERA. Alex Rodriguez is a career .302 hitter (16 for 53) against Pedro with one homer and four RBIs. Ponson has given up 29 hits in his past 15 innings and is 1-1 with a 6.60 ERA in his past three starts. But he has good career numbers against the Metropolitans -- 1-1 in three starts with a 2.86 ERA. I would be thrilled if the Yanks earn a split.
My brother and his lady are in Pittsburgh this week to catch the Yanks in their road grays. Here are a few shots from Wednesday night's game, captured from Jen's cell phone. My bro rushed her out of the hotel so she forgot her camera, but I think these came out just fine. Enjoy! 
One good beatdown deserves another. Joba Chamberlain earned his first win as a starter, Derek Jeter extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a perfect night at the dish and Robinson Cano collected three more hits as the Yanks leveled the Pirates 10-0 at PNC Park. The offensive assault started in the first with a hard takeout slide at second base by Alex Rodriguez that led to two runs and reached its peak thanks to a three-run bomb off the bat of Bobby Abreu in the sixth -- his second dinger in as many nights.  Ross Ohlendorf and Jose Veras provided shutdown relief as the Yanks moved their record to 20-19 on the road -- becoming only the fifth team in the Majors with a winning mark away from home this season. The Good:Joba Chamberlain. The Yankee phenom is really starting to take to this starter bit. Chamberlain had three 1-2-3 innings during his 6 2/3 innings, but he was most impressive when he found himself in jams. The Pirates opened the second with two straight singles, but Joba worked out of it (with help from Abreu in right, who gunned down Ryan Doumit at the plate for the final out). The Bucs then put runners on first and second with one out in the fifth. No problem. Chamberlain choked off that rally without giving up a run. The final score doesn't indicate it, but those two innings were key moments in the game. The Yanks held a 2-0 lead in the second and a 4-0 lead in the fifth. If Joba gives up a run or two, it could have changed the tenor of the ballgame. Anyway, Joba earned the first of what should be many wins as a starter with this: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 hit batsman. Bobby Abreu. El Comedulce is back! Abreu started off by legging out an infield single in the first and eventually came around to score the Yanks second run. Then Abreu took former Yankee T.J. Beam deep with a three-run shot in the sixth to help put the game away. Bobby capped off his three-hit night with an RBI-double in the eighth to give the Yanks a 9-0 lead and drove in his 50th run of the season in the process. Abreu has had a rough month (.212 average in June heading into tonight's action), but he's starting to heat up. Abreu has six hits in his past 13 at-bats. As sweet as candy, indeed. Abreu finished 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 4 ribbies. Derek Jeter. The Captain is also starting to find his stroke. Jeter helped the Yanks jump ahead early with a booming double in the first and scored the first run of the ballgame. In the fourth, DJ got the green light on 3-0 and launched another two-bagger to give the Yanks a 4-0 lead. It's just a matter of time before Jeter gets his average above .300 (where it belongs). No. 2 finished 3 for 3 with a walk, three runs scored and an RBI.  The Bad:Alex Rodriguez. The Yanks banged out 16 hits on Wednesday night, but only one of those came from A-Rod. Oh sure, his takeout slide at second was key, but he's not on this team to do the grunt work. His job is to drive in runs! Yes, I'm being a complete idiot (more so), but there's really nothing to complain about on this night. Every Yankee regular had at least one hit and even Wilson Betemit picked up a hit after coming in as a late-inning replacement. I think A-Rod can take my good-natured ribbing. Rodriguez finished 1 for 3 with a walk. The Ugly:Two MIAs. Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui both missed their second straight games. Damon is nursing a sore left arch and Godzilla's left knee is still hurting. JD said his injury has improved and he was hoping to start Thursday. Matsui had his ailing knee drained last week and was also trying to shake off a stiff neck. His status isn't clear. Justin Christian is doing a fine job filling in (he went 1 for 4 with a pretty bunt single Wednesday night), but the Yanks really need these guys back in the lineup. Mike Mussina (10-5, 3.93 ERA) will go for the Yanks in the rubber game and will oppose lefty Paul Maholm (5-5, 4.41 ERA). Maholm has had an up-and-down season (2-2 with a 3.26 ERA in April, 1-3 with a 5.92 ERA in May and 2-0 with a 3.58 ERA in June). He's 0-1 with a 5.06 ERA in one career start against the Bombers. The Moose will be pitching in front of the home folks (he was born in Williamsport, PA) and is 1-0 against the Bucs in his one career start. In that start, Mussina scattered five hits, struck out six and spun a complete game shutout. A repeat performance would do just fine.
I guess there's something about the Yankees that brings out the best in NL Central teams. Darrell Rasner was roughed up early and often, the relief work of LaTroy Hawkins and Edwar Ramirez may have been worse and Ryan Doumit and Adam LaRoche combined for six hits, three runs scored and four RBIs as the Pirates tattooed the Yanks 12-5 in Pittsburgh. The Bombers missed some early scoring opportunities, but the final score doesn't even come close to revealing how one-sided this ballgame was as the Bucos churned out 19 hits, nine of which went for extra bases, en route to the rout.  Derek Jeter extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a double in the seventh and Bobby Abreu went deep for the first time since June 8 with a meaningless two-run blast in the ninth. Those were about the only "positive" things to come out of this one. The Yankees have played four games against the Reds and Pirates, two teams that are a combined 72-83 and -93 in run differential, and are 1-3 and have been outscored 21-13. This will not stand. The Good:Robinson Cano. I guess Robbie was one of the few Yanks who realized Monday's off day was over. Cano ripped an RBI-single in the fourth inning to bring the Bombers to within 3-1. Unfortunately, that was as close as the Yankees would get. I've probably speculated at least a dozen times that Canu was about to go on a hot steak. I'll speculate one more time. Cano finished 3 for 4 with a run scored and a ribbie. Justin Christian. Who? The Bombers sent down lefty Billy Traber before Tuesday night's game and called up the 28-year-old outfielder to help spell the ailing Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui. He made the most of it. Sister Christian picked up his first Major League hit with a single in the fourth. Then he popped his RBI cherry by driving in his first two Big League runs with a two-run double to left. It'll be a night the rookie will always remember so I'll forget about the error he made in the outfield. Christian finished 2 for 4 with 2 runs batted in. The Bad:Darrell Rasner. Looks like The Ras is starting to hit the wall. Rasner eked out a win in his last start against the San Diego Padres despite walking a season-high five in five innings. Well, he didn't walk any Pirates on Tuesday night, but he made up for it by allowing a career-high 10 hits through five. Rasner put the Yanks behind the eight ball early by giving up two runs in the first and never settled down after that. Darrell was a sparkling 3-1 with a 1.80 ERA in May, but so far in June he's 1-4 with a 7.18 ERA. Not good. But Rasner did work out two walks in his two plate appearances. Could a start at DH be in the cards? I'm kidding of course. Rasner dropped to 4-5 with this: 5 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 2 HR.  LaTroy Hawkins. The Hawk has been shuffled to the back of the bullpen deck, but he was called upon in the sixth with the Yanks trailing 7-3. It wouldn't stay that way. Hawkins managed to put up a zero in his first inning of work, but was charged with four runs before getting the hook with two outs in the eighth. On a positive note, LaTroy threw 49 pitches so it's a good bet he won't be used for the rest of the series. Hawkins' night: 2.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 0 K. Edwar Ramirez. I'm not sure why Joe Girardi went to Edwar with two outs in the eighth and the Yanks down 9-3. Sure, Hawkins was bad and was definitely out of gas (if he ever had any to begin with), but it seemed like a strange situation to bring in the lanky right-hander. Anyway, Ramirez inherited a first and second situation and didn't get the job done. He looked out-of-sorts from the get go and when the final out was recorded the Pirates increased their lead to 12-3. They were meaningless runs in a lopsided game, but Edwar needs to find his chi if he expects to be in there when the games count. Ramirez's line: .1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K. The Ugly:Are you serious? The Yanks definitely need reinforcements in the starting rotation, but I'm not sure they want to go down this route. Seems like Carl Pavano (remember him?) may be ready to actually pitch come August. Yes, this August. The oft-injured Pavano is recovering from last season's Tommy John surgery and is snapping off curves from a mound. How bout that? Brian neatly summed up probably every Yankee fans' feelings on Pavano here. And I successfully baited him with a smart-ass comment in the comment section. I doubt Pavano will factor into anything this season, but you can't predict baseball. But GM Brian Cashman didn't seem too interested in Pavano pitching for the Yanks this season. "I haven't asked, but it's possible," Cashman said. Doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement. Joba Chamberalin (1-2, 2.36 ERA) will be gunning for his first win as a starter Wednesday night and will go up against Zach Duke (4-4, 3.91 ERA). Joba pitched well in his last start against the Padres, but came away with another no-decision. Chamberlain has a 2.45 ERA in four starts this season and sports a 1.53 ERA on the road. The Duke is 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in his past four starts and is holding lefties to a paltry .213 average this season. This will be his first look at the Yanks. Time to snap out of this NL Central funk.
Pitcher vs. Batter. Seems pretty straight forward, doesn't it? Not when the Staten Island Yankees and Brooklyn Cyclones get together. In case you missed it, ambidextrous Yankees Single-A pitcher Pat Venditte and switch-hitting Ralph Henriquez danced a little dance on Sunday. Here's the clip. Enjoy!
There may be a lot of wear and tear on the elbow, but the ol' lefty still knows how to win. Andy Pettitte was splendid through six, Jason Giambi collected three hits and drove in two and Mariano Rivera nailed down his 21st save of the season as the Yanks bested the Reds 4-1 to avert the sweep. It took the Bombers a while, but they finally broke through against Cincinnati pitching with a run in the fifth on a Robinson Cano sacrifice fly and three more in the sixth on back-to-back doubles by Giambi and Jorge Posada to secure the victory.  The Good:Andy Pettitte. The Yanks entered play on Sunday riding a mini two-game losing streak and had their best "stopper" on the hill. Michael Kay gave the stat on YES and in case you missed it I'll regurgitate it for you. Pettitte is 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA this season when given the assignment to prevent a sweep. The lefty breezed through the first three innings and then wiggled out of a bases loaded, one out jam in the fourth by striking out Joey Votto and Jay Bruce. Rain halted action for nearly an hour after the sixth, but I think Pettitte was out of gas at that point, anyway. Pettitte extended his scoreless inning streak to 19 innings and picked up his third straight win. Pettitte moved to 8-5 with this: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 hit batsman. Jason Giambi. The big guy's mustache looked thicker and darker for some reason on Sunday ( Just for Men? Is it a fake?) and that translated to a perfect afternoon at the plate. Giambi singled in the fifth and came around to score the first run of the ballgame on Cano's sac fly. It was first time the Yanks held the lead in this series (how sad is that?). Then the Giambino delivered the death blow with an opposite field double just past the reach of Norris Hopper to stretch the Yankee lead to 3-0 in the sixth. Jay Jay rounded it up with a broken-bat single in the eighth. Giambi also made a nice throw to Derek Jeter on an Andy Pettitte pickoff in the fifth and swiped second in the second inning. There's nothing he can't do with that 'stache! Giambi finished 3 for 3 with 2 runs scored, 2 ribbies, a HBP and a stolen base. Mariano Rivera. I know he's just a man, but he sure doesn't pitch like one. Rivera came into the game with a runner on second and two outs in the eighth. No problem -- he endued pinch-hitter Jose Valentin to hit back to the box. Things got a little interesting in the ninth -- the Reds brought the tying run to the plate with no outs -- but I never felt like Mo was going to blow it. Sure enough, The Sandman didn't disappoint. A fielder's choice, a strikeout and another grounder back to the box and the ballgame was over. Rivera has now converted on 21 of 21 save opportunities this year. Amazing. Rivera's line: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. The Bad:Kyle Farnsworth. There's no shame in giving up a home run to Ken Griffey Jr. (I mean the guy has gone deep a few times in his career), but it was the 10th gofer ball Farnsworth has given up in 34 innings this year. That's just too damn many -- especially if you're being counted on to pitch late in games. It didn't get any better for Kyle. Brandon Phillips came up next and smashed a ball that Farnsworth deflected with his bare hand. It ricocheted to Alex Rodriguez, but his throw was wild and Phillips went to second on the error. But that wasn't the worst of it. Farnsworth left the game holding his hand. Turns out all Farnsy needed were some stitches and he doesn't expect to miss any time. And as much as it pains me to write, the Yanks need Farnsworth in the pen. Maybe not as the eighth inning bridge, but they do need him. Farnsworth's afternoon: .2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HR.  The Ugly:The Baby Kid. I guess some grudges just never die. Ken Griffey Jr. was asked about his favorite Yankee Stadium moment since this is probably his last trip to the ol' girl. His response? "My favorite Yankee Stadium memory? It's
leaving Yankee Stadium." Griffey has yet to forgive Billy Martin for yelling at him when his pop Ken Sr. was a member of the Yanks. Who cares that it was Billy Martin and not the Bombers organization that wouldn't allow Junior Griffey to run on the field when he was a lad. Or that the former Yankee skipper has been dead for nearly 20 years? Grow up, Ken. You're not a Kid anymore. Monday is an off day as the Yanks head to Pittsburgh to take on the Pirates in a three-game set beginning Tuesday night. It will be the Bombers first visit to the Black and Gold City since Bill Mazeroski's game-winning homer in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series. I wasn't around back then, but ask any old-time Yankee fan about that Series and I'm sure you'll get a profanity-laced recap. Game 1 will feature Darrell Rasner (4-4, 3.64 ERA) against Tom Gorzelanny (5-6, 6.59 ERA). Gorzelanny has had a tough season, but June has been his best month so far (and that's not saying much: he's 1-1 with a 5.11 ERA). He picked up a no-decision in 5-4 Yankee victory last season in the Bronx, giving up four runs in 6 1/3 innings. Rasner snapped a personal four-game losing skid in his past start against the San Diego Padres, but he sports a 5.57 ERA on the road this season. My brother is going to be in Pittsburgh for the Wednesday and Thursday games. I may get some pictures from PNC Park, but my brother and I are very similar -- absent minded and lazy. His girlfriend may be my best bet to get some snapshots. Help me Jen. You're my only hope.
What started out as a pitchers' duel turned into a disaster. Dan Giese looked good until his arrant throw led to four runs, his counterpart Daryl Thompson put up zeros through five in his Major League debut and his bullpen mates contributed with four innings of shutdown relief as the Reds blanked the Yanks 6-0 in the Bronx. Is this 2008 or 1976?  Giese was impressive in his first big-league start and seemed poised to breeze through the seventh without giving up a run when he fielded a comebacker with a runner on first. But his throw to second was wide and pulled Robinson Cano off the bag. Instead of two outs and nobody on, the Reds had runners on first and second and no outs. Alex Rodriguez had a chance to pick up Giese on the next batter, but he missed the tag on a potential double play grounder and only recorded one out. A-Rod may have had a better chance to pull off the twin-killing if he went to second instead of trying to nab Ken Griffey Jr. running toward third. Hindsight is always 20/20, I guess. Anyway, Giese eventually gave up a two out, two-run single to Edwin Encarnacion and picked up the tough-luck loss. Still, it was a solid outing and Giese will get another chance to impress. The loss was the second straight for the Bombers and they have been held to just two runs in the first two games of this three-game set. The Good:Derek Jeter. The Yanks only picked up seven hits on the afternoon and Jeter had two of them. DJ's single in the third extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Jeter is still hitting well below his career average of .316, but he's due to heat up. The Captain is a career .336 hitter in July and has a lifetime average of .322 in the second half. Jeter finished 2 for 5. The Bad:Jose Veras. The Yanks were down 2-0 when Veras entered the game in the seventh, but the righty reliever couldn't keep the Reds in check. Corey Patterson, not really known for his stick, blasted a two-run bomb off Veras to give Cincinnati a 4-0 lead. You could almost feel the air being taken out of the Yankee balloon after that hit. Veras has been great in June (2-0, 1.93 ERA coming in), but he didn't get the job done Saturday afternoon. Veras' line: .1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR.  Billy Traber/Ross Ohlendorf. The Yankee offense provided little fight after falling behind 4-0, but the Traber-Ohlendorf tandem didn't help on their end. Traber started things off by allowing two one-out singles and Ohlendorf finished it off by allowing those runners to score. On paper, Traber's herky-jerky motion should be hard for lefties to pick up, but it just hasn't translated on the field. Ohlendorf throws hard, but can't seem to throw strikes and when he does, they are usually straight as an arrow. Frustrating. Traber's day: .1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 0 K. Ohlendorf's deceiving vitals: .2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K. The Ugly:Missed opportunities. The Yanks had a chance to blow this game open early on, but couldn't capitalize on their scoring chances. The Bombers loaded the bases in the second inning thanks to a leadoff double by A-Rod, an infield hit by Hideki Matsui and a Jason Giambi walk. Thompson was on the verge of mental and physical breakdown, especially after failing to cover first on Matsui's grounder to first baseman Joey Votto. But the rookie right-hander struck out Jorge Posada, popped up Cano on the first pitch and struck out Melky Cabrera to escape unscathed. The Yanks mounted another threat in the third when Johnny Damon led off with a walk and Jeter followed with a single. But Thompson got Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez and Godzilla to fly out to every corner of the outfield for another scoreless inning. Sometimes you have to give credit to the pitcher (they're getting paid, too), but the Yanks should be embarrassed that a kid making his first-ever start (in Yankee Stadium no less) turned them away like that. Unacceptable! Andy Pettitte (7-5, 4.29 ERA) will try and avert the sweep and will do battle against rookie Johnny Cueto (5-7, 5.19 ERA). Cueto was impressive in his first big-league start, striking out 10 Arizona Diamondbacks and earning a win in a 3-2 victory. But he's dropped two in a row, has walked 11 batters in his past 12 innings and has given up 18 gofer balls so far this season. Pettitte hasn't lost since May 17 against the Mets and owns a 0.60 ERA with 15 strikeouts in his past two starts. He's 3-3 in nine career starts against the Reds with a 4.05 ERA. Remember guys, this isn't the Big Red Machine of '76 you're facing. Oh, and for all you basketball junkies out there, Arin It Out is holding a Mock NBA Draft Contest. The winner gets $50. If you possess the power of second-sight (or think you do), give it a whirl.
You can't win 'em all, I guess. Mike Mussina was good, but Edinson Volquez was better and Jolbert Cabrera and Joey Votto combined for seven hits and three RBIs as the Reds slipped by the Yanks 4-2 at The Stadium. This was a well-played game on both sides for the most part, but Johnny Damon's blunder on a fly ball to open the fifth proved costly. It goes down as a double in the box score, but Damon should have had it. Hey, these things happen. Cincinnati would score three runs in the frame, capped by an inventive slide at home plate by Cabrera for the Reds fourth run.  The loss snaps the Yankees winning ways at seven. The Good:Robinson Cano. I almost wasn't going to give Robbie the nod since he made a lazy error in the fourth, but he did pull the Yanks to within 4-2 with an RBI-single in the seventh. The Yankee Universe is still waiting for Cano to start hitting in spades and maybe his two-hit Friday night is the genesis. It has to happen soon, doesn't it? Cano finished 2 for 3 with a run batted in. The Bad:Bobby Abreu. The offense is starting to round into shape so this has flown a bit under the radar, but Abreu is struggling at the dish. Bobby leads the Yanks in RBIs with 44, but he's hitting just .205 in the month of June. He hit .330 in May. Time to start turning things around, Bob. Abreu finished 0 for 4. The Ugly:Polls are stupid. Derek Jeter was voted as the most overrated player in the Majors in a Sports Illustrated survey of 495 big leaguers. DJ came in at No. 1 with 10% of the vote, followed by Barry Zito with 9% and Alex Rodriguez and J.D. Drew finished tied for third with 7%. Ridiculous. I'm not a huge fan of polls or lists or surveys. Sometimes they are fun, but most of the time they are done just to get a reaction. They get the blood boiling and before you know it, people are arguing about something that can't be proven right or wrong. But it's amazing to me that Jeter's peers would think of him as overrated when he plays hard every day and has had a tiny bit of success during his career. Go figure. Anyway, to show how stupid these surveys can sometimes be, SI asked the same MLB players this question last week: "Among current major leaguers, which player would you pick to build a team around?" A-Rod came in first with 14% and Jeter came in second with 12%. It's a battle of the unknowns Saturday afternoon at The Stadium. Dan Giese (1-1, 1.23 ERA) makes his first career start and will go against another virgin -- rookie right-hander Daryl Thompson (0-0, 0.00 ERA). Giese is filling the void left by Chien-Ming Wang (for now) and has pitched well in his limited duties as a reliever. Giese pitched 2/3 of an inning against the Reds (during his stint last season with the San Francisco Giants) and gave up a homer to someone (my research proved futile) for a 13.50 ERA. This will be Thompson's first sniff of the big leagues. He was 3-0 with a 3.25 ERA in four starts at Triple-A (that's the Louisville Bats if you're interested) and 3-2 with a 1.76 ERA for the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts this season. Time to start a new streak.
Who said stealing was a crime? Joba Chamberlain was stellar until he was removed when his pitch count struck 100, Melky Cabrera swiped two bases and scored a run and the bullpen brought it on home as the Yanks edged the Padres 2-1 on a gorgeous afternoon in the Boogie Down. The Bombers completed the sweep of the Padres and picked up their lucky seventh win in a row.  Runs were at a premium Thursday afternoon and the Yankees proved they could squeeze 'em out even when limited to a fistful of hits. Jose Molina drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth and Alex Rodriguez singled in the go-ahead (and eventual winning) run in the sixth after Derek Jeter singled, stole second and advanced to third on a Bobby Abreu ground out. You don't have to be flashy to win ballgames as the Yanks finished the day with four stolen bases and took eight total in the three-game set. I was at work for this one, but John and Suzy kept me in the know so I'll round this puppy up. The Good:Joba Chamberlain. I thought it was foolish to move Joba from the pen to the rotation (and I stand by my theory), but that switch is paying dividends right now. With Wang out and the fifth starter job up in the air, the Yanks need Chamberlain to cement his role. And so far, so good. Chamberlain started hot, striking out the first two batters en route to an easy first inning. Things got hairy in the second, however, as Adrian Gonzalez singled, Chase Headley doubled and then Tony Clark walked to open the frame. But Joba dug deep and escaped the bases loaded, nobody out jam with no runs as he recorded two strikeouts and tagged out Gonzalez on a nifty block of the plate when a pitch skipped away from Molina. Again, I didn't "see" Joba's performance, but it sounded like he was in total control. The only downer was that Joe Girardi pulled the kid with two outs in the sixth. You can't predict the future, but Joba was one batter away from qualifying for his first win as a starter. Next time. Chamberlain's no-decision: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 9 K.  Melky Cabrera. The Melk-Man returns! Well, sort of. Melky has been struggling at the plate (.222 average during June heading into today's action) and he went hitless, but he made up for it with his eye and his legs. Cabrera drew a one-out walk in the fifth and promptly took second and third and eventually scored the tying run on Molina's sac fly. The hits can't be far behind, right? Cabrera finished 0 for 2 with a walk, a run scored and 2 stolen bases. Mariano Rivera. They say time waits for no man, but Rivera may be the exception to the rule. The Sandman's resume speaks for itself, but he may be putting together his best season ever. Yeah, that sounds ridiculous since we're only in June and he's had some fantastic years, but the guy looks otherworldly in 2008. Rivera mowed down San Diego in the ninth for his 20th save in 20 opportunities this season. Rivera's afternoon: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K. The Bad:Jason Giambi. The Yanks only managed five hits on the day and five starters clocked in 0'fers, but the Giambino pulled off the hat trick. Jay Jay struck out in all three of his at-bats Thursday (but reached on a hit-by-pitch in the fourth). I hope this doesn't mean the mustache is history. Giambi finished 0 for 3 with the 3 whiffs. The Ugly:Fluid drained. Hideki Matsui and the Yanks are downplaying his barking left knee, but I don't like what's going on one bit. Godzilla had the knee drained of fluid on Wednesday and said he was available to pinch-hit today. Girardi said Matsui would have played if Thursday's game was at night so that's a good sign. Still, I'm feeling paranoid with the rash of injuries the Yanks have had this year. I hope this thing doesn't linger. The Yanks will welcome in the Cincinnati Reds for a weekend set beginning Friday night. Mike Mussina (10-4, 3.87 ERA) will face phenom Edinson Volquez (9-2, 1.64 ERA). Volquez has been a shining light for the Reds after coming over in a trade with the Texas Rangers. Eddie has recorded 105 strikeouts in 88 innings this season and is holding righty batters to a paltry .153 average. The Moose has four wins in his past five starts and has held Ken Griffey Jr. to a .156 average in 45 career at-bats. Should be a good one.
The winning continues. Darrell Rasner snapped a personal four-game losing skid, Alex Rodriguez went deep for the fourth straight game and Mariano Rivera notched his 19th save of the year as the Yanks stopped the Padres 8-5 at The Stadium. Johnny Damon and Wilson Betemit contributed with three hits apiece to help lead the Bombers to their sixth straight victory.  And I must be honest with you gentle reader, I missed most of this contest. I met some friends for what seems to be a once-a-week gathering for drink and food and that means I don't walk through the door until after 11 o'clock in the p.m. (if I'm lucky and catch the early train). But this game was delayed for a little over an hour because of rain, so I walked in just in time to catch Kyle Farnsworth give up a solo homer to Chase Headley -- the youngster's first career jack. Luckily, it didn't factor into the final score. And if you didn't hear, the Yanks made a move on the pitching front. New York signed Sidney Ponson to a minor league deal on Wednesday. The Texas Rangers waived Ponson on June 6 because of disciplinary problems. He must have been a real pain in the ass because his numbers were pretty solid for Texas -- 4-1 with a 3.88 ERA. Ponson pitched briefly with the Yanks in 2006 and went 0-1 with a hefty 10.47 ERA. "I just think it's an obvious move," Cashman said. I don't know about that, but I suppose it can't hurt to give Ponson a shot. And the injury bug bit the Yanks again on Wednesday. Hideki Matsui missed tonight's game with inflammation in his left knee. Godzilla had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee after the 2007 season, but said that the current soreness isn't as serious. Let's hope so. The Yanks will go for the sweep on Thursday afternoon. Joba Chamberlain (1-2, 2.48 ERA) will go against right-hander Josh Banks (2-0, 1.29 ERA). Chamberlain pitched well in his last start against the Houston Astros, but picked up a no-decision in the Yanks 2-1 victory. He's still gunning for his first win as a starter. Banks has made two career appearances against the Bombers (0-0, 4.50 ERA). Banks is holding lefty batters to a .217 average this season. Is a lucky seven in a row in the cards for the Yanks?
Summer is almost here and it looks like the boys in pinstripes are finally hitting their stride. Andy Pettitte was terrific for the second straight start, Jason Giambi cranked two homers and Alex Rodriguez added another as the Yanks stomped the Padres 8-0 in the Bronx. This one was over early as the Bombers picked up two runs in the second, five in the fourth and added one more for good measure in the eighth. The Yanks have now won five in a row, 10 of 13 and moved five games over .500 for the first time this season.  The Good:Andy Pettitte. The loss of Chien-Ming Wang means that everyone else on the pitching staff needs to step up and the cagey lefty did his part on Tuesday night. The Padres were overmatched almost from the get-go and their only threat (as it were) came in the seventh when they put runners on first and second with one out. But by then Pettitte and Co. were up 7-0. A-Rod and Melky Cabrera made some sparkling plays in support of Pettitte and the old vet was a strikeout machine as he matched his season-high in K's with nine. Nice work, No. 46. Pettitte improved his record to 7-5 on the season and passed Ron Guidry for fourth place on the all-time Yankee win list with his 171st in pinstripes. Andy's night: 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K, 1 WP. Jason Giambi. The big guy just keeps on mashing. Giambi's solo shot to right gave the Yanks a 2-0 advantage in the second and his two-run bomb in the fourth extended the lead to 4-0. The Giambino now has 17 homers on the year, which ranks him second in the American League. Jay Jay also upped his season average to .268 with his two-hit night. Keep on keepin on, Jason. Giambi finished 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBIs. Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod got the offense off and running when he led off the second inning with his 13th homer of the year. Rodriguez had a good night at the plate, but he really impressed with his play in the field. A-Rod made a pretty backhanded stop on a grounder at deep third in the sixth, planted his feet and, with one foot in foul territory, gunned out Edgar Gonzalez at first. Rodriguez made another nifty play down the line in the eighth as he flagged the grounder and then delivered a jump pass to Wilson Betemit (who made a snazzy scoop) to nab Adrian Gonzalez at first. I guess it was a bad night to be a Gonzalez. Rodriguez finished 2 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI.  The Bad:Melky Cabrera. Oh, Melky, Melky, Melky. The Yanks have put up 21 runs in the past two games and you have zero hits to show for it. The Melk-Man was the only regular who failed to tally a hit on Tuesday night. It wasn't all bad, however, as Melky made a diving catch to end the fourth inning. Still, it would be nice to see Cabrera contribute offensively. Melky finished 0 for 4. The Ugly:Sloppy seconds. San Diego's Craig Stansberry had a rough night at second base Tuesday night. His error in the fourth on a potential inning-ending double play helped the Yanks score three more runs during the frame. Stansberry actually botched another potential DP on the very next batter, but managed to get the force out at second base and was spared another error. But for good measure, Stansberry managed to pick up that second error in the seventh when he bobbled a weak ground ball off the bat of Hideki Matsui. Stansberry hasn't seen a lot of action at second base for the Padres this season and his performance Tuesday night might be a reason why. The Yanks made a roster move before Tuesday's game. Wang was placed on the disabled list and lefty reliever Billy Traber was called up from Scranton. Traber started the year as the only lefty in the pen, but was sent down after lefties batted a sizzling .375 against him. Now he's back to reprise that roll (the roll as the lone lefty reliever that is, not left-handed batting practice pitcher). Traber jumped right back into the fray Tuesday and retired lefty Adrian Gonzalez (even though it was because of a great play by A-Rod). Let's see how long Billy can stick around this time. Darrell Rasner (3-4, 3.64 ERA) will look to bounce back from a poor performance in Oakland and will go against last season's National League Cy Young Award Winner Jake Peavy (5-3, 2.64 ERA). Rasner has dropped four straight decisions after starting out 3-0, but he's pitched well at home. The Ras sports a 2-1 record in the Bronx with a 1.71 ERA. This will be his first look at San Diego. Peavy came back from a stint on the DL last week and held the Los Angeles Dodgers scoreless through six innings in a 9-0 San Diego victory. Peavy is holding righty batters to a .180 average this season and is 0-1 with a 1.50 ERA in his lone career start against the Yanks. This will be his first visit to Yankee Stadium. Let's make it a bad one.
The news came in Monday afternoon and it wasn't good. Chien-Ming Wang was diagnosed with a mid-foot sprain of the Lisfranc ligament of the right foot and a partial tear of
the peroneal longus tendon of the right foot. The Yankee ace will be in a protective boot for at least six weeks.  "This is a significant one, there's no doubt about it," Yankees general
manager Brian Cashman told WFAN."Hopefully while he gets through the healing
process and the rehab process, we can give him some purpose to get back to help
us like he did in '05, when he missed a significant portion of time in the
second half with a shoulder injury. It's up to us to make sure that he's coming
back for a reason." I seriously doubt Wang will be back this season. Brian Bruney also injured the Lisfranc joint in his right foot earlier this year and may rejoin the Yanks in late July. If he does and is effective, then maybe there's a possibility that The Wanger could do the same, but my gut instinct tells me it won't happen. But I'm not a doctor and I hope I'm dead wrong. So, now what? It's not like you can search the waiver wire and replace your No. 1 starter. The short-term solution could be Dan Giese or Jeff Karstens. Giese has been solid since being called up and was a starter in the minors. Karstens is back from a groin injury that sidelined him during spring training and pitches tonight for Scranton, which lines him up for Wang's spot on Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds. Then there's always Kei Igawa (heaven help us). As for the long term, the sexy choice floating around would be to trade for C.C. Sabathia. I'm not sure what it would take to bring C.C. from Cleveland (or if the Indians are ready to unload the big guy), but I'll bet dollars to donuts that the two teams will be in heavy discussions in the coming weeks. The other guys immediately mentioned were free agent Freddy Garcia, who had rotator cuff and labrum surgery last August, and Brad Penny. Peter Gammons reported on ESPN Insider that the Dodgers were talking about sending Penny to the Yanks for Robinson Cano, but Penny was scheduled to undergo an MRI on his aching right shoulder Monday. It doesn't look like he'll make his next start. And then there's the dream scenario (other than Wang magically waking up and feelin fine tomorrow) where Ian Kennedy and/or Phil Hughes recover from their injuries, pick up the slack and pitch the way the Yanks envisioned they would at the beginning of the year. Man, that would be sweet. One thing's for sure, no one is going to feel sorry for the Yanks. Management and the team's baseball "people" will have some serious decisions to make if the Bombers are going to survive Wang's injury. Heads may be down in Yankee Land today, but remember fans: What does not kill me, makes me stronger.
I guess nothing will come easy this season. Chien-Ming Wang scattered six hits through five before leaving with an injury, Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada went deep and the bullpen pitched four innings of one-hit ball as the Yanks torched the Astros 13-0 to sweep the weekend series in Houston. Roy Oswalt and Wang traded zeros for nearly three innings, but the Bombers broke through in the third on Posada's bases loaded walk and Robinson Cano's shattered-bat, two-run single to give the Yanks a 3-0 lead. Then they kicked down the door by scoring eight runs with two outs in the sixth to put the game away.  The Bombers finished the six-game road trip with an impressive 5-1 mark and have won 9 of their past 12 games, but the Wang injury casts a bit of a shadow on the positive vibes. Wang said he suffered the injury rounding third base, but he went in standing up at second on a Johnny Damon infield single earlier in the sixth inning. It was an awkward play and any other runner would have slid in that situation, but Wang would have probably done more damage if he hit the dirt. In any event, Wang turned up lame rounding third on a two-run, RBI-single by Derek Jeter. Hopefully, it's nothing serious, and the Yanks will have an MRI performed on Monday in New York, but Joe Girardi doesn't expect Wang to make his next start. Wang earned the win and moved to 8-2 on the season. The Good:Jorge Posada. Jorgie got the Yanks on the board in the third with a gritty two-out at-bat. Posada battled back from a 1-2 count, took a close pitch on 2-2 and eventually worked out a walk with the bases juiced to give the Yanks a 1-0 lead. It may sound ridiculous to say that a bases loaded walk was a big play in a 13-0 final, but if Oswalt gets that call the inning is over and who knows how the rest of the game works out. Posada also capped the Yankee scoring in the sixth with a two-run bomb to give the Yanks an 11-0 lead. Jorgie was perfect on the day and finished 2 for 2 with 3 walks, a run scored and 3 RBIs. Alex Rodriguez. The reigning MVP did it with the stick and the glove on Sunday. A-Rod launched his 12th round-tripper of the season in the sixth to extend the Yankee lead to 9-0. Rodriguez knew he got all of it off the bat, but I'll be honest, I didn't think it was going out. A-Rod probably hits the highest homers in the league and those have a tendency to fool me. Oh, well, I'm an idiot. Rodriguez also made a nice diving stop with runners on the corners and two outs to snuff out a Houston rally in the third. A-Rod finished 2 for 4 with a walk, 3 runs scored and 3 runs batted in. Robinson Cano. Everyone is waiting for the Yankee second baseman to bust out and maybe his two hit day on Sunday does the trick. Cano didn't really tear the cover off the ball on his first base hit and his second one just stayed inside the chalk down the third base line, but two hits are two hits. Robbie also worked out a bases loaded walk in the eighth. C'mon Canu -- time to get hot. Cano finished 2 for 4 with a walk, a run scored and 3 RBI.  The Bad:Melky Cabrera. It never fails. No matter how many runs are scored there's always one guy who fails to get into the act. Melky was that guy on Sunday. The Yanks banged out 15 hits, but Cabrera didn't lay claim to any of them. It wasn't a total loss for Melky -- he drove in the final run on a ground out in the eighth. If Melky was hitting higher than .258 on the year, I may have been able to let his 0'fer slide. I'm firm, but fair. The Melk-Man finished 0 for 5 with an RBI and 2 strikeouts. The Ugly:I can hit with my eyes closed. Roy Oswalt was lit up for seven runs through 5 2/3 innings on Sunday, but he went 2 for 2 at the plate. It's a good thing there aren't style points in baseball because Oswalt looked like me on his second single. Oswalt was out in front, reached for the ball and with his eyes snapped shut, stroked a base hit to center. The slow motion replay captured the "fluid" swing in all its glory. Good stuff. The Yanks are off on Monday as they head back to the Bronx and prepare to take on the San Diego Padres for a three-game set beginning Tuesday night. Randy Wolf (5-4, 3.83) will go against Andy Pettitte (6-5, 4.64 ERA) in the opener. Wolf has put together a solid season for the underachieving Pads and hasn't lost since May 17 against the Seattle Mariners. He's 3-0 with a 1.75 ERA in his past five starts. Pettitte was brilliant in his last start against the Oakland A's and is 3-1 with a 2.74 ERA in four career starts against San Diego. Don't look now, but the Yanks could be in the middle of the hot run everyone has been waiting for.
The Captain may not be having a spectacular season, but he still knows how to get the big hits. Joba Chamberlain turned in six solid yet turbulent innings, Derek Jeter broke the stalemate with a solo jack in the eighth and Kyle Farnsworth picked up his first save of the season (yep, you read right) as the Yanks squeaked past the Astros 2-1 in Houston. So far, so good for the Bombers on this six-game trip as they've taken three of the first four and moved two games over .500. The Yanks also remained entrenched in third place in the AL East, six games behind the Boston Red Sox.  It's been a while and I'm not sure if I remember how to do this, but I'm going to jump right into the pool and round this bad boy up. The Good:Jose Veras. Chamberlain held the Astros to just one run through six, but Veras had the more impressive outing. For me, at least. Veras entered the game in the seventh with the score knotted at 1-1 and just blew past the Houston lineup. His most dominant inning came in the eighth when he retired Miguel Tejada, Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee in order without breaking a sweat. Veras definitely has the stuff to be the eighth inning bridge to Mariano Rivera and a few more outings like this may make that a reality. Veras was rewarded for his effort as he picked up his first of the season with this: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K. Derek Jeter. The Cap'n hasn't been hitting at his usual .300 clip yet this season, but there's still no one on the Yanks I'd rather have up with the game on the line. Oh sure, this wasn't a "do or die" type situation or game, but it would have been a bit of a letdown if the Yanks didn't pull this one out. The team has been seesawing with the .500 mark for most of the season and Jeter's jolt in the eighth ensured that it will take at least two games to drop them back to mediocrity. DJ finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and the game-winning RBI. Kyle Farnsworth. Mariano Rivera was unavailable after pitching in five of the past six
games so Joe Girardi turned the closing duties over to Kyle. This had disaster written all over it and it certainly didn't start well. Farnsworth drilled Ty Wigginton to lead off the Astro ninth after getting ahead in the count. I could almost hear the acid begin to boil in the stomachs of Yankee fans across this great land. But Kyle got Micheal Bourn to pop up his bunt attempt (Ken Singleton made a great point on this play by the way. Bourn was so frustrated at not doing the job that he stood in the batter's box. Farnsworth could have allowed the ball to drop and then turned a double play. Honestly, that smart idea didn't even cross my mind. I was just so relieved that Kyle forced the pop up) and later Jose Molina gunned out Wigginton trying to take second. Then Farnsworth sent everyone home by striking out pinch-hitter extraordinaire Geoff Blum. It wasn't pretty, but it'll do. Farnsworth notched his first save since 2006 with this: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 hit batsman. The Bad:Melky Cabrera. The Melk-Man has been slumping and he turned in another 0'fer Friday night. Cabrera hit .299 for the month of April, but it's been all downhill from there. Melky hit just .234 in May with only six extra-base hits and so far he's limping through June. During the thirteen days of June, Melky is batting an anemic .229 with one extra-base hit. On the plus side, Melky made some nice running catches in center Friday night and he worked out a walk, but the Yanks are going to need more production from him at the dish. Cabrera finished 0 for 3 with a walk.  The Ugly:You're short how much?! Turns out the Yanks need just a tiny bit more cash for the new Yankee Stadium -- about $350 million more. Math and business aren't my strongest suit so I don't know exactly how this all works, but here are some interesting quotes from the story: "These sports teams are private companies that appear addicted to keeping
their hands in the government cookie jar," said Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries of
Brooklyn. "I don't see why they should be allowed to use more tax-exempt bonds," said Neil
deMause, co-author of "Field of Schemes: How the Great Stadium Swindle Turns
Public Money Into Private Profit." "There's no benefit to the city for this." The Yanks are looking to change IRS regulations that would allow them to receive the cash in additional tax-exempt bonds. About $941 million in tax-exempt public bonds have already been issued for the $1.3 billion project. So what's a measly $350 million more, right? This latest news will not affect the completion of the new stadium, according to Yankee team president Randy Levine. The Yanks also made a roster move before Friday's game against the Astros. The man, the myth, the legend, Shelley "Frankenstein" Duncan was sent down to Scranton and Alberto Gonzalez was called back up. Duncan's at-bats have dwindled and he wasn't exactly tearing it up when he was out there -- he's batting .175 with one homer and six RBIs in 57 ABs this season. Gonzalez isn't the fastest guy in the world, but he gives the Yanks a pinch-running option since the team is carrying three catchers and more flexibility when they play in National League parks this weekend and next week.
Mike Mussina (9-4, 3.82 ERA) will go against Wandy Rodriguez (2-2, 1.99 ERA) on Saturday. Rodriguez spent some time on the disabled list with a strained left groin, but he's pitched well this season and hasn't given up an earned run in his past two starts (12 2/3 innings). This will be his first look at the Yanks. The Moose picked up a tough-luck no-decision in his last start against the Kansas City Royals, but he's turned in three super starts in a row. He's also holding left-handed batters to a .233 average this season. Mussina is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in one career start against Houston.
I'll be at a wedding for this one (congrats Jason and Rachel!) so no Saturday roundup. But, I'm going to go out on a limb and say Brian will have the game covered so check out his recap.
Hopefully, the Yanks will be three games over .500 come Sunday.
Godzilla certainly knows how to celebrate. Andy Pettitte bounced back from a shellacking in his previous start and Hideki Matsui blasted a grand slam on his 34th birthday as the Yanks downed the Athletics 4-1 in Oaktown. Mariano Rivera tied a bow on this one as he recored his 18th save of the year to help the Bombers "surge" into third place in the AL East.  And sadly, I failed to stay up for the duration of this pitcher's duel. I managed to keep my eyes open until the seventh so I saw most of Pettitte's impressive effort and Matsui's four-run tater, but I haven't watched a complete baseball game in nearly a week. I think I'm starting to get the shakes. The Yanks took two out of three in Oakland and now head to Houston to take on the Astros for a three-game series beginning Friday night. Joba Chamberlain (1-2, 2.67 ERA) will go against former Yank Shawn Chacon (2-2, 4.96 ERA) in the opener. It will be interesting to see how Joba fairs against a National League lineup (even though the 'Stros have a good offense) and how he'll react to swinging the bat and possibly running the bases. Chacon started the season with nine straight no-decisions before finally registering a win against the Chicago Cubs on May 21. Shawn is 0-1 with a eye-popping 14.54 ERA in two career appearances against the Yankees. The game will be on at a "decent" hour (man, I feel like an old man) so I should be able to round this one up. But you never, never know.
Hey, these things happen. Darrell Rasner was rocked for the first time this season and Jack Cust drove in three as the A's whipped the Yanks 8-4 at the McAfee Coliseum. Jason Giambi continued his torrid hitting as he collected two hits, including his 15th round-tripper of the year, and drove in two, but it wasn't nearly enough. The Yanks fell back to .500 yet again.  And I'm completely embarrassed to admit that I couldn't last more than three innings before the Sandman paid me a visit. I don't understand what the problem is -- I usually turn in between 12 a.m. and 1 a.m. during the week. Why can't I keep my eyes open when there's actually something I want to watch? Maybe it's those Green and Gold uniforms the A's wear (even though the Athletics have been sporting their alternate black jerseys the past two nights). Ah, the mysteries of life. Obviously, no roundup. I don't even have a feel of the game (which I suppose is a bit of a blessing) last night. I will do my darnedest to make it through the finale Thursday night. Andy Pettitte (5-5, 4.99 ERA) will go against Joe Blanton (3-8, 4.15 ERA) in the rubber game. Pettitte is 3-3 in nine career starts against the A's in Oakland with a 3.93 ERA, but Eric Chavez sees him well. The A's third baseman is batting .462 lifetime against the Yankee lefty. Blanton has been awful in his career against the Bombers: 0-2 in three starts with a 9.39 ERA. I'm sure Alex Rodriguez is glad Blanton is on the hill Thursday night. A-Rod is 3 for 6 with two homers against Joey in his career. C'mon eyelids, don't let me down.
Tough, gritty, gutty win. Chien-Ming Wang persevered into the eighth, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi drove in two runs in the top of the first, Melky Cabrera launched a big insurance home run in the ninth and Mariano Rivera picked up his 17th save of the season as the Yanks edged the A's 3-1 in Oakland. I lasted until the seventh before my eyes started playing peek-a-boo with the TV.  The Wanger nailed Jack Hannahan on the first pitch he threw and I feared for the worst, but tap danced in and out of trouble most of the night. His final line looks solid -- 7.1 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 hit batsman -- but he still didn't look like the Wang we've all come to know and love. Still, he's a ground ball pitcher and he induced four double plays during his performance (including a big one with the bases juiced in the seventh) so it's definitely a step in the right direction. I won't go into much detail on the game (how could I?), but I was surprised that Shelley Duncan wasn't in the lineup. The Athletics had a lefty on the mound, but the Bombers opted for Wilson Betemit instead of Frankenstein at first. Duncan's time with the big club might be on the clock. Darrell Rasner (3-3, 2.58 ERA) will go against Justin Duchscherer (5-4, 2.32) in the middle game. Duchscherer was lit up for six runs in five innings against the Los Angeles Angels on May 1, but he's been just dandy since then. The Duch hasn't given up more three runs in his past six starts, but he's only 3-3 during that span. Rasner has been equally outstanding in his six starts this year and also sports a mediocre win-loss record. The Ras was an unlucky loser in his last outing, despite giving up only two runs in eight innings. One of these guys should get lucky on Wednesday night. Guess who I'm pulling for.
The boys in pinstripes just can't get over that hump. Mike Mussina continued his bid for the All-Star team as he went eight strong and Alex Rodriguez smacked a game-tying, two-run jack in the seventh, but Jose "The Destroyer" Guillen blasted a solo shot off Mariano Rivera in the ninth as the Royals kidney punched the Yankees 3-2 in the Bronx. The loss drops the Bombers back to .500 at 32-32 on the year.  I was at work for this one and enjoyed listening to the pitcher's duel and reading Brian's running blog until my computer started fighting me and I was given a "new" assignment by my superiors. When I returned the game was over. I was not pleased on many levels. Anyway, no good, bad and ugly today (again). The Bombers finished their homestand at 4-3 and will now jet to the left coast for the first time this season to take on the Oakland Athletics for a three-game set. I can't promise recaps for the West Coast series -- in fact, I can promise that I won't be rounding up the games -- but I'll chime in late the following day and way after the fact. Also, make sure to check out resident A's booster's feelings during the week. The opener will pit Chien-Ming Wang (6-2, 4.57 ERA) against Dana Eveland (4-4, 3.82 ERA). Eveland went the distance in a 9-1 Oakland win against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 21, but he's been rotten in his past two starts. The lefty gave up 11 hits and seven runs in 4 1/3 innings in a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on May 29. The Detroit Tigers knocked out Eveland after 4 1/3 innings as he gave up seven walks in a no-decision on June 3. It will be Eveland's first appearance against the Yanks. Wang has given up at least five runs in his last four outings and hasn't tasted victory since May 2, but he's 1-0 in two career starts against the Green and Gold with a 1.42 ERA. The Wanger also sports a 2.62 ERA away from home. Time to turn it around, Wanger.
There were no late-inning heroics Friday night. Darrell Rasner spilled his guts for eight innings, but Kyle Davies and two relievers stifled the Bomber bats as the Royals trimmed the Yanks 2-1 in the Boogie Down. The Yanks mounted a rally in the eighth, but Jason Giambi was punched out checking his swing on a 3-2 pitch with runners on first and second. It was a horrific call by home plate ump Ed Montague -- I could tell Giambi held up in "real speed" even with my pinstriped heart. Jay Jay argued and Joe Girardi yelled in disbelief, but to no avail.  There's no guarantee the Yanks would have tied the game or taken the lead if Giambi walked in that at-bat (Robinson Cano was up next and he finished with two doubles on the night), but damn you Eddie for not giving the Yanks their chance. The Good:Darrell Rasner. The Yanks are going to give Rasner a complex. Rasner worked out of jams in the third and fourth innings, but the Royals broke through with single runs in the fifth and sixth. David DeJesus turned in a nice piece of hitting on his RBI-single in the fifth and Kansas City picked up their second run on a double play. This was probably Rasner's best performance of the season and it went for naught. It's a cryin' shame. Rasner actually lowered his ERA to 2.58 with his effort and still got tagged with the loss. The righty dropped his third straight game, but has given up only six runs in his past 19 1/3 innings (2.83 ERA). Hang in there, Ras. Rasner fell to 3-3 despite this: 8 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 4 K. The Bad:Johnny Damon. I've been singing Johnny's praises (it's been easy the way he's been hitting), but I can turn on guys at the drop of a hat. Actually, I'm not turning on him and I could have made a case for anyone in the lineup, but Damon earns my scorn for this night. Johnny D was the only Bomber regular who didn't reach base with either a hit or a walk and also made the final out during three Yankee rallies, such as they were. Damon grounded out with a runner on third in the fifth, fouled out to first with a runner on first in the seventh and grounded to short with a runner on first to end the game. Damon's 14 game-hitting streak also went up in smoke. Hang in there, JD. Damon finished 0 for 5. The Ugly:Pow! Right in the ear. Bobby Abreu was having a tough at-bat during the Yanks rotton-luck eighth. Royals lefty Ron Mahay had Bobby reaching and quickly got ahead on the count. Abreu leads with his ass at times and did just that on a 1-2 pitch. He chopped it foul, but the ball somehow caught him on the left ear (the unprotected one). That's not easy to do. But Abreu rallied and eventually stroked a single to left. I wonder if that blow will give his ear extensive cauliflowerering. I guess time will tell. Andy Pettitte (5-5, 4.21 ERA) will do battle with Brian Bannister (5-6, 4.60 ERA) Saturday afternoon. Bannister picked up a win against the Yanks April 8 in Kansas City and won his last start -- giving up one run in 7 1/3 innings against the Cleveland Indians. Alex Rodriguez is all or nothing in five career at-bats against Bannister. A-Rod has two homers and three strikeouts. Pettitte is 2-0 in his past three starts and is 12-3 with a 3.06 ERA in 20 career appearances against the Royals, including a 6-1 victory on April 10 in KC. Andy used to eat up right-handed hitters, but they are batting a robust .344 against him this year (lefties are batting an anemic .173). I'll be away for the weekend so no roundups for the next two days. I know this crushes all six of you out there, but make sure to check out Brian's recaps (you should be reading his stuff anyway). I don't know what his plans are this weekend, but I'm sure he'll be watching. In fact, I'm convinced he's cloned himself two, perhaps, three times considering all the crap he does. Hopefully, the Yanks will be over .500 come Monday.
Well, that was an unexpected surprise. Chien-Ming Wang didn't have it (again), but Johnny Damon continued his hot-hitting, Bobby Abreu and Alex Rodriguez combined to drive in four runs and Jason Giambi launched a two-run, game-winning blast in the bottom of the ninth as the Yanks stunned the Blue Jays 9-8 at The Stadium. The Bombers took a quick 2-0 with some small ball, but then fell behind 7-2. It would have been easy to give up, but they kept on grinding despite Wang's spotty performance. Wilson Betemit homered for the second straight day (from the right side, no less) and every Yank contributed with at least one hit. Even Jorge Posada got into the act, whistling a single on the first pitch he saw.  The Yanks were down by two heading into the ninth and Toronto closer B.J. Ryan recorded two quick outs. But A-Rod singled to keep hope alive and then came home on Hideki Matsui's base to center to cut the deficit to 8-7. Then the Giambino stepped up and did his thing. I was at work for this one so I had to rely on John and Suzy. It was tough getting into the flow since the Yanks were down and the dynamic duo kept lamenting the fact that they had to work a night game on getaway day Monday in Minnesota. They were both disgusted with the way the Yanks were playing and I could have sworn I heard John swirling the ice cubes in his bourbon at one point, but I was rewarded for sticking with them. The Good:Jason Giambi. The Italian Stallion continued to rub my nose in poop and I couldn't care less if he keeps this up. Giambi missed Wednesday's game and was on the bench for the start of this one after taking one off his foot Tuesday night, but he batted for Jose Molina and delivered the death blow against one of the top closers in the league. Jay Jay finished up the month of May batting .315 with six homers and 14 runs batted in and it looks like he's carrying those stats into June. Giambi finished 1 for 1 with a run scored and 2 RBIs. I'll never doubt you again big guy so please accept this inspirational video as a peace offering: Johnny Damon. The guy just can't be stopped right now. Johnny D extended his hitting streak to 14 games with two more hits. It's amazing how much better the Yankee offense looks when Damon gets on base. Damon finished 2 for 3 with two walks, two runs scored and a stolen base. Wilson Betemit. I guess the Yanks knew what they were doing when they decided to keep Betemit instead of Morgan Ensberg. Wil cracked a two-run dinger in the sixth to bring the Yanks to within one at 7-6. Maybe I should start ripping on all the Yanks -- they seem to respond to my negative comments. Betemit finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and 2 ribbies. The Bad:Chien-Ming Wang. I didn't see it with my own two eyes, but The Wanger was clearly off his game. Wang retired the first seven hitters he faced, but he had to work hard to get out of the third unscathed and then it all fell apart. Melky Cabrera didn't help him out as he failed to corral a fly ball off the bat of Alex Rios in the fifth. The score was 2-2 at that point and it would have been an easy inning-ending double play (according to Sterling). But a run scored on the error and Wang would fail to record another out. This is now four outings in a row where Wang has pitched terribly. He's given up at least five runs in those starts and his ERA has ballooned from 2.90 to 4.57 during that span. He didn't get tagged with the loss and still has a respectable 6-2 record, but I'm starting to worry. Wang's no-decision: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 7 R (6 earned), 4 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 1 hit batsman. Kyle Farnsworth. The eighth inning just doesn't seem to agree with Farnsworth. Kyle took the ball with the Yanks down 7-6 and gave up a big insurance run. It could have been more, but Melky redeemed himself (in a way) with a nice play in center with the bases loaded and two outs (again, according to Sterling). Looks like it's going to be a roller coaster ride every time Farnsworth takes the hill. This wasn't a set-up situation, but I wonder how many bad outings it will take to strip him of that title. Farnsworth picked up his first win of the year despite this line: 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB (intentional), 1 K. The Ugly:A break in the ranks. The decision to move Joba Chamberlain out of the bullpen hasn't been popular with most fans and it looks like some of the players aren't in love with it either. Damon voiced his concerns with the press. Here are a few of his comments: "I just felt like our bullpen was our strength. I think it
still could be, but when you move a guy like that, everyone's trying to find a
role. Everyone's trying to replace a guy who was possibly the best in that role. I remember the teams the Yankees won (championships) with, if they were
winning after five innings, it was pretty much game over. We kind of felt that
way this year. If we were winning after six, we had (Kyle) Farnsworth in the
seventh, Joba in the eighth, and Mariano in the ninth -- we thought it was game
over. Now, instead, we're trying to find out who's best suited for that
eighth-inning role." I agree with Damon, but he shouldn't have disclosed his feelings to the media. What is to be gained by doing so? The Yanks will welcome in the Kansas City Royals for a four-game wrap-around set starting Friday night. Darrell Rasner (3-2, 2.67 ERA) will go against Kyle Davies (1-0, 1.80 ERA). Davies made his first start of the year May 31 against the Cleveland Indians and pitched well, giving up one run in five innings. He's had one appearance against the Yanks and it wasn't a good one -- he allowed five runs on six hits in three innings. Rasner has dropped his past two decisions, but he's still pitching well. It'll be Rasner's third start in the Bronx this season and so far he's 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA while wearing the pinstripes. Let's see if the Yanks will need dramatics for this one.
The schizophrenic season marches on. Mike Mussina went six shiny innings, Johnny Damon picked up three more hits and drove in one and the pen combined for three scoreless innings as the Yanks snuffed the Blue Jays 5-1 in the Bronx. Even a few unsung Bombers got into the act. Wilson Betemit belted his second homer of the season in the fourth and Jose Molina collected two hits and scored two runs.  And a little bit of history was made at The Stadium. Derek Jeter singled in the Yankees first run in the third (that wasn't the historic part) and moved ahead of Mickey Mantle for third place on the all-time Yankee hit list with 2,416. Only Babe Ruth (2,518) and Lou Gehrig (2,721) have had more. Congrats, Cap. And it looks like Jorge Posada will be making his way back into the pinstripes on Thursday. Reliever Dan Giese was sent back down to Scranton to make room on the Yanks active roster. It looks like Posada will need surgery on his shoulder after the season so everyone will be watching him with bated breath, but it's good to have No. 20 back. The Good:Mike Mussina. Where would the Yanks be without The Moose? That's probably a stupid question since they are in last place with him, but you know what I'm getting at. Mussina turned in another sparkler Wednesday night. He had everything working for him and tied Joe Saunders for the league lead in wins. Mussina's only mistake came in the sixth when he spun a curveball to Scott Rolen for an RBI-double. The Moose has really impressed this season and I don't have that feeling of impending doom when he takes the hill anymore. I hope that feeling and the results last. Mussina moved to 9-4 with this gem: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K. Johnny Damon. The hits just keep on coming for Johnny D. Damon cracked three hits for the second straight night and is hitting a blistering .562 in his past seven games. JD also provided a big pick-me-up with a two-out, RBI-single in the sixth to give the Yanks 4-1 lead. Johnny has also pushed his average to .310 overall on the season. Who knows what he could hit if he grew back the beard? Damon finished 3 for 4 with an RBI.  Kyle Farnsworth. It wasn't exactly a pressure situation (Yanks up 5-1), but Farnsworth entered the game in the eighth inning throwing smoke. Kyle was a strike-throwing machine and put the Jays down in order on 13 pitches (nine going for strikes). YES had a telling stat on Farnsy and here it is in case you missed it. Since 2007, Farnsworth's ERA in the seventh inning is 2.87. Pretty solid. But it's 5.47 in the eighth inning. What a difference an inning makes. Well, Kyle flipped the script on Wednesday, let's hope there's more of that to come. Farnsworth's night: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. The Bad:Bobby Abreu. Every Yankee had at least one hit on Wednesday -- all but one. Yep, Abreu took the 0'fer, but managed to work out a walk and came around to score the Yankees final run on Hideki Matsui's RBI-single in the seventh. Abreu has gone hitless since lining a single off the face of Twins pitcher Nick Blackburn on Sunday (0 for 14). Shake it off, Bobby. Abreu finished 0 for 3 with a walk and a run scored. The Ugly: Numerology. The bullpen pulled their weight, but the numbers before tonight's performance have been downright ghoulish. Vinny from Kearny e-mailed me this ugliness from a story he read in the Star-Ledger, but I can't find the article. But here's what it said: Since the announcement that Joba Chamberlain would move to the rotation, relievers other than closer Mariano Rivera and Chamberlain have combined for a 6.35 ERA and allowed 10 of 17 inherited runners to score. If that trend continues there is no way the Yanks will ever move more than a few games over .500 on the year. Chien-Ming Wang (6-2, 4.14 ERA) will try and give the Yanks the rubber match against Dustin "Mutton Chop" McGowan (4-4, 3.95 ERA) on Thursday afternoon. McGowan picked up a no-decision against the Bombers in a 3-2 Blue Jay loss on April 3 at The Stadium. Dusty has won two games in a row and pitches well during the daylight hours (2.37 ERA), but has a 5.68 ERA on the road this year. Jeter is a .389 career hitter against McGowan (7 for 18). The Wanger has been off and hasn't won a game since May 2 (he's 0-2 with three no-decisions during that span). Wang picked up his first win of the season against Toronto on April 1, going seven strong in a 3-2 final. No. 40 is 4-2 with a 3.98 ERA in eight career starts against the Blue Jays. Wang also pitches well under the sun -- 2.33 ERA. Aaron Hill owns Wang (10 for 17, .588), but he's missed time due to a concussion suffered Thursday in Oakland. Time to get Wang back on track.
It was fitting that the bullpen struggled in Joba Chamberlain's first big league start. Chamberlain was wild in his 2 1/3 innings, the pen allowed six runs in the seventh and Roy Halladay settled down after a rocky beginning as the Blue Jays crushed the Yanks 9-3 at The Stadium. Johnny Damon fell a home run short of the cycle and Jason Giambi purposely drove a pitch through the vacated left side of the infield for an RBI-single in the first inning (it's about freakin' time!), but it wasn't nearly enough to prevent the Yankees from dropping their third straight game.  The story heading into this one was Joba and the results were, well, incomplete. It's hard to judge Chamberlain's start when you knew how long he was going to last before he toed the rubber. Joba's control was off and he relied mostly on his fastball and slider. The young righty tossed an occasional curve, but I didn't see one change up. Toronto played it smart and took a ton of pitches and Jose Molina didn't help Joba's cause (one passed ball that led to a run in the first and a throw into center on Alex Rios' stolen base that turned into a run in the third). Molina's error came after Chamberlain departed, but that run counted on his ledger. In the end, Chamberlain's abbreviated performance looked like this: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R (1 earned), 4 BB, 3 K. Dan Giese was called up on Tuesday (Scott Patterson we hardly
knew ye) as an insurance policy and pitched well. He ate up innings and kept the team in the game. Giese worked quickly, threw strikes and really deserved a better
fate, but he was tagged with the loss. The Good:Johnny Damon. It must be that prepubescent mustache. Hey, whatever works. Johnny D extended his hitting-streak to 12 games with a three hit night. Damon finished 3 for 4 with a walk and a run scored. The Bad:Edwar Ramirez. The lanky right-hander has had a great start to the season, but he's fallen on hard times lately. Ramirez blew a lead in his last appearance against the Minnesota Twins and he looked awful in relief of Jose Veras on Tuesday night. Edwar entered the game with the Yanks down 3-2 and inherited runners on first and third with one out. He couldn't recored an out. Ramirez threw 17 pitches and only three of them went for strikes. You know it's a bad night when LaTroy Hawkins takes your place. Ramirez's nightmare performance: 0 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 0 K. LaTroy Hawkins. The Hawk came into a dire situation and turned it into a disaster. Hawkins gave up a bases loaded double to David Eckstein and a sacrifice fly to Marco Scutaro before the inning ended. The runs he allowed won't work against his ERA, but he was as responsible as Edwar for the Yankees unlucky seventh. LaTroy's line: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K. The Ugly:
The Bronx cheer. Robinson Cano has been struggling offensively (again) and has fallen into a disturbing pattern at the plate. He refuses to let a pitch go by. He swung at the fist pitch in the bottom of the first and tapped back to Halladay for the final out of the inning. But the unthinkable happened in his second at-bat. He actually took a pitch. And the home folks rewarded him with derisive cheers. Cano has been averaging a little over three pitches per at-bat, but he worked the count to 2-2 before popping out to short. Mike Mussina (8-4, 4.26 ERA) will assume the role of stopper on Wednesday night and goes against Jesse Litsch (7-1, 3.18 ERA). Litsch is having a terrific season and was superb in May, going 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA. In three career starts against the Bombers, Litsch is 1-1 with a 6.08 ERA. The Moose has won seven of his past eight starts and is 23-12 in 42 career starts against the Blue Birds. Those are the most wins Mussina has against any big league club. Got another one in ya, Mike?
It was a frustrating Monday night if you were a Yankee fan. Andy Pettitte blew three separate leads, Michael Cuddyer continued his offensive barrage with three more hits and Kyle Farnsworth couldn't handle the eighth inning as the Twins cut down the Yanks 6-5 for a split of the four-game set. The Bombers rattled off 15 hits, but failed to make the most of their opportunities. Every batter stranded at least one runner on the night and the Yanks left 25 runners on base as a team. The Yankees sent the minimum to the dish only once, and that was because Derek Jeter was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double in the eighth.  This loss was a total team effort. The Good:Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod got the Yanks off and running with a two-run blast in the first, his eighth ding-dong of the year. Rodriguez was also instrumental in giving the Yanks a short-lived 5-4 lead in the seventh. He led off the inning with a double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scampered home on Jason Giambi's weak grounder to first. Justin Morneau came up throwing, but it wasn't enough to get Rodriguez at the dish. It was a bang-bang play and it looked like the ball beat A-Rod to the plate, but home plate umpire Gary Darling made a gutsy (and correct) safe call. Unfortunately, it was the final run the Yanks would tally and that wasn't good enough on this night. Rodriguez finished 3 for 4 with a walk, 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs. The Bad:Andy Pettitte. With one pitch, a gritty performance turned into a subpar outing. It's unfortunate because Pettitte looked like he had his good stuff. His cutter was sharp and his slider and curve had bite, but that didn't translate to zeros on the scoreboard. Pettitte was a bit unlucky at times, but also created some of his own misfortune. The big lefty threw wildly trying to nab Carlos Gomez at first in the third inning. Gomez raced to third and then tied the score at 2-2 on Alexi Casilla's bunt single. But Pettitte had a chance to qualify for the win if he just recorded one more out in the seventh. It didn't happen. I was a tad surprised Joe Girardi allowed Pettitte to come out for the seventh since he gave up two runs in the sixth. In fairness, Pettitte's pitch count was low and his stuff was solid so I can't kill Joe on it. But Pettitte didn't reward his manager's faith in him as he gave up a two-out, game-tying solo shot to Joe Mauer. To add insult to injury, it was Mauer's first jack of the year. So close and yet so far. Pettitte picked up a no-decision with this: 7 IP, 10 H, 5 R (4 earned), 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 1 error.  Kyle Farnsworth. The new bullpen concoction continued to blow up in New York's face. Farnsworth entered the game in the eighth with the score knotted at 5-5 and quickly gave up a leadoff double to Cuddyer. The newest Yankee killer then came around to score the go-ahead (and eventual winning) run on a one-out double by Delmon Young. The Twins could have blown the game wide open during Kyle's meltdown, but Chad Moeller gunned out Young trying to steal third. Good thing, since Farnsworth gave up a walk and a single before retiring the side. Maybe it's time to bring this plan back to formula. Farnsworth dropped to 0-2 with this mess: 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K. The Ugly:Hot potato. Jason Giambi has been swinging a hot stick lately, but his fielding continues to baffle. To be more accurate, it's the Giambino's throwing arm that continues to perplex. Giambi fielded Nick Punto's sacrifice bunt in the eighth inning like it was on fire and lofted a hand grenade to Robinson Cano covering at first. Cano recorded the out, but had his foot stepped on by Punto at first. Cano was OK and stayed in the game, but a better throw wouldn't have put Robbie in that position. And Jay Jay started his career as a third baseman. Unbelievable. The Yanks head back to the Bronx and will welcome in the Toronto Blue Jays for a three-game set starting on Tuesday night. In case you haven't heard, Joba Chamberlain (1-2, 2.28 ERA) will make his first big league start in front of the home folks. The YES Network was promoting the snot out of this game during Monday night's telecast and everyone is eager to see if Joba has what it takes to be a starter. Expectations are high, but I'm sure the Yanks would be thrilled if Chamberlain can give them five quality innings. Roy "Doc" Halladay (6-5, 2.93 ERA) will go for the Jays. The Yanks handed Halladay his first loss of the season on April 1 with a hard fought 3-2 victory at The Stadium. Halladay is a strike-throwing, inning-eating machine and is coming off a terrific May (4-1, 2.52 ERA). He's also 10-5 in 27 games against the Bombers with a 3.03 ERA. Time to see if the Joba experiment works.
The tug of war to stay over .500 marches on. Darrell Rasner gave up four runs in an outing for the first time this season, Michael Cuddyer drove in three and four Twinkie pitchers combined to short circuit the pinstriped attack as the Twins dumped the Yanks 5-1 at the Metrodome. Twins starter Nick Blackburn was knocked out in the fifth when Bobby Abreu lined a single off the side of his face. Blackburn went down, but walked off under his own power. The Bombers managed only three more hits the rest of the afternoon.  The Good:Derek Jeter. The Captain has been struggling lately (5 for his last 44 heading into Sunday's game), but he was the offense for the Yanks. Jeter smacked his third homer of the year in the fifth for the Bombers' only run. It's been a tough season so far for DJ (strained quad, hand shot a few weeks ago, assorted bumps and bruises), but maybe his solid afternoon will get him going. Jeter finished 1 for 2 with 2 walks, a run scored and an RBI. The Bad:Hideki Matsui. I feel terrible placing Godzilla in this category since he's been hitting so well, but the big fella had two chances to get the Yanks on the board and couldn't get it done. Matsui flew out with runners on first and second in the first inning and then grounded out with the bases loaded in the third. In fairness, both of those opportunities came with two outs, but Matsui is usually money in the clutch. Matsui also made the final out of the inning in every one of his at-bats Sunday afternoon. Strange. Matsui finished 0 for 4 and left 6 runners on base. The Ugly:Heads! It was a scary moment, but it could have been far, far worse. Abreu's liner off Blackburn's face silenced the Minnesota faithful and shook up the Yankee right fielder. The Twins starter managed to deflect the ball with his glove before impact so it didn't hit him square in the face. Blackburn never lost consciousness and was escorted off the field with a towel to his bloody nose. As of this post, Blackburn suffered no broken bones or lost teeth and is listed as day-to-day with a bruised nose and upper lip. It's really amazing that this sort of thing doesn't happen more often. The Bombers made a roster move before the ballgame and Morgan Ensberg was finally sent packing. The Yanks brought up righty reliever Scott Patterson from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and designated Ensberg for assignment. Patterson almost made the team out of spring training and jumped right into the pool on Sunday, giving up one run in 1 1/3 innings. The 28-year-old Patterson went 1-0 with a 3.04 ERA and three saves in 22 appearances in Scranton. Ensberg hasn't seen a lot of action lately and became expendable once Wilson Betemit came back from the disabled list. To me, Betemit and Ensberg are almost the same type of player, but Betemit can play all infield positions and is a switch-hitter (even though he's terrible from the right-side) so he gets to keep his locker. Ensberg's fate was sealed when the Yanks announced they plan to keep three catchers once Jorge Posada comes off the DL this week. The demotion of Shelley Duncan is probably not far behind. Andy Pettitte (5-5, 4.11 ERA) will try and give the Yanks three out of four in Minnesota on Monday night. The Twins will go for the split with Livan Hernandez (6-2, 4.60 ERA). Hernandez gives up a ton of hits (103 in 76 1/3 innings this season), but he usually goes deep into games and knows how to win. He's gone into the sixth in all but one of his starts this year. Hernandez is 0-3 in four career starts against the Yanks with a 6.08 ERA. Pettitte has ripped off two wins in a row and seems to have turned the corner after a handful of rough outings. Andy is 8-5 with a 3.52 ERA in 17 career starts against Minnesota and is 5-4 with a 3.48 ERA in 11 starts at the Metrodome. The climb for a .500 record resumes.
It was a long one, but a good one. Chien-Ming Wang was off again, Edwar Ramirez picked a lousy time to give up his first run of the season and Ross Ohlendorf played with fire in his two innings of work, but Bobby Abreu's RBI-single gave the Yanks a 7-6 win over the Twins in 12 innings.  The Yanks have now won three in a row, eight of their past 10 and stand a game over .500 once again. Not bad, all things considered. I watched (and listened) to this one from the sixth inning on so I'm going to bypass the roundup. We're not even into the dog days of August and already I'm starting to feel a bit fatigued. Still, it was a good win for the Bombers. The Yanks: - battled back from an early deficit
- blew two leads
- saw Johnny Damon ground into a double play after failing to advance Melky Cabrera at first with no outs in the ninth
- witnessed Alex Rodriguez get picked off second with one out in the 10th inning and Hideki Matsui at the plate
- watched Ohlendorf somehow keep the Twins scoreless despite giving up two hits and four walks during his stint
Darrell Rasner (3-1, 1.80 ERA) will try and bounce back from a tough-luck loss in his last start against the Baltimore Orioles. The Twins will counter with Nick Blackburn (4-3, 3.39 ERA). Blackburn has been consistent for Minnesota, going at least five innings in his 11 starts this season, and has a 2.41 ERA at the Metrodome this year. This will be his first look at the Yanks. Rasner has been a gift from above, giving up no more than two runs in any of his five starts this year, and is 1-0 with a 1.50 in one career start against the Twinkies. I'll take a repeat performance.
Sometimes slow and steady does indeed win the race. Mike Mussina was rocked early but settled down, Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui banged out three hits apiece and combined for four RBIs and four runs scored as the Yanks turned back the Twins 6-5 at the Metrodome. The Bombers were down 4-1 after one, but stormed back by scoring four runs in three innings and Joe Girardi used a mishmosh of relievers to get the ball to Mariano Rivera who recored his 14th save of the year. The Yanks finished with 16 hits and crept back to even (27-27) on the year.  The Good:Mike Mussina. The Twinkies jumped on Mike early in this one. Mussina struck out Carlos Gomez to open the bottom of the first, but then allowed the next six batters to reach. Shelley Duncan contributed with a throwing error (his third and the team's seventh when Moose is on the hill) and some were seeing-eye singles, but when the third out was finally recorded the Twins had a 4-1 lead. But Mussina battled back and allowed only two hits the rest of the night. The Moose threw almost 40 pitches in the first frame and had to work to get out of the fifth, moving his pitch count toward the 100 mark, but Joe Girardi sent him out for the sixth inning with the Yanks clinging to a 5-4 lead. Needless to say I was surprised, but I guess Girardi a) believed Mussina still had something left in the tank and b) didn't want to use more relievers than he had to since Joba Chamberlain is no longer an option. Either way, Mussina made him look like a smart man as he retired Minnesota in order in the sixth. Mussina moved to 8-4 (and is now tied with three others for the most wins in the AL) with this: 6 IP, 6 H, 4 R (2 earned), 1 BB, 4 K. Bobby Abreu. G.I. Joe penciled Abreu into the No. 2 slot Friday night and it paid off four times. Abreu drew a walk, swiped second (his 300th career stolen base) and then came around to score on a looping single by Matsui to give the Yanks a quick 1-0 lead. Bobby then tripled to lead off the third and scored on Rodriguez's RBI-single to slice the Twin lead to 4-2. In the fifth, Abreu singled and scampered home on A-Rod's RBI-double to put the Yanks up to stay at 5-4. And finally, El Comedulce ripped another triple to start the seventh and scored a big insurance run on Matsui's infield hit to give the Yankees a 6-4 advantage. Not a bad night. Abreu finished 3 for 4 with a walk, a stolen base and 4 runs scored. Edwar Ramirez. I'm not sure what the pecking order is going to be for the Yankee bullpen now that Joba is gone, but Ramirez could be a major contributor if he keeps pitching like this. Edwar came in for Jose Veras in the seventh with one out and a runner on second and quickly squashed a Twins rally. With the Yanks up 6-4, Ramirez needed just five pitches to dispose of Alexi Casilla and Joe Mauer. Ramirez has yet to give up a run in 14 2/3 innings this season. Keep it up, Urkel. Edwar's night: .2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  The Bad:Kyle Farnsworth. It's always an adventure with Kyle. Farnsworth took the mound with the Yanks up 6-4 in the eighth and gave up a leadoff homer to Justin Morneau on an 0-2 count. Very frustrating. It was the eighth dinger Farnsworth has given up in 24 1/3 innings this season. That's not a great ratio if you're going to be counted on to pitch in the late stages of a ballgame. But I'll massage Farnsworth a little (not literally, of course) since he rebounded and retired the next three hitters for his fifth hold of the year. Let's hope for the best. Farnsworth's line: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR. The Ugly:I can't see so good. Wilson Betemit came into the game to pinch hit for Duncan in the fifth and I noticed that he wasn't wearing his pre-scription eyeglasses. Betemit spent time on the disabled list with conjunctivitis or "pink eye" earlier in the year and said he would be wearing specs once he returned. Anyway, Betemit cracked his bat on a 1-2 pitch and walked back to the dugout to get another piece of lumber. He also grabbed his glasses. I guess he just realized he wasn't wearing them. It didn't help, though. Betemit went down "looking" on the next pitch. Chien-Ming Wang (6-2, 3.82) will take the hill Saturday night against Boof Bonser (2-6, 6.16 ERA). Bonser has been stinkin it up for the Twins, giving up 22 earned runs in his past 19 1/3 innings, and hasn't won a game since April 29 against the Chicago White Sox. The Yanks have a history of smacking Boof around -- he's 0-2 with a plump 9.31 ERA in two career starts against the Bombers. Wang has been in a bit of a funk lately, too. The Wanger hasn't won since May 2 against the Seattle Mariners, but he has a splendid 1.55 ERA on the road this season. Wang also has terrific career stats against Minnesota -- he's 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA in three starts, including a 1-0 mark with a 2.57 ERA in two starts at the Metrodome. The pieces are still being moved around the chessboard, but a win on Saturday and the Yanks can call themselves a winning team. On paper, anyway.
 I'm about a week behind on this story, but I'm still going to voice my displeasure. I was flipping through Sports Illustrated on the way home from work today and read an article that made my jaw drop. Turns out David Ortiz will be part of a promotion sponsored by State Farm and Major League Baseball at this year's All-Star Home Run Derby. Big deal, right? There's more. Here's the skinny: The suits will ask a fan to pick a spot at Yankee Stadium and Ortiz will try and hit the target, a la Babe Ruth and his called shot in the 1932 World Series. If Big Papi's aim is true then the fan wins a car and season tickets for any team. Did the Yankees lose a bet or something? How can a Red Sox player conjure up the spirit of The Babe at an All-Star game in Yankee Stadium? I am shocked and appalled! Turns out the Bombers were, too: "The Yankees were upset about the plans involving Ortiz and said they were
unaware of the promotion until a reporter contacted them Thursday night. The
Yankees were discussing the matter internally and planning to contact Major
League Baseball for an explanation." There's no emoticon for what I'm feeling! If there was any justice in the world it would be a Yankee taking part in this carnival act. The Yanks have a slew of lefty hitters who could take a whack at the short porch in right. Or how about letting Alex Rodriguez take a shot? He's the best player in the game and he's on the Yanks. But there's no justice. Justice Is Lost Justice Is Raped Justice Is Gone Metallica said it best and I'll leave you with with their epic classic. Nothing can save us.
It wasn't that simple, but I just felt like being clever. Andy Pettitte pitched into the seventh, Joba Chamberlain continued his metamorphosis into a starter and Jason Giambi and Johnny Damon combined to drive in three runs as the Yankees clipped the Orioles 4-2 at Camden Yards. Hideki Matsui kept swinging a mean stick, picking up two more hits and scoring two runs. The Bombers snapped their mini-losing streak at two, avoided a sweep and moved one game closer to .500 at 26-27. A little side rant before I get to the roundup. I said before that I'm not a huge fan of transitioning Chamberlain into the rotation and this plan that the team implemented to stretch him out made zero sense. Joba didn't meet his target pitch count in his previous outing Saturday against the Mariners and finished his throwing in the bullpen. It was more of the same Wednesday night in Baltimore. Chamberlain came in with two outs in the seventh (going 1 1/3 innings on 28 pitches -- well short of the 55 the Yanks were looking for) and finished up his throwing in the pen. He also relied mostly on fastballs and sliders during his stint. How exactly is this supposed to get him ready to be a starter? Instead of holding him out, the Yanks could have used him every other day this past week and maybe won a few games in the process. But that's neither here nor there anymore. On to the recap.  The Good:Jason Giambi. I'll admit it -- I thought the Italian warhorse was washed up. Well, he continued to put me in my place. Giambi singled in Matsui in the second inning (despite the shift and the drawn-in infield) to give the Yanks an early 1-0 lead. Then with the Yanks down 2-1 in the fourth, the Giambino crushed a pitch onto Eutaw Street to knot the score at 2-2. Jay Jay was ice cold in April (.164), but he's tearing it up in May (.322 heading into tonight's action) and has upped his average to .244 overall. Color me impressed. Giambi finished 2 for 3 with a walk, a run scored and 2 ribbies. Andy Pettitte. It was another gritty effort by the veteran left-hander. Pettitte tip-toed out of a first and third, one out jam in the first and then finally settled down after giving up a two-run shot to Melvin Mora in the third. He was also helped out by some snazzy defense -- Melky Cabrera (who had a nice night at the dish as well, picking up two doubles) made a nifty catch in center in the fourth and Alex Rodriguez made a pretty stop on a grounder in the sixth. Pettitte also helped himself by picking off Brian Roberts at second base for the second out of the fifth inning. It went down as a caught stealing, but the people know the truth. Anyway, that play proved important as Pettitte eventually walked Mora and then gave up a double to Nick Markakis before retiring Kevin Millar for the final out. Michael Kay doesn't believe in the fallacy of the predetermined outcome, but for one night I'm choosing to believe. Pettitte evened his record to 5-5 with this: 6.2 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR.  Johnny Damon. Johnny D followed up his four-hit night on Tuesday with three more on Wednesday. It's rarely pretty with Damon, but his hustle base hit in the ninth gave the Yankees a big insurance run. Damon grounded to Millar at first, but lefty pitcher Jamie Walker fell too far to the third base side on his follow through and couldn't cover the bag in time. Millar had no chance to make the play, Damon reached on the infield hit and the Yanks grabbed a 4-2 lead. Damon extended his modest hitting streak to five games and finished 3 for 5 with a run scored. The Bad:Alex Rodriguez. It's nothing to be concerned about, but A-Rod has been scrapping a bit at the plate (his homer Tuesday night notwithstanding). Rodriguez is 1 for his last 11 and 4 for his last 21. A-Rod's error in the ninth also made Mariano Rivera work a little harder for his 13th save and brought the tying run to the plate for the O's. Shake it off, MVP. Rodriguez finished 0 for 4. The Ugly:Progress stopped. It's official -- Ian Kennedy was placed on the 15-day disabled list before Wednesday's game with bursitis and a strained right lat muscle. Righty reliever Chris Britton was called up to take I-Ken's place on the roster. Kennedy is expected to miss more than the 15 days because of the nature of the injury and because the Yanks have a tendency to treat their pitchers with kid gloves. But Kennedy hasn't exactly looked like Cy Young out there and with Joba Chamberlain moving into the rotation, it could be a while before we see No. 31 pitching in pinstripes. Thursday is an off day as the Bombers head to Minnesota to take on the Twins for a four-game set beginning Friday night. Mike Mussina (7-4, 4.39 ERA) will take on lefty Glen Perkins (2-1, 2.77 ERA) in the opener. Perkins has had a nice start to his season -- he's gone at least six innings in his four starts and has held left-handed batters to a paltry .125 average. It will be his first look at the Yanks. The Moose is coming off a shaky five inning win against the Mariners, but sports a solid 3.38 ERA on the road this season. Mussina also loves facing the Twinkies -- he's 20-6 with a 3.18 ERA in 30 career starts and is 10-5 with a 3.42 ERA in 16 starts at the Metrodome. The push toward .500 begins yet again.
This one had a little bit of everything, but if you're a Yankee fan it didn't matter one bit.  Ian Kennedy was terrible before leaving with an injury, Ross Ohlendorf wasn't much better, Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon, Bobby Abreu and Alex Rodriguez all went deep and Hideki Matsui singled in the go-ahead run in the 11th inning, but it wasn't enough as LaTroy Hawkins allowed two runs in the bottom of the 11th to give the Orioles a 10-9 victory over the Yanks in Baltimore. This ballgame was chock full of terrible starting pitching, awful relief, solid relief, home runs, spotty defense, missed opportunities, small ball, clutch hits and a rain delay. And sadly (or maybe thankfully), I missed most it because I "hit the town" with some friends after work. I walked through the door in time to see the Yanks take the lead in the top of the 11th and then watched it fall apart in the bottom of the frame. Hence, no good, bad and ugly roundup. This was a tough loss for the Bombers and I only absorbed the final inning. Andy Pettitte (4-5, 4.27 ERA) will try and right the ship on Wednesday against Jeremy Guthrie (2-5, 3.62 ERA).
Five steps forward, one step back. Darrell Rasner pitched well, the bullpen did not and Aubrey Huff capped a five-run seventh inning with a three-run bomb as the Orioles overpowered the Yanks 6-1 on a Memorial Day afternoon at Camden Yards. Rasner was the hard-luck participant in this one as he absorbed his first lose of the year despite giving up only one run through six innings and the Yankee offense couldn't solve Garrett Olson. Chad Moeller drove in Hideki Matsui with a two out, RBI-single in the ninth for the lone Bomber run.  The Yanks dropped a game under .500 yet again and also find themselves looking up at everyone in the AL East (again). The Good:Hideki Matsui. The Yanks managed only five hits on Monday and Godzilla registered three of them. Matsui has been incredibly consistent during his stay in the Bronx, but he can also be a bit streaky. Right now that streak is set to hot, hot, hot. Hideki has collected 11 hits in his past 17 at-bats (that's a .sizzling 647 clip if you're scoring at home). Godzilla nearly singled in a run in the third inning, but Nick Markakis gunned out Johnny Damon at the plate. It was that kind of day for the Yanks. Matsui finished 3 for 4 with a run scored. The Bad:LaTroy Hawkins. The Hawk entered the game in the seventh with the Bombers trailing 1-0 and couldn't hold the Birds down. Hawkins allowed a leadoff single to Ramon Hernandez and after striking out the next two batters, issued a free pass to Brian Roberts and then an RBI-single to Melvin Mora. LaTroy wasn't awful (his final tally will look worse than his effort) and nearly worked out of the jam he created for himself, but the Yanks needed him to put up a zero in the seventh and he didn't. Sometimes it's just that simple. Hawkins' afternoon: .2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 2 K. Jose Veras. Hawkins permitted Baltimore to open the door a crack and Veras made sure the Orioles blew it down. Veras relieved Hawkins in the seventh with the Yanks down 2-0 and promptly gave up an RBI-single to Markakis and then allowed a three-run jack to Huff that put the game out of reach. That was all she wrote. Veras' totals: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HR. The Ugly:
Wrong guy. The Yanks made a roster move before Monday's game. Wilson Betemit was activated from the disabled list and Alberto Gonzalez was optioned back to Triple-A Scranton. Gonzalez wasn't going to get a lot of playing time with Alex Rodriguez back in the lineup and he's not the fastest guy on the roster, but he was the only pinch-running option the Yanks had on their bench. And keeping Betemit and Morgan Ensberg on the team makes no sense to me. One of those guys should be jettisoned in favor of Gonzalez. But the season is long and roster moves can be fast and furious. I'll bet dollars to donuts that Betemit or Ensberg won't survive the year with the Yankees. The Yanks will try to get back on the winning track and send Ian Kennedy (0-3, 7.27 ERA) against Brian Burres (4-4, 3.16 ERA). The left-handed Burres will make his third start against the Bombers this season and so far he's 1-0 with a 1.37 ERA. He picked up a no-decision in a 2-1 Yankee victory on May 22. Damon and Matsui have had the greatest success against him -- both are batting .364 in 11 lifetime at-bats. Kennedy also toed the slab in that May 22 game and pitched his best game of the season, allowing just one run in six innings of work. He also picked up a no-decision. Let's see if I-Kenn can pick up that elusive first victory.
Right now, this team refuses to lose. Chien-Ming Wang was off again and Ichiro Suzuki and Jose Vidro drove in two runs each to help the M's build a three-run advantage late in the game, but Jose Molina's double capped a four-run eighth inning as the Yanks stunned the Mariners 6-5 in New York. The Bombers were helped out by Seattle's spotty D during their outburst and sometimes that happens when a team is on a roll (like the Yanks) and when a team is spiraling downward (like the Mariners).  The Yanks snagged their fifth straight win, moved back to the .500 mark and stepped out of the basement in the AL East. The Good:Hideki Matsui. Godzilla's day started on the bench and he only registered one at-bat, but he was a big player in the game. With one out and runners on first and second in the eighth, Matsui tapped the first pitch he saw from Seattle closer J.J. Putz toward the mound. Putz made a nice diving play to corral the ball, but he fumbled the exchange and launched an air ball past Richie Sexson at first. A run scored and Alex Rodriguez moved over to third on the throwing error. Putz shouldn't have made the throw, but Matsui was running hard right out of the box and was rewarded for it. The next hitter, Robinson Cano, smacked a sacrifice fly to score A-Rod and Matsui smartly tagged up at first and hustled to second on the play. He would then come around to score the go-ahead and eventual winning run. Not bad for about 15 minutes of playing time. Matsui finished 1 for 1 with a run scored. Jose Molina. I didn't think the ball had any carry when it came off the bat, but I was wrong. And I guess Ichiro was wrong as well. Molina hit a fly ball to right center in the eighth which seemed destined to be the final out of the eighth, but Ichiro lost sight of it and it fell to the ground for a gift double as Matsui motored in from second to give the Yanks a 6-5 lead. Hits have been hard to come by for Molina lately, but he finished with his first multi-hit game since April 13. Molina finished 2 for 4 with the game-winning ribbie.  Edwar Ramirez. The little guy has been flying a bit under the radar, but he turned in another scoreless appearance and vultured his first win of the season. Ramirez has pitched in 11 games in 2008 and has yet to surrender an earned run. Urkle fell into trouble last year by relying too much on his change-up, but he's throwing more fastballs now and it's made a world of difference. He's also received counsel from Mariano Rivera on how to pitch. Good for him. Ramirez's afternoon went like this: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K. The Bad:Shelley Duncan. Frankenstein had a tough fourth inning. With one out and the bases loaded, Duncan botched a ground ball off the bat of Ichiro for his second error of the year. A run scored on the play and Seattle took a 3-1 lead. It looked like Shelley had a chance to step on first and throw home for the inning-ending double play, but he may have gotten ahead of himself. But Duncan redeemed himself on the next batter as he began one of the ugliest double plays in recent memory. OK, that's a bit much, but he knocked down a liner from Jose Lopez, lofted the ball to Molina for the force out at home and Molina gunned out Ichiro at second for the final out of the inning. Just your typical 3-2-6 inning-ending DP. Duncan was also the only Yankee regular who didn't reach base with either a hit or a walk. Shake it off, Shelley. Duncan finished 0 for 3. The Ugly:Pettitte's name in the paper. It's the story that won't die and it reared its ugly head once again. A report from The Daily News claims that a Texas trainer supplied performance-enhancing drugs to Roger Clemens, Jeff Bagwell and Andy Pettitte. According to a source, Kelly Blair reportedly loaded steroids and human growth hormone into a box with separate compartments for
what the source said Blair described as each player's drug regimen. This story contradicts Blair's earlier account in which he admitted to dealing, but not to Clemens or Pettitte's dad. I'm not sure who or what to believe anymore, but MLB just approved a new drug testing policy so expect more allegations and names in the future. The Yanks head down to Baltimore to take on the O's in a three-game set starting Monday. Darrell Rasner (3-0, 1.89 ERA) will try and keep his charmed season going and will take on Garrett Olson (3-1, 5.19 ERA) in a re-match of a May 21 game at the Stadium which the Bombers won 8-0. Garrett was tagged for his first loss in that one and was hit pretty hard -- 6 runs on 8 hits in 2 2/3 innings. Rasner is holding righties to an incredible .188 average so far this year. Time to take this winning show on the road.
The hits and runs keep on coming. Jason Giambi belted a three-run homer, Robinson Cano was a doubles-machine and Bobby Abreu drove in four as the Yanks slapped the Mariners 12-6 in the Bronx. Hideki Matsui turned in his third straight multi-hit game and Melky Cabrera collected two RBIs to help lead the offensive attack. Mike Mussina went five decent innings (despite giving up four runs in the third on the strength of two Seattle homers) as he improved to 7-4 and Joba Chamberlain pitched two scoreless frames as his transformation to a starter continues.  The Yanks have now won four straight and have crept back toward the mendoza line at 24-25. The Good:Jason Giambi. I don't know when Giambi became a dead-pull hitter. I remember him as a player who hit to all fields when he was with Oakland. I suppose it started gradually, just as all things do in life. Anyway, he recaptured some of that old glory on Saturday when he socked a three-run bomb over the 399 foot sign in left center to give the Yanks a 3-0 lead. I doubt teams will stop shifting against him, but Giambi looks like he's making more of an effort to go the other way. Jay Jay also ripped a double and finished up with an excuse-me single for his first three-hit game of the season. Don't look now, but The Giambino's average now stands at .234 (and climbing). Giambi finished 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI. Robinson Cano. If I didn't know better, I would swear that Cano's bat was literally on fire. Robbie ripped three doubles on the day and finished with four hits. Some guys are just slow starters (for whatever reason) and Canu seems destined to be one of those players, but it looks like he's poised to string together a bunch of hits the rest of the way. Robbie now has a robust .352 average for the month of May. Cano finished 4 for 4 with a walk (intentional), a run scored and a run batted in. Melky Cabrera. The Melk-Man has been slumping lately (his average has dropped from .286 on May 1 to .248 at the start of today's game), but he put the Yanks ahead 5-4 with a two out, RBI-single in the third. Much like last night's game, this one was close during the first half, but the Yanks put things on ice with two runs in the sixth and five more in the seventh. And Melky helped get things started. Cabrera finished 2 for 5 with a run scored and 2 ribbies.  The Bad:Kyle Farnsworth. I'm not really sure why Joe Girardi turned to Farnworth in the eighth with the Yanks up 12-4. Doesn't make much sense to put him out there with a eight run lead if he's going to take Joba's place as the set-up man for Mariano Rivera. Unless he's not the chosen one. Anyway, Farnsy was given the ball and he didn't get things done. Oh, he didn't give up the lead (could you imagine?), but he gave up a two-run blast to Richie Sexson which sliced the deficit in half to 12-6. It was a subpar performance from Kyle, but thankfully, it didn't occur with the Yanks clinging to a one-run lead. Farnsworth's totals: 1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR. The Ugly:Premature exultation. The umps have been having a devil of a time getting things right in the Bronx recently. First, they got the call wrong on Carlos Delgado's homer-that-wasn't on Sunday night. Then Alex Rodriguez was robbed of a home run on another blown call on Wednesday night. This one didn't involve a tater, but home plate umpire Larry Vanover lost track of balls and strikes in the ninth inning. Vanover punched out Adrian Beltre to end the ballgame on a pitch by Jose Veras. The Yankee dugout spilled out onto the field, Frank Sinatra was singing "New York, New York" and all was right with the world. But there was a small problem. It was only strike two. Beltre stood shocked at home and explained the count to Vanover. Vanover kept his helmet on, but I'm sure his face went red with embarrassment. Play resumed and Beltre eventually grounded out to second. No harm, no foul, but the boys in blue haven't been sharp lately. The Yanks will pull out the brooms on Sunday as they go for the three-game sweep. Chien-Ming Wang (6-2, 3.51 ERA) will go toe to toe with Jarrod Washburn (2-6, 6.99 ERA). Washburn has given up a ton of hits this season (64 in 47.2 innings) and is a big reason why the Mariners are struggling, but he has pitched well in his career against the Yanks. The record may not show it (5-5 in 11 starts), but Washburn's ERA against the Bombers sits at a stingy 2.52. He's 1-4 at The Stadium with a 2.78 ERA. Wang was pushed back a day after injuring his calf against the Mets on Sunday. The Wanger owns the Mariners -- he's 7-0 in seven career starts with an impressive 2.39 ERA, which includes a 5-1 victory May 2 in New York. A win on Sunday and the climb back to .500 will be complete.
It's all falling into place. Shelley Duncan went yard, Robinson Cano knocked in three runs and Andy Pettitte won his first game in pinstripes this season as the Yanks drilled Seattle 13-2 at The Stadium. Hideki Matsui collected three hits, scored three runs and gunned out Jose Vidro at the dish in the eighth and Jason Giambi continued his climb toward respectability with two more hits and three runs scored. And that 'stache of his is coming in beautifully. The Bombers sent 13 batters to the plate during their eight-run fifth inning and coasted to their third straight victory. That's called a winning streak. It has happened before. The Good:Andy Pettitte. It was a bit of a rocky beginning for Pettitte as he gave up two runs on six hits in the first three innings, but he settled down nicely and allowed only two hits the rest of his night. Pettitte also continued to rack up the K's as he struck out a season-high nine. It's hard to believe that this was the first home win for a guy who entered the game with a career 89-37 mark in the Bronx. Sometimes the first ones are always the toughest. Pettitte improved to 4-5 with this: 6 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 9 K. Shelley Duncan. Frankenstein is loose! Duncan has been struggling in his limited playing time, but he got the Yanks off and running with a three-run golf shot in the bottom of the second. It was his first long ball of the season. I'm not sure if Duncan can recapture the stroke he had during his meteoric rise last season, but Friday night was a good sign. Duncan finished 1 for 4 with a walk, a run scored and 3 RBIs. And here's Overkill's cover of Edgar Winter's classic to honor Frankenstein's first clout of the year. Robinson Cano. The final score doesn't show it, but the first half of this game was nip and tuck. The Yanks were holding a shaky 3-2 lead heading into the fourth until Robbie looped a two-run double to left to give the Bombers a 5-2 advantage. Cano was also involved in the Yankees eight-run fifth inning explosion (well, every Bomber was involved in that inning) with an RBI-single. It looks like Cano is starting to turn his miserable season around. Cano finished 2 for 4 with a walk, a run scored and three runs batted in. The Bad:Derek Jeter. It's uncanny how often it happens -- a team puts up double digit runs and hits and one player is always left out of the festivities. Jeter was that guy Friday night. DJ was the only Bomber regular who didn't pick up a hit, but he did reach base twice via a walk and hit by pitch. I just have to keep all the guys hungry for more. Jeter finished 0 for 2 with a walk, a run scored and a HBP.  The Ugly:It's a dirty job. Joe Girardi was suspended for this game for "his inappropriate actions, which included kicking dirt on umpire Chris Guccione" on Thursday night. The sentence was handed down by Major League Baseball vice president Bob Watson. You all remember Bob, right? He was the Yankee GM during their 1996 championship season. Watson was also known as a feisty competitor during his playing days (which were a little before my time). Anyway, why should a manger be suspended for a game after he was thrown out of one? Apparently kicking dirt is now a no-no. What's this world coming to? The Yanks will try for their fourth in a row on Saturday afternoon and hand the job to Mike Mussina (6-4, 4.11 ERA). The Mariners will go with Carlos Silva (3-3, 4.91 ERA). Silva started the season at 3-0, but has fallen on some rough times. And it all started against the Bombers. The Yanks tagged Silva for eight runs on 11 hits May 4 and handed him his first loss. Silva hasn't won since Apil 17. The Moose had his five-game winning streak snapped in his last start against the Baltimore Orioles. Mussina was awful against the O's even though he was charged with only one earned run in his 2/3 inning of work. Mussina shut down the M's on May 3, scattering seven hits through six innings in a 6-1 Yankee win. Let's keep the winning streak in tact.
This could be the one that finally turns this team around. Ian Kennedy pitched his best game of the season by far, the pen followed suit with three scoreless innings and Robinson Cano laced a two-out, RBI-single in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Yanks to a 2-1 victory over the Orioles at The Stadium. Both teams pitched well in this ballgame and, in a way, both teams were winners. But in another more accurate way, the Bombers were the winners.  Joe Girardi also flipped his lid in the final frame. Jason Giambi was called out when home plate ump Chris Guccione ruled that a 2-2 pitch hit the knob of the bat and settled into the glove of O's catcher Ramon Hernandez. G.I. Joe would have none of it (even though it looked and sounded like the right call) and seemed to channel the ghost of Billy Martin, complete with the hat slam down and a Rockette-style kick, on his way to being ejected. It fired up the crowd (and I'll admit it, I had a smile on my face during the tirade) and maybe, just maybe, sparked the Yanks to their first come-from-behind victory under his watch. The Good:Robinson Cano. Hits were at a premium Thursday night in the Bronx and Robbie came through with the biggest one of the game. Cano is still stuck in neutral offensively and was batting only .198 at home coming into tonight's action, but his clutch opposite-field single brought in Hideki Matsui for the the game-winning score. Give credit to Godzilla too, he hustled from second with the crack of the bat and cut the third base bag beautifully to beat the high throw from Jay Payton in left. But Cano was the hero of the day for this one. Cano finished 1 for 4 with the big RBI. Ian Kennedy. So where has this guy been all year? Kennedy looked like a completely different pitcher Thursday night. Oh, sure, he still threw too many pitches and walked too many guys, but he wasn't afraid to throw his fastball (which also seemed to have a little more giddy-up to it) and actually kept the damage to a minimum when he got into trouble. Baltimore scored a run in the top of the third on an RBI-triple by Freddie Bynum and had the bases loaded with only one out, but failed to push another run across. The O's actually pulled out an old time play with Bynum at third and Brian Roberts at first. Roberts took off for second and then fell down between first and second. The Orioles wanted to get the ball in Jason Giambi's hands, and they did, but Bynum didn't take off for home. I'm shocked that more teams don't do this. The Giambino is scared to death to make a throw (and with good reason) and bounced the ball to third, but A-Rod was able to corral it. Roberts swiped second, but the runner stayed put at third. Anyway, I-Kenn seemed to gather strength after he got out of the inning and allowed only one more hit the rest of the way. It goes down as a no decision and Kennedy has yet to crack the victory column, but it was a step in the right direction. Kennedy's totals: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 4 K. Hideki Matsui. Godzilla scored both Yankee runs on Thursday night. Matsui also picked up two hits and was robbed of another on a great play by right fielder Nick Markakis in the first inning that turned into a tough-luck double play. Both of Matsui's hits led off the inning and they were the reason the Yanks put up a deuce in this game. Matsui finished 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.  The Bad:Alex Rodriguez. The Yanks only had eight hits on the night (and five of them came courtesy of Johnny Damon and Matsui), but A-Rod turned in his first O-fer since returning from the disabled list. I may be a hard grader on this one, but I've got to keep Rodriguez from falling into any bad habits. A-Rod finished 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts. The Ugly:Suspension, surspension. Now, really. What is attempted beaning, anyway? Do they give out Noble Prizes for attempted chemistry? Well, the hammer fell on LaTroy Hawkins for his "actions" Tuesday night. The Hawk was tossed after throwing a pitch up and in to Luke Scott and Major League Baseball suspended him for three games and fined him an undisclosed amount. Hawkins maintains that it wasn't intentional (well) and will appeal the ruling. The Yanks will welcome in the Seattle Mariners for a weekend set beginning Friday night. Game 1 will feature a pair of lefties as Andy Pettitte (3-5, 4.42 ERA) goes against Erik Bedard (3-2, 3.24 ERA). Bedard fell to the Yanks 5-1 on May 2 at The Stadium despite giving up only one earned run in seven innings. A-Rod missed that game and possesses a .417 average with two homers in his career against Bedard. Pettitte has dropped four of his past five games and hasn't won since April 20. Ichiro Suzuki is a lifetime .435 hitter against Pettitte. Let's see if Thursday's thrilling win has a carryover effect.
So, this is what it looks like when pitching and hitting come together. Darrell Rasner continued to open eyes, Alex Rodriguez collected three hits and homered for the second straight night as the Yankees whitewashed the Orioles 8-0 in the Boogie Down. Every Bomber regular contributed to this win with either a hit or a base on balls. Johnny Damon churned out two hits and broke the game open with a two-run single in the third and Robinson Cano chipped in with two hits and an RBI of his own. This was easily the best the Yanks have looked in at least two weeks.  I only had one problem with Wednesday's game. Joba Chamberlain pitched the final two innings in this blowout on 35 pitches. The guys in the booth speculated that it could signal the beginning of the "stretching out" program to get Chamberlain in the starting rotation. Makes sense -- in fact, it seems like the only reason to have Joba go two innings in this one. I didn't like the plan at the beginning of Spring Training and I don't care for it now. But that's just my opinion and I'm just one man. The Good:Darrell Rasner. One's a fluke, two's a coincidence and three's a trend. Well, Ranser won his third straight game since being recalled from Scranton. He's making everyone wonder why he was sent down at all. The Lawnmower Man (you know, cause he's mowing down the competition) didn't allow a nine-day rest to break up his mojo. It's amazing how consistent Rasner is -- he works quickly, trusts his stuff and throws strikes. I don't think he registered anything over 88 miles per hour (if the radar gun can be trusted and we all know that it can't), but that didn't stop him from being in complete control. The Orioles best chance to score came when Alex Cintron and Nick Markakis singled to open the fourth. Baltimore would put runners on the corners with one out, but Rasner snuffed out the rally by inducing a pop out and then a strikeout. This could be the start of something beautiful. Rasner registered career highs in innings pitched and K's with this: 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K. Alex Rodriguez. The perennial All-Star hasn't missed a beat since rejoining the club. A-Rod hit a sky-scraping home run to lead off the third and increase the Yankee lead to 4-0. He followed that up with a nice opposite-field hit in the fourth that he hustled into a double. Rodriguez didn't exactly look like a gazelle as he rounded first, but it looks like his quad is feeling good enough. But it wasn't all peaches and cream for A-Rod. The "Man" robbed him of his second dinger in the sixth (See: Bad). Still, it was a good night as Rodriguez finished 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 2 runs batted in.  Derek Jeter. The Captain showed once again that he's one of the toughest guys in the league as he shrugged off Tuesday night's fastball to the hand. DJ was in the starting lineup and even though his box score isn't anything to write home about, his very presence makes the team better. Jeet also started a pretty 6-4-3 double play in the sixth to stymie a Baltimore mini-rally. And I thought Girardi should have given him the night off. Jeter finished 0 for 3 with a walk, a stolen base, a run scored and an RBI. The Bad:Bad umping. The Baseball Gods giveth and the Baseball Gods taketh away. Or so the legend goes. The Yanks caught a break Sunday night against the Mets when Carlos Delgado's home run down the left field line was called foul, but things "evened out" when A-Rod's shot in the sixth was incorrectly called a double instead of a round-tripper. I'll admit that I thought the ball hit the wall when I was watching live, but I wasn't on the field. A replay clearly showed that the ball bounced off the yellow staircase over the right centerfield wall, just above the Modell's sign. The umps huddled and came away with the wrong call. It's easy to second-guess, but two blown calls in less than a week at The Stadium is troubling. Baseball has a tendency to move at a snail's pace when it comes to integrating anything new, but instant replay can't be far away. The Ugly:Take it easy! Rasner was cruising as he ran to first to record an unassisted putout to end the sixth inning, but there was a moment of trepidation. Since this is 2008, a potential injury hovers over almost every Yankee player at any given moment. Rasner touched the corner of the bag with his left foot and rolled his ankle. He was OK and came back out to pitch the seventh, but it made me shake my head and roll my eyes as I watched the replay. And just to show that I'm not being a nervous nelly, Chien-Ming Wang had an MRI on Wednesday. Why? Turns out he twinged his right calf covering first against the Mets on Sunday. The calf became irritated and discolored on Wednesday. The test showed a mild strain. The Yankee ace is not expected to miss his next start Saturday against the Seattle Mariners. Ian Kennedy (0-3, 8.43 ERA) will try and keep the positive vibe flowing as the Yanks take on lefty Brian Burres (4-4, 3.47 ERA) in the rubber game Thursday night. Burres has made eight career appearances against the Bombers. He's 2-2 with a 3.67 ERA in 27 innings. The O's blasted Kennedy for four runs on five hits in only 2 2/3 innings on April 19 in a 6-0 Baltimore victory. I-Kenn has to get off the schnide sometime. Thursday night is as good a night as any.
Alex Rodriguez homered in his return to the Bronx, but it wasn't nearly enough. Mike Mussina couldn't recover from a two-out error in the first that eventually led to six unearned runs, Ross Ohlendorf was victimized by more spotty defense in the second and Derek Jeter left the game in the third after getting drilled in the hand as the Orioles slammed the Yanks 12-2 at The Stadium. It was basically three innings from hell if you were a Yankee booster Tuesday night. And if you were at this game and stayed for the duration, you have my deepest respect and condolences.  LaTroy Hawkins tried to get Jeter's back in the sixth, but even that was sloppy. Hawkins threw inside to Luke Scott with two outs and nobody on. That could have been a "message sent" pitch even though it didn't reach the target. It was a fastball about belt-high, but it missed Scott and hit the backstop. Still, not good enough. The next pitch was up and in and whizzed past Scott's head. The benches cleared (including the bullpens, which got their running in for the day) and when order was finally restored, The Hawk was sent to the showers. Sometimes a message has to be sent (even though it looked like Daniel Cabrera didn't intentionally hit Jeter), but Hawkins should have drilled Scott in the ribs, the hip or the buttocks. It seems like this team can't do anything right. The Good:Alex Rodriguez. So much for rust. A-Rod provided the only offense for the Yanks as he blasted a long, two-run bomb in the sixth. Too bad the Bombers were down by 10 at the time. Rodriguez finished 1 for 3 with a run scored and 2 RBI. The Bad:Mike Mussina. It was going to happen eventually, but it didn't have to be this way. The Moose had a chance to escape the first inning with only one run given up (and should have), but with two outs, Jeter threw high to Jason Giambi at first to load the bases and extend the inning. It was a play DJ should have made, but Robinson Cano was late getting to second for the force out. It may have contributed to the arrant toss. Anyway, these things happen and sometimes a pitcher has to pick up his infielders. That was a big negative. Mussina walked in Ramon Hernandez to give the O's a 2-0 lead and then gave up a double, single and triple before exiting on the short end of a 7-0 score. Game over. Mussina suffered his first loss since April 17 with this: .2 IP, 5 H, 7 R (1 earned), 2 BB, 1 K, 1 WP.  Ross Ohlendorf. The Yankee defense was in a giving mood on Tuesday night and Ohlendorf was the recipient in the second frame. Ross issued a two-out walk to Kevin Millar. No big deal, right? Well, it gave the E-man Luke Scott an at-bat (Scott reached on Jeter's blunder in the first) and Scott skied a ball to left for what seemed like the final out. It wasn't meant to be. Johnny Damon misplayed the ball and Millar scored as Scott motored into second. The Big O came unglued after that play, uncorking a wild pitch and an RBI-single before retiring the side. Ohlendorf also gave up a solo shot to Millar in the fourth. I could have let Ohlendorf's performance slide since the Yanks were getting blown out, but it's the second straight shaky outing for the big right-hander. The only positive was he gave the Yanks some innings. Ohlendorf's outing: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R (1 earned), 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 1 WP. Team defense. The Yanks made two, two-out errors on Tuesday night and they just couldn't overcome them. The Bomber pitching staff combined to gave up 12 runs, but only four of those were earned. This isn't the way winning teams play baseball. The Ugly:The Captain goes down. It's almost as if the Yanks are being plagued by Murphy's Law. Jeter wasn't having a good night when he stepped into the box in the third inning (big E in the top of the first, grounded into a double play in the bottom of the first), but it would get worse. Jeet absorbed a 93-mile-an-hour fastball to his left hand and was forced to leave the game. It looked like the Yanks were in line to lose their All-Star shortstop after regaining their All-Star third baseman. Fortunately, X-Rays were negative and DJ is listed as day-to-day. It could have been much, much worse. Darrell Rasner (2-0, 3.00 ERA) will try and put all this ugliness behind as he takes the hill and will match up against Garrett Olson (3-0, 3.47 ERA). This will be Olson's first look at the Yanks (and vice versa). The 24-year-old hasn't allowed more than three runs in his four starts this season. Rasner will be working on nine days rest and is 0-2 in two career starts against the Birds with a chunky 13.50 ERA. Things have to start turning around for this team. Don't they?
The sky may not be falling in Yankee Land just yet, but it's getting mighty heavy. Chien-Ming Wang fell apart after a promising beginning, the offense managed only three hits and Jose Reyes and Moises Alou combined to drive in six runs as the Mets spanked the Yanks 11-2 in the Bronx. The Yanks actually caught a break in this one when Carlos Delgado's shot down the left field line was incorrectly called a foul ball instead of a three-run home run in the fourth inning. But in the end, it didn't matter. The Bombers have dropped eight of their past 11 games.  The Good:Hideki Matsui. Godzilla was responsible for the most exciting part of the evening for the Yanks. Matsui went yard and sliced the Mets lead to 4-2 in the fourth inning. That would be as close as the Yankees would get. In fact, the Bombers would only get one more hit the rest of the night -- a leadoff double off the bat of Jose Molina in the fifth. Obviously, Molina didn't come around to score. Kinda hard to come back when you can't piece together any hits. Matsui finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and the 2 RBIs. The Bad:Chien-Ming Wang. When The Wanger has an off night, he usually shows signs early. That wasn't the case Sunday night. Wang retired the first nine batters, had his sinker working and looked poised to have another Wang-like outing. But fortunes changed in the fourth when Reyes led off the inning with a double. Things quickly degenerated from there. When the smoke cleared, the Mets pushed four runs across on four hits and two walks and with the Yanks struggling on O, you could have turned your sets off right there. Wang rebounded (sort of) and worked into the eighth inning, but another leadoff double (this time by David Wright) started another Mets rally. In the end, it was a bad start on an all-around bad night for the Yanks. Wang fell to 6-2 with this: 7.2 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 HR. Ross Ohlendorf. The Big O came into the game with the Yanks down 6-2 in the eighth and quickly allowed the game to get out of hand (more so). Ohlendorf allowed two RBI-singles and then gave up a three-run bomb to Reyes to cap the Mets scoring. The Yanks were already getting their lunch handed to them, but Ross made sure the beating turned into a laugher. Ohlendorf's line: .1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 1 HR. The Ugly:Offensive offense. The Yanks aren't firing on all cylinders without Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada, that much is clear, but there is no way this offense should be this putrid. The "Bombers" have scored 12 runs in the past six games. My quick math tells me that's an average of two runs per game. That ain't gonna get it done. I don't think anyone expects this team to put up eight or nine runs on a daily basis, but they should be able to put together close to a fistful more than once a week. Right? Thankfully, reinforcements are on the way. A-Rod is expected to be back in the lineup on Tuesday. Thank Budda. *Monday is an off-day as the Yanks will head down to Baltimore and take on the Orioles in a three-game series staring on Tuesday. Former O Mike Mussina (6-3, 3.99) will take the hill for the Yankees and go against Daniel Cabrera (4-1, 3.58 ERA). The Moose has rattled off five wins in a row and has an impressive 3.38 ERA on the road this season. He's also 77-41 with a 3.66 ERA lifetime at Camden Yards. Cabrera is off to a nice start, but he's struggled at home. Danny's road ERA is a tiny 2.17, but balloons to 5.87 in front of the home folks. Cabrera defeated the Yanks in Baltimore on April 18. Maybe the return of A-Rod can kick-start this offense. *Seems like the Yanks' lethargy is rubbing off on me. The Bombers will be HOSTING the Birds for a three-game set. Thanks to Scott for pointing out my embarrassing error. So, file away Mussina's career efforts in Baltimore for another day. As a peace offering for my blunder I can offer you this: The Moose is 10-6 with a 4.51 ERA in 23 lifetime starts against his former team.
At least they scored more than two runs. Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi (he must have been wearing that golden thong) and Bobby Abreu went deep, but Andy Pettitte and Kyle Farnsworth had two rough innings and Johan Santana settled in after a rocky beginning as the Mets subdued the Yanks 7-4 at The Stadium. The Bombers had Santana on the ropes early and held a 2-0 lead through three innings, but it could have been more. Johnny Damon was cut down at home on a bang-bang play in the third and the Yanks then allowed Santana to find his groove. It was only one play, but it really changed the tenor of the game. The Mets would go on to score six unanswered runs before the Yankees chipped away with single runs in the seventh and eighth. The Bombers brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but couldn't deliver the big hit.  The Good:Derek Jeter. The Captain always seems to bring his "A" game against the Mets (.381 career average) and Saturday afternoon was no different. DJ blasted a two-run bomb in the bottom of the first to give the Yanks a quick 2-0 advantage. Unfortunately, it was the only time the Bombers held the lead in this one. DJ was the all-time hits leader in interleague play coming in (254) and he added to his total with three more against the Mets. Jeter finished 3 for 4 with a run scored and 2 ribbies. The Bad:Kyle Farnsworth. A pitcher never wants to get beaten with his second-best pitch. Well, Farnsworth didn't go out that way on Saturday -- he was beaten with his third-best pitch. Kyle has developed a cutter this season to go along with his fastball and slider and it has served him well (5.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R in May), but it failed him twice against the Mets. Farnsy entered the game in the seventh with the Yanks trailing 3-2 and allowed bombs to Jose Reyes and David Wright and just like that the Metropolitans ended the seventh with a 6-2 lead. If I were Farnsworth, I'd have a hard time sleeping tonight. Farnsworth's line: 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 HR. Joba Chamberlain. The Yankees battled back and cut the deficit to 6-4 heading into the ninth, but Joba couldn't keep the Mets at bay. Chamberlain gave up a one-out triple to Carlos Beltran (Melky Cabrera came ever so close to making a spectacular play), but had a chance to escape unscathed if he retired the slumping Carlos Delgado. It didn't happen. Delgado put together a surprising at-bat and laced a single to right to put the Mets up 7-4. The Yanks have been scrapping to score runs as it is and Joba's failure meant a bloop and a blast wouldn't be enough. Chamberlain's totals: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K. The Ugly:
Going meekly. Andy Pettitte recorded five strikeouts in the first three innings of work which was both good and bad. Good that Pettitte can still dial it up when he has to, but bad because that means he's throwing more pitches. It seemed to catch up with him in the fourth when the Mets scored three runs. In fairness, Pettitte wasn't exactly tattooed in the inning (a bloop single, a broken-bat single and an infield single contributed to the Mets' rally), but they all count. Anyway, the ugliness game in the bottom of the fourth. Pettitte labored and threw 43 pitches in the top of the inning, but the Yanks went down in order on only six pitches in their half. Giambi lined out on a great play by Santana to lead off the frame and Robinson Cano and Melky grounded out after taking only two pitches each. These things happen (nobody would have cared if the Yanks were able to piece together a run or two in the fourth) and Pettitte didn't give up another run in the game, but sometimes you have to allow your guy to catch his breath before he goes back out there. The Yanks will try and salvage a game in this abbreviated two-game series on Sunday and send Chien-Ming Wang (6-1, 2.90 ERA) to the hill. The Mets will go with Oliver Perez (3-3, 4.61 ERA). Wang pitched a gem in his only career start against the Metropolitans -- striking out 10 in 8 2/3 innings as the Yankees downed the Mets 8-2 last season in the Bronx. Perez is 3-1 in four lifetime starts against the Bombers with an impressive 3.04 ERA, but Jeter (.333) and Cano (.500) seem to pick up the ball well against him. Sunday's game will be under the lights courtesy of ESPN. Time to right the ship in front of a national audience.
 Sometimes Mother Nature can be a hideous bitch-goddess. Friday night's game between the Mets and Yanks was postponed due to rain. Strangely, the teams won't make up the game this weekend (and both squads are off on Monday). Looks like the stage is set for a two-stadium doubleheader when the Bombers head to Shea Stadium in June. The Mets will stay with Johan Santana for Saturday's contest while the Yanks will skip Darrell Rasner and go with Andy Pettitte (3-4, 4.40 ERA). Pettitte was roughed up in his past start against Tampa Bay, but has solid career numbers against the Metropolitans. In 16 starts, Andy is 7-3 with a 3.42 ERA. The sun should be out for this one. Thank you, Mother Nature.
This script is getting a little old. Ian Kennedy didn't transform into a new pitcher and the offense continued to frustrate as the Rays downed the Yanks 5-2 in St. Petersburg. Tampa scored at least one run in four of the five innings Kennedy worked and the Bombers managed only three hits against Scott Kazmir. I listened to the first half of this mess at work and then caught the rest when I got home. But it was like watching a bad movie when you already know the ending so my attention span was lacking. But, I've got a job to do so I'll recap this like any other red-blooded American would -- really half-assed.  The Good:The pen. It's too bad the Yanks aren't hitting, because the way the bullpen is pitching a game can be shortened to five innings. The trio of LaTroy Hawkins, Jose Veras and Edwar Ramirez combined to toss three perfect innings Thursday afternoon. It's really a crying shame that this type of effort was wasted in a loss. The troika's vitals: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K. The Bad:Ian Kennedy. Akinori Iwamura led off the bottom of the first with his third homer of the year and well, to bastardize a line from a guy no one has ever heard of, the die was cast. Kennedy managed to retire the next six hitters and wiggled out of a bases loaded, nobody out jam by giving up only one run in the third, but a two-run homer off the bat of Shawn Riggans in the following inning squashed any hope of victory. I usually try to stay upbeat, but I can't say I'm as optimistic about Kennedy as some fans are. Maybe I'm just in a sour mood. At least Kei Igawa's reign of terror is over. The Yanks really have no one else to turn to, so I-Kenn should get at least two more starts. There's nowhere to go but up, right? Kennedy fell to 0-3 with this penta-like line: 5 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 HR. Johnny Damon. The Yanks aren't scoring runs and Damon isn't hitting. The two seem to go hand and hand. It's not fair to jump on Johnny D (there's plenty of blame to go around), but he's just 2 for his last 23 with zero walks. The guy at the top of the lineup sets the tone and right now that tone is off. Damon finished 0 for 5. The Ugly:A view from the bottom. It's still early and I don't really start paying close attention to the standings until after Memorial Day, but the Yanks are dead last in the AL East. And Tampa Bay is sitting in the catbird's seat. I never thought I'd live to see the day. Still, it's no reason to stick your head in the oven. The Bombers may be bringing up the rear, but they're just two games under .500 (20-22) and only 4.5 games back. At this date last season, the Yankees were also two games under (17-19) and in second place, but they trailed the first-place Red Sox by eight games. The Yanks will head back to the Bronx and host the Metropolitans for a three-game set starting on Friday night. Almost Yankee Johan Santana (4-2, 3.10 ERA) will get the start for the Mets and will go against Darrell Rasner (2-0, 3.00 ERA). Santana hasn't lost since April 12 against the Milwaukee Brewers, but has had two no decisions in his last three starts despite giving up a total of six earned runs in that span. Rasner has been a gift from above and has posted almost identical stats in his first two starts -- allowing two runs in six innings of work against both the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers. I'm sure Loge13 will be keeping tabs so give him a look-see if you want a Mets perspective on things. Friday's weather forecast in New York is supposed to be soggy, but I hope they manage to get the game in. The Yanks have an off day on Monday, but I don't think either team is gung-ho for a doubleheader. C'mon Mother Nature, be cool.
It wasn't the offensive explosion everyone's been waiting for, but a win is a win. Mike Mussina continued his baseball renaissance, Robinson Cano collected four hits and Mariano Rivera got right back on the horse as the Yanks nipped the Rays 2-1 in Tampa. The Bombers scratched out only seven hits, but they made the most of them and sparkling defense from Melky Cabrera, Cano, Derek Jeter and Jason Giambi (it's true!) helped snap a mini two-game skid. The Good:Mike Mussina. The Magic Man continued to dazzle with his wizardly right arm. The Moose got into some trouble in the second, but a double play erased a leadoff single by Carlos Pena and after Cliff Floyd reached with two outs, Melky gunned out the husky lefty as he tried to advance to third on a base hit by Dioner Navarro. Mussina wouldn't allow a Tampa batter to get past second base the rest of the night. Moose is turning into the poor man's Greg Maddux and showed that confidence and location can sometimes trump speed and velocity. Mussina won his fifth straight game and improved to 6-3 on the year with this: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K. The following YouTube clip is for Magic Man Moose: Robinson Cano. Robbie is off the interstate! Cano drove in the first run of the ballgame with a two out, RBI-single in the fourth to give the Yanks a 1-0 lead. Canu also made some nifty plays in the field, including a nice running catch in the ninth inning to help preserve the Yankee victory. The offense has looked stagnant and stale lately (and they didn't exactly tear it up on Wednesday), but if Cano regains his stroke it should help turn the tide. Cano finished 4 for 4 with an RBI and is now batting .205 on the year. Bobby Abreu. It wasn't exactly a screaming line drive, but Abreu did provide the margin of victory for the Yanks with a two out bloop RBI-double in the fifth. It doesn't make up for his failure to drive in Jeter from third with one out in yesterday's game, but it'll do ... it'll do. Abreu finished 1 for 4 with a run batted in.  The Bad:Ross Ohlendorf. The O-man was summoned in the seventh with a runner on first and one out. His task -- protect a tenuous 2-0 lead. The results -- mixed. Ohlendorf gave up back-to-back singles that sliced the Yankee lead to 2-1. But fortune smiled on Ross and the Yanks when Jeter snagged a line drive off the bat of Gabe Gross and then flipped to Cano to double up Cliff Floyd at second. DJ was in the right spot at the right time and Floyd made a base running mistake. The results were positive and the box score won't show it, but Ohlendorf didn't look particularly good. Ohlendorf's line: .2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K. The Ugly:Boss Jr. speaks again. Hank Steinbrenner continued to run his big mouth before Wednesday's game. The Yanks are obviously struggling and Boy George wasn't completely off with some of his comments. "The bottom line is that the team is not playing the way it is capable of
playing," he said. Fair enough, even though "bottom line" are weasel words. But Hank can't help confusing people. "I'm not saying they are not giving the effort, but they need to be playing
harder." Not really sure what that means, professor. Anyway, Joe Girardi held his first closed-door meeting before Wednesday's game and addressed the team for 30 minutes. G.I. Joe said it had nothing to do with Hank's comments. The Marlboro Man can say whatever he wants (he is in charge -- for better or worse), but it's comical that a guy who inherited the team from his pop says things like "These players are being paid a lot of money and they had better decide for
themselves to earn that money." And we're only in the middle of May. The Yanks will try and "earn" a split of the series on Thursday and will say hello to an old (young) friend. Ian Kennedy (0-2, 8.37 ERA) will make the start after an abbreviated stint in the minors. The Rays will send Scott Kazmir (1-1, 2.70 ERA) to the hill. Tampa battered Kennedy on April 4 for six runs in only 2 1/3 innings. Kazmir missed the first month of the season with an elbow injury, but signed a four-year extension with the Rays on Wednesday. The young lefty is 2-3 with a 3.00 ERA in nine career appearances against New York. Thursday's game has an unusual start time -- 4:00 in the p.m. -- so make a note of it. I-Kenn felt slighted when he was demoted and pitched lights-out in his
first start in Scranton. Let's see if that fire translates with the
big club.
It was either going to be an uplifting win or a devastating loss. It was the latter. Chien-Ming Wang pitched his guts out and Hideki Matsui ripped a game-tying solo homer in the ninth, but Mariano Rivera gave up the game-winning hit in the 11th inning as the Rays edged the Yanks 2-1 at The Trop. Jason Giambi finished 2 for 2 with two walks, but the rest of the offense looks like it's in a fog. The Yankees have dropped two in a row and trial the first place Rays by 4.5 games in the AL East.  It's dogs and cats living together! The Good:Chien-Ming Wang. Holding a team to one run through seven should be good enough to earn a win. It should be, but not with the way the Yanks are swinging the bat. The Wanger was lucky he didn't earn another tough-luck loss. Wang almost worked out of a leadoff double in the fourth, but he left a two out, 0-2 off-speed pitch up to Erik Hinske that turned into an RBI-single. It was the only run Wang would allow. He deserved better. Wang's totals: 7 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 2 K. Hideki Matsui. Godzilla provided the Yanks with their only offense of the night when he turned on a Troy Percival fastball with one out in the ninth to knot the score at 1-1. Homers like that can sometimes supercharge a team. Not this time. It just delayed the frustration. Matsui finished 1 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI. The Bad:Mariano Rivera. It was bound to happen sooner or later -- I just wish it was later. Rivera hadn't allowed a run all season, but he ran into trouble in his second inning of work. The ageless Cliff Floyd (I can't believe he's only 35-years-old) led off with a single to get the ball rolling for the Rays. Jonny Gomes pinch ran for Floyd, swiped second, and then came around to score on a Gabe Gross single. Rivera will be fine, but the Yanks really could have used this win. The Sandman suffered his first loss of the year with this: 1+ IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K. Jose Molina. Remember when Molina was swinging a hot bat? Seems like a million years ago, doesn't it? Molina is 3 for his last 41 and his average has dropped from .346 to .203 during that span. Nobody expects Molina to hit .340, but he has to do better than .200. Bobby Abreu. Abreu had a chance to put the Yanks on the board in the sixth and failed miserably. Derek Jeter smacked a one out triple and the Bombers needed just a fly ball from Abreu to even the score at 1-1. It didn't happen. Bobby hit the ball sharply, but grounded out to short. Abreu has been solid in the clutch this season (he came into the game batting. 500 with a runner on third and less than two outs and had a .467 average overall with runners in scoring position), but the Yanks really needed to get that run in. Abreu's at bat was a microcosm of what is wrong with this offense right now. Bobby finished 0 for 4 with a walk. The Ugly:Power outage. Believe it or not (and if you've been watching, you can believe it) the Yanks have scored a grand total of two runs in their past 24 innings. Math isn't my strongest subject, but even I know that kind of run support isn't going to win you many ballgames. Mike Mussina (5-3, 4.36 ERA) will try and stop the bleeding for the Yanks on Wednesday and James Shields (4-2, 3.14 ERA) will try and keep the good times rolling for the Rays. The Moose has been dancing on a razor's edge, but has won four straight games and is 17-7 with a 3.44 ERA in 30 career starts against the Rays, including a 6-1 win on April 7. Shields is probably Tampa's best pitcher, but the Yanks have had tremendous success against him. In six career starts, Shields is 0-5 with a plump 7.83 ERA. Check out these Yankees career averages against him: Jeter (.389), Robinson Cano (.400), Melky Cabrera (.333), Abreu (.364), Matsui (.600), Johnny Damon (.500) and Molina (.667). Every player except Molina has at least 10 at bats against him. Let's see if those numbers translate into runs on Wednesday.
The final score doesn't reflect how one-sided this game was. Andy Pettitte self-destructed in the fourth, the offense couldn't put anything together and Matt Garza showed why he was a former first round pick as the Rays foiled the Yanks 7-1 in St. Petersburg. Robinson Cano extended his modest hitting streak to seven games and Johnny Damon's RBI-ground out helped avert the shutout, but those were hollow achievements on this night. The loss drops the Yanks a game below .500 once again.  The Good:Alberto Gonzalez. The Bombers managed only six hits and Berto collected two of them. So much for the good glove, no stick scouting report. Gonzalez looks confident at the plate and is a solid defender who can play the entire infield. The kid has showed he belongs in the Big Leagues and shouldn't have to shuttle back and forth to Triple-A anymore. Let's see what happens. Gonzo finished 2 for 3. The Bad:Andy Pettitte. Baseball is a numbers game, but sometimes numbers lie. Pettitte entered Monday night with a 14-3 career record against Tampa and an 8-1 mark with a 3.30 ERA at The Trop. But that trend didn't continue. The lefty recorded five strikeouts in the first three innings, but things quickly came unglued in the fourth. Andy has faltered the second time through the order in three of his past four starts and that's not a good sign. I don't know if he's tipping pitches, getting fatigued or is just plain unlucky, but this pattern has to be rectified. Pettitte fell to 3-4 with this: 4 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 5 K. Hideki Matsui. Godzilla has been the most productive and consistent Yankee thus far, but he had a tough time Monday night. Matsui went down on strikes not once, not twice, but thrice! Hideki did work out a walk, but he still pulled off the hat trick. Matsui finished 0 for 3 with the walk. The Ugly:The time isn't right. The Yankee offense has been spinning its wheels without Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada and it looks like they'll have to make due without those guys for a little while longer. A-Rod's right quad has improved, but not enough to have him back in the lineup this week. Rodriguez had an MRI on Monday and the results will be compared to an earlier image. The Yanks need A-Rod's bat in the lineup in the worst way, but it's better to be safe than sorry. And it looks like Ian Kennedy's stay in Scranton will be a short one. The Yanks moved (banished) Kei Igawa to the bullpen and pulled Kennedy after just 12 pitches against Indianapolis on Monday. It's not official yet, but it looks like Kennedy will start Thursday against the Rays and Darrell Rasner will go Friday night against the Mets. Chien-Ming Wang (6-1, 3.12 ERA) will try and bounce back from his first loss of the year and will battle Edwin Jackson (2-3, 4.04 ERA). Wang shut down the Rays at The Stadium back on April 6 and owns a stingy 1.64 ERA on the road. Jackson will be making his third start against the Yanks in 2008. He's 1-1 with a 4.90 ERA. Time to get Wang and the Yanks back on the winning track.
Rain made it a no go in Mo Town for the Yanks and Tigers Sunday. No makeup date was announced and the Yankees aren't scheduled to hit the Motor City again, but there are two options to make up the game. The Bombers could play in Detroit on July 24, which is an off-day following a six-game homestand at The Stadium before they head to Boston, or Sept. 1 before embarking on a nine-game road trip that will take them to Tampa, Seattle and Los Angeles. If they opt for the July date, the Yanks will be playing 27 straight games coming out of the All-Star break.  Obviously, New York would prefer a day game on the September date, but the Tigers would rather play a night game in July to capitalize on a higher attendance figure. I'm not sure who has the final say in the matter. Time will tell. The rainout means the Yanks can skip Kei Igawa in the rotation. Igawa is scheduled to pitch Thursday against the Rays, but the Yankees could go with Darrell Rasner on regular rest instead. It seems like a no-brainer to bump Igawa and reshuffle the rotation, but I'm not in charge. The Yanks will head to Tampa and take on the Rays for a four-game series staring on Monday. Andy Pettitte (3-3, 3.77 ERA) will take the ball and go against Matt Garza (1-1, 4.91 ERA). Pettitte was scheduled to go on Sunday and owns a sparkling 14-3 career mark against the Rays with a splendid 3.62 ERA in 23 games. This will be Pettitte's third start this season against Tampa. He's 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA. Garza came over from the Minnesota Twins as part of a six-player deal this past offseason. In two career games against the Yanks, the 24-year-old Garza is 0-1 with a robust 6.75 ERA. This four-game set will be played under the roof in St. Pete so it looks like they'll be able to get the games in. But you can never predict baseball.
It took five tries, but the Yanks finally got the best of Detroit. Darrell Rasner spun six quality innings, Derek Jeter went deep for the first time this season and the bullpen continued to post zeros as the Yanks dropped the Tigers 5-2 at Comerica Park. The Bombers pounced on Jeremy Bonderman early and Mariano Rivera notched his 10th save in as many chances this year. The victory pulls the Yanks back to the .500 mark at 19-19.  I was at a Communion bash for this one, so my roundup will be spotty. But that's never stopped me before. The Good:Darrell Rasner. Second start, same as the first. Rasner gave up a homer in the first inning again, but settled down and controlled the Tiger lineup for the majority of the afternoon. I think it's safe to assume that Rasner will be hanging around if he keeps sticking to the script: trust your stuff, throw strikes and work quickly. Rasner picked up win No. 2 with this: 6+ IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR. Derek Jeter. It's been a long time coming, but The Captain finally went yard. DJ's first inning wallop gave the Yanks a quick 1-0 lead and got the ball rolling against Bonderman. Johnny Damon has been getting most of the press with his hot-hitting at the top of the Bomber offense, but Jeter is also starting to heat up. Jeet is batting .385 in his past seven games. Jeter also made a nice diving stab off the bat of Edgar Renteria in the fifth that turned into a double play and snuffed a mini Tiger rally. Jeter finished 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and an RBI. Mariano Rivera. It's expected to watch Rivera slam the door on opponents in the ninth, but The Sandman is putting up awesome numbers so far this year (even for him). Rivera disposed of the Tigers on just 10 pitches Saturday and has yet to give up a run this season (or a walk). It's still early, but check out Rivera's stats so far: 15 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 12 K, 10 for 10 in save opportunities. Keep doin what you're doin, Mo. Rivera's line: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K. The Bad:Chad Moeller. Every Yankee regular reached base Saturday via either a hit or a walk, but Moeller has been scraping at the plate since he re-joined the Yanks at the end of April. Moeller is just 2 for 11 in the month of May. I know Chad was catching two straight days (including the dreaded day game after a night game), but I've got to keep the guys on their toes. Moeller finished 0 for 3 with a walk. The Ugly:Twice as nice. At some point the Yanks may want to bring in a priest (voodoo or Buddhist) to sweep out the club house. Another Bomber went down Saturday -- Wilson Betemit strained his right hamstring after booming an RBI-double to center in the fourth inning and was placed on the 15-day disabled list. It will be the second stint on the DL this season for the switch-hitting infielder. Alberto Gonzalez will take Betemit's place. I figured Gonzo would be back with the big club soon, but I didn't think it would be this soon. The rubber game will feature Andy Pettitte (3-3, 3.77 ERA) and Nate Robertson (1-4, 6.64 ERA). Pettitte pitched well in his last start against the Indians at The Stadium, but didn't factor in the decision as Joba Chamberlain self-destructed in the eighth inning. Pettitte has had a tough time at Comerica Park during his career -- 2-3 with a 4.65 ERA in five starts. The American League has had its way with Robertson -- 52 hits in 40 2/3 innings -- but he earned his only win this season against the Yanks on May 1. Let's see if the Yanks can make it two in a row against the Cats.
The bar was set low for Kei Igawa Friday night and the lefty pitcher meet those expectations. Kei Igawa was smacked around repeatedly, Wilson Betemit had a horrible night and a ninth inning rally fell short as the Tigers edged the Yankees 6-5 in Mo Town. Jason Giambi went yard and the bullpen continued to be the backbone of the team, but it wasn't enough to keep the Yanks from falling a game under .500 for the umpteenth time this season.  The yo-yo year goes on. The Good:Jason Giambi. The Giambino stroked his second homer in two days in the second inning to tie the score at 1-1. The Yanks would get no closer. I was a tad surprised that Joe Girardi opted for Giambi at designated hitter and sat the hot-hitting Johnny Damon, but the move worked out. To call Jay's season disappointing so far would be a gross understatement, but the big guy never lost his confidence. Good thing, because I stopped believing in him long ago. But maybe there's some life left in his bat. Giambi finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI. The pen. Giardi has done a nice job utilizing the bullpen recently -- everyone he trots out there seems to toss goose eggs. Jonathan Albaladejo, LaTroy Hawkins and Edwar Ramirez got the call on Friday night and all three relievers kept the Yanks in the ballgame. It's unfortunate that the damage was too great to overcome. The mighty three combined for this sparkling line: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 WP. The Bad:Kei Igawa. Throw a soft-tossing lefty who keeps everything up in the strike zone against a team loaded with right-handed sluggers and you got yourself a recipe for disaster. Igawa gave up a double to Ivan Rodriguez to lead off the bottom of the first and you could just smell doom in the air. The Yanks didn't play good defense behind him, but that's not the reason Igawa was sent to the showers early. Igawa is slated to make his second start on Wednesday against the Rays in Tampa, but I wouldn't be shocked if a change was made before then. Sometimes box scores don't tell the whole story, but this one delivers on all of its ugly numbers. Igawa's night: 3+ IP, 11 H, 6 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  Wilson Betemit. The switch-hitting infielder was reportedly cured of the conjunctivitis that sidelined him for two weeks, but you couldn't tell by his play at third base and on the basepaths. Betemit was charged with only one error Friday night, but he looked lost at the hot corner. He also got picked off first base after reaching on an infield single in the second inning. I think it's just a matter of time before the Yanks jettison either Wil or Morgan Ensberg from the roster. And so far it looks like Betemit has one foot out the door. Betemit picked up two hits on the night, but it wasn't enough to offset his poor defense. Betemit finished 2 for 4 with a run scored. The Ugly:And that makes six. Reliever Chris Britton was sent down to Triple-A to make room for Igawa on Friday night, but the burly right-hander will be back with the team by Saturday. Why, you ask? That's because Jonathan Albaladejo is headed to the DL with soreness in his right elbow. He felt his elbow bark in the sixth inning. Albaladejo will fly to New York and have an MRI performed. Hopefully, it's nothing serious -- he's done a good job this year. And if you're keeping track at home, JA is the sixth Yankee to hit the disabled list this year. Darrell Rasner (1-0, 3.00 ERA) will try and get the Yanks back in the win column on Saturday and will square off against Jeremy Bonderman (2-3, 4.17 ERA). Bonderman pitched his best game of the season in a win over the Yankees on April 30. Rasner was efficient in his only start against the Seattle Mariners and has no real numbers lifetime against Detroit (1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K). The push toward .500 goes on.
I guess you can't win 'em all. Chien-Ming Wang was good, but Cliff Lee was better as the Indians pieced together single runs in the first, fourth and fifth innings and shutout the Yanks 3-0 in the Bronx.  I have to be honest Yankee fans, I've failed you once again. I stepped out with some friends after work and that means I get home after 11 o'clock in the p.m. My plan was to watch the game (which I recorded) when I got in, but I'm feeling much too weary. I've become everything I've ever hated. Therefore, no roundup, but Hideki Matsui did extend his hitting streak to 16 games with a base hit in the second inning. The Bombers will try and avoid the sweep on Thursday and will give that assignment to the resurgent Mike Mussina (4-3, 4.23 ERA). The Tribe will counter with Paul Byrd (1-2, 3.74 ERA). The Moose has won his last three starts and if you take out his two starts against the Red Sox (I know you can't, but I'm going somewhere with this), he hasn't allowed more than three runs in his other five outings. Byrd beat the Yanks on April 25, but he's 0-2 in four career starts at The Stadium (despite a respectable 3.46 ERA). The game is a businessman special (1:05 p.m. start time) so if you can, sneak away from work and catch some rays at the game. As for me, I'll be listening to the action at my desk.
This isn't how the formula is supposed to work! Andy Pettitte pitched well after two subpar starts, Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano provided the lead, but Joba Chamberlain gave up a pinch-hit, three-run homer to David Dellucci as the Indians surprised the Yanks 5-3 in the Bronx. Hideki Matsui went 3 for 3 and extended his hitting streak to 15, but his perfect night can't take the sting out of this loss. The Yankees winning streak ends at three and they find themselves back at .500 on the year.  The Good:Andy Pettitte. The veteran lefty had a bit of a roller coaster night at The Stadium. Pettitte retired the first six batters he faced and was given an early 1-0 lead, but the home run bug continued to rear its ugly head. Jhonny Peralta ripped a two-run bomb in the fourth to give the Tribe a 2-1 lead. It was the fifth dinger Pettitte has given up in his past three starts. But Andy righted the ship and turned in a top-flight performance. Pettitte really wanted this one as evidenced by his animated discussion with Jorge Posada in between the sixth and seventh innings. I'm not sure what they were talking about, but I don't think it had anything to do with dinner reservations. He deserved a better fate than a no decision. Pettitte's line: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 WP, 1 HR. Jason Giambi. The Italian Stallion returns! OK, there's only one Italian Stallion, but The Giambino was responsible for 66% of the offensive output Tuesday night. Giambi picked up a hustle ribbie in the first when he beat out a relay throw on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded to give the Yanks a 1-0 lead. Jay Jay then doubled deep to left in the fourth to knot the score at 2-2. It's usually an accident if Giambi hits the ball the other way, but he actually looked like he was trying to shoot the ball to left on his RBI-double. Maybe this is the start of something big. Giambi finished 1 for 3 with a walk, a run scored an 2 RBIs. The Bad:Joba Chamberlain. It's going to happen -- Joba can't be perfect every time he toes the rubber -- but his pitch selection was a bit perplexing. Chamberlain threw his curveball way too much and his control was off almost from the get-go. How off was he? On one pitch, Jose Molina set up for a fastball on the outside corner, but Joba missed so badly inside that Molina didn't have time to react and the ball drilled the home plate ump Gerry Davis in the shin. Still, Chamberlain was one out away from pitching out of it, but David Dellucci turned on an inside fastball and deposited it into the right field seats. It actually wasn't that bad of a pitch, but them walks almost always come back to haunt you. Chamberlain suffered his second loss of the season with this: 1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HR.  Johnny Damon. It's a tad unfair to dump on Damon since he's been swinging the bat well, but I can't in good conscience have two "good" things and only one "bad" thing after a game like this. This isn't personal, Johnny, but I have to sleep well at night. Damon finished 0 for 5 with two strikeouts. The Ugly:It's only a game. Rivalries can sometimes turn heated, but they should never end this way. If you haven't heard, a 43-year-old woman in New Hampshire struck and killed a 29-year-old man with her car following an argument about the Yankees and Red Sox outside a bar. The woman, Ivonne Hernandez, allegedly gunned her car at a group of Red Sox fans after a chant of "Yankees suck!" started. Supposedly, she only wanted to scare the group, but she wound up killing Matthew Beaudoin. Hernandez refused to take a breathalyzer test. I don't really know how to segue from such stupidity. The Yankees made a roster move before Tuesday's game (there have been a lot of those lately) as Wilson Betemit was activated from the 15-day disabled list and infielder Alberto Gonzalez was sent down to Triple-A. Tough break for Berto, but I think it's just a matter of time before he gets called back up. I don't see the Yanks keeping Betemit and Morgan Ensberg on the roster for the entire season. It will be a battle of the undefeated on Wednesday night. Chien-Ming Wang (6-0, 3.00 ERA) will go against lefty Cliff Lee (5-0, 0.96 ERA). Wang bested C.C. Sabathia and the Indians 10 days ago in Cleveland and will put his stellar lifetime record in the Bronx (29-9, 3.13 ERA) on the line. Lee has been God-like so far this season (37.2 IP, 19 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 32 K), but he's 1-2 with a 8.79 ERA in his career at Yankee Stadium. Should be a good one.
Seems one man's loss in another man's gain. Darrell Rasner went six workmanlike innings, Melky Cabrera and his buddy Robinson Cano hit back-to-back jacks in the third and the bullpen twirled three innings of shutout ball for the third consecutive day as the Yanks thwarted the Mariners 8-2 to complete the weekend sweep. The top of the Yankee order punished Seattle pitching for the second straight day -- the first four hitters combined to go 11 for 18 with four runs batted in -- and the bottom of the lineup dropped the hammer with two home runs.  It was a strange week for the Bombers -- they went from being the sweepees to being the sweepers. It's much better to be the latter. The Good:Darrell Rasner. The newest Yankee starter fell behind the eight ball early by giving up a two-out, two-run bomb to Adrian Beltre in the top of the first, but settled down nicely. Rasner doesn't have an overpowering fastball or tremendous movement on his breaking stuff (his arsenal is actually very similar to Ian Kennedy's), but he worked quickly, believed in his stuff and threw strikes. He was rewarded for his fortitude. The biggest plus for Darrell -- he didn't walk anyone. Rasner probably could have gone deeper in this game (he left after only 76 pitches), but I'm guessing Joe Girardi wanted to get him out while his confidence level was at its highest. Rasner picked up his first victory of the year with this: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 1 HR. I'll sign up for those numbers from him every day of the week. Melky Cabrera. The Melk-Man collected only one of the 14 Bomber hits on Sunday, but his two-run blast in the third extended the Yankee lead to 5-2 and really changed the tenor of the ballgame. Cabrera is really turning into a complete player before our eyes. It's amazing to think the Yanks considered unloading him the past two offseasons. Melky's dinger was his sixth of the year (he had eight all last season) and he's hit safely in eight of his past nine games. Cabrera finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and the two RBIs. Robinson Cano. I've been frustrated with Robbie's season thus far (I'm sure I'm not alone) and it looked like the poor start was starting to weight on Cano. But Canu followed Melky's two-run blast with a solo shot to give the Yanks a 6-2 advantage. Hitting a home run doesn't mean Cano has broken out of his funk (in fact, I'd rather see him put together a few multi-hit games in a row), but things have been so rotten for him so far I'm willing to give him a pat on the back. Cano finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and a run batted in.  Derek Jeter. I usually like to keep the "good" section limited to three players, but how can I not acknowledge The Captain's four-hit day? This fourth "accolade" could have gone to Johnny Damon (2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and a stolen base), Bobby Abreu (3 for 4 with a run scored and a ribbie) or Hideki Matsui (2 for 4 with a run scored and 2 RBI as he extended his hitting streak to 14), but Jeter gets the nod because he's banged out seven hits in his last 10 at-bats. DJ finished 4 for 5 with 2 runs scored and an RBI. The Bad:Chad Moeller. Every Yankee regular contributed to this victory on offense with either a hit or an RBI. All but one. Moeller went hitless in his four ABs. Moeller did guide Rasner and the pen behind the dish so it wasn't all bad for the Bomber catcher. But I still have to mind everyone's Ps and Qs. Moeller finished 0 for 4. The Ugly:What youth movement? The Yanks sent struggling pitcher Ian Kennedy down to Scranton on Sunday to work things out. The Yankees didn't give a timetable for his return. Hank Steinbrenner's claim that the team was going to stick by their young pitchers didn't last long, did it? I was a little surprised with the move, but Kennedy hasn't exactly looked sharp (even though he's pitched "better" in his last two starts). This is a real test for the kid. Kennedy didn't take his demotion well which is a good sign (shows he's got fire in the belly), but this comment is a bit confusing: "I guess if I can pitch under a smaller microscope down there, I guess it
might put a little less pressure on me. You are on a
bigger scale here. In Scranton, I'm struggling, but here, the world is going to
end." I'm hoping this quote is taken out of context because Kennedy better learn how to pitch under pressure if he expects to succeed in the Bigs. Everything is always going to be magnified in New York (right or wrong), but there should be pressure to perform on every Major League team. This isn't Little League where having fun and giving it everything you got is all that's expected. Screw your head on right, Ian. Kennedy's departure also means that old favorite Kei Igawa will most likely get another shot. May God have mercy on us all. Monday is an off-day for the Bombers. On Tuesday the team will welcome in the Cleveland Indians for a three-game set. Andy Pettitte (3-3, 3.93 ERA) will toe the rubber for the Yanks and go against Fausto Carmona (3-1, 2.60 ERA). The Tribe signed Carmona to a four-year, $15 million deal earlier in the season and so far Carmona has been worth it. His walk total is too high (26 free passes in 34.2 innings), but he's holding righty hitters to a tiny .233 average on the year. Pettitte has dropped his past two starts and has struggled in his career against Cleveland -- 6-8, 4.63 ERA in 17 starts. Time to rectify those stats, Andy.
Seems the rumors of The Moose's demise were highly exaggerated. Mike Mussina turned in his third straight solid game, Johnny Damon went uppper deck and the bullpen spun out three more innings of shutout relief as the Yankees cruised to a 6-1 win over the Mariners on an overcast afternoon in the Bronx.  The Bombers jumped on King Felix early, scoring four runs in the first three innings, and the top four in the order combined to go 10 for 19 with five runs batted in. Hideki Matsui extended his hitting streak to 13 with a 2 for 5 day and the unlikely trio of LaTroy Hawkins, Edwar Ramirez and Jose Veras (yep, the Yanks now have nine relievers) closed the door as the Yanks captured their second straight win and moved back to .500 on the season. The Good:Mike Mussina. The magician was back in form for the Yanks. There are still times when it looks like Mussina is one pitch or one batter away from allowing things to slip away, but it didn't happen (again) on Saturday. The Moose started strong (retiring the first six hitters), tap-danced out of some hairy situations in the middle innings and then struck out the side to complete his day. It may never look pretty when Mussina is on the mound, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Moose improved to 4-3 with this effort: 6 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K. Johnny Damon. If the Yanks expect to score runs with Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada out of the lineup then guys are going to have to step up. Mr. Damon to the rescue! Johnny got the Bombers off and running with a double to lead off the bottom of the first and came around to score on a Bobby Abreu single. Damon ignited another rally with a one-out double in the third and later scored on a Derek Jeter double to give the Yanks a lead they would never relinquish. Then Johnny put the game out of reach in the sixth with a two-run bomb into the upper deck in right to extend the Bomber lead to 6-1. Johnny D's bat is starting to heat up (he was batting .400 in his last seven before Saturday) and that can only mean good things for the Yanks. Damon finished 3 for 5 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBIs.  Derek Jeter. The Captain is still searching for his first home run of the season, but there's no shame in collecting a multi-hit game. Jeter's RBI-double in the third gave the Yanks the lead after the Mariners tied the score at 1-1 in the top of the frame. It should come as no surprise -- Jeter entered the game batting .440 with runners in scoring position. DJ finished 3 for 5 with a run scored and a run batted in. The Bad:Jason Giambi. It was a close call between Giambi and Robinson Cano (who went 0 for 3 with an intentional walk), but the Giambino gets the nod for his continued baffling play at first base. Morgan Ensberg's throw pulled Giambi off the bag in the sixth, but it looked like the big guy still had a chance to touch the base before the runner. Negative. Giambi almost turned an ankle trying to get back as Ensberg was charged with an error. In the seventh inning, Jeter's return throw on a potential double play ball was wide of the mark, but Giambi committed too early at first base. The miscue went to DJ as the runner advanced to second. Giambi wasn't charged with any errors, but if this was a murder case, Jay Jay would be fingered as an accomplice in both instances. Giambi finished 0 for 3 with a walk. The Ugly:Steady! It seems like the Yanks are getting an injury scare on a daily basis. Jeter slid into second on a double play ball hit by Bobby Abreu in the sixth, but he was slow getting up. It was difficult to tell what happened (even with a replay), but it looked like Jeet may have gotten kicked on the way in. It turned out to be nothing and it could be that I'm starting to get a bit paranoid, but with the recent rash of injuries on the roster I think I'm justified. The Yanks will pull out the brooms on Sunday and give the ball to Darrell Rasner (0-0, 0.00 ERA). Rasner will be taking over for Phil Hughes for the next few months (maybe). He went 1-3 with a 4.01 ERA last season and is 1-1 with a 2.53 ERA in two career starts against the M's. Carlos Silva (3-0, 2.79 ERA) will try and salvage a win for Seattle. Silva was an off-season pickup from the Minnesota Twins and has pitched well thus far. He's gone at least six innings in all of his starts this season, but he's 0-2 in two lifetime starts in the Bronx with a portly 8.68 ERA. Time to seize the day, Darrell.
A few more games like this and everything is gonna be allllllllright. Chien-Ming Wang was fabulous, Melky Cabrera drove in two and the trio of Kyle Farnsworth, Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera sealed the deal as the Yanks vanquished Seattle 5-1 on a raw, blustery night at Yankee Stadium. It was a nip-and-tuck affair through seven and could have been closer if M's starter Erik Bedard received any help from his defense and bullpen. The Bombers scored three runs in the first three innings thanks in large part to four Mariner errors and Morgan Ensberg and Jose Molina touched up the Seattle pen for two runs in the eighth to help move Wang to a perfect 6-0 on the season and 7-0 lifetime against the Mariners.  The Good:Chien-Ming Wang. Ace was called to stop a three-game skid and give the team a lift in the process. Done and done. Wang's pitches were up early in the contest (which is usually a precursor to a poor outing), but he found his rhythm and mixed in all his pitches and became the first six-game winner in the American League. There will be pressure for The Wanger to be "on" in every start and (so far) he's handling the heat just fine. Wang's totals: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K. The pen. Wang was masterful and the trio of Farnsworth, Chamberlain and Rivera did a great job keeping in step. Don't look now, but Farnsworth has settled down after a rocky beginning of the year. He threw gas in his one inning of work as he struck out two and lowered his ERA to 3.77 on the season. Joba, who hadn't pitched since April 28, came in for the eighth and gave up a measly single before handing the keys over to Rivera. The Sandman (who still hasn't given up a run in 2008) needed 15 pitches to send the fans home happy. Too bad it can't always be this easy. The pen's effort: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K. The Bad:Jason Giambi. The Giambino continued his quest to stay under .200 for a second straight month. Giambi "muscled" his average up to .186 after a 2 for 3 night in Cleveland on April 25, but he's gone 1 for his last 16 and now sits at .160 on the year. Jay Jay finished 0 for 2 with a walk.  The Ugly:Near misses. Chien-Ming Wang was cruising until the fifth when he called catcher Jose Molina to the hill. The talked briefly and then Molina waved for the coaching staff. I think I heard the collective groan from every Yankee fan during the mound pow-wow. It looked like Wang was having a problem with his thumb. He finished the fifth and the sixth so I'm going to assume everything is cool, but if The Wanger misses any time it could spell doom for the Yankees. The Yanks also got another scare in the seventh when Kyle Farnsworth took a stroll around the mound after delivering a pitch to Wladimir Balentien. Joe Girardi came out with Gene Monahan, but the meeting was brief and Farnsworth stayed in the game and struck out Balentien on the next pitch. Farnsworth may be a favorite punching bag for the fans (and I'm no exception), but the Yanks need him to stay healthy. In other health-related Yankee news, it looks like Jorge Posada won't need season-ending surgery. Jorgie was diagnosed with rotator cuff inflammation and tendinitis in his throwing shoulder. A little R&R is what the doctor(s) ordered. Posada could be back in five weeks if all goes well (fingers crossed). And it looks like Phil Hughes can't see so good. Turns out the kid is "slightly nearsighted" and will be sporting spectacles when he returns from the disabled list. It will be the old vs. the new on Saturday -- Mike Mussina (3-3, 4.73 ERA) vs. Felix Hernandez (2-1, 2.22 ERA). The Moose will try and make it three straight strong starts in a row and, believe it or not, is holding lefty batters to a minuscule .176 average on the year. King Felix pitched in bad luck to begin the season -- his first two starts went down as no decisions despite going 15 innings and giving up no earned runs. Let's see if age and experience can beat piss and vinegar.
Different month, same results. Ian Kennedy couldn't make it past the fifth, reliever Jonathan Albaladejo wasn't much better and the middle of the Tiger lineup combined to go 7 for 13 with five RBIs as Detroit doubled up the Yanks 8-4 on a rainy night in the Bronx. The Bombers jumped out to an early lead for the second straight night, but allowed Nate Robertson to regain his bearings as he earned his first victory of the year. The Yanks "battled back" from a one-run deficit in the fifth, but super-sub Ramon Santiago tripled in two runs in the sixth to extinguish all hope of a comeback.  The Good:Bobby Abreu. Bobby ripped a three-run laser in the bottom of the first to give the Yanks a quick 3-0 lead. That would be the high point of the night. Abreu added a base hit in the fifth, but he badly misplayed a ball in right field during a four-run Tiger third inning that resulted in the go-ahead run. The Yanks may have the most uncoordinated corner outfielders in the league. Abreu finished 2 for 4 with a walk, run scored and 3 ribbies. The Bad:Ian Kennedy. It started well for the kid, but it all unraveled in the third inning. Kennedy was on the verge of escaping with only one run allowed, but couldn't get that elusive final out. Kennedy doesn't have overpowering stuff, but he seems to shy away from contact -- especially when hitters foul off pitches. Maybe that mentality will change with seasoning, but right now it's painful to watch. Anyway, a 3-1 Yankee lead quickly evaporated and became a 4-3 Tiger lead when all was said and done. And once again, the bullpen was called upon too early. Kennedy picked up a no-decision, but throwing 96 pitches in less than five innings isn't going to cut it. Kennedy's totals: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 1 K. Jonathan Albaladejo. JA has been solid during his shuttle from Triple-A to the big club, but he was off on Thursday night. The Yanks tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the fifth and Albaladejo gave it all back in the top of the sixth. Very disheartening. Still, a 6-4 deficit isn't insurmountable (even with the Yankees National League lineup), but then Johnny gave up a two-run bomb to Miguel Cabrera in the seventh. Game, set, match. Albaladejo was tagged with his first loss in pinstripes with this: 1.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR. The Ugly:Worse than expected. I'll admit it -- I rolled my eyes when Phil Hughes was placed on the disabled list with a strained oblique during Wednesday night's game. Well, turns out it was a little more than just a strain. An MRI and X-Ray taken Thursday revealed a stress fracture to his right side -- his rib. The kid will be out until at least July. Two schools of thought on this and it depends on what type of person you are. The broken rib (even though when it occurred is a mystery) could explain why Hughes has pitched so poorly this season. Then again, this is starting to become a trend for the 21-year-old. Hughes pulled a hamstring last season and then turned his ankle during his rehab. At least the injuries aren't shoulder or elbow related. But no matter how you look at it, the Yanks are down a starter and the solution (so far) will be Darrell Rasner. Rasner will make his first start of the year for the Yanks on Sunday against Seattle. Let's see if he can seize the opportunity. The Yankees welcome in the Seattle Mariners Friday night for a three-game set and the first game should be a good one. Chien-Ming Wang (5-0, 3.23 ERA) will face off against Erik Bedard (2-0, 2.04 ERA). Wang was masterful in his last start against the Cleveland Indians and is 6-0 in six career starts against the M's with a 2.51 ERA. Bedard missed most of April with a hip injury, but came back last week and pitched 6 2/3 innings of shutout ball in a win against the Oakland A's. Hideki Matsui is the only Yankee in the everyday lineup with good numbers against the hard-throwing lefty (5 for 16, .313). The next highest average belongs to Derek Jeter and Jason Giambi (.231). And with all the negativity surrounding the Yanks, a bit of good news. Bobby Murcer will be back calling the action for Friday's game. Murcer has missed time recovering from fatigue after a recent biopsy showed scar tissue and no signs of the brain cancer he battled at the end of 2006. Welcome back, Bobby.
At least Pettitte went six innings. The bats fell into hibernation after a two-run first, Placido Polanco belted two dingers and Marcus Thames homered and drove in two as the Tigers tamed the Yanks 6-2 at The Stadium. Andy Pettitte pitched well until he gave up a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth innings and the offense allowed Jeremy Bonderman to find a groove after a rocky beginning as the Yankees wrapped up the first month of the season a game under .500.  The Good:Melky Cabrera. The Melk-Man delivered a key RBI-single in the first to give the Yanks a short-lived 2-0 lead. I say "key" because the Bombers were in danger of scoring just one run after loading the bases with no outs. In the end in didn't matter, but Cabrera is showing Joe Girardi that his name should be penciled in the lineup everyday. Let's hope G.I. Joe gets the message. Melky finished 2 for 4 with a run batted in. The Bad:Andy Pettitte. The old sage was on his way to another gritty performance until the fifth. Then former Yank Marcus Thames (ever notice how many former Bombers are floating around the league?) stepped up and ripped a two-run homer to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead. The home run bug bit Pettitte again in the sixth when Placido Polanco led off the frame with the first of his two blasts on the night. This was the second straight start where Pettitte lost it in the fifth. I'm not sure what that means, but it ain't good. Pettitte fell to 3-3 with this: 6 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 HR. Robinson Cano. Another day, another hitless night for Robbie. I think I've beaten this dead horse into pudding, but Cano has to start hitting if the Yanks have any chance of scoring runs. There is no way Canu should be hitting .151 on the final day of April. He's not even batting my weight. The Yankees are already down their best hitter and their second-best hitter from a year ago. Guys are going to have to step up and that means you Robbie. Cano finished 0 for 3. The Ugly:It happens in three's. The whispers about Phil Hughes' spot in the rotation didn't have a chance to turn into a roar. The Yankees placed the struggling 21-year-old on the disabled list during Wednesday's game with a strained right oblique. Conspiracy nuts will have a field day with the timing of placing Hughes on the DL and I really couldn't argue with them. Honestly, I hope his poor performance is due to a nagging injury, but in my heart of hearts I believe the Yanks are trying to take the pressure off Hughes without undressing him and sending him down to Scranton. The Yankees didn't say who would take the kid's spot, but I would be shocked if it wasn't Darrell Rasner. Rasner is 4-0 with a 0.87 ERA and was named the International League's pitcher of the week for the period of April 21-27. In other roster news, the Yanks brought catcher Chad Moeller back to the Bronx. Moeller passed through waivers and became a free agent for about five minutes when he rejected an outright assignment to Triple-A before re-signing with the Yankees. It doesn't sound like a big move, but Chris Stewart was a disaster in his debut in pinstripes Tuesday night. Stewart was sent packing on Wednesday. With Jorge Posada on the shelf and Jose Molina not used to carrying the load, Moeller becomes an important component. How sad is that? To be fair, Moeller has played well so far this season: .350, 1 HR and 3 RBI. Welcome back, Chad. Ian Kennedy (0-2, 8.53) will try and help the Yankees avoid the sweep on Thursday. The Tigers will go with lefty hurler Nate Robertson (0-3, 6.91 ERA). Robertson has been smacked around so far this season, giving up 35 hits and 22 runs in 28 2/3 innings. Lefties in particular are hitting a sizzling .419 against him. Kennedy had a rough second inning in his last start in Cleveland, but managed to last five innings in a no decision. If Kennedy wants to break into the win column, he's got to stop walking hitters. He's allowed 17 free passes in 19 innings this year. The calendar will read May when the Yanks take the field Thursday. Maybe the change will do them some good.
It was a game of disappointment and frustration. Phil Hughes continued to be his own worst enemy, Gary Sheffield belted a two-run homer against his former mates and the Yanks couldn't take advantage of eight hits and eight walks as Kenny Rogers and the Tigers downed New York 6-4 in the Bronx. Robinson Cano drove in half of the Yankee runs with his line drive dinger in the second and the Bombers mounted rallies in the final two frames, but it wasn't enough.  The Good:The bullpen. Once again the pen was called upon to stop the bleeding and once again it responded. The trio of Ross Ohlendorf, Edwar Ramirez and LaTroy Hawkins combined for 5 1/3 innings of shutout ball. Ohlendorf was the first guy out of the gate and really impressed, striking out five in 3 1/3 innings. Ramirez was called up before the game (Chris Britton, who was brought up on April 25, was sent down without throwing a pitch) and looked sharp. The Hawk finished things off for the Yanks with a nine-pitch ninth. The triumvirate's totals: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K. That's two stellar performances in a row for the bullpen, but if the starters can't get go at least five, the relievers are going to be cooked before June. The Bad:Phil Hughes. It was the same old story for the kid -- too many pitches and not enough quality strikes. Hughes walked the first batter of the game and it went downhill from there. You can make excuses and say the Tigers didn't hit him hard during their two-run first inning, but Hughes continued to get into trouble after that frame. Hughes also had problems getting in sync with the newest Yankee catcher Chris Stewart. It seemed like Stewart was crossed up on every other batter as Hughes finished with two wild pitches. The one positive for Hughes this season was he kept the ball in the park. Well, he gave up his first two gopher balls of the year in the third inning -- a solo shot by Curtis Granderson and a two-run blow by Gary Sheffield. Hughes fell to 0-4 with this mess: 3.2 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 2 K, 2 HR, 2 WP. The Ugly:Another bat hits the DL. The Yanks placed Alex Rodriguez on the disabled list after Tuesday's game. A-Rod strained his quad on April 20 and returned to the lineup on April 25 in Cleveland. But Rodriguez felt his leg " pull a little bit" running out a grounder in the fourth inning last night. A-Rod also said that he "probably" came back too soon from the original injury and that it took
him "a couple of months" to recover from a similar injury when he was a senior
in high school. An MRI revealed a Grade 2 sprain that will keep the MVP out at least two weeks. This lineup is already struggling to score runs and now they'll be without two of their best hitters. On a positive note, the news on Jorge Posada seems to be better than expected. I say "seems" because his shoulder has gone from OK to shot to not that bad. But even in a best-case scenario, it could be a while before Jorgie comes back. Andy Pettitte (3-2) will try and get the Yanks back in the win column (and give the pen a much-needed day off) on Wednesday. Pettitte wasn't sharp in his last start and lasted only five innings in a loss to the Indians. Andy has pitched well against the Tigers in his career. He owns a 10-8 record with a 3.49 ERA. Detroit Rock City will counter with the talented, but inconsistent Jeremy Bonderman (1-2). Bonderman has kept the Tigers in games this year, but he's allowed 28 hits and 21 walks in 27 1/3 innings so far. And three Yanks that are still in the lineup have excellent numbers against him -- Johnny Damon (.438, 2 HR, 6 RBI), Hideki Matsui (.526, 3 HR, 9 RBI) and Bobby Abreu (.667, 1 HR, 3 RBI). Things may look bleak right now in Yankee Land, but considering the injuries, shaky starting pitching and 18 out of the past 20 games played on the road before Tuesday night, a .500 record at this point isn't that bad. But it's time to start turning things around.
The offense didn't exactly explode, but they did enough to earn a split of the four-game set. Mike Mussina turned in his second straight strong start and the bullpen slammed the door as a bizarre four-run sixth helped the Yanks to a 5-2 victory over the Indians on a cold night in Cleveland. The Bomber bats continued to struggle as they mustered only five hits on the night, but it was enough to lift the Yanks back over the .500 mark at 14-13 as they ended their three-city road trip at a 5-5.  The Good:Mike Mussina. Smoke and mirrors, playing with fire, gutting it out -- whatever you want to call it, The Moose is getting the job done. He may keep you on the edge of your seat when he delivers a pitch, but you can't argue with the results. The Indians didn't even really tattoo Mussina during their two-run fifth inning. It ain't gonna be pretty whenever Moose toes the rubber, but if you're a Yankee fan, you have to sign up for this type of performance every fifth day. Mussina earned career victory No. 253 (tying Carl Hubbell for 41st place) and evened his record to 3-3 with this: 5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 WP. The bullpen. Mussina pitched well, but he only went five. That meant the pen had to piece together 12 outs to get the job done. And they came through with flying colors. Jonathan Albaladejo was the first guy out there and got himself into a first and third, two-out jam, but escaped by striking out David Dellucci to end the inning. That would be the last time the Tribe would have any baserunners. Kyle Farnsworth, Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera zipped through their innings to seal the win. Rivera earned his eighth save in eight opportunities. The pen's sparkling totals: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K. Hideki Matsui. The Yanks didn't tear the cover off the baseball Monday night, but Matsui knocked in two runs. Godzilla's not-so-very-sexy ground out to first drove in Bobby Abreu from third to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead in the sixth. Matsui's RBI-double in the eighth was hit a little harder and capped the Bomber scoring. Matsui finished 1 for 4 with the 2 ribbies. The Bad:Robinson Cano. If it reads like I'm kicking Cano in the ribs repeatedly, well, I guess I am. Cano continued to struggle at the plate and went hitless (again). Robbie did get on base on Monday, though -- he was drilled in the back in the fifth inning. Canu finished 0 for 3 and went 4 for 32 on the road trip. Maybe a return to Yankee Stadium will help turn things around.  The Ugly:Rally time? The Yanks had zero hits as they entered the sixth inning and were down 2-0. What transpired during that frame was one of the ugliest rallies on God's green earth. Melky Cabrera broke up the no-hitter with an infield hit between short and third. Jeter followed with another infield hit. Then Bobby Abreu lined a hard single to left (the only "real" hit of the inning). Alex Rodriguez stepped up with the bases loaded and nobody out and was plunked on a 1-2 pitch. Then Jason Giambi and Matsui hit back-to-back RBI-grounders to first for two runs. Morgan Ensberg finished the scoring with another infield single. The Yanks tallied four runs in the inning and only one ball left the infield. It's a good thing there aren't any style points in baseball. The Yanks will back home on Tuesday (finally) to start a three-game series with the Detroit Tigers. Phil Hughes (0-3) will get the call for the Bombers and will go against former Yank Kenny Rogers (1-3). Hughes had his past start in Chicago cut short due to rain, but looked good in his two innings of work. The kid has been inconsistent to say the least, but he pitched well in his only start in the Bronx earlier this the year -- giving up two runs in six innings in a no-decision against the Blue Jays. Rogers has been smoked so far this season and brings a bloated 7.66 ERA to The Stadium. The Gambler lasted only 3 1/3 innings in his last start against Texas and is 5-7 with a 6.45 ERA in 35 career games against the Yanks. Time to tell Kenny it's time to run away.
Nothing like a good old-fashioned pitching duel.  Chien-Ming Wang was overpowering through seven, Melky Cabrera blasted a solo shot in the fifth and the formula of Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera was just a little bit better than C.C. Sabathia as the Yanks clipped the Indians 1-0 in Cleveland. But just like everything else so far this season for the Bombers, this win that snapped a three-game losing streak didn't come cheap. Jorge Posada was placed on the disabled with that lingering shoulder injury. This will be the first "visit" to the DL for the long-time Yankee catcher. Posada wants to visit Dr. James Andrews -- a great doctor, but not someone you want to see. The Yanks haven't decided what roster moves they'll make with the loss of Posada, but they could purchase the contract of 26-year-old Chris Stewart from Triple-A
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to provide an immediate backup for Monday. I won't lie to you dear reader, I missed almost all of this one due to family obligations. My little cousin Ryan was baptized today. That kid has the fattest cheeks you'll ever see. Anyway, I taped the game with intentions of watching and then "reporting" on it, but I'm beat. Therefore, there will be no roundup for this one. I know -- I'm really starting to slack off. The Yanks will try and gain a split of the four-game series on Monday and will send Mike Mussina (2-3) to the hill. The Tribe will go with lefty Aaron Laffey (0-0). The 22-year-old Laffey will be making his season debut and finished 4-2 with a 4.56 ERA last year. It will be his first appearance against the Bombers. The Moose was fantastic in his last start against the White Sox and is 11-9 with a 4.78 ERA in 25 career starts against the Indians. Mussina has had his troubles pitching in Cleveland, though. He's 4-3 in 10 career starts at the Jake (or whatever it is they call it now) with a 5.88 ERA. Let's see if the old man can put together two solid starts in a row.
This offense has to start scoring runs eventually. Right? Ian Kennedy battled back after giving up three runs in the second, Jorge Posada delivered a huge pinch-hit, bases clearing triple in the sixth and Johnny Damon banged out four hits, but Victor Martinez drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth with a base hit off Ross Ohlendorf to lift the Indians past the Yanks 4-3 on Saturday afternoon. The Bombers collected 12 hits on the day, but still failed to deliver with men in scoring position as they stranded 23 total runners.  The Good:Jorge Posada. The Yankee catcher started the game on the bench, but was summoned to pinch hit for Jose Molina with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth. The Yanks were down 3-0 when Jorgie laced a shot to left field. Cleveland outfielder David Dellucci made a diving attempt on the slicing liner, but came up short and the ball rolled all the way to the wall. Three runs scored on the play and Posada was standing on third with the three-run hit. Unfortunately, that was all the offense the Bombers would muster. Jorge also gunned out the speedy Grand Sizemore in the seventh. Posada finished 1 for 2 with the 3 RBIs. The Bad:Ross Ohlendorf. The young righty entered the game in the ninth with the score knotted at 3-3 and quickly came apart at the seams. Ohlendorf struck out the leadoff hitter, but then allowed two successive singles. A wild pitch put runners on second and third and then after an intentional walk, Victor Martinez stepped up and punched the game-winning single to left. LaTroy Hawkins and Kyle Farnsworth flirted with danger in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, but it was Ohlendorf that put his stamp on another frustrating loss. Ross' line: .1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 WP. Robinson Cano. Cano's struggles continued. Robbie was given the day off at second, but came in to pinch hit for Morgan Ensberg with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth. It was the smart move on paper -- the lefty-hitting Cano against the right-handed Jensen Lewis -- but Cano is probably the last player the Yanks want up with the bases juiced. Canu carried a .220 career average with the bases loaded into Saturday's at-bat -- a ridiculously low number for a hitter of his caliber. And true to form, the Yankee second baseman whiffed. Cano finished 0 for 2 and is batting .152 on the season.  The Ugly:Blown call. This play went in the Yankees favor so I'm not complaining, but it was a horrible call nevertheless. Second base ump Derryl Cousins called Victor Martinez out on a play at second in the eighth that totally changed the complexion of the inning. With Martinez at first, Ryan Garko grounded to Derek Jeter who made a nice play and flipped to Cano at second for the force. Cano never had control of the ball (and might have had his foot off the bag), but Cousins somehow called Martinez out at second. So, instead of runners on first and second with no outs for the Indians, it was a runner on first with one out. Cleveland manager Eric Wedge argued and was eventually tossed. Bad calls are part of the game, but it looked like Cousins had a clear view of the play. The Indians failed to score in that inning, but the Yanks couldn't take advantage of that fortunate call as Derek Jeter grounded into an inning-ending double play with runners on first and third in the top of the ninth. The Yanks made a roster move before the game as Shelley Duncan rejoined the club. Frankenstein started in right field and went 0 for 2 with a walk and a run scored before being lifted for Bobby Abreu in the eight inning. The Bombers shipped lefty reliever Billy Traber to Triple-A to make room. That means the Yanks are without a lefty in the bullpen. It's a bit strange for the Yanks to be without a southpaw, but it wasn't like Traber was doing a great job against them -- lefty batters were hitting .375 against Traber in 16 at-bats. Chien-Ming Wang (4-0) will try and halt the Yankee skid at three on Sunday and will battle last season's AL Cy Young Award winner C.C. Sabathia (1-3). Wang has been shaky in his past two starts (19 hits in 10 innings) and has not pitched well in Cleveland during his career (0-1 with an 8.44 ERA in one regular season start and 0-1 with a 15.43 ERA in last year's playoff disaster). Sabathia began the season terribly, giving up 22 runs in his first three starts, but he pitched six scoreless innings and picked up his first "W" in his last start against the Kansas City Royals. Could be a good pitching matchup -- on paper.
And it was all going so well until the fifth inning. Jason Giambi belted two homers and Hideki Matsui added another, but the rest of the lineup managed only three hits and Andy Pettitte fell apart with two outs in the fifth as the Indians dropped the Yanks 6-4 in Cleveland. On a positive note, Alex Rodriguez returned, but went 0 for 4 on the night.  The Good:Jason Giambi. I've been hard on my paisano (and really who could blame me?), but Jay Jay was responsible for three-quarters of the Bomber offense Friday night. Giambi ripped a monster homer on the first pitch he saw in the second inning to tie the score at 1-1. Then with Jorge Posada on first, The Giambino pulled a ball over the right field wall to give the Yanks a short-lived 3-1 lead in the fourth. It wasn't all rainbows and gumdrops for Giambi though, as he made an error in the first that led to run. But if Giambi finds a groove, the Yanks could start scoring runs in bunches (in theory, anyway). Giambi finished 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI. Keep it up, cuz. Jonathan Albaladejo. The man with the difficult-to-pronounce last name (it is for me, at least) was back for his third go-round in pinstripes this year and gave the Yanks much needed relief. The Yanks sent down catcher Chad Moeller Friday to make room for the 25-year-old righty. The bullpen has been overworked so far and it's starting to spring leaks, but Albaladejo came off the plane throwing strikes and kept the Yanks in the game. JA's line: 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 0 K. The Bad:Andy Pettitte. It looked like the Yankee lefty was on his way to another grind-it-out win, but his fortune changed in the fifth. Travis Hafner picked up what seemed to be an innocent two-out single and the before you knew it, the wheels fell off. Victor Martinez followed with another single and then Jhonny Peralta slammed a three-run home run to give the Indians a startling 4-3 lead. Then Franklin Gutierrez turned it into back-to-back jacks and a 5-3 deficit to complete Pettitte's meltdown. Pettitte suffered his first road loss of the year with this: 5 IP, 8 H, 5 R (4 earned), 3 BB, 3 K, 2 HR.  Billy Traber. The lefty was handed the ball in the sixth with specific instructions: give the team some innings and keep it a two-run game. He came up snake eyes on both counts. Traber tossed 31 pitches in his one inning of work, allowed two stolen bases and gave up a run. His run also came after he retired the first two batters of the inning. This will not stand. Traber's outing: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K. Robinson Cano. The whole Yankee lineup did almost nothing Friday night, but Cano continues to struggle at the dish. Cano was batting .333 after the first game of the season, but it's gone downhill from there. Robbie has gone hitless in half of the 24 games he's played and is batting a lowly .156 for the year. It's still early, but I'd like to see his average inch closer to his playing weight before the calendar flips to May. Cano finished 0 for 2 with a walk. The Ugly:Shot down. The Maltese Falcon may have thrown his last pitch of the year Tuesday night. Brian Bruney slipped attempting to cover first against the White Sox that night and wound up injuring the Lisfranc joint in his right foot. The Yanks placed Bruney on the DL and are hoping he'll be back later in the season, but it's unlikely. Bruney was 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA in nine appearances this year. Right-hander Chris Britton will take his place. Ian Kennedy (0-2) will try and stop this mini two-game losing streak on Saturday. He'll go against lefty Jeremy Sowers (0-0). Kennedy threw a ton of pitches in his last start in Baltimore, walking five men in only 2 2/3 innings en route to a loss. Right-handed batters are also hitting a chunky .393 against Kennedy. Sowers will be making his 2008 debut. He finished 1-6 with a fat 6.42 ERA last season. If I was a betting man, I'd expect a ton of runs to be scored at Progressive Field (when did it stop being called Jacobs Field?) on Saturday.
When it rains it pours. Phil Hughes started strong but a rain delay sabotaged his night and Ross Ohlendorf and Joba Chamberalin couldn't get the job done as the White Sox squeaked past the Yanks 7-6 on a rainy night in Chicago. The Bombers blew a 3-0 lead in this one, but battled back to knot the score at 6-6 in the seventh on Morgan Ensberg's RBI-single only to have Joe Crede drive in the winning run with a base hit to center in the ninth.  And I'm getting old. Two rain delays for a game that was supposed to start at 8:00 were too much for me. I lasted until the fifth before my eyes betrayed me. So, no roundup. I would normally be furious at myself, but I'm just too gosh-darn tired. Once again, Brian was more man than me and you can check out his recap here. I did, however, catch the troubling injury report. A-Rod is looking to avoid the disabled list, but reliever Brian Bruney may not be so lucky. And Kyle Farnsworth felt a twinge in his right elbow after he slipped throwing his last pitch. The Yanks head to Cleveland to take on the Indians in a wraparound four game set starting Friday night. Andy Pettitte (3-1) will go against Paul Byrd (0-2). Pettitte has won three starts in a row and owns a dynamite 1.74 ERA on the road. Byrd started slowly, lasting a total of 7 1/3 innings in his first two starts, but has given up only one earned run in his last two outings. Let's see if I make it through this one.
I wonder if Hank thinks he's responsible for this win. Mike Mussina was stellar through seven, Jorge Posada banged out four hits and drove in two and Mariano Rivera got the final five outs as the Yanks nipped the White Sox 6-4 on a chilly night in the Second City. Johnny Damon also continued his hot hitting as he collected two hits and two ribbies as the Bombers won their third straight.  The Good:Mike Mussina. The Moose was a force of nature on Wednesday night. OK, that's not true, but he had total command of his stuff, especially his breaking pitches. Mussina went from slow to slower to slowest and it was enough to keep the Chicago hitters off-kilter. The only negative was that Mussina continued to give up the gopher ball (two, in fact), but they both came with the bases empty. Mike is obviously not the pitcher he once was, but he's still pretty darn good -- for a fifth starter. The other guys in the rotation just have to do their part. Mussina improved to 2-3 with this: 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 HR. Jorge Posada. I failed to mention that Jorgie made his triumphant return behind the plate last night and he obviously took it personally. Posada's bloop two-run double stretched the Yankee lead to 3-0 in the fifth -- his first of three doubles on the night. Jorge also tackled manager Joe Girardi when he signaled to the bullpen with two outs in the seventh. That's a lie, but he did make G.I. Joe bring his arm down before he made the switch. I'm not sure what he said, but it worked -- Mussina recored the final out of the inning. Posada finished 4 for 5 with 2 RBI. Mariano Rivera. The Sandman has been perfect so far this season and when he was summoned with runners on first and third with one out in the eighth and the Yanks up 6-3, he didn't bat an eye. Sure, he gave up a sac fly off the bat of Paul Konerko, but that was as close as the Pale Hose would get. Rivera made it six for six in save situations this season with this: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.  The Bad:LaTroy Hawkins/Billy Traber. The Yankees built up a 6-2 lead heading into the eighth and this righty/lefty combo did their best to make things interesting. The Hawk retired the leadoff batter, but then allowed a walk and a base hit before giving way to Traber. The southpaw made a tough first pitch to Jim Thome, but the burly lefty was able to muscle the ball to right for an RBI-single. Exit Traber. The two guys weren't terrible, but they forced Girardi to go to Mo in the eighth. Hawkins' night: .1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 0 K. Traber's outing: 0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K. The Ugly:War of words. Before tonight's game, Mike Mussina responded to Hank Steinbrenner's comments about him on Monday. If you missed Boy George's words of wisdom the other day, he suggested The Moose learn to pitch like soft-tossing lefty Jamie Moyer. Mussina's response? "I don't have a lefty glove." But Mussina also added that Hank "can say whatever he wants. That's fine. It's allowed. He owns
the team." Good for Mussina. Oh sure, he can frustrate sometimes with his overly-cerebral approach and his bland personality, but who's Hammerin' Hank to tell him how to pitch? You go, Mike. Phil Hughes (0-3) will try and capture his first win of 2008 and give the Yanks the sweep on Thursday night. The ChiSox will counter with Gavin "Pink" Floyd (2-0). Hughes has lasted an average of just over four innings so far this year and will be making his first career appearance against the White Sox. Floyd has been impressive in his three starts this year and owns a microscopic 1.40 ERA. Time to get one of the Baby Bombers in the win column.
A day off was just what the doctor ordered for the Bomber offense. Chien-Ming Wang battled through six, Bobby Abreu belted a grand slam in the seventh and Johnny Damon followed with a three-run bomb in the eighth as the Yanks pounded the White Sox 9-5 on a seemingly never-ending night in the Windy City. Even Jason Giambi went deep off someone other than Boston's Mike Timlin in this one. The pen wasn't exactly stellar, but they got the job done as the Yanks won their second straight.  The Good:Bobby Abreu. This game was an ugly pitcher's duel until The Candy Man stepped up to the plate in the seventh. The Sox held a 3-2 lead and were poised to wiggle out of a bases loaded, one out jam, but Bobby had other ideas. With two outs and up 2-0 in the count, Abreu blasted an opposite field homer off of former Yank Octavio Dotel to give the Yanks a 6-3 advantage. And to think I said to myself "take this pitch, Bobby." Shows how much I know. Abreu finished 2 for 5 with a run scored and 4 RBIs. Johnny Damon. Johnny D got the Yanks off and running as he led off the game with a double and came around to score on a Hideki Matsui ground out. But Damon put the game away when he cracked his third homer of the year in the eighth to give the Yanks a more comfortable 9-4 lead. It's been said before, but it can't be stressed enough -- when Damon starts hitting, the Yanks score runs. Johnny finished a triple short of the cycle as he went 3 for 5 with 3 runs scored and 3 ribbies. Chien-Ming Wang. You could tell from the get-go that Wang didn't have his "A" game as he worked a slew of three ball counts and tossed a ton of pitches. Usually that means an early exit for the sinkerballer, but The Wanger was able to grind through six tough innings. This was actually a good sign for Wang and the Yanks. It showed that Wang can keep the Yankees in the game even when he doesn't have his good stuff. At least, that's how I'm going to look at it. It wasn't the prettiest pitching performance, but Wang moved his record to 4-0 with this: 6 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K.  The Bad:Derek Jeter. The Captain stepped up to the plate in the seventh inning with the bases loaded with one out and the Bombers down one and didn't get the job done. DJ went down swinging, but Abreu picked him up with his grand slam. Jeter was also the only Yankee regular who didn't record a hit on Tuesday. No. 2's modest 7-game hitting streak came to an end as he finished 0 for 5. The Ugly:Missing: one MVP. Alex Rodriguez missed this game with a strained right quad and to be with his wife who gave birth to the couple's second child Monday night. The Yankee third baseman won't play until Thursday, at the earliest. I heard John and Suzy while I was coming home say that the Bombers have used 19 different lineups in 21 games this year. A-Rod was the only mainstay before Tuesday. Morgan Ensberg will keep third warm for the time being. Ensberg went 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored against Chicago. Mike Mussina (1-3) will try and rebound from a horrid outing against the Red Sox and will go against another former Yank Javier Vazquez (3-1). The Moose has been roughed up by Manny Ramirez lately and should also stay away from Jermaine Dye, A.J. Pierzynski and Jim Thome. Dye has a .377 career average against Mussina, A.J. is not far behind at .371 and Thome has six career homers against the Yankee hurler. Vazquez has ripped off three wins in a row after losing his first outing of the year and has a solid 3.20 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 25.1 innings this year. But he's 1-3 with a 5.25 ERA in four career starts against the Bombers. A win on Wednesday will give the Yanks their third straight win -- matching a season high. Sometimes you have to start small, people.
If you bet on Boy George losing his cool sometime in May -- you lost. Co-chairman of the New York Yankees Hank Steinbrenner relayed some of his feelings regarding the pitching staff on Monday and they weren't all that positive. If you didn't read the story in the New York Times here are a few snippets:  On Joba Chamberlain:"I want him as a starter and so does everyone else, including him, and that
is what we are working toward and we need him there now. There is no question about it, you don't have a guy with a
100-mile-per-hour fastball and keep him as a set-up guy. You just don't do that.
You have to be an idiot to do that. "The mistake was already made last year switching him to the bullpen out of
panic or whatever. I had no say in it last year
and I wouldn't have allowed it. That was done last year, so now we have to catch
up. It has to be done on a schedule so we don't rush him." On Mike Mussina:"[Mussina] just needs to learn how to pitch like [45-year-old Phillies pitcher]
Jamie Moyer." I'm not really sure how Hammerin' Hank believes these comments will help the club, but I guess he knows what he's doing. I mean, you have to have smarts to hold the position he does on one of the most successful franchises in sports. Oh, right. The plan at the beginning of the season was to start Chamberlain in the pen and then move him into the rotation as the year progressed. I didn't like that idea and really don't see it happening. Sure, the Yanks have had trouble with the starters so far (but we are only in April), but are you ready to give the eighth inning to Brian Bruney (even though he's pitched well)? Would you trust Kyle Farnsworth? GM Brian Cashman responded to Boss Jr.'s comments: "Joba's staying in the bullpen right now. That's where we're at. [Putting him
in the rotation is] not something that's going to happen here early on, and
[Hank] knows that. We've talked about it. I don't know what set him off." I guess it's never an off day with the Bombers.
Andy Pettitte has always felt comfortable pitching in Baltimore and on Sunday afternoon he made himself right at home. The old lefty twirled a gem, Johnny Damon went deep and Derek Jeter put the game away with a three-run double in the ninth as the Yanks subdued the Orioles 7-1. The win snaps a three-game skid and brings the Yanks back up to .500 as they head toward their first off-day of the season.  The Good:Andy Pettitte. The southpaw wasn't throwing as hard as he usually does (if the radar gun is to be believed), but he had his entire repertoire working for him. Pettitte retired the first 14 Birds he faced and didn't walk a single batter in his seven innings of work. There may be a lot of miles on Pettitte's left arm, but the big guy still knows how to pitch and right now that's a rarity in the Yankee rotation. Pettitte improved to 3-1 on the season with this sparkler: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, 1 WP. Johnny Damon. The Yankee outfielder has been scrapping, but he got the biggest hit of the afternoon in the seventh inning. With the Bombers up 2-0, Damon blasted his second homer of the year against right-handed submariner Chad Bradford to double the Yankee lead to 4-0. It was a curious call to bring in a side-winding righty to face the lefty Damon, but I guess Damon's poor numbers in his limited career at-bats against Bradford (1 for 5) was the reason. Maybe this two-hit performance will get Johnny off and running. Damon finished 2 for 4 with a walk, 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs. Derek Jeter. The Captain had gotten at least one hit in every game since returning from his quad injury entering Sunday's contest and the hits kept coming. Jeter laced two doubles and is hitting a robust .385 since retaking his familiar spot at shortstop. It could have been higher, but O's centerfielder Adam Jones robbed Jeter of a hit with a dazzling catch in the seventh. This game was a nip-n-tuck affair for most of the day, but DJ's bases clearing three-run double in the ninth put the game on ice. Jeter finished 2 for 5 with 3 ribbies.  The Bad:Joba Chamberlain. Joba came into the game in the eighth and promptly gave up a double and a single before the skies opened and the game was delayed. When play was resumed, Chamberlain's day was over after only seven pitches. Chamberlain pitched for the first time since April 10 in last night's loss, but the rust is still evident. No big deal, but the kid was charged with giving up his first run of the season. Chamberlain's afternoon: 0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K. The Ugly:Another quad injury. Alex Rodriguez strained his right quadriceps running out a ground ball in the sixth inning. It didn't look like anything serious, but Joe Girardi and the Yanks took A-Rod out of the game. The Yankees may not look like the Yankees without Derek Jeter, but the Yankees will have all sorts of trouble scoring runs (and it's not like they're scoring them in bunches, anyway) if A-Rod misses an significant time. Rodriguez is listed as day-to-day. No game on Monday as the Yanks fly to the Windy City to take on the ChiSox in a three-game set beginning Tuesday night. The off day allows Girardi to rearrange the Yankee rotation (thank goodness) so younglings Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy will be broken up. Chien-Ming Wang (3-0) will take the hill Tuesday night and will go against former Yankee Jose Contreras (1-1). Wang pitched terribly in his last start against the Red Sox, but has pitched well in his career against the Pale Hose. The Yankee ace is 2-0 in three starts with a 2.57 ERA. Contreras started the season on a rocky note, but he won his first game last week against the Orioles (7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 K). JC is 2-4 in six career starts against New York with a 3.96 ERA. Check out Tremendous Upside Potential for a White Sox fan's point of view on the upcoming series. The Yanks have looked sluggish (especially on offense) so maybe the day off will recharge the Bombers' batteries.
Joba Chamberlain returned to the Yankees. That's the only positive to come out of Saturday's contest. Ian Kennedy labored, the bats were silent and Ramon Hernandez and Aubrey Huff drove in two runs each as the Orioles shutout the Yanks 6-0 at Camden Yards. The tone of this game was set in the first inning when Johnny Damon was doubled off first on a line drive to short and Derek Jeter failed to score from third on an infield hit by Alex Rodriguez. The loss was the third straight for the Bombers and drops them a game under .500 for the year.  The Good:Ross Ohlendorf. The righty reliever came in for an ineffective Kennedy in the third and gave the Yanks innings and kept them in the game (in theory). Ohlendorf's box score won't dazzle anyone, but it looks like the Yanks have found a reliable arm in the pen who can take the ball when a starter falters. Let's hope it doesn't happen that often. Ohlendorf's night: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K. The Bad:Ian Kennedy. The young righty struck out the first batter he faced, but that would be the high point of his night. It seemed like Kennedy went to a three-ball count on every hitter and he wound up tossing a whopping 85 pitches before getting the hook in the third inning. It actually could have been worse -- Melky Cabrera made a nice running catch with the bases loaded to end the first inning and Kennedy picked off Brandon Fahey at second with one out in the second. It's got to get better than this. Right? Kennedy's horrid outing: 2.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 5 BB, 4 K, 1 HR. The Ugly:Suspend me for what? The hammer fell on Kyle Farnsworth Saturday as former Yankee GM and current vice president of on-field operations for Bob Watson suspended the reliever for three games for throwing behind Manny Ramirez Thursday night. Ridiculous. Farnsworth was clearly trying to send a message to Manny even though he said the pitch "slipped." But Farnsworth wasn't tossed from that game for his actions so how can Major League Baseball suspend him? It doesn't make sense. Farnsworth isn't one of my favorite Yankees, but this isn't just. Farnsworth will appeal the suspension. The Yanks will try and salvage a game, snap a three-game losing streak and avoid the sweep Sunday with Andy Pettitte (2-1). Baltimore will hand the ball to veteran Steve Trachsel (1-2). Pettitte pitched well in his last start against Tampa and has had tremendous success in his career against the Birds. In 32 starts the big lefty is 22-6 with a 3.90 ERA, including a 13-4 mark in Baltimore. Trachsel has decent numbers in his career against the Bombers -- 10 starts, 4-4 with a 3.63 ERA -- but he lasted only 2 1/3 innings against the Blue Jays in his last start. Stevie has quickened his pace, but he still likes to take his time on the mound. The Yanks will look to make him pay for his insolence and climb back to .500.
The sixth inning proved quite devilish for the Yankees Friday night. Phil Hughes started strong, but couldn't finish, LaTroy Hawkins couldn't stop the bleeding and Daniel Cabrera was effectively wild (or is it wildly effective?) as the Orioles scored seven times in the bottom of the sixth and trounced the Yanks 8-2 in Baltimore. The loss is the second straight for the Bombers and drops them to the .500 mark (again).  The Good:Chad Moeller. You're not going to win many ballgames if you have to rely on a journeyman backup catcher to be your offense and that was the case Friday night. Moeller drove in the only two runs for the Yanks -- one on an RBI-ground out in the fifth and one on his first homer of the year in the seventh. Jorge Posada is nearing his return behind the plate (I think) and Jose Molina's injured left hamstring "felt good" after jogging and performing some drills Wednesday, but Moeller has done a more than serviceable job in their stead. Moeller also threw out Luis Hernandez at third. Chad finished 1 for 3 with a run scored and 2 runs batted in. The Bad:
Phil Hughes. This start was a lot better than his last one in Boston, but it still wasn't good enough to avoid his third loss of the season. To be fair, the O's didn't tear the cover off the ball and Alex Rodriguez's error in the fateful sixth inning was big, but the thing that really struck me tonight was Hughes' inability to put hitters away. The kid was throwing strikes and was able to get ahead on most batters with his fastball, but he needs to gain better control of his off-speed pitches if he expects to take that next step as a Big League pitcher. Again, Hughes wasn't awful (and his final totals will look worse than how he pitched), but you can't keep patting a guy on the back when the "L's" start to pile up (no matter how young he is). Hughes fell to 0-3 with this: 5.1 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 1 K.  LaTroy Hawkins. The Hawk came into the game with the Yanks down 3-1 and runners and second and third with one out. He could have been a hero of sorts if he pitched well. It didn't work out that way. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Jay Payton flared a two-run, pinch-hit single and the game quickly deteriorated from there. Hawkins hadn't allowed an earned run in his past five appearances before Friday night. L-Train's night: .1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 0 K. The Ugly:Taking two for the team. Hideki Matsui has been one of the Bombers most consistent hitters this season, but he took two pitches to the body on Friday night. Godzilla was struck on the right arm and/or stomach in the second inning and then got drilled in the left thigh in the sixth. Matsui took a standing eight-count, but seemed to be OK. Good thing. The Yankees can't afford to lose his bat in the lineup. The Bombers made a roster move before the game. Jonathan Albaladejo was sent down to Triple-A and righty reliever Edwar Ramirez was called up. Albaladejo pitched three innings Thursday night and the Yanks need arms with the absence of Joba Chamberlain. The Yanks didn't waste any time getting Edwar acclimated -- he pitched 2 1/3 innings Friday night (36 pitches). And believe it or not, he looks thinner than he did last season. Somebody give that kid a sandwich! The Yanks and Orioles will have an unusual nighttime start for the second game of the three-game set. Ian Kennedy (0-1) will take the hill for New York and Brian Burres (1-1) will toe the slab for the O's. Kennedy pitched well in his last start, a no-decision against the Rays in Tampa. He left that game in the seventh after a line drive hit him in the hip. Burres has made seven career appearances against the Yanks (three starts) and has a 1-2 mark with a 4.64 ERA. Another test for another Baby Bomber. CODA:Just a few quick notes on my experience at The Stadium last night. Obviously I didn't even my mark in the Bronx to 1-1 thanks in large part to Manny Ramirez as the Red Sox topped the Yanks 7-5. I failed to mention in my first trip to the ballyard that the Yanks have a countdown of home games left in the "old" stadium in right center. Former Yankee Joe Pepitone flipped the number a few weeks ago and Tino Martinez did the honors Thursday night. The "new" Stadium is coming along nicely, but the parking situation is a nightmare. We trained it in, but if you're thinking about driving in -- don't. It'll cost you 30 bucks to park your car in a lot. Also, a fan sitting four seats away from us caught a foul ball. The ball was popped into the upper deck, but someone with butter fingers couldn't hang on and it plummeted down to us. Vinny from Kearny was closer than me, but I guess that other guy just wanted it more. Like I said yesterday, we were in the sweet section which meant cushy seats and cup holders. It also meant waitress service. Sounds good, right? Well, the service was lousy. It took forever for someone to take our order and it cost almost 20 bucks for chicken fingers, waffle fries and a coke. But the guys sitting next to us had it worse. They ordered their food in the second inning and didn't get it until the sixth. Oh, and I took some pictures for some out-of-towners who sat in front of us. And I gotta admit, I took some pretty fine shots. Maybe I missed my calling.
 Sometimes life is good. It's a beautiful day today in my neck of the woods (New York City via New Jersey) and Vinny from Kearny just e-mailed me an invitation to tonight's Yankees-Red Sox clash in the Bronx. Our seats are primo since Vin has "connections" through work. I'll have the same view I had a few weeks ago with Brian. That game went down as an "L" so I'll be trying to even my mark at 1-1 on the season. This means I'll be getting home incredibly late tonight so don't expect a good, bad and ugly roundup (I know all six of you people out there are crushed). So, enjoy the game tonight everyone and if you see a guy run onto the field and slide into second base -- it's not me.
It's always a party when these teams get together. Chien-Ming Wang didn't have it, but the offense exploded for four runs in the fourth, fifth and eighth innings as the Yanks out-muscled the Red Sox 15-9 in a wacky game at The Stadium. The Yankees blew a 7-2 lead for the second time in the past three games, but the bats are starting to sizzle. How hot were the bats? Jason Giambi actually got a hit to left field. Every Bomber regular had at least one hit and scored a run on Wednesday night. Alex Rodriguez drilled career home run No. 522 as the Yanks won their third straight game and moved two games above. 500 for the first time this season.  The Good:LaTroy Hawkins. How can a pitcher make the "good" list in a 15-9 final you ask? Well, I'll tell you. The Hawk entered the game in the sixth with the Yanks up 11-9 and stymied the Sox for two innings. Hawkins got off to a rough start in pinstripes, but has been solid in his past five appearances. LaTroy also turned in his No. 21 for No. 22 before the game, thus averting the curse of Paul O'Neill. Hawkins picked up his first win as a Yank with this: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K. Chad Moeller. Jorge who? OK, that's foolish, but Moeller has been excellent as the backup to the backup for the Yankees. Chad picked up a key two-out double in the fourth inning to give the Yanks a 4-3 lead. The Bombers would go on to score three more runs in that frame. Moeller also broke up a potential inning-ending double play in the fifth by taking out Red Sox shortstop Julio Lugo. The takeout slide led to two runs. Moeller may not have a future with the team, but he's definitely making the most of his opportunity. Moeller finished 3 for 4 with a walk, a run scored and a ribbie. Jorge Posada. Jorgie got the Yanks right back off the mat after they blew the 7-2 lead with an RBI-double in the fifth to close the gap to 9-8. His second double came in eighth and started another four-run rally. I'm not sure when Posada will take his normal place behind the plate, but it's good to see his bat is healthy. Posada finished 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBIs.  The Bad:Chien-Ming Wang. The Yankee ace was dominant in his last start in Boston. It wasn't exactly a repeat performance in the Bronx. One thing with Wang -- you know pretty early if he has it or not. Wang gave up single runs in the first and second innings and then suffered a complete meltdown in the fifth. He would leave the game without recording an out in the inning. The Wanger has been so good to start the season that a clunker was inevitable. Shake it off, buddy. Wang's night: 4+ IP, 9 H, 8 R, 3 BB, 2 K. The Ugly:Tim McClelland. It happens every time McClelland is behind the plate. The veteran umpire always makes the game about him. I've noted McClelland's shenanigans before and it happened again on Wednesday night. His delayed calls behind the dish didn't hurt the Yanks, but it's just bad for the game. Manny Ramirez was half-way to first base after he took a 3-2 pitch he thought was ball four in the third inning. The pitch was a strike (actually, it was a hanger), but McClelland took too much time. It happened again later in the game to Jason Varitek. The only saving grace was that the Yanks were spared. Smarten up, Tim. The Yanks will try and sweep their second two-game set in a row on Thursday night. It will be another rematch as Mike Mussina (1-2) goes against Josh Beckett (1-1). The Moose pitched well up in Fenway, but stayed in too long and got tagged with the loss. Beckett was solid and picked up his first victory of the year against the Yanks. That Saturday affair also featured a 2 hour-plus rain delay. The Yanks will look to rain on Beckett and the Red Sox for their fourth straight win.
Tuesday's word for the Yankees: gutty. Andy Pettitte pitched seven dogged innings, Hideki Matusi launched a homer and drove in two and Derek Jeter showed that he can play in back-to-back games by collecting three hits as the Yanks downed the Rays 5-3 to sweep the mini two game set. Tampa Bay out-hit the Yanks 10 to 8, but the Bombers worked out nine walks as they moved back up over .500 at 8-7.  The Good:Andy Pettitte. This performance wasn't pretty, but it showed that Pettitte can still bear down and win even without his best stuff. The Rays mounted a two-out, two-run rally against Pettitte in the third inning to take a 2-1 lead, but then the veteran lefty got tough. Pettitte allowed only one run and two hits the rest of the way and earned his second win of the season. Andy looked particularly determined in his final inning and finished up strong. A very good sign. Pettitte's performance: 7 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 K. Hideki Matsui. Godzilla roared in the second inning by smacking his third home run of the season to give the Bombers a 1-0 advantage. Matsui then directly and indirectly helped the Yanks score two runs in the fourth with a little ol' ground ball. The Yankees had runners on second and third with no outs when Matsui hit a grounder to first base. Bobby Abreu scored and Alex Rodriguez advanced to third as the Yanks tied the score at 2-2. Big deal, right? Well, A-Rod would come on home on a wild pitch from Rays pitcher Edwin Jackson to give the Yanks a 3-2 lead. Sometimes a ground ball is all it takes. Matsui finished 2 for 5 with a run scored and 2 RBI. Derek Jeter. The Captain delivers! Jeter still doesn't look like he's 100% healthy, but that doesn't mean he can't get the job done. DJ banged out three singles on Tuesday night and raised his average up to .303 on the year. Maybe it was the number (Jeter wore No. 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Tuesday night. If you didn't already read it, Erin from Beantown West had a nice write up on Jackie Robinson Day. Check it out). Jeter finished 3 for 4 with a walk, a run scored and a run batted in. The Bad: Jason Giambi. Every Yankee had at least a walk or a hit on the night so this was a tough one, but Giambi still looks out of sorts to me. He hit the ball hard a couple of times, but went hitless on the night. The Giambino finished 0 for 4 with a walk as his average fell back under .100 (.094) on the season. The Ugly:And that makes three. The Yankees had countless opportunities to bust this game wide open and failed to deliver. Well, that's inaccurate. The Yankees had three huge opportunities to bust this game wide open and failed to deliver. The Bombers had bases loaded with one out in the seventh with Abreu and Rodriguez due up. No runs. In the eighth, the Yanks had bases loaded with two outs and Johnny Damon at the dish. No runs. Then in the ninth, the Yanks had first and second with no outs and A-Rod, Matsui and Giambi coming to bat. No runs. Unacceptable! The Yanks will travel back up to New York and take on the Red Sox in another mini two-game set on Wednesday night before heading back out on the road. Game 1 will pit Chien-Ming Wang (3-0) against Clay Buchholz (0-1). These two pitchers squared off last Friday in Boston with the Yanks coming away with a 4-1 victory. Buchholz pitched well that night for Boston (6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 3 K), but Wang was dominant (9 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K). Let's see what the rematch brings.
The balls were friggin' flyin out of the Trop Monday night! Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon and Morgan Ensberg (yes, you read right) went deep to help build a 7-2 lead, but the bullpen gave it all back until Robinson Cano belted a pinch-hit solo homer to break a 7-7 tie and give the Yankees a hard-fought 8-7 victory over the Rays in Tampa. The Bombers banged out a season-high eight runs on 15 hits and edged the Rays 4-3 in the home run department to move back up to .500 on the year. The Yanks also said hello to a familiar face as Derek Jeter returned to the lineup and finished 2 for 5 with 2 RBIs.  The Good:Robinson Cano. Don't cha know! Joe Girardi inserted Alberto Gonzalez at second to start the game, but called on Robbie with one out and nobody on in the eighth. Cano has really been struggling and really needed a day off to clear his head. Or so it seemed. Canu calmly blasted the eventually game-winning dinger on a 2-1 pitch off of reliever Al Reyes. Robbie finished 1 for 1 with a run scored and an RBI on his first homer of the season (and it couldn't have come at a better time). Alex Rodriguez. The Yankee third baseman was almost Mr. Perfect on Monday night. A-Rod ripped a solo shot in the first and then laced three singles (all on 1-2 counts) before grounding out in his fifth at-bat. I'm not sure if that's ever been done, but if anyone would know it would be the good people over at Elias. The home run was also A-Rod's 521st of his career, tying him with Hall of Famers Willie McCovey and Ted Williams for 15th place on the all-time list. Rodriguez finished 4 for 5 with a run scored and a run batted in.  Johnny Damon. Johnny D got the Yanks off and running as he cranked his first round-tripper of the year on the second pitch of the game to give the Yanks a quick 1-0 advantage. Damon also helped break the game open with a two-run double in the fourth to extend the Yankee lead to 5-1. The Bomber offense was clicking on Monday and it's no surprise to see that Damon was a big reason why. Damon finished 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI. The Bad:Billy Traber. The lone southpaw reliever has done a solid job out of the pen so far for the Yanks this season, but he didn't fare well against the Rays. Traber was summoned to protect a 7-2 lead in the seventh with a runner on first and nobody out. He did record an out, but he also gave up a two-run shot to lefty Carl Crawford that sliced the Bomber lead to 7-4 and was taken out after he "plunked" Carlos Pena (the ball looked like it hit the knob of the bat). Traber's line: .1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR and 1 hit batsman. Brian Bruney. The Maltese Falcon had also pitched well for the Yanks so far this season. Past tense. Bruney took over for Traber in the seventh and couldn't hold the three-run lead. He threw a fastball right down the middle on an 0-2 count to B.J. Upton and Upton made him pay, crushing a moster two-run homer to inch the Rays closer at 7-6. Then Evan Longoria stepped in and launched his first career four-bagger to left to complete Bruney's failure. Cano's shot in the top of the eighth made Bruney the winning pitcher in this one, but he shouldn't feel good about it. Bruney "earned" his first vulture win with this stinker: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 HR. The Ugly:It's never easy is it? Ian Kennedy was pitching well and cruising toward his first win of the season when the unexpected happened. Jason Bartlett led off the seventh inning with a shot up the middle that struck Kennedy on the right hip. Kennedy scrambled after the ball, but Bartlett reached on the infield single. Joe Girardi removed Kennedy from the game with a 7-2 lead and the bullpen went on to blow the five-run advantage. Sometimes this game just isn't fair. The kid deserved a lot better. Let's hope he's OK. Kennedy's night: 6+ IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 4 K. The Bombers also made some roster moves before the game. Joba Chamberlain was placed on the Major League bereavement list to be with his father who collapsed at his home on Sunday. Chamberlain will be out at least three days. The Yanks recalled right-handed reliever Jonathan Albaladejo to take his place. The Bombers also called up catcher Chad Moeller from Triple-A. Jorge Posada is still unable to catch and Jose Molina tweaked his hamstring on Sunday against the Red Sox. To make room, Wilson Betemit was placed on the disabled list with pink eye. Curious. Anyway, Moeller contributed Monday as he reached out on an attempted pitch out and laced a single on a hit-and-run. He also gunned out the speedy Upton at third base. The Yanks will take out the brooms on Tuesday night and try and sweep this abbreviated two-game set. Andy Pettitte (1-1) will have the ball placed in his shoe and will oppose hard-throwing Edwin Jackson (2-0). These two pitchers met up 10 days ago at the Stadium. Jackson bested Pettitte and the Yanks that day as the Rays won 6-3 and ruined my Saturday in the Bronx. Let's see if the balls keep flying out of the park.
It was a long one and a bad one on Sunday night. Phil Hughes was terrible, the offense left a small village on the basepaths and Joe Girardi continues to perplex as the BoSox defeated the Yanks 8-5 at Fenway. This game was an exercise in frustration from beginning to end and it drops the Bombers to 6-7 on the season.  The Good:Jason Giambi. The Giambino claimed to Joe Morgan before the game that he was swinging the bat well despite the lowly .080 average. I thought the statement was ridiculous, but Giambi proved me wrong when he belted his second solo homer of the weekend to inch the Yanks closer at 7-5 in the eighth. Giambi finished 1 for 3 with a walk, 2 runs scored and an RBI. With his performance, Jay Jay finally pushed his average into the triple digits and is batting a more muscular .107 on the season. The Bad:Phil Hughes. It started poorly for the kid and never got better. The Red Sox touched Hughes up for three runs in the first inning and knocked him out of the game with two more in the third. Hughes had no command of his breaking ball, allowed the leadoff runner to reach in all three of his innings and seemed to have trouble communicating with catcher Jose Molina. The performance was ugly and was made worse when Ross Ohlendorf came in and promptly allowed his inherited runners to score. Hughes' night: 2+ IP, 6 H, 7 R (6 earned), 3 BB, 3 K. *Joe Girardi. The new Yankee manager continues to mystify. G.I. Joe elected to pinch run for Jose Molina after the Yankee catcher followed Giambi's homer with a single in the eighth. Girardi replaced Molina with the "speedier" Wilson Betemit, but more importantly Jorge Posada, who was at DH, was forced to go behind the plate in the bottom of the inning. Posada hadn't caught since April 8 because of a sore shoulder. Girardi's calculations didn't turn into any Yankee runs as Johnny Damon would later ground into a double play with runners on first and second. And when Posada took his place behind the dish the Red Sox ran with impunity. Boston swiped two bases without throws and one of those steals turned into a big insurance run. Heading into the ninth down three runs instead of two means a bloop and a blast doesn't tie the game. I don't understand it. *Erin from Beantown West gave me the heads up on why Girardi pulled Molina. Turns out the Yanks are down another catcher. My fault for jumping before I knew the reason. But those are the perils when you use both of your catchers in the lineup.  Robinson Cano. Robbie's struggles continued on Sunday night. Cano followed up a 2 for 4 game Saturday with another 0-fer. The Yankee second baseman finished 0 for 5 and left four runners on base. Canu went 2 for 14 this weekend. The Ugly:For a stinkin jersey? The claims were made and then refuted and then action was taken. If you haven't heard or followed (or cared), a Red Sox fan who was working construction on the new Yankee Stadium buried a David Ortiz No. 34 jersey in the concrete. The reason? To jinx the Yanks or something like that. The Yanks unearthed the offending material Sunday. Hal Steinbrenner proved he does have a voice when he said this about the construction worker: “I hope his co-workers kick the
[expletive] out of him." Now there are two of them. The Yanks now head to Tampa to face the Rays in a mini two-game set. Ian Kennedy (0-1) will try and rebound from his strange outing in Kansas City where he came in to pitch in the sixth inning. Andy Sonnanstine (1-1) will make his second start against the Bombers this season. He pitched six innings and earned a win in Tampa's 13-4 drubbing of the Yanks at The Stadium earlier in the year. Time for one of the Baby Bombers to step up.
Baseball is a nine inning game, but sometimes it comes down to a series of moments. And the Yankees fell short when that moment arrived. Mike Mussina pitched gallantly but stayed in one batter to long and Manny Ramirez made him pay as he finished with three runs batted to help lead the Red Sox over the Yankees 5-4 at Fenway Park. Rain also factored into this contest (surprise, surprise) as a delay of 2 hours and 11 minutes choked off a two-out Bomber rally in the eighth inning. Jonathan Papelbon eventually came in to face Alex Rodriguez with runners on first and second and blew A-Rod away on three pitches. The loss drops the Yanks back to .500 at 6-6.  The Good:Alberto Gonzalez. The plucky little shortstop has filled in nicely for Jeter and helped ignite a two-run Yankee sixth inning. Gonzalez followed a Jose Molina leadoff single with a single of his own. Molina would eventually score on a Melky Cabrera sacrifice fly to tie the score at 1-1. Gonzo wound up a third with two outs and then raced home on a wild pitch by Josh Beckett to give the Yanks a short-lived 2-1 lead. The pitch didn't get that far away from catcher Jason Varitek, but Gonzalez got a great jump and beat the throw. Bert's only mistake came when he slid head-first into first trying to beat out a base hit in the third inning. Gonzalez finished 1 for 3 with a run scored and is batting .345 on the year. The Bad:Joe Girardi. I don't think I've ever placed Joe Torre in my "bad" category (I could check, but I'm a lazy, lazy man), but G.I. Joe's decision to leave Mike Mussina in to face Manny Ramirez with runners on second and third and two outs was beyond baffling. Sure, Moose struck out David Ortiz (who is really struggling) for the second out of the inning, but there was no reason to tempt fate again. Ramirez blasted a solo homer off Mussina in the fourth to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead and had six career dingers against The Moose. But Girardi didn't see it that way and opted to have Mussina face Manny. I thought Mussina would try to get Ramirez to chase some breaking balls in the dirt before eventually walking him. That was a big negative. Mussina went right after him and left a fastball right over the middle and Ramirez smacked it for a double to give the Sox a 3-2 lead. A real head-scratcher. The Ugly:Have you ever seen the rain? This ballgame was moving along at a brisk pace until the skies opened up and the rain fell (again). That makes it five straight road games the Yanks have played with precipitation. If it's raining, it's raining, but to halt play during a two-out, two-on situation in the top of the eighth seemed ridiculous. I thought the delay would benefit A-Rod and the Yanks since Paps was forced to warm up three times before finally being inserted. It didn't turn out that way. The rubber game will feature Phil Hughes (0-1) for the Yanks against Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka (2-0). Dice-K has looked good so far this season, but had a 6.12 ERA against the Bombers last season. Hughes is coming off a subpar outing against the Royals and will get his first look at the Red Sox. The game has an 8:00 start time on ESPN and Hughes has pitched well so far in his short career under the lights. Hughes is 5-2 in 10 career starts under the stars with a 3.41 ERA. Let's see if the Yanks can seize the moments Sunday night.
It was a thing of beauty on an otherwise ugly night. Chien-Ming Wang was brilliant, Jason Giambi put on his hitting shoes for the first time this season and Wang was brilliant (yeah, I'm going to repeat it) as the Yanks turned back the Red Sox 4-1 on a dreary night in Boston. Clay Buchholz kept the BoSox even through his six innings of work, but the Bombers broke through against the bullpen, scoring three runs in the final three innings to secure victory. The Yanks also executed two sacrifice bunts (courtesy of Alberto Gonzalez and Melky Cabrera) that led to two runs. And it's the little things that win ballgames.  The Good:Chien-Ming Wang. The Taiwanese Tornado set the tone early when he struck out David Ortiz to end the bottom of the first and then Manny Ramirez to lead off the second inning. Wang had everything working and did a fantastic job of moving the ball around. His only troublesome inning came in the fifth when he gave up his only run of the game. J.D. Drew homered to right on a ball that actually could/should have been caught by Bobby Abreu. The Red Sox hit four balls hard in that frame, but only came away with one run. But Wang was a strike-throwing machine Friday night and allowed only two hits -- the homer and a bunt single in the ninth -- en route to a dominating performance. The Wanger improved to 3-0 with this gem: 9 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR. Jason Giambi. The big guy has been in funk-town, but he blasted his first round-tripper of the year in the seventh to give the Yanks a 2-1 lead. It was only Giambi's second hit of the season (unbelievable), but it was a big one. I don't know how much The Giambino has left in the tank, but he can't be this bad so it should just be a matter of time before the hits start coming in bunches. If he can stay healthy, that is. Giambi finished 1 for 3 with a run scored, a walk and an RBI. Jose Molina. The guy sure isn't playing like a backup. Molina continued to sparkle behind the plate and at the dish for the Yanks. The husky catcher smacked two more doubles Friday night and leads the Yanks with six on the season. His two-base hit in the fifth gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead and he came around to score on a double in the seventh. He also guided Wang through a surgical-like performance. Molina finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and 1 run batted in.  The Bad:Robinson Cano. Cano hit the ball well a few times, but he came away with another collar Friday night and is batting a paltry .159 so far this year. He was the only Yank who didn't either collect a hit or drive in a run. C'mon Robbie, you're better than this. Canu finished 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts. The Ugly:Rain, rain, go away! The Yanks have played four games on the road this season and it has rained in all four of them. I thought Friday's game was heading for a rainout after Brian's weather report, but the teams were able to play through it. The weather for Saturday's tilt is supposed to be better, but rain is still in the forecast. I know April showers bring May flowers, but c'mon! Mike Mussina (1-1) tries to keep the good vibes going on Saturday for the Yanks and will oppose Josh Beckett (0-1). The Moose looked great in his last start against Tampa and has pitched well in Fenway Park. In 25 career starts in Boston, Mussina is 10-7 with a 3.73 ERA -- including a near perfect game in September 2001. Beckett was shaky in his first start last week against the Blue Jays en route to a loss. The Texan lasted 4.2 innings and gave up 5 runs on 3 hits and walked 4. The Yanks have had success against Beckett in the past (not so much in the postseason, however). In eight career regular season starts against the Bombers, Beckett is 4-3 with a chubby 6.56 ERA. Let's see if the Yanks can climb two games over .500 for the first time this year.
The Bronx Bombers are back! Well, maybe that's a bit much, but Melky Cabrera, Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada blasted solo homers, Andy Pettitte gave the team quantity and quality in the pitching department and the formula of Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera helped the Yankees subdue the Royals 6-1 at Kauffman Stadium. The Yanks avoided the sweep, moved back to .500 and have a little spring in their step as they head to Boston for a weekend series with the Red Sox.  The Good:
Andy Pettitte. It didn't start out well for the veteran lefty as the Royals mounted a two-out rally in the bottom of the first to take an early 1-0 lead. But Pettitte bounced back and -- even though he lacked his good stuff -- battled his way for his first victory of the season. Even the wind-swept rain that delayed the game in the fourth inning couldn't deter Pettitte. Or the line drive cracked back to the box in the sixth inning. In the end, Pettitte gave the Yanks all they could have hoped for -- a solid start and a win. Andy evened his record at 1-1 with this: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 WP and 1 pickoff. Melky Cabrera. The Melk-Man smacked his second home run of the season (and first as a right-handed batter) in the third inning to even the score at 1-1. I gotta be honest -- I didn't think that ball was going to go out. It looked like a sure double in the gap, but not a four-bagger. I guess Melky has been hitting the weight room. Cabrera's RBI-single in the fifth gave the Yanks a 3-1 advantage and proved that it isn't impossible to hit with runners in scoring position. Melky finished 2 for 5 with a run scored, and 2 runs batted in. Alex Rodriguez/Jorge Posada. The Yankees 3, 4 hitters went back to back (and a belly to belly!) in the ninth inning to help put the game on ice so I'm going to combine their "goodness." A-Rod slammed one of his patented long, soaring fly balls to center for his second dinger of the year and Posada followed it with his first round-tripper of the season -- a long blast to right. Rodriguez also made some nice plays defensively -- turning a 5-3 double play in the third to snuff a Royal rally and a snazzy backhanded play in the ninth. Posada saw action at DH after sitting out last night's game and responded by collecting two hits. A-Rod finished 1 for 4 with a walk, a run scored, and 2 ribbies. Posada went 2 for 4 with a walk, 2 runs scored and 1 ribbie.  The Bad:
Robinson Cano. As Ken Singleton always says, there's always one guy who doesn't get his invitation to the party. The Yankees banged out 12 hits against Royal pitching, but Cano went hitless on Thursday night. Robbie finished 0 for 3 with a walk. The Ugly:Run for cover! The game was halted in the fourth inning when the wind began to howl and the skies opened up. But YES had everything covered as they ran a sneek peak of a new show called Yesterdays -- a "look at the formative years of select high-profile Yankees and other athletes." Yep, Michael Kay has another gig. The Bombers clash with the Red Sox for the first time this season on Friday night at Fenway Park. Chien-Ming Wang takes his 2-0 record to the hill and will face off against Clay Buchholz. The BoSox expect big things from Buchholz this season, but he got off to a rocky beginning with a loss to the Blue Jays in his first start. He'll be making his first career appearance against the Yanks. Wang is 5-5 in his career against the Red Sox with a 4.56 ERA, but he has really struggled at Fenway -- he's 2-3 with a bloated 6.17 ERA. I'm sure Erin from Beantown West and Cameron from Who Made You Mirabelli? will be watching so check them out if you want an enemy's perspective on the weekend series.
What a travesty. The Royals blanked the Yanks 4-0 in a game that probably shouldn't have been played. I missed most of this contest because I caught a bite to eat with some friends after work (I do have a social life -- well, not really). I did catch the first few innings at a bar and was shocked and appalled by the weather conditions. Joe Girardi opted to pitch in reverse for this one -- Brian Bruney started, followed by Billy Traber, Kyle Farnsworth (who crapped the bed -- surprise, surprise) and then scheduled starter Ian Kennedy. I guess Girardi felt it would be better to use the pen instead of burning a starter if the game was canceled or delayed. But it didn't really work out since Kennedy was used anyway.  The Yankee offense also continued to struggle. The Bombers cracked four doubles in this game, but couldn't push any runs across. Kansas City starter Zack Greinke went eight scoreless innings before giving way to a pair of relievers in the ninth. Vinny from Kearny loaned me his radio so I could listen on the train home (ain't he a peach?), but the reception was poor to quite poor, so I missed a lot of the action. My brother dropped off his radio at my joint on Tuesday, but I think I need a special code, a magic key or something else to listen to it. Marco, if you're reading -- what the hell? Since it's late and I have to get up for work in about 6 hours, there will be no "good, bad and ugly" shtick (so consider yourself spared Mr. Farnsworth!). The Bombers did make a roster move on Wednesday. Shelley Duncan was optioned to Triple-A to make room for shortstop Alberto Gonzalez. The call up of Gonzalez wasn't a shock since Derek Jeter is nursing a sore quad, but the demotion of Frankenstein was. I thought the Yanks would let go of infielder Morgan Ensberg. Still, it's not an awful move since Shelley has options and logged only five at-bats so far this year. He'll get to play every day in Scranton and should be back in the Bronx in a couple of weeks. And it looks like Jorge Posada's injury isn't as bad originally thought. An MRI showed that the Yankee catcher is suffering from a strained shoulder and not something more serious. Let's hope so. The Yanks will try to avoid the sweep on Thursday and will send Andy Pettitte to the hill. The Royals will counter with lefty John Bale. Let's hope for some better playing conditions.
It was the Home Opener in Kansas City and the Yanks played the part of hospitable guests. Phil Hughes labored through three-plus innings, the offense continued to leave runners on base and the injuries are starting to mount as the Royals turned back the Yankees 5-2 on a miserable afternoon in KC. The loss was the first for the Bombers in their road grays and drops them back to .500 on the young season at 4-4.  The Good:Billy Traber. The lone lefty in the pen continued his strong start with another solid effort. Traber struck out a lefty and a righty in his inning of work and actually should have picked off Ross Gload at first after he reached on a single. But the Yanks had their nervous nelly manning first base. Jason Giambi "double-clutched," but if you ask me, he had no intention of making the throw to second. I've never seen a player so afraid to throw a baseball, but that's another story. The threat was squashed, however, when Jose Molina erased Gload as he tried to swipe third. Traber's kooky motion could be a weapon for the Yanks as the season moves along. The southpaw's inning: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K. The Bad:Phil Hughes. The Baby Bomber never found his rhythm on Tuesday and it resulted in a short outing. Hughes threw a ton of pitches and had problems throwing strikes. He also wasn't helped by his defense as Bobby Abreu made an error in right that led to a run in the second and Jorge Posada failed to throw out runners despite two pitchouts (more on that later), but the kid didn't have his good stuff. Outings like this are going to happen as Hughes suffers through growing pains. Let's just hope he learns from them. Hughes fell to 0-1 with this line: 3+ IP, 6 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 2 K, 1 hit batsman. Alex Rodriguez. It's tough to strike out four times in a game, but that's exactly what the reigning MVP did on Tuesday. A-Rod was caught looking three times and then went down swinging in his final at-bat. But he wasn't alone as the Yanks went down 11 times as a team. It was an ugly day all around. Rodriguez went 0 for 4 with the 4 Ks.  The Ugly:Another one down. Jorge Posada left in the sixth inning because of a "dead" arm. The Royals swiped four bases off Posada and Jorgie said after the game that he felt like he had "no strength" in his shoulder. The Yanks are lucky to have Jose Molina to hold the fort, but this could be trouble down the road. The Bombers have already said that Derek Jeter will miss this series in Kansas City (and maybe more) and the loss of Posada for an extended period could weaken an already underachieving lineup. Posada plans to have an MRI on his shoulder Wednesday. Ian Kennedy will try and bounce back from a terrible start against Tampa Bay last week. Kennedy made his second career start against the Royals last season and gave up two runs through five innings in a no decision. The Royals will send Zack Greinke to the mound. Greinke picked up a win in his first start this season, scattering six hits through seven innings, as Kansas City downed the Detroit Tigers. The young righty is 1-2 in seven career games against the Yanks with a 8.22 ERA. The season is only a week old, but the Yanks already have to weather the storm.
The Yankee bats finally came to life on Monday, but it wasn't all peaches 'n cream for the Bombers. Mike Mussina was brilliant through six, Bobby Abreu fell a double short of the cycle, Hideki Matsui drove in two and the bullpen pitched three scoreless innings as the Yanks downed Tampa 6-1 at The Stadium. The win gave the Bombers a split of the four-game set, but Derek Jeter left the game in the third inning with a strained quad -- the only downer to an otherwise enjoyable ballgame.  The Good:Mike Mussina. Moooooose! Mussina was in total command against the Rays. The Moose worked quickly and economically and almost burned a path to Robinson Cano at second as he induced 11 total ground ball outs. His only mistake came in the third when he spun a 2-1 breaking pitch to Jonny Gomes, who deposited it into the left field seats. But Mussina was undeterred and allowed only three more runners to reach base (and one of those was on an error). Mussina captured his first win of the season and 251st of his career with this gem: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR. Good show, old boy. Bobby Abreu. The Candy Man continued his torrid start as he lined his first homer of the year in the first to give the Yanks a quick 2-0 lead. After going 0 for 4 in the season opener, Abreu has a six-game hitting streak and is batting .476 over that span (that's good for .400 overall). Bobby couldn't complete the cycle, however, so the next time a Yankee gets close everyone will once again be reminded that Tony Fernandez is the last Bomber to do it. Aberu finished a perfect 3 for 3 with a walk, 3 runs scored and 2 RBIs. Hideki Matsui. Godzilla helped the Yanks bust the game open with an RBI-double in the sixth and a ribbie single in the seventh. It's still early, but Matsui leads the Yanks with 6 runs batted in so far this season. Matsui finished 2 for 4 with 2 ribbies.  The Bad:Wilson Betemit. Betemit started the game at first, but was moved to short after Jeter left the game in the third. The bouncing around must have had a detrimental effect on the switch-hitter because he was the only Yankee who didn't reach base. Betemit finished 0 for 4 with 3 strikeouts. The Ugly:We've got a Captain down. I've said it before and I'll say it again -- the Yankees just don't look like the Yankees when Jeter isn't in the lineup. DJ is a gamer and probably the toughest player in the Majors (pound for pound) so you have to believe he'll be back at short in no time. At least, I hope he is. So, the Yanks finished the first homestand at a decent 4-3. No too bad, considering they didn't swing the bats well in six of them. The season's first road trip will be an 8-game trek through Kansas City, Boston and Tampa Bay. First up, a three-game set with the Royals. Kansas City has gotten off to a solid 3-2 start and will send Brian Bannister to the hill. Bannister pitched well his first time out -- allowing two hits and zero runs in seven innings -- in a win over the Detroit Tigers. The Yanks will counter will Phil Hughes, who pitched well in his first start, but didn't factor in the decision. Tuesday's game will also be the Royals home opener. Time to spoil the party.
It's amazing how a great pitching performance can put a little hop in your step. Chien-Ming Wang pitched brilliantly before running out of gas in the seventh, but Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera bridged the gap and Hideki Matsui launched a two-run bomb as the Yanks blanked the Rays 2-0. Both teams displayed excellent starting and relief work, as well as strong team defense, but the Yankees were just a little better on Sunday. The victory snaps the Bombers two-game skid and evens their mark to 3-3 on the season.  The Good:Chien-Ming Wang. The Wanger had all four of his pitches working -- sinker, fastball, slider and change up. Wang pounded the lefties in early and used his slider as a strike out pitch. The Yankee ace tired in the seventh and left the ball up on successive base hits by Cliff Floyd and Eric Hinske, but it didn't spoil a terrific effort. I raised my eyebrow (slightly) when Joe Girardi (yes, he's back) pulled Wang with runners on first and third with nobody out. Wang induces a lot of ground balls and was pitching well to that point, but it was the right move. I guess Girardi hasn't forgotten how to pull the right strings. Wang moved to 2-0 with this: 6+ IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K. Joba Chamberlain. The gloves are off! The kid came into a first and third, nobody out jam in the seventh and came through with flying colors. Chamberlain set the tone with the first batter he faced in Willy Aybar. Joba broke off a sweet curve for strike one, painted a fastball on the outside corner for strike two and then made Aybar look foolish as he swung and missed on a tight slider for the first out. Then Robinson Cano made the defensive play of the game for the Bombers as he snared a line drive off the bat of Shawn Riggans and made a snazzy pivot to double up Hinske at first. Wilson Betemit also made a nice scoop on the play. Chamberlain needed 16 pitches as he preserved the two run lead and handed it over to The Sandman for his third save. Joba's afternoon: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. Hideki Matsui. Tampa's James Shields was matching Wang pitch for pitch in the early going. But he allowed a one-out double off the bat of Alex Rodriguez in the fourth and then fell behind Matsui 2-0. Shields had been keeping the Yanks off balance with his change up, but Godzilla stayed back and blasted his second homer of the season to give the Bombers their only runs of the ballgame. Matsui's days in the outfield may be over, but the guy can still swing a mean stick. Matsui finished 3 for 4 with the home run, a run scored and 2 RBI.  The Bad:Wilson Betemit. Betemit got his first start at first base today and played well defensively, but didn't fare as well at the dish or on the basepaths. Wil was hit by a pitch to lead off the third inning, but was gunned out trying to advance to third on a single by Melky Cabrera (yep, he's back, too). It was a great throw by centerfielder B.J. Upton, but if you're going to go first to third with nobody out, you'd better make it. Betemit also couldn't deliver with Cano on second and only one out as he grounded out to third. To be fair, the inability to hit with runners in scoring position has affected everyone in the Yankee lineup so far. Let's hope they snap out of it soon. Betemit finished 0 for 2 and reached on the HBP. The Ugly:Use the glove. Robinson Cano picked up two hits and made the nifty defensive play to end the seventh, but he wasn't as smooth in the fifth. With a runner on first and one out, Riggans bounced a ball to short. It wasn't hit hard enough to turn two, but Derek Jeter flipped the ball to Cano at second for the force. It wasn't the greatest throw, but Cano should have come down with it. For some reason, Robbie decided to eschew using his leather and tried to bare hand the throw. He didn't and was charged with an error. Wang was able to work out of the first and third jam (thanks to a curious suicide squeeze that failed), but it could have been worse for Cano and the Yanks. Canu could have broken a digit on his hand with shenanigans like that. Injuries happen, but that would have extremely upsetting. Use your head and your glove next time, Robbie. The four game set will conclude on Monday night. The Yanks will try and salvage a split in the series and will go with Mike Mussina. Mussina battled in his first start against Toronto, but came up on the short end of a 5-2 loss. The Moose is 16-7 with a 3.50 ERA in his career against Tampa, but struggled against them last season. Mussina went 1-0 in two starts in 2007, but his ERA was an appalling 7.59 against the Rays. Jason Hammel will get the call for the Rays. Hammel made six appearances against the Bombers last season and was hit hard. He finished 1-1 with a 6.41 ERA and allowed 22 hits and 10 walks in 19.2 innings of work. Looks like a good time for the Yanks to start scoring some runs.
It was a beautiful day for a ballgame, but the Yankees weren't as pretty as the weather. Andy Pettitte struggled, the offense continued to leave ducks on the pond and G.I. Joe missed his second straight contest as the Rays doubled up the Yanks 6-3 on a sun soaked afternoon in the Boogie Down. I was at the ballgame today with Brian -- the man, the myth, the legend -- from Depressed Fan and we sat in some pretty sweet seats courtesy of Vinny from Kearny. Brian continually bashed Derek Jeter and Hideki Matsui throughout the game and disappeared after the final out, but we had a good time despite the loss. I'm going to assume he got home safely.  The Good:Brian Bruney. The Maltese Falcon swooped in and kept the Rays at bay with dazzling relief work. The Yanks needed someone in the pen to give them some innings today and Bruney responded by completing two perfect frames. Bruney has been lights out so far this season and if it continues he just might nudge the unreliable Kyle Farnsworth out of a job. Bruney's day: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K. Jorge Posada. Jorgie was back behind the plate and responded by picking up his first two hits of the season. Posada's two-run single in the eighth cut the Rays lead to 6-3 and injected some life into The Stadium, but it would be as close as the Yanks would come. Jorge finished 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs. The Bad:Andy Pettitte. The veteran lefty made his season debut for the Yanks and it wasn't a good one. Pettitte was hurt by a Shelley Duncan throwing error in the third, but the Rays could have scored more if not for a fortunate out call on a B.J. Upton RBI-ground out later in the inning. A baserunning gaffe by Jonny Gomes in the second also helped Pettitte avoid further damage. The back-breaker came in the fifth when Gomes crushed a three-run homer in the fifth to give Tampa a 5-1 advantage. Pettite suffered his first loss of the season with this: 5 IP, 8 H, 5 R (3 earned), 2 BB, 3 K, 2 hit batsman, 1 HR. Derek Jeter. The Captain had a tough afternoon. He struck out twice -- once with the bases loaded -- and left five runners on base. Jeter finished 0 for 5 and is batting just .211 on the young season. Sadly, that's not even close to the lowest average for a Yankee regular.  Johnny Damon. Damon walked and scored a run in the first inning, but the Yankee leadoff hitter is off to a slow start. It's not hard to figure out why the Bombers are having trouble scoring runs. The Yankees No. 1 and No. 2 hitters are a combined 6 for 28 (.214) with 2 walks so far this year. Johnny D finished 0 for 4 with a walk and a run scored. The Ugly:It was just a matter of time. Jason Giambi was inserted as the Designated Hitter for the first time this season and left the game in the fifth inning with a sore left groin. It's almost like Giambi goes out of his way to show his displeasure at being the DH. "It's so early in the season, a little bit cold and me DH-ing," Giambi said.
"We just said, 'You know what, let's go in there and make sure it's OK.'" I guess. It's not like Jason is tearing it up at the plate either -- he's batting a paltry .083 so far. The Yanks will try and stop their mini-skid at two on Sunday and will give that assignment to their ace Chien-Ming Wang. The Wanger is usually a slow starter (he has a career mark of 1-3 with a 4.74 ERA in March and April), but pitched well in his first start against the Blue Jays. James Shields gets the ball for the Rays. Shields is coming off an impressive 2007 (12-8 with a 3.85 ERA) and picked up a victory in his first start this season against the Orioles. But he's had horrible luck against the Bombers. Shields is 0-4 with a bloated 8.58 ERA in five career starts versus the Yanks. Time to right the ship and start swinging the bats.
The rain that had been forecast earlier in the day held off. Too bad. Ian Kennedy couldn't find the plate, the dynamic duo of LaTroy Hawkins and Kyle Farnsworth combined to give up seven runs in the eighth and Joe Girardi called out sick as Tampa Bay whipped the Yankees 13-4 Friday night. A team experiences a lot of firsts this early in the season -- the first win, the first loss -- and this was the first beat down.  The Good:Jonathan Albaladejo. The biggest surprise to make the 25-man roster was the lone bright spot for the Yankees. Albaladejo came in for an ineffective Kennedy in the third and although he allowed an inherited runner to score, he was solid in his 2+ innings of work. He also kept the Bombers in the game -- for a time, anyway. JA will probably be sent down to make room for Andy Pettitte, who's scheduled to come off the DL on Saturday, but he could find himself back with the big club soon. Johnny's night: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K. The Bad:Ian Kennedy. The kid just didn't have it. Kennedy walked the first batter of the game and it was a harbinger of things to come. His control was terrible and you're not going to get the borderline calls when you start off every batter with a ball. Kennedy had a chance to limit the damage to two runs in the third inning, but allowed a double to backup catcher and pinch-hitter Shawn Riggans (he came in for Dioner Navarro who somehow managed to slice his hand in between innings) that chased in three runs and put Tampa up 6-0. The hit also chased Kennedy from the game. Kennedy's outing: 2.1 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 4 BB, 2 K. All part of the learning process, I guess. LaTroy Hawkins. The Hawk was the only Yankee reliever to give up an earned run coming into Friday's action and he continued the negative vibes with aplomb. Hawkins entered the game in the eighth with the Rays up 6-4 and quickly extinguished any hope for a comeback. He managed to get the leadoff hitter, but was slapped around after that. When LaTroy finally walked off the hill, the Rays held a 10-4 lead. For shame! L-Train's damage: .2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR.  Kyle Farnsworth. If the words "bullpen" and "disaster" are ever uttered then you just have to assume that Farnsworth was somehow involved. Indeed he was. The game was all but decided by the time Kyle trotted in, but that didn't mean he couldn't throw some gasoline on the fire. Farnsworth completed the inning from hell by promptly giving up a three-run bomb to Carlos Pena to end the Rays scoring. Two of those runs were charged to Hawkins so Farnsworth's line doesn't look that bad, but the people know the real score. Farnsworthless' contribution: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR. The Ugly:There are no sick days in baseball! I don't know if I've ever seen or heard of a manager missing a game due to illness. Joe Torre missed time on the Yankee bench during his tenure, but that was because he was undergoing treatment for cancer. Girardi was absent on Friday with an upper respiratory infection. Hey, if you're sick, you're sick, and I have to believe G.I. Joe would've been out there if he could, but I just don't remember a manager calling out for a ballgame. Bench coach Rob Thomson called the shots for the Bombers in his place. It's the first day game of the season for the Yanks on Saturday as they try to bounce back from this drubbing. Andy Pettitte will make his first start of the season after missing the end of Spring Training with a bad back. Pettitte is 13-2 with a 3.53 ERA in 20 career starts against the Rays. Tampa Bay will send the hard-throwing Edwin Jackson to the hill. Jackson finished 5-15 in 2007 with a putrid 5.76 ERA, but his stuff is better than that. Let's see how the Yanks respond.
The Bomber offense hasn't flexed its muscles yet, but it was good enough to capture a victory. Phil Hughes went six strong, the bullpen continued its impressive start and Bobby Abreu made up for a base running mistake in the sixth by driving in the eventual game-winning run as the Yanks dropped the Jays 3-2 at The Stadium. The Bombers also used some small ball as two bunts in the eighth helped them take two of three from their AL East rival.  The Good:Phil Hughes. After enduring an offseason filled with trade whispers, Hughes took the hill sporting his new No. 34 and breezed through the first three innings. He did a good job spotting his fastball and kept Toronto off balance with his off-speed pitches. Hughes also showed some grit by working out of a jam in the fourth. Alex Rios (the newest Yankee killer) gave the Jays a 1-0 lead with a one out, RBI-single and quickly stole second and advanced to third on Robinson Cano's error. But Hughes got tough and struck out Vernon Wells and Frank Thomas to end the threat. (Thomas didn't like the called third strike and was promptly given the heave-ho.) Hughes didn't factor in the decision, but he showed the Yanks they made the right choice by keeping him in pinstripes. Hughes' ND looked like this: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 B, 4 K. Nice job, kid. Bobby Abreu. Abreu is one of the few Yankees who brought his hitting shoes up from Florida. Bobby was in the middle of the Yankee "rally" in the sixth when he walked to load the bases with nobody out. But he soon helped kill the threat. With the score 2-1 Toronto and runners on second and third with one out, Jason Giambi lifted a fly ball to right. Derek Jeter tagged from third and scored, but for some reason Abreu tried to advance to third on the play. It wasn't close. Jeter knotted the game at 2-2, but Abreu was out by a mile at third. But Bobby made amends with a single in the eighth to give the Yanks a 3-2 advantage. You can't keep El Comedulce down! Abreu finished 2 for 3 with a walk and the game-winning ribbie. The pen. Manager Joe Girardi used four pitchers after Hughes' departure and they all helped wrap up this win. Newly acquired southpaw Billy Traber's herky-jerky motion K'd Lyle Overbay in the seventh and then Brian Bruney came in to record the next two outs. Bruney has given up drinking and cutting his hair and so far you can't argue with the results. Joba Chamberlain came in and pitched a scoreless eighth and picked up his first win of the year when the Yanks took the lead in the bottom of the inning. And finally, Mariano Rivera closed the door in the ninth for his second save of the young season. It took the Sandman until May 3 to record his second save in 2007. Add it up and the bullpen did this: 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K.  The Bad:Alex Rodriguez. Hey, even the superstars have clunkers. A-Rod could have busted the game wide open for the Yanks in the sixth, but he struck out swinging with runners on second and third and nobody out. He also whiffed with runners at first and second and one out in the eighth. Shake it off, Alex. Rodriguez finished 0 for 4 and left 5 runners on base. The Ugly:Rally time? You don't get style points in the Big Leagues, but the Yankees weren't awing anyone with the way they pushed runs across Thursday. The Bombers loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth, but scored two runs on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly that turned into a double play. Ugly, ugly stuff. Next up for the Yanks -- a three game set against the spunky Tampa Bay Rays. Andy Sonnanstine will get the ball for Tampa and Baby Bomber Ian Kennedy will toe the slab for the Yanks. Sonnanstine went 1-1 against the Yankees last season with a 3.14 ERA. Kennedy earned his only Major League victory against the then D-Rays last season with 7 innings of one-run ball. The weather is supposed to be terrible in the Bronx Friday night, but here's hoping they can somehow squeeze this one in. After all, the Yanks are doing a good job of squeezing out wins so far.
The dream of an undefeated season is over.  Mike Mussina was unlucky, A.J. Burnett was firing beebies and a late inning rally fell short as the Blue Jays turned back the Bombers 5-2 at a chilly Yankee Stadium. The New York offense put up only two runs, but they did get another positive performance from their bullpen. The Yanks got their first look at newly acquired LaTroy Hawkins, who gave up a run in the seventh (welcome aboard!), fan "favorite" Kyle Farnsworth (who wiggled out of trouble in his scoreless inning of work) and youngster Ross Ohlendorf in the ninth. The Good:Alex Rodriguez. Blue Jays pitcher A.J. Burnett was cruising until A-Rod blasted his first round-tripper of the year in the seventh. Seems like Rodriguez refuses to take my talk of lowered expectations seriously. A-Rod also made some sweet plays defensively and started four double plays. The guy can do it all. Unfortunately, he struck with the tying runs aboard in the ninth. I guess he is human after all. A-Rod finished 1 for 4 with 1 run scored and 2 RBIs.  The Bad:Mike Mussina. I went back and forth on The Moose but ultimately decided to place him in my naughty category. Mussina got off to a rocky start and gave up an unearned run in the first inning on a Giambi error (but Mussina should take part of the blame on that play -- he was late getting to first), but it wasn't like the Blue Jays were lashing line drives all over the field. Most of the hits he gave up weren't crushed. He also couldn't buy a close call from home plate ump Jerry Meals. If you take out the long homer he gave up to Vernon Wells, he actually did a decent job. Problem is, you can't just pull out two-run dingers from a pitcher's line. I would have been more lenient on the Moose if he didn't give up the two out, oh-two, RBI-single to Aaron Hill to make the score 4-0 in the sixth. Still, if this is what Mussina has left in him then I think the Yanks will be happy to give him the ball every fifth day. Moose's night: 5.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R (3 earned), 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HR. The Ugly:Sitting this one out. Jorge Posada missed this contest with a sore shoulder and was replaced by backup catcher Jose Molina. The Yanks don't consider the injury serious and Posada was available to pinch hit, but it's still a bit disconcerting to see one of your leaders on the bench this early in the season with an ailment. Thursday night's rubber game will pit the Yanks' Phil Hughes against Toronto's Dustin "Mutten Chop" McGowan. Hughes started three games against the Blue Jays last season (including his big league debut) and finished 1-1 with a 4.70 ERA. McGowan is 2-2 in his career against the Bombers with a chunky 5.62 ERA. Let's how the Yanks pass their first mini-test of the season.
It was worth the wait. After rain washed away the festivities on Monday, the Yankees put together solid starting pitching, sparkling defense, timely hitting and strong relief work as they nipped the Blue Jays 3-2 on Opening Night in the Bronx. This game had a little bit of everything and had the feeling of a playoff series in October with all the pomp and circumstance associated with the final Opener at The Stadium. It's only one game, but if this is the way the Yanks are going to play in 2008 then it should be a season to remember. I'm a bit rusty with my Good, Bad and Ugly routine, but I'm going to plow away anyway. Let's do this.  The Good:Chien-Ming Wang. The Wanger was the working man on Tuesday night. Wang worked in and out of trouble through most of his six innings and superb defense (especially from Melky Cabrera in center) aided his cause, but he made the tough pitches when it counted. Example: With the score knotted a 2-2, Aaron Hill led off the seventh with a double. But Wang dug in and got Marco Scutaro to line out to first and Greg Zaun to ground to short. After a quick pep talk from manager Joe Girardi, The Wanger induced the pesky David Eckstein to bounce out with the go-ahead run at third. It's not always pretty with Wang, but when you look at the box score after most of his starts you can't argue with the results. Wang picked up his first win of the season with this: 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 92 pitches. Nice going, Wanger. Melky Cabrera. For the second straight winter Melky heard his name mentioned in trade talks. It obviously had no effect on him. Cabrera made two nifty plays in center in the fourth inning to help Wang retire the side in order and then blasted the game-tying homer in the sixth inning after a long battle with Roy Halladay. It was the first dinger for the Yanks in 2008 and the first curtain call of the season for a Bomber. Oh, sure, Melky came up a bit short on a line drive to center that turned into a double in the seventh inning, but just like Meatloaf crooned, two out of three ain't bad. The Melk-Man finished 1 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI. Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod drove in the first run of the season for the Yanks with a run scoring double in the first inning. It's just the first day of April, but Rodriguez already looks locked in. A-Rod also started the Yankee rally in the seventh when he led off the inning with a base hit and later scored on Hideki Matsui's RBI ground out. It might be unfair to expect Rodriguez to put together another season like the one he had last year, but he's off to a good start. A-Rod finished 2 for 3 with a walk, a run scored and a run batted in.  The Bad:Jorge Posada. Speaking of lofty expectations, I would be shocked ( shocked) if Posada posted the numbers he had in 2007. Posada had a rough night as he went hitless at the plate, grounded into a double play and allowed three Jays to swipe second. Jorgie finished 0 for 2 with a walk. The Ugly:Getting a guy in. The only upsetting aspect of this game came in the bottom of the eighth. Johnny Damon led off the inning with a triple and with the heart of the order coming up, it looked like a lock for the Yanks to increase their slim one-run lead. It didn't happen. Jeter grounded back to the box, Abreu bounced to first, and after an intentional walk to Rodriguez, Giambi grounded out to second. Unacceptable. The Yanks will try and make it two in a row on Wednesday with Mike Mussina on the hill. Toronto will counter with the hard throwing, but inconsistent A.J. Burnett. Mussina had a roller coaster year last season, but he finished 2-0 with a 2.13 ERA against the Jays in 2007. Burnett was even better against the Yanks last year. He finished 1-0 with a 0.60 ERA in his two starts against New York. If history repeats itself, it should be another good one in the Bronx. One down, 161 to go.
Damn you crazy March weather!!  The Yanks and Blue Jays were rained out at The Stadium Monday. They will try it again on Tuesday night at 7:05 in the p.m. Both teams will trot out the same pitchers -- Chien-Ming Wang for the Bombers and Roy Halladay for the Jays. I was at work today which is really a travesty of justice. Opening Day should be a National Holiday. I'm not sure how one would go about petitioning for this, but I think a grass roots movement is long overdue. Who's with me?! This cancellation also means that the Yankees will be playing 20 straight days before their first day off. I hope the guys are up for it. So, Opening Day becomes Opening Night. The season is already unpredictable.
The regular season is upon us, but here's a quick look back at the week that was in Tampa.  Sticks and stones. The biggest story coming out of Yankee camp had nothing to do with the upcoming season, but rather with Jose Canseco's allegations that he introduced Alex Rodriguez to the wonderful world of steroids. In his new book "Vindicated," Canseco claims he was "confident" that A-Rod took performance enhancing drugs. The former bash-brother also wrote that A-Rod had eyes for his former wife. People called Canseco crazy when he outed players like Rafael Palmeiro and Mark McGwire in his book "Juiced," but those accusations weren't off the mark. Still, Canseco also said that he believes Roger Clemens is clean. Canseco is the quintessential riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. As for A-Rod, here's what last season's MVP had to say: "I'm just excited to be playing baseball. It's over as far
as I'm concerned." Oh, he is so naive. Quarantine. Johnny Damon missed some time this week with the flu. The biggest reason for concern was the potential of Damon passing his germs to others so the Yanks locked him in a closet for a few days. OK, that's a lie, but the 34-year-old was scratched from a road game against the Phillies on Wednesday. As of Tuesday, Damon was hitting .283 with five doubles and 2 RBI this spring. Out of action -- for now. Andy Pettitte will begin the season on the 15-day disabled list with a bad back, but the left-hander is expected to take the mound for the Yankees against Tampa Bay on Saturday. Pettitte hasn't pitched since March 17 against the Boston Red Sox.  I now christen thee ... The Yanks made it official as Legends Field was renamed George M. Steinbrenner Field before a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday. Steinbrenner's wife Joan threw out the ceremonial first pitch and a rendition of Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" was played as the Boss circled the field in a golf cart. Legends Field has been the Yankees spring home since 1996. Steinbrenner said afterward, "It was good. It was a great ceremony." The final cut. The Bombers trimmed their roster on Friday night and there were a few surprises. Brian at DF has a nifty breakdown on the 25-man squad so I won't repeat it, but I will comment on Joe Girardi's decisions. Morgan Ensberg made the club and looks to fill in at first base, but I don't think the Yanks need another guy out there. Shelley Duncan, Wilson Betemit and even Jason Giambi should receive the bulk of the playing time. I guess the Yanks are hoping Ensberg isn't too far removed from his 2005 season where he clouted 36 homers and drove in 136 runs. It may be tough for Ensberg to get at-bats, but it won't be nearly as tough as the situation he found himself in eight years ago. Newsday has an interesting article on Ensberg's Spring Training from hell. The other move that caused a slight eyebrow raise from me was Jon Albaladejo made the Big Time. River Ave. Blues has a comprehensive profile on the right-hander and he'll probably be the player sent down when Pettitte is ready to come back, but that will leave the Yanks without a "long" man. Billy Traber made the squad as the team's only lefty in the pen, but maybe Girardi should have taken Darrell Rasner up north. Then again, a team never begins and ends with the same guys.  It won't be the same without you. A bit of sad news to report from Yankee Land. Longtime public address announcer Bob Sheppard will not be in attendance for the final Opening Day at Yankee Stadium because of health issues. Sheppard has been the voice of Yankee Stadium since 1951 and the Bombers hope to have him back sometime in June. Jim Hall will fill in. Bobby Murcer will also miss Opening Day at The Stadium. Murcer said the treatment he's been taking to battle brain cancer has left him too weak. "You have no idea how disappointing it is for me not to be able to be there for
Opening Day, especially this particular Opening Day," Murcer said. "But right now, I just don't have the strength I had last year." Get well soon, guys. Now take a lap and hit the showers. Showtime is just two days away.
The first pitch of the 2008 Major League Baseball season is just a few days away and that means it's time for me to use my extra sensory perception and predict the upcoming events. I've busted out the Ouija board, communicated with the Baseball Gods and feel I've uncovered the winners and losers for the AL this year. Let's see if you agree.  AL East1. Yankees 2. Boston Red Sox* 3. Toronto Blue Jays 4. Tampa Bay Rays 5. Baltimore Orioles * Wild CardThe defending champion Red Sox still feature a powerful lineup, post-season hero Josh Beckett and up-and-comers Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia. But Curt Schilling will be out until at least the All-Star Break, Manny Ramirez is coming off his worst season in ten years and I don't expect Mike Lowell to put up the same numbers he did last year. As for the Yanks, Alex Rodriguez is back in pinstripes after flirting with free agency in the offseason, Joba Chamberlain will reprise his role as Mariano Rivera's set-up man and new skipper Joe Girardi has brought a feisty new attitude to the Bronx. On the flip side, the Yanks will be counting on two talented, but unproven pitchers in Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy to toe the rubber every fifth day, an aging Mike Mussina to stabilize the rotation and can't expect players like A-Rod and Jorge Posada to equal their offensive totals of 2007. I gotta admit, I was torn between picking the Yanks or the BoSox for the top
spot in the division. But my allegiance is with the Bombers and I'll
be damned if I choose Boston in a toss-up. The Blue Jays picked up former Redbirds Scott Rolen and David Eckstein during the winter, but their season will depend on the health of A.J. Burnett and B.J. Ryan. The Jays are knocking on the door, but still haven't closed the gap on the Yanks and Red Sox.  AL Central1. Detroit Tigers 2. Cleveland Indians 3. Chicago White Sox 4. Minnesota Twins 5. Kansas City Royals From top to bottom, the Tigers possess the most lethal lineup in baseball. The off-season acquisitions of Miguel Cabrera and Edgar Renteria helped round out an already potent offense. With hard-throwing ace Justin Verlander leading the way, Dontrelle Willis won't have to be The Man in the Motor City. It's never a pretty sight with closer Todd Jones, but the 39-year-old righty always seems to get the job done. The Tribe came within one game of advancing to the World Series last year, but failed to close out the Red Sox. Cleveland's offense can keep up with any team in the league and they still have C.C. Sabathia to take the ball every fifth day (for this season, anyway), but they need Fausto Carmona to prove that 2007 wasn't a fluke if they want to snatch the top spot away from the Tigers. The ChiSox added Nick Swisher to provide some pop to their lineup and the arrival of Gold Glove shortstop Orlando Cabrera should strengthen their team defense, but it won't be enough to win in the competitive Central. AL West 1. Seattle Mariners 2. Los Angeles Angels 3. Texas Rangers 4. Oakland Athletics Seattle's trade for lefty ace Erik Bedard was one of the best moves of the offseason and while a starting rotation featuring Bedard, Felix Hernandez, Jarrod Washburn and Miguel Batista isn't spectacular, it should be enough to give the M's their first division title since 2001. The Mariners offense still boasts hit machine Ichiro Suzuki and if Richie Sexson can improve on his putrid .205 average last season then Seattle could be the team nobody wants to play come October. The Halos are one of the league's best when they are at full-strength, but the loss of starting pitchers John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar until at least May will hurt. The addition of Torii Hunter should give Vladimir Guerrero some protection in the lineup, but it won't be enough to get the Angels to the postseason. The Rangers had only one pitcher reach double digit wins last season (Kevin Millwood, 10-14), but they'll still finish ahead of the A's. AL Champ: Detroit Tigers I'll usually shy away from a team with a powerful offense and suspect pitching, but I'm going to pick the Tigers anyway. Manager Jim Leyland always gets the most out of his guys and I think he guides Detroit to the Fall Classic for the second time in three years. As much as I would love to pick the Yanks, I don't think everything will fall into place for them to reach the Series. And even though I predicted them to finish atop the division, I wouldn't be shocked if they failed to make the playoffs this year -- the competition will be that intense. But then again, the Baseball Gods are a deceitful bunch and who knows what direction their whims will take us.
Well, spring has finally sprung (just look at your calendar) so that means the players should be chomping at the bit to head up north. What happened during the Yankees penultimate week of Spring Training? Let's take a gander. A-Rod comes to A-halt. The Yanks played the Rays on Saturday for the first time since the bench-clearing incident on March 12 and it was uneventful. There could have been another collision at home plate, but Alex Rodriguez pulled out the parachute and avoided a play at the plate. A-Rod was out by a mile and decided not to lower his shoulder into Tampa catcher Josh Paul. "That could have been a big story," Rodriguez said afterward.  Pettitte returns with attitude. Andy Pettitte
made his third start of the spring Monday after missing 10 days with
forearm tightness and he brought the pain. Well, not really, but he
sailed a pitch past Boston's David Ortiz in the third inning and it was
no accident. "There's no doubt I backed him off," Pettitte said.
Huh! Pettitte's line wasn't great (3.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR),
but he said his forearm felt fine. Fallen hero. Former Yank Jim Leyritz
visited his old teammates before the Yanks-Red Sox game Monday.
Leyritz was arrested on Dec. 28 on suspicion of drunk driving and
vehicular homicide after being involved in a two-car collision that
killed another motorist. "Obviously, it's a very sad story and
situation," Girardi said, "but I don't believe you turn your back on
people." Giving Something Back. The Yankees headed to Blacksburg, Va., on Tuesday and played an exhibition game against the Virginia Tech Hokies.
Nearly every Yankee starter made the goodwill trip up north and they
were met with a packed house at English Field. The contest was played
less than a year after 32 lives were lost in the campus shootings last
April.
 It's official. It was the announcement that shocked no one -- at least, it shouldn't have. The Bombers declared that Joba Chamberlain
would start the season in the bullpen. Before Spring Training, the
Yanks were flirting with the idea of starting Chamberlain in the pen
and then moving him into the rotation later in the season. I wasn't in
love with that course of action and think the Yankees should commit to
either one role or the other, but I'm not in charge. At this point,
Joba best serves the team as a setup man to Mariano Rivera. Need
proof? He made his first relief appearance Thursday against Toronto and needed just 11 pitches to strike out the side in a 1-2-3 seventh. Ladies and gentlemen, I implore you.
Shelley Duncan and Melky Cabrera have until today to appeal a
three-game suspension levied against them by Major League Baseball.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that both players will appeal.
The best they can hope for is to get one game knocked off the
suspension. At least, that's what they should expect. Who's the kid? Brett Gardner is having a lights-out spring and there has been some speculation that he might actually crack the Yankees roster. Brian
made a case for Gardner in his post and it would be great to have a
speed guy on the team. Chances are the kid will start the year in the
minors, but he could be a valuable commodity later in the season. Wanted: Lefties. Joe Girardi and the Yanks are toying with the idea of having zero southpaws
in the pen when camp breaks. While this isn't unprecedented, it's
still unusual for a team to go strictly with right-handed relievers --
especially a Yankee team. Still, the lefties the Bombers have in camp
aren't really dominant. Billy Traber looks to have the best shot at making the team. I guess this means that lefty Kei Igawa won't be making the trip to New York. Beginning of the end. In case you haven't heard, this will be the final season for the Yanks in "old" Yankee Stadium. Network compadre Loge13 has been chronicling the end of Shea Stadium and Ch. 4 (WNBC) will relive the glory of the ballpark in the Bronx with " The Legacy of Yankee Stadium" on Saturday at 7 p.m. I'll definitely take a peek. Less than two weeks left of Spring Training.
We're through the looking glass here people.
Continue reading "Another Week of Spring Training Notes" »
The Yankees second week of Spring Training has been filled with collisions, emptied benches, hypocrisy, a 60-year-old leadoff hitter and suspensions. Here's yet another bare bones roundup of happenings at the Bomber Compound. Playing hard. The collision Saturday between the Yankees Francisco Cervelli and Tampa Bay's Elliot Johnson was the hot topic at the beginning of the week. Yankee skipper Joe Girardi thought it was uncalled for while the Rays manager Joe Maddon called the play "hardball." I guess it's a philosophy thing, but the hit was clean. It was just unfortunate that Cervelli broke his wrist. I was surprised that Girardi had such a problem with it. The Yanks signed catcher Chad Moeller on Monday to fill in for Cervelli.  Playing hard revisited. The Yanks and Rays met again four days later and all hell broke loose -- as far as Spring Training games go. Yankee starter Heath Phillips was tossed for hitting a batter and Shelley Duncan took out Aki Iwamura at second. The benches emptied and five guys were ejected. The Frankenstein play was kinda bush league, but that's the way Shelley plays. He empties the tank out there. I didn't have a real problem with Duncan. I did have a problem with Girardi's about-face on the situation, though. "Shelley's play was aggressive. I don't think Shelley tried to hurt anyone. Other
people may see if differently," Girardi said. Aftermath. Suspensions and fines related to the events Wednesday were levied Friday. The skinny for the Yanks: Melky Cabrera and Shelley Duncan were fined and suspended for three games each; and Girardi, third base coach Bobby Meacham and hitting coach Kevin Long were fined an undisclosed amount. Tampa's Jonny Gomes was suspended for two games and fined. The suspensions will begin at the beginning of the season unless they are appealed. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Major League Baseball always overreacts to situations that happen on the field. I was shocked to see Melky's name mentioned, though. According to a report, the Melk-Man went upside someone's head during the melee.  In other Yankee news: Godzilla returns. Hideki Matsui made his first appearance of the spring Sunday. Matsui went 0 for 3 as the designated hitter. Godzilla returned to left field for the first time on Thursday and seemed to be moving fine. Hughes continues to sparkle. So much for a battered psyche. After an offseason filled with trade talk, Phil Hughes has yet to give up a hit in his six innings of work this spring. Hughes is getting smacked around as I was writing this though: 1.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 K. Still, I think the 21-year-old is poised for a solid year. Return of The Moose. Mike Mussina started off terribly this spring, but has pitched well in his past two outings. Mussina was perfect in his five innings of work against the Pirates Thursday and gave up only one run in 2 2/3 innings against Tampa on Sunday. Maybe the old man still has something left. Stump goes down. Former Yankee manager Stump Merrill was smacked in the face with a thrown ball during batting practice Wednesday. Merrill, who now has the title of special assistant to the general manager, was taken to the hospital. CT scans came back negative and Merrill said later that he "feels pretty good, all things considered." Now batting ... Billy Crystal made his debut in pinstripes Thursday. A lot of people had a problem with Crystal getting a chance to play for the Yanks, but I didn't have a real problem with it. My brother sent me this e-mail: What a joke! Spring training is for young kids trying to live out their dreams. Not for old billionaires to live out theirs. I'm flat out disgusted. Brian at DF wasn't amused and I got an e-mail from Bookie Mom who had a little fun with Billy, but I didn't think it was a travesty of justice to give Crystal one at-bat. He actually looked pretty good for a 60-year-old. I thought they should have made him play the whole game at short. Then Vinny from Kearny trumped that idea with a suggestion that he catch the entire game. That would have been good stuff. Let's see what Week 3 of Spring Training has to offer.
The calendar may say March, but the Yankees are definitely in October mode. The Bombers dropped a meaningless spring game to the Rays 7-6 in St. Petersburg Wednesday, but that storyline pales in comparison to what took place during the first two innings. Yankees starter Heath Phillips was ejected in the first inning after hitting Tampa third baseman Evan Longoria with a fastball. The New York lefty, who has a chance to make the roster considering the dearth of left-handed pitching in the bullpen denied it was intentional.  "It wasn't intentional at all," Phillips said. "I was [surprised] because I
didn't really think the ball hit him at first. I told [the umpire] I was trying
to throw a fastball inside and it got away from me." Phillips added, "You can't make a club hitting a guy or getting ejected." The replay I saw didn't have a great angle, but it didn't seem like a purpose pitch. But with the collision at home plate between Tampa Bay's Elliot Johnson and the Yankees Francisco Cervelli still fresh in the everyone's mind Phillips was given the heave-ho.
But the fireworks started when Shelley "Frankenstein" Duncan took out Rays second baseman Aki Iwamura in the second inning. Duncan singled to left and tried to stretch it into a double, but was tagged out. But Frankenstein went in spikes first at second. Shelley was out by a mile, but he claims he was trying to jar the ball loose. In Shelley's defense (if one can be offered), he's had a tendency to go hard into second. In any event, Duncan definitely went in high and the mayhem ensued. Tampa right fielder Jonny Gomes charged from the outfield and shoved Duncan as he protested his ejection at second base. The benches emptied and when the dust settled, five guys were tossed, including Yankees third base coach Bobby Meacham and hitting coach Kevin Long. 
I like the spunk the Yanks showed on Wednesday, but I think their actions were misplaced. The collision that broke Cervelli's wrist wasn't intentional or dirty, but Shelley's take-out at second was silly. Rays manager Joe Madden is lobbying for Frankenstein to be suspended, but I don't think that's going to happen. "It's contemptible, it's wrong, it's borderline criminal. And I cannot believe
they did that," Madden said. And so it goes. At the very least, this latest drama should add some extra juice when the Yanks and Rays meet during the regular season. But that's still a month away. Spring Training baseball will return tomorrow as the Yanks take on the Pirates in Tampa. The game will also mark the debut of comedian Billy Crystal in pinstripes. Yep, it's still March all right.
The Yankees are nearly a week into their exhibition season. How are things going in Tampa? Let's take a peek. The Bombers dropped their first game of the spring to the Minnesota Twins 7-5 Wednesday, dropping their record to 3-1-1, but things are looking pretty rosy in pinstripes so far. Here's a bare bones roundup of happenings in Yankee camp. Shelley Duncan is tearing it up. It's very early, but Frankenstein is making his claim to be an everyday player. Duncan blasted a three-run homer and drove in five in the Yanks 9-3 win over the Phillies Saturday and leads the Grapefruit League with 9 RBIs.  Andy Pettitte hits the mound. Pettitte wasn't great, but the veteran lefty pitched two scoreless innings against Philadelphia in his first start of the season. I actually caught the first few innings of this game on YES. Pettitte's command was off, but he did manage to pick off Pedro Feliz at first. Jason Giambi makes some noise. Joe Girardi told Giambi to be ready to play first base before camp and it has translated to some mashing at the plate. The Giambino blasted a three-run bomb in Sunday's 7-7 tie with Philly and is batting .429 so far this spring. Robinson Cano feels secure. The Yanks signed the second baseman to a multi-year contract in the offseason and it's doing wonders for Cano's hitting. Canu collected three hits on Wednesday and leads the Grapefruit League with a robust .700 average. Kei Igawa bounces back. Sort of. Igawa was shelled during his first appearance this spring (by a college team), but the Yankee lefty came back and pitched two scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday. "This time I was concentrating on throwing strikes," Igawa said through an
interpreter. Huh!  Two of the Big Three take some lumps. Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy weren't sharp on Wednesday. Kennedy went two innings and gave up two hits and a run on a long home run by Minnesota's Delmon Young. Chamberlain didn't fair much better. Joba pitched two innings and allowed two runs on two hits and walked one. He also gave up a gopher ball -- to Garrett Jones. On the plus side, Phil Hughes has been perfect in his three innings of work this spring. Mike Mussina doesn't impress. The Moose was rocked in his spring debut against the Houston Astros Monday. Mussina's line: 2 IP, 6 H, 5 R (4 earned), 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR. Hideki Matsui still hurting. Godzilla missed his third straight day of batting practice Wednesday. The Yankee left fielder had knee surgery in the offseason and has been slowed by a stiff neck. And finally, some great news from Tampa. The biopsy performed on Bobby Murcer came back negative. The test revealed just scar tissue and no signs of cancer. "We are very excited about this news," Murcer said. "It's what we had hoped
for all along." Here, here.
I know, I know. The Yanks were playing a college team, but it's still nice to start off with a victory. Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes combined for five innings of one-hit ball, Alex Rodriguez drove in three runs and Jorge Posada smacked a double and a triple as the Yankees downed the University of South Florida 11-4 in Tampa.  The only blemish on the afternoon was the performance of Kei Igawa. The lefty's line was a real eye-sore: 1 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 hit batsman, 1 WP, 1 HR. Eric Baumann accounted for all of the Bulls runs with a grand slam in the sixth inning off Igawa. It's way too early to make a big deal about any player's performance, but Igawa's outing doesn't leave me with a warm and fuzzy feeling. His comments afterward also did little to allay my concern. "I'm not too worried at this point," Igawa said through an interpreter. "It
is the first game. I'm able to realize what I need to work on. That is a
positive, moving forward."
I guess. Igawa added that overall his control felt "pretty good." Moving forward. Obviously, the talk of the game (if anyone is talking about an exhibition game played against a college team) should be the performance of the Yankees Big Three. Chamberlain started the game and pitched two perfect innings including two strikeouts. Kennedy followed with two innings of one-hit ball and also fanned two. Hughes capped it with a perfect fifth inning and also recored two whiffs. The three-pronged pinstripe attack issued zero walks. Hopefully, it's a sign of things to come. 
The Bombers will play the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater on Saturday. Chien-Ming Wang is slated to start for the Yanks. Wang is scheduled to go two innings, followed by Darrell Rasner, Chris Britton, Jonathan Albaladejo, Heath Phillips, Dan Giese
and Ross Ohlendorf. A bit of sad news from Yankee camp. Former Bomber and current Yankee broadcaster Bobby Murcer will undergo a biopsy Monday to see if the brain cancer he's been fighting for over a year has returned. An MRI performed on Tuesday showed a spot on Murcer's brain. It could be scar tissue from the radiation he received or another cancerous tumor. We're pulling for you, Bobby. And finally, Hank Steinbrenner is at it again. Boy George hasn't been afraid to speak his mind since he became the voice of the Yankees and did nothing to dispel that on Friday. Here's what Hank had to say about the rival Red Sox in the upcoming issue of The New York Times Sports Magazine Play: "Red Sox Nation? What a bunch of [expletive] that is. That was a creation of the Red Sox and ESPN, which is filled with Red Sox fans. Go anywhere in America and you won't see Red Sox hats and jackets, you'll see Yankee hats and jackets. This is a Yankee country. We're going to put the Yankees back on top and restore the universe to order."
Amen, brother.
The Bronx Bombers have been in Tampa for less than a week and outside of Andy Pettitte's day with the media, not much has happened in Yankee Land.  But that doesn't mean there isn't anything to talk about. This is the time of the year where every quote is magnified. It's just the nature of the season. And so without further adieu, here are some note-worthy excerpts from a Wednesday in Florida. Jason Giambi on playing first base this season: "[Joe Girardi] told me, 'I need you at first base.' It was nice to hear." I'm sure Girardi meant he needs Giambi at first if Shelley Duncan, Wilson Betemit, Johnny Damon and Jorge Posada aren't available. Alex Rodriguez on Andy Pettitte as a man: "Andy is one of the greatest human beings I've ever met. I
have two daughters -- well, I have one and one on the way. If I had a daughter,
I would want 'em to marry Andy Pettitte. The age difference might be a little
awkward, but in today's day and age anything is possible." Even when A-Rod tries to be complementary (and humorous) it sounds inappropriate. Johnny Damon on possibly hanging it up before this season: "I was just exhausted .... Burnt out. [Retirement] definitely crossed my mind. [But] I knew these guys needed me." Glad to have you on board, Johnny, but I'm sure the final three years of your $52-million, four-year contract had a little something to do with it. And finally the usually reserved Hank Steinbrenner on first-year manager Joe Girardi: "Truthfully, I think Girardi is going to end up being
one of the greatest managers in the history of the game. That's my gut feeling.
He reminds me of Billy Martin - without the baggage." Way to let Joe ease into the job, Hank. The new skipper is scheduled to address his new team before Thursday's first full-squad workout. I'm sure everyone will be all ears.
Monday was the first day of Spring Training for Andy Pettitte, but he had more than throwing and conditioning drills to worry about. Pettitte addressed the media for the first time since the Roger Clemens vs. Brian McNamee congressional hearing last week and expressed remorse for using HGH in 2002 and 2004. "I want to apologize to the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros
organizations, and to their fans, and to all my teammates and to all baseball
fans for the embarrassment I have caused them,'' Pettitte said.  Pettitte was flanked by general manager Brian Cashman and new manger Joe Girardi at his table and teammates Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada were also in attendance. The 35-year-old lefty didn't directly answer any questions regarding Clemens, but at one point said, "Roger's having to do what he feels is the right thing to do." If you didn't catch or hear the press conference, Pettitte came across as a sympathetic figure. He said that his actions were "stupid" and that he was desperate to get back from injuries in 2002 and 2004. Pettitte's easy going demeanor and otherwise "clean" record will probably help him bounce back from his HGH use, but there will always be those who will never believe that he used HGH only twice. That's just they way it's going to be. Do I believe Pettitte? Again, I would like to, and it seemed like going before Congress under oath scared the crap out of him and forced him to put everything he knew out there, but would I be surprised if something else surfaced about his involvement with HGH? No, not really. And that's the worst part of this whole mess -- will anyone ever be shocked when a player is linked to HGH or steroids? I don't think so. Like many of you, I'm sick to death of the Mitchell Report, HGH, steroids and congressional committees. I'm tired of watching and reading about it. I just want it to go away. But then again, the whole reason baseball is in this situation is because everyone turned a blind eye to what was happening right under their noses. I think the Mitchell Report was incomplete and that the hearing on Clemens was a colossal waste of time, but maybe those situations will help clean up the game. It should, at the very least, give players who are still using or thinking about using some pause. Hopefully, Pettitte can get beyond this and concentrate on pitching for the Yankees this season. They're going to need him. Position players are scheduled to report on Tuesday for the Bombers. Maybe we can hear and read about on the field situations from now on.
Just a little clip to remind everyone what makes baseball so special. Enjoy!
Spring Training is almost upon us (thank God) and I thought I'd roundup some Yankee news before pitchers and catchers report.  Most of this stuff is old news, but here they are in case you missed some of the more recent happenings in Yankee Land. My knee still hurts. Hideki Matsui had surgery on his right knee in the off-season, but he's still experiencing lingering soreness. Godzilla said that he "hopes to be healthy enough that he does not have to begin spring training under
a different program than his teammates." Looks like Johnny Damon may get some more playing time in left field come April. Mix and match. Joba Chamberlain's spot in the starting rotation didn't last long. Reports out of Tampa say the young fireballer will begin the 2008 season in the bullpen. The Yanks will then send Chamberlain down to the Minors in June to stretch out his arm and then call him back up to enter the starting rotation. Kinda wacky, huh? Brian likes the idea, but I'm not too keen on it. My brother shot me an interesting take on the announcement. Here was his two cents: "I think Cashman is saying this publicly with no intention of putting Joba in the
rotation this year. When June rolls around they'll say it's too important a time
of year to not have him in the bullpen and just like that he stays there all
year. I think this whole stupid plan is a way to not make Hank look stupid for
saying the Yanks wouldn't 'waste' Joba in the bullpen this year." Yes, I reprinted his comments without his permission, but I'm sure he won't mind. Let's see how this thing is going to unfold. Add another log to the fire. The Bombers signed utility infielder Chris Woodward to a Minor League deal on Friday. The nine-year vet played with the Atlanta Braves last season where he hit a robust .199 in 136 at-bats. Woodward has also played for the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Mets. A voice silenced? Bob Sheppard, the Yankees legendary public-address announcer, is in poor health and may be unable to resume his duties in 2008. Sheppard has been doing Yankee games since 1951 and it would be a shame if he couldn't return for the final season at "old" Yankee Stadium. Bomber spokesman Howard Rubenstein said that Sheppard's son Chris will "try out" for a spot as a substitute by working some Spring Training games. Get well soon, Bob. Bring out the steel cage! In case you missed it, Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee testified on Capital Hill on Wednesday. The he-said, he-said meeting lasted for 4 1/2 hours and we're no closer to knowing what really happened. We'll probably never know. Andy Pettitte wasn't at the hearing (but his presence was definitely felt) and the Yanks have given the lefty starter permission to report to Spring Training on Monday instead of Thursday. Let's hope those four extra days are all that Andy needs to get himself focused on baseball. Well, that's it. Here's hoping the talk will only be about what happens on the baseball diamond from now on.
It may not feel like it, but baseball is just around the corner. Residents in New Jersey experienced a premature spring today as temperatures rose into the high 60s. Who cares that the balmy weather was accompanied by clouds, fog and a pesky drizzle, followed by a 30 degree drop by sundown? For me it signaled the changing of the seasons, even though Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter.  The New York Yankees will report to their spring training home in Tampa in less than two weeks and I'm starting to catch the fever. I've fallen a bit behind in commenting on all news pinstripes, so I thought I'd catch up by posting some quick comments on the latest (and not so latest) happenings in and around Yankee Land. Robinson Cano is staying in the Bronx. The Bombers signed Cano to a long-term contract last week. The Yankees second baseman could earn as much as $57 million over the next six years. Canu will earn a guaranteed $30 million for the first four years. I don't know any Yankee fan who doesn't love this move. Johan Santana is the new King of Queens. The two-time Cy Young Award winner is headed to the Senior Circuit and I couldn't be happier. The trade the Mets pulled with the Minnesota Twins means that the Yanks are sticking with their young starters and the superstar lefty will not become a member of the Red Sox rotation. Wilson Betemit re-signs with the Yanks. A solid move by the Bombers. The thought of Betemit as the everyday third baseman made Yankee fans everywhere cringe, but A-Rod came to his senses and Willie could be a key contributor as a part-time first baseman and utility infielder. Yankees play hardball with Chien-Ming Wang. The Yanks locked up Cano to a multi-year deal, but seem reluctant to do the same for Wang. Last season's ace fell flat against the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS, but still has a lifetime record of 46-18 with a 3.74 ERA. Wang earned $489,500 in 2007 and is looking to increase his salary to $4.6 million in 2008. The Bombers countered with a $4 million offer. An arbitration hearing is set for Feb. 14. Return of the Maltese Falcon. Brian Bruney agreed to a one-year deal with the Yanks, avoiding arbitration. Joe Torre ran Bruney out of town at the end of last season, but the new regime is bringing him back for another look. Not a bad idea since Kyle Farnsworth heads into Spring Training as the eighth inning set-up man. Paying the Man. Derek Jeter had a little tax problem with New York state, but that business seems to be cleared up now. Shrek could join Frankenstein. The Yankees are apparently interested in Kevin Mench. The right-hand hitting Mench hits lefties well (.314 average in 156 at-bats in 2007) and could serve as the team's fifth outfielder. And in case you don't know, Mench's hat size comes in at a whopping 8 1/4. Adding some depth. The Bombers inked infielder Morgan Ensberg to a minor league deal. Ensberg is a third baseman by trade, but the Yanks are interested in him at first. The former Houston Astro and San Diego Padre played one game at first base last season. Donnie Baseball takes a hit. Don Mattingly cited family reasons when he stepped down as hitting coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers last month. Boy, he wasn't kidding. I wonder how this would have played out if he was named manager of the Yanks this past off-season. Clemens, Pettitte and McNamee. It's not the name of a law firm, but jail time could become a factor. End of an era. The Yanks will wear a commemorative patch on their uniforms this season, the last to be played in The House That Ruth Built. There, now I'm all caught up (for the most part). Time to take a lap and hit the showers.
The Roger Clemens saga is getting ready to kick into high gear and what better way to speculate on how things are going to unfold than with a saga-themed parody? I haven't been following the Clemens situation closely, but I did read that Andy Pettitte is expected to say that he discussed HGH with trainer Brian McNamee following a conversation with Clemens. This would contradict Clemens' claims that he never discussed HGH with McNamee.  Pettitte is scheduled to appear before a congressional committee on Monday, Feb. 4, followed by Clemens on Feb. 5, McNamee on Feb. 7, and Kirk Radomski on Feb. 12. Chuck Knoblauch is slated to tell everyone what he knows on Friday. Anyway, Vinny from Kearny and I were joking that the Clemens-Pettitte fiasco might look a lot like a scene from Godfather II. I'm sure you know the scene I'm talking about. It's when Frankie "Five Angels" Pentangeli is getting ready to rat out Michael Corleone and the whole family, but changes his tune once Michael brings in his brother from Sicily to the hearing. We had a good laugh. But Vinny went a step further and sent me this "revised" version of that scene. I laughed like a 10-year-old schoolgirl when I read this and maybe you will too. Apologies to Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola. A little info first in case you don't know: Rusty Hardin is Clemens' attorney. Enjoy! INT. SENATE CAUCUS ROOM - DAY The room is crowded with TV journalists, cameras, etc. We pick Andy “Five Angels” Pettitte up, closely guarded, being led to the witness chair. Andy “Five Angels” is seated, and made to take his oath. FBI Agents are all around him. MED. VIEW Anyone given entrance to the caucus room is being frisked. The five Senators take their places. VIEW ON RUSTY HARDIN Waiting at his long table, very nervous. He seems startled by the appearance of Andy “Five Angels.” VIEW ON ANDY “FIVE ANGELS” Catching Rusty Hardin's eye. It's as though he is pleading for some kind of understanding of the fact that he has become a traitor. VIEW ON RUSTY HARDIN Cold; then he turns away. VIEW ON THE ENTRANCE The bustle is settling down; then Roger Clemens enters, and with him is someone very peculiar and out of keeping for this setting. A brown bushy hair child with an Elmo blanket and frightening magnetic eyes. His dress is odd: slippers, and what seems to be a Spider-Man T-shirt. VIEW ON ANDY “FIVE ANGELS” At first his view is blocked. Then he sees Roger and is a bit shamefaced, but still defiant. ANDY “FIVE ANGELS'" POV Roger returns his glances without emotion. Then the VIEW ALTERS, revealing the child. VIEW ON ANDY “FIVE ANGELS” He is terror stricken; obviously he recognizes the child. VIEW ON RUSTY HARDIN'S TABLE Roger and the child sit by Rusty Hardin, where they can stare directly at Andy “Five Angels" -- he is frozen with fear. VIEW ON THE SENATOR Notices the tension in the room. The Chairman commences: REP. WAXMAN We have here a witness who will testify further on Roger Clemens uses and history of HGH and Steriods. This witness had no buffer between himself and Roger Clemens and will corroborate our charges on enough counts for this committee to consider a charge of perjury against Roger Clemens. (then he turns to Andy “Five Angels”) Your name please, for the record. ANDY “FIVE ANGELS” Andy Pettitte. REP. WAXMAN Were you a friend and workout partner of Roger Clemens? Did you discuss HGH and steriods with Roger Clemens before the Mitchell report? There is a long silence. VIEW ON ANDY “FIVE ANGELS” He seems unable to speak. VIEW ON THE CHILD Gazing at him. VIEW ON ANDY “FIVE ANGELS” ANDY “FIVE ANGELS” I never knew no Roger Clemens. Rep. Waxman is stunned. The two FBI men are alert, their eyes searching the room for what has intimidated their witness at the last moment. REP. WAXMAN Mr. Pettitte, you are contradicting your confessions to our investigators; I ask you again, were you a friend and workout partner of Roger Clemens and did you ever discuss HGH and steriods? ANDY “FIVE ANGELS” No. I never heard of it. I never heard of nothing like that. I played for the New York Yankees with him. That's all. REP. WAXMAN We have your confession that you went to dinner with him, worked out at his home, went fishing at Brokeback Mountain with him and discussed HGH and steroids. Do you know what denying that confession will mean to you? The die is cast and like a good soldier, Andy “Five Angels” will go all the way now. So he is brazen in his defiance of the Senator. ANDY “FIVE ANGELS” The FBI guys promised me a deal. So I made up a lot of stuff about Roger Clemens. Because then, that's what they wanted. But it was all lies. Everything. They said Roger Clemens did this, Roger Clemens did that. So I said, "Yeah, sure." He makes a big grin to show how he has made fools of everybody. VIEW ON THE FBI AGENTS Glancing around the room; their eyes have settled on the child. One of them scribbles a note on a piece of paper, and passes it to the committee lawyer. Then in turn it goes to Rep. Waxman. REP. WAXMAN Mr. Hardin, would you kindly identify to this committee that gentleman sitting on your right hand? RUSTY HARDIN (coolly) Yes, sir. His name is Luke Jackson Pettitte. REP. WAXMAN Is he related to the witness? RUSTY HARDIN He is, I believe, his son. VIEW ON ROGER AND LUKE JACKSON PETTITTE They wait with no expression. REP. WAXMAN (to Luke Jackson Pettitte) Sir, I would like you to take the stand. Luke stares at him, uncomprehending. There may just be a shadow of contempt. He doesn't answer. RUSTY HARDIN Sir, the child does not understand. He is only 2 years old and is still learning how to talk. He would not in any case, take the stand. He came, at his own expense, to aid his father in his trouble. His reputation in this country is impeccable. REP. WAXMAN (furious) The witness is excused; take him out. The guards and FBI Agents quickly remove Andy “Five Angels”, as everybody else in the room is required to sit still. RUSTY HARDIN Rep. Waxman. REP. WAXMAN This meeting is adjourned. RUSTY HARDIN (rising and shouting) This committee owes an apology! REP. WAXMAN The committee is adjourned until further notice. For the first time, in the midst of the confusion, Rusty Hardin smiles. A bitter, contemptuous smile. VIEW ON ROGER CLEMENS The modest champion. He rises and they take their leave. VIEW ON THE TWO FBI AGENTS They watch the Clemens party as they exit.
They say everything changes and that nothing remains without change. And the same goes for things here at greenpinstripes.  Brian over at depressedfan.com just put the finishing touches on my forum here for all things Jets and Yankees and I must say I'm digging it. I hope you do, too. The coming months will also bring changes for both Gang Green and the Bronx Bombers and hopefully it will be for the better.  How will Joe Girardi do in his first year at the helm? Will the Baby Bombers pitch the Yanks back to the top of the AL East (where they belong)? Or will they regret not pulling the trigger for Johan Santana? Who will the Jets pick in the upcoming draft? What are they looking to do in free agency? And what the hell are they going to do about the quarterback situation? These are just some of the questions that can be tossed around during these last remaining winter months. It may be freezing right now in my neck of the woods and I may be on just nodding terms with the sun, but the flowers will begin to bloom before you know it. And with that comes longer days, baseball and the Boys of Summer. And then before you know it, it'll be time for the NFL Draft followed once again by two-a-days and then football-filled Sundays. Did I mention that change is constant?
I guess mine got lost in the mail. Again. The Yankees unveiled the names of 26 nonroster players invited to spring training today. Nine pitchers, five catchers, five
infielders and seven outfielders will soon be heading south, bringing the total number of players scheduled to be in camp to 66.  Most of the guys don't have a wing or a prayer of making the opening day roster, but there are a few intriguing names on the list. Eastern League Pitcher of the Year Alan Horne will make his way to Tampa via the Trenton Thunder; outfielder Austin Jackson, the No. 2 prospect in the Yankee system according to Baseball
America, gets a chance to show what all the hub-bub is about and Jose Tabata, No. 3 on the Bombers Top 10 list. Here's a link to the list of the Top 10 Yankee prospects courtesy of Brian (and Baseball America). And in case you missed it, a fan plans to sue the Yanks for "failure to provide goods paid for." What does that mean exactly? It means that a 30-year-old paralegal named Matthew Mitchell (no relation to George Mitchell -- the author of the Mitchell Report) is filing a claim against the Bombers for $221 -- the amount he paid for tickets to five games at The Stadium between 2002 and 2007. Mitchell (not the former Senator) felt cheated after the Mitchell Report was made public and said his focus is not on the money, but on the ethical controversy. He has pledged not to attend any Yankee games this upcoming season. Hey, you'll be missed. As for me, I'll be checking my mailbox to see if the Yanks are interested in giving a 33-year-old, 5'7, 165 lb. utility infielder/outfielder a shot at the big time.
They say three times the charm, but sometimes it can be nine. Rich "Goose" Gossage was finally elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame Tuesday on his ninth try. He becomes only the fifth reliever to make the Hall, joining Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley and Bruce Sutter.  It's been an arduous journey for Gossage. Gossage garnered only 33.3% of the votes when his name first appeared on the ballot in 2000. Since then former players, writers and yes, even the Goose himself, waged a torrid campaign for his election. The Goose narrowly missed induction last year as he fell 21 votes shy of the magic 75% needed to gain entrance. On Tuesday Gossage came away with 85.8% of the votes. Gossage played from 1972-1994 so I didn't get a chance to see him during his prime. Actually the first time I remember watching The Goose pitch was when he was a member of the San Diego Padres in 1984. I remember my cousin (who was older than me and also a Yankee fan) shaking his head in disgust as we watched the National League Championship Series. Goose helped the Pads defeat the Cubs and advance to their first-ever World Series. I may have been too young to remember Gossage in pinstripes, but I've seen the highlights. He was all arms and legs and mustache and always came out of the pen spitting fire. The Goose may have been the first real intimidator to come in and close games out. The game was different then as evidence by this stat: Gossage finished with 310 career saves and in 52 of them he recorded seven outs or more. How incredible is that? With my quick math that comes out to 2 1/3 innings. You don't see guys doing that sort of thing anymore. And by comparison, Mariano Rivera has done that only once in his illustrious career. The Goose played for nine teams during his 22-year career, but his prime was spent with the Yankees from 1978-1983. I think it's safe to assume that Goose will be wearing a Yankees cap when they present him with his bronze bust in the summer. "The biggest game that I ever pitched in on any team by far was that '78
playoff game with the Red Sox," Gossage said. "It seemed like the playoffs after that
and the World Series were kind of anticlimactic because of the pressure that was
in that one-game playoff."
Ah, the good ol' days. Congrats Goose.
It's the invitation nobody wants, but can't refuse. Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Brian McNamee, Kirk Radomski and Chuck Knoblauch were all cordially invited to appear before a House Oversight Committee on Jan. 16. There they will have to testify under oath about their involvement in the Mitchell Report.  Technically, all five individuals could decline the invite, but the Congressional committee has the power to issue subpoenas. Bud Selig, Donald Fehr and the main man George Mitchell are scheduled to testify before Congress on Jan. 15. Roger Clemens will have his story aired on " 60 Minutes" Sunday night where he is expected to explain the shots McNamee gave him were nothing but Vitamin B-12 and the painkiller lidocaine. Scouts honor. I'm not sure why the committee asked only Clemens, Pettitte and Knoblauch to appear next week. Quite frankly, I'm not sure why Knoblauch was asked to appear at all. David Marin, the committee's minority staff director, issued this statement to the AP: "The original hearing was called to examine the Mitchell recommendations and
findings. The committee has decided to hold a second day of
hearings for the very same reason -- to invite people with varying perspectives
on the Mitchell Report to shed further light on it."
I'm not sure how much light will be shed by talking to only three individuals named in the report, but I'm not in charge there. I think everyone (Congress included) wants to hear what Clemens has to say regarding the report. They don't want to watch his interview with his admirer Mike Wallace or watch his Al Qaeda-like videos on the Internet. People also want to see how Pettitte responds to questions about Clemens. This whole thing is really about nailing Clemens. The public feels betrayed by The Rocket and now they want retribution. It's the American Way.
Former Yankee Jim Leyritz was arrested early Friday morning in Broward County, Florida and charged with drunken driving and vehicular homicide. According to police, Leyritz ran a red light and smashed into a car driven by a 30-year-old woman. The woman was ejected from her vehicle and was pronounced dead at Broward General Medical Center.  Leyritz refused a breathalyzer test and has been charged with two counts of drunken driving, including one count of DUI that causes death to
a human. I usually don't write about situations that occur to players off the field (unless it has something to do with the sport), but this is a story that shouldn't be ignored or glossed over. I'm not one to preach and I am by no means perfect, but one thing that I cannot understand (or tolerate) is people who drive while under the influence. If you're going to drink, then drink, but don't get behind the wheel. You're not just fooling around with your life, but with others that are driving on the road. My brother was nearly killed by a drunk driver about two years ago. A 40-something-old guy hit him straight on and sent him flying backward and into another car. Then the drunk fled the scene. My brother's car looked like an aluminum can that was squished from both sides. Somehow my brother avoided major injury and the loser who slammed into him was caught, but it could have been much worse. Later my brother told me the cop who arrived on the scene told him he was shocked that my brother was able to walk out of the car. Leyritz, who was nicknamed "The King" by some during his stay with the Yankees, will have a lot of soul-searching to do after this. I can't say that I feel sorry for him because he should have known better. It's tragic when an 18-year-old kid is behind the wheel and does something like this, but when a grown man does it, it's just senseless. We're approaching the end of the year and that means a lot of people are going to be out there celebrating the New Year. If you're going to drink, please don't drive.
Oh, Andy. Andy Pettitte admitted on Saturday to using human growth hormone during the 2002 season. The Yankee lefty stated that he used HGH on two occasions to help him come back from an elbow injury and not to gain a competitive edge.  "I felt an obligation to get back to my team as soon as possible. For this
reason, and only this reason, for two days I tried human growth hormone. Though
it was not against baseball rules, I was not comfortable with what I was doing,
so I stopped. "This is it -- two days out of my life; two days out of my entire career,
when I was injured and on the disabled list. I wasn't looking for an
edge. I was looking to heal."
I still have a soft spot for a select number of Yankees from the glory years and Pettitte is one of them so I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt. But his statement seems very calculated and may become a familiar refrain for players implicated in the Mitchell report to use in the days and months to come. I will be shocked if any ballplayer comes out and says: "Yeah, I took such-and-such for most of my career and it helped me put up big numbers, play in the big leagues for 'X' amount of years and made me a boatload of money. And if you were me, you would have done the same thing." Still, Pettitte didn't wait two weeks before responding to the allegations and could have simply denied it so I have to give him credit there. But what really bothers me is this passage:
"If what I did was an error in judgment on my part, I apologize."
If you're going to apologize for something, just apologize. Don't preface it by adding "if" -- just say you messed up and then wait and see if people accept it. If they do, then everybody hugs and kisses and moves on. If they don't, at least you can go to sleep knowing you made a sincere attempt at a reconciliation. HGH wasn't banned by Major League Baseball until the 2005 season so I doubt that Bud Selig will be able to dish out a punishment or a suspension. I'm sure he'll be critical of Pettitte and will admonish him in the press, but I don't think Pettitte will have to worry about the wrath of Bud. Then again, Selig recently suspended Baltimore Orioles outfielder Jay Gibbons and newly inked Kansas City Royal Jose Guillen for the first 15 games of the 2008 season for violating baseball's drug policy even though neither failed a drug test. Both players were linked to receiving steroids and HGH between 2003 and 2005. Guillen will appeal the suspension. Gibbons will not. Pettitte's image has taken a bit of a beating, but he should bounce back. He's never been in trouble before and he's a likable enough fella. Plus, his story is believable. The real loser in this is Roger Clemens. The Mitchell report stated that Pettitte received HGH from Brian McNamee, the trainer he shared with this good buddy Rocket. It will be interesting to see what Clemens does now that Pettitte has admitted to HGH. As for me, I'll accept Pettitte's story. But that doesn't mean I totally believe it.
Tis the season for lists. Usually they're shopping lists. Not today.
 George Mitchell came out with his performance-enhancing hit list on Thursday and the baseball world may never be the same. Here's a link to the players and how or why they were named in the report. In all, 89 current and former players were revealed. The names ranged from superstars to mediocre ballplayers. And yes, the New York Yankees led the way with 22 current or former players. There were names that made me shrug me shoulders: Barry Bonds Jose Canseco Jason Giambi Ken Caminiti Gary Sheffield Rafael Palmeiro Roger Clemens (c'mon. Is anyone really shocked with this one?) Names that (mildly) surprised me: Wally Joyner Chuck Knobloch Hal Morris Rondell White David Justice And then the name that disappointed me: Andy Pettitte In the end, Mitchell concluded that everyone was to blame for the proliferation and acceptance of steroids and human growth hormone in baseball. Mitchell also made 19 recommendations on how to strengthen the Major League drug policy including a creation of a "Department of Investigations, led by a senior executive who reports directly to the president of Major League Baseball, to respond promptly and aggressively to allegations of the illegal use or possession of performance enhancing substances." Hey, great. Some of his recommendations are suggestions guys in and out of baseball have been making for years. So, what does this all really mean? Has anything really been accomplished by this report? I'm not sure. Bud Selig stated after the names were announced that he would "take action where it is appropriate" and would dish out punishment on a "case-by-case" basis. How will the players who were named respond? Will they just deny the allegations (because that's really what this report is) or will they seek compensation for having their names dragged through the mire? Doesn't that bring us right back to where we were before?
The Yankees went back on their decision to cut ties with Alex Rodriguez earlier this off-season (thank the Baseball Gods) and it looks like they may do the same with relief pitcher Brian Bruney. Doesn't really have the same impact, does it?  Nevertheless, the bullpen needs arms and it wouldn't hurt to give the sometimes erratic Bruney another shot. The Bombers basically threw the burly right-hander off the team right before the start of the playoff series with the Cleveland Indians. I believe the words "get the hell outta here" were used, but I can't verify that. Considering what relievers on the open-market are asking for (I'm looking at you Luis Vizcaino), it looks like a very low-risk move for the Yanks. It also looks like the Yankees have agreed to a one-year deal with reliever LaTroy Hawkins for $3.75 million. The Hawk put up decent numbers for the NL Champion Colorado Rockies last season (2-5, 3.42 ERA in 62 appearances), but I wouldn't trust him in a big spot. Still, it's another option out of the pen and the choices out there aren't very good. But then again, who knows? With all the talk about the Yankees young starting pitchers, maybe it will be the Baby Bomber relievers that make their mark. I'm talking about Edwar Ramirez and Ross Ohlendorf. Hey, it's December. Dare to dream.
Talk about perfect timing.
Andy Pettitte put a potential wrench in the Johan Santana sweepstakes by agreeing to return to the Bronx for one more season. The deal is for $16 million -- the same $16 million Pettitte would have received if he would have exercised his option about a month ago.
 The resigning may give the Yanks some added leverage in the Santana negotiations. As it stands now, the Bombers would be heading into 2008 with a starting rotation of Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and either Ian Kennedy or Mike Mussina (like it or not it would most likely be Mussina).
Now, Minnesota -- the tables have turned!
Hank Steinbrenner has already issued a deadline for the Twins to decide whether or not they want to make the deal for Hughes, Melky Cabrera and a minor leaguer. Now I think he should go one step further and lowball them. Pull Hughes' name from the negotiations and tell Minnesota to take a package that includes Kennedy instead of Hughes. It probably won't get Santana in pinstripes, but with Pettitte's return the Yankees are no longer desperate for another established pitcher heading into 2008.
Brian made a great point in his earlier post about the Yankees starting rotation at the start of last season. A winning hand it was not. Here's a refresher if you've forgotten how the Bombers broke camp in 2007: Carl Pavano, Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina, Kei Igawa and Darrell Rasner. Obviously, Wang started the season on the DL, but you get the gist. Pettitte and Wang were the only starters that kept their spot in the rotation last season and the Yanks still won 94 games. Again it's not how you start, but how you finish.
Still, I'll take my chances with the Yankees projected starting five in 2008.
To trade or not to trade: that is the question.
The Johan Santana talk may have reached its zenith and it looks like the two-time Cy Young Award winner's fate could be determined by the end of this week so I'll put my feelings down on record.
Just say no.
 Other members of the network have weighed in on the issue and have made strong arguments. You'll find some of them here, here, here and here.
I've been going back and forth on this potential deal since the discussions began, but my initial reaction was to pass. The reason? I wanted to see what the Yankees young crop of starters could do in the Bronx. It sounds ridiculous to bank on potential when there is a bona fide ace dangling out there, but that was my feeling. But if a deal involving Melky Cabrera (poor Melky -- it's the second season in a row that his name has been out there), Ian Kennedy and two minor leaguers would bring Santana to New York then I was all for it.
Deep down I knew that wouldn't get the job done.
Now it looks like the Yanks are willing to part with Phil Hughes, their No. 1 pick in 2004, for the services of the dominating lefty. On paper, the parts seem to fit -- the Yanks would give away a potential superstar for an established one. Fair trade, right?
You would think, but something gives me pause and I don't know what it is.
Is it because Santana went 0-5 with a 4.38 ERA against the Cleveland Indians this past season? A team the Yanks lost to in the ALDS? No, that's incredibly short-sited. Maybe it's the lucrative deal Santana would want to sign if he came on board. Somewhere in the neighborhood of six years at $25 million per. But he's still in the prime of his career and I'm not going to be paying his salary (although I probably wouldn't be able to afford going to a Yankees game for the next 10 years or so). Is it because Boston is in the mix and if they acquire Santana it would give them the best pitching staff in the majors? Perhaps, but Curt Schilling is on his way out, Daisuke Matsuzaka hasn't been as advertised and Josh Beckett is one year removed from a 5.01 ERA. Is it the fear that Santana won't be able to live up to his awesome pedigree in the Bronx? Almost every big name player that has come to New York in the past dozen years has had to go through some period of adjustment.
No, the reason I don't want the Yanks to pull the trigger is still the same reason I initially felt upon hearing the news. Lets give the kids a chance. The Bombers have been reloading with big-name players every year since 2001 and it hasn't gotten them a World Series title. I realize that is a bit simplistic since it's not easy to capture a ring, but maybe it's time the Yanks head in a different direction. The odds are definitely stacked against all three pitchers becoming stars, but wouldn't it be great if they did? And wouldn't it be a crime if they were to live up to their potential in uniforms without pinstripes?
In baseball (such as in life) there are no clear-cut answers. I can understand the argument for both sides of this potential swap and I can see myself getting behind whatever the Yankee brass decides.
Their decision will also reveal whether the new Yankee regime is similar to the old one.
No, not that one.
Steve Serby from the New York Post recently sat down with the new voice of the Yankees -- Hank Steinbrenner -- for a little one on one. Several nicknames have been kicked around for The Boss' oldest boy -- Hammerin' Hank, George Jr., The Marlboro Man, etc., but I think Boy George is my clear-cut favorite. I don't remember which paper gave it to him first, the Daily News or the Post, but it works on so many levels!
Anyway, if you didn't catch the article (it's a few days old) give it a read. Hank isn't shy and he has some interesting comments.
 Examples:
Q: What's it been like being George Steinbrenner's oldest son?
A: When I was a kid, we didn't have a lot of money. There were a couple of times he was even bankrupt, which is well-documented. When I was a kid, it was a basic middle-class upbringing in Bay Village, Ohio, before he started making big money. I also worked at the farm, having been in horse racing since I was 13 - mucking stalls, baling hay, that stuff.
Q: Fay Vincent's suspension of your father?
A: I was surprised. I didn't agree with it, I can tell you that, not just because he's my dad. I didn't think it was called for.
Q: What did you think of the portrayal of your father in "The Bronx Is Burning?"
A: I really like Oliver Platt, I think he's a really good actor; I don't know if that's the role for him.
Hank also goes on to talk about horse racing, Billy Martin and cigarettes.
Good stuff.
Vinny from Kearny suggested that Hank's loose lips may be an attempt to deflect attention away from his old man. It's quite possible, but George's mouthpiece Howard Rubenstein still has a job so The Boss may still have a statement or two left in his bones. Also, I think Hank has acquired a taste for reading his quotes in the papers.
Anyway, it should be interesting to read what Boy George has to say once the season rolls around.
It may not be as exciting as setting the starting rotation or figuring out the lineup, but it will have to do.
The Yankees named their coaching staff on Tuesday and it includes three new faces. Don Mattingly and Larry Bowa have gone off to L.A. to be with Joe Torre so this is the team that new manager Joe Girardi has assembled:
- Bullpen coach: Mike Harkey
- First base coach: Tony Pena
- Third base coach: Bobby Meacham
- Pitching coach: Dave Eiland
- Hitting coach: Kevin Long
- Bench coach: Rob Thomson
Pena and Long were coaches for the Yanks in the same capacity last season, Thomson has been in the Yankee system for 18 years and was the team's Major League Field Coordinator in 2007 (which sounds like a made-up title if you ask me), Eiland was the pitching coach at Scranton last season and both Meacham and Harkey were on Girardi's staff during his one-year in Florida.
The biggest surprise is Thomson being named bench coach. He has spent eight seasons coaching and managing in the Yankees' system, but I didn't expect Girardi to name him as his lieutenant.
"I saw the work he did when I was a player there and how prepared he is," Girardi said of Thomson. "He's a take-charge kind of guy. He's managed, he's run the Minor Leagues, he's coached third base. He's done so many different jobs that I think he's ready for this step."
We'll see.
In a less surprising move, the Yanks jettisoned former pitching great Ron Guidry from the staff. Guidry was the pitching coach for the Bombers the past two seasons, but never really seemed to grasp the nuances of the job. I sometimes think that pitching coaches can be overrated, but Guidry didn't seem to relate well with the young arms in the rotation and couldn't get through to the older guys. And once Eiland came up to the big team in September and began spending more time with the kids he had in the minors (Hughes, Chamberlain and Kennedy), well, the writing was on the wall.
And then there's Bobby Meacham. Meacham was the shortstop for the Yankees when I first began watching the Yanks in the mid-80s. He wasn't much of a hitter (.236 career average), was a serviceable fielder at best and was a favorite whipping boy for The Boss, but Meacham's biggest claim to fame came during two of the most bizarre plays in Yankee history.
In a game against the White Sox in 1985, Meacham and Dale Berra (son of Yogi) were tagged out at home plate within seconds of each other. I searched and searched for this video, but just couldn't find it. Also in '85, Meacham hit a homer that just cleared the wall against Texas, but failed to notice that second baseman Willie Randolph was still hovering around first -- waiting to see if the ball would be caught. It wasn't, but Meacham passed Willie at first base. The home run was turned into a single and Meacham was called out in a game the Yanks eventually lost.
Should make for some interesting base running in 2008.
Not even close.
Alex Rodriguez picked up his third MVP award on Monday and the only surprise was that he didn't capture all of the first-place votes. Detroit Tigers outfielder Magglio Ordonez somehow managed to get two first place votes. Who voted for Ordonez? Well, Tom Gage and Jim Hawkins gave Ordonez their votes. Both scribes do their writing in Michigan.
 Go figure.
It's not that big of a deal since Rodriguez won the American League MVP running away (A-Rod finished with 382 points and Ordonez finished with a distant 258), but those two guys should be embarrassed. Did they vote for Ordonez because he was the hometown player or because they actually believed he deserved the award? Or did they do it just so it wouldn't be a clean sweep? Maybe they just wanted to get their names out there in the national media.
Anyw ay, A-Rod became the ninth player to win the award at least three times, but all anyone really wanted to talk about was the contract that the three-time MVP was about to sign with the Yanks.
A-Rod wasn't biting.
"There will be a time and place for that," Rodriguez said.
Fair enough.
Also in Yankee Land, closer Mariano Rivera seems to be on the verge of agreeing to a three-year, $45 million deal to come back to the pinstripes. Rivera was looking for a fourth year, but I never really believed it was a make-or-break request. I think Rivera is looked up to by a lot of Latin players in the league and it was his way of showing the younger guys to always treat negotiations as business and to never settle for anything (Robbie Cano and Melky Cabrera specifically). He also may have been miffed that Jorge Posada got a fourth year and that Alex Rodriguez was brought back after the Yanks declared he was gone.
Still, the three-year contract will make Mo the highest paid reliever (he will earn an average of $15 million per year) in the bigs. The Mets' Billy Wagner is next on the list with an average of $10.75 million over four years.
The Yanks are still waiting for Andy Pettitte to decide if he wants to come back, but the Bombers have done a pretty nice job of keeping their important pieces. It didn't start well as Joe Torre walked, Don Mattingly was passed over as the next manager and A-Rod opted out, but the Yanks have rebounded nicely. Abreu, Posada, Rivera and Rodriguez will be coming back and it also looks like backup catcher Jose Molina will return.
All and all, this off-season has been a success. The only downside (in my opinion) is that Joe Torre won't be back (and that Mattingly will be wearing Dodger Blue next year), but I guess you can't have it all.
Just look at the MVP voting.
Almost there.
Alex Rodriguez and the Yanks agreed on Thursday to an "outline" of a 10-year, $275 million contract to keep the slugger in the Bronx. The deal would break the record setting 10-year, $252 million contract that Rodriguez signed with the Texas Rangers in 2001.
 The money is both plentiful and obscene, but A-Rod has a chance to make even more -- reports say at least $300 million -- as he climbs up the career home run ladder. The two sides are negotiating a pact in which Rodriguez would earn more dough when (if) he passes Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755) and Barry Bonds (762) on the all-time dinger list. Of course, the Yankees would also benefit monetarily once (if) the chase is on. And if you haven't heard, it looks like Bonds won't be adding to that total after Thursday's events.
This is a tricky area since MLB forbids teams from weaving payment to certain individual stats, but I'm sure the bankers and brokers will discover the necessary "language" to make it happen. Hank Steinbrenner is doing his best to come up with some creative doublespeak:
“These are not incentive bonuses. For lack of a better term, they really are historic-achievement bonuses. It’s a horse of a different color.”
I guess.
OK, it's been a whirlwind 48 hours for A-Rod and the Yanks (and the fans, too) so let's take a quick look at the winners and losers in this deal.
THE YANKEES:
The Bombers stated that they wouldn't negotiate with Rodriguez if he opted out of his contract and they stuck to their guns (sort of). For the most part, fans and media applauded the hard stance even though it created a gaping hole at the hot corner and in the lineup. The Yanks explored trades (Miguel Cabrera, Joe Crede) and the free agent market (Mike Lowell) for a replacement third baseman, but those choices seemed very remote. Still, the team didn't buckle. In the end, Rodriguez came "crawling" back to them. The Yanks are still dishing out a boatload of cash, but they got A-Rod to take less (sounds crazy, but the Yankees were prepared to offer an extension that would have brought Rodriguez a 10-year, $289 million deal before he decided to bail), knocked super-agent Scott "Evil" Boras down a peg and inked the best player in the league for a decade. I'm sure Hank is very proud of himself.
ALEX RODRIGUEZ:
These past few weeks must have been a living hell for the image-conscious superstar (if such a thing exists for multi, multi, multi, multi-millionaires). The decision, timing and way A-Rod opted out of his contract was met with contempt from all sides. I'm sure Rodriguez expected some blowback from his strategy, but I don't think he really understood how vicious the backlash would be. I also think he was shocked that the Yanks came out with such a straight forward "get outta here" once he exercised his option. But, this is America and if you can play baseball then you always have a shot to get back in with people's good graces. A-Rod reached out to the Yankees and told them how much he loved the pinstripes, the city, the fans and blah, blah, blah. Rodriguez got the Yanks to open their hearts (and their wallet) and got the club to top his record-setting deal from 2001. Not too shabby.
SCOTT BORAS:
The man may be the devil, but he gets teams to pay through the nose for his clients and that's what good agents do (I guess). But Boras misfired from the start by announcing A-Rod's opt out during Game 4 of the World Series and then trying to blame the timing on the Yankees. He later relented. Then he tried to blame Rodriguez's poor post-season stats on Mariano Rivera. That didn't go over too well. Reports then began that Boras was looking at a $350 million starting point for A-Rod's services. That left everyone shaking their heads. Boras then absorbed a punch to the solar plexus when the Yanks told him they didn't want him in the room while they negotiated the new A-Rod deal. But in the end, Boras still comes out a winner. Rodriguez remained his client and he's about to sign the richest contract in the sport. If you can't be good, be bad, baby.
By my calculations, it looks like everyone is a winner.
Let's see if this translates on the diamond.
Thanksgiving is a week away, but the Yankees may be getting an early Christmas present to go with their turkey.
It seems like Alex Rodriguez wants back in pinstripes.
The third baseman reached out to the Yanks and it looks like the two sides are negotiating a contract to bring the two-time (and unless something radical happens, three-time) MVP back to the Bronx. The numbers circulating have the new deal going for 10 years, $275 million.
 So not only is A-Rod willing to take a "pay-cut" to return to the Yankees (the word was that the Yanks were looking to give Rodriguez an extension in the neighborhood of nine years and $260 million or 10 years and $289 million before he flew the coop), but it looks like his agent Scott "Evil" Boras won't be negotiating the new contract. The Bomber brass initially stated that they didn't want Boras in the room while they banged out the deal, but the latest report has Scotty acting as an advisor to Rodriguez.
You can't make this stuff up.
Actually, if someone did come up with this scenario they would be dismissed, shouted down, laughed at. I mean who would have ever believed that A-Rod would go to the Yanks after opting out of his contract? After Hank Steinbrenner all but told Rodriguez to screw off? And that super-agent Scott Boras would be left with egg on his face?
That's why you can't predict baseball.
It seems Rodriguez was embarrassed with the way Boras handled the whole situation. The timing for opting out was bad (during the final game of the World Series), the reason for doing so was absurd (the state of flux within the Yankees organization) and the backlash from the media and the fans was intense. Throw in the report that A-Rod wanted at least $350 million and you had the perfect cocktail for creating a pariah.
So why the change of heart? If you want to believe that A-Rod wanted back in New York because the thought of wearing another uniform after donning the pinstripes made him sick, well, go right ahead. I guess anything is possible after today. Maybe Rodriguez realized that he wasn't going to get the type of money he was looking for from any other team. Maybe he didn't want to be viewed as a guy who ran away from the big stage when the going got tough.
Who knows? Here's A-Rod's statement:
"After spending time with Cynthia and my family over these last few weeks, it became clear to me that I needed to make an attempt to engage the Yankees regarding my future with the organization.
"Prior to entering into serious negotiations with other clubs, I wanted the opportunity to share my thoughts directly with Yankees' ownership. We know there are other opportunities for us, but Cynthia and I have a foundation with the club that has brought us comfort, stability and happiness.
"As a result, I reached out to the Yankees through mutual friends and conveyed that message. I also understand that I had to respond to certain Yankees concerns, and I was receptive and understanding of that situation.
"Cynthia and I have since spoken directly with the Steinbrenner family. During these healthy discussions, both sides were able to share honest feelings and hopes with one another, and we expect to continue this dialogue with the Yankees over the next few days."
Hank Steinbrenner, who never seems to be at a loss for words, chimed in:
"Bottom line, the only thing that really matters, is he wants to stay a Yankee. And it could be very well that he's always wanted to stay a Yankee and we just didn't know it."
Whatever the reason, the Yanks really need Rodriguez back on their side.
And maybe A-Rod realized he needed the Yankees just as much.
That's one.
Catcher Jorge Posada agreed to a new four-year, $52.4 million contract with the Yankees on Monday. The two sides still have to dot the I's and cross the T's and Jorgie has to pass a physical, but unless something crazy happens (and the way this off-season has been so far, it's not beyond the realm of possibility) it looks like No. 20 will finish his career in pinstripes.
 This is a deal the Yanks had to make. Posada is coming off a career year in 2007 (.338, 20 HR, 90 RBI, 42 doubles) and while I would be shocked if he can top or match those numbers again, the Yanks desperately need his bat in the lineup, not to mention his glove behind the plate.
It may be too many years (Jorgie will be 40 at the end of the contract), but I'm a big ol' softy when it comes to certain Yankees. The last remaining Bombers from the glory days -- Jeter, Rivera, Posada and Pettitte (?) -- can write their own deals as far as I'm concerned. I may be the hardest on Posada, but I can't deny what he brings to the table. And it may have been gradual, but Jorge has become the fiery presence on the Yanks since the retirement of Paul O'Neill.
The Yanks were able to wrap up* Posada before he hit the open market, but closer Mariano Rivera decided to dip his toe into the free agency pool. The Bombers offered The Sandman a three-year, $45 million deal to stay in the Bronx and so far the reliever extraordinaire hasn't budged.
Maybe all Rivera needs to hear is a little sweet talk. Enter Hank Steinbrenner:
"He'd be by $4 million a year the highest-paid relief pitcher. To say that's a strong offer would be an understatement.
"The ball's in their court. If they still want to look for more somewhere else, that's up to them."
Guh!
The Posada deal was huge, but the signing of Rivera is crucial. If Mo decides to bolt, the Yanks would be forced to put Joba Chamberlain in the closer's role and that would thin out an already light starting staff.
I think Rivera will sign and he's just trying to squeeze the Yanks for a little more dough, but someone should tell George Jr. to shut his trap. It's been a tough winter so far in Yankee Land with the departure of Torre, A-Rod and possibly Pettitte.
No need to tempt fate.
*CORRECTION: Posada did file for free agency.
There may be a gaping hole at third base for the Bombers, but they aren't about to give away the farm to fill it.
In the latest Yankee news, Hank (George Jr.) Steinbrenner stated on Wednesday that he would not part with any of his young pitchers to gain the services of Marlins third baseman Miguel Cabrera:
"It's pretty obvious which players we're not going to trade. Chamberlain, Hughes and even Kennedy. Not for a position player.''
Don't you just love the way Hank gave Ian Kennedy a back-handed compliment right there.
Anyway, baseball's hot stove is just heating up so teams are going to ask for the moon for players. The Yanks obviously have a glaring need at the hot corner, but trading starting pitching -- especially with Andy Pettitte's situation still up in the air -- doesn't make sense. Still, Cabrera is an interesting option. He hit .320 with 34 HRs and 119 RBI in 2007 and will turn only 25 in 2008. The downside is that he can't seem to say no to a meal and may have an attitude problem. But New Yankee manager Joe Girardi, who managed Cabrera in Florida in 2006, didn't see any negatives.
 "He's a great player, a smart player. He really understands the game of baseball. I was impressed in how mature he was as a hitter at a young age, his approach on a daily basis. I did not have any problems with him. He worked hard for me."
Stay tuned.
Also it looks like one starting pitcher won't be available next season. Roger Clemens seems poised to begin his "personal services contract" with the Houston Astros in 2008. There seems to be some confusion on whether The Rocket has to be officially retired for the 10-year pact to kick in, but I think once Roger sees video of himself pitching in Game 3 of the ALDS last year, he'll get the message.
And finally, the Yankees seem determined to re-sign catcher Jorge Posada and closer Mariano Rivera this winter. Great. But that didn't stop GM Brian Cashman from taking a parting shot at former Bomber skipper Joe Torre. When Cashman was asked if the offers for the two Yankee free agents were aggressive, he responded with this:
"I wouldn't make an insulting offer. The Yankees wouldn't do that."
Meow.
It just gets worse and worse.
Andy Pettitte declined his $16 million option with the Yanks on Monday. Last season's 15-game winner is unsure whether or not he will pitch in 2008.
 Of all the freakin luck.
I'm not totally shocked by this retirement talk since Pettitte tossed the idea around before he rejoined the Yankees in 2007, but I'm still dismayed by it. Pettitte may be getting up there (he's 35-years-old and will turn 36 in June), but he can still get the job done and the Yanks aren't exactly deep in the starting pitching department.
All hope isn't lost however according to Pettitte's agent Randy Hendricks:
"If Andy decides to play, I am confident we can reach an agreement with the Yankees within 24 hours. The only options, as Andy has stated, are the Yankees or retirement. He appreciates the Yankees' willingness to give him the time he feels he needs. I do not expect him to make a decision for quite some time."
Let's see if time is all that Andy needs.
That's one.
The Yankees made their first decision involving a player this off-season by exercising the $16 million option on right fielder Bobby Abreu. I'm not counting the A-Rod opt out as a Yankee move -- it was a player's move. Also, it looks like it's going to be pretty damn expensive for any team that wants Rodriguez's services next season.
 Abreu got off to a slow start in 2007 and bounced up and down the lineup, but finished with a .283 average with 16 homers and 101 RBI. He also scored 123 runs and swiped 25 bases. Bobby will be 34-years-old by the time the new season rolls around.
El Comedulce's average and power numbers were down last season, but if I would be thrilled if Abreu could duplicate those numbers in 2008. I'm not sure if Abreu will remain in the number three hole, but one thing is for sure -- he won't have Alex Rodriguez batting behind him next year.
This Yankee probably won't be batting cleanup in 2007, but he still needs some "clean up." Ha! Anyway, Hideki Matsui will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Matsui, never a terrific outfielder, looked visibly slowed in left field in 2007. Toward the end of the season, Damon was patrolling left and Matsui was relegated to the DH spot. Godzilla also started slowly, but finished with respectable numbers -- .285, 25 HR, 103 RBI, 100 runs scored.
The Yanks expect Matsui to be ready for spring training.
Meanwhile, Derek Jeter will not need surgery on his ailing knee. Jeter was beat up through most of 2007, but still managed to put up Jeterian numbers: .322, 12 HR, 73 RBI, 102 runs scored, 206 hits. The Captain looked like he lost a step defensively in 2007, but I think that was a result of the bum knee. Still, he isn't getting any younger -- Jeter will turn 34 in 2008.
So right field seems to be set. All that's left is third base, catcher, closer, first base and starting pitching.
Piece of cake.
And his name is Joe Girardi.
The Yankees formally introduced the former three-time Yankee World Series Champion as their new manager on Thursday. Girardi signed a three-year deal worth in the neighborhood of $7.8 million. I say "in the neighborhood" because the contract contains incentives for winning each playoff round and for winning Manger of the Year.
Girardi is the 32nd skipper in team history and will wear No. 27 since the Yanks will be searching for their 27th World Series championship in 2008. Girardi wore numbers 25 and 45 during his time as a player from 1996-1999 and number 52 as Joe Torre's bench coach in 2005.
 This is the first "acquisition" for the new look Yanks. It's been a season of change for the Bombers and we're barely into November. The familiar faces are gone -- Joe Torre, Don Mattingly, Alex Rodriguez -- and there may be more on the horizon in Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte. I'd like to see all three of those guys return to the pinstripes, but if I had to choose the one most likely to be back I would pick Rivera. There are reports that the Yanks are working on a three-year deal worth around $40 million for the closer, but the media has gotten every single Bomber maneuver wrong so far (Torre will return, Mattingly is the next in line, A-Rod will sign an extension) that I don't know what to believe anymore.
Reports also indicate that Andy Pettitte will either exercise his option and return to the Bronx for 2008 or call it quits. I'm not sure what to think about this one either. Pettitte said the same thing last season before signing with the Yanks. Is this something else he's picked up from his buddy Roger Clemens? Still, I'd like to see Andy give it one more go-round.
As for Girardi -- I guess I'm going to take a wait-and-see approach. There are too many variables about how this team is going to look to give an opinion on how he's going to do. There seems to be a split among Yankee fans however (at least the ones I know) about the decision to hire Joe. There are some that feel that he's the perfect guy for the job -- young, energetic, smart and knows what it takes to win in New York. And then there are those who say that he's inexperienced (his one season in Florida notwithstanding), battled with management while with the Marlins and could have a difficult time dealing with the players he once played with (although there aren't that many left) on the Yanks.
I'm still in semi-shock that Mattingly didn't get the job. I'm also still reeling that Joe Torre will be wearing Dodger Blue next season. And it looks like Donnie Baseball will be following him to La-La Land along with last season's third base coach Larry Bowa.
Sigh.
I wanted Mattingly, but I have to regroup and get behind Girardi now.
He may need all the support he can get.
This is madness.
Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez (along with his agent Scott "Evil" Boras) has decided to opt out of his contract and test the free agent waters.
 It was a game of chicken between the A-Rod camp and the Yankee camp and A-Rod and Boras fired the first (and I guess final) salvo. The Yankees have repeatedly stated that they would not engage in a bidding war for Rodriguez if he decided to become a free agent and that sentiment was reaffirmed by Hank Steinbrenner:
"We really wanted him back, but obviously he didn't want to be a Yankee. I just think that's a shame. But if that's the case, then this is goodbye."
I felt a wide range of emotions upon hearing the news late Sunday -- shock, bewilderment, rage -- but in the end I can't fault the Yankees. Just last week it was reported that the Yanks were getting ready to offer A-Rod a lucrative extension, but I suppose the idea of having teams tripping over themselves for his services was too alluring for Rodriguez and Boras to pass up. The reason that Boras gave for the timing of the announcement is also pure fantasy and I think everybody realizes that. And that includes A-Rod and Boras.
I'd be a fool to say that A-Rod's departure won't leave holes both offensively and defensively for the Bombers, but if he doesn't want to play in New York then I say good riddance. I'm 100% vested in my team(s) and I expect the same in return. Hell, I'm not getting paid to cheer for these guys and the least they can do is want to be wearing the uniform I'm rooting  for. I felt (and feel) the same way about Bill Belichick when he decided to scamper off to New England after accepting the Jets head coaching job. I don't care how many Super Bowls he's won.
My cousin left a message about the situation and came up with a fitting nickname for Rodriguez (at least I think he made it up): Pay-Rod.
But, this is America and if that's how A-Rod wants it, then fine.
When the news "broke" late Sunday night I fielded calls from my brother and Vinny from Kearny. We thought the reason Rodriguez decided to opt out was because his camp caught wind that the Yanks were set to hire Joe Girardi as manager. We speculated that maybe A-Rod wanted to launch a preemptive strike so it didn't look like he was opting out because he didn't like the managerial move.
Which brings me to the second piece of news. The Yankees have reportedly offered Joe Girardi the gig as the Yankees man in charge. That means Don Mattingly will be shown the door.
I can't tell you how disappointed I am with this decision. This choice is a clear indication that George Steinbrenner doesn't hold the strings for the Yankees anymore. Mattingly was his guy, but the old man was obviously overruled. The Bombers are now in the hands of GM Brian Cashman, the Steinbrenner brothers and possibly team president Randy Levine. I can't believe I'm actually pining for the days of Mad George, but so far, this new regime has done nothing right.
If you're a person on the outside looking in, you might say that Mattingly didn't deserve the shot.  That Girardi had managerial experience (one year) and may bring a different attitude and direction to the Bronx. But if you're a Yankee fan, especially a fan coming of age in the 80s and 90s with the Bombers (like yours truly), this decision is a slap in the face to one of the most revered and respected Yankees. To guys in their late 20s and early 30s, Donnie Baseball walked on water. Mattingly, in typical fashion, handed the situation with class:
"Even though this opportunity has passed him by, he wants to thank Mr. Steinbrenner for his initial faith, inspiration and support throughout his playing and coaching career.
Don extends congratulations to Joe and wishes him and the organization good luck next year."
I would cry if I weren't so darn macho.
I'm having a hard time with what's going on in Yankee Land, but I'll try and put a positive spin on things. At the end of the 1995 season, the Bombers jettisoned manager Buck Showalter and catcher Mike Stanley (both unpopular moves at the time) and brought in Tino Martinez to take over for the retired Don Mattingly. I hated all those moves, but the Yanks won the Series in '96 and began their fantastic run.
Maybe this mess can bloom into another Yankee dynasty.
Or maybe this is a prelude to more madness.
Things have been a bit bumpy in Yankee Land lately.
Joe Torre is gone and it seems like the Bomber brass is now torn between giving the reins over to Don Mattingly or Joe Girardi. Hank Steinbrenner has been shooting his mouth off every chance he gets and has delivered some real doosies. Here's a comment about Torre:
 "Where was Joe's career in '95 when my dad hired him? My dad was crucified for hiring him. Let's not forget what my dad did in giving him that opportunity -- and the great team he was handed."
Some advice to Yankee fans:
"I think the most important thing is, whoever we hire, give him a chance. Because he's not getting the '96 Yankees. He's getting a younger team, and for the most part, it's a transition period, so give him a little while."
His baseball philosophy:
"We want to win the World Series every year, but we're not stupid enough to think we can do it every year. Like everybody else who has that goal, basically you've got to be patient."
Enough! Let's go back in time, shall we? A better time. A simpler time. A time when things made sense. On this date in 1996, the Yankees captured their 23rd championship. It was Torre's first season at the helm, De rek Jeter's rookie season and Year 1 without Don Mattingly. But you knew that. Here are a few names you may (or may not) have forgotten from that season:
Andy Fox. Robert Eenhoorn. Ruben Rivera. Brian Boehringer. Jim Mecir. Dale Polley.
Don't believe those immortals played on that team? Check out the roster. To be fair, those guys weren't indispensable and some of them didn't even stay with the club for the entire year, but they all contributed. Fox belted 3 homers for the Bombers in '96. Eenhoorn manned second base during Dwight Gooden's no-hitter in May. Rivera slapped a 10th inning game-winning single against the Orioles in late September that helped the Yanks put away Baltimore for the AL East crown. Boehringer won a game during the ALDS. Mecir picked up a win during the regular season. So did Polley.
Yep, Hank was right. The '96 roster was chock full o' superstars.
Anyway, I was 22-years-old when the Yanks won it all. Old enough to really appreciate what I was watching and still young enough to jump around like a little kid when Charlie Hayes caught the final out. It was the first time I witnessed a team I rooted for win it all.
Relive the memory with the box score from Game 6.
Good times.
Here's hoping that more lie ahead.
I've been kinda lax in writing about Yankee news lately. There are many things going on in Yankee Land -- managerial decisions, personnel moves, The Captain's statement and well, I guess that's it. I won't be commenting about any of that, but I will pass along an e-mail my brother sent me after he listened to the Michael Kay show on Tuesday.
Kay has a polarizing effect on people -- most either love him or hate him. I can go either way, which might give you some insight into my wishy-washy way of thinking. Kay was trying to provide a glimpse into the type of person Don Mattingly was and is. Mattingly interviewed for the manger position on Tuesday and many believe he is the front-runner to take over the Yanks. Anyway, since I'm a lazy, lazy man and since my brother wrote up an interesting e-mail, I thought I'd share. Enjoy!
 I was listening to the Michael Kay show on the way home and he decided to tell a little story that was supposed to give some insight into Don Mattingly. Instead all it did was tell what type of person Kay is and the entire media for that matter. Here is the story told by Kay...
When I took over full-time as the beat reporter for the Yankees it was 1987. For some reason Don Mattingly immediately took a liking to me and I was thrilled because he was the last player I really looked up to before getting into the business. I had a great relationship with him and his wife Kim. And anyone that knows Mattingly knows that he and his wife are close, they've been together since high school, Kim is Don and Don is Kim. One day I wrote a story that was critical of Mattingly. Before the game Mattingly was holding court with the media in the back of the clubhouse. Mattingly had the corner locker that Mariano Rivera now holds and Bernie Williams held before him because Mattingly passed Bernie that torch. I was in the back of the crowd behind the rest of the media when Mattingly began to speak about a disparaging article that some idiot wrote about him while looking at me directly. Now he didn't say idiot, he said something much, much worse that I can't say here. But anyway he went on and berated me in front of all of the media and players. After the game was over I was walking out and I happen to pass Kim Mattingly and I quickly said hello as I walked past. She stopped me and pulled me aside and asked what was wrong with me. I said your husband is a jerk. He just cursed me out in front of everyone. She said, "He cursed you out? Don't worry I'll take care of it."
 The next day I was on the field during batting practice and Mattingly pulled me aside. He said he wanted to apologize for yesterday. I said shouldn't you apologize in front of everyone since you berated me in front of everyone instead of apologizing in private? He said, "Hey, Mike take what you can get."
This story was I guess supposed to give me some insight into Mattingly's personality. However, all it did was tell me how ridiculous Kay and the entire media is. They're allowed to say and write whatever they want, but if a player calls them on it in front of what 20, 25 people that's wrong. Mattingly, or anyone for that matter, should have to apologize in front of everyone (all 25 people) for it. Why? Did Kay write a story apologizing to Mattingly for calling him out? No. Nor should he, but Mattingly shouldn't have to apologize either. The media always talks about having a thick skin if you play or coach in New York. How about the media. Shouldn't that go for them too? My feeling is, you can say or write what you want, but don't expect the players or managers not to give it back to you. It's a two-way street Michael. Always keep this in mind.
It's not personal, it's strictly business.
There you have it. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Michael Kay!
The times they are becoming quite different.
In a shocking move (it was shocking for me at least) Joe Torre rejected the Yankees incentive laden $5 million, one-year offer on Thursday. It would have been a $2.5 million pay cut for the skipper, but it still would have made him the highest paid manager in the league. The deal also offered the opportunity for Torre to pick up more cash if the Bombers advanced through the playoffs -- $1 million for each winning round -- and would have triggered a second year if the Yanks made the World Series.
 No dice.
People may look at it as fair -- the Yankees have fallen short of expectations over the past few seasons and Torre would still be making more than any other manager in baseball, but deep down, the brass must have known that Torre wouldn't accept the deal. How could he? The Yankees were basically asking him to prove himself all over again. They also tried to play it both ways. My brother shot me an e-mail as soon as the news broke. Here's a little of what he wrote:
I must say I'm irate right now. If you want him, give him a contract, if you don't then don't. This offer is a slap in the face and I feel like they knew he wouldn't take it, and this would be the best way to get rid of him. I'd be better with the pay cut, but the incentives? That's ridiculous. We are back to the bullsh*t games in the 80's. I'm not saying they'll be bad without him. It's the way they went about this. The "Leadership" of this team is a joke. It's like a circus.
There you have it. Some passion from one of the Yankee brood. I can't say that I'm irate, but I'm disappointed. Call me a Torre disciple, but I think Joe deserved better. All the man has done since he arrived in 1996 is win. And while you're at it, go ahead and call me crazy, but I would have given him two years at the same salary. But I'm not in charge. And it looks like the Steinbrenner brothers have decided to make a statement with their first big decision.
In the end, I think both sides were just tired of each other.
And so the Joe Torre era ends. Twelve straight playoff appearances. Ten division titles. Six World Series. Four rings.
I didn't think it would end this way for Joe in pinstripes. It looked like he was destined to retire as a Yankee. But you can't predict baseball. I mean who thought Torre would have had this much success when he was hired in November 1995? Not many.
Where do the Yanks go from here? Who knows? Don Mattingly seems to be the leader in the race to replace Joe, but usually teams go in a different direction when they make a managerial move. Mattingly strikes me as a guy who would be similar in style to Torre. I don't know if that will work against him. The other possibility is Joe Girardi who has a little fire in the belly. But Girardi couldn't get along with the ownership in Florida. It won't be any easier in New York. Or maybe it will be someone who is flying below everyone's radar.
One thing is for sure, whoever takes over for the Yanks in 2008 will have some mighty big shoes to fill.
Make a decision already!
The Yankee brain trust met in Tampa for the second time this week, but the status of Joe Torre remained unknown. That still hasn't stopped the rumor mill (or maybe I should call it the gossip columns since reporters are staking out George Steinbrenner's compound like paparazzi) from churning. The latest "news" has Ron Guidry getting the boot as Yankees pitching coach. At first, it was speculated that the recently fired Leo Mazzone could be a candidate for the position, but the former Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves pitching coach has a reputation for not meshing well with young pitchers. That doesn't sound like an avenue the Yanks want to go down considering the possibility of having three Baby Bombers in the starting rotation for 2008 (Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain).
The grapevine now says Yankees Triple-A pitching coach Dave Eiland may have the inside track. Eiland coached the Yankees' Three Amigos in Scranton and was also with the big club during the final month of the season. I can see the logic in inserting Eiland since he's helped guide the kids to the Majors. Stay tuned.
There was also the story of Don Mattingly saying he wasn't ready to become the next manager of the New York Yankees, should the opportunity arise. That report was then quickly refuted by Mattingly's agent. Honestly, Mattingly has to be the unluckiest person ever to don the pinstripes. He arrived with the Yanks too late to enjoy the championships of the late 70s, had a Hall of Fame career short-circuited by injuries and retired just as the Yanks started their dynasty in 1996. Then he comes aboard as the Yanks hitting coach in 2004 and watched the Bombers suffer their worst series defeat ever against the Red Sox. Now he's thrust into the unenviable position of possibly succeeding a Hall of Fame manager in Joe Torre.
I tells ya, if it weren't for bad luck, he'd have no luck at all.
Also in Yankee Land, it was revealed that The Boss will now "share" leadership with this sons Hank and Hal. Seems like Hank is more like his pop and will be more involved with the baseball side of the empire and Hal will focus more on the business side of the team. Hank also made his first executive decision by stating that "he'll insist" that Joba Chamberlain be inserted into the starting rotation. We'll see how that turns out.
Vinny in Kearny created a nice breakdown of the Yankees power structure with a Godfather themed family tree, but it's too wide to insert here. Sorry, Vin. But, if anyone wants to see it, shoot me an e-mail and I'll send it to you.
In the meantime we'll have to wait and see if Torre remains the Yankees Capo.
Well, it's been a few days since the Yanks were ousted in the first round (again) and a dark cloak of uncertainty has enveloped the team in pinstripes.
Who will stay and who will go? And maybe more importantly -- just who the hell is in charge?
 I'm convinced that if George Steinbrenner didn't make his comments during the series against the Indians that we wouldn't be having this countdown regarding Joe Torre. Oh sure, Torre narrowly missed the axe at the end of Bombers series loss to the Tigers in 2006. I didn't agree with The Boss then, but I would have understood it. Torre fiddled with the lineup during that series by inserting Gary Sheffield at first, playing Hideki Matsui instead of Melky Cabrera and dropping the struggling Alex Rodriguez to eighth in the batting order. Did that contribute to the Yankee loss? Who's to say? It was a damned if you do, damned if you don't type of situation for the skipper. Still, if the Yanks wanted to go in a different direction, that was the time.
But to unceremoniously drop the hammer on Torre now seems wrong to me.
It was a strange 2007 for the Yanks. The pitching was horrible, the lineup outside of Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada couldn't hit a thing and the Bombers stumbled to a 21-29 start. But slowly, ever so slowly, the men in pinstripes began to turn things around. During their resurgence, the Yanks dumped Scott Proctor, gave up on Brian Bruney, signed Roger Clemens, made Melky Cabrera a regular, brought up Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, among other moves. Torre was manning the ship during all of this. In the end, the Yankees won 94 games and qualified for the post-season for the 13th straight season, 12 with Torre at the helm.
I'll admit it -- I like Joe Torre as a manager. Yes, he works the pen hard (to be fair, this season was a bit different than the others. The Yankee starting pitching in the beginning of the year couldn't last five innings and the Bombers went with a ton of rookie starters), may be considered too loyal to "his guys" and can make some strange decisions, but he knows his players and knows how to win.
But speculation has already begun on a successor and some names floating around include Tony La Russa, Bobby Valentine, Don Mattingly and Joe Girardi. I don't think La Russa could hang in New York (and he just rubs me the wrong way), Valentine would be a disaster, Mattingly is still a bit green and Girardi just doesn't "wow" me.
The latest gossip says that the longer the Yanks sit, the better it is for Torre. I hope that's the case. Torre may just be a victim of his early success. He did all of his winning at the beginning of his tenure -- four World Series rings in his first five seasons. Would his situation be different if those championships were spread out during his 12 years? Maybe.
Oh, and the Yanks also have a ton of roster decisions to make. Mariano Rivera, Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada are all free agents and it's going to cost the Yankees a pretty penny to keep all of those guys (not to mention others like Andy Pettitte and Bobby Abreu). Money always talks (and the Bombers are overflowing with it), but if the Yanks decide to dump Torre, it could mean that some or all of those players may decide to go as well.
I think the Yankees made some real strides in 2007. The team was a good mix of youth and experience and really seemed to come together during the season. So why did they lose to Cleveland? Sometimes you just get beat. That doesn't mean you make a change just for the sake of change.
Some other Bomber boosters have already put in their two cents. Check them out and see if you agree.
I say let's get everybody back together and take another shot at it.
But I may be in the minority.
It's over.
Chien-Ming came back on three days' rest and was god-awful, the Indians continued to drive in runs with two outs and Paul Byrd weaved in and out of trouble as Cleveland upended the Yanks 6-4 to take the best of five series, 3 games to 1.
This was a series of missed opportunities for the Bombers. The Yanks had numerous chances to break things open or get back into games during the series and they rarely capitalized. Meanwhile, Cleveland took advantage of every scoring opportunity and wound up scoring 15 runs with two outs over the four games. Frankly, the Indians resembled the way the Yankees used to play in their heyday -- serviceable starting pitching, strong bullpen relief and timely hitting. It's a recipe that's hard to master and difficult to overcome.
This will be the final roundup of 2007 and I'm tired and cranky. Let's finish this.
The Good:
Robinson Cano. Cano blasted his second homer of the series in the sixth to pull the Yanks to within 6-2. I'll give the "good" section to Robbie because he finished with the highest average for a starting Yankee in the series -- .333 over the four games. Canu finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI.
The Bad:
Chien-Ming Wang. The Yanks needed a big performance from Wang on Monday night and didn't get it. The Wanger gave up a homer to Grady Sizemore to leadoff the ballgame and never recovered. His pitches were up and The Tribe worked the count against him during his brief stint. It was a horrendous game for Wang and it capped off a terrible series for the Yankees 19-game winner. Wang's Monday nightmare went like this: 1+ IP, 5 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR. The Wanger finished the series at 0-2 with an appalling 19.06 ERA. Unacceptable numbers for the ace of the staff.
The Ugly:
Poor umpiring. These calls weren't the reason the Yanks lost, but the boys in blue did a crappy job on Monday night. In the second inning, home plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth ruled that backup catcher Kelly Shoppach was hit by a pitch on a bunt attempt, but the replay clearly showed that the ball hit the bat. Actually, it looked like it hit the bat in real speed with the naked eye. Torre complained, but Shoppach was awarded first to load the bases with no outs. In the bottom of the second, Shoppach should have been called for catcher's interference when Matsui's swing hit the back of his glove. Matsui argued and Torre came out again, but Culbreth was unconvinced. In the top of the sixth, Doug Mientkiewicz made a diving stop on a Sizemore grounder and flipped the ball to Mike Mussina at first, but Sizemore was called safe by first base ump Gerry Davis on the "bang-bang" play. He was out. Again, the plays didn't factor into the game, but they could have. This is the playoffs for you too guys and you were terrible.
Quite frankly, I'm shocked the Yanks lost this ballgame. I was convinced the Bombers would get to Byrd and force a Game 5 in Cleveland on Wednesday night. Obviously, I was dead wrong.
Well, that's all folks. The speculation has already begun about the future of Joe Torre and the big-name Yankee free agents -- Alex Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, etc., but honestly I can't get into that right now. The off-season has come upon me too early and I'm just not mentally prepared.
It's been a season of ups and downs and I had fun chronicling the 2007 Yankees. I just wish it lasted a little bit longer.
There's always next year.
I didn't hear no bell!!
It looked bleak early for the Yanks on Sunday. Roger Clemens struggled out of the starting gate and the Indians jumped The Rocket for an early 3-0 lead, but Phil Hughes held serve in relief and Johnny Damon ripped a three-run homer in the fifth as the Yankees roared back to an 8-4 victory at The Stadium. The Bombers are still alive and now trail the best of five series 2 games to 1.
 The Good:
Johnny Damon. Positively Damonic!! It can't be stressed enough how important Damon is to the Yanks when he's on. Johnny D's RBI-single infused hope back in the Bronx and cut the Cleveland lead to 3-1 in the third inning. Then Johnny blasted his biggest hit in pinstripes -- a three-run bomb in the fifth to give the Yanks a 5-3 lead and the Bombers were off and running. Not only did Damon's homer give the Yankees the lead, but it swung the fickle mistress known as momentum back in New York's favor. Atta boy, Johnny! Damon finished 3 for 4 with a run scored and 4 big ribbies.
Phil Hughes. It's the obvious pun, but I'll use it -- Hughes' performance in relief was "huge." Philip entered the game with Yankee morale at its lowest point of the season and he put the Bombers on his back. It was a bumpy beginning for the rookie -- he uncorked a wild pitch on his second pitch and gave up a bloop RBI-double that extended Cleveland's lead to 3-0 -- but he collected himself and was terrific the rest of the way. The kid looked sharp during his three full innings and was poised in his first-ever Bronx post-season appearance. There's no way the Yanks come back in this one without Hughes' effort. The kid picked up his first playoff victory with this: 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 1 WP.
Robinson Cano. Robbie Cano -- don't cha know! Damon's dinger put the Yanks on top, but Cano's RBI-single with the bases loaded in the sixth was the death blow. Sure, Robbie was helped by Trot Nixon's error in right that allowed two more runs to score, but Cano has been shaky in his young career when batting with the sacks full. He entered the at-bat with an uncharacteristic .232 career average with the bases juiced -- far below his career average of .314 in three big league seasons. Way to come through, Canu. Cano finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI.
The Bad:
Roger Clemens. The Rocket gave it a go on Sunday, but he had nothing out there. He wasn't helped in the first inning when Derek Jeter threw wildly to first on a play that should have been an out (the play was scored an infield hit, but it should have been an error), but he allowed a two-out hit that gave the Indians an early 1-0 lead. In the second inning, Clemens gave up a laser homer to Trot Nixon and you could tell he was running on fumes. The Yankee medical staff checked on Clemens' status twice before Joe Torre finally pulled the plug on The Rocket in the third. Clemens later said that he aggravated his hamstring again, but he looked like a broken-down pitcher as he walked off the mound. This may have been Roger's swan song. If it was, at least Clemens struck out Victor Martinez on his final pitch. Clemens' disappointing effort: 2.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HR.
 Derek Jeter. Jeter has made his name by making big plays in the post-season, but he's been scrapping so far this October. DJ's bad throw in the first led to a Cleveland run and his two double play groundouts killed Yankee rallies within the first three innings. Not what you expect to see from No. 2. Jeter is batting .083 so far in the series, but I have to believe he'll turn it around before this ALDS is over. The Captain finished 0 for 4 with a K and left three runners on base.
The Ugly:
The Boss speaks. George Steinbrenner issued a warning to Joe Torre before Game 3 -- win or else. I'm not sure why George decided to punch Torre in the stomach before a possible elimination game, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. He's really just echoing what people have been thinking and talking about. Still, the timing was awful and I don't think his words were motivational. Also, I have to believe that someone dropped the ball in allowing Steinbrenner to give a phone interview at this point. The man has been invisible this entire season and now he speaks? No way.
This was a great win, but it wasn't all rosy for the Bombers. For some reason Torre decided to pitch Joba Chamberlain for two innings on Sunday. Strange. The Yanks weren't nursing a one-run lead in this game and it seemed totally unnecessary to stretch out the rookie. Joba breezed through the seventh, but he labored in the eighth, gave up a run and finished up by throwing 38 pitches. Kyle Farnsworth is not my favorite Yankee, but the eighth inning seemed like a good time to bring him in, or at the very least, Luis Vizcaino. The Yankees were up 8-3 at that point and if either got into trouble you could always go to Mariano Rivera. Keeping Chamberlain in there made no sense. I understand Torre wanted to secure the win, but why is Farnsworth on this roster?
Yes, there will be a Game 4 on Monday. For those interested, the starting time for this one has been moved from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Torre has decided to go with Chien-Ming Wang on three-days rest instead of Mike Mussina. It's the smart move. Wang had a rough Game 1, but expect him to pitch much better on Monday. Two reasons: a) a little fatigue for a sinkerball pitcher is a good thing and b) Wang's numbers at Yankee Stadium this season are outstanding (10-4, 2.75 ERA).
Surprisingly, Eric Wedge and the Indians are going to go with Paul Byrd instead of bringing C.C. Sabathia back on three-days rest. Byrd has had a nice season for Cleveland (15-8, 4.59 ERA), but he's not the guy I'd want out there if I'm an Indian booster. The Yanks destroyed Byrd earlier in the year and have had success against him in the past.
This sucker ain't over yet.
Yankee pitching danced in and out of trouble on Friday, but their lack of offensive punch ended up biting them in the end.
Andy Pettitte walked the tightrope and somehow kept the Indians scoreless into the seventh inning and Melky Cabrera contributed with his bat and glove to give the Yanks a 1-0 lead, but Joba Chamberlain couldn't withstand the swarm of insects in the eighth and Travis Hafner finally broke through against Luis Vizcaino as the Tribe downed the Yanks 2-1 in an emotionally draining 11 innings.
 How anemic was the offense? Eleven innings of baseball and the Yanks managed three hits (one was an infield single), two walks and had a runner reach base on an error. Now, Fausto Carmona pitched great and Rafael Perez is a tough lefty, but you have to do better than that. Bronx Bombers indeed.
Cleveland now owns a commanding 2-0 lead in the best of five series.
This was a great playoff game to watch if you didn't have a vested rooting interest. Unfortunately, I did and this loss feels like someone punched me in the kidney.
The Good:
Andy Pettitte. Pettitte did his best Houdini impersonation on Friday. The veteran lefty worked in and out of jams in almost every inning. Pettitte allowed the leadoff batter to reach base five times in his seven innings, but the Indians couldn't push a run across. How did Andy do it? It was a big pinstriped sampler. Melky Cabrera gunned out Jhonny Peralta out at home to end the second, Pettitte picked off Kenny Lofton at second (technically it goes down as a "caught stealing" since Lofton took off for third) to end a Cleveland rally in the fifth and after allowing a leadoff triple to Grady Sizemore in the sixth, Pettitte locked in and induced a ground out back to the box and struck out the next two batters. His performance wasn't for the faint of heart, but Pettitte showed why he's still a big game pitcher. Pettitte's no decision: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K.
Melky Cabrera. The Melk-Man has been missing some deliveries lately (.180 average for September), but he came through on Friday afternoon. Cabrera erased Peralta at home in the bottom of the second and then blasted a solo homer in the top of the third to give the Yanks a 1-0 lead. Who knew that would be all the offense the Yanks would muster? I didn't. Melky finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and the lone RBI.
The Bad:
Joba Chamberlain. The rookie sensation came into the game in the seventh with runners on first and second and one out and calmly took care of business -- a strikeout and a fly out -- to end the inning. Then the flying ants hit. It looked like something out of Exodus. Yankee trainer Gene Monahan came out and sprayed Chamberlain with OFF, but it looked like he doused him with ON instead (That's from a Far Side cartoon, but I couldn't find the picture). The bugs were everywhere -- his eyes, his neck, his mouth. It was uncomfortable to watch so I can imagine it was difficult to pitch. Still, Joba needed to preserve a lead and he failed miserably. Chamberlain was wild and it cost the Yanks dearly. It will go down as a "blown save" for Joba, his first, and it came at the worst possible time. Chamberlain's plagued night: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 hit batsman, 2 WP.
 Luis Vizcaino. There's always a goat once a game hits extra innings and Vizcaino has to wear the horns on Friday. The Viz's leadoff walk to Kenny Lofton was especially frustrating. Franklin Gutierrez followed with a base hit and, well, you could just see the wheels starting to fall. I got to give Vizcaino credit though, he almost worked out of a bases loaded, one out jam and managed to keep the drama level high by giving up the game-winning hit on a 3-2 pitch with two outs. Vizcaino picked up the loss with this: .2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB (1 intentional).
Alex Rodriguez. I really could put the entire Yankee lineup here since they collectively did nothing on Friday, but A-Rod had a chance to put all the "A-Rod watchers" in their place in the top of the ninth. Bobby Abreu reached on an infield single with two outs and then swiped second. I thought for sure Cleveland would take the bat out of A-Rod's hands with first base open, but they challenged him. And Rodriguez struck out. Again, the whole team isn't hitting and it's trendy to dump on A-Rod, but he had a golden opportunity to be a hero on Friday and didn't come through. A-Rod finished 0 for 4 with 3 strikeouts.
The Ugly:
The voice of God. The legendary Yankee public address announcer Bob Sheppard will not be behind the mic when the ALDS heads to the Bronx on Sunday. Sheppard has a bronchial infection that will keep him from introducing players for the first time since 1951. That's a string of 121 consecutive post-season games. He'll be missed.
It's do or die time for the Yanks. Roger Clemens (6-6, 4.18) and his aching elbow and bloody feet will have the ball placed in his shoe on Sunday. The Indians will go with Jake Westbrook (6-9, 4.32).
An 0-2 hole in a best of five is daunting, but it can be overcome. Yankee fans should know first-hand. The Yanks were up 2-0 against the Seattle Mariners in 1995 only to lose in heartbreaking fashion in Game 5. In 2001, the Bombers dropped the first two games at home against the A's and went on to beat Oakland in five.
It has happened before.
It can happen again.
It started well.
The Yankees pounced on Cleveland starter C.C. Sabathia in the first when leadoff hitter Johnny Damon hooked a ball just inside the foul pole in right for a home run to give the Yanks an early 1-0 advantage.
Things degenerated quickly from there.
Chien-Ming Wang was off, Ross Ohlendorf wasn't much better and the Yanks couldn't break through with a big hit as the Indians blew the doors off the Bombers 12-3 on Thursday night to take a 1-0 lead in the best of five series. It was Cleveland's night at the Jake. Need proof? How bout this:
 Asdrubal Cabrera came into the game with three homers on the year. He homered off Wang in the third -- pearls and all.
Kenny Lofton -- who must have taken a dip in the fountain of youth before the game -- went 3 for 4 with a run scored, 4 RBIs and a stolen base.
C.C. Sabathia walked only 37 guys in 241 innings this season and hadn't gone less than six innings since July 5. The Yanks worked out six walks against C.C. and forced the big lefty out of the game after throwing 114 pitches through five innings. Sabathia got the win and none of the six walks came around to score.
It ain't gonna be pretty, but let's round this thing up.
The Good:
Bobby Abreu. Abreu's RBI-double in the fifth scored Shelley Duncan and cut the Indians lead to 4-3. It was a nice piece of hitting by Bobby who went the other way against a tough lefty. Too bad that was as close as the Bombers would get. Abreu finished 1 for 2 with 2 walks and an RBI.
Johnny Damon. Who knew that Damon's first inning shot would be the only time the Yanks would lead in this contest? On a side note: TBS had no real angle on Damon's homer. You would think cameras would be positioned in key areas, say, down the lines to capture tough calls. I watched the replay at least 10 times and I still can't tell if the ball was fair or foul. Ah, well. Damon finished 1 for 4 with a walk, a run scored and the RBI.
The Bad:
Chien-Ming Wang. Wang looked uncomfortable from the get-go. He plunked Grady Sizemore to lead off the bottom of the first and even though he induced Cabrera to hit into a double play, he walked the next batter and allowed the Indians to score three runs with two outs and erase a 1-0 lead. The Yanks cut the lead to 4-3 in the top of the fifth, but The Wanger imploded in the bottom of the frame. He gave up a two-run bomb to Victor Martinez and gave up another run before Torre came with the hook. Torre may have gone out there a batter too late, but the damage had already been done. Wang's ghastly totals: 4.2 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 4 BB, 2 K, 2 HR.
Ross Ohlendorf. I was a bit surprised that the rookie made the playoff roster, but I figured that if he saw action that meant that the Yanks would be: a) deep into extra innings where it's really a battle of attrition or b) getting blown away early in the ballgame. It turned out to be option b. Ohlendorf came into the game with two outs and the Yanks down 7-3 and Kenny Loften at first. He allowed the old man to easily swipe second and things went downhill from there. When all was said and done, Ohlendorf turned a difficult situation into an impossible one. Ohlendorf's horrid night: 1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 1 HR.
Jorge Posada. Jorgie had a magical regular season, but the first game of the post-season wasn't a good one for the Yankee catcher. Posada had two chances to break the game open with a big hit, but he struck out both times. The first opportunity came in the first inning with the Yanks up 1-0. The Bombers had runners on first and second with one out and after getting ahead 2-0, Posada went down on the next three pitches. But the killer came in the fifth. The Yanks cut the lead to 4-3 and had Sabathia on the ropes as Posada stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and one out. Once again Posada was ahead, this time 3-0, but Sabathia came back and struck him out again. Tough night. Jorgie finished 0 for 4 and left 5 runners on base.
The Ugly:
Omen? Doug Mientkiewicz was injured on Thursday when a YES cameraman tripped and fell over the Yankee first baseman's left ankle. Guh! Dougie still made it for the opening bell, but Torre pinch-hit for him with Shelley Duncan in the fifth. (By the way, Duncan had a gritty at-bat and reached on an opposite-field single.) Mienkiewicz said he isn't going to try and be a hero and will let the Yanks know if his ankle is hurting. Sometimes you just have to shake your head.
The two teams go right back at it on Friday afternoon. Andy Pettitte (15-9, 4.05 ERA) vs. Fausto Carmona (19-8, 3.06 ERA). The Yanks are asking Pettitte to be the stopper again and give the Bombers a split before they head back to the Bronx. Pettitte is 6-3 with a 3.28 ERA in 13 Game 2 starts.
Let's even it up.
The final preparations have been made.
The Yanks finally announced their playoff roster today and there was only one mild surprise. Joe Torre elected to take rookie Ross Ohlendorf instead of the veteran lefty Ron Villone. Ohlendorf was a September call up and pitched well in limited action. His vitals: 6 games, 6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 BB, 9 K, 2.84 ERA. Villone started the season in Triple-A, but battled back to the Bronx and had an up and down season in pinstripes. He was solid during the Yankees hot streak in July (12 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 10 K, 1.50 ERA) and had a decent September (5.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 0 K, 3.18), but finished the season 0-0 with a 4.25 ERA.
So, the Yanks decided to go into battle without a lefty in the pen. Villone isn't the type of pitcher that gives lefties problems (lefties batted. 239 against Villone this year, righties hit. 230), but it's still a bit unusual.
 And if you missed it, reliever Brian Bruney wasn't just left off of the post-season roster -- he was shown the door. For some reason, Vinny in Kearny has been calling Bruney "my boy" since I said he had great stuff, but can't put it together in a post. He ain't my boy Vin!! I'll also give myself a little pat on the back for calling this.
The Yanks also announced their lineup for Game 1. Hideki Matsui gets the nod at DH despite having his right knee drained over the weekend and his bad career numbers (0 for 9) against Cleveland starter C.C. Sabathia. He'll bat sixth.
If you're looking for an extensive breakdown of stats for the upcoming series between the Yanks and Indians check out Brian's helpful guide. I'm convinced that guy does not sleep.
Speaking of sleep, I hit the snooze button in making playoff predictions, but I hope you'll all find it in your hearts to forgive me. Here are my quick picks with zero analysis:
American League
Red Sox over Angels in four
Yankees over Indians in five
National League
Phillies over Rockies in five
Cubs over Diamondbacks in four
And check out Erin of Blue Thoughts as she follows the Red Sox, Jack Cobra of Cobra Brigade as he tries to will the Cubs to victory and Ron of Fightin' Phils Fans as he pulls for his Phillies.
There's a certain magic that's associated with October baseball. Getting together with your buddies as you watch your team make their run -- there's nothing really like it. I've been extremely spoiled over the last ten years or so. I've gotten together with friends and family to watch the Yanks battle in October since their magical season in 1996. There have been dizzying highs and devastating lows during our time together, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world (that's not exactly true -- I'd give almost anything to rid myself of the pain of 2004). Still, it's been a fun ride.
Let's see what the Baseball Gods have in store for us this year.
This post is a day late and a dollar short, but they say God is in the details.
And if it is, then this write-up will fill him with white-hot rage because I watched maybe five pitches of Sunday's game. Jorge Posada was in charge for this contest and his managerial skills led the Yanks to a 10-4 beatdown of the Orioles in Baltimore. Alex Rodriguez picked up an RBI and finished with 156 for the season, Bobby Abreu knocked in two runs and wrapped up the year with 101 runs batted in and Chase Wright's two innings of work was enough to earn a victory.
 So, the Yankees end the 2007 regular season with a 94-68 mark and a trip to the playoffs as a wild card. But, you already knew that. Let's fire up the time machine and see what my gut told me at the beginning of the season. SML and Depressed Fan have already journeyed back in time and now it's my turn.
I'll start with the National League.
NL East
My picks: Phillies, Mets, Braves, Marlins, Nationals
How they finished: Phillies, Mets, Braves, Nationals, Marlins
Man, that was easy! I was off with the Nats and Marlins, but really who cares? And if I told you the Nationals finished in last place you would probably believe me.
NL Central
My picks: Astros, Cardinals, Cubs, Brewers, Reds, Pirates
How they finished: Cubs, Brewers, Cardinals, Astros, Reds, Pirates
I nailed the back of the division, but really mucked up the front end. OK, there's the first clunker.
NL West
My picks: Dodgers, Padres (wild card), Giants, Diamondbacks, Rockies
How they finished: Diamondbacks, Padres/Rockies, Dodgers, Giants
I had the Dodgers going to the Series. Whoopsie! The Padres still have a shot to make me look smart (even though they're down to the Rockies 6-5 as I scribble this).
Man, that was pretty crappy. Let's go on to the American League.
AL East
My picks: Yankees, Red Sox (wild card), Blue Jays, Orioles, Devil Rays
How they finished: Red Sox, Yankees, Blue Jays, Orioles, Devil Rays
The Yanks couldn't make it 10 straight division titles, but they qualified for the playoffs. I nailed the MVP season for A-Rod, but Rivera wasn't the deciding factor in the Yanks making the post-season.
AL Central
My picks: Tigers, White Sox, Twins, Indians, Royals
How they finished: Indians, Tigers, Twins, White Sox, Royals
I should have followed the natural progression in the Central. The White Sox won in 2005, the Tigers in 2006 so the obvious choice was the Indians. Missed the boat on that one.
AL West
My picks: Angels, A's, Rangers, Mariners
How they finished: Angels, Mariners, A's, Rangers
The Angels didn't coast to the division crown, but my confidence was high with this pick. I didn't even waste a sentence on the Mariners in my predictions.
Well, there it is. I had the Yanks and Dodgers squaring off in the World Series. It's not going to happen for the Dodgers, but the Bombers can make me half right.
Speaking of the Yanks, the playoff schedule came out today and I gotta tell you -- I'm not really diggin it. Vinny from Kearny "broke" the news to me at work with an e-mail. I thought he was kidding. Actually, this schedule would have been perfect if I was still working overnight, but now I get home between 8 and 8:30 in the p.m. Here's the schedule:
| Gm 1 |
NYY @ CLE |
Thu |
Oct. 4 |
6:30 pm |
TBS |
| Gm 2 |
NYY @ CLE |
Fri |
Oct. 5 |
5 pm |
TBS |
| Gm 3 |
CLE @ NYY |
Sun |
Oct. 7 |
6:30 pm |
TBS |
| Gm 4* |
CLE @ NYY |
Mon |
Oct. 8 |
6 pm |
TBS |
| Gm 5* |
NYY @ CLE |
Wed |
Oct. 10 |
5 pm |
TBS |
| * - if necessary |
It's queer isn't it?
I'm going to place a call with Bud and see what I can do.
It begins Thursday in Cleveland.
The Red Sox clinched the best record in the AL on Saturday and chose option "A" which gives them three days off for the five game series. The Yanks/Tribe series will have a max of two off days should it go five games. That means the Yanks will need a fourth starter (unless they sweep) in Round 1. The "longer" set means that you can use your top two pitchers for four games and teams won't have to use a fourth starter. If you're a visual guy, the Boston-Angels series breaks down like this:
 Wed. at Fenway
Fri. at Fenway
Sun. at Angels
*Mon. at Angels
*Wed. at Fenway
But, I'm more interested in the Yankees schedule. The Bombers' schedule is as follows:
Thurs. at Jacobs Field
Fri. at Jacobs Field
Sun. at Yankee Stadium
*Mon. at Yankee Stadium
*Wed. at Jacobs Field
*if necessary
The Yankees will give Roger Clemens every opportunity to make the Game 3 start at The Stadium on Sunday. If he can't go, the ball will probably go to Mike Mussina. If Clemens is able to make his start and there's a Game 4, it will be interesting to see where Torre goes. I think he gives the assignment to The Moose either way (Yanks up 2-1 or down 2-1). Mussina was bombed in his last start, but I think he's regained the manager's trust. On the other hand, Phil Hughes dominated the Tribe in August and finished up strong. You can make an argument for both guys, but I don't want to go down there until I must. It's just wasted energy and I'm a lazy guy.
DF already made his guess on the post-season roster and I've been discussing it with Vinny from Kearny, Bert from Hoboken and my brother so here's my two cents which is worth a lot less than that:
1. C Jorge Posada
2. 1B Doug Meintkiewicz
3. 2B Robinson Cano
4. 3B Alex Rodriguez
5. SS Derek Jeter
6. LF Johnny Damon
7. CF Melky Cabrera
8. RF Bobby Abreu
9. DH Hideki Matsui
10. Jason Giambi
11. Jose Molina
12. Wilson Betemit
13. Bronson Sardinha
14. Shelley Duncan
15. Chien-Ming Wang
16. Andy Pettitte
17. Roger Clemens
18. Mike Mussina
19. Phil Hughes
20. Mariano Rivera
21. Joba Chamberlain
22. Jose Vizcaino
23. Kyle Farnsworth
24. Ron Villone
25. Jose Veras
Should Veras make the the roster? Not really, but I think he'll make it. I'm not sure what's going on with Ian Kennedy (back stiffness). I think the Yanks would put him on the roster if he was a proven commodity, but he isn't. That's why I think he's out. I think Sardinha makes it as a pinch-runner and also think Duncan makes it -- and this was before the news that Matsui had his knee drained this weekend. We should all find out in a few hours what Torre and the Yanks have in mind.
The Yanks edged the Orioles on Saturday night, 11-10, and I would be lying if I told you that I watched more than 30 minutes of this game. The Bombers notched 10 runs in the fourth inning and Andy Pettitte held on through five horrendous innings to pick up the victory and finished the season at 15-9.
It will be another exhibition on Sunday before the Yanks kickoff the second season. Sean Henn goes for the Yankees and the O's will send out Brian Burres.
The only drama for Sunday is to see which player Torre chooses to manage the final regular season game.
And that's that.
Alex Rodriguez went yard for the 54th time and drove in four, but the Yanks blew leads of 4-1, 7-2 and 9-6 and fell to the Orioles 10-9 in ten innings. The Red Sox won on Friday night so the AL East goes to Boston for the first time since 1995. This makes somebody happy.
 All in all, it's a tough loss, but it also allows the Yankees to set things up for the post-season. Those matchups are now set: Yankees at Cleveland; Angels at Boston. The Yanks owned the Indians in the regular season, finishing 6-0 and have beaten the Tribe eight straight times dating back to 2006. And for some reason, the Red Sox match up well against the Halos. The BoSox finished 6-4 against LA this season. Should be fun.
I wasn't locked into this one so this may be the worst roundup I've ever done. Let's not waste any more time.
The Good:
Alex Rodriguez. He did it again. A-Rod blasted his 54th dinger of the year and tied Joe DiMaggio and Babe Ruth for 10th place on the all-time Yankee RBI list with 155. Amazing. Amazing that A-Rod has driven in 155 this year, but also amazing is that it ranks only 10th on the all-time Yankee list. Rodriguez finished 3 for 5 with a walk, 2 runs scored and 4 runs batted in.
The Bad:
Mariano Rivera. The Sandman didn't get the job done on Friday night. He entered the game in the bottom of the ninth with a three-run and couldn't close the deal. Hey, it happens. On the plus side, Rivera has now gotten a blown save out of his system so he should be good for October. Rivera's unusual totals: 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 0 K.
The Ugly:
2 + 2 = 5. I'd like to thank Brian for setting my crappy math straight. For some reason I wrote on Thursday that the Yanks were really one game back instead of two in the division race since they owned the tie-breaker against the Red Sox. That made no sense and was also dead wrong. Oh well, I'm an idiot.
Andy Pettitte will get the call for the Yanks on Saturday. The season is an exhibition one now, but it would be nice if Andy nailed down win number 15 on the season. Daniel Cabrera makes the start for Baltimore.
Expect to see a bunch of players wearing high numbers for the Bombers.
The faces were different on Thursday night, but the results were the same.
Phil Hughes was solid through seven, Alberto Gonzalez and Bronson Sardinha both picked up their first big league hits and super-sub Jose Molina broke a 1-1 tie with a two-run single in the seventh to lead the Yanks past the Devil Rays 3-1 in Tampa. The Yankees also used Joba Chamberlain again -- the first time the rookie reliever has pitched in back-to-back days. He looked a little fatigued in the early going (maybe it was the consecutive days, maybe it was the late night celebration), but he finished strong and struck out B.J. Upton with hard cheese to end the eighth.
 Also of note, the Red Sox lost so the Yanks are still alive for the AL East crown. The Yanks are two back with three to play. Really, the Yankees are one back since they won the head-to-head series with Boston this year (10-8). Let's see what happens.
The Good:
Phil Hughes. It looked like Hughes was going to be victimized by the "B" lineup on Thursday. The Yankee rookie was locked in a tight pitcher's duel through six before the offense broke through with two runs in the seventh. Hughes used all of his pitches effectively against the D-Rays and was economical -- a virtue that's eluded him in previous starts. It's been an up-and-down year for the 21-year-old, but Hughes finished strong. He ends September with a 3-0 mark and a 3.24 ERA. Nice job, rook. Hughes improved to 5-3 on the season with this: 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K.
Jose Molina. The unsung backup catcher came through again for the Bombers. His two-run single drove in Shelley Duncan and Robinson Cano with the winning runs. Molina also did a great job guiding Hughes, Chamberlain and Veras through tough patches in the ballgame. It doesn't even matter that Molina struck out three times in the game (the Yanks K'd 12 times as a team). Molina finished 1 for 4 with 2 ribbies.
Alberto Gonzalez/Bronson Sardinha. The rookies both collected their first major league hits on Thursday night. Sardinha reached on an infield single in the third and Gonzalez lined a single to left in the sixth and scored the Yankees first run. The last time two Yanks picked up their first big league hits in the same game? It was Oct. 4, 1980 against the Tigers. The immortal Ted Wilborn and the legendary Roger Holt did it that day. Gonzalez finished 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored. Sardinha finished 1 for 3.
The Bad:
Jason Giambi. The Giambino has been in a bit of a tail-spin. He entered Thursday's game hitting an anemic .154 in September and those numbers will be going down. It will be interesting to see how Torre addresses first base in the post-season. Will he give Giambi the start and hope he turns it around? Or will he go with the hot-hitting Mientkiewicz (who's hitting a sizzling. 455 in September) and the better glove? Giambi finished 0 for 4 with 2 Ks.
The Ugly:
We're off to see the Wizard. I was so fixated on the Yankees clinching on Wednesday that I failed to mention this. The last road trip of the regular season is a time for the veterans to have some fun with the rookies. The Yanks used a Wizard of Oz theme and it was pure genius. All of the rooks had to dress as a character from the classic film. Great stuff. I'm not sure which was funnier -- Shelley Duncan dressed as the Scarecrow or Kei Igawa fixed up like a flying monkey. Go judge for yourself.
The Yanks head to Baltimore for three to wrap up the regular season. Mike Mussina will try and stay perfect in September (3-0, 1.93 ERA) and make a claim as the No. 3 starter come next week. Jon Leicester gets the ball for the Orioles.
It is done.
 Robinson Cano drove in five runs, Chien-Ming Wang picked up victory No. 19 and Mariano Rivera pitched a 1-2-3 ninth as the Yankees thumped the D-Rays 12-4 on a Wednesday night in St. Petersburg. The Bombers rolled a lucky 7 in the fifth and added three more in the sixth to secure a spot in the post-season for the 13th straight year.
The Good:
Robinson Cano. Robbie Cano -- don't cha know! Cano's three-run homer in the fifth gave the Yanks a commanding 8-1 lead and helped put the bubbly on ice. Canu has been on fire in September (.326, 3 HR, 18 RBI) and has set career highs in HRs (19) and RBIs (94) this season. He also squeezed the final out of the game with a big, fat grin on his face. Good stuff. Cano finished 2 for 5 with a run scored and 5 runs batted in.
Derek Jeter. El Capitan! Jeter's solo shot in the third knotted the score at 1-1 and got the Yankee train rolling. I'm ashamed that I didn't mention that DJ picked up his 200th hit of the year the other night. He's done it three straight seasons and six times in his career. Jeter has tasted nothing but playoffs during his stint in pinstripes and 2007 will be no different. It's good to be the king. Jeter finished 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs.
Jorge Posada. Jorgie has really become the heart and soul of the Yanks. The job once belonged to Paul O'Neill, but Posada has picked up the mantle and done a great job. Batting over .330 for the whole season also helped. Posada's two-run single in the fifth cracked the game open and set the stage for Cano to kick down the door. Posada finished 3 for 6 with a run scored and 3 RBI.
Continue reading "Bombers Clinch Playoff Berth" »
That was unexpected.
The Yanks raced out to a 5-0 lead on the strength of an Alex Rodriguez grand slam, but the Devil Rays scored six runs in the sixth and one in the tenth and shocked the Bombers 7-6 on a Tuesday night in Tampa. Kei Igawa made an emergency start for Roger Clemens and tap-danced his way through five scoreless innings, but the bullpen couldn't hold it as the Yanks blew an opportunity to nail down a playoff berth.
I could really go into a full lamentation here, but instead I'm going to turn the page. Let's get this ugliness over with.
 The Good:
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod blasted a grand salami in the third inning to give the Yanks (what I thought was) a comfortable 5-0 advantage. Rodriguez hit his dinger off the catwalk -- yeah, off the catwalk. Dig this: Rodriguez has 53 homers and 151 RBIs on the season. But his Tuesday night heroics just weren't enough. A-Rod finished 1 for 4 with a walk, a run scored and 4 RBIs.
Johnny Damon. Johnny D had himself a corker of a ballgame. It's been said before, but I'll say it again -- when Damon is on, the Yankee lineup is nearly unstoppable. Nearly. Again, too bad his performance wasn't enough to help the Yanks clinch a playoff spot. Damon finished 5 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 2 stolen bases.
The Bad:
Brian Bruney. Bruney came into the game to put out a mini fire and turned it into a raging inferno. The Maltese Falcon gave up a game-winning homer in his last outing against Toronto and followed that performance up by giving up a grand slam in the sixth that gave Tampa a 6-5 lead. Bruney is kidding himself if he thinks he has a chance to make it onto the Yankees post-season roster. I would be totally shocked if he does. I would also be shocked if he's on the Yankee roster next year. Bruney's gruesome totals: .1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 back-breaking HR.
Edwar Ramirez. Ramirez got the meltdown started in the sixth. He walked the leadoff batter and after recording a pop out, gave up an RBI-double and another walk. Exit Ramirez. Edwar has been terrible lately (9.39 ERA in September, heading into Tuesday night's game) and has given up at least one run in his last five appearances. Unacceptable. Ramirez's ghastly night: .1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 0 K.
Jeff Karstens. Karstens completed the heartbreaking night by giving up the game-winning homer in the tenth. It was only Karstens' second appearance since being recalled from Scranton on Sept. 9, but that's no excuse for grooving a 2-0 fastball right over the plate. Karstens' tough season just got a bit tougher. He fell to 1-4 with this three pitch night: 0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 game-ending HR.
The Ugly:
Shutting down. Roger Clemens was scratched again on Tuesday night. The Yankee announced that The Rocket's regular season is over. On the one hand, it's better to be cautious with Clemens' health, but on the other, it has to make you question whether the Yanks can count on him in the post-season. Roger says he's confident he'll be ready for October, but one never knows.
OK, OK, let's flip the page. Chien-Ming Wang goes for the Yanks on Wednesday night and will be gunning for win number 19 on the season. The D-Rays will send out lefty J.P. Howell (1-5, 6.80 ERA).
We're through the looking glass here, people.
This entry will be as quiet and listless as the Yanks on Monday afternoon.
The Blue Jays clipped the Yankees 4-1 to earn a split of the weekend series. I was at work during this one, but I was listening on the MLB gamecast and it almost put me to sleep. The Bombers dropped 2 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East and seem content with entering the post-season as a wild card.
The good news is the Tigers also lost so the Yanks magic number was cut to one.
The Bombers now head off for their final road trip of the regular season. First up, a three game set with the D-Rays. Roger Clemens is set to go for the Yanks (finally) and will go against Jason Hammel.
The Yankees honored the late Phil Rizzuto before Sunday afternoon's ballgame and then went out and showed the same grit and determination that made "The Scooter" a Hall of Famer.
The Blue Jays jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second, but the Yanks stormed right back with three runs in the bottom of the frame and scored three more in the fifth en route to a 7-5 victory over the Jays in the Bronx. Mike Mussina was shaky early, but settled down and gave the Yankees seven strong innings, Jose Molina drove in three and Joba Chamberlain picked up his first big league save as the Bombers once again moved to within 1.5 games of the Red Sox in the AL East. The Bombers remained 5.5 games ahead of the Tigers, but shaved their magic number for a playoff berth to two games.
 I'll be honest with you Yankee fans, my attention was fixed on the Jets on Sunday and I also had family obligations to attend to, so my roundup will be extremely half-assed.
The Good:
Mike Mussina. The Moose of early 2007 would have gone straight into the crapper after giving up three runs in the second inning, but this is the new and improved Mussina. Mussina's scoreless inning streak may have come crashing down, but he didn't panic and turned in his third straight quality start. The Moose dropped his ERA to under 5.00 on the season (4.96) and picked up his 250th career victory. Congrats, Mike. Mussina's final numbers: 7 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 5 K.
Jose Molina. Molina spelled Jorgie Posada on Sunday and did a bang up job. Jose got the Yanks on the board with an RBI-single in the second to cut the Blue Jay lead to 3-1 and later added two insurance runs with a run-scoring single in the fifth and an RBI-double in the seventh. He also picked Alex Rios off first in the third and made a nice tag on a play at the plate in the fourth. The acquisition of Molina may be lost among the callups of Chamberlain, Hughes and Kennedy, but he's been a great pickup for the Yanks. Molina finished 3 for 4 with a run scored and 3 RBIs.
Joba Chamberlain. Looks like the Yanks have finally taken the swimmies off of the rookie right-hander. The "Joba Rules" were broken as the Yankees brought him in with two runners on and two outs in the eighth inning. Chamberlain calmly struck out Adam Lind to end the threat and then pitched a 1,2,3 ninth for his first Major League save. It was a nice dress rehearsal for the playoffs. Chamberlain's line: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K.
The Bad:
 Luis Vizcaino. The Viz entered the game in the eighth with the Yankees up 7-3 and coughed up two runs and forced the Yanks to bring in Chamberlain with runners on first and second and two outs. It worked out in the end, but Vizcaino has been shaky lately and sports a 8.44 ERA in September. Not good. Vizcaino's totals: .2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HR.
The Ugly:
Pushed back -- again. Roger Clemens will be held out of Monday afternoon's game with that tight hammy. It's the second time that The Rocket has been pushed back in this series. The old man and the Yanks are downplaying it, but it's something that could take on a life of its own. Clemens pitched great in his last start against the Red Sox, but that came after a 13-day lay off. The Rocket may finally be breaking down, but the Yankees still need him.
Andy Pettitte will make the start for the Yanks on Monday afternoon against Toronto's hard throwing righty A.J. Burnett. Burnett shut down the Yanks on Sept. 13 (8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 8 K), but picked up a no decision in the Jays 2-1 win. He's 1-0 with a 0.60 ERA in two starts this season against New York. Pettitte got back on track with a sparkling game against Baltimore (7.2 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 4 K) and is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in three starts against the Blue Jays this year.
Monday is also the last home game for the Yanks -- until October.
It was another marathon affair at The Stadium, but this time the Yanks came out on top.
Melky Cabrera singled home the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the tenth to give the Yankees a hard-fought 12-11 victory over the Blue Jays in the Bronx. It was a game filled with crappy pitching, questionable defense, sparkling defense, wasted opportunities and big hits. This one had it all. If this ballgame was a movie it would have been a summer blockbuster. It sure wouldn't win any awards for best picture, but it would've been a rip-roaring good ride.
 The Red Sox also won so the Yanks remain 2.5 games back in the AL East, but the Tigers continued their free fall and the Bombers extended their lead in the wild card chase to 5.5 games. The Yankees magic number for clinching the wild card now stands at three games.
The Good:
Melky Cabrera. The Melk-Man delivered on offense and defense in the 10th inning. He began the relay that nailed Matt Stairs at home for the final out in the top of the tenth and then ripped the game-winning hit in the bottom of the inning. Melky also tied the score at 8-8 in the seventh with a two-run single and later knotted the game at 11-11 with another two-run hit in the eighth. Unfortunately, Melky was a little too aggressive rounding first and was thrown out as he tried to scramble back. Still, Cabrera was the Hero of the Day for the Yanks. Melky finished 3 for 7 with a run scored and 5 RBIs.
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod is officially out of his little funk. Rodriguez helped the Yanks overcome a 3-1 deficit with a two-run double in the sixth to give the Bombers a short-lived 4-3 lead and later singled in the go-ahead run during a three-run rally in the seventh. It's good to see A-Rod heat up as the Yankees charge toward the finish line. A-Rod finished 4 for 5 with a walk, 2 runs scored and 3 RBI.
Hideki Matsui. Matsui looked good at the plate for the third time in the past four games and picked up his fourth triple of the season (honestly, right now I can't remember one that he's hit this season before Saturday's game). In any event, Matsui collected three hits on Saturday and passed the 100-RBI plateau for the fourth time in five years since donning the pinstripes (really it's four in four years since he played in only 51 games last season). However, Godzilla looks a bit tentative in left. Matsui was never a great outfielder, but his skills seem to be eroding out there. Maybe his knees are the reason. Anyway, Godzilla finished 3 for 6 with 3 runs batted in.
The Bad:
Is there no relief? The Yankee pen was abysmal on Saturday and the trifecta of Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez and Kyle Farnsworth was the big reason. The unholy three combined to do this on Saturday: 1.1 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 3 BB, 2 K, 2 WP. It almost gives me a headache just writing that. Hell, even Kei Igawa pitched better than any of those guys (and he gave up an inherited run and only recorded an out because the Jays got caught in a run down). In the end the Yanks ended up using 10 pitchers in the game -- an new Yankee record. It was a total team effort, thanks in large part to the the triumvirate of Veras, Ramirez and Farnsworth.
The Ugly:
Almost like punching a clock. The game was scheduled to begin at 1:00 (or 1:07 or whatever odd time they actually throw the first pitch), but the start of the contest was delayed an hour and a half due to rain (the official time came in at 1 hour 32 minutes). Add the five hours it actually took to play this game and the final tally comes in at a tidy six hours and 32 minutes.
Mike Mussina will try and keep the good times rolling (his and the Yanks) and guns for win number 11 on the year. The Moose has been reborn in his last two starts and hasn't given up a run in his last 12.2 innings. Mussina started his transformation on Sept. 12 in Toronto where he held the Blue Jays scoreless for five and picked up a victory. The Jays will counter with Justin McGowan. McGowan has pitched well this season (11-9, 3.84 ERA) and is 2-1 with a 3.66 ERA against the Bombers in 2007.
It's been a wild two games so far -- let's see what these teams have in store for Part III.
I guess lightning can't strike twice in a week. Or, it can strike, but the results aren't the same.
Last Friday night in Boston, the Yankee scored six runs in the eighth to upend the Red Sox. It looked like deja vu all over again on Friday night in the Bronx, but alas, the Bombers fell short. Roy Halladay and Chien-Ming Wang traded zeros through six innings until the Jays broke through with two in the seventh and two in the eighth and brought a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth. There the Yanks rallied for four runs, keyed by a huge error from Toronto second baseman Aaron Hill, but Brian Bruney gave up a solo homer to Greg Zaun in the 14th to lift the Blue Jays to an exhausting 5-4 victory.
 The loss cuts a bit deeper (a bit) than an ordinary one since the Red Sox and Tigers both won. The Yanks now trail the BoSox by 2.5 games in the AL East and lead Detroit by 4.5 games in the wild card chase.
The Good:
Jason Giambi. The man with the feet of clay stepped up to the plate with the tying run on third and delivered an opposite field single on the very first pitch against a tough lefty. Giambi was hit on his right foot on Monday, but an MRI showed that it was just a bruise. The Giambino was wearing extra protection on his foot Friday night and looked okay at first base later in the game. Giambi finished 1 for 4 with the big RBI.
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod flirted with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first and also got the Yankee train rolling in the ninth with an RBI-single. Rodriguez has been scuffling a bit at the dish, but it looks like he's breaking out of it. His recent mini-struggles at the plate aren't affecting his defense as he continued his excellent play at the hot corner. A-Rod finished 2 for 6 with a run scored and his 143rd ribbie of the season.
The Bad:
Brian Bruney. Bruney was sent down to Triple-A earlier in the year to work on his control. He's got great stuff, but just can't harness it. I guess Bruney worked on that, but forgot how not to give up homers in extra innings. Bruney missed his spot on the fastball to Zaun and the Blue Jay catcher made him pay. The Maltese Falcon dropped to 3-2 with this heartbreaking line: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 big HR.
Edwar Ramirez. Ramirez was wild from the get-go. He entered the game in the eighth with the Yanks down 2-0 and in a flash the Jays doubled their lead. Ramirez drilled Reed Johnson to lead off the inning and after a groundout, gave up a laser shot to Alex Rios. Torre almost tripped coming out of the dugout before sending the kid to the showers. Shake it off, Urkel. Ramirez's line: .1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR.
The Ugly:
 Promoting whores. Friday night's game was on MY9, which is channel 9, and during the ballgame, Michael Kay shilled repeatedly for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. I guess it's coming to MY9 this fall or whatever. And who just happened to be at the game? That's right, the star of the 78th spawn of Law & Order, Richard Belzer. The MY9 cameras showed the actor/comedian every time they ran the promo. Now, I may be the only person who doesn't watch any of the Law & Order shows and I've got nothing against Belzer, but the guy was wearing sunglasses during a night game. He was also outfitted in the typical "New York artist attire" -- black shirt with a black blazer and black pants. Dumb.
Anyway, it's a quick turn-around for the boys in pinstripes. Looks like the Yanks will be sending Phil Hughes to the hill on Saturday afternoon after scratching Ian Kennedy (strained muscle in his upper back) and then Roger Clemens (tight left hamstring). Good thing the Yanks were going to that six-man rotation. Hughes is coming off a solid win against Baltimore and is riding a two-game winning streak for the first time in his young career. He's also looked good in his three September starts (2-0, 2.55 ERA). The Jays will turn to Shaun Marcum. Marcum has made three starts against the Yanks this season and didn't pitch well in two of them. He's 0-2 with a 6.06 ERA this year against the Bombers.
Let's see what these teams can do for an encore.
One may be the loneliest number, but it's a great number if you're a Yankee.
Andy Pettitte was masterful, the defense was superb, Hideki Matsui ripped his 25th homer of the season, Joba Chamberlain made his first appearance in the middle of an inning (and recorded a K) and Mariano Rivera picked up his 30th save of the year as the Yanks nipped the Orioles 2-1 at The Stadium. The Bombers completed the sweep of Baltimore, have won four games in a row overall and moved to within 1.5 games of first place in the AL East (one in the loss column). The Yankees have also stretched their lead in the wild card to 5.5 games (six in the loss column) over the fading Tigers.
 The Good:
Andy Pettitte. Pettitte was in total command on Wednesday night. The Yankee offense couldn't manage more than two runs for the veteran lefty, but Pettitte made it stand up. This was one of those rare times when a 2-1 game really wasn't as close as it seemed. There was never a time when I felt like Pettitte and the Yankees were going to lose this contest. Maybe it's just me. Anyway, if it weren't for Brian Roberts and his two stolen bases in the sixth, Pettitte could have been gunning for a shutout. In any event, Pettitte improved to 14-8 on the season and picked up career win number 200 with this: 7.2 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K. Congrats, Andy.
Hideki Matsui. Godzilla! Matsui mashed his second homer in three games in the second inning to give the Yanks a 1-0 advantage. Matsui looks like he's fighting himself at the plate at times, but he's still able to drive the baseball. It's just a matter of time before he busts completely out of his rut. Matsui is now one RBI from driving in 100 for the fourth time in five years. Not too shabby. Godzilla finished 1 for 3 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI.
The Bad:
Bobby Abreu. The Yankees three, four and five place hitters combined to go 0 for 11 with 5 K's on Wednesday, but Abreu had the worst night. A-Rod made some dandy plays on defense and Posada reached on a walk and a hit by pitch, but Abreu struck out twice and left three runners on base. Shake it off, Bobby. Abreu finished 0 for 4 with 2 Ks.
The Ugly:
Quitters. The Orioles haven't had a winning season since 1997 and they showed why on Wednesday night. With one out in the fifth and the score 1-0 Yanks, Baltimore's Ramon Hernandez took off from first on a 3-2 pitch to Jay Payton. Payton struck out looking for the second out and Hernandez basically jogged to second and was tagged out for the final out of the inning. I realize that Hernandez is a catcher, but he may have beaten the throw if he just ran hard. Well, he didn't and the inning was over. Oh, and Payton was tossed for arguing the strike call. What a mess this team is.
Thursday is an off day for the Yanks and they will welcome in the Toronto Blue Jays for a four game set beginning on Friday night. The Jays are coming off an impressive sweep of the Red Sox and will look to continue their spoiler role against the Yankees. Friday night's match-up is a doosey -- Roy Halladay goes for Toronto and Chien-Ming Wang will toe the rubber for New York. Doc Halladay is 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA against the Yanks in two starts this year. Wang has struggled against Toronto -- he's 0-2 with a monstrous 9.90 ERA.
This will be the final four games the Yanks will play in the Bronx this season.
Final REGULAR season games, that is.
A-Wow!
Mike Mussina followed up a solid outing with a terrific one, Hideki Matsui drove in three runs and Doug Mientkiewicz did Godzilla one better as the Yanks took off their belts and spanked the Orioles 12-0 at The Stadium. The victory pulls the Bombers to within 2.5 games of the Red Sox in the AL East (2 in the loss column) and extends their lead in the wild card chase to 4.5 games over the Tigers (5 in the loss column).
The Good:
 Mike Mussina. I wasn't expecting miracles from The Moose on Tuesday night. Sure, he picked up his ninth win of the season with a respectable start last week against the Blue Jays (5.2 IP, 0 R, 5 H, 3 BB, 1 K in case you forgot), but I feared that he shot his load with that performance. I thought the Yanks would have to score double-digits to have a chance in this one. Well, the Bombers proved me right with their offensive output, but Mussina didn't need it. The Moose really looked like his old self against his former team. His fastball had late movement and he was snapping off his off-speed stuff. Mussina also made a nifty stop on a come-backer that was headed for his noggin. I don't know what caused the sudden turn-around (God, Satan, HGH, PCP), but it couldn't have come at a better time. Don't look know, but Mussina has a 12.2 scoreless innings streak going. Mussina evened his mark at 10-10 on the year and has won at least ten games an AL-record 16 straight seasons. The Moose: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K.
Hideki Matsui. Godzilla broke a scoreless tie in the fourth with a hot-shot double down the first base line for a 2-0 Yankee lead. Matsui has been struggling in September (he was batting .133 for the month entering Tuesday's game), but he's looked better in his last two games. Hideki has battled through knee problems almost the entire year, but hasn't had any X-rays or MRIs performed. He isn't sure if he'll need surgery after the season, but that's talk for another time. Godzilla finished 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBIs.
Doug Mientkiewicz. Mientkiewicz continued his torrid hitting since being activated from the DL on Sept. 1. Dougie smoked a three-run homer in the fourth that put the game on ice for the Bombers. DM also made a pretty scoop on a low throw from A-Rod to end the fifth. His play is going to make it tough for Torre to leave his name out of the lineup. Mientkiewicz finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and 4 ribbies.
The Bad:
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod has been in a bit of a rut and it continued on Tuesday night. The Yankee third baseman is in a 2-for-20 skid and looks like he's getting into some bad habits. A-Rod finished 0 for 4 and left six runners on base.
The Ugly:
What's his name? I don't usually crack on people's names, but the Orioles have a reliever named Rocky Cherry. Is it just me or does that name scream porn star? How bout a new ice cream flavor? The O's acquired the right-hander from the Cubs on Aug. 31 for starting pitcher Steve Traschel.
The Yanks go for the sweep on Wednesday night and will send Andy Pettitte to the hill. Pettitte was brilliant in August (6-0, 2.36 ERA), but has struggled so far in September (1-1, 5.94 ERA). He didn't pitch well in his last start against Boston on Friday night (4 IP, 9 H, 5 R [4 earned], 2 BB, 5 K), but escaped with a no decision as the Yanks came back to win. Baltimore will turn to lefty spot-starter Brian Burres. Burres is 1-0 this season against the Bombers (one start, one relief appearance) with an 0.79 ERA.
The chase goes on.
Things are getting pretty interesting as we head down the stretch.
Hideki Matsui hit his first home run in over a month, Phil Hughes won his first game at Yankee Stadium and Mariano Rivera cleaned up a Kyle Farnsworth mess in the ninth as the Yanks beat Baltimore 8-5 on a Monday night in the Bronx. The win extended the Bombers lead in the wild card chase to 3.5 games over the Tigers. And don't look now, but the Yanks trail the Red Sox in the AL East by only 3.5 games.
 Stranger things have happened. I gotta be honest with you Yankee fans, I didn't make it to the end of this one. I was beat and the pace of this game destroyed me. I was in and out of consciousness from the seventh inning on so bear with me with this half-ass roundup.
The Good: Hideki Matsui. Matsui has been in a nasty funk and he hadn't hit a homer since the beginning of August. That didn't stop him from belting the go-ahead dinger in the third. The clout was Godzilla's 24th of the season and the Yanks would never look back. Matsui finished 1 for 5 with a run scored and his 95th RBI. Doug Mientkiewicz. Mientkiewicz drew the Yankees even with a two-run single in the second. Dougie was thrown out trying to take the extra base, but he's done a great job since his return from the DL. With Andy Phillips lost for the season, Mientkiewicz's glove at first will be key down the stretch. DM finished 1 for 1 with 2 walks, a run scored and 2 ribbies. Edwar Ramirez. Ramirez came in for Phil Hughes in the bottom of the sixth and inherited a bases loaded jam. The Yanks were clinging to a 5-2 lead and the O's had the always pesky Melvin Mora at the dish. Ramirez wasn't rattled. He calmly struck out Mora, ended the threat and gave Hughes a shot at a win. Nice job. His final numbers aren't outstanding, but Edwar played a key role in Monday's win. Ramirez's work: 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K. The Bad: Kyle Farnsworth. I would normally give a guy the benefit of the doubt if I didn't actually see him pitch, but Farnsworth will get no such reprieve from me. I might have been in La-La Land, but I know how to read a box score. Kyle, apparently recovered from his "stiff neck," inherited an 8-3 lead and quickly turned it into a save situation for Rivera. Nice going. Better get your head screwed on right, Kyle. Farnsworth's "work" went like this: .2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 0 K, 1 WP. The Ugly: Is there anybody out there? Phil Hughes induced two quick outs in the sixth, but fell into trouble and was facing a bases loaded jam. He threw ball one before Torre emerged from the dugout. Why did he throw one pitch before getting yanked? Because Torre couldn't get the OK from the bullpen that Ramirez was ready. The phone lines were apparently dead. Outstanding. Maybe this is why they're building a $1 billion stadium across the way. Tuesday night will feature Mike Mussina against Jon Leicester.
The Moose pitched well in his last start. Let's see if he can repeat the performance against his former squad.
In the end, the battle between two old pitchers was decided by two old reliable Yankees.
Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling turned back the hands of time through six-plus innings, but Derek Jeter launched a three-run homer off Schilling in the eighth to snap a 1-1 tie and Mariano Rivera pitched through a sweaty ninth as the Yankees edged the Red Sox 4-3 on a Sunday night in Beantown. The victory gave the Yanks two out of three against their arch-rivals over the weekend and keeps them 2.5 games ahead of the surging Tigers in the wild card chase.
 The Good:
Derek Jeter. The Captain has made a habit of getting big hits in big spots in his career and he showed on Sunday that he hasn't lost that magic touch. Jeter's three-run shot over the Green Monster came with two outs and crushed Boston's and Schilling's spirit. It was a total win/win. It was also DJ's second straight game with a home run. Captain Clutch finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and 3 huge RBIs.
Roger Clemens. The Rocket looked a lot better than I thought he would after receiving a cortisone shot for his barking right elbow. This season has been a rough one for Clemens, but he's showing that maybe it's the competitive fire, and not the fastball, that's the last thing to go. He worked quickly and efficiently and could have had an opportunity to pick up a win if not for an error by Johnny Damon in the first. Still, if Clemens can pitch like this for the Yanks the rest of the way, the team should be in good shape for their playoff push and beyond. Rocket's no decision looked like this: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R (unearned), 3 BB, 4 K. Welcome back to the fold, Roger.
Doug Mientkiewicz. Dougie picked up two hits on Sunday night and began the Yankees three-run rally with a one-out single to left, but his defense is why I'm placing him in my "good" category. He made some snazzy plays at first which kept the pitcher's duel in tact. He may be the most ungraceful first baseman to ever win the Gold Glove, but he gets the job done. Mientkiewicz finished 2 for 3 with a run scored.
The Bad:
Johnny Damon. Damon dropped a fly ball in the bottom of the first which led to an unearned run for the Red Sox. It looked like Johnny D lost the ball in the lights, but he's got make that catch. Damon finished 0 for 4 and left three runners on base.
The Ugly:
Gary Coleman and Bozo the Clown. Sunday night baseball means listening to Joe Morgan and Jon Miller on ESPN. It also means listening to nonsense, hyperbole and gibberish. Case in point: in the Yankees three-run eighth, Jason Giambi smacked a ball high off the Green Monster with Mientkiewicz on first and one out. Mientkiewicz easily made it to third and wasn't thinking about coming home, but Jacoby Ellsbury threw toward the plate which allowed the slow-footed Giambi to take second base. Joe Morgan stated that Ellsbury made a good play in getting the ball in. How? He turned a first and third, one out situation into a second and third situation. It destroyed the Red Sox chances at an inning-ending double-play. Ridiculous.
The Yanks return home on Monday and welcome in the Baltimore Orioles for a three-game set. Game 1 features a match-up of Daniel Cabrera (9-16, 5.37 ERA) and Phil Hughes (3-3, 4.91 ERA). His stats may not show it, but Cabrera has good stuff and shut down the Yankees on Aug. 14 at The Stadium (6.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R). Hughes is coming off a win in Toronto, but has yet to record a victory in the Bronx.
The time has come to pop your cherry, Phil.
The Yankees surprised Boston with a devastating barrage of combinations in a come-from-behind victory on Friday night, but the Red Sox responded on Saturday afternoon by delivering a knockout punch of their own.
Chien-Ming Wang didn't bring his "A" game, David Ortiz and Jacoby Ellsbury combined to go 5 for 5 with 5 RBIs and Josh Beckett may have inched closer to the Cy Young Award as the Red Sox smashed the Yanks 10-1 in Boston. The loss drops the Bombers 5.5 games back in the AL East with only 14 games remaining. Baring a BoSox collapse, the Yanks will fail to capture the division for the first time since 1997.
The Tigers won on Saturday so the Yankees lead in the wild card chase was sliced to 2.5 games. This thing ain't over yet, folks.
 The Good:
Derek Jeter. Jeter delivered the first salvo of the game with his 10th home run of the season in the first inning. The solo shot put the Yanks up 1-0, but that would be it for the offense. Jeter has been scrapping lately (he's batting .105 in his last seven games and is hitting .163 overall in September), but he picked up half of the Yankee hit total on Saturday afternoon. Maybe that will get him back on track. The Captain finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI.
The Bad:
Chien-Ming Wang. You can usually tell early on if The Wanger is going to be on or off. Wang hit the mound in the bottom of the first with the Yanks up 1-0 and ended the frame with the score tied at 1-1. He tap-danced in and out of trouble through five innings, but finally fell apart in the sixth. Wang was high in the zone and recorded more fly outs than ground outs (8 fly outs vs. 6 ground outs) for the afternoon. Wang dropped to 18-7 with this: 5.2 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 3 K.
The pen. Five relievers combined to pitch 2 and 1/3 innings of crummy baseball. Need evidence? How bout this: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 BB, 7 K, 1 HR. Edwar Ramirez, Ron Villone, Brian Bruney and Russ Ohlendorf all gave up at least one run on Saturday afternoon. Only Sean Henn was spared a number in the earned run column. He also didn't earn a number in the innings pitched department. He gave up a hit and walk before being pulled without recording an out.
The Ugly:
Dane Cook. I just don't get the appeal of Cook. I'm not familiar with all his comedy, but the stuff I've seen from him hasn't knocked my socks off. How this guy is a star is beyond me. Anyway, he came into the booth to promote his new movie with Jessica Alba. When the hell did a baseball game turn into a vehicle for "celebrities" to plug their latest projects? And why wasn't Jessica Alba there?
The Yanks will wrap up their nine-game road swing on Sunday night and send Roger Clemens against Curt Schilling. Clemens will be making his first start in nearly two weeks due to elbow stiffness and a foot full of blisters. He says he's ready to go -- let's see. The Rocket is 6-6 overall this season with a 4.45 ERA.
Schilling will be making his fifth start of 2007 against the Yanks on Sunday. So far, he's 0-2 with a 5.76 ERA. The Yanks have pounded him for 35 hits in his 25 innings and have belted 8 homers. It would be nice to smack Schilling around one more time before the year ends.
Roger Clemens will be making his first appearance in Boston since Game 3 of the 2003 ALCS. That was the game where Pedro Martinez spun the Yankees 106-year-old bench coach Don Zimmer to the ground. Ah, good times. Earlier in 2003, the Red Sox faithful gave the "retiring" Clemens a standing ovation after his final regular season appearance.
I wonder if Clemens will get the same response on Sunday night.
There's a gleam!
This game had disaster written all over it in the early and middle innings, but the Yankee bats came alive in the eighth as they racked up six runs and stunned the BoSox 8-7 at Fenway Park. Andy Pettitte was off, and the Yanks blew several excellent scoring opportunities, but Bobby Abreu's two-run double in the eighth tied the score and A-Rod's RBI single proved to be the game winner. The Boston lead in the AL East is now down to 4.5 games and the Yanks kept the Tigers 3.5 games back in the wild card chase with the victory.
I experienced this game in two parts. The first part was spent listening to John Sterling bemoan the Bombers inability to get the big hit in key situations. Sterling was livid. There were moments when I believed he was going to strike his broadcaster partner Suzyn Waldman. The second part was spent watching the game with Vinny from Kearny, Chucky from Newark, and Bert and Chrissy from Hoboken at Vinny's father-in-law's bar in Elizabeth (got all that?).
Anyway, I hope I can do this game justice as I'm extremely tired and I have to get up in a few hours.
The Good:
Bobby Abreu. Abreu's clutch two-run double brought the Yanks back from a five-run deficit and tied the score at 7 a piece. It came against Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, who entered Friday night's game holding left-handed batters to an anemic .088 batting average on the season. El Comedulce obviously didn't get the memo about that stat. It was Bobby's 95th and 96th runs batted in on the year. Abreu finished 1 for 4 with a walk, a run scored and 2 big ribbies.
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod also had only one hit in the ballgame, but it was the game-winner. Rodriguez's RBI single in the eighth capped the scoring and gave the Yanks their first lead of the night. What else can be said about A-Rod's season that hasn't already been said? Nothing. The guy is a machine. MVP finished 1 for 4 with his 141st RBI.
Johnny Damon. Damon burned his former mates and angered the Boston faithful on Friday night. Johnny D collected four hits and bounced in a key run in the sixth to cut the Red Sox lead to 5-2. The BoSox would score two runs in the bottom of the frame, but Damon's single kept the flicker of hope alive for the Yanks. Damon finished 4 for 6 with a run scored and an RBI.
Jason Giambi. Giambi had a terrible night in the field (one error and one that was an error, but wasn't counted as such) and was on his way to becoming a goat, but his lead-off homer in the eighth started the improbable Yankee rally. I don't remember the last time I saw a rally started with back-to-back home runs (Cano followed The Giambino's clout with one of his own). Anyway, Giambi finished 1 for 3 with 2 walks, a run scored and an RBI.
The Bad:
 Andy Pettitte. Pettitte labored from the beginning and wasn't long for this game. His defense didn't help him out, but Andy wasn't sharp. He threw a ton of pitches (101) and was hit hard. Pettitte has been great against the Red Sox in his career (15-6, 3.32 ERA), but he didn't have it on Friday night. Pettitte's no decision: 4 IP, 9 H, 5 R (4 earned), 2 BB, 5 K.
The Ugly:
A good one, but a long one. The outcome made it all worth while, but this contest clocked in at 4 hours and 43 minutes when all was said and done. Man, I'm tired.
Saturday afternoon will pit Chien-Ming Wang (18-6, 3.69 ERA) against Josh Beckett (18-7, 3.27 ERA) on FOX.
Wang is 5-4 lifetime versus the Sox with a 4.27 ERA, but he's won his last three games against the folks from Beantown (all coming this year). Beckett is 3-3 against the Bombers in his career with a 7.49 ERA. Beckett is 1-0 in two starts against the Yanks this season with a 5.54 ERA.
Round two should be a good one.
Ding. Ding.
At least this loss didn't take long.
Rookie Ian Kennedy gave up only one hit through his seven innings of work and Johnny Damon lifted a game-tying homer in the sixth, but Frank Thomas singled home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth as the Jays trimmed the Yanks 2-1 on Thursday night. The Jays averted the sweep and the contest took only 2 hours and 35 minutes to complete (mind-boggling for a Yankee game).
The loss snaps the Bombers seven-game winning streak and drops them 5.5 games behind the idle Red Sox and cuts their wild card lead over the Tigers to 3.5 games.
 The Good:
Ian Kennedy. Kennedy was nearly perfect in his third start in pinstripes. His breaking pitches were tight and he was painting the corners with his fastball. He allowed only one hit -- an RBI double off the bat of Frank Thomas that Melky could/should have caught. It's still too early to start getting giddy with rookie pitchers, but right now it looks like Kennedy has the stuff to be a quality starter in the bigs. The only reason Kennedy is looking at a no decision is because the Yanks ran into a buzzsaw in Jays starter A.J. Burnett on Thursday. Kennedy's impressive line: 7+ IP, 1 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 7 K.
Johnny Damon. Damon's solo shot in the sixth knotted the score at 1-1 and gave the Yanks life. Too bad it was all the offense the Yankees would muster. Johnny D was also involved in a strange scene after he caught the final out of the sixth. A fan in the stands offered Damon a 20 dollar bill (Canadian) for the ball. Damon made the transaction and then gave the loot to a kid who was sitting farther down the line. Funny, but bizarre. I also think the kid would have preferred the ball. Anyhoo, Damon finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and the RBI.
The Bad:
Chris Britton. Britton's assignment in the ninth was to get the game into extra innings. He failed miserably. Britton gave up a single on the first pitch he threw to Alex Rios and then allowed Rios to swipe second. Frank Thomas then smacked a base hit up the middle on a 1-2 pitch that brought in the winning run. Britton accomplished this in only five pitches. Now that's economical. Britton fell to 0-1 with this eyesore: 0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K.
Wilson Betemit. Betemit gave Jason Giambi the night off at first base and probably wishes he hadn't. He looked awful in his three at bats against the hard-throwing Burnett. Betemit pulled off the hat trick on Thursday night as he struck out swinging not once, not twice, but thrice! Tough night. Betemit finished 0 for 3 with the three K's.
The Ugly:
Kyle Farnsworth. Farnsworth was "unavailable" on Thursday due to a stiff neck. Kyle, you've been pitching well lately, but you've earned my contempt once again. A stiff neck? That's like me calling out sick from work because I'm feeling tired. Unacceptable!! Not at this point in the season. The Yanks could have really used Farnsworth (really) since Chamberlain was unavailable and Vizcaino (who looked great after missing over a week) pitched the eighth. What's wrong with this guy?
Well, the Yanks now head to Beantown to take on the first-place BoSox for a three-game weekend set. This latest loss puts a bit of a damper on the upcoming series, but the Bombers still have an outside chance to steal the division from their arch rivals.
Game 1 on Friday night will feature two pitchers heading in opposite directions. Andy Pettitte (13-8, 3.78 ERA) is 8-2 with a 3.19 ERA in his last 10 starts and has been the Yankee stopper in the second half. Meanwhile, Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka (14-12, 4.44 ERA) is 3-6 in his last 10 with a bloated 5.52 ERA. Even worse, he's 1-4 with a gruesome 9.57 ERA in his last five starts.
Let the battle begin.
The Moose is back!
OK, maybe not back, but he pitched his best game in months, Hideki Matsui and Robinson Cano came through with big hits and the pen did just enough as the Yanks dropped the Blue Jays 4-1 for their seventh straight victory. The Bombers were out-hit 7 to 4, but made their hits count as they kept serve with the Tigers and remained four games up in the wild card chase. The D-Rays managed to blow another one against Boston so the Red Sox lead in the AL East still stands at five.
The Good:
 Mike Mussina. By Zeus' beard, I think Mussina has finally figured it out! I wasn't expecting much from The Moose, but he really put me in my place. I'm not a huge fan of the radar gun, but Mussina's fastball was registering at 90 to 91 mph on Wednesday night and Blue Jay batters were fouling off pitches the other way. Mussina also kept the ball down and had some nasty bite on his breaking stuff. The Moose kept the Blue Jays off balance and was getting ahead of batters. He was actually pitching on Wednesday night. Good show, old boy! I don't know if he has another one of these in him (or if he'll get another chance), but it was great to see a bit of the old Moose. Mussina's winning totals: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 K.
Hideki Matsui. Matsui may be coming out of his funk. Godzilla got the Yanks on the board early with a two-run opposite field double in the first. In the top of the fourth, he battled back from an 0-2 count and worked out a walk which began a two-run Yankee rally. Both are good signs. Matsui finished 1 for 2 with 2 walks, a run scored, a stolen base and 2 RBIs.
Robinson Cano. Don't cha know! Cano extended the Yankee lead to 4-0 with a two-run single to left in the fourth. It was Robbie's 81st and 82nd runs batted in on the season. Canu continues to make his claim as the best seventh/eighth place hitter in the league. Cano also made some dandy plays in the field including a pretty snare on a line drive that turned into a double play in the fifth. Cano finished 1 for 4 with with 2 runs batted in.
The Bad:
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod finished 0 for 3 on Wednesday night with a walk and a run scored, but he earns my wrath for his defense. His throwing error in the eighth gave the Blue Jays their only run of the game and also ruined Joba Chamberlain's perfect line. True, it goes down as an unearned run, but Rodriguez's blunder still messed up Joba's string of zeroes. It also forced Torre to bring in Rivera for a four-out save.
The Ugly:
Frankenstein's pain. Shelley Duncan had an MRI on Wednesday and was diagnosed with a bone bruise on his left pelvis and a small inguinal hernia. That's the bad news. The good news is that it looks like Duncan won't need immediate surgery and is scheduled to rejoin the Yanks on Thursday in Toronto. In a strange coincidence, Shelley's brother Chris left the Cardinals earlier in the week to determine if he needs season-ending surgery on a sports hernia. I guess it's something between the brothers.
The Yanks go for the sweep on Thursday and will give the assignment to Ian Kennedy. The rookie has pitched well in his two starts this season (1-0, 2.25 ERA) and will be making his first start north of the border for the Yankees. The Blue Jays will counter with the talented but oft-injured A.J. Burnett. Burnett missed the entire month of July with a sore shoulder, but he's pitched well since his return from the DL. He's 8-7 with a 3.56 ERA on the season. Burnett beat the Yanks way back in April with a sparkling start (7 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 5 K).
Let's see if the rook can make it a crazy eight in a row for the Bombers.
The baseball season is winding down and it looks like the Yanks are gearing up for the postseason.
Phil Hughes gave the Yanks six gutty innings, Jorge Posada blasted his 20th homer of the season and Jason Giambi delivered the death knell with a grand slam in the fifth as the Bombers crushed the Blue Jays 9-2 in Toronto. The Yankees increased their winning streak to half a dozen and lead the Tigers by four games in the wild card chase.
It looked like New York was going to gain ground on the Red Sox in the AL East, but the Devil Rays blew an early 8-1 lead and now trail Boston 16-9 as I scribble this. I guess the D-Rays aren't in last place for nothing. Baring a miracle, the deficit in the East will remain at five games.
 The Good:
Jason Giambi. The Giambino was marred in a horrific slump when he stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth. With one swing of the bat, he broke out of his rut and turned a tenuous 4-2 Yankee lead into a comfortable 8-2 advantage. Jay Jay bopped a 3-2 pitch the other way for his lucky 13th home run of the season. Jay also made the start at first base with no ill effects. Nice. Giambi finished 1 for 3 with a walk, 2 runs scored and 4 RBIs.
Jorge Posada. Posada continued his incredible season with two more hits including his 20th dinger of the season. His solo shot in the third came after the Jays cut the Yankee lead to 3-2 in the second inning. It's Jorgie's seventh season with at least 20 homers and he still has an outside chance to drive in 100 runs for the second time in his career. Not bad for 36-year-old catcher who plays nearly every day. You would think it was his walk year or something. Oh, yeah. Posada finished 2 for 3 with 2 walks, 3 runs scored and an RBI.
Phil Hughes. It looked bleak for Hughes at the beginning of this one. He wiggled out of a bases loaded jam in the first and then was helped out by tremendous defense from Cabrera and Damon in the second (the defense hurt him later in the inning when Melky's throwing error allowed a run to score), but the kid regrouped and picked up his third win of the season. Hughes still missed spots throughout the night, but his fastball had pop and he retired 12 of the last 13 batters he faced (the only runner he didn't retire reached on an A-Rod error). Call it a grind out victory for the rookie. Hughes' second straight victory went something like this: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 earned), 3 BB, 1 K.
The Bad:
Hideki Matsui. Godzilla is in the midst of a 2 for 31 skid and looked terrible in three of his four at-bats on Tuesday night. Matsui is bailing on almost every pitch and was especially frustrated after popping out to third with the bases loaded in the sixth. Still, Hideki picked up a sac fly in his last at-bat and has been a streaky hitter in his stint in pinstripes. He'll break out of it. This weekend series against the Red Sox would be a good time. Matsui finished 0 for 4 with an RBI and left seven runners on base.
The Ugly:
Rogers Centre/Skydome. Remember when the Blue Jays used to play in front of a packed house every night? Yeah, those days seem long gone now. The attendance for Tuesday night's game in Toronto was announced at 30,472, but a quick look around the stadium would tell you that those numbers were inflated. The dwindling attendance at Rogers Centre isn't anything new, but I'm feeling a bit nostalgic for the days when a Blue Jays-Yankees match-up was a big deal. Now, when the ballpark is packed it's mostly filled with Yankee fans who made the trip up north. There's nothing wrong with that, but I feel like pining for days of yesteryear.
Joe Torre will place the ball in Mike Mussina's shoe for the middle game of the series on Wednesday night. It will be The Moose's first start since his three inning debacle against the Tigers on Aug. 27 (3 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 0 K). Mussina did make his first regular season relief appearance last week against Seattle and he pitched marginally better -- marginally (3.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 K). The Jays will send Dustin McGowan and his 10-8, 3.90 vitals to the hill. McGowan has pitched well so far in September (2-0, 1.69 ERA) and is 2-0 against the Yanks this season.
Kinda like the immovable object versus the irresistible force on Wednesday.
It was the Alex Rodriguez show this weekend in Kansas City.
A-Rod homered for the fifth straight game, Jorge Posada drove in the go-ahead runs with a towering double and Chien-Ming Wang won his 18th game of the season as the Yankees clipped the Royals 6-3 on Sunday. The Bombers are riding a five-game winning streak and now lead the wild card race by four over the Tigers. The dream for their 10th straight division crown is still achievable -- the Yanks remained 5.5 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East.
The Good:
 Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod was challenged all weekend by the Royal pitchers and he made them pay every time. His two-run jolt in the first came with two outs and first base open and gave the Bombers a quick 2-0 lead. I shouldn't be amazed by anything Rodriguez does anymore, but he still makes me shake my head. The guy is just an unbelievable offensive force right now and he's making it look easy. It was A-Rod's 52nd home run of the season and the Yankee pen got a chance to rotate their left shoulders four times this weekend. Good stuff. Alexander The Great finished 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 2 runs batted in.
Chien-Ming Wang. Wang breezed through the first three innings and then battled the rest of the way. Still, he kept his pitch count down (he finished with 90 through seven) and even though he worked in and out of trouble, he never really seemed to be in danger of giving up the big hit. Maybe it's just me, but I feel completely at ease whenever Wanger is on the hill. And that's what an ace is supposed to do for you. It wasn't spectacular, but Wang improved to 18-6 with this: 7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 4 K.
Jorge Posada. I was a tad surprised that Posada was catching a day game after a night game, but I guess the loss of Jeter made Joe pencil his name in the lineup. Good thing. Jorgie ripped a booming two-run double in the fifth inning to break a 3-3 tie and give the Yanks a lead they would never relinquish. A-Rod is by far the Yankees MVP this season, but Posada is a distant, but important second. I shudder to think what the Yankee season would have been like without Posada's Herculean offensive efforts. Posada finished 2 for 3 with a walk, a run scored and 2 RBI.
The Bad:
Jason Giambi. Giambi got the start at first on Sunday and he was the only Yankee starter who didn't crack the hit column. The Giambino started strong when he first came off the DL, but he's been slumping lately and looks over-matched at times at the plate. Jay Jay is 2 for his last 27 and his average has dipped to .243 on the season. Giambi finished 0 for 3 with a K.
The Ugly:
He's back! The Yankees made some roster moves on Sunday and called up six players from Scranton-Wilkes/Barre. Yes, one of those players is the much maligned Kei Igawa. I suppose Torre now has another option if Roger Clemens can't go in his next start. Could you imagine what Mike Mussina would do if Torre chose Igawa over him for a start? Oh, man! Of course, the chances of that scenario happening is about ten billion-to-one, but it would make for some good copy. Anyway, the other players called up were Jeff Karstens, Matt DeSalvo, Ross Ohlendorf, Sean Henn and Bronson Sardinha.
Monday is another off day for the Yanks (can you remember the last time the Yanks had so many off days during September? Vinny from Kearny and I can't) as they head to Toronto to take on the Jays for a three-game set starting on Tuesday night. Phil Hughes will get the call for the Yanks and he'll go against Shaun Marcum. Marcum has had a good season (12-5, 3.74 ERA), but he has pitched terribly at home (4.97 home ERA versus a 2.71 ERA on the road) this year. Hughes pitched better in his last start (a no decision against Seattle), but has yet to find consistency with his off-speed pitches.
There has also been some bad blood between these two clubs this season and A-Rod has been at the center of most of it (surprise, surprise).
Let's see what the Yankee third baseman has in store for everyone on Tuesday night.
Baseball is a difficult sport. You're taking a round ball and a round bat and you're trying to hit it square.
And right now, A-Rod is making it look too easy.
A-Rod crushed two more homers (number 50 and 51 on the season), Andy Pettitte got back on track and Johnny Damon collected three hits as the Yanks blew out the Royals 11-5 in Kansas City. It was the Yankees fourth straight victory and they now stand three games up on the Detroit Tigers in the wild card chase and 5.5 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East.
 The Good:
Alex Rodriguez. I guess A-Rod is feelin fine after all. Rodriguez has been nicked up lately (left shoulder, right ankle), but those injuries haven't cut into his magical season. A-Rod blasted two more dingers on Saturday night and became the first Yankee right-handed batter to slug 50 homers in a season. His two-run bomb in the fourth inning extended the Yanks lead to 4-0 and his solo shot in the sixth provided a 5-2 cushion. A-Rod made a bid for his third home run of the game later in the sixth, but the ball was caught at the warning track. Unreal. A-Rod finished 2 for 3 with a walk, a hit by pitch, 2 runs scored and 3 RBIs.
Johnny Damon. Johnny D got the Yanks going with a two-run clout in the third inning. It was Damon's 10th homer of the year and it gave the Bombers a 2-0 lead. Also, Johnny batted without batting gloves during the game. Hey, whatever works for you JD. Damon finished 3 for 6 with 2 runs scored and 2 runs batted in.
Wilson Betemit. Betemit got the start at first on Saturday, but he contributed more with his bat than with his glove. Betemit's three-run jack in the sixth broke the game open and gave the Yanks an 8-2 advantage. Wil hasn't been hitting well lately, but he still has a knack for knocking in runs. He has 19 RBIs in 25 games as a Yank. That will do nicely. Betemit finished 2 for 4 with a walk, 2 runs scored and 3 RBI.
The Bad:
Brian Bruney. Bruney came into the game in the ninth with the Yanks up 11-3 and couldn't throw a strike. He gave up two straight walks, got Craig Brazell on a deep fly to right and then walked the next batter to load the bases. He also got into a bit of a tiff with home plate ump Paul Schrieber about his strike zone. In the end, Bruney had nobody to blame but himself for his poor performance. Torre's patience with Bruney was already on shaky ground and this didn't help. Bruney threw 25 pitches in the ninth -- only 5 went for strikes. Not good. Bruney's final tally: .1 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 0 K.
The Ugly:
We've got a Captain down. Derek Jeter left the game in the fifth inning with right knee pain. Jeter's been banged up lately and Torre said that he'll give the Yankee Captain Sunday off. It's always a big deal when DJ misses a game and leaving in the middle of a game is almost unheard of. Still, if anyone can battle through it, it's the Cap'n. Monday's day off should also help.
Chien-Ming Wang goes for the sweep and win number 18 on Sunday afternoon. The Royals will send Zack Greinke to the hill to salvage a game and stop KC's four-game skid. The Wanger is 2-0 against the Royals this year with a 3.46 ERA. He's also won four straight decisions and hasn't lost in over a month (No, I don't think I'm jinxing him by providing these stats). Greinke is making only this fourth start of the season (fourth in a row) and hasn't gone more than five innings in his previous three. The Royal pitcher is 6-5 with a 3.87 ERA on the year, but he's going to have a difficult task against a red-hot Yankee lineup on Sunday.
After all, this game isn't easy.
It wasn't pretty, but at this time of the year, it doesn't have to be.
Alex Rodriguez continued his torrid hitting, Joba Chamberlain pitched two emotional innings and the seventh inning proved lucky once again as the Yanks edged the Royals 3-2 in Kansas City. Ian Kennedy struggled in his second big league start, but gave the Bombers five "bend but don't break" innings and the pen took it from there as the Yanks won their third straight and now lead the Detroit Tigers by three games for the wild card.
The Good:
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod connected for a homer in his first at-bat on Friday night (and his third straight in as many ABs) to give the Yanks a quick 1-0 lead. Rodriguez still doesn't look he's firing on all cylinders (and that's pretty scary), but even at "X" percent, he's still the best hitter in the league. A-Rod now holds the Yankee record for most homers in a season from a right-hander batter (he held the previous mark with 48 HRs during his 2005 MVP season) and is one away from hitting 50 in a season for the third time in his career. Rodriguez finished 3 for 4 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI.
 Joba Chamberlain. Chamberlain's dad made the trip to KC to watch his kid pitch for the first time in the bigs and he wasn't disappointed. Joba came into the game in the seventh to protect a 3-2 Yankee lead and pitched two scoreless innings. It wasn't perfect and it wasn't without it's drama (Billy Butler nearly took Joba deep for the final out of the seventh), but in the end Chamberlain kept his perfect 0.00 ERA intact. If you haven't heard, Joba's dad is disabled (he contracted polio when he was nine months old) and raised Chamberlain as a single parent. I'm not going to get all mushy here, but it was something to see Papa Chamberlain cheering his son on. Good stuff. Joba's line: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.
Bobby Abreu. Oh yeah, Abreu. El Comedulce drove in the winning run on Friday night with a booming two-out double in the seventh. Abreu has been swinging a hot stick lately (.389 during the first week of September) and drove in his 92nd run of the season. Way to go, Bobby. Abreu finished 1 for 5 with the game-winning ribbie.
The Bad:
Robinson Cano. Canu was the only Yankee who didn't reach base via a walk or hit on Friday night. He also struck out looking with the bases loaded to end the sixth inning. Robbie saw his average drop just under .300 on the year (.299) with his hitless night. Cano finished 0 for 4 with the big K and left five runners on base.
The Ugly:
Shutting down. The Yanks announced that Luis Vizcaino has soreness in his shoulder and won't pitch during the weekend series with the Royals. Vizcaino has been shaky in his last two appearances (1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 1 K), but the Yankees feel he should bounce back with a little rest. Let's hope so. Vizcaino leads the Bombers with 70 appearances, but feels his discomfort isn't due to overuse. I'm sure it hasn't helped.
Andy Pettitte will try and stretch the Yankee winning streak to four on Saturday night. Pettitte was a perfect 6-0 in August, but he was smacked around by the D-Rays in his only September start (6.1 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 2 HR). The Royals will turn to Brian Bannister. Bannister has had a terrific season for Kansas City (12-7, 3.16 ERA) and is 4-0 in his last four starts.
Time for the Yanks to bring Bannister back to earth.
Right now, if you told me that Alex Rodriguez was faster than a speeding bullet or could leap tall buildings in a single bound -- I would believe you.
A-Rod ripped two homers, both of them coming in an eight-run Yankee seventh, as the Bombers waxed Seattle 10-2 in the Bronx. Phil Hughes pitched his best game in nearly a month and Joba Chamberlain picked up his first big league win as the Yanks took two of three from Seattle and now lead the wild card race by three games.
The Good:
 Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod had an MRI on his right ankle before the game and the Yanks almost scratched him from the starting lineup. However, Rodriguez wouldn't be denied and talked Joe Torre into penciling him in as the DH on Wednesday night. Good move, Joe. A-Rod's solo shot in the seventh tied the score at 2-2 and ignited a furious Yankee rally. It's rare to see a home run rally the troops, but that's exactly what Rodriguez's clout did. The Yankees did next to nothing against Seattle starter Jarrod Washburn up to that point, but you could just feel after A-Rod's homer that the home team was on its way. Once again, the final score doesn't indicate it, but this game was a pitcher's duel for almost seven innings. That is, until A-Rod's A-Bomb. And then just for good measure, Rodriguez went deep in his second at-bat in the inning to give the Yanks a 9-2 cushion. Unreal. A-Rod finished 2 for 3 with a walk, 2 runs scored and 3 RBIs.
Yankee catchers Jose Molina and Jorge Posada. Yep, this catching hybrid also came up big against the Mariners. Molina was the only offense for the Yanks until the seventh. His first home run in pinstripes (and first overall this season) sliced the deficit in half at 2-1 in the third inning. Molina also did a solid job catching the young Phil Hughes. Molina finished 2 for 2 with a run scored and an RBI. Jorge Posada came in to pinch-hit for Molina with the bases loaded in the seventh and worked out a walk to give the Yanks a 3-2 lead. Again, the final score doesn't show it, but it was a huge at-bat at the time. Posada finished 0 for 0 with 2 walks and the go-ahead RBI.
Joba Chamberlain. Chamberlain pitched a perfect seventh and picked up his first win in the majors. Joba has yet to give up a run in 12.1 innings pitched this season. That's pretty damn impressive. It was Chamberlain's first appearance since almost plunking Red Sock Kevin Youkilis nearly a week ago. Good to see that his arm doesn't rust. Joba's night: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.
The Bad:
Shelley Duncan. Duncan was the only Yankee regular who didn't reach base by either a hit or walk or drive in a run. C'mon, Shelley! Duncan did contribute on defense, however, as he gunned out Raul Ibanez who tried to stretch a single into a double in the sixth inning. Atta boy, Frankenstein! Duncan finished 0 for 3 with a K.
The Ugly:
The number five. Seattle skipper John McLaren used five pitchers in the seventh inning -- five! -- (six if you count Jarrod Washburn who started the inning) and every single move didn't work. The Yanks exploded for eight runs in the frame and after a while, the moves bordered on ridiculous. It reminded me of the old gag where a VW bug pulls up and clown after clown comes out of the car.
Thursday is an off day for the Yanks as they head to Kansas City to take on the Royals for a three-game set. Rookie Ian Kennedy will make his second start on Friday night against KC ace Gil Meche. Kennedy shined in his big league debut against the Devil Rays (7 IP, 5 H, 3 R [1 earned]) and picked up his first victory. He'll make his first start in the Yankee greys. Meche is 0-2 against the Bombers in 2007 with a chunky 8.92 ERA.
Looks like an off day is the only way to keep A-Rod from crushing another homer.
Nice comeback.
The Yankees bounced back from an uninspired performance on Monday afternoon with a 12-3 thrashing of Seattle on Tuesday night. Chien-Ming Wang earned his 17th victory of the year, Jorge Posada collected four hits and went deep twice and Alex Rodriguez hit one of the longest homers you'll ever see from a right-handed batter at Yankee Stadium. In all, the Bombers belted four home runs and increased their lead over the Mariners to two games in the wild card race.
 The Good:
Chien-Ming Wang. The Wanger sailed through the first four innings and then turned into a double play producing machine. OK, maybe not a machine, but Wang induced two double plays in the fifth and sixth innings to preserve a slim 1-0 Yankee advantage. He was also helped out when Hideki Matsui gunned out Adrian Beltre at the plate in the fifth. The only downer was that Wang came out of the game with one out in the eighth after throwing only 86 pitches and the Yanks up 11-1. I'm not sure if it was injury-related or not (I didn't watch the postgame with the lovely Kim Jones). Ignorance is bliss as far as I'm concerned right now. I'll worry about it on Wednesday. Wang improved to 17-6 with this: 7.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3, BB, 1 K, 1 HR.
Jorge Posada. Posada continued his charmed season. His laser beam dinger in the second gave the Yankees an early 1-0 lead. The final score doesn't indicate it, but this game was nip and tuck until the seventh and Jorgie's home run was huge at the time. The Yanks blew this bad boy open with seven runs in the seventh and Posada put the capper on it with another homer in the eighth. Posada finished 4 for 4 with 4 runs scored, a walk and 2 RBI.
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod blasted a gargantuan shot into the upper deck in left field in the sixth to give the Bombers a 2-0 lead. Hitting a ball into the left field upper deck is a rare feat at Yankee Stadium and Rodriguez has done it twice this season. It was round-tripper number 46 for A-Rod and he also picked up RBI number 131 on the year. There was a scary moment though when Seattle third baseman Adrian Beltre rolled up on A-Rod's leg on a play at third base. But it looks like nothing outside of a gunshot wound is going to keep Rodriguez out of the lineup. A-Rod finished 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI.
The Bad:
Luis Vizcaino. Vizcaino entered the game with one out in the eighth and the Yanks up 11-1 and couldn't get out of the inning. Not a huge deal, but it was the second straight crappy outing for Vizcaino. These things have a way of snowballing. Shake it off, Luis. Vizcaino's outing: .1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K.
The Ugly:
A shot in the arm. Roger Clemens is headed to Texas to have a cortisone shot in his right elbow. The Rocket says he won't miss much time (if any), but this isn't good news. The old wizard is also suffering from blisters on his right foot. Geez, what's next? Hemorrhoids? The pitching staff has been sagging lately and even if Clemens doesn't miss his next start, how much can the Yanks expect to get from him now? Stay tuned.
The rubber game will feature Phil Hughes for the Yanks and Jarrod Washburn for the M's. Washburn is 1-1 this season against the Yanks with a 2.06 ERA. The veteran lefty is 9-12 overall with a 4.37 ERA in 2007. The 21-year-old Hughes is 2-3 this season with a 5.65 ERA and hasn't won since Aug. 10 at Cleveland. The Yankee rookie has yet to post a "W" at The Stadium.
The Yanks need a good performance from Hughes on "W"ednesday.
I guess Seattle is going to put up a fight after all.
Roger Clemens wasn't sharp, Ichiro Suzuki picked up three hits and tied an AL record by collecting 200 hits in seven consecutive seasons and the M's pitching staff put the Yankee bats to sleep in a 7-1 victory on a Labor Day in the Bronx. The victory snapped the Mariners nine-game losing streak and cut the Yankee lead in the wild card to one game.
I'll be honest with you Yankee fans, I didn't watch most of this game. I caught the first four innings or so and then stuffed my face with burgers and dogs. I did tape the game and was going to watch the rest of it when I got home, but I'm too tired and disgusted with this team right now. Therefore, my roundup will be brief.
 The Good:
Alex Rodriguez. So far, it looks like A-Rod is going to break the one month on, one month off cycle he's been working on this season. Rodriguez picked up two more hits and drove in the only Yankee run on Monday afternoon. The Yankee third baseman is now batting .455 in September. Nice start. A-Rod finished 2 for 4 with a stolen base and an RBI.
The Bad:
Roger Clemens. Clemens made the start despite a barking elbow and blisters on his feet. You gotta give The Rocket an "A" for effort, but his performance wasn't up to snuff. He labored through most of this game and was gone by the fifth inning. Clemens also had an MRI on his elbow after the loss. Hopefully, it's nothing a few days off won't help. At least the Yanks still have The Moose to fill in for him. Right? Clemens fell to 6-6 with this: 4 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR.
The Ugly:
Tough break. Turns out Andy Phillips fractured a bone in his right wrist on Sunday afternoon. He's scheduled to have season-ending surgery on Tuesday. It's been a rough year for the 29-year-old Phillips. His mom was in a serious auto accident during spring training. That caused him to miss some time and consequently cost him a spot on the team when they headed up north. Phillips eventually made his way back to the big club and for a time was the Yankees regular first baseman. But the acquisition of Wilson Betemit and return of Jason Giambi began to eat away at Andy's playing time. Now this. Still, Phillips finishes the 2007 season with respectable numbers -- .292, 2 HR, 25 RBI in 185 at-bats. Hang in there, Andy.
The Yanks have now dropped three of four since sweeping the Red Sox. Chien-Ming Wang will try and break the Yankee funk on Tuesday night. The Mariners will counter with Horacio Ramirez. Ramirez is 8-4, but has a chunky 6.55 ERA on the season. He shut the Yanks down in May (6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R), but he's only made it past the sixth inning once in his last eight starts. Wang is riding a personal three-game winning streak and gave up only one hit in his last start against the BoSox.
Time for The Wanger to become the new Yankee stopper.
The Yankees entered the weekend series against the Devil Rays riding high from a three-game sweep of the first-place Red Sox.
In the end, it turned out to be a lost weekend for the Bombers.
Andy Pettitte started strong but faltered late, ditto for Edwar Ramirez and the Yanks couldn't solve Josh Hammel and the Tampa pen as the D-Rays slammed New York 8-2 on a sun-soaked day at The Stadium. The Devil Rays blasted four home runs and took two of three from the Yankees over the weekend. The loss coupled with a Boston victory lengthened the Red Sox lead in the AL East to six games, but the Mariners continued to stumble so the Yanks remain two games ahead in the wild card race.
 The Good:
Melky Cabrera. Cabrera's RBI-double in the fifth tied the score at 1-1 and gave the Yanks their only high point of the afternoon. Melky continued to put up solid numbers in day games (he's batting .333 with 5 homers and 23 ribbies in matinees) and pushed his average to the brink of .300 once again. The Melk-Man finished 2 for 4 with a stolen base and an RBI.
The Bad:
Andy Pettitte. Pettitte really deserved a better fate on Sunday afternoon. The veteran lefty started out well, but he stumbled late and gave up a back-breaking three-run homer in the seventh to give the D-Rays a 5-1 lead. I suppose Pettitte was due for a bad game (even though he pitched better than his final numbers indicate), but it's frustrating when it comes against the Devil Rays. Pettitte dropped to 12-8 with this: 6.1 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 7 K, 2 HR, 1 pick off. Andy also committed his first error of the season.
Edwar Ramirez. Ramirez came in for Pettitte in the seventh and looked unhittable. For a time. Ramirez struck out three of the first four Devil Rays he faced. Then he came down with an ailment no reliever can afford to contract -- Homerun-itis. No one knows how it's contracted and there is no cure. Okay, maybe I'm being a tad dramatic, but the kid gave up two bombs that put the game out of reach. Ramirez's final tally: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 HR.
The Ugly:
8-6. That's the Yankees record against the Devil Rays this season. Sure, it's a winning mark, but the Yanks should be feasting on a team with a 56-81 record. Instead, they're just barely keeping themselves above water. At least, that's the way I see it.
Well, there's no time for moping around as the Yanks welcome in the Seattle Mariners for a huge three-game set starting on Monday afternoon. The M's limp in riding a nine-game losing streak and have seemingly fallen out of the race in the AL West (they're now seven games back of the Angels). The Yanks can also knock them out of the wild card chase with a good performance. A sweep will put the Yanks up by five with 22 to play. Two out of three would give the Bombers a three game cushion with 22 to play.
Game one will pit Roger Clemens against Felix Hernandez. King Felix (10-7, 4.08 ERA) was spanked in his last start against the Angles (7 IP, 13 H, 6 R, 2 HR) and lefties are batting a robust .313 against him. The Rocket is coming off a hard-fought victory over the Red Sox (6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 1 HR). Roger has also sparkled at home this year -- his ERA in the Bronx is 2.63.
Time to make some headway for a post-season berth.
It was the smart move. Torre was always smarter.
Actually, it was a move Yankee fans have been demanding for some time, but I watched a bit of The Godfather recently and just felt like working in that line. Mike Mussina was bumped from the rotation to make way for rookie Ian Kennedy on Saturday afternoon and it payed off. The kid pitched great and A-Rod looks like he's going to make it a September to remember as the Yanks dropped the Devil Rays 9-6 on a gorgeous day in the Bronx.
 The win moves the Yanks two games ahead of the reeling Mariners and positions them 4.5 games behind the BoSox (as of this writing) in the AL East.
The Good:
Ian Kennedy. The latest Baby Bomber was terrific in his pinstriped debut. He doesn't have over-powering stuff, but he changes speeds and throws strikes. Some scouting reports labeled Kennedy as a young Mussina and while it's still too early for that, he does have the same exaggerated bend when he goes to the stretch. Weird. Anyway, the Yanks gave Kennedy a quick 2-0 lead after one inning, but the rookie fell into trouble in the top of the second and it wasn't all his doing. A-Rod dropped a pop up for an error. Instead of two outs and a runner on first, it remained one out with a runner on first. Kennedy, perhaps rattled, gave up a base hit on the extended at-bat. He gave up two runs in the inning and threw a ton of pitches, but he didn't let it get him down. Kennedy settled in and gave up only two more hits the rest of the way. If Mussina was upset at missing one start in the rotation, I wonder how he's going to feel when the kid takes another one away from him. Kennedy's first win looked like this: 7 IP, 5 H, 3 R (1 earned), 2 BB, 6 K, 1 HR.
Alex Rodriguez. I guess Rodriguez didn't notice that the calendar flipped to September because he continued to smoke the baseball. A-Rod crushed home run number 45 in the first to give Kennedy and the Yanks a 2-0 lead. Rodriguez has had an up and down season (in terms of monthly production), but he collected three hits on Saturday and starts the new month batting at .750 (yeah, just felt like showing off my math skills). He wasn't even flustered when the umps took away his bat in the third inning (more on that later). There was a scary moment though when he jammed his left shoulder advancing to second on a wild pitch. Let's hope it was nothing. A-Rod finished 3 for 4 with a run scored and 4 RBI.
The Bad:
Luis Vizcaino. Vizcaino came into the game in the eighth with the Bombers up 9-3 and quickly turned it into a ballgame. He was hit hard, gave up three runs and forced Torre to bring in Rivera for a four-out save. It was a hiccup for The Viz so I was a bit surprised that the fans turned on him as he left the mound. It was a poor outing, but the guy has pitched well since June. Use your heads Yankee fans. Vizcaino's numbers: .2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 0 K.
 The Ugly:
Bats in the belfry. Baseball can be a diabolical game of checkers. Case in point: With runners on first and second and two outs and Tampa third baseman Akinori Iwamura facing a 2-2 count, Joe Torre emerged from the dugout and walked toward the home plate umpire. After an umpire team huddle, the boys in blue confiscated Iwamura's bat. The reason? The Yanks questioned the "flatness" of the bat. A-ha. The maneuver worked as Kennedy struck out Iwamura and ended the Devil Ray rally. Not to be outdone, D-Ray manager Joe Madden popped out of the dugout in the third inning and, with Alex Rodriguez at the plate, asked the umps to take A-Rod's bat. Ah, touche. However, the move didn't have the same effect on Rodriguez as he laced a single to left during a two-run inning for the Yanks. It was great to see managers trying to mess with players' heads, but I wanted to see more outrage. I wanted to see Iwamura flip out and charge after Joe Torre. I wanted to see A-Rod point and yell at Madden and then fling the bat toward the dugout. Maybe it was the clip YES showed of George Brett during the pine tar game that got me fired up. Ah, well.
Andy Pettitte will try and give the Yanks the series on Sunday afternoon. He'll go against Jason Hammel. Pettitte went 6-0 during August with a 2.36 ERA and picked up three victories following Yankee losses. I hope he hasn't forgotten how to pitch following a Yankee victory. Hammel was thrust into the starting rotation against the Yanks on July 21 and didn't fair well (4 IP, 3 R [2 earned], 3 BB, 1 HR) in a no decision. He hasn't pitched well in August either, going 0-3 with a 9.72 ERA.
Looks like the Yanks won't need any special bats to score runs on Sunday.
So much for putting the pedal to the metal.
Phil Hughes turned in his third straight disappointing game, the pen wasn't much better and the Yanks made Tampa starter Andy Sonnanstine (3-9 coming in) look like a potential 20-game winner as the Devil Rays crushed the Bombers 9-1 at The Stadium. The only positive from this one was that the Red Sox and Mariners also lost, so no damage done (I guess).
 The Good:
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod picked up half of the Yankee hit total on Friday night -- one. But his hit turned into a ribbie so he gets the nod over Derek Jeter (who went 1 for 3 and scored the lone Yankee run). It was Rodriguez's 125 run batted in on the season. A-Rod finished 1 for 3 with an RBI.
The Bad:
Phil Hughes. The D-Rays jumped on the rookie early and never let up. Hughes threw a ton of pitches and never had control of his curveball. There also seemed to be a conference with Hughes in nearly every inning. I'm not sure if it was to settle down the 21-year-old or if it was about pitch selection or what, but Posada, Guidry and even Jeter blazed three paths around the mound on Friday night. It may be a bit unfair to expect Hughes to be as dominating as he was in the minors, but he shouldn't be this inconsistent. Hughes fell to 2-3 with this: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R (4 earned), 4 BB, 4 K, 1 HR.
The Ugly:
The greatest injustice in the history of the world. That's what I said it would be if MLB suspended Joba Chamberlain for almost hitting Kevin Youkilis. Well, the hammer fell on the Yankee rookie on Friday as he was fined an undisclosed amount and suspended for two games for his "inappropriate actions" on Thursday afternoon. Freakin' unreal. It makes me pine for the old days when take out slides were the norm, baseball players were hopped up on goof balls and inappropriate actions were settled between teams. Chamberlain won't appeal the suspension and served the first game on Friday night. The suspension will also put off the debate on whether Joba's 1+ inning of work on Thursday would have meant a one or two day lay-off.
The Yanks will have to dial up the intensity a notch if they want the sweep against the Red Sox to mean anything. I'm sure Ian Kennedy won't have a problem getting up for his first big league start on Saturday afternoon. The Rays will counter with hard-throwing Edwin Jackson. Jackson has an ugly 4-12 record, but he has pitched well lately. He was 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in August. He also shutdown the Yanks on July 20 (6 IP, 4 H, 0 R).
Now let's turn the page on this unpleasant game and get back to work.
You never know what you'll see during a ballgame.
This one had a bit of everything. Chien-Ming Wang carried a no-hitter into the sixth, Robinson Cano drilled two homers over the opposite field gap, the umps reversed a call and ruled Kevin Youkilis out for running out of the baseline, A-Rod scored all the way from first when "Captain" Varitek threw the ball into left trying to nab Bobby Abreu at third and Joba Chamberlain was ejected from the game because two pitches got away from him.
 In the end, it was another good day for the Yanks as they blanked the BoSox 5-0 to sweep the three-game set. The victory moves the Bombers within five games of first in the AL East and one game in front of Seattle in the fight for the wild card.
The Good:
Chien-Ming Wang. The Wanger was working it on Thursday afternoon. Wang's control was a tad off, but the Yankee ace took a no-hitter into the seventh. In the end, the Red Sox mustered only one hit against Wang. For my money, Wang has to be considered one of the top five pitchers in the game. Sure, he doesn't put up the big strikeout numbers or have a ridiculously low ERA, but he wins ballgames. And that's all that matters in my book. Wang improved to 16-6 with this sparkling line: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 5 K.
Robinson Cano. Cano belted two absolute bombs off of Curt Schilling on Thursday. Both were solo shots and both traveled about 400 feet the other way. You don't really think of Cano as a guy who hits tape measure homers, but Robbie flexed his muscles on those two dingers. Canu also improved on his lowly .256 batting average in day games with the two hits. Robbie finished the afternoon 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs.
Derek Jeter. The Captain has been beat up lately, but he really beat up on Boston during this three-game set. Jeter collected four hits on Thursday and went 7 for 11 in the series. It's nice to see DJ get back on track, especially for the stretch run. But really, did you have any doubt that he would? Jeter finished 4 for 4 with a run scored.
The Bad:
Johnny Damon. Damon was a force against his former mates during the first two games of the series, but he had a very quiet third game. There's nothing wrong with that, but I have to keep the Yanks and Damon on their toes. The Yankees need Johnny D to continue his hot hitting. I'm just doing my part to keep him focused and motivated. Damon finished 0 for 4.
The Ugly:
Why am I out? Joba Chamberlain was tossed in the ninth inning when two pitches sailed over Kevin Youkilis' head. I'll be honest -- I thought the first one may have been on purpose. I don't think he wanted to hit Youkilis, but just brush him back. But when the rookie rocketed the next one in the exact same spot you knew he had lost a bit of the plate. I mean, if he wanted to hit him, he would have hit him. Makes sense, don't it? Right? Well, home plate ump Angel Hernandez didn't think so and he kicked Joba out. Weak. Posada protested, Torre complained and Chamberlain was stunned. Torre was dead on when he said this after the game:
"Unfortunately, in a lot of situations, the umpires do not apply common sense. And I've seen it too many times. And something has to change. Either they have to school them or do something that certainly gives them a feel for the game better than they showed today."
The Red Sox are already taking it personally and manager Terry Francona said after the game that the Yanks had gotten their attention. How bout that three-game sweep, Tito? Did that get your attention, too? If Chamberlain receives any disciplinary action from the league, it would be the single greatest injustice in the history of the world.
Next up for the Yanks -- the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Rookie Phil Hughes will try and bounce back from two subpar outings and will go against the 3-9 Andy Sonnanstine and his 6.38 ERA. The last three games against the BoSox may have been big, but it's crucial that the Yanks experience no let-down against the D-Rays.
After all, you never know what can happen at the ol' ballyard.
Once again Boston brought out the best in the Yankees.
The Bombers turned solid pitching, timely hitting and terrific defense into a 4-3 victory in the Bronx on Wednesday night. The Yanks have won two in a row and now stand in a "virtual" tie with the Mariners for the lead in the wild card race. They have also cut the BoSox lead in the AL East to six games.
 The Good:
Roger Clemens. Clemens wasn't brilliant, but he followed up his buddy Pettitte's gutsy win on Tuesday night with one of his own. The Rocket had a no-hitter going for 5 1/3 innings, but it wasn't as easy as that for the veteran right-hander. He walked five and weaved in and out of trouble almost all night. Still, the old man continued to kick Father Time in the nuts with another quality effort. Clemens improved to 6-5 on the season with this: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 2 K, 1 hit batsman, 1 HR.
Melky Cabrera. The Melk-Man helped the Yanks draw first blood with a two out, RBI-single in the second inning for a 1-0 lead. It's night's like these when you can picture Melky as the Yankee center fielder for the next 10 years. Whatever "it" is, the kid's got it. Cabrera finished 3 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI.
Johnny Damon. Johnny on the spot burned his former team for the second straight night. His clutch two out, two-run single in the second pushed the Yankee lead to 3-0. This is the Johnny Damon the Yankees have been looking for the whole season. Better late than never. Damon finished 1 for 5 with 2 big ribbies.
The Bad:
Kyle Farnsworth. You knew it was coming, right? Farnsworth gave up a two-run homer to Kevin Youkilis in the eighth that cut the Yankee lead to 4-3. It was the first time in seven appearances that Farnsworth had given up a run. It may have made the game a bit more interesting and forced the Yanks to bring in Mariano Rivera in the eighth, but if Farnsworth can go seven of eight appearances without giving up a run, the Yankees should be sitting pretty. Farnsworth's night: .2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR.
The Ugly:
Snap decision. This is sort of off subject (sort of), but I have to say that I was wrong about ESPN's mini-series The Bronx is Burning. I kinda ripped into this thing when it first came out and watched only for the camp value. But I have to admit, as the weeks worn on, I began to like it. It isn't without its flaws, but John Turturro and Oliver Platt are terrific and it showed me things I didn't know about the '77 season. Did you know George Brett and Graig Nettles got into a fight at third base during the ALCS and both guys weren't thrown out of the game? Or suspended? Or that Billy Martin brought in Sparky Lyle during the fourth inning of Game 4 of that series? Good stuff.
The Yankees go for the sweep on Thursday afternoon and will give the assignment to Chien-Ming Wang. Wang has had a bumpy month, but he was great in his last start against the Tigers and has a 3-1 record during August. He'll go against Red Sox resident loudmouth Curt Schilling. It will be Schilling's fourth start against the Yanks this season -- so far, he's 0-1 with an ERA of 7.00.
Keep the good vibes going, Wanger.
I guess all it took to wake up the Yanks was a game with the Red Sox.
Andy Pettitte pitched seven gutsy innings, Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon both went deep and the Yankee pen sparkled again as the Bombers downed Boston 5-3 under a full moon at The Stadium. The victory cuts the Red Sox lead in the AL East to seven games and slices the Mariners' lead in the wild card to 1.5 games (as of this writing).
I suppose the sky isn't falling after all.
If you're interested in seeing (or reading) what a Red Sox fan thought of Tuesday's game check out Erin's live blog.
 The Good:
Andy Pettitte. The Yanks needed another big effort from Pettitte on Tuesday night and once again the veteran lefty delivered. It wasn't easy and it wasn't always pretty (Andy blew a first inning 2-0 lead and gave up a game-tying homer to Jason Varitek in the seventh), but Pettitte made the big pitch when he had to and in the end, that's what mattered. Pettitte won his sixth straight start and picked up his 12th victory of the season with this solid effort: 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 6 K, 2 HR.
Johnny Damon. Johnny D continued his late-season resurgence -- his two-run homer in the seventh was the game-winner. I've been a bit tough on Johnny over the course of the season, but he has really turned it on. Damon is batting .333 in August and has developed into a pretty decent left fielder. It looks like the Yankee "A" lineup will consist of Damon in left and Matsui in the DH spot. Hey, whatever works. Damon finished 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and the 2 big RBIs.
Derek Jeter. DJ entered Tuesday night's game battered and bruised and mired in a 5 for 23 slump. But The Captain always seems to come through against the BoSox. Jeter's solo shot in the fifth gave the Yanks a 3-2 lead and stopped Matsuzaka from settling into a groove. Jeter finished 1 for 3 with a walk, a run scored and a run batted in.
The Bad:
Joba Chamberlain. It was Joba's first look against the Red Sox and the rookie right-hander allowed two runners to reach base. What the hell's going on here?! I kid, I kid. It's just been so long since Chamberlain has allowed a walk and a leadoff one to boot. Actually, it was a positive to watch him work out of a semi-jam in the eighth. It showed he has the intestinal fortitude for this stuff. Still, the two runners allowed is going to kill his WHIP. Joba's totals: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K.
The Ugly:
A shattered psyche. Seems like everyone has been screaming for Mike Mussina's head (and with good cause), but the veteran right-hander's state of mind may be in a worse shape than his fastball. Here's what The Moose had to say after his shellacking on Monday:
"Right now, I let go of [the ball] and I don't feel anything good is going to happen. It's tough to pitch that way. You can't play the game that way, to feel you have no control over anything, and that's how I feel right now."
Yikes. I'm not sure if Torre is going to give Mussina another chance, but with The Moose sounding so down, I would say it's a long shot.
The series continues on Wednesday night as Roger Clemens and Josh Beckett take their turns. People may call this a battle between two Texans, but Clemens was actually born in Ohio. Yeah, you don't really hear that often. Anyway, The Rocket was roughed up in his last start against the Tigers and will be making his first appearance against his former team this season. He's 8-5 with a 3.85 against Boston in his career. Beckett will be making his third start against the Bombers on Wednesday. He's 1-0 with a 5.53 ERA against the Yanks in 2007.
Let's see if the Ohio-native can teach the kid from Texas a few things.
What a disgraceful display!
Mike Mussina was bludgeoned again, the bullpen was a disaster and the Yanks only managed three hits as Detroit embarrassed New York 16-0 in the Motor City.
So much for a sense of urgency in the Bronx. The Yankees dropped three out of four against the Tigers this weekend and finished the road trip at a pitiful 2-5.
 The loss basically drops the Yanks out of the AL East race as they now sit eight games behind the Red Sox. The wild card chase has also become more interesting. The Yankees now stand 2.5 games behind Seattle (as of this writing) and only one game ahead of the Tigers for the last playoff spot in the American League.
The Good:
Good? There was nothing good about this game! OK, I guess I can't throw in the towel. Brian Bruney. Bruney was the only Yankee pitcher who didn't allow a run on Monday night. Yea! It was Bruney's second straight solid outing since being recalled from Triple-A late last week. Bruney's totals: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.
The Bad:
Mike Mussina. It was easy as 1, 2, 3 for Mussina on Monday night. The Moose gave up one run in the first, two runs in the second and three runs in the third. Exit Mussina, stage left. To say that Mussina was terrible would be a gross understatement. The Yanks just needed Mussina to be decent, not brilliant, and he couldn't deliver. The question now is -- now what? Do the Yanks give Mussina one more shot? His next start would come Saturday against the Devil Rays. Mussina is 16-7 in his career against Tampa Bay with a 3.50 ERA. Or do they flip a coin and give his spot in the rotation to Ian Kennedy, Kei Igawa, Jeff Karstens or (insert a name here)? The way Mussina has looked lately almost any other pitcher would be a better option. The Moose's putrid totals: 3 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 0 K.
Sean Henn. Nobody was expecting Henn to come in and be lights out (at least I wasn't), but you have to do a better job than this. Henn was all over the joint on Monday night. You could hang the wash on all the line drives Henn gave up and he nearly walked the ballpark. Henn came in and turned a disappointing loss into a first-class ass whipping. I wouldn't count on seeing the Yankee lefty trotting out of the pen anytime soon. Henn's totals: 2.2 IP, 8 H, 9 R (7 earned), 5 BB, 4 K.
The Ugly:
This entire game. Face it, this contest was over as soon as Mussina hit the hill for the Yanks. It's amazing how one man can sap the strength out of an entire team, but that's exactly what Mussina did to the Yanks on Monday night. In his last two starts, the Yanks have given up a total of 34 runs. Coincidence? I think not.
The Yanks return home and will take on the Red Sox in a now anticlimactic three-game set starting on Tuesday night. Once again the Yanks will turn to Andy Pettitte to stop the bleeding. Pettitte has been the shining star of the suddenly dismal pitching staff. The "stopper" is 5-0 in August with a 2.06 ERA. The BoSox will send Daisuke Matsuzaka to the hill. Matsuzaka is 2-0 against the Yanks this year, but has an ERA of 6.92 in those two games.
Hey, it can't get any worse.
Can it?
What the hell just happened?
The Detroit Tigers belted three home runs in the first three innings and held on to defeat the Yanks 5-4 on Sunday afternoon. In just over a week, the Yankees' deficit in the AL East has ballooned from four games to 7.5 games.
And I don't like it one bit.
 The Good:
Jason Giambi. Torre pulled the right strings again on Sunday. Giambi homered for the fifth time since coming off the DL early in the month. His solo shot in the second got the Bombers on the board and his single in the ninth gave the Yanks hope. The Giambino finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI.
Robinson Cano. Cano's three-run bomb in the fourth inning drew the Yankees as close as they would come on Sunday. I was listening to John and Suzy at this point and they couldn't stop gushing about how far it went. Sterling also patted himself on the back when he came within one foot of estimating how far the ball traveled. Nice going, John. Cano finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and 3 RBIs.
The Bad:
Phil Hughes. Hughes settled down after giving up the three dingers on Sunday afternoon, but it was too late. This wasn't a terrible start by the Yankee rookie, but the Bombers need wins right now and the three homers put the team down early in this contest. Again, the kid is going to have his ups and downs and normally it wouldn't matter, but the Yanks are fighting for a playoff spot and they're just going to need a little more from Hughes. Hughes dropped to 2-2 with this: 6 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 3 K.
The Ugly:
The Captain sidelined. You know Jeter had to be beat up when he didn't argue with Joe Torre after not seeing his name in the starting lineup on Sunday afternoon. DJ has looked a bit sluggish in the last few games and it's really coming at a bad time for the Yanks. They're going to need him if they're going to make a run for the post-season. Jeter said he would play on Monday, but Torre wasn't too sure. Let's see what happens.
The Yanks try for the split on Monday night and will have to face the Tiger ace Justin Verlander. Verlander defeated the Yanks at The Stadium last week. The Yankees will turn to Mike Mussina. The Moose may be pitching for his spot in the rotation. He's been bombed in his last two starts going 0-2 with an ERA of 18.87. Still, Mussina isn't worried and doesn't expect to lose his job. "Who are they going to replace me with?" Mussina quipped.
The balls.
Still, he may have a point.
Nothing like a well-pitched game to pick up the spirits.
Chien-Ming Wang pitched eight outstanding innings, Bobby Abreu stole three bases and Melky Cabrera and Johnny Damon hit back-to-back triples in the sixth as the Yanks tripped up the Tigers 7-2 on a Saturday night in Detroit Rock City. The Red Sox won so no change in the AL East standings, but the M's lost so the Yanks now stand two games back of Seattle in the wild card chase.
 And I made it through this whole game without falling asleep. Yep, I am proud of myself.
The Good:
Chien-Ming Wang. Wang continued his dominance over the Tigers on Saturday night. The Wanger improved to 5-0 in his career against Detroit with his best effort in nearly a month. The only rough patch for the Yankee ace came in the fifth when he allowed a stolen base, crossed up Posada for a passed ball and uncorked a wild pitch. That cut the Yankee lead to 3-2, but the Bombers picked up their starter with a four-spot in the top of the sixth and Wang never looked back. He also gave the pen a rest after they pitched 5 2/3 innings on Friday night. The Yankee righty looked a bit shaky in his last three starts, but the Yanks went 2-1 in those games and it now looks like the old Wang is back. The Wanger picked up his 15th win with this: 8 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 earned), 2 BB, 6 K, 1 WP.
Melky Cabrera. Cabrera only had one hit on Saturday night, but it was a big one. His three-run triple in the sixth broke the game open and gave the Yanks a commanding 6-2 lead. The Melk-Man may have cooled a bit from his sizzling July, but he's still batting over .300 in the month of August and has hit safely in six of his last seven games. Not too shabby. Melky finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and 3 RBIs.
Johnny Damon. It looked like Damon would be the odd man out when Jason Giambi rejoined the team, but Johnny is making it tough for Torre to remove him from the leadoff spot. His homer in the third increased the Yankee lead to 3-1 and he capped the Yankee scoring with an RBI-triple in the sixth. Damon had his third straight multi-hit game and he's hitting a smoking .416 in his last seven games. Keep riding the hot hand, Joe. Johnny D finished 2 for 5 with a run scored and 2 RBI.
The Bad:
Jorge Posada. Jorgie had a rough night. He allowed two stolen bases, picked up a passed ball and left seven runners on base. He also went hitless at the plate. Shake it off, Jorge. Posada finished 0 for 5.
The Ugly:
Just let it go. Placido Polanco had his record errorless streak for a second baseman stopped at 147 games when he committed a boo boo early in Friday night's game. Well, now it looks like he didn't commit that error. The official scorer met with the umpiring crew and changed the error to first baseman Marcus Thames. Was that really necessary? Would the scorer have met with the umpiring crew if Polanco didn't have a streak going? Also, that error came in the first inning of a game that ended at about 3:30 in the morning. How did the official scorer even remember that play? Someone must have been in his ear and if that's the case, then that's really weak. And who even cares about a second baseman's errorless streak? I sure don't.
The Yanks will try and make it two straight against the Tigers and send rookie Phil Hughes to the hill. Hughes has been inconsistent since returning from the DL, but he's pitched better on the road and holds an impressive 2.89 ERA away from the Bronx. He's also held righties to a paltry .213 batting average this season. Detroit counters with a rookie of their own -- Jair Jurrjens. The lanky righty has only two big league starts under his belt and will be making his first appearance against a team other than the Cleveland Indians. He's 1-1 with a 3.29 ERA so far this season.
Time to welcome the kid to the Majors -- Yankee style.
Of course a game that started at 11 o'clock in the p.m. would go extra innings.
Unreal.
The Yanks fell to the Tigers on Friday/Saturday, 6-3 in 11 innings, and fell 6.5 games behind Boston in the AL East and 3 games back of Seattle for the wild card. I missed the last inning (I'm really starting to hate myself), but I'm going to plow on anyway with my little roundup here. I'm starting to forget how to do it.
The Good:
 Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod hit an absolute mammoth two-run blast in the third inning and gave the Yanks a short-lived 3-2 lead. It was home run number 43 on the year for Rodriguez as he looks to become the first Yankee right-handed batter to swat 50 homers in a season. A-Rod is also in the middle of another "hot" month. Check out these batting averages: .355 in April, .235 in May, .402 in June, .206 in July and .354 so far in August. Here's hoping he bucks the trend and hits .500 in September -- I think the Yanks are going to need it. A-Rod finished 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 2 runs batted in.
Joba Chamberlain. The guy just continues to dominate. I was stuck in traffic during his performance (it took me 1 hour and 10 minutes to travel a distance I usually make in about 20 minutes on Friday night. Damn overnight construction!), but I had John and Suzy to help me through it. The Yankee radio tag-team said it took Joba nine pitches to get through the seventh, but the box score has him at ten pitches. Either way, Chamberlain has now pitched 9 innings in the big leagues and has given up 3 hits, 0 runs, 2 BB and has 15 Ks. It would be nice if the Yanks took off the handcuffs regarding his pitching schedule, though. I mean would it kill the kid if he pitched again on Saturday night if they needed him? Whether it was nine or ten pitches? Chamberlain's totals: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.
The Bad:
Roger Clemens. Maybe it was the long rain delay. Maybe it was because he was facing the Tigers for the second time in a week. Maybe it was because the game started way past the old man's bedtime. Whatever the reason, The Rocket looked less than stellar on Friday/Saturday night. Clemens fell behind on almost every batter and really labored through his start. Roger's no decision: 5 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 HR.
Sean Henn. I didn't see Henn pitch the 11th inning, but I woke up in time to see YES' replay of the game-winning homer he gave up to Carlos Guillen. Actually, it wasn't a terrible pitch, but Henn has been dreadful since his callup back to the Bronx. His ERA in his last three appearances is a horrific 20.25. No, thank you. But, he probably won't be sent down anytime soon since Ron Villone just hit the DL. Henn was slapped with his second loss in pinstripes with this: .2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 soul-crushing HR.
The Ugly:
Four hours? Actually the official time for the rain delay clocked in at 4 hours and 1 minute, but I'll round it off. On the one hand, I'm glad they waited and played the game. You don't want to play a double dip this late in the season -- especially with a Red Sox series on the horizon. And then on the other hand -- four hours?
On the bright side, the teams will play a night game on Saturday. It will be a battle of talented, but struggling starting pitchers going for both sides. Chien-Ming Wang is 2-1 so far in August, but has an appalling 7.06 ERA during the month and has really looked shaky. He'll also be making his second start against the Tigers in less than a week. Jeremy Bonderman will go for Detroit and he's been even worse. Bonderman's last win came on July 13 and he has an ERA of 8.97 since July 24.
At least they'll be starting this game at a normal hour.
Right?
Andrew Eugene "Stopper" Pettitte.
OK, maybe it doesn't roll off the tongue, but Andy Pettitte put the brakes on a mini two game skid with a tremendous effort on Wednesday night as the Yanks avoided the sweep and dropped the Angels 8-2 in Anaheim. The BoSox and Mariners both lost so the Yanks now stand five back in the AL East and 1.5 games behind in the wild card chase.
 History was also made on Wednesday as Joe Torre moved into second place on the all-time Yankee win list, passing Yankee legend Casey Stengel. Congrats, Joe.
I almost made it through this one (I drifted away in the eighth with the Yanks up comfortably 6-1) so I really could do a "good, bad and ugly" roundup, but gosh-darnit, I'm too tired. Once again Brian was more man than me and had the good fortune of doing a winning update.
But, I do have some news from Yankee Land. It looks like Brian and Vinny were on to something when they "suggested" Mike Mussina be pulled from the rotation. Vinny e-mailed me this about The Moose's situation. It's a good little article and the comparison between Mike Mussina and David Cone now seems incredibly obvious. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
The Yanks have the day off on Thursday and head to Detroit Rock City to take on the Tigers in an important wrap-around four-game set starting on Friday. Roger Clemens will toe the rubber for the Yanks and takes on lefty Andrew Miller. Miller will be making his first start since a stint on the 15-day DL. Good news for the Yanks -- he made two rehab starts and finished with an ERA of 9.00. Clemens will be making his second start in a row against the Tigers which always makes me a bit nervous. Still, The Rocket has pitched well in August (2-0, 3.95 ERA in three starts) and struck out eight in his last start against Detroit. Since the Bombers will back on normal hours, the good, bad and ugly will be back in full force.
Here's hoping it will be all good.
Nothing like a good spanking to angry up the blood. The Angels blistered The Moose and slaughtered the sacrificial lambs sent out from the Yankee pen in their 18-9 thumping of the Yanks on Tuesday night. Garret Anderson had a career night, 2 homers and 10 RBIs, as the loss dropped the Bombers six games back of Boston in the AL East and 2.5 games behind the Mariners for the wild card.  Once again, I wasn't up to the task and dozed off during this disaster. I suppose that was a blessing. But, DP was watching and has another entertaining roundup. Also, no good, bad and ugly for this nightmare, but I did get another email from Vinny in Kearny about the game: What a mess. I think Moose has been reincarnated as Dave LaPoint. He is only going to keep hurting the Yanks in their pursuit to get to the playoffs. I think it is time to make the tough decision Torre keeps pretending is not on his mind. Send Moose to the pen, they need a long relief guy for mop ups and he will be perfect for the job. Bring up Ian Kennedy and hope that his fate is better then President Kennedy... And there you have it. Although I didn't experience this loss live, it still put me in a foul mood. Even with all the positives going on with the Yanks, it seems like they are stuck in neutral when it comes to gaining ground in the playoff hunt. And leave it to the Angels to bring the giddy Yankee fans back to earth. Andy Pettitte gets the call on Wednesday night to stop the sweep. It won't be easy -- the Halos will send their ace John Lackey to the hill. C'mon guys -- give me a reason to stay up.
The Yankees Kryptonite continues to be the Angels. The Bombers lost a tough one on Monday night, 7-6 in 10 innings, to the Halos. I'll be honest with you dear readers, I was in and out through this whole game. I used to love West Coast games when I was working at night, but now that I've entered into the world of the living, I just can't hang. I must be getting old.  Anyway, no "Good, Bad and Ugly" segment for Monday night's game (and I can't promise any for Tuesday and Wednesday night), but DP has an entertaining recap of the game, even though it ended badly. Also, here is an email I got from Vinny in Kearny on Tuesday morning about the game: Disappointing loss, bad managing was a factor. Hughes should not have been out there for the 7th. And if Torre was going to make the decision to bring MO in, in the 9th of a tie game, then he should have planned to use him 2 innings. Otherwise he should have brought Henn in the 9th and let him blow it. He also had Ramirez warming up but never used him... There you go, a little insight into the mind of another Yankee fan. The Yanks will try and rebound on Tuesday night and will send Mike Mussina to the hill. I will also try to rebound and hope to make it through the entire game.
It's too bad the Yanks aren't in the AL Central because they would be setting up their playoff rotation right now.
The Bombers improved to 26-8 against the AL's middle division with a 9-3 drubbing of the Tigers on Sunday afternoon. Johnny Damon showed that he can still contribute, Wilson Betemit continued to drive in runs and the bullpen was lights out again as the Yanks won their third straight and moved to within four games of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East.
 The Good:
Johnny Damon. It looks like Damon may be the odd man out in the everyday lineup, but he got the start in left field on Sunday and made the most of it. Damon reached base four times and his upper deck shot in the sixth broke a 3-3 tie. Right now Damon is like the girl with the curl -- when he's right, he makes an already potent lineup downright deadly. So far Torre is pushing all the right buttons in regards to the lineup. Let's see how long it lasts. Damon finished 3 for 4 with a walk, 2 runs scored and a ribbie.
Wilson Betemit. Betemit spelled Jeter at short on Sunday afternoon and his day didn't start off too well. He struck out in his first two at-bats and Jim Leyland intentionally walked Robinson Cano twice to get to Betemit. It worked the first time, but Betemit ripped an RBI single in the seventh to give the Yanks a 5-3 lead and then slammed a three-run double in the eighth that put the game away. Now that's what you call perseverance. Betemit has 12 RBIs in 12 games with the Yanks this season. Willie finished 2 for 5 with 4 RBI.
Hideki Matsui. I predicted that Matsui would have a good game on Sunday and I was correct. Hey, it happens every once and a while. Godzilla drove in the first three Yankee runs and upped his RBI total to 86 on the year. He also finished the game with a batting average of .300 on the nose. Thanks for making me feel like a genius, Hideki. Matsui finished 1 for 3 with 3 runs batted in.
The Yankee pen. This was really fun to watch. The two headed monster of Joba Chamberlain and Edwar Ramirez came in late and put the exclamation point on a terrific weekend in the Bronx with dominating performances. First up was Chamberlain, who came in for Wang in the seventh, and he retired the Tigers on only nine pitches (8 strikes). His fastball continues to be overpowering and his slider looks better with every appearance. Next up was Ramirez and he started out by striking out the first three Tigers he faced. His changeup was sharp and he looked determined to show the Yanks that they made a mistake in sending him down earlier in the year. Joba and Edwar's combined totals: 3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 5 K.
The Bad:
Chien-Ming Wang. Yes, Wang did pick up his 14th win of the season on Sunday, but he continued to struggle. The Wanger gave up a bunch of line drives and labored through most of the game. How off was Wang? He gave up three hits to Mike Rabelo, the Tigers backup catcher. Wang also seems to be moving away from throwing his sinker. I'm not sure if it's a residual effect of the cracked nail he suffered earlier in the year or simply a change in philosophy, but it's something that should be addressed. Why move away from throwing 94 mph sinkers? I'm not worried about Wang, but I would say that I'm a bit concerned. Or it could be that I've just become spoiled with Wang's success. Wang's totals: 6 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 6 K, 1 WP, 1 balk.
The Ugly:
There's no crying in baseball. During the telecast on YES, Yankee broadcaster Michael Kay recounted two stories when current Yankees were reduced to tears due to the pressure of performing on the big league level. The first was about Derek Jeter and the loneliness and pressure he felt as an overwhelmed 18-year-old kid in his first year in the Yankee system. The second was about Edwar Ramirez and how he cried after a bad performance earlier in the season and was sent down the following day. What is this -- The Oprah Winfrey Show? I sort of understand what Kay was trying to say (sort of) about the demands put on young kids in pro ball, but did he really have to mention that both guys blubbered through their difficult times? Let them keep their dignity, Michael.
The Yanks will head to the left coast and take on the bane of their existence and Erin's favorite team -- the Angels -- for a three-game set. The Bombers have lost four of six against the Halo's this season at The Stadium and it won't get any easier in Anaheim. The Angels own a Major League best 40-17 record at home this year. Phil Hughes gets the nod for the Yanks and will try and continue his road dominance this season (he's 2-0 with a 0.73 ERA in the Yankee greys). The Angels will counter with spot starter Dustin Moseley with his 4-2 record and 4.84 ERA.
The Yanks will try and put him in a tough spot on Monday night.
I guess extra rest for Roger Clemens means more strikeouts.
The Rocket returned from his suspension throwing gas and the Yanks scored four runs in the sixth en route to a 5-2 victory over the Tigers on Saturday afternoon. Clemens struck out eight, Jorge Posada and Bobby Abreu both went deep and the Yankee bullpen sealed the win with three innings of stellar relief. Even the beleaguered Kyle Farnsworth contributed -- he pitched a 1,2,3 seventh including strikeouts of Gary Sheffield and Magglio Ordonez.
Yeah, I was shocked too, but believe it or not, Kyle hasn't allowed a hit or a run in his last four appearances. No, really, it's true. If Farnsworth has finally "turned the corner" then the Yankee pen should be in great shape as the Bombers hit the stretch run.
The Good:
Roger Clemens. Clemens was in and out of trouble for a lot of this game. He threw a bunch of pitches (he finished with 108 pitches in six), had at least one runner on in every inning except one and gave up 10 hits, but came up big when he needed to. The highlight of Roger's afternoon came in the third when he wiggled out of a first and third nobody out jam. Clemens struck out Curtis Granderson for the first out and then pulled off maybe the strangest double play of his career. With the runner at first running, Clemens K'd Marcus Thames swinging and then cut off Jorge Posada's throw to second and chased down Brandon Inge (who broke for home) for the final out of the inning. Good stuff. Clemens also became the ninth player in Major League history to record 1,000 strikeouts with two different teams. It was another gritty performance for Clemens and he evened his record to 5-5 with this: 6 IP, 10 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 8 K, 1 HBP.
Bobby Abreu. Abreu hit one of the ugliest homers of his career on Saturday, but it was good enough to give the Yanks a lead they would never relinquish. With the Bombers down 2-1 in the sixth, Abreu sliced a ball down the left field line that I thought had no chance of staying fair, but it somehow hit the foul pole (at least I guess it did. The game was on FOX and Tim McCarver said it hit the pole, but there was no replay to confirm his statement. Weak.) for a two-run home run and a 3-2 Yankee lead. Bobby has had the magic touch lately with his bad hop RBI single on Friday night and his oops homer on Saturday. I wonder what El Comedulce has in store for Sunday. Abreu finished 1 for 3 with a walk, a run scored and 2 RBIs.
Jorge Posada. The dog days of August have had no effect on Posada's game. The Yankee catcher picked up three more hits on Saturday, including his 15th homer of the season in the second inning that gave the Yanks a 1-0 lead. How great has Jorgie's season been? Posada's average hasn't dipped below .311 at any point this season. That's unreal. Posada finished 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI.
The Bad:
Hideki Matsui. The Yankees banged out 11 hits on Saturday and every Yank had at least one -- except for Godzilla. Matsui finished 0 for 4 and dropped his average under .300 for the season. But, I'm not worried. Matsui has a career .467 average and 3 homers against Sunday's scheduled starter Jeremy Bonderman. Oh no, they say he's got to go -- go go Godzilla!
The Ugly:
How bout that. Gary Sheffield entered Saturday's game batting .533 against Roger Clemens. How is that possible? Well, Gary proved that his 8 for 15 was no fluke as he finished 3 for 3 against The Rocket and upped his career average to .611 against the future Hall of Famer. Yep, the fans still booed Sheffield.
The Yanks try for three out of four against the Tigers on Sunday afternoon and will send Chien-Ming Wang to face Jeremy Bonderman. Bonderman is 10-5 on the season, but he's 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in August. The Wanger has also had a rough August (1-1 with a bloated 8.04 ERA), but is 3-0 in his career against Detroit with a 2.52 ERA.
In Wang we trust.
The Yankees needed a big effort from Andy Pettitte on Friday night and something to wake their creeping malaise.
They got both.
Pettitte was brilliant through eight and Jason Giambi belted two home runs, but the biggest play of the night came in the bottom of the third inning. With the Tigers up 1-0 and the Yanks on their way to wasting a first and second nobody out rally, Bobby Abreu hit a routine ground ball to short that took a wicked hop and bounced into center for an RBI single. That two-out gift from above was the beginning of six unanswered runs scored by the Yanks and sparked the Bombers to a 6-1 victory over Detroit at The Stadium.
 The Good:
Andy Pettitte. Pettitte was tremendous on Friday night. He was painting corners, changing speeds and keeping the Tigers off balance. He also took charge on a popup in the infield. It may be ridiculous, but you just don't see pitchers call for balls in the air -- even if they are in perfect position to field them. Anyway, it looks like Pettitte is ready to put the team on his back for the stretch run. Andy won his fourth straight game and improved to 10-7 on the season with this effort: 8 IP, 5 IP, 1 R, 1 BB, 5 K.
Bobby Abreu. Abreu entered Friday night's game batting a sickly .217 against lefties (yeah, I didn't believe it either), but picked up three hits against lefty Nate Robertson. Sure, two of them were infield hits and one had some magic pixie dust on it, but, hey, you wouldn't have know that if you didn't see the game. Abreu finished 3 for 4 with a stolen base and an RBI.
Jason Giambi. It's nice to see that the Giambino's mind is free and clear a day after Bud Selig decided to squash that steroid investigation (or whatever it is they're doing) against him. Giambi blasted two more homers on Friday night (including a titanic bomb into the upper deck in the eighth) and now has four dingers since coming off the DL. Looks like Torre may work Giambi into the lineup more and curb Johnny Damon's playing time. At least, for now. Jay Jay finished 2 for 4 with two runs scored and 2 runs batted in.
The Bad:
Derek Jeter. The Captain was the only Yankee starter who didn't reach base either by a hit or walk on Friday night. He finished 0 for 4, struck out twice and left four runners on base. Yeah, I'm not that concerned about it, either.
The Ugly:
Poor baserunning. Robinson Cano has been one of the hottest hitters since the All-Star Break, but he continues to mystify on the basepaths. On Sunday afternoon in Cleveland, he was doubled off on a weak liner to third and on Friday night he failed to tag up at second and advance to third on a fly ball to right field. The gaffes didn't hurt the Yanks, but Robbie has to be more aware out there. C'mon, Robbie -- the Yanks already have one of the worst baserunners in the league in Jorge Posada. They don't need another one.
Roger Clemens returns to the Yanks after serving his five-game suspension and will take the hill against Chad Durbin. Clemens should be well rested since he hasn't pitched in 11 days and will try and even his mark to 5-5 on the year. Durbin started the season in the Tiger starting rotation and pitched well (4-1 through April and May), but moved back to the pen in late June. Now he's back in the starting role and so far things haven't worked out. He's 0-2 with an 8.78 ERA in his last two starts.
The Yanks will look to make it 0-3.
You knew it couldn't last forever.
Mike Mussina entered Thursday night's game riding a personal four-game winning streak, but he was touched up early and often as the Tigers beat the Yanks 8-5 at The Stadium. The game wasn't really that close as The Moose gave up a grand slam in the first and then two more runs in the second as the Yanks fell 5.5 games behind Boston in the AL East and .5 game back of the Mariners in the wild card.
The Good:
 Bobby Abreu. I thought when Abreu hits, the Yanks win. Something's wrong -- something's amiss. Abreu's two-run homer in the third sliced Detroit's lead to 6-3 and gave the Yanks a glimmer of hope. Too bad it was just a glimmer. Bobby finished 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs.
Hideki Matsui. Godzilla picked up three more hits on Thursday and finally pushed his average over .300 for the season. Matsui's RBI single in the first got the Yanks on the board and his ribbie double in the ninth delayed the inevitable. Still, Matsui is putting together another solid season in pinstripes after a rough beginning. Matsui finished 3 for 5 with a run scored and 2 RBI.
The Bad:
Mike Mussina. The Moose put the Yanks behind the eight ball early on Thursday night. Sure, he was hurt by A-Rod's error in the first, but his pitches were up -- especially his off-speed stuff. The Yanks were able to tag Justin Verlander for three runs through the first three innings, but Mussina just couldn't hold down the Tigers. And when Mussina looks bad, he looks old. The Moose's winning streak came to a screeching halt with this effort: 5 IP, 9 H, 7 R (6 earned), 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HR.
The Ugly:
It's Gary! Gary Sheffield made his return to the Bronx on Thursday night. It was his first appearance since being traded in the off-season and his first appearance since claiming Joe Torre treated black players differently than white players. Yep, he was booed in his first at-bat. Sheffield stated before the game that he had nothing to clear up with Torre. Sheffield has always been outspoken, but that's sometimes confused with "telling it like it is." Sheffield just likes to talk. I don't think he even realizes what he's saying half of the time. How else to explain his strange logic? He said Torre treats players differently based on the color of their skin, but he's not a racist. Here's another Sheffield gem: "If I lose friends, so what. I don't need friends. I've got plenty of friends." Yeah, I don't get it either.
Nevermind. Speaking of bizarre logic, turns out Jason Giambi won't be disciplined for admitting (sort of) to using performance-enhancing drugs. Why, you ask? Because Commissioner Bud Selig thinks Giambi's a good guy. He cited Giambi's $50,000 contributions to two different charities as reasons why he's letting the Yankee DH off the hook. Oh, man, what a mess!
The Yanks will try and stem the tide on Friday night and will give Andy Pettitte the assignment. Pettitte is 3-0 with a 2.70 ERA in his last three starts. Detroit Rock City will counter with lefty Nate Robertson. Robertson is 7-9 on the season with a chunky 5.01 ERA. Righties are batting a healthy .305 against Robertson this season, but he did pick up his first victory in nearly a month against the A's last week.
Time to get him back on the losing track.
It's the age-old question: would you rather get routed or lose a close one?
Either way, a loss is a loss as the Yanks wasted a dramatic three-run bomb off the bat of Shelley Duncan and dropped the rubber game to the O's, 6-3 in 10 innings, in the Bronx. The Bombers didn't lose any ground to the Red Sox in the AL East or to the Mariners in the wild card hunt, but that offers me little consolation.
I was at work during the game, but checked in on MLB's Gamecast and caught some of the replay when I got home. Let's get this over with.
The Good:
Duncan continues to be a monster -- Frankenstein's monster! The Yanks were on their way to another shutout loss when Shelley lifted a ninth inning, two-out, three-run dinger to tie the score at 3-3. Duncan also picked up his first big league assist when he gunned out the speedy Corey Patterson at the plate. This kid has really given the Yanks a shot in the arm. My only problem with him is that he just doesn't show enough emotion on the field. Duncan finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and 3 RBIs.
Edwar Ramirez. The Yankees did the right thing before Wednesday's ballgame and sent Jeff Karstens and Jim Brower back to Triple-A and brought up Ramirez and Sean Henn. And guess what? Torre used Ramirez right off the bat and the kid was impressive. His changeup was falling off the table and the Orioles had no answer for it. I still don't know what took the Yanks so long to bring him back up. Edwar's totals: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K.
The Bad:
Mariano Rivera. What the hell's going on here? Rivera has been shaky in his last three outings and really ripped the hearts out of the Yanks on Wednesday. Mo blew a save on Monday against the O's, but the hits he gave up that night were bloops and bleeders. Well, he was hit hard on Wednesday and his poor performance cost the Yanks a chance at an uplifting victory. I guess the Dog Days of August are taking their toll on the Sandman. Shake it off, Mo, you're better than this. Rivera dropped to 3-4 on the year with this: 1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HR.
Phil Hughes. Hughes' performance on Wednesday afternoon was so-so. I'll put him in the "bad" category because the three runs he gave up all came with two outs. The Yankees may tell you he's mature well beyond his years (and he certainly gives that impression on the mound), but he's still a rookie and he has to learn how to pitch out of two-out jams. Still, I have to give him credit for working out of a first and third, nobody out jam in the fifth. I guess the Yanks will have to live with his growing pains. Hughes' no decision: 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R (2 earned), 2 BB, 4 K, 1 WP.
The Ugly:
The Birds. The Yankees record against Baltimore this season now stands at 4-8. The Orioles aren't an awful team by any stretch -- their lineup is decent and they have some quality starters -- but there is no way the Yanks should be four games under against a team that's 56-63 on the year.
The Yanks have to shake off this disappointing loss as they welcome in the Detroit Tigers for an important four-game set beginning on Thursday night. It will be the first meeting between these teams this season and the first meeting since the Tigers upset the Yanks in last year's divisional playoffs. Mike Mussina goes for his fifth straight win and the Tigers will counter with their ace Justin Verlander (12-4, 3.58 ERA).
This will also be the first visit for Gary Sheffield since he left New York.
I wonder what kind of reception the home folks will give him.
What happened on Tuesday night in the Bronx is something you call a "throw away game."
The Yanks turned to Jeff Karstens to fill in for the suspended Roger Clemens and well, things went downhill from there. Karstens was shellacked, the middle relief was even worse and the Yanks managed only two hits as Baltimore blasted the Bombers 12-0 at The Stadium.
 How bad was it? Kyle Farnsworth was one of the bright spots as he pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning. Does that mean he'll make it into my "good" category? Negative! Still, he continues to show how dominant he can be when the Yanks are down by a dozen runs.
The Good:
Hideki Matsui. Matsui got one of the two Yankee hits on Tuesday. I'll give Matsui the nod simply because his single made it past the infield. Godzilla's hit also inched him closer to the .300 mark. Matsui finished 1 for 2 with 2 walks.
The Bad:
Jeff Karstens. My brother and I had a nice little conversation about Karstens at one point during the game. Hell, watching this game turned into torture so we had nothing else to do. Anyway, we both like Karstens and I really have to give the kid credit for making it back this year after he broke his leg in April. But, we both agreed he really doesn't belong with the Yanks right now. He serves no purpose. Karstens should be in Triple-A making starts every fifth day instead of rotting away as a long reliever or spot starter with the big club. Nothing personal Jeff, but we would send you down and bring up Edwar Ramirez. Now, if we could only get Torre to use Ramirez once he's up here. Karstens fell to 0-3 with this mess: 3 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 1 K, 1 HR.
Jim Brower. Speaking of serving no purpose. I'll ask again: why is Brower on this team? His only job on Tuesday night was to be the garbage man and eat up some innings. Did he do it? No! Not only did he get shelled, but he only gave the Yanks two innings. Unacceptable! My bro and I both agreed -- we want him outta here instamatically!! We don't even want to see him back in pinstripes during the September callups. When is Brian Bruney eligible to return to the Bronx? Brower's useless effort: 2 IP, 5 H, 6 R (4 earned), 1 BB, 0 K.
The Ugly:
Five? Even though the Yanks were embarrassed 12-0, they needed five pitchers to finish the ballgame. Again -- unacceptable! Somebody had to step up and take one for the team, but it didn't happen. The pen will be a bit weary if they're needed to pitch in tomorrow afternoon's rubber game.
Sad Note:
The Scooter. Former Yankee shortstop and broadcaster Phil Rizzuto passed away on Monday. He was 89. The Yanks honored the Hall of Famer by painting Rizzuto's retired number 10 along the baselines and will wear the same number on their uniform sleeve for the remainder of the season. I grew up, like countless others, with The Scooter's unique broadcasting style while watching the Yanks. My brother, cousin and friends would mimic Rizzuto's calls while playing Nintendo baseball or playing whiffle ball in the backyard. I can honestly say that I learned to love baseball while listening to the team of Phil Rizzuto and Bill White on WPIX. The Yankees weren't that good for a majority of those years when I was a kid, but Rizzuto still made the games fun. Thanks for the memories you huckleberry.
Phil Hughes goes for the Yanks in Wednesday afternoon's rubber match and will oppose Oriole ace Erik Bedard. The O's lefty is 12-4 on the season with a 3.11 ERA and is 2-0 against the Yanks this year. Hughes will be making his third start since coming off the DL and is gunning for his second straight win and first ever victory at Yankee Stadium.
The first one is always the hardest.
Monday's game began with the Yanks honoring Alex Rodriguez's induction into the 500 club, but the night belonged to Melky Cabrera.
Melky scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth and did everything except sell peanuts and water the infield as the Yankees edged the Baltimore Orioles 7-6 at The Stadium. Chien-Ming Wang battled back from a rocky first inning but struggled, the Yanks overcome an early 3-0 deficit only to see Rivera blow his first save opportunity since April, but the Bombers scratched out a run in the final frame for their fourth victory in a row and ninth in ten games.
 The Good:
Melky Cabrera. This may have been Melky's best all-around performance in pinstripes. The Melk Man was an offensive and defensive whirlwind on Monday night. Cabrera made a snazzy catch on a sinking line drive in the second inning to save a run and probably kept the struggling Wang in the game. Then he ripped a two-out RBI double in the fourth to give the Yanks a 5-3 advantage and extend his hitting streak to 18 games. In the ninth with the Yanks clinging to a 6-5 lead, Melky unleashed a rocket from center on a base hit and gunned out Melvin Mora at home. The O's would eventually tie the game, but with one out in the bottom of the ninth, Melky was drilled by a pitch, advanced to third on Giambi's pinch-hit single, and then motored home on the game-winning infield dribbler by Derek Jeter. This is a case where the box score doesn't tell you the whole story, but those who watched Monday night's game know Melky did a lot more than just go 1 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored.
Wilson Betemit. Betemit must really like being in the pinstripes. The husky switch-hitter blasted his second homer since being acquired at the trade deadline and is batting .333 as a Yank. His two-run bomb in the second inning turned a 3-2 Oriole lead into a 4-3 Yankee advantage. Betemit finished 1 for 2 with a walk, a run scored and 2 RBIs.
Joba Chamberlain. Chamberlain made his first appearance in front of the home folks on Monday and didn't disappoint. Joba showed off his overpowering fastball and broke off a few more of those sick sliders. The Orioles didn't have a chance. It's still very early, but so far it looks like the Yanks made the right move in placing him in the bullpen. Joba's line: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K.
The Bad:
Chien-Ming Wang. Wang didn't have it early and looked like he was headed for another early exit, but he regrouped and made it into the seventh inning. Every starter has stretches like this where they just don't pitch well so I'm not too concerned about the Wanger. Still, it was his second straight shaky performance and his ERA now stands at a un-Wang-like 4.09. Wang's no decision: 6+ IP, 8 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 1 WP.
Mariano Rivera. The Sandman didn't exactly get lit up in the ninth, but he did blow the save. In fact, if it wasn't for Melky's terrific play in the ninth, the Yanks could have been looking at a deflating loss. Still, I can't go too crazy on Rivera. It was only his third blown save of the season and his first in 19 opportunities so I can't rip into him too much. He makes it into my "bad" section and I'll just leave it at that.
 The Ugly:
Whoopsie! The Yankees showered A-Rod with gifts before Monday night's game. They were honoring Rodriguez becoming the fastest player ever to reach the 500 homer plateau. A-Rod received two pieces of artwork, a silver tray and the home plate from his historic game. However, the show-stopper came when artist Peter Max pulled too hard on the covering of his bat and ball sculpture and sent everything tumbling to the ground. An omen? I hope not.
The Yanks will try and keep the good times rolling on Tuesday night as they send Jeff Karstens out to the mound. Karstens will be filling in for the suspended Roger Clemens. It will be Karstens' first start since April 28 when he broke his leg against the Red Sox. The O's will trot out hard-throwing Daniel Cabrera who is 0-1 against the Yanks this year with a 5.95 ERA. Cabrera has good stuff, but is extremely inconsistent.
Which makes him the very opposite of the Yankees' Cabrera.
It's been a while, but the Yankees still know how to win the close ones.
The Bombers jumped out to a 4-0 lead behind Andy Pettitte and then withstood a late-inning surge by the Indians as they downed Cleveland 5-3 on Sunday afternoon and swept the weekend series. Pettitte pitched brilliantly into the eighth, Jason Giambi smacked another homer and Mariano Rivera made it exciting but eventually slammed the door as the Bombers remained tied with Seattle for the wild card lead and moved to within four games of the BoSox in the AL East.
The Good:
Andy Pettitte. Pettitte followed the template set by Phil Hughes and Mike Mussina in the first two games of the series and picked up his third straight victory. He induced 13 ground ball outs and kept the Indians off balance all afternoon. The Yankee offense has been getting all the press lately (and with good cause), but this pitching staff is really rounding into form. It almost feels like every pitcher is going out there and trying to out-do the previous starter's effort. Pettitte also made one of the plays of the game when he picked off Jhonny Peralta at first with the bases loaded and no outs in the seventh. Don't see that every day. The Yanks were up 4-0 at that point and that play really destroyed the Indians' rally. The wily vet escaped major damage and gave up only one run in that inning. Pettitte improved to 8-7 with this: 7.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K.
Jason Giambi. I'll go on record (again) and say I didn't really like the idea of Giambi rejoining the team at this point. I was afraid that his return would upset the chemistry this team has created during his absence. Well, Giambi is really trying to show me that maybe I was mistaken. The Giambino blasted his second homer in as many days on Sunday afternoon. I'm still not sure where he fits with this squad, but he's doing a great job so far. Also, it's fun to watch Shelley Duncan's reaction when Giambi comes into the dugout after a home run. Classic stuff. Giambi finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and 2 RBI.
Mariano Rivera. It was a bit sweaty for Rivera and the Yankees in the late innings, but the Sandman wouldn't be denied. Rivera maneuvered through trouble with two outs in the eighth and then worked himself into a real corker of a jam in the final inning. Mo started the ninth with the Yanks up 5-2, but gave up three straight hits which sliced the lead to 5-3 and put the tying runs at second and third with no outs. Mission impossible? Not for Rivera. Mo calmly struck out the next two batters and then got Casey Blake to fly out to right. Game. Set. Match. Maybe Brian was right when he wrote that Rivera was the best baseball player of his lifetime. Rivera earned his 19th save of the year with this: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 Hit Batsman.
Derek Jeter. Jeter made a fabulous backhanded play in the first inning to rob Casey Blake of a base hit. It was patent Jeter, but it still amazes every time. He also continued to torment the Cleveland faithful by upping his career average at the Jake to .383 with a key RBI single in the ninth. The ribbie gave Rivera and the Yanks a more comfortable 5-2 advantage. The Captain finished 1 for 5 with the big run batted in.
The Bad:
Luis Vizcaino. The Viz came into the game in the eighth with runners on first and second with one out and the Yanks up 4-1, but couldn't get out of the inning. Vizcaino didn't pitch terribly, but if he's going to be the bridge to Rivera, he's going to have to work out of jams like that. Maybe I'm being a little to hard on Luis, but if he has a few more outings like this, it won't be long before Torre turns the keys over to Joba in the eighth. His line won't reflect it, but Vizcaino gave up an RBI single to Victor Martinez to cut the Yankee lead to 4-2. Vizcaino's vitals: .1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.
The Ugly:
Delayed call. Tim McClelland was behind the plate on Sunday and you know what that means. It means every call is delayed and John Sterling complains about it at least twice an inning while calling the game on the radio. McClelland has been around forever and nearly everyone agrees that he's one of the best in the game, but his slow, deliberate calls at the plate are just awful. I really don't understand why he does it. McClelland also ejected Yankee pitching coach Ron Guidry late in the ballgame. Guidry wasn't complaining about McClelland's slow calls, but about his strike zone. But I'm guessing Gator didn't like McClelland's style behind the plate either.
The Yanks return home and welcome in the Baltimore Orioles for a three-game set beginning on Monday night. The O's may not be in the playoff hunt, but they're playing well since Dave Trembley took over. Jeremy Guthrie gets the ball for the Birds and will go against Chien-Ming Wang. Guthrie is putting together a solid season and has pitched well against the Yanks this season (1-0, 2.97 ERA). Wang was roughed up in his last start in Toronto (2.2 IP, 8 R), but holds a stingy 2.77 ERA in the Bronx.
And the Yanks have been stingy about losing games lately.
So, this is some of the best the American League has to offer?
Pffffft.
The Bombers banged out 19 hits, A-Rod went deep twice, Jason Giambi blasted a monster pinch-hit homer and Mike Mussina looked like The Moose from circa 2001 as the Yanks ripped the Indians 11-2 in Cleveland. The win keeps the Yanks tied with Seattle for the lead in the wild card race and 5 games back of the Red Sox in the AL East.
Watching the Indians offense struggle reminds me of how this Yankee squad was playing earlier in the season. The Tribe lineup is strong from top to bottom, but for some reason, everyone is slumping at the same time. The Yanks were able to put it together, but it was a long, arduous climb.
And nobody is going to feel sorry for you.
The Good:
Mike Mussina. The Moose was in total control on Saturday night. He worked quickly and efficiently and was throwing every one of his pitches for strikes. Mussina's turnaround has really been amazing. In his last four starts, Mussina is 4-0 with a 2.95 ERA. I gotta tell ya, I didn't see this coming. Mussina has been streaky at times during his career and it looks like he's in the middle of a hot one. The Moose upped his record to 8-7 with this gem: 7.2 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 6 K.
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod continued his quest for the MVP. His first two-run clout capped a seven run second inning for the Yankees and his two-run bomb in the eighth gave him five multi-homer games this season. Rodriguez is putting together perhaps the greatest single-season ever by a Yankee right handed batter. A-Rod finished 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 4 RBIs. Rodriguez's season totals to date: .301, 39 HR, 114 RBI.
Jose Molina. Jorge Posada missed his second game in a row with a stiff neck, but Molina and the Yanks haven't missed a beat. Molina had the first four-hit game of his career and is batting .300 since joining the Bombers. With all the movement on the Yankee roster recently, the acquisition of Molina may slip under the radar, but it's nice to know the Yanks now have a backup catcher who can get the job done on offense and defense. Molina finished 4 for 5 with a run scored.
The Bad:
Shelley Duncan. Duncan was the only Yankee who didn't pick up a hit on Saturday night. The reason? He was the only Yankee who didn't get an at-bat. Frankenstein went in to play first in the bottom of the ninth. Still, his name is in the box score and there's a goose egg in the hit column. C'mon Shelley -- you gotta want it! I kid, I kid. Duncan did make his presence know when he dived into the stands on a pop up down the first base line. He didn't get it, but it's nice to see that Duncan's motor is always running -- even in the ninth with the Yanks up 11-2.
The Ugly:
Ethan Hawke? During the Yankee broadcast on YES, Michael Kay shamelessly promoted his upcoming CenterStage and the guest was Ethan Hawke. Ethan Hawke? Hey, I loved Training Day and thought he was great, but Ethan Hawke? I guess things are going so swimmingly in Yankee Land that this has to be part of my "ugly" segment. I don't know -- it just seems like an odd guest to appear on the Michael Kay Show. I mean, CenterStage.
The Yankees will take out the brooms and try and make it a season sweep against the Tribe on Sunday afternoon. The Yankees swept the Indians in a three-game set at The Stadium in April. Andy Pettitte will be looking for his third straight victory and he'll oppose Cleveland righty, and former Yankee, Jake Westbrook. Pettitte had a rocky July (six starts, 6.96 ERA), but so far in August, he is 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA. Westbrook pitched against the Yanks in April and was lathered for 8 runs and failed to make it out of the second inning. But, Westbrook has pitched well in his last two starts (2-0, 0.64 ERA).
The Yankees haven't swept an away series since way back in the beginning of May (three game sweep against the Rangers, including a doubleheader).
They'll get another shot on Sunday.
 I love it when a plan comes together.
Phil Hughes looked like an ace in only his fourth career start, A-Rod belted another long homer and the Yankees may have uncovered a new bullpen formula as they downed the Indians 6-1 at the Jake on Friday night. The victory positions the Yanks five game back in the AL East and pulled them into a virtual tie with the (surprise, surprise) Seattle Mariners for the wild card lead.
The Good:
Phil Hughes. Number 65 was dealing from the opening bell. Sure, he found himself in a first inning jam when he allowed a two out double and then a walk, but the kid didn't panic and came back to strike out Jhonny Peralta to end the threat. That was the only rally the Indians would muster against the rookie. Hughes' nose-to-toes curveball was tight and his fastball looked, at times, overpowering. The 21-year-old picked up his second career victory and strangely, both have come on the road. Hughes' line: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 HR. Way to go, Phillip.
Joba Chamberlain. I'll admit I was a bit concerned when the Yankees called up Chamberlain from Scranton. Oh sure, he rocketed up the minor league ranks and his numbers where borderline obscene, but I thought it was asking a lot from the kid to come and pitch in the late innings. Well, Joba has quelled my fears. The rookie came in and blew away a good hitting Cleveland lineup. This could be the start of something special. Chamberlain's eye-opening line: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K.
Alex Rodriguez. It was another A-Bomb, from A-Rod on Friday night. Rodriguez's 37th homer of the season (and 501st of his career) gave the Yanks an early 1-0 lead in the second. The Indians couldn't keep the Yankee third baseman off the basepaths as A-Rod finished 1 for 1 with 2 walks, a run scored and his 110th RBI of the season.
The Bad:
Wilson Betemit. Betemit was the only Yankee starter who didn't either pick up a hit or drive in a run on Friday night. He did, however, lay down a pretty sac bunt in the second that led to a Yankee run. That's how well things have been going in Yankee Land lately. I'm nit-picking, but I have to criticize something in order to keep this team hungry.
The Ugly:
Suspensions. Roger Clemens was suspended for five games for drilling Alex Rios in the back during Wednesday night's game. The suspension is dumb, but MLB has a knack for issuing dumb rulings. But, why wasn't Blue Jays starter Josh Towers also suspended? Both pitchers hit batters on purpose in that game. Clemens won't appeal the suspension and began serving his sentence on Friday night. This isn't the worst news in the world for the Yanks. The time off will help The Rocket rest his weary bones and could bring up the third member of the Three Amigos, Ian Kennedy, from Triple-A. It's always difficult, but maybe the Yanks could hit the trifecta with their young guns from the farm.
Mike Mussina tries to continue his momentum on Saturday and will go up against the wily Paul Byrd. The Moose has won his last three starts and has gone into the sixth inning in all of them. However, Mussina has struggled in his career against the Indians -- 10-9 with a 4.90 ERA. Byrd has pitched extremely well for the Tribe this season sporting a 10-4 mark with a 4.13 ERA. He's also coming off a complete game shutout against the Twins.
But right now the Yanks are showing that they can do more than just beat up on the also-rans in the league.
The summer resurgence rolls on.
So much for that pitcher's duel. Chien-Ming Wang was shelled, Roy Halladay was overpowering at times and the Blue Jays banged out nine doubles as they whipped the Yanks 15-4 in Toronto. The Jays avoided the broom as the Yanks five-game winning streak came to a screeching halt. The Good:  Robinson Cano. Cano accounted for 3/4 of the Yankee offense on Wednesday night. His two-run bomb in the second cut the Blue Jay lead to 3-2. That was the good news. The bad news? His solo blast in the seventh wasn't as helpful -- it sliced the Jay lead to 14-4. Still, it was another great game for Canu. Robbie finished 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 3 runs batted in. Hideki Matsui. Godzilla continued his home run rampage. His jolt in the seventh was his 23rd of the season and his 15th since July 4. Matsui also picked up RBI number 80 on the season. He finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and the ribbie. The Bad: Chien-Ming Wang. Wang was off on Wednesday night. Hey, it happens -- even to your ace. How bad was it? I popped into my car after work in the third inning and Wang's night was already over. I didn't even hear or see him pitch. Therefore, I can't go into great detail about what wasn't working, but I'm going to assume that his sinker wasn't sinking. Yep, I'm a borderline genius when it comes to baseball. Wang's last two losses have both come against the Blue Jays. Strange. The Wanger dropped to 13-6 with this effort: 2.2 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 2 BB, 3 K. Jeff Karstens/Ron Villone. The only bright spot was that both guys gave the Yanks innings and saved the bullpen. However, both guys pitched like garbage. The Yanks weren't coming back in this game and both relievers made sure of it. The terrible tale of the tape; Karstens: 3 IP, 3 H, 5 R (2 earned), 3 BB, 2 K, 1 WP. Villone: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 3 K. The Ugly: The Mush Factor. Jason Giambi started his first game since May 30 and the result was a lopsided loss to the Blue Jays. Coincidence? I think not! Well, maybe that's a bit harsh. Oh sure, Giambi is saying the right things in regards to his playing time and role with the team, but I'm still worried. I know every Yankee fan remembers the way things turned sour once Matsui and Sheffield came back last year. Still, last season's return of the two Yankee outfielders had a damned if you do and damned if you don't factor. The Yanks lost to the Tigers and everyone complained that the chemistry and the lineup was disturbed. Maybe they were right. But, if the Yanks didn't play those two guys and still lost the series, fans would be have complained that they wasted two big, veteran bats on the bench. I'm probably getting worked up for nothing. Giambi's return is a bit different and probably won't have the same effect as last season's short playoff series. Right? Thursday is an off day as the Yanks fly to Cleveland to take on the Indians in a big three-game weekend set. Phil Hughes will make his second start since his stint on the DL and will go against the surprising Fausto Carmona. Carmona is 13-6 with a 3.17 ERA and pitched against the Yanks way back in April. He pitched well, but came away with a no decision. You remember that game. Yes, you do. A-Rod's bomb in the bottom of the ninth capped a six run inning and gave the Yanks an 8-6 win. The Yankees "easy" schedule is now over. The Bombers have gone 20-8 since the break and have catapulted themselves back in the playoff race. Now, they will begin a stretch against the tougher teams in the AL, starting on Friday in Cleveland. Time to separate the men from the boys.
 They say Friday night's all right for fighting, but the Yanks and Jays decided that a Tuesday night works just as well. Tempers flared in Toronto as Alex Rodriguez was drilled in the knee in the third inning. Words were exchanged, benches emptied and warnings were issued. Why did the Jays pick Tuesday to plunk A-Rod? Who knows? I'm sure A-Rod and the Yanks were expecting some retribution from the "A-ha incident" in May. In any event, A-Rod and the Yanks weren't pleased. When the smoke cleared, Roger Clemens pitched a great game (and got some payback before he left), Bobby Abreu knocked in four runs and Joba Chamberlain pitched two scoreless innings in his big league debut as the Yanks upended the Blue Jays 9-2. The win extends the Yankee winning streak to five games and puts them 13 games over .500; their high-water mark of the season. The Good: Roger Clemens. The Rocket was superb on Tuesday night. His splitter was falling off the table and the Blue Jays didn't mount a serious threat during his six innings of work. Clemens retired 13 straight at one point, but his biggest moment came in the seventh. Alex Rios led off the inning and on a 1-0 pitch, Clemens drilled Rios right between the 1 and 5 on his back. It's about time! The Yankee starters always seem to take the high road when one of their guys gets hit, so it was refreshing to finally see some payback. Clemens was tossed (along with Torre), but not before having it out with home plate ump Angel Hernandez. The Yanks had the right pitcher on the mound tonight. I'm not sure if any other Yankee starter would have responded in the same manner. Bravo, Roger! Clemens improved to 4-5 on the season with this: 6+ IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 HBP. Jorge Posada. Posada may have sent the real message to the Jays when he doubled in two runs after A-Rod was hit. Jorgie picked up three more hits on Tuesday and is now batting a chunky .340 on the season. Posada also showed some hustle. Sure, he was thrown out twice trying to stretch a single into a double, but I love the aggressiveness. Keep hustlin, Jorgie! Posada finished 3 for 5 with 2 runs batted in. Shelley Duncan. Frankenstein continues to earn his pinstripes. Not only did Duncan go out of his way to protect A-Rod during the brew-ha-ha, but his all-out play helped the Yanks score three runs in the sixth. Duncan's hard take-out slide into second knocked the glove clean off shortstop John McDonald and gave the Yanks runners on first and second with no outs instead of a runner on first with one out. Big difference. It's the little things that win ballgames and Duncan and the Yanks seem to be doing it all lately. His box score numbers may look pedestrian, but Shelley The Machine provided more than just stats on Tuesday. He finished 1 for 4 with a run scored. The Bad: Jim Brower. Ugh! Why is Brower on this team? Yes, his numbers in Scranton were terrific, but it's not like he's some 22-year-old kid with a ton of promise. He's a 34-year-old journeyman with a career ERA of 4.63. And he pitched like it on Tuesday. Brower's line: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K. The Ugly: Roster moves. The Yanks made two roster moves on Tuesday and I hated both of them. OK, you knew Joba Chamberlain was going to be called up, but the Yanks sent down Brian Bruney to make room. Now, Bruney hasn't been tearing it up lately, but how does this strengthen the pen? In my eyes, the Yanks are exchanging Bruney for Brower, and to me, that just doesn't make sense. Also, Jason Giambi rejoined the team and the Yanks cleared a spot by designating Miguel Cairo for assignment. I realize Cairo wasn't going to get a lot of playing time with Wilson Betemit and Shelley Duncan on the team, but the Yanks wanted flexibility on the bench and now they've lost it. And the biggest disappointment to me is that they could have called up Chamberlain and Giambi and still kept Bruney and Cairo on the roster. How? Send down Brower and keep Bruney. Send down Jeff Karstens and keep Giambi. Honestly, I would've preferred keeping Giambi off the squad completely and keep everything the way it is. If it ain't broke . . . A pair of aces will be going at it on Wednesday. Chien-Ming Wang will get the ball for the Yanks and will oppose Roy "Doc" Halladay. Halladay pitched well against the Bombers in June, but picked up a no decision in the Yanks 3-2, 10th inning victory. Still, as good as Halladay is (and has been), his ERA is a bit high at 4.13. Wang's only loss in his last 13 decisions came at the hand of the Jays in July. It was a hard-luck 3-2 Toronto victory and helped the Jays avoid a sweep in the Bronx. The Yanks will look to take care of some unfinished business on Wednesday night.
Right now, the Yanks can't be beat. They won't be beat. They're retiring more teams than social security.
If you don't know what movie I tweaked that from, well, I don't know what to tell ya.
In any event, the Yankees are on a roll. Andy Pettitte gutted it out for his eighth win of the year, Melky Cabrera continued his offensive assault and Mariano Rivera struck out the side in the ninth as the Bombers edged the Blue Jays, 5-4, for their fourth victory in a row.
I was at work during this afternoon's game and tried my darndest to "watch" on MLB's gamecast, but I have to be honest and tell you, gentle reader, that I felt really disconnected from this game. But, I'll plow on anyway. It's the Yankee way.
The Good:
Melky Cabrera. The Melk Man collected three hits on Monday afternoon and showed that he can contribute even when batting ninth. I'd like to see him in the number two hole, but I've really beaten that idea to death. Melky extended his hitting streak to 12 games and is at the precipice of .300 on the season. His RBI single during the Yankees four-run sixth proved to be the game-winner. Cabrera finished 3 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI.
Robinson Cano. Cano got the big hit of the game when he doubled in two runs in the sixth to give the Yanks a 4-3 lead. Canu has been sizzling at the plate and is batting over .300 against both righties and lefties this year (.304 against right-handers, .319 against southpaws). Robbie has also gotten off to a hot August; he's batting a muscular .454 during the first week of the dog day month. Cano finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and 2 runs batted in.
Mariano Rivera. The Sandman came into the game in the ninth and put the Jays to sleep. He blew away Alex Rios, Vernon Wells and Frank Thomas to notch his 18th save of the season. Rivera's early season struggles now seem like they occurred in another century. Mo's line: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K.
The Bad:
Andy Phillips. Phillips went 0 for 4 on Monday which dropped his average below .300 to .291 on the year. That's not really a big deal, but Jason Giambi is set to come off the DL soon and I fear Phillips may be the odd man out. Giambi isn't going to play first, but something just tells me that Torre may begin a rotation at first with Phillips, Wilson Betemit and maybe Shelley Duncan. I like Duncan and Betemit has been great during his short stint in pinstripes, but I really like what Phillips brings to the table. He's got a good glove, he can move runners over and he's been clutch. Or maybe I'm just way, way off on this. Stay tuned.
The Ugly:
Now, here's the man you've all been waiting for . . . Jim Brower? What the hey? Mike Myers was designated for assignment before Monday's game and I'm pretty sure 99% of Yankee fans would have bet their houses that the team would call up Joba Chamberlain. Well, they'd all be homeless because the Yanks brought up a guy I've never heard of instead. Brower is a journeyman right-hander who's had stints on seven teams in his eight-year career. I guess the Yanks felt that Chamberlain needed some more seasoning in Triple-A. Or maybe they just felt like winning a bet.
The Yanks go for five in a row on Tuesday night and will give that assignment to Roger Clemens. Clemens was lit up in his last start against the White Sox, but he's coming off a solid July in which he went 2-2 with a 3.10 ERA. He'll bounce back. The Blue Jays will send Josh Towers to the hill. The Yanks roughed up Towers in his start against them at The Stadium in July, but Towers is a better pitcher in Toronto. He sports a 3.68 ERA at the Rogers Centre.
But, right now numbers mean nothing to these Yankees.
The Yanks continued their feasting on the bottom of the AL and now find themselves a half game back in the wild card race.
Baseball -- it's fantastic!!
Mike Mussina won his third straight game, Melky and Matsui both went deep and the Bombers moved to a season high 11 games over .500 with a 8-5 win over the hapless Royals in New York.
I was in and out of this contest (dinner at Ma's house) so my roundup won't be very thorough, but I'm going to forge ahead anyway.
The Good:
Mike Mussina. The Moose showed on Sunday that he still has something left in the tank and that's great news for the Yanks. Mussina has pitched into the sixth inning in six of his last seven starts and evened his record to 7-7 on the season. Vinny in Kearny informed me that John Sterling said that Mussina's performance on Sunday was his best of the season. Was Sterling right? I don't know, but if the Moose continues to pitch into the sixth and keeps the Yanks in the game, I'd stack up the Yankee rotation against any in the AL. Mussina's winning line: 6+ IP, 9 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR.
Melky Cabrera. Melky was in the leadoff spot on Sunday and drove in the first Yankee run with an RBI single in the second inning. The Royals cut the Yankee lead to 6-2 in the top of the sixth, but Melky belted a solo shot in the bottom of the inning to give the Yanks a run back. It's really amazing how important the Melk Man has become to this team. The Yankee bench has gotten a lot deeper in the last few weeks and will gain another bat soon in Jason Giambi, but it shouldn't affect Melky's playing time. It better not. Melky extended his hitting streak to 11 games and finished 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI.
Hideki Matsui. Godzilla blasted another thrilla on Sunday afternoon. Matsui's home run in the sixth was his 100th as a Yank and the 432nd of his professional career. It was Matsui's first homer in August, but it was his 14th since July 1. His average is also starting to creep toward .300 on the season. Matsui finished 1 for 3 with a run scored and 2 runs batted in.
The Bad:
Mike Myers. The Yankee lefty came into the game in the seventh with 2 on and 2 out and the Yanks up 8-2 and quickly made it a ballgame
. He gave up an RBI single to Mark Teahen in the seventh and an RBI single to Joey Gathright in the eighth. That's bad enough, but the worst part was that both batters hit from the left side. For some reason Myers has been unable to get lefties out this season. Lefties are batting .301 against the southpaw while righties are hitting .184. How is this possible? Myers also forced Torre to bring in Mariano Rivera in the eighth. In the end, it didn't hurt the Yanks (Rivera threw only 11 pitches and picked up his 17th save of the year), but Myers has to do better than this. Myers' vitals: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB.
The Ugly:
3-27. That's Kansas City's record in the Bronx since 2000. Hey, I'm not complaining, but it's really mind-boggling if you think about it. There was a time when I dreaded when the Yanks played the Royals. Kansas City would roll into town with those powder blue unis with the likes of George Brett, Frank White, Willie Wilson, Bret Saberhagen, Mark Gubicza, Bo Jackson, etc. and it was a great rivalry. That time now seems like a dream. Call me crazy, but I miss the rivalry. Or maybe it's just the powder blue unis.
The Yanks now head out for a mini six-game road trip with a day off sandwiched in between the two series. First stop will be Toronto and a matchup between Andy Pettitte and Jesse Litsche. The Yankees lit up Litsche earlier in the season for 5 runs in 2/3 of an inning. Andy Pettitte is coming off a rough July (2-2, 6.96 ERA), but pitched well in his last start against the ChiSox.
It's feeding time.
History was made on Saturday afternoon in a place where special moments happen regularly.
Alex Rodriguez dispensed with the drama and belted home run number 500 on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the first inning -- a three-run bomb that dropped just fair along the left field line. A-Rod became the fastest ever to reach the milestone and his clout gave the Yanks a 3-0 lead en route to a 16-8 rout of the Royals in the Bronx. It was a bookend moment of sorts for A-Rod; his first home run also came against the Royals back in 1995.
Saturday's victory now puts the Yanks 10 games over .500 on the season. Things are really starting to click in the Bronx and the timing couldn't be better. The dog days of August will be filled with games against Cleveland, Detroit, the Angels and Red Sox. It will be sink or swim for the Bombers during the next 4 weeks.
The Good:
Alex Rodriguez. It was A-Rod's day on Saturday. You could see the weight fall from Rodriguez's shoulders after his historical dinger. The entire Yankee team came out of the dugout to congratulate A-Rod as he crossed the plate. There were hugs, kisses, raindrops, lollipops and rainbows . . . OK, maybe it didn't get that far, but it was a love-fest between A-Rod, the team and the fans as Alex joined the 500 club. Now, everyone, including A-Rod can get back to just winning ballgames. Rodriguez wrapped up his big day by going 3 for 4 with a walk, a stolen base, 3 runs scored and 3 RBIs.
Bobby Abreu. The Yanks won by eight runs so you know Abreu had himself a good ballgame. The Yankee right fielder returned to the lineup after taking the night off on Friday and continued his hot hitting. Abreu's solo homer in the sixth gave the Yanks an 8-6 lead and his RBI single in the seventh began a five run outburst which helped put the game away. El Comedulce finished the afternoon 3 for 5 with a walk, 4 runs scored and 2 RBI.
Robinson Cano. Canu continues to tear the cover off the ball and moved his average to .311 on the year. Cano finished a home run short of the cycle and collected his 44th multi-hit game of the year. He nearly picked up his homer when he drilled a ball almost through the wall in the sixth. Cano had to settle for a double. Robbie extended his hitting streak to eight games and finished 4 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 3 runs batted in.
The Bad:
Phil Hughes. The rookie made his long-awaited return to the Yanks on Saturday and didn't fair well. Hughes started off strong -- his fastball and curveball looked overpowering during a 1-2-3 first and he struck out three Royals in a row after giving up a lead off walk in the second -- but he seemed to run out of gas as the game progressed. The Royals knocked him around a bit in the second and really teed off on him during the fifth. Still, I'm encouraged by what I saw. Hughes possesses a confidence and presence on the mound that really can't be taught and I think he'll be just fine once he gets a few starts under his belt. At the same time, I have to be fair and say I was a bit disappointed that the talented rookie couldn't survive long enough to pick up the second win of his career. Hughes' no decision: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 1 WP. Hang it there, kid.
Johnny Damon. Damon was the only Yankee regular who didn't reach base on Saturday afternoon. It will be interesting to see where Damon winds up once Jason Giambi rejoins the club. I'm really not sure what to make of Johnny at this point. There are times when he looks like the old Johnny Damon -- taking pitches, getting on base, stealing bases -- and then there are times when he just looks old. I guess we'll have to wait and see. Damon finished 0 for 6 with 3 strikeouts.
The Ugly:
Kyle Farnsworth. A thought occurred to me as I watched Farnsworth struggle through the seventh inning. If Kyle were a thoroughbred, I thought, they would have taken him out by the shed and blown him to kingdom come by now. Minutes later, my brother called and left a message saying the exact same thing. Maybe it's just our warped genes, but I don't think we're that far off. It's almost getting to the point of tragic comedy -- or at least it would be -- if I weren't so emotionally involved. Does anyone see a happy ending to this? Farnsworth's line: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 WP.
The Yanks will take out the brooms on Sunday and go for the sweep against Gil Meche. Meche pitched well against the Yanks in Kansas City last week, but he faltered late and picked up an L. The Royals' ace has an impressive 3.70 ERA on the season, but has pitched even better on the road -- he sports a tiny 2.93 ERA away from Kauffman Stadium. The Yankees will counter with the resurging Mike Mussina. OK, maybe resurging isn't the right word, but The Moose has looked a lot better in his last two outings. He's gone into the sixth inning both times and picked up two straight victories.
And Yankee Stadium is no stranger to victories.
Like night and day.
Or in this case day and night. The Yankees washed away the ugliness of Thursday afternoon's loss to the White Sox with a crisp, efficient beatdown of the overmatched Royals, 7-1, on a hazy, hot Friday night in the Bronx. Chien-Ming Wang pitched like, well, Chien-Ming Wang, the defense was spectacular and the Yanks showed they still know how to play small ball as the Bombers improved their second-half record to 16-7.
The Good:
Chien-Ming Wang. The Wanger picked up his 10th victory in his last 11 decisions on Friday night. It looks almost effortless for Wang at times and it's borderline shocking when teams string together more than one base hit against him. The only run he gave up came on three straight ground balls that turned into singles in the third inning. Shocking. Wang upped his record to 13-5 with this: 7+ IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K.
Robinson Cano. Robbie blasted a homer in the second to give the Yanks an early 1-0 lead. It was Cano's 11th round-tripper of the season and it was the third straight game Robbie went deep.* Cano also made a dazzling defensive play in the eighth as he fielded a grounder directly behind second base and calmly flipped the ball across his body to first for the out. There are times when Cano looks a little lackadaisical in the field, but it's just part of his game. He sometimes reminds me of former shortstop Tony Fernandez. Anyway, Cano finished 2 for 3 with a walk, 2 runs scored and an RBI.
Melky Cabrera. Bobby Abreu got the day off with the (tough?) lefty on the mound Friday night and because of that, Cabrera was inserted into the number two hole. And how did Melky do? He did just fine. In fact, even though Abreu is hitting, I would love it if Torre inserted Melky into the two slot permanently. The Melk-Man picked up three hits and also hit probably the shortest ground-rule double in the history of baseball when he lined a shot off Royal pitcher Ryan Braun in the sixth. The ball struck Braun in the foot and somehow careened into the stands over the Yankee dugout for a two-run "double." See what happens when Cabrera hits number two? Aw, what's the use? Torre never listens to me. Melky finished 3 for 5 with 2 ribbies.
Andy Phillips. Again, I usually like to limit my "good" to only three, but I want to give Andy some respect. Phillips made some nice defensive plays on Friday night and also laid down a pretty sacrifice bunt in the fourth that led to two runs. I know Giambi is on the comeback trail, the Yanks traded for Benemit and Shelley Duncan plays first, but Torre shouldn't take time away from Phillips because of it. There, I said it. Phillips finished 2 for 3 with a run scored and is batting .302 on the year.
The Bad:
Hideki Matsui. Matsui was the only Yankee not to reach base (via a hit or walk) or score a run on Friday night. Cause for alarm? Negative. The guy has been on fire for the whole month of July so he was due for an O-fer night. Matsui finished 0 for 4 and left 5 runners on base.
The Ugly:
Tabloid journalism. The talk of the town on Friday was about George Steinbrenner and his failing health. This isn't really anything new, but a reporter recently gained access (he either sneaked in with or accompanied a friend of Steinbrenner's) to the Yankee owner and writes that George is in "dreadful" shape. Again, I'm not shocked by this, but it's really an unnecessary story. Sports reporting has now crossed the line into celebrity journalism. It seems like everybody wants to see people at their worst. Sad.
Well, the time has come. Phil Hughes will make his return to the Yanks on Saturday afternoon. It will be Hughes' first start since May 1 when he no-hit the Texas Rangers for 6 1/3 innings before leaving with a strained hamstring. Hughes also missed time nursing a sprained ankle suffered during his rehab stint. Number 65 will take the mound with a 1-1 record and a 3.38 ERA. He'll face the newly acquired Kyle Davies who was 4-8 with a 5.76 ERA with the Braves before being traded to the Royals for reliever Octavio Dotel.
Let the Hughes mania begin.
*CORRECTION: Cano didn't homer in his third straight game on Friday. It was his third homer in four games.
I guess the Yanks can't outslug everybody.
The White Sox jumped out to an 8-0 lead and survived a furious Yankee comeback to down the Yanks 13-9 on a brutally hot, disgusting afternoon in the Bronx. The two teams both scored eight runs in the second inning, Roger Clemens was terrible, Jeff Karstens return from the DL wasn't a good one and Kyle Farnsworth continued his quest to become the most hated man in pinstripes this side of Carl Pavano.
I was at work for this game, but I kept tabs on MLB's Gamecast and Vinny in Kearny and Brian also kept me up to date via email. I may not have caught every nuance of Thursday's game, but I think I got the gist of it.
The Good:
Wilson Betemit. Derek Jeter got a rare day off on Thursday and the Yanks inserted their newest acquisition into The Captain's position. Betemit's debut was a good one -- he ripped a three-run homer to center in his first Yankee at-bat and cut the White Sox lead in half at 8-4. I still don't like the trade, but I have to give Betemit his due. The newest Yankee finished 1 for 2 with a walk, a run scored and 3 ribbies.
Bobby Abreu. What the hell? Abreu had a great day and the Yankees still lost. What is this -- opposite day? Anyway, Bobby's solo home run in the sixth brought the Yankees to within 11-9, but that would be as close as they would get. I usually don't care for the "on pace" stat, but Abreu is "on pace" to drive in 100 runs this season. Not too bad for a guy who at times looked totally lost at the plate. Abreu finished 3 for 5 with a stolen base, 2 runs scored and 2 runs batted in.
Alex Rodriguez. No, A-Rod didn't get number 500, but he did break out of his 0 for 21 slump. This whole "when is A-Rod going to get his 500th?" talk is really starting to bore me. It's not like he's at the tail-end of his career. He'll get 500 soon enough and then everyone will start talking about 600. Then 700. Then 800. That's cool and all, but I'm just concentrating on the here and now. Rodriguez finished 2 for 5 with a stolen base, a run scored and an RBI.
The Bad:
Roger Clemens. Obviously, this was The Rocket's worst start of the year and probably ranks in the Top 5 of his worst career outings. Like I said earlier, I didn't see Clemens pitch, but I've seen enough games to know that giving up eight runs in less than two innings isn't considered a quality start. Still, Clemens only gave up three earned runs thanks to Robinson Cano's error in the second. That may help Roger's ERA, but it didn't help the Yanks on Thursday. Clemens didn't get tagged with the loss, but his line was still ugly: 1.2 IP, 9 H, 8 R (3 earned), 0 BB, 0 K.
Jeff Karstens. I really don't want to put Karstens in here since he's worked hard to come back from a broken leg suffered earlier in the year, but his return was terrible. He had a chance to keep the Yanks in the game and possibly vulture a win, but he couldn't hold down the Pale Hose. The two-run homer he gave up in the fourth inning to Jermaine Dye after the Yanks tied the game at 8-8 really took the wind out of the Bomber sails. I'm sure Karstens is glad to be back with the club, but he dropped to 0-2 on the season. Karstens' line: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 killer HR.
Kyle Farnsworth. And now we get to Farnsworth. Farnsworth entered the game in the eighth with the Yanks down 11-9 and once again extinguished any hope of a Yankee comeback. It's really amazing how he excels at crapping the bed. He makes me literally angry with rage! And yet, if I were to have him killed, I'd be the one to go to jail. That's democracy for you. OK, I'll stop quoting from Futurama and The Simpsons, but it's the only way I can stop from writing swears for 7 to 12 lines. Farnsworth's "performance": 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 2 HRs.
The Ugly:
Stop whining! Damon wasn't in the starting lineup on Wednesday night and was none too happy about it. He was upset that he wasn't playing and that he wasn't told about it before hand. He also hinted that maybe the Yanks should trade him if they aren't going to play him now that's he's hitting and healthy. The balls! Joe Torre penciled him into the lineup more than he should have during the season and didn't give up on him when he was struggling and now Damon's upset about not starting one game? Damon has since backed away from his comments, but what's done is done. Once an idiot, always an idiot.
The Yanks will wrap up their six game homestand with three against the Royals beginning on Friday night. Odalis Perez will go for Kansas City and Chien-Ming Wang will toe the rubber for the Yanks. The Yankees defeated Perez and the Royals last week in Kansas City, 9-2. Wang finished July with 5-1 mark and a 3.03 ERA. He also picked up a win last week against the Royals. On Wednesday, KC manager Buddy Bell announced he was resigning from the club at the end of the season. The Royals are 48-59 on the year and in last place in the AL Central, 13 games behind the Detroit Tigers.
Anybody blame him?
The dog days of August are here.
The Yanks belted only five homers on Wednesday night.
That was enough as the Yankees battered the ChiSox 8-1 on a hot, muggy night in the Bronx. Andy Pettitte persevered for his seventh win of the season and the victory moves the Yankees to within 2 games of the Indians in the wild card race.
The Good:
Jorge Posada. Posada continued with his career renaissance on Wednesday night. Jorgie has always been a solid hitter, but he's almost unstoppable at the plate this year. I doubt he'll top his power numbers from 2003 when he popped 30 bombs and drove in 101 runs, but he may be a better all-around hitter now. Posada started the Yankee home run derby with a two-run blast in the second inning to give the Yanks a 2-1 lead and then capped the home run barrage with a solo shot in the eighth. Posada finished 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBIs.
Andy Pettitte. It wasn't a performance Pettitte would put in the time capsule, but it was good enough to earn a W. Pettitte was down 1-0 in the second, but the Yankee bats quickly gave him a 3-1 advantage after two innings. Andy would maneuver in and out of trouble through his night, but it was a solid effort. The Yankee lefty also passed the "magical" 100 pitch count during the game and his arm didn't fall off or anything. Amazing. Pettitte even made a put out on a pop up in the fifth. You don't see that every day. Pettitte evened his record to 7-7 with this: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6 K.
Robinson Cano. Robbie Cano -- don't cha know! Cano continued his second half surge by ripping his 10th homer and 31st double of the year. The Yankee second baseman finally reached the .300 mark in Tuesday night's contest and his two hits on Wednesday night pushed his average up to .303 on the season. I don't think Robbie will dip below that level for the remainder of the year. At least I hope he won't. Cano finished 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored and a run batted in.
The Bad:
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod didn't get career home run number 500 on Wednesday and also extended his hitless streak to 21 at-bats. Still, I think people are going a bit overboard on this little slump. The talk in the papers and on the airwaves has been really rough on Rodriguez. "This proves he can't handle pressure." "I still don't feel comfortable with A-Rod up in a big spot." Please. This is all nonsense. Is he pressing? Probably. Should the team be concerned? I don't think so. A-Rod will pick up number 500 soon enough. Then the media will have to think of something else to slam A-Rod on.
The Ugly:
Bean ball? In the bottom of the eighth, Posada hit the Bombers fifth and final homer of the night and extended the Yankee lead to 8-1. The next batter, Robinson Cano, was then hit by a pitch. Intentional? In theory, maybe, but Robbie was hit with a 71-m.p.h. knuckleball. Well, home plate umpire Tom Hallion thought it was on purpose and he ejected Chicago righty Charlie Haeger. Disgraceful. People always talk about how players had better baseball instincts 20 or 30 years ago. Well, umpires were better then, too. There was a time when umps wouldn't try and get into players' heads. They would have never tossed a knuckleball pitcher for hitting a batter. Never.
The Yanks will pull out the brooms and go for the sweep on Thursday afternoon. Jon Garland makes the start for the White Sox and Roger Clemens takes the hill for the Yanks. Garland is 8-7 on the year with a 4.12 ERA, but he's 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA against the Yanks this season. The Rocket is 3-5 for 2007 with a 3.92 ERA, but has a sparkling 2.10 ERA at home this season. He's also 20-11 with a 3.07 ERA against the Pale Hose in his career.
Something has to give on Thursday.
What are the odds?
The Yankees blasted eight homers in Tuesday night's game and Alex Rodriguez's name wasn't on the home run list. I'm tellin ya, baseball's a wacky game.
Well, the Yanks didn't need A-Rod as they banged out 16 hits and obliterated the Pale Hose 16-3 at The Stadium. Both the Red Sox and the Indians lost so the Bombers now stand 7 games back in the AL East and 3 games back in the wild card chase.
I missed the Yankees first nine runs (damn you NJ Transit!), but I think I caught the pulse of the game. Here's the rundown.
The Good:
Bobby Abreu. Abreu got the Yankees off and running with a three-run blast in the bottom of the first inning. I don't know the exact numbers (and I'm sure you've heard this), but the Yanks are something like 57-0 when Abreu hits. All right, that's an exaggeration, but when Abreu hits the Yankees win. I have no explanation for this weird synergy, but it happened again on Tuesday. Bobby finished 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI.
Hideki Matsui. Godzilla roared twice on Tuesday and finished with 13 homers for the month of July. Matsui has always been a streaky hitter, but he looks totally locked in at the plate. Hopefully, his hot July doesn't mean a cold August. Matsui finished 2 for 3 with 2 walks, 4 runs scored and 3 RBIs.
Melky Cabrera. The Yankees made the move of the trading deadline by NOT trading away the Melk-Man for Eric Gagne. Don't get me wrong, Gagne would have been a tremendous pickup, but not for Melky. Gagne wound up going to the BoSox so I know the Yanks were tempted to get rid of Melky and perhaps some of their young pitching arms. They did the right thing. Cabrera also put together a pretty nice ballgame on Tuesday night. He made a snazzy catch in the first inning and ripped his sixth homer of the season. Melky finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and 2 runs batted in.
Jorge Posada. Posada continues to put together a career year. And in his walk year, no less. I expected Jorgie to hit the wall six weeks ago, but the veteran catcher is showing no signs of slowing down. He finished a triple short of the cycle on Tuesday night. Posada finished 4 for 5 with 3 runs scored and 2 ribbies. He's now batting .339 for the season.
The Bad:
Alex Rodriguez. The baseball gods are a strange lot. How else to explain A-Rod's night? The ball was jumping out of Yankee Stadium and the one guy everyone wanted to see go yard failed to do so. A-Rod remains stuck on 499 career homers and I'm sure he's getting annoyed at seeing flashbulbs during every at bat. He hit the ball hard and was robbed of a few hits, but he was the only Yankee starter to wear the collar on Tuesday night. A-Rod finished 0 for 5 and is 0 for 15 since his last dinger.
The Ugly:
Trades. I loved that the Yanks didn't trade Melky for Gagne, but absolutely hated the Scott Proctor for Wilson Betemit trade. I don't understand the logic in unloading a bullpen guy (and an important one. We're not talking about a mop-up guy) for a utility player. And don't tell me that Betemit could be an insurance policy at third if A-Rod walks next year. That's garbage. True, Proctor has been struggling lately, but the Yanks shouldn't have given up on him. Speaking of giving up, why is Kyle Farnsworth still in pinstripes? He's the guy that should have been given his walking papers. Kyle came into the game on Tuesday night (to a chorus of boos) and surprised everyone by actually pitching well: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. I guess the Yankees finally found a situation where he can excel -- the seventh inning, up by 11.
The Yanks will go for their third straight win on Wednesday night and will face White Sox lefty John Danks. The ChiSox are hurting and their 4.76 team ERA places them 12th in the American League. Danks is doing his part; he's 6-7 on the season with a 4.83 ERA. Andy Pettitte gets the start for the Yanks and will try and improve on his 6-7 record. Pettitte's had a rough month, but he's been better in his last three starts.
What are the odds the Yanks keep this momentum going?
It was a strange one on Sunday, but a good one for the Yanks.
The game began with a 42-minute rain delay that featured no rain, Baltimore's backup catcher Paul Bako (who entered the game with a .208 average) walked four times and Kyle Farnsworth nearly broke Jorge Posada's wrist on a crossup, but the Yanks scored five times in the eighth en route to a 10-6 victory over the Orioles.
The Good:
Johnny Damon. Damon bounced back nicely from a terrible game on Saturday. He was on base early and often and reminded Yankee fans what he can do for the lineup when he's on. Unfortunately, he hasn't been on that often this season. Damon also made a spectacular grab in left to end the fourth inning and preserve a 4-2 Yankee lead. Johnny D finished 3 for 5 with a walk, 4 runs scored and 2 RBIs.
Melky Cabrera. Melky continues to be the spark plug for the Yanks. Cabrera's RBI double in the second gave the Bombers a 2-0 lead and helped trigger a three-run Yankee rally. The Melk Man also continued to flash his rifle in center as he gunned out Miguel Tejada who was trying to stretch a single into a double in the second. When will people learn? You can't run on Melky! It was Cabrera's 11th assist of the year. Melky finished 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and a run batted in.
Hideki Matsui. Godzilla didn't blast any homers or pick up any hits, but he drove in three big runs on Sunday. Matsui hit two sacrifice flies and grounded into a fielder's choice for the other ribbie. Sometimes it's the little things that help you win ballgames and Matsui proved that with his afternoon. Matsui finished 0 for 3 with the 3 RBI.
The Bad:
Kyle Farnsworth. Farnsworth is really just taking up a roster spot at this point. Farnsworth came into the game in the eighth with a comfortable 10-4 lead and almost immediately made it exciting. First he walked light-hitting Paul Bako and then, after picking up a strike out, gave up a two-run bomb to Brian Roberts. But the worst part of his day was when he crossed up Jorge Posada with a runner on first. How the hell does that happen? It's not like Posada was flashing through a bunch of signs to confuse a runner at second. Posada was charged with a passed ball, but I'm going to give Jorgie the benefit of the doubt and say it was Farnsworth who didn't recognize the sign. Posada could have broken his wrist on the pitch and shot Farnsworth a nasty look as he went after the wayward ball. Awful. Farnsworth's line: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR.
The Ugly:
Got Juice? Jose Canseco is coming out with a new book and says he has "other stuff on Alex Rodriguez." What does that mean, exactly? Who knows, but this can't be good news for A-Rod. Canseco may be an ass, but he's been almost dead on with his steroid accusations in the past and it looks like A-Rod could be another one of the accused. Would it shock me if A-Rod juiced? No, but this could also just be a ploy by Canseco to drum up interest for his upcoming book. The baseball world just keeps getting uglier and uglier.
Monday is an off day for the Yanks as they head back to the Bronx to begin a six game homestand. The Yanks will kick it off with a three game set against the ChiSox on Tuesday night. Mike Mussina, who pitched decently and picked up a win against KC in his last start, will go up against former Yankee Jose Contreras. Contreras has had a horrible season for the Pale Hose, and is rumored to be on the trading block. I'm not sure who's willing to trade for a pitcher with a 5-13 record and a 6.22 ERA, but then again, what do I know?
Hopefully, he'll be in uniform for the White Sox on Tuesday night. The Yanks could use some extra batting practice.
It's gone back to feast or famine with the Yankees.
The Bombers put up a four spot in the ninth, but it was too late to overcome a shaky bullpen and Miguel Tejada's four RBIs as the Orioles defeated the Yanks for the second straight night, 7-5 in Baltimore.
It really has become like a football season for the Yankees. Each victory is huge and every defeat is devastating. The Yankee offense has also gone from juggernaut to junior varsity. The loss drops the Yanks 9 games back of Boston in the AL East and keeps them 5 games back of the Indians for the wild card.
The Good:
Hideki Matsui. Matsui smacked his 19th homer of the season and his 11th for July. His dinger in the seventh cut the O's lead to 3-1 and his infield single to lead off the ninth triggered the Yankee rally. His numbers for July are simply staggering: .337, 11 HR, 22 RBI. Godzilla finished 2 for 3 with a walk, 2 runs scored and a run batted in.
Jorge Posada. Jorgie's two-run bomb in the ninth cut the deficit to 7-3 and kept the Yankee train moving. Posada is also putting together a hot little July, but it seems to be going unnoticed. He's batting a healthy .316 for the month and is batting .330 overall. Posada finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and 2 ribbies.
The Bad:
Johnny Damon. Damon had a hitless night and absolutely destroyed the Yankee rally in the ninth. With the score 7-4 and runners on first and second with nobody out, Damon hit into a killer double play. The Yanks would go on to score another run and bring the tying run to the plate in the form of Bobby Abreu, but Damon's twin-killing really took the starch out of the team. Damon has been swinging the bat better lately (he's batting .370 in his last seven games), but picked the wrong time to ground into his first two double plays of the season. Damon finished 0 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base and left six runners on.
Brian Bruney. Bruney came into the game in the eighth with the Yanks trailing 5-1, and quickly poured gasoline onto an already raging fire. He was hurt by an A-Rod error in the inning, but the blunder wasn't the sole reason for Bruney's terrible outing. The Maltese Falcon's overall numbers still look respectable (2-1, 3.40 ERA, .248 BAA), but his July has been brutal. His July numbers: 9.95 ERA, 8 hits and 5 BB in 6.1 IP, .348 BBA. Bruney's night: .1 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 earned), 0 BB, 0 K. You're better than this Bri.
Bobby Abreu. Abreu was up with two outs in the ninth with Jeter on second and the Yanks down 7-5. He put together a gritty at-bat against a tough lefty in Jamie Walker and ran the count to 3-2 before striking out. Hey, it happens. If a guy throws you a tough pitch and gets you out, well, that's just baseball. They're getting paid, too. But, the thing that was so galling was that Walker hung a slider that Abreu simply missed. Michael Kay thought it was ball four, but I thought it was a ball that could have been hit and hit hard. Bobby finished 0 for 5 with two strikeouts.
The Ugly:
Right off the knee. Melky Cabrera took a ball right off his right knee to lead off the third inning on Saturday night. It looked pretty bad and I had visions of Cabrera making a visit to the DL at the worst possible time. Melky is a tough guy and he eventually popped up and jogged over to first. I love the Melk-Man's guts, but he's been beaten up lately. I hope this latest "boo-boo" doesn't flare up and cause him to miss any time. Cabrera finished 2 for 2 with a walk, a stolen base and an RBI.
The Yanks will try and salvage a game this weekend (I'm not counting the completion of last month's game on Friday night as a win in the series) with Chien-Ming Wang. The Wanger has been the most consistent starter this season for the Yanks and has pitched into the sixth inning in every start this season. He'll be gunning for his 12th victory on the year. The Orioles will be going for the sweep and will send hard throwing Daniel Cabrera to the hill. The 6'9, 270 pound Dominican Republic native has a 7-10 record on the year with a 5.04 ERA, but his stuff is better than that. He's held righty batters to a .233 average on the season and has a 3.90 ERA during day games.
Let's see which Yankee team shows up on Sunday afternoon.
The Yankees hung on to defeat the Orioles in a game they started on June 28, 8-7, and then lost the regularly scheduled contest 4-2 on Friday night in Baltimore.
I missed the completion of the first game, but I'll stick by my account and roundup from that rainy night in June, and I passed out in the fifth inning of the 4-2 loss so my recap will be short and very generic. The win/loss on Friday night now positions the Yanks 8 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East and 5 games back of the Cleveland Indians for the American League wild card lead.
The Good:
Andy Pettitte. Pettitte was wild early on and looked like he was headed for an early shower on Friday night, but he eventually settled down and pitched a pretty good ballgame. His undoing was giving up three runs in the third inning. Unfortunately for Pettitte (and the Yanks), he seems to fall on the short end of pitchers' duels this season. Pettitte dropped to 6-7 with this: 7 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 K.
The Bad:
Scott Proctor. Scotty is really making it difficult for me to insist that he shouldn't be traded before the deadline. Proctor came into the game in the eighth with the Yanks down 3-2 and gave up a solo shot to that "idiot" Kevin Millar. I still don't think he should be moved, but he may be sliding down in Torre's pecking order. Proctor's night: .2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR.
The Ugly:
The Sayonara Kid. The Yankees sent Kei Igawa back to Triple-A and recalled backup infielder Chris Basak on Friday night. This move isn't really shocking since Igawa has been terrible since his return to the big club in June. The Yanks won't need a fifth starter until Aug. 3 and chances are they'll insert Phil Hughes into that spot. Maybe the Yanks should look to unload the lefty import at the trading deadline. Anyone interested in a pitcher who can't pitch in the stretch, leaves everything up in the zone and gives up a ton of homers? Oh, and has three years left on a hefty contract? Anyone?
Roger Clemens will try and get the Yanks back on the winning track on Saturday. Clemens is coming off two straight solid outings and sports a nifty 2.62 ERA during the month of July. The Orioles will counter with lefty Brian Burres. Burres is 4-4 on the year with a 4.33 ERA, but he's been awful of late. In his last three starts, Burres has failed to get out of the second inning twice and has a bloated 11.42 ERA in July.
Looks like just the medicine for the Bombers.
The well suddenly went dry on Thursday night.
The Yankees went 0 for 12 with runners in scoring position and Kei Igawa pitched like Kei Igawa as the Royals ripped the Yanks 7-0 in Kansas City. The loss stops the Yankee winning streak at six.
The Good:
Jose Molina. Molina made his first start for the Yanks since the trade and put together a solid game. He doubled in his first at-bat, made a nice play on a foul ball near the screen behind home plate and gunned out Emil Brown trying to swipe second. He also had to deal with Igawa's nonsense for 5+ innings. To put Molina's night in perspective, former Yankee backup catcher Wil Nieves started the season going 0 for 23. Molina finished 2 for 4.
The Bad:
Kei Igawa. It was classic Igawa on Thursday night. Igawa threw a bunch of pitches, everything was up and he fell apart with runners on base. I would really love to speak with the scout who saw him pitch in Japan. "Sure, he lives up in the strike zone and tops out at 89 m.p.h., but I don't think that will be a problem if he's pitching in the majors." Idiots. Igawa dropped to 2-3 on the year with this: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 5 K. It's just a matter of time before it's -- Sayonara, Igawa!
Hideki Matsui. Sure, Matsui picked up one of the six hits the Yanks scratched out, but he also left five runners on base Thursday night. Matsui has been on fire in July and it may be a bit unfair of me to single him out, but he made the outs during the Yankees best scoring opportunities. Godzilla's a team player, I think he can handle my wrath. Matsui finished 1 for 4.
The Ugly:
Anticlimactic. Alex Rodriguez may have a chance to hit his 500th career homer on Wednesday. That's this past Wednesday. Let me explain. The Yanks are set to complete the remainder of their suspended game against the Orioles from June 28 on Friday night. If A-Rod happens to hit a home run during the completion of the suspended game, then the blast he hit on Wednesday night would technically be his 500th. Got it? It's a statistical anomaly that may very well destroy the fabric of both time and space, but it probably won't happen. Still, it may be a chance for A-Rod and the Yanks to step into -- The Twilight Zone.
The Yankees took three of four against the Royals and now head to Baltimore for a 3.5 game set. The O's and Yanks will first complete that suspended game with the Yanks up 8-6 in the eighth. Joe Torre is still unsure of who will start the bottom of the eighth for the Yanks.
"Game 2" will feature a matchup of Andy Pettitte and Jeremy Guthrie. Pettitte has pitched well on the road this season (2-4 record, but a 3.39 ERA) and will be gunning for win number seven on the year. Guthrie is having a fabulous season (6-3, 2.88 ERA) and pitched well against the Yanks on June 26 (6.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 6 K), but picked up a no decision in the Orioles 3-2 victory.
Let's see if the Yanks can make it a two-for on Friday night.
Man, I'm loving the way this team is playing.
Mike Mussina delivered his best game in nearly a month, Melky Cabrera drove in three runs and Alex Rodriguez helped the Yanks blow the game open with his 499th career homer in the eighth as the Bombers downed the Royals 7-1 in KC.
This game was a pitchers' duel for most of the night, but the Yanks took a page from their glory years and tacked on runs late to put the game away. They also became enraged when Derek Jeter was hit by a pitch by Octavio Dotel in the ninth. No words were spoken, but you could feel the anger in the air. After the inning, Dotel made it a point to tell Yankee first base coach Tony Pena that he didn't do it on purpose. It didn't seem to matter to the Yanks. Did I mention that I love the way this team is playing?
The Yankees have won six straight and now stand 6.5 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East.
The Good:
Melky Cabrera. The Melk-Man got the Yanks off and running with a two-run bomb in the second inning. I still believe Melky should be in the number 2 hole, but he entered Wednesday's game hitting .301 in the number 9 spot. Hey, whatever works. Cabrera also hit an important (at the time) sac fly in the seventh to give the Yanks a 3-1 lead. Melky finished 1 for 3 with a run scored and 3 RBIs.
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod crushed an opposite field homer in the eighth that put the game on ice for the Yanks. It was Rodriguez's 499th career round-tripper and it gave the Yanks a 5-1 lead. There are really no more words to describe the type of season A-Rod's having. Rodriguez finished 2 for 5 with a run scored and 2 ribbies.
Hideki Matsui. Godzilla launched his 49th home run in the month of July. OK, that's not true, it only seems that way. It was Matsui's 10th home run of July and his 18th of the season. Matsui is putting up A-Rod type numbers for a month: .340, 10 HR, 21 RBIs. Matsui finished 1 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI.
Mike Mussina. Mussina wasn't great, but he did deliver his best ballgame in nearly a month. The Moose's breaking balls had bite and his fastball reached 91 on the radar. However, the Royals hit more than a few balls hard for outs and had Mussina scrambling in a couple innings. Still, I'll give Mussina an appreciative nod. For a fifth starter (and that's what Mussina will be once Philip Hughes comes back), his numbers aren't terrible. Mussina moved to 5-7 with this: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K.
The Bad:
Scott Proctor. Proctor made his return to the team after missing a few games to witness the birth of his third child (a boy) and it didn't go well. He entered the game in the seventh with the Yanks up 3-1 and didn't have it. He retired the first two batters he faced, but the balls were hit hard. He then allowed a base hit and a hit batsman and his night was done. His inning wasn't terrible, but with all the trade talk floating around, he isn't helping his cause. He may have also lost Torre's trust. And that's big. Proctor's stats: .2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 hit batsman.
The Ugly:
Help Wanted? Jason Giambi (remember him?) is ready to begin a minor league rehab assignment and hopes to be back with the Yanks next week. Whoa, whoa, whoa, there Jay! I'm glad you're feeling better physically, but the Yankee offense is hitting on all cylinders right now. Take your time. Get back in the flow. There's no need to rush back to the big club. Actually, it would give the Yanks a shot in the arm if Giambi comes back, but only in a reserve and spot start role. He could be the big bat off the bench (even though his pinch-hitting stats aren't pretty). I wonder if Torre can sell that idea to the Giambino?
The Yankees will go for the four-game sweep on Thursday and will have to go through Royal lefty Jorge De La Rosa to do it. De La Rosa is having a horrible season (7-10, 5.61 ERA), but the Yanks are sending their own crappy lefty out to the mound in Kei Igawa (2-2, 6.67 ERA). Igawa has yet to earn a victory since his callup in June and he hasn't won a game since April 28.
This may be his last opportunity to pick up a win.
The hits and runs just keep coming.
The Yanks scored four runs in the first inning and three more in the second and cruised to a 9-4 victory over the Royals in Kansas City. Chien-Ming Wang wasn't great, but he was good enough as the Yankees won their fifth in a row. New York now stands 7.5 games back in the AL East and only 4.5 games back in the wild card.
I have to admit, I was in and out of consciousness after the sixth inning of this game. The four hour contest was too much for me, especially since the game was decided after the first two innings. I must be getting old.
The Good:
Derek Jeter. Jeter is putting together another solid season and it seems to be flying under the radar. The Captain collected four more hits on Tuesday night and is batting a "Jeterian" .335 on the year. DJ finished 4 for 6 with a run scored.
Johnny Damon. Damon is starting to look like the Damon of last season. When he's hitting, the Yankee offense has the chance to be unstoppable. Maybe he's due for a hot August and September since his first three months were so terrible. Johnny D finished 2 for 5 with a walk, a stolen base, 2 runs scored and an RBI.
Bobby Abreu. I still believe Abreu should be batting seventh instead of third, but El Comedulce is making me look foolish. Bobby knocked in the first Yankee run with a sac fly in the first and then got the Yanks rolling in the second inning with an RBI double. Keep proving me wrong, Bobby! Abreu finished 2 for 5 with a run scored and 2 RBIs.
The Bad:
Alex Rodriguez. Again, things have been going swimmingly in Yankee Land so this is really nit-picky of me. A-Rod went 0 for 4 and left four runners on base on Tuesday night. He also committed his sixth error of the season. Not to worry -- everything's gonna be all right.
The Ugly:
Say what? I've been wanting to write about this for a long time now. The Yankee flagship radio station WCBS 880 runs a commercial that is hysterical. I'm not even sure what the company does and I really don't even hear the commercial until they mention the number: 866-SHIPBAGS. I nearly ran off the road the first time I heard that. Good stuff.
Mike Mussina will take his putrid numbers (4-7, 4.97 ERA) into KC on Wednesday night. I'm not even sure if the Yankee bats can give Mussina a chance at a win. He's been that bad. The Royals will send Gil Meche, probably the biggest winner in this off season's spending splurge, to the hill. Meche may be overpaid, but he's putting together a pretty solid season (7-6, 3.63 ERA).
C'mon Moose, surprise me.
The Yankee offense hit a slump on Monday.
They only scored nine runs.
Roger Clemens pitched seven workman-like innings, Alex Rodriguez drove in his 100th run of the year and the Yanks scored five times in the ninth to dispose of the Royals 9-2 in Kansas City.
The Good:
Roger Clemens. The Rocket continues to amaze in his second go-round with the Yanks. Clemens has given the Yanks at least six innings in seven of his nine starts this season -- a feat I thought impossible before he rejoined the club. Shows you how much I know. Roger improved to 3-4 on the season with this: 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 3 K.
Johnny Damon. Torre decided to start Damon instead of Bobby Abreu against Kansas City lefty Odalis Perez and the move worked out. Damon's two-run double in the second gave Clemens and the Yanks a 4-0 lead. Johnny always seems to put together a terrific ballgame when his back is against the wall. If Damon starts to hit on a consistent basis, Torre will have many options for filling out the lineup card. Damon finished 3 for 5 with a run scored and 2 RBI.
Hideki Matsui. Godzilla didn't homer in Monday night's contest, but he did drive in two more runs and upped his season total to 65 ribbies. His two-run single in the first gave the Yanks an early 2-0 advantage. Matsui really should be working on a 19-game hitting streak, but a pop-fly he hit in Friday night's 14-4 loss to the Devil Rays was incorrectly scored an error and not a double. Yeah, I said it. The official scorer blew the call. Hey, what can you do. Matsui finished 1 for 4 with a walk, a run scored and 2 runs batted in.
The Bad:
Andy Phillips. This really shows you how good things have been going for the Yanks. Phillips finds himself in my "bad" section because he was the only Yankee who didn't score at least one run on Monday night. Ouch! Tough crowd.
The Ugly:
The Scarlet Letter. Mike Sweeney carries the mark. No, it's not 666, but a horrible letter "C" on his jersey. Yeah, I get it -- Sweeney is the captain of the Royals. Is it necessary to brand it on his chest? I say absolutely no. It looks so amateurish and ridiculous. Well, I guess I should take into account that he plays in Kansas City. Zing!
Chien-Ming Wang will try and push the Yankee streak to five on Tuesday and will go against Scott Elarton. Elarton is having a tough season; he's 2-3 with a 9.17 ERA. His evening ERA (yes, I'm breaking it down that way) is even worse -- 10.36. Wang had one bad inning in his last start against the Blue Jays and it cost him. Still, the Wanger sports a tiny 2.03 ERA during July.
Wang won't have to be that fine the way the Yanks are hitting.
Killing opposing pitchers is the Yankees business.
And business is good.
The Bomber bats unloaded on Sunday afternoon as they blasted six homers, ripped 25 hits and put up a 10 spot in the fourth inning as they destroyed the Devil Rays 21-4 in the Bronx. Every Yankee position player had at least one hit and one run scored. The Yanks took three out of four this weekend and finished the homestand 6-2. I could actually make a case for every single Yankee offensive player in my "good" section, but it was a long game and I'm a lazy, lazy man so I'll limit it to only three.
The Good:
Hideki Matsui. Godzilla is laying waste to everything in his path lately. It's amazing his bat doesn't burst into flames when he steps into the box. Matsui picked up a fistful of hits on Sunday and homered for the third consecutive game. That's nine homers and counting now for Matsui in the month of July. Godzilla finished 5 for 6 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI.
Alex Rodriguez. Sure, A-Rod's 34th homer of the season wasn't an important one (it made the score 18-3), but it was still his league-leading 34th dinger of the season and 498th of his career. Rodriguez is also on the threshold of 100 runs batted in for 2007 as he picked up RBI number 99. I'll make an outrageous prediction and say he'll drive in 100 this year and make it an even 10 seasons in a row of driving in 100 or more runs. Maybe A-Rod's contract is below market value. Maybe. Rodriguez finished 2 for 4 with a walk, 2 runs scored and 3 RBIs.
Shelley Duncan. Move over Melky, there's a new fan favorite. Frankenstein continued his torrid hitting by launching career homers number 2 and 3 on Sunday. Duncan had a great day at the plate, but he also made a nice play on the basepaths in the fourth inning (when it was still a ballgame) when he went in hard at second while trying to break up a potential double play. Melky was busting it out of the box and may have beaten the relay without Duncan's hard slide, but you never know. Instead of two outs and a runner on third, the Yanks had runners on first and third with only one out. Big difference. The Yankees would go on to score 10 runs in the inning and Duncan's play at second helped the cause. Shelley finished 2 for 4 with 2 HRs, 2 walks, 2 runs scored and 4 runs batted in.
The Bad:
Sean Henn. Joe Torre made a slew of substitutions during Sunday's slaughter and his moves caused the Yanks to lose the DH. So when Henn's spot came up in the batting order in the eighth, Torre allowed the lefty reliever (who bats righty) to hit. It was Henn's first-ever big league at-bat. And what does Henn do? He stands as far away from the plate as possible and doesn't take the bat off his shoulder and goes down looking. What the hell was that? Take a hack! You'll probably never get that chance again (at least I hope you never get that chance again). In fairness, Henn pitched well: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K. Still, nobody was expecting you to get a hit, but you should have at least made an effort.
The Ugly:
10 years of futility. The Devil Rays are "celebrating" their 10th anniversary this season and if the franchise is proud of their first decade of existence, then the guys in charge should have their heads examined. Tampa Bay showed this weekend that they are really a Triple A team. In fact, I think some Triple A teams could give them a run for their money. They have some nice players on offense, but their pitching has been terrible from the first day of spring training in 1998 and their defense is horrible. How did the Yanks lose 14-4 on Friday? Oh yeah, Mussina was on the hill. Anyway, as much as I think the D-Rays should be contracted, I'm hesitant to get rid of the punching bag of the AL East. The traditional gift for a 10-year anniversary is tin, so I'm sending the franchise a tin cup. Maybe they can use it to take up a collection and pick up some pitchers.
The Yankees will head to Kansas City and begin a 7.5 game road trip (they will complete the suspended game against the Orioles from June 28 on Friday night) on Monday. Roger Clemens will get the ball for the Bombers and will go against lefty Odalis Perez. Perez is 5-8 on the year with a 5.84 ERA. He's also having a rough month of July -- his ERA is 7.47. Clemens will try and move his mark to 3-4 and is coming off a gritty no decision against the Blue Jays. The Rocket has had trouble on the road this season and sports a 7.56 ERA away from Yankee Stadium.
The Royals may be in the AL Central basement, but they're coming off an impressive road trip where they finished 5-4 against the Red Sox, Indians and Tigers. The Yanks could be in for a dog fight during this four-game series.
With the way the Yanks have been hitting, I'll take my chances.
I thought the Yanks would have to put on their hitting shoes to have a chance in Game 2.
Well, the Yankees proved me right.
The Bombers banged out 20 hits and shelled Tampa Bay 17-5 at The Stadium. Matt DeSalvo didn't pitch well, but it didn't matter as every starter had at least one hit and Luis Vizcaino vultured his second win of the day as the Yanks swept the doubleheader. The Yankees now stand 7.5 games behind the BoSox in the AL East and 6.5 behind the Indians for the wild card.
The Good:
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod's subpar July has flown a bit under the radar, but he broke out of his slump in a big way on Saturday night. His RBI-double capped a three-run Yankee first and his 33rd homer of the year put the finishing touch on a five-run sixth inning. Rodriguez has alternated between hot and cold months this season. Maybe A-Rod is getting a jump on a hot August. Rodriguez finished 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 4 RBIs.
Johnny Damon. I've been hard on Damon the last few days (and with good cause), but he showed why the Yanks are reluctant to take him out of the lineup. Johnny got the start in left on Saturday and made a snazzy catch to kill a Devil Ray rally in the second inning and preserve a 3-2 Yankee lead. He also had his most productive night at the plate for the first time in weeks. Damon may have hit the ugliest, softest doubles in the history of baseball, but that's just his game. He does everything ugly (hit, run, throw, field), but he gets the job done. Damon finished 2 for 5 with 3 runs scored, a walk, a stolen base and 4 ribbies.
Bobby Abreu. Abreu got the Yanks rolling with a two-run double in the first. For some reason, Abreu holds the key to the Yankees' success. On July 13, Abreu was batting .381 with 5 homers, 43 runs scored and 35 RBI in Yankee wins and .154 with 1 HR, 15 runs scored and 9 RBI in Yankee loses. Thanks to LoHud for the stats. Better keep hitting, Bobby. Abreu finished 2 for 4 with a walk, 3 runs scored and 3 runs batted in.
Hideki Matsui. The man just can't be stopped. Godzilla launched his second homer of the day and 16th overall. The tater didn't mean anything score-wise (it capped a five-run seventh inning for the Yanks and made the score 17-5), but it was Matsui's 8th dinger of the month. Godzilla finished 1 for 4 with a walk, a run scored and 3 RBI.
The Bad:
Matt DeSalvo. DeSalvo didn't have it and missed an opportunity for an easy win. The Yanks presented him with a 7-2 lead and DeSalvo couldn't make it out of the fifth inning. Looks like Kei Igawa is going to stay in the Yankee rotation. For now. DeSalvo was optioned back to Scranton after his disappointing performance and lefty reliever Sean Henn was called up. The rookie's line: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 4 K.
The Ugly:
Great game, now get out. Wil Nieves probably had his best game as a pro on Saturday night. The Yankee backup catcher finished 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored, 2 sac bunts and 2 runs batted in. His reward? A ticket back to the minors. The Yanks made a trade with the Angels for catcher Jose Molina during Game 2. Nieves has been terrible as Posada's caddy and it was just a matter of time before the Yanks looked for an upgrade. Molina is batting .228 on the season with no homers and 10 RBIs. Doesn't sound like much, but Nieves is batting .164 with no homers and 8 runs batted in. And that's after his game on Saturday. Molina is also a much better defensive player. See ya around, Wil.
The Yanks will try and make it three out of four against the Rays on Sunday as Andy Pettitte goes against James Shields. Shields is one of two shining stars on the D-Rays pitching staff (Scott Kazmir is the other) and will enter the game with an impressive 8-5 mark and a 3.91 ERA. The Yanks defeated the promising youngster on July 12. Pettitte was the benefactor of that game and will be going for win number 6 on the season. Pettitte has hit a bit of a rough patch, but he pitched well in his last start; going seven innings and allowing only one run in a no decision to the Blue Jays.
With the way the Yanks have been hitting, maybe Pettitte can pick himself up an easy victory.
Who says the Yanks buy all their players?
The bottom of the order, all brought up through the Yankee system, drove in five runs, Kei Igawa kept the Yanks in the game (despite giving up two more homers) and Mariano Rivera wiggled out of a ninth inning jam as the Bombers took Game 1 of two in the Bronx, 7-3.
The Good:
Robinson Cano. Robbie continued his hot second half on Saturday. He drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the sixth to give the Yanks a 3-2 lead. The inning began with the first two batters reaching base, but Cano's hit came with two outs. It would have been a real letdown if Robbie didn't get that base knock. He's batting .360 in his last seven games and is hitting .323 in the month of July with 4 dingers. Cano finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and a big ribbie.
Hideki Matsui. Godzilla continued with his power surge as he belted his 7th homer of the month. His two-run shot in the fourth tied the game at 2-2 and breathed new life into the Yanks. Matsui finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and 2 RBI. So much for people thinking Matsui was finished. History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men . . . Godzilla!
Andy Phillips. Phillips is really starting to become one of my favorite players. His two-run single extended the Yankee lead to 5-2 and really changed the tenor of the game. Andy also continued to make nice plays at first. It's hard not to root for this guy. Phillips finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and 2 RBIs.
Shelley Duncan. Duncan capped off the five-run Yankee sixth with his first big league round-tripper. He was so excited when he reached the dugout that he nearly took off Andy Phillips' head and almost ripped off Melky's arm. Maybe Duncan can inject some more life into the Yankee lineup. So far, so good. Duncan finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and 2 runs batted in.
The Bad:
Scott Proctor. Proctor had another shaky outing and forced Torre to bring Rivera into the game in a non save situation. I like Proctor -- I like his stuff and I like his make-up. It just seems like he's putting too much pressure on himself. Maybe he needs to light another bonfire to set himself straight. Proctor's line: 1+ IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 HR.
The Ugly:
I'm tired of rumors starting. Maybe Proctor was affected by the trade rumors swirling around him. His name has surfaced in many trade scenarios this season and the latest had the Yanks shipping Proctor to the D-Rays for utility man Ty Wigginton. Wigginton has had a good year, but this deal really makes no sense for the Yanks. Why would they trade a bullpen guy, and an important one, for a bench player? Again, it's just speculation and rumor, but I hope this hypothetical doesn't come to fruition.
This was a big win for the Yanks. It snapped a mini two-game losing streak which doesn't seem like a big deal, but the Yanks can't afford to lose to teams they should be beating if they want to make a run for the playoffs.
Game 2 of the double dip is set for a 7:05 start. Matt DeSalvo will start his second stint in pinstripes as the Yanks go for the sweep.
Hope the Yanks have some more big hits left in their bats.
This one hurts.
Mike Mussina was shellacked, the bullpen was awful and the Yankees couldn't touch Edwin Jackson, who entered the game with a record of 1-9 and an ERA over 7.00, as Tampa Bay lambasted the Yanks 14-4 on a Friday night at The Stadium.
The Good:
Shelley Duncan. Duncan made his major league debut on Friday night and he picked up his first hit and RBI. The Yanks called him up from Scranton before the game and the big righty came in with a reputation for homers and strikeouts. Well, he K'd in his first two at-bats and launched a ball deep but foul so I guess his game will translate in the bigs. It must have been exciting for Duncan to pick up a ribbie on his first Major League hit in Yankee Stadium. Too bad it only sliced the D-Ray lead to 13-4. Duncan went 1 for 4 with a single and a run batted in.
The Bad:
Mike Mussina. The Moose's career is officially on life support. The D-Rays pounded Mussina for nearly two hours during the third inning. Mussina gave up four runs in that frame including a monster upper deck homer by B.J. Upton. Still, Mussina could have had a somewhat productive outing if he just gave the Yanks some innings. That didn't happen, either. His performance Friday night hurt the Yanks twofold. Obviously he pitched lousy and they lost, but his short stint forced the pen to pitch 4.1 innings going into a doubleheader tomorrow. Unacceptable. Just think, the Yanks will have Mussina for next season too. Moose fell to 4-7 with this: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 HR.
Edwar Ramirez. Joe Torre really set this kid up for failure on Friday night. The lanky rookie hadn't pitched in two weeks and Torre put him in with a runner on second with one out and the Yanks down 5-0. Everyone in the ballpark (and in TV land too, I guess) knew the kid was going to be rusty. Well, he was and Torre pulled him before he could record an out. It was a damn shame. Still, Ramirez is in the bigs now so I have to put his terrible performance in my "bad" section, but Torre gets an assist on this one. The rookie's obscene line: 0 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 1 HR.
The Ugly:
Ow, my side. Melky Cabrera wasn't in the lineup on Friday because of an ab strain he sustained early in Thursday's game. Torre doesn't think it's serious and said Melky should play on Saturday, but I'm not so sure. Ab or rib cage injuries can be really tricky. Sure, Cabrera came into Friday night's game to pinch-hit, but he didn't take the bat off his shoulder and struck out. Personally, I don't think he had any intension of swinging and was hoping for a walk. Anyway, I hope I'm wrong and the injury won't keep the Melk-Man out of the lineup. The Yanks can't afford to lose him.
The Yanks and Rays will play two on Saturday. Matt DeSalvo will go for the Yanks in Game 1 and Tampa will send Jason Hammel to the hill. DeSalvo went 1-3 with a 5.87 ERA in his first go-round with the Bombers, but he's pitched well in Triple A, going 3-2 with a 2.95 ERA. Hammel isn't really a starter, in fact, this will be his first start of the year. He's 1-0 on the season with a 6.11 ERA. Looks like it's going to be a slugfest in the opener.
The Yanks will send the beleaguered Kei Igawa out for Game 2. This will most likely be the last start for the erratic lefty. The $40 million off-season acquisition is 2-2 on the season with a robust 6.97 ERA. The Rays will counter with southpaw J.P. Howell and his 1-3 record and 6.62 ERA.
If the Yanks don't score a combined 20 runs in these two games they should be embarrassed.
Then again, those 20 runs may not be enough to win.
I guess you can't win them all.
I guess.
The Blue Jays scored 3 runs in the top of the seventh and edged the Yankees 3-2 on a hazy afternoon in the Bronx. Chien-Ming Wang had one bad inning and it cost him and the Yanks allowed Toronto starter Dusin McGowan to settle in after a rocky start as the Jays avoided the four-game sweep. The loss also snapped the Yankees winning streak at five games. I was "watching" from work on MLB's gamecast and saw parts of the game on Yankees Encore when I got home so my roundup will be sort of generic. Here we go!
The Good:
Chien-Ming Wang. Wang was impressive even though he was tagged with the loss. He was in control for nearly the entire game, but ran into trouble in the seventh. The Wanger gave up a double and a triple in the inning which led to the three runs. Wang also experienced some bad luck during Toronto's rally when Vernon Wells hit a ball that traveled maybe 8 feet up the third base line for an infield hit. If the Yanks buried McGowan like they should have in the first, maybe this inning wouldn't have mattered. Unfortunately, it did. Wang dropped to 10-5 with this tough luck line: 7.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 3 K.
Bobby Abreu. Abreu doubled in the only two Yankee runs in the first. He's been hot lately and it seems like Torre is going to ride him in the number three hole until he cools off. Bobby's batting .358 during the month of July, but I still wish Torre would move him back to seventh and move Melky back into the number two slot with Jeter batting third. I just think it makes the lineup better. Anyway, Abreu finished 1 for 3 with a walk and the 2 ribbies.
The Bad:
Johnny Damon. Damon worked out a walk and scored a run on Thursday, but he's almost an automatic out at the plate now. He's mired in an 0 for 17 slump and is batting .167 in the month of July. The worst part? The Yanks don't have another option to put in the DH spot. It looks like Johnny is going to get the chance to work through his funk. For better or worse.
The Ugly:
You OK Melky? The Yanks held their breath (at least I did) in the first inning when Melky Cabrera grabbed his side after hitting a foul ball. Torre, Tony Pena and Stevie Donohue went out to check on the Melk-Man. Cabrera assured everyone he was fine and continued his at-bat. Thank God. If Melky goes down the Yanks will be in serious trouble in center field. Lord knows, Damon can't handle the position on a day-to-day basis anymore.
The Yankees will welcome in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for a four-game set (including a double-dip on Saturday) starting on Friday night. Game 1 will be a rematch of the final game of the four-game series last weekend in Tampa -- Mike Mussina vs. Edwin Jackson. Jackson showed why he's still in the D-Ray rotation even with a 1-9 record; he's got good stuff and it took the Yanks a few times through the order to finally figure him out. The Moose struggled through his six innings of work in his last start and has only one win in his last five starts.
So, I guess that means Mussina is due to get the Yanks back on the winning track.
It's really amazing what confidence can bring.
Alex Rodriguez erased a 1-0 deficit with a two-run double in the seventh as the Yanks scored six runs in the final two innings and dropped the Blue Jays 6-1 at The Stadium. Roger Clemens pitched his heart out and (after a parade of relievers) Mariano Rivera came in and slammed the door as the Yankees won their fifth straight.
The Yanks would have lost this game a few weeks ago, but the team is now filled with determination and grit. The Red Sox lost again so the Bombers are now 7 games back in the AL East.
The Good:
Roger Clemens. The Rocket's got guts and guts is enough! Actually, Clemens isn't really "The Rocket" anymore, but his will to win is as strong as ever. He can't blow batters away anymore, but that doesn't mean he can't give you an effective performance every fifth day. Clemens worked in and out of trouble, but he kept the Yanks in the game. Mike Mussina, are you paying attention? Clemens' no decision: 6 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K.
Alex Rodriguez. It's amazing what a difference a year makes. Last season, Yankee fans cringed whenever A-Rod came up in a big spot, but now he's Mr. Clutch. He drove in runs number 91 and 92 on the season in the seventh to give the Yanks a 2-1 lead. A-Rod entered the game batting a blistering .545 with runners on first and third. That number will go up. A-Rod finished 1 for 3 with a walk, 2 runs scored and 2 RBI.
Andy Phillips. Phillips may not be the big name first baseman some Yankee fans crave, but his contributions have been huge. He singled in two giant runs in the seventh to give the Yanks a 4-1 cushion. Andy also made some nifty plays in the field. Yankee fans have been screaming for more role players who do the little things right and come up big in key spots. Phillips has done a nice job doing just that. The Alabama native finished 1 for 4 with 2 ribbies.
The Bad:
Johnny Damon. I don't want to beat up on Damon, but his average has dropped like a stone in the past month. Is it possible that a player can lose it in just one season? I hope not, but it sure looks that way with Damon. He also made a terrible decision in the field when he tried to throw out Lyle Overbay at third on a base hit by Aaron Hill. His throw wasn't close and it allowed Hill to advance to second. The complete lapse in judgment didn't cost the Yanks, but what the hell was Damon thinking? Johnny finished 0 for 3 and is now batting .236 on the season.
The Ugly:
No autographs! Recently, a Japanese reporter asked Roger Clemens for an autograph and received a signed photo. Nothing wrong with that, right? Wrong! For some reason, this is against "the rules" and the reporter was booted from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Seems kinda harsh, no?
The Yanks will bring out the brooms and go for the sweep on Thursday afternoon. Chien-Ming Wang will get the honors and will go against Dustin McGowan. McGowan has a thing for the number five; he's 5-5 on the year with a 5.05 ERA. The Wanger will try and push his win total to 11 and extend the Yankees winning streak to six and move the team five games over .500 on the season.
Let's see what the numbers have in store for the Yanks on Thursday.
OK, now I'm getting pumped.
Robinson Cano singled in the game-winning run to give the Yankees a come from behind 3-2 victory over the Blue Jays in 10 innings. Andy Pettitte and Roy Halladay battled to a 1-1 tie through seven, Kyle Farnsworth crapped the bed again and the Yanks tied the score in the ninth on a balk.
Yep, it was a wildly entertaining game on a Tuesday night in the Bronx.
The Bombers have won four straight and 10 of their last 13.
The Good:
Andy Pettitte. Pettitte returned to his early season form on Tuesday which meant the Yankees didn't score any runs for him. Still, it's encouraging to see Andy pitch well again. Every pitcher is going to have a stretch during the season where things don't work for them and Pettitte was in the middle of a bad run. Looks like that tough string is over. Unfortunately for Pettitte in 2007, that means another no decision: 7 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 7 K.
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod started the 10th inning rally by getting hit with a pitch and then advanced to second on a ball in the dirt. It was an aggressive play because the ball didn't really get far from Jays catcher Gregg Zaun, but A-Rod's been that type of player this season. He scored the winning run on Cano's hit. Rodriguez also singled in the Yankees first run in the first inning and made some snazzy plays at third base. Memo to A-Rod: do the right thing and sign an extension with the Yanks right now. We need you in the Bronx! A-Rod finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and picked up RBI number 90.
Robinson Cano. Cano didn't deliver with runners on first and second in the eighth and the Yanks down 2-1, but he got another chance to be the hero in the tenth and he came through. It looks like Robbie is starting to heat up and it's about gosh-darn time. Canu finished 2 for 5 with the game-winning ribbie.
The Bad:
Kyle Farnsworth. There are really no words to describe how much I loathe Farnsworth. Kyle entered the game in the eighth with the score tied at 1-1 and immediately gave the Jays a 2-1 advantage. The big play? Farnsworth tried to pick off Howie Clark at first and threw the ball away. The worst part? Clark had his foot on the bag when Kyle whipped the ball by Andy Phillips. Farnsworth's disaster: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R (1 unearned run scored, but believe me, he earned it), 1 BB, 0 K.
The Ugly:
Ah, look out! Miguel Cairo tried to score the tying run in the ninth inning on a base hit by Melky Cabrera, but was gunned out at home on the play. Cairo was out by a mile and slammed his head right into catcher Gregg Zaun's hip. It was a minor miracle that Cairo wasn't lifted from the game. Also on the play, an excited Larry Bowa ran all the way down the third base line and broke his ass while Cairo was tagged out. The Yanks had two guys on the ground on one play and still trailed 2-1. The play would've been worse if the Yankees lost the game.
Roger Clemens will try and keep the good times rollin in Yankee Land on Wednesday. The Rocket is coming off a disappointing loss against the Devil Rays. Here's a strange stat on Clemens this season: he has a tiny 2.22 ERA at Yankee Stadium, but a chunky 7.56 ERA on the road. Thankfully, the game will be played in the Bronx. The Jays send righty Shaun Marcum to the hill. Marcum is 5-3 this season with a respectable 3.68 ERA. But, it's been a tough month for Shaun: he sports a 6.19 ERA in July.
And July has been very good for the Yanks.
The Yankees and Blue Jays combined for six homers on Monday night, but it was a bloop single that proved to be the game-winner.
Andy Phillips was the hero of the day again as the Yanks downed the Jays 6-4 at The Stadium. Kei Igawa was terrible (surprise, surprise), but the Bombers blasted three round-trippers and have a 4-1 mark since the All-Star break.
The Good:
Andy Phillips. Phillips drove in the tie-breaking run for the second straight game. His two-run single in the sixth gave the Yanks a 6-4 lead that they would never relinquish. It's been a battle for Phillips in 2007; his Mom was in a serious accident in March, he didn't make the team out of spring training and he was batting .125 at the end of June. But he's been contributing on both offense and defense lately and is batting .378 during the month of July. Phillips finished 1 for 3 with 2 RBIs.
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod belted homer number 32 in the third inning and drove in runs number 88 and 89. What else can be said about Rodriguez's season? I'm sure A-Rod's dinger just boiled the blood of Jays manager John Gibbons. You'll remember the last time these teams got together, A-Rod distracted the left side of the Blue Jay infield with a "hah!" which allowed a pop up to drop in for a Yankee run. Gibbons called the play bush league. A-Rod better be prepared for a brush-back pitch on Tuesday night. Rodriguez finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and 2 runs batted in.
Robinson Cano. And then there were three. Yankee lefties Bobby Abreu and Hideki Matsui have begun to hit and Cano finally joined the party with his best game since the break. Robbie hit almost everything hard on Monday night and looked more like the hitter who batted .342 last season. Canu finished 2 for 4 with a tater, 2 runs scored and 2 RBI.
Hideki Matsui. I usually try and max the "good" section to three, but I just can't leave Godzilla out of the mix. Matsui drilled another home run and extended his hitting-streak to 11 games. His homer in the second inning was his third in four games and his sixth of July. Godzilla finished 2 for 4 with a run scored and the 1 ribbie.
The Bad:
Kei Igawa. It was the same 'ol, same 'ol from Igawa. His pitches were up and over the plate, his control was terrible and he continued to give up home runs. It also took Igawa 115 pitches to get through five innings. Unfortunately, the Yanks are scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday, so it looks like the Japanese Bandit will get at least one more start. God help us all, say a prayer. Igawa's vitals: 5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 7 K, 2 HR.
Johnny Damon. You have to admire Damon's courage, but it looks like the break did nothing for his game. There are times when he looks like he's 45 years old at the plate. But since the Yanks don't have another option at DH, it looks like Damon will have to battle through his tumultuous season. Damon finished 0 for 4 and is batting a dreadful .205 for the month of July and .241 overall.
The Ugly:
Give that man a shield! Home plate umpire Marty Foster had a tough sixth inning. He was drilled in the forearm with a pitch which caused him to drop his balls and strikes counter and then took a foul ball off his leg. I think they should go back to the balloon protector for the umps. It would provide more protection and I think they're just hysterical. But, hey, that's just me.
Good pitching match-up for Tuesday night. Roy Halladay will go for the Jays and the Yanks will send Andy Pettitte to the hill. Halladay is 10-4 on the season, but sports a very un-Halladay-like 4.66 ERA on the year. Doc also carries a 5.79 road ERA and has a 8.44 ERA during the month of July. Strange. Pettitte will try and even his record to 6-6 for 2007. Andy has been shaky in his last three starts, but he did pick up a win his last time out against the Devil Rays.
And wins are all that matter at this stage of the game.
It wasn't pretty, but the Yanks escaped Tampa with three wins in four attempts and pushed their record one game above .500 yet again.
Mike Mussina didn't have it and the bullpen took turns coughing up runs, but the Yankee offense and defense came through when it mattered most as the Bombers edged the D-Rays 7-6 at The Trop. The Red Sox lost on Sunday so the Yanks now stand 9 games back of Boston in the AL East.
The Good:
Andy Phillips. Phillips got the Yanks on the board with an RBI triple in the fifth to cut the Tampa lead to 3-1. Actually, D-Rays center fielder B.J. Upton over-ran the ball and misplayed it into a triple, but Phillips hit it hard. Then with the score tied at 5-5 in the eighth, Phillips laced a single to left which brought in Matsui and gave the Yanks a 6-5 advantage. But Phillips made the defensive play of the game in the bottom of the inning when he speared a line drive off the bat of Dioner Navarro and then doubled-up Josh Wilson at second. Phillips also made another nice defensive play when he beat Carl Crawford to first on a grounder and then crashed into the speedy outfielder after recording the out. Andy sure was busy on Sunday. Phillips finished 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI.
Derek Jeter. The Captain gave the Yanks a short-lived 4-3 lead in the fifth with his 7th homer of the year. Jeter also hustled for an infield single in the eighth which drove in the Yankees seventh and eventual game-winning run. El Capitan finished 2 for 4 with a walk, a run scored, a stolen base and 3 runs batted in.
Mariano Rivera. The bullpen did it's darndest to blow this game, but Rivera came in and slammed the door. It wasn't easy, but The Sandman overcame a leadoff bloop single in the ninth and Posada's catcher's interference to notch his 13th save of the season. Rivera's early season problems are now a distant memory. Mo's final line: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.
The Bad:
Mike Mussina. It's difficult to watch The Moose's career spin down the crapper, but that's exactly what's happening. If you just look at Mussina's line, you could make the case that he worked through six innings without his best stuff. You COULD make that case, but Mussina has pitched poorly all season long. He was in trouble in nearly every inning and even the outs were hit hard. Now, Mussina did get squeezed on a couple of calls by home plate ump C.B. Bucknor, but that didn't factor into the barrage of hits he gave up. The Moose's numbers would have been a lot worse if not for Melky Cabrera's two assists during the game. Also, the D-Rays swiped three bases on Mussina's watch. Mussina's no decision: 6 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 0 K.
Kyle Farnsworth. Worthless. Farnsworth is absolutely worthless and I have no idea why Joe Torre continues to use him in the eighth inning. The eighth began with the Yanks up 7-5 and within two minutes the score was 7-6. If Andy Phillips doesn't make that defensive play, the Yanks could have been looking at a demoralizing loss. Kyle's work: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K.
The Ugly:
Really? I hadn't noticed. Joe Torre "revealed" in an interview that this season has been his toughest in pinstripes. No kidding. How exactly is this a story? You got me. I'm sure this article hasn't made it any easier for Joe.
The Yanks head back home and will welcome in the Toronto Blue Jays for a 4-game set beginning on Monday night. Josh Towers, who may be the only starting pitcher in the majors that wears a single digit number (the number is 7), takes his turn for Toronto and Kei Igawa toes the rubber for the Yanks. Hopefully, Phil Hughes will be ready to come back shortly so the Yanks can jettison Igawa right out of the starting five.
The climb toward the playoffs rolls on.
I wonder if Melky Cabrera ever heard of Wally Pipp?
OK, that comparison is nonsense, but Melky was scratched from the starting lineup on Saturday because of an "illness" which caused Torre to juggle the batting order and he slotted Bobby Abreu in the number 3 hole. Well, Abreu responded by knocking in five as the Yanks downed the Rays 6-4 in Tampa. Chien-Ming Wang settled down after a rough start and Mariano Rivera picked up career save number 425, good for third on the all-time list, as the Bombers moved back to .500 on the year.
The Good:
Bobby Abreu. Sure, Abreu uncorked a two-run bomb in the fifth to give the Yanks a 4-3 lead and then doubled in Johnny Damon in the ninth to extend the lead to 6-4, but one could argue that his biggest ribbie of the night was in the third. The Yanks were down 3-0 and had the bases loaded with one out. Abreu grounded a ball to short for a perfect double-play, but he hustled out of the box and beat the rap at first to drive in the Yankees first run of the game. It doesn't take talent to run hard to first four times a game and Abreu proved that good things can happen if you run balls out. Abreu, has been hot (he's batting .473 in his last 8 games), but I hope Torre moves him back down to 7th when Melky comes back. It just stretches the lineup out that way. Anyway, El Comedulce finished 2 for 5 with a run scored and 5 big runs batted in.
Chien-Ming Wang. The Devil Rays slapped Wang around in the first and touched him up for three runs. It looked like the Yanks were headed for another disappointing loss, but Wang changed his approach and kept the Bombers in the game. Wang went with more sliders and changeups and proved once again why he's the unquestioned ace of the staff. He cruised after a bumpy start and then got tough when the D-Rays loaded the bases in the sixth with a big-time strikeout to end the threat. The Wanger moved to 10-4 on the season with this: 6 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 6 K.
Hideki Matsui. One of the problems with the Yanks this season has been the lack of consistency from their left-handed hitters. Well, Abreu has been red-hot and Matsui is starting to glow as well. Godzilla smoked a homer in his second straight game and is working on a modest 9-game hitting streak. If Matsui and Abreu continue hitting, the Yanks could really beat up on the pitching-deprived teams on their upcoming schedule. Matsui finished 2 for 5 with a run scored, his 13th homer and 55th ribbie.
The Bad:
Robinson Cano. Speaking of inconsistent left-handed hitters, Cano went 0 for 4 on Saturday night and his average has dipped to .269 on the season. YES broadcasters Ken Singleton and John Flaherty pointed out that Cano seems to give at-bats away during ballgames (incidentally, those two guys have developed pretty good chemistry in the booth). Cano looked especially bad in his final plate appearance when he whiffed on a pitch nowhere near the strike zone. Robbie also fumbled a chance at a double play in the first which opened the door for Tampa's 3-run inning. The Yanks need Cano to get back on track.
Kyle Farnsworth. Obviously, Joe Torre doesn't read anything I write because he inserted Farnsworth into the eighth inning of a close game again. Surprise, surprise, Farnsworth struggled and was lucky to get out of the inning without coughing up the lead. He gave up a solo blast to Carlos Pena which cut the Yankee advantage to 5-4 and then Posada bailed him out of a two out walk by gunning out B.J. Upton at second. Joe, please! I implore you! Stop using Farnsworth in the eighth! There, I've done all that I can. Farnsworth's useless performance: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 HR.
The Ugly:
Watch out below! I came across this odd story where a guy (most likely drunk off his ass) stumbled out of his seat and fell onto a tourist at Yankee Stadium. The collision broke the tourist's vertebrae and he was taken to the hospital where surgeons inserted a screw into his neck. It was a miracle the guy wasn't paralyzed or killed. The tourist is from Washington and was at the game with his wife and 13-year-old son. They were in the middle of a baseball tour of the East Coast. Great vacation, huh?
Mike Mussina gets the ball on Sunday afternoon as the Yanks go for three of four against the Devil Rays. The Moose has been off all season, but he's 16-6 in his career against the D-Rays with a 3.25 ERA. Tampa will send Edwin Jackson to the hill who sports a horrific 1-9 record and a 7.23 ERA on the season. Want some more ugly numbers? Jackson owns a 9.00 ERA at home and has an ERA of 8.23 on turf.
Batters, take your mark!
The tug of war for .500 goes on.
The Yankees dropped their first game of the second half on Friday night to the Devil Rays 6-4 in St. Petersburg. Roger Clemens was off, Scott Kazmir looked overpowering at times and the D-Rays made some terrific defensive plays (for a change) as the Yanks dropped a game under .500 for the 200th time this season.
The Good:
Jorge Posada. The Yankees reached out to Posada (and Mariano Rivera) regarding a contract extension on Friday, but Jorgie told the team to take a hike. Can't say I didn't see this coming. Posada is in the middle of a career year and he continued his hot hitting on Friday night. His solo homer in the eighth pulled the Yanks to within 6-3. The Yankee catcher was the only player to record multiple hits for the Bombers. He finished 2 for 3 with a walk, a run scored and 1 RBI.
Hideki Matsui. Matsui followed Posada with a tater of his own in the eighth inning. It was the second straight night that the Yanks went back-to-back (and a belly to belly). Godzilla cut the lead to 6-4, but the Bombers would get no closer. Matsui finished 1 for 4 with a run scored, his 12th homer and his 54th ribbie.
Phil Hughes. No, Hughes didn't pitch for the Yanks, but the 21-year-old phenom made a rehab start for the Double A Trenton Thunder on Friday night and was impressive: 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, 43 pitches. Let's hope Hughes stays healthy and is able to rejoin the big club quickly.
The Bad:
Roger Clemens. The Rocket was fighting himself the whole game. His control was off and he put the Yanks in an early hole. Clemens turned back the hands of time in his last two starts, but he looked old on Friday night. At least that's what it looks like when he pitches poorly. Clemens dropped to 2-4 with this: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 2 K, 1 WP.
Scott Proctor. Proctor has pitched well since setting his equipment ablaze at the end of the first half, but he was back to his old ways on Friday. The Yanks cut the Tampa lead to 5-2 in the seventh, but Proctor gave the run right back. True, he inherited a runner on second with one out thanks to Mike Myers, but Proctor's job is to diffuse rallies. The Yanks probably wouldn't have come back in this game, but Proctor let the wind of their sails by allowing the D-Rays to regain a four run lead. Proctor's totals: .2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 inherited run scored.
The Ugly:
Racist! Former Yank Gary Sheffield came out swinging against his former manager Joe Torre in an interview for HBO's "Real Sports" which will air on Tuesday night. Sheffield stated that he was treated differently than white players in the Yankee locker room. He also stated that Derek Jeter "ain't all the way black." The quotes are hand picked from the entire interview so maybe they are taken out of context, but Sheffield has a knack for saying dumb things. He also discusses steroids and his relationship with Barry Bonds. It's always a party with Gary.
Chien-Ming Wang will try and get the Yanks back on the winning track on Saturday and opposes Tampa righty Andy Sonnanstine. Sonnanstine is 1-3 on the year with a 5.36 ERA. His only win came way back on June 10 against the Marlins. Wang is gunning for win number 10 and will attempt to get the Yanks back to .500 on the season.
The struggle for a winning mark continues.
Well, my fears have been quelled. The All-Star break didn't hurt the Yankee bats and the Bombers reached the .500 plateau yet again.
And that's a good thing.
The Yanks blasted three homers for the second straight game and Andy Pettitte was good enough as New York dropped the Devil Rays 7-3 at the Trop. Actually, the Yanks should have scored at least 10 runs on Thursday, but they tacked on runs as the game went on and that's something that has been sorely lacking this season.
The Good:
Bobby Abreu. El Comedulce! Abreu continued his steady climb toward respectability with a three hit game. He gave the Yanks a 1-0 lead in the second with a run-scoring double and then belted a solo home run in the fourth to extend the lead to 4-1. Abreu has quietly put together a modest 7-game hitting streak and is batting .368 in his last eight games. Bobby finished 3 for 4 with a run scored and 3 RBI.
Luis Vizcaino. Mariano Rivera has taken Vizcaino under his wing and the results have been fantastic. Andy Pettitte was fighting himself the entire game and when he was pulled with two outs in the sixth and the Yanks up 6-3, Vizcaino came in and slammed the door on Tampa. His overall numbers still look horrible, but Vizcaino has been the most consistent bullpen option (outside of Rivera, of course) of late. Vizcaino's final tally: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K.
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod kept up his Superman impersonation as he ripped his 31st homer of the year. If Rodriguez's second half is anything like his first half, the Yanks should be in pretty good shape for a playoff push. A-Rod finished 1 for 3 with a walk, the ribbie and 3 runs scored.
The Bad:
Kyle Farnsworth. Farnsworth didn't give up a run in his inning of work, but he continues to make every appearance exciting. And by exciting I mean gut-wrenching. He entered the game in the eighth with the Yanks up 7-3 and immediately walked Carl Crawford. Unacceptable. He then gave up a one out single which put runners on first and second. Farnsworth managed to wiggle out of trouble, but Torre needs to strip him of any eighth inning duties. It will cost the Yanks in the long run. Farnsworth's seemingly innocent totals: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.
The Ugly:
Can we talk? The Yankees broke away from their hardline stance of not negotiating during the season and offered to discuss a contract extension with Alex Rodriguez on Wednesday. A-Rod of course said no and wants to talk about his situation after the season. It's the smart move for both camps, but what does Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and even Joe Torre think about the Yankees move? All three of those guys have contracts that expire at season's end and the Yanks refused a possible extension. I'm sure they will all say the right things about how it's no big deal, but you have to believe that there will be some hard feelings come this off-season.
The Meeting. Remember Jason Giambi? Well, his meeting with George Mitchell regarding steroids will take place in late July. Giambi will be the first active player to meet with Mitchell. Does this matter? Or better yet, does anyone still care?
The Yanks will try and make it three in a row on Friday and climb above .500 again on the season. Roger Clemens, who has been tremendous in his last two starts (1-0, 1.13 ERA), will get the call for the Yanks. He'll go against the talented but inconsistent lefty Scott Kazmir.
The push toward a winning record begins again.
The way this season has gone, it seems appropriate that the Yanks would be forced to take a break just when they've started playing consistently.
The Yankees blew out the Angels on Sunday, 12-0, on a hot, sticky, hazy day in the Bronx. Chien-Ming Wang won his ninth game of the year despite his fingernail problem and the Bombers belted three three-run homers en route to the shutout. The Yanks took two of three from the Angels and have won five of their last seven games.
If you're wondering why this post is tardy, I went to see Rush at the PNC on Sunday night. Yes, the members of Rush are still alive and yes, they still perform. The show was solid even though the set list left something to be desired and I got home at 1 o'clock in the a.m. And I'm a lazy, lazy man.
The Good:
Chien-Ming Wang. It didn't start out well for Wang on Sunday. He walked Reggie Willits to start the game and then ran the count to 3-1 on Yankee Killer Chone Figgins. But Willits was erased trying to swipe second and Wang came back to strike out Figgins. That was probably the Angels best scoring opportunity of the afternoon. Wang continued to battle through his cracked fingernail problem, but the Yankee offense allowed the Wanger to cruise toward victory. Wang's W: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K.
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod's three-run bomb came when the game was already well in hand, but it was his 30th of the year and moved him pass Lou Gehrig and Fred McGriff for 22nd on the all-time home run list with 494 taters. I guess that hammy is just fine. A-Rod finished 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 4 RBIs.
Hideki Matsui. Matsui's three-run homer was the clout that got the Yanks off and running. It was Godzilla's third dinger in five games and it gave the Yankees a 4-0 lead after one inning. Matsui is a streaky hitter and it looks like he's getting ready for a hot streak. He finished 1 for 3 with a run scored, 2 walks and 3 ribbies.
The Bad:
Johnny Damon. Damon didn't have a terrible game, but he was the only Yankee starter without a hit on Sunday. He did walk twice and scored a run, but his first-half numbers are abysmal: .245, 5 HR, 27 RBI, .339 OBP. Maybe the rest will do his body good.
The Ugly:
First half stats. Well, the Yanks are 42-43 at the All-Star break. They are in third place (really tied for second with the Blue Jays, but I'm going to be anal and count the percentage points), 10 games behind the Boston Red Sox. They are 8.5 games behind the Cleveland Indians for the wild card. The Yankees have their work cut out for them in the second half.
The All-Star game is Tuesday night in San Francisco. Jeter, A-Rod and Posada will be representing the pinstripes. The Yankees will resume the regular season on Thursday in Tampa against the Devil Rays.
That's when the work begins.
Damn.
I gotta tell ya, I only watched half of this game. I went out with a friend for a late lunch with the score tied at 1-1 in the sixth and planned on watching the remainder of the game when I got home. I pressed record on my VCR (yes, they still exist and yes, I still have one), but I forgot that my place experienced a power surge a few days ago. That messed up my VCR and when I pressed play all I saw was snow. Dirty, black snow. Damn you '80s technology!!
So, I'm forced to piece this game together from scraps -- like an animal. Roger Clemens pitched his heart out, but Angels starter John Lackey matched him pitch for pitch as the Yanks dropped a heartbreaker to the Angels, 2-1 in 13 innings. The Yankees struck out 14 times in the game and committed 5 errors.
This roundup will be brief.
The Good:
Roger Clemens. The Rocket was great for the second straight start. Clemens can't blow batters away like he used to, but he still knows how to pitch and get the most out of his stuff. I hope Mike Mussina was taking notes. Clemens really deserved a better fate. Roger's no decision went like this: 8 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K.
The Bad:
Miguel Cairo. Cairo has been terrific in his spot-starting duties this season, but he committed 3 errors on Saturday, including 2 in the 13th that led to the Angels winning run. He made a diving stab on a grounder in the final inning, but his throw to Luis Vizcaino was wide and Howie Kendrick scored on the play. Actually, Cairo made a similar play in Friday night's game, but it didn't cost the Yanks the game. Saturday afternoon was a different story.
Melky Cabrera. Talk about a tough day. Melky has been hot batting in the second spot in the order, but he suffered through one of his worst days as a pro on Saturday. Cabrera went 1 for 6, but struck out 5 times. I know you receive the Golden Sombrero with four strikeouts in a game, but I'm not sure what you get for doing it five times. A dunce cap? Whatever it is, I'm sure Melky doesn't want it.
The Ugly:
Losers at the break. The loss on Saturday now ensures that the Yanks will finish the first half of 2007 with a losing record. It's been a tumultuous season so far for the Yanks and their fans. I'm sure the theme in the papers and on talk radio will center on whether the Yanks should be buyers or sellers in the second half. One thing is for sure -- it will be an uphill battle for the Yanks to get into the playoffs this year.
The rubber game and the final game before the All-Star Break will pit Chien-Ming Wang against Ervin Santana. Santana has a horrid 7.45 ERA on the road this year and is 5-9 with a 5.35 ERA overall for 2007. Wang will be shooting for win number 9 on the season.
For me, the first half of the season can't end soon enough.
It's taken half the season, but the Yankee bats have finally come alive.
Andy Pettitte pitched terribly for the second start in a row, Robinson Cano was called out as he failed to touch third on his way home and the Yanks nearly blew a five run lead. But, the Bombers banged out 19 hits and they outlasted the Halos, 14-9 on a Friday night in New York. Every Yankee had at least one hit and one RBI and the victory pulls the Yanks to within one game of the elusive .500 mark. It wasn't the prettiest game ever, but they don't give extra points for style.
The Good:
Alex Rodriguez. So much for my suggestion that A-Rod sit out the final weekend of the first half. A-Rod made some nifty plays in the field and continued to punish Angel pitching as he blasted his 53th career dinger off California/Anaheim/Los Angeles pitching. It was also career homer 493 for A-Rod which ties him with Lou Gehrig and Fred McGriff for 22nd place all-time. Oh, and his two-run home run on Friday night also extended the Yankee lead to 12-9 in the sixth. A-Rod finished 3 for 4 with 3 runs scored, a walk and 2 RBIs.
Jorge Posada. Posada gave the Yanks an early 1-0 lead in the second with an RBI double and then broke a 3-3 tie in the third with another two-bagger, this time it drove in two, to give the Yanks a 5-3 advantage. Posada's rocky July has flown a bit under the radar (he was batting .176 heading into Friday's game), but it still can't ruin his overall numbers. Jorgie is now batting .329 on the year after his 3 for 5 night. He also scored two runs and drove in three.
Miguel Cairo. Cairo got the start at first on Friday after Andy Phillips complained of neck pain (suck it up, Andy) and he made the most of it. He made some snazzy plays in the field as he scooped up a throw from A-Rod in the third and made a diving stab on a grounder in the sixth. Miggy also pulled off a beautiful suicide squeeze in the third. Too bad Cano forgot to touch third on Cairo's triple in the fifth. The play took a ribbie away from Cairo and turned his triple into a single. Cano owes someone a dinner or something. Anyway, the offensive numbers may not look impressive, but Cairo played a big part in Friday's win. He finished 1 for 3 with 2 RBI.
The Bad:
Andy Pettitte. Pettitte was awful for the second straight start. This one was disappointing because the Yanks finally scored some runs for him. Pettitte's last two starts have inflated his ERA to 4.25 on the season. Andy's been better than that this year. Maybe he just needs some rest to recharge his batteries. Pettitte's scary totals for Friday: 5 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 1 BB, 5 K.
The Ugly:
Lost in Translation. For some reason, someone thought it would be a good idea to put Hu Jiango in the YES booth during the third inning. Who, you ask? He's the chairman of the new Chinese Baseball Association, the organization poised to become the Yankees pipeline for baseball players in China. That's all swell and dandy, but that doesn't translate to good TV. Michael Kay did his best to communicate with Jiango, but all he got was dead air, garbled words and mumbled translations. And worst of all, the Yanks were in the middle of a rally. I understand this is a huge business move for the Yankees, but it was a terrible decision for television.
Saturday is Old Timers' Day at The Stadium and the Yanks will send the oldest pitcher in the league to the hill, The Rocket Roger Clemens. Clemens is 29-9 in his career against the Angels and will go against John Lackey. Lackey is 11-5 on the season and posts an impressive 3.04 ERA.
A win on Saturday will pull the Yanks even on the season.
Again.
Godzilla!
Hideki Matsui blasted a two out, two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to guide the Yanks to a 7-6 victory over the Twins on a Thursday afternoon in the Bronx. The Yanks were down 2-0 after one, jumped ahead 5-2 in the second and then broke a 5-5 tie in the eighth. I missed pretty much all of this game now that I have "normal work hours," but I used ESPN's gamecast and Depressed Fan and Vinny from Kearny gave me regular updates throughout the day and I caught the end of the game on Yankees Encore when I got home.
Therefore, my roundup will be limited, but (I think) fair.
The Good:
Hideki Matsui. It was encouraging to see that Joe Torre still has faith in Matsui when he gave him the green light on a 3-0 count in the eighth inning. Matsui fouled the pitch off, but I liked the aggressiveness. Matsui eventually deposited a 3-2 pitch deep into the right field bleachers. Godzilla has now homered in two straight games. Matsui finished 2 for 5 with a run scored, and the two-run game-winning homer.
Melky Cabrera. Melky belted a three-run homer to cap off the Yankees five run outburst in the second. The Melk-Man has really taken to his new slot in the order -- he's batting .473 this year in the number 2 hole. Melky finished 3 for 5 with a run scored and three ribbies.
Robinson Cano. Melky ended the second inning scoring, but his buddy Cano got things going by ripping his 5th home run of the season, a solo shot, which cut the Twin lead in half, 2-1. Cano entered the game batting a putrid .174 in day games, but he finished 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. Maybe the hazy sky was all Cano needed to stroke a couple of hits.
The Bad:
Kei Igawa. I didn't physically see Igawa pitch, but the gamecast told me all I needed to know about his performance. It was rancid! It made me want to retch and vomit! It is now painfully clear that Igawa doesn't belong in the Majors. He would easily be Cashman's worst ever signing if not for one Carl Pavano. The only positive for Igawa was that he didn't give up any homers. Igawa's no decision: 5 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 3 K. His ERA is now 7.14.
The Ugly:
Day by Day. Alex Rodriguez missed his first game of the year on Thursday because of his strained hamstring. An MRI came back normal and A-Rod may be back in the lineup for Friday's game against the Angels, but this whole situation has disaster written all over it. The All-Star break is next week and even though the Yanks need wins, I think it would be best to sit A-Rod out for the weekend and see if he can give it a go after the break. Rodriguez is a gamer and wants to play, but it wouldn't do him or the Yanks any good if he winds up missing a month or more because he tried to push it.
Well, the Yanks took three of four from their favorite punching bags, the Twins, but now they welcome in their nemesis -- the Angels -- for the final three-game set before the break. Andy Pettitte will look to bounce back from a horrific start against the A's and will go against the beefy Bartolo Colon.
A sweep of the Angels will move the Yanks one game over .500 at the season's halfway mark.
Can they do it?
George Steinbrenner celebrated his 77th birthday on Wednesday, but the Yankees couldn't present him with a win.
Jason Kubel broke a 2-2 in the seventh with a two-run Yankee Stadium homer and Johan Santana pitched seven solid innings as the Twins dropped the Yanks 6-2 on a gray, drizzly July 4th in the Bronx.
The Good:
Hideki Matsui. Godzilla has been slumping, but he entered the game with great numbers against Santana (.385 average) and those stats stayed true to form. Matsui evened the score at 1-1 in the second with his 9th homer of the season. He finished 1 for 3 with a walk, a run scored and drove in his 47th run of the year.
The Bad:
Mike Mussina. Mussina didn't pitch poorly, but the Yankees need wins and Mussina couldn't deliver. The Moose gave up an unearned run in the first and pitched well until the seventh when he gave up a two-run homer to Jason Kubel which gave the Twins a 4-2 advantage. All in all, it wasn't a horrible day for Mussina, but he just wasn't good enough. The Moose's totals: 6+ IP, 5 H, 4 (3 earned), 0 BB, 5 K, 1 killer HR.
Brian Bruney. It was doubtful that the Yanks were coming back in this one, but Bruney erased all hope when he gave up a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to light-hitting Luis Rodriguez. Rodriguez entered Wednesday's game batting .179 and had only 1 homer on the year, but he turned on a Bruney pitch and deposited it into the right field stands. Bruney's vitals: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 HR.
The Ugly:
Slip of the tongue. In the second inning, Paul O'Neill was trying to tell a humorous story about one of his kids, but it went horribly wrong. Michael Kay, Bobby Murcer and O'Neill were discussing the upcoming Old Timer's Day at The Stadium on Saturday when O'Neill said that his daughter referred to it as Alzheimer's Day. Now, O'Neill didn't mean any harm, but Kay lost his mother to the disease last year and you could just sense the air being sucked out of the booth after that comment. Talk about awkward.
The Twins and Yanks will wrap up their four-game set on Thursday afternoon. Kei Igawa will make his third start since being called up from Tampa. So far, the "new" Igawa has looked a lot like the "old" one -- crappy. The Twins will send Kevin Slowey to the hill. Slowey is 3-0 on the season despite a 5.13 ERA.
I wonder if The Boss tossed his birthday cake across the room after the Yankee loss.
Nothing like a series with the Twinkies to get the Yankees back on track.
Chien-Ming Wang was on again, the offense banged out 14 hits and the Yanks may have found some bullpen help as they drubbed Minnesota 8-0 at The Stadium. The Yankees are 27-9 against the Twins since 2002.
The Good:
Chien-Ming Wang. I was playing a little game recently with a couple of my friends and my brother: Choose a five man rotation if you were starting a team. Go ahead. Pick from both leagues. Wang's name came up every time and not just because we're all Yankee fans. When Wang is on, he's one of the best pitchers in the league and on Tuesday night he was on. His bowling ball sinker kept the Twins off-balance all night. The Wanger moved to 8-4 with this gem: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 3 K.
Robinson Cano. Cano's Yankee Stadium two-run homer in the fourth gave the Yanks a 3-0 lead and gave Wang the breathing room he needed. Cano has looked sluggish at the plate lately, but I have to believe that he's gearing up for a big second half. Robbie finished 1 for 3 with two runs scored and the 2 ribbies.
Bobby Abreu. Abreu collected three hits for the second consecutive night. I guess it's going to be all or nothing for Abreu this year. Either he's hot or he's not and the Yanks will have to live with whichever player shows up. Right now, he's El Comedulce. Abreu went 3 for 3 with a walk, 2 runs scored and an RBI.
Edwar Ramirez. Who? Well, infielder Chris Basak was sent down to the farm on Sunday and the Yanks brought up the 26-year-old reliever from Scranton to take his place. Man, where has this guy been hiding? I realize it was Ramirez's first big league appearance, but he looked fierce on the hill. He looks like he's about 15-years-old and probably weights about 160 pounds soaking wet, but he struck out the side in the top of the ninth with a devastating change up. Maybe the Yanks have found some bullpen help at last.
The Bad:
Alex Rodriguez. I guess A-Rod possesses Wolverine's recuperating powers because his hammy looked fine on Tuesday. He looked spry in the field and ran with no noticeable limp. Outstanding. Still, he was the only starting player not to get invited to the party as he finished 0 for 4.
The Ugly:
Tick-Tock. I don't want to piss on this parade, but the Yanks are still under .500 for the year (39-41) and the All-Star Break is next week. The Yanks haven't been under .500 at the All-Star Break since 1995.
Mike Mussina will get the Fourth of July honors on Wednesday and will go up against the reigning Cy Young Champ Johan Santana. Somehow Santana went only 3-2 in the month of June despite posting an ERA of 1.98. Mussina is 20-5 in his career against Minnesota.
Let's see if Mussina and the Yanks can make it a Happy Birthday for The Boss.
Even when the Yankees win this year, they lose.
Roger Clemens pitched 8 outstanding innings for career win number 350 and the Yanks finally scored some meaningful runs, but Alex Rodriguez left the game in the sixth with a hamstring injury as the Yanks downed the Twins 5-1 in the Bronx.
It just gets worse and worse.
The Good:
Roger Clemens. The Rocket had his best start of the season on Monday night as he picked up his 350th win. He worked efficiently and economically and gave the Yankee bullpen some much needed rest. His outing also showed me that he still has something left in the tank. Clemens improved to 2-3 on the year with this: 8 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K.
Bobby Abreu. Abreu was dropped to the number 7 spot again, but this time he responded with 3 hits. His long, high, twisting homer to right helped ignite a four-run rally in the sixth. I really don't know what to expect from Abreu day-to-day (and I'm guessing the Yanks don't either), but maybe Torre should keep him at the bottom of the order from now on. If he hits, he'll be one of the best number 7 hitters in the league and if he doesn't, he won't be the team's designated rally killer. Abreu finished 3 for 4 with a run scored and 1 RBI on the monster home run.
Melky Cabrera. Speaking of number 2 hitters, Cabrera looked comfortable sandwiched between Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter on Monday night. Maybe Melky hitting second will be the spark this offense needs. With Cabrera batting in the number 2 hole, it gives the Yanks four speedy runners at the top of the lineup (in theory, anyway). I hope Torre sticks with this plan for at least a few games. Melky went 2 for 4 with a walk and 1 ribbie.
The Bad:
Hideki Matsui. Matsui's struggles at the plate continue. He finished 0 for 4 and left 7 runners on base. Matsui has seen his average drop from .290 on June 21 to .266 after Monday night's game.
The Ugly:
When MVP's collide. You knew it was going to be trouble the minute A-Rod slammed into Justin Morneau's leg on a fielder's choice in the sixth. There are a few everyday players the Yanks simply cannot afford to lose if they want to make a run at the postseason and A-Rod is one of them. The offense has been struggling with him in the lineup and I shudder to think what it would be like without him. Rodriguez rubbed his hamstring and limped around after the play at firstbase, but stayed in the game. A-Rod tried to battle through it, but was taken out of the game a batter later. Hammys can be tricky, but let's hope this one won't keep A-Rod out of the lineup for long.
Chien-Ming Wang will try and make it two in a row for the Yanks on Tuesday and will go against Twins righty Carlos Silva.
Let's see if Wang can make a win feel like a win.
The only thing pretty about today's game was the weather.
Oakland battered Andy Pettitte for seven runs in the second inning and buried the Yanks 11-5 at The Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Yankees dropped two of three to the A's this weekend and now stand 8.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers in the AL wild card race.
The Good:
Ron Villone. Villone entered the game with two outs in the second and the Yanks down 8-0 and pitched great. His performance kept the fantasy of a Yankee comeback alive. This makes two straight impressive outings for Villone. Too bad neither led to a win. Villone's numbers: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K.
The Bad:
Andy Pettitte. It looked like Pettitte was headed toward another frustrating outing when he gave up an unearned run in the first on a Bobby Abreu error. But then the A's teed off in the second and Pettitte's start turned into a horror show. The runs scored so fast it's a miracle Pettitte didn't suffer whiplash. When the smoke cleared, Pettitte was history and the Yanks were down 8-0 before many in the ballpark were able to purchase their first hot dog. Pettitte fell to 4-6 with this: 1.2 IP, 9 H, 8 R (7 earned), 0 BB, 1 K, 2 HR.
Robinson Cano. Joe Torre penciled Cano into the number 3 spot and Cano responded by going hitless. It's amazing how every lineup change hasn't worked for the Yanks this season. Maybe Torre should take a page from Billy Martin's book and pick the lineup out of a hat. Cano killed two rallies as he flew out with the bases loaded in the 4th and K'd with runners on first and second in the 6th. Robbie finished 0 for 5 and is now batting .265 for the year.
The Ugly:
Up in smoke? Scott Proctor's frustration level reached critical mass after Saturday's 7-0 loss when he lit some of his equipment on fire outside the Yankee dugout. Proctor later said he had done it before in Triple A after a bad stretch. Oh, well then I guess lighting a bonfire in Yankee Stadium makes perfect sense. But then again, what do I know? Proctor came in on Sunday and pitched zeros for 1.1 innings.
The Minnesota Twins are up next for the Yanks and will send the chunky Boof Bonser to the hill. The Yanks blasted Bonser for six runs in 4.1 innings en route to a 10-1 victory at the Metrodome in April. The ageless Roger Clemens gets the call for the Yanks and will try again for career win number 350.
Unfortunately, the clock is ticking for the Yanks in 2007.
I'm not sure what a season spinning down the toilet looks like, but the Yankees are doing a great job of fleshing it out for me.
The Oakland A's belted three homers and allowed only 1 hit as they blanked the Yanks 7-0 in the Bronx. The Bombers haven't scored a run since putting up a two spot in the first inning on Friday night. This was a hard game to watch. I felt like the Yankees were holding me hostage with the way they played.
The Good:
Johnny Damon. Damon laced a clean single up the middle with one out in the bottom of the sixth to break up Chad Gaudin's no-hitter. The hit turned a potential historic loss into just a frustrating one. Way to go, Johnny! Damon finished 1 for 3 with a walk.
The Bad:
Kei Igawa. Igawa looked good for 2.2 innings, but then gave up a line drive homer to Jason Kendall. No biggie, right? Well, Igawa lost it after giving up the dinger. Shannon Stewart made it back-to-back homers in the inning and then Igawa walked the next two batters. He worked out of that jam, but you could see that his confidence was wrecked. It seems like Igawa falls apart at the slightest hint of adversity. He's also allowed 11 homers in 41.2 innings this season. Igawa dropped to 2-2 with this: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 4 K, 3 HR.
Scott Proctor. Proctor entered the game with the Yanks down 4-0 and almost immediately extinguished any hope of a Yankee comeback. Here's how it happened: single, single, fly out, double, 6-0 A's, hit the showers. Mike Myers came in and gave up the final run to complete Proctor's ledger. Proctor has been horrible lately and has given up runs in his last four appearances. Not Good. Proctor's totals: .1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 0 K.
The Ugly:
Home field advantage? Yankee Stadium was as quiet as a tomb on Saturday afternoon. Sure, there was nothing to cheer about, but the silence started in the third inning with the Yanks down only 2-0. It's almost as if the fans realize that the season is beginning to slip away. When the YES cameras showed Oakland manager Bob Geren in the dugout, I felt like I was pulled back in time to 1990 when Geren was the Yankee catcher. Those were the dark times and the vibe at The Stadium on Saturday felt eerily similar.
It doesn't get any easier for the offensively-challenged Yankees on Sunday as the A's send the major's ERA leader Dan Haren to the hill. Haren is having a remarkable season (9-2, 1.91 ERA) and is 3-0 in his career against the Yanks with a 2.76 ERA. The Yanks will send Andy Pettitte to the mound who should be used to minimal run support this season.
Maybe a change to a new month will flip the switch.
Ah, home sweet home.
The Yankees used sparkling defense and solid pitching to drop the Athletics 2-1 Friday night at The Stadium. The offense scored two runs in the first and Mike Mussina and Mariano Rivera made it stand as the Yanks snapped a four-game losing streak.
The Good:
Mike Mussina. The Moose was in total control on Friday night. Mussina will probably never be that 200 inning, 200 strikeout guy again, but if he can continue to work efficiently and effectively, then the Yanks may have a chance to turn things around. Mussina improved to 4-5 on the season with this: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 3 K on 84 pitches.
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod gave the Yanks an early 1-0 lead with an RBI double in the bottom of the first. He finished a perfect 3 for 3 with a walk, a run scored and his 79th ribbie of the season. Rodriguez has moved his average up to .334 on the year.
Mariano Rivera. Mussina was impressive in his seven innings of work, but Rivera was dominant as he picked up his 10th save of the season. Mo rescued Farnsworth and the Yanks from a two on, two out situation in the eighth and then blew away the A's in the ninth. The Sandman's totals: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 hit batsman.
The Bad:
Kyle Farnsworth. What else is new? Why does Torre continue to insert Farnsworth in crucial late inning situations? I don't know. Farnsworth allows at least two runners to reach base in almost every inning he pitches. The Yanks aren't enticing anyone if they're trying to showcase him for a possible trade. Farnsworth's crappy, but not surprising totals: .2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K. Way to earn that "H" Kyle.
The Ugly:
Is it hot in here? Looks like GM Brian Cashman is starting to feel the heat from the Yankees poor performance this season. Cashman stated that no job is safe with the way the Yanks have been playing this year. Yeah, not really ground-breaking news there, Brian. This is going to be a common theme for the remainder of 2007. Personally, I don't think a firing is going to spark the club. They just need to be more consistent and play better baseball. The Yanks have the talent; it's just a question of executing.
Kei Igawa will get his second start since having his pitching motion "restructured" on Saturday afternoon and will go against Chad Gaudin. Gaudin has been solid for the A's this season; 6-3 with a 3.14 ERA. Igawa didn't impress in his outing last week in San Fran as he couldn't get out of the fifth inning and failed to qualify for a win.
Maybe Igawa can "wow" the fans in the Bronx on Saturday.
Damn you Mother Nature!
Things looked bleak for the Yanks late Thursday night as the Orioles held a 6-4 lead heading into the eighth. Then the Bombers found some intestinal fortitude and took an 8-6 lead only to have the game suspended due to rain. The teams will complete the contest on July 27 at Camden Yards with two outs in the top of the eighth and the Yanks up 8-6.
Since the game isn't over, my good, bad and ugly roundup is incomplete and therefore subject to change.
The Good:
Derek Jeter. Jeter gave the Yanks the lead with a clutch two-run single in the eighth through the driving rain. The Captain is 2 for 5 with a run scored and the 2 ribbies.
Melky Cabrera. Cabrera started the Yankee four-run outburst in the eighth with a run scoring double which cut the O's lead to 6-5. Melky is 1 for 4 with a run scored and 2 RBIs.
Andy Phillips. Phillips belted his first homer of the season in the third to get the Yanks on the board. Andy is 1 for 3 with a run scored and the 1 RBI.
The Bad:
Chien-Ming Wang. Wang didn't look like the ace of the staff on Thursday night. He wasn't sharp, but held a 4-2 advantage going into the seventh only to have his sinker and defense fail him. Bobby Abreu misplayed a ball off the bat of Kevin Millar for a triple and Jorge Posada fired a ball into left field trying to nail Corey Patterson at third. In all, the O's scored four runs in the inning and Wang's night was done. His ND looked like this: 6.1 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 1 K.
The Ugly:
8 1/2 game road trip. The Yanks were expected to fatten up against the Rockies, Giants and Orioles, but finished the trip 1-7 with Thursday's game still pending. Disgraceful.
The Yankees return to the Bronx on Friday to take on the Oakland A's. Mike Mussina will get the honors and the Athletics will send lefty Joe Kennedy to the hill.
Maybe this "almost win" will get the Yankees headed in the right direction.
The only saving grace about this game was that it lasted under 3 hours.
The road trip from hell continued on Wednesday as the O's shut out the Yanks 4-0 in Baltimore. The offense is sputtering, Roger Clemens may have injured himself and the Yankees have dipped three games under .500 on the year.
The Good:
Brian Bruney. How bad was it for the Yanks? The only shining spot was Brian Bruney's seventh inning performance. Was it spectacular? No. Was it meaningful? No. Will it be remembered? No. Bruney retired the side in order on 7 pitches. His totals: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K. Big deal.
The Bad:
Roger Clemens. Clemens put up zeros for the first five innings, but fell into trouble in the sixth. The Rocket did something to himself two pitches into that inning. Stevie Donohue ran out and checked on him, but Clemens assured everyone that he was fine. It looked he was flexing his arm, but what the hell do I know? Well, the Orioles jumped on Clemens for four runs including a three-run homer off the bat of Aubrey Huff. Game over. Clemens fell to 1-3 on the season with this: 6 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 0 K, 1 HR. Clemens failed to strikeout a batter for the first time in 200 starts.
The Ugly:
The Yankee offense. The Yankees had one runner in scoring position for the entire game. ONE! And it happened with one out in the ninth. The Yanks managed only five hits and struck out a total of 10 times. Bronx Bombers, indeed.
Chien-Ming Wang will go in the series finale against hard-throwing Daniel Cabrera. Wang is the ace of the staff and he really needs to pick up the squad.
Let's hope the Yanks aren't too far gone.
OK, this is getting pretty depressing.
The Yanks dropped another heartbreaker on Tuesday night as Scott Proctor walked in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Orioles a 3-2 win. The Yankees have dropped three straight, 6 of their last 7 and now stand at 36-38 on the season.
The Good:
Andy Pettitte. Pettitte pitched his guts out again and again the Yankee bats fell silent. Pettitte's control was a bit off, but he was able to limit the O's to only two runs in seven innings. The defense was also a bit lax as a miscommunication between Melky and Abreu in the outfield allowed a run to score in the fourth. YES cameras later showed an irate Pettitte in the dugout. Was he upset at himself or with the outfield play? Who knows, but Torre had a little talk with Abreu and Cabrera after Pettitte's little fit. The way things have gone for Pettitte this season, I'm surprised he hasn't hauled off on somebody. At least Pettitte didn't get a tough luck loss; just a tough luck no decision: 7 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 5 BB, 2 K.
Johnny Damon. Damon injected some life into the lethargic Yanks in the sixth when he blasted his 5th homer of the year. The dinger pulled the Yankees even at 2-2. Every time Damon seems destined for the disabled list, he comes through with a solid performance. Damon probably belongs on the DL at this point, but the offense really can't afford to lose him; even if he is at half strength. Damon finished 1 for 4 with a run scored and the two-run bomb.
The Bad:
Scott Proctor. Proctor dropped to an appalling 1-5 this season with his effort on Tuesday. He started digging his own grave when he walked Corey Patterson to lead off the ninth. It was a tough at-bat, but in the end Patterson was on first. Proctor then fell into a first and second, nobody out hole when he made a spectacular play on a bunt attempt by Chris Gomez. Proctor stretched out and made a diving catch on the ball for a big out, but the play knocked the wind out of him. It sounds like an excuse, but Proctor was really off after that play. The evidence? Two straight walks to end the game. Proctor's losing totals: .1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 3 BB.
The Ugly:
Road Warriors? The Yanks dropped to 16-24 on the road this season. That's disgusting. It's another sign of being a bad team and if the Yanks expect to be playing in October, they better start winning when they wear the grey uniforms.
Roger Clemens will try and stop the bleeding on Wednesday and will hook up against lefty Erik Bedard. Bedard defeated the Yanks way back on April 8th; a game which dropped the Bombers to an unfamiliar 2-3 on the young season.
An under .500 record isn't that unfamiliar anymore.
Here we go again.
It was a total team effort as the Yanks fell to the Giants 7-2 on Sunday afternoon in San Fran. The Giants took two of three against the Bombers this weekend and the loss sends the Yanks under .500 (again) and 11.5 games behind the BoSox. The Giants stole five bases and came through with big hits while the Yankees played sloppy (3 errors) and managed only 5 hits. I guess the only highlight was watching Roger Clemens (who came into the game in the seventh) face off against Barry Bonds. Bonds walked and later scored.
The Good:
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod picked up his 77th RBI on Sunday, but it came on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded. Rodriguez was locked in a battle with Giants starter Noah Lowry, but was only able to slice the Yankee deficit to 3-1. It turned out to be the Yankees best scoring opportunity of the day. A-Rod finished 1 for 3 with a walk, a run scored and the RBI.
The Bad:
Mike Mussina. If you look at the numbers Mussina didn't pitch terribly, but the Yankees really needed him to go deep on Sunday and The Moose didn't deliver. The Giants also ran wild on Mussina as they swiped 5 bases in five innings. In fact, two Giants stole their first bags of the season (Nate Schierholtz and Ryan Klesko) against The Moose. Mussina fell to 3-5 with this performance: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R (2 earned), 3 BB, 5 K.
Kyle Farnsworth. Farnsworth has really become my whipping boy. Farnsworth entered the game in the eighth with Yanks down 4-1 and promptly allowed the Giants to put the game away. In all fairness, the Yankee D really let Farnsworth down. Derek Jeter bobbled a perfect double play ball and Melky Cabrera made an error in center which helped the Giants score three runs. Still, I didn't care for Farnsworth attitude when Melky didn't come up with a deep fly to center. The sun was a major factor for all the outfielders in the later innings and Melky didn't get a good read, but the ball was crushed. Farnsworth has no business getting upset with anyone for not making a play. Kyle's totals: .1 IP, 3 H, 3 R (2 earned), 0 BB, 0 K.
The Ugly:
Fat road trip? The Yankees were rolling as they began this 9-game road trip. They entered Colorado winning 11 of their last 12 and the offense was clicking. Media and fans expected the Yanks to feast on what the NL had to offer and then beat up on the Orioles, but the Bombers finished 1-5 against the Rockies and Giants. Even a sweep of the three-game set in Baltimore will leave the Yanks with a losing record on this trip. We are almost three full months into the season and the Yankees have been an inconsistent squad. I thought the tide had turned over the past two weeks, but maybe the Yanks are just what their record indicates -- mediocre.
Monday is an off day as the Yanks head back east to take on the O's in Baltimore. Andy Pettitte will get the start against Jeremy Guthrie who possesses a 4-1 record and a 2.42 ERA this year. Pettitte will try and bounce back from his poor performance against the Rockies and will try to improve on his 4-5 record this season.
The Yanks should take Monday's day off and figure out what kind of team they have this season before it's too late.
This one hurt.
I have to admit, I missed most of this contest. The weather was just too nice in New Jersey on Saturday afternoon and I spent it on the Pitch and Putt with my pals Vinny and Bert. I shot a 91 on a par 54 course. Yeah, I suck, but I did catch A-Rod's tying homer in the ninth on the radio and watched the rest of the ballgame at JR Cigar while devouring a pizza with pepperoni and roasted peppers.
Therefore, I can't go into great detail about the loss, but I know the Yanks threw this game away. They blew a 4-1 lead, but were able to tie it on A-Rod's bomb in the top of the ninth. The Yankees had a chance to take the lead in the 11th when Hideki Matsui stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and one out, but Matsui struck out on three pitches. Then Robinson Cano grounded out to end the inning and the Yanks finally lost it on a bloop single in the 13th, 6-5.
The Good, Bad and Ugly roundup will be very generic, but here goes:
The Good:
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod gave the Yankees new life when he belted his 28th homer of the season in the top of the ninth which tied the score at 5-5. He also helped rally the Yanks in the 11th when he doubled with one out to set up runners on second and third. A-Rod had four hits for the second night in a row and finished 4 for 6 with a walk, a double, 3 runs scored, a stolen base and the clutch solo homer. A-Rod is batting a mind-boggling .579 in his last 7 games and is hitting an amazing .420 during the month of June.
The Bad:
Hideki Matsui. I feel dirty putting Matsui in this category since he's been super-clutch with runners on third this season, but his strike out in the top of the 11th with the bases juiced was a killer. But I have to be fair; it was a big spot and the Yanks needed him to come through. It's strange, but according to ESPN, Matsui is batting a sizzling .833 (5 for 6) this season with a runner on third, but only .222 (2 for 9) with the bases loaded. Odd.
The Ugly:
Derek Jeter exits early. Jeter strained his left hip during the first inning on Saturday, but stayed in the game until the eighth. The Yankees just don't seem like the Yankees when number 2 is out of the ballgame. In fact, Jeter's absence was really felt in the 13th when Omar Vizquel reached on an infield hit. Miguel Cairo ranged to his left to field the grounder, but didn't have the arm strength to gun out the hustling Vizquel. There's no doubt in my mind that Jeter would have made that play. Jeter is listed as day-to-day. But, Jeter is Jeter so before he left he extended his hitting streak to 17 games and finished the afternoon 2 for 5 with a ribbie.
The Yanks will try and capture the rubber game on Sunday and will send Mike Mussina to the hill. The Moose has been solid in his last three outings and the team really needs him to deliver a fourth. The Giants will go with lefty Noah Lowry who sports a stingy 2.74 ERA in San Fran this season and an impressive 3.74 ERA overall.
A loss will send the Yankees back under the .500 mark.
Two steps forward . . .
Kei Igawa's second tour of duty was eerily similar to his previous first go-round in pinstripes.
Igawa couldn't get out of the fifth, Barry Bonds belted his 749th career homer and Mariano Rivera came into the game with one out in the eighth, but the Yankees held on to defeat the Giants 7-3 in San Francisco.
The Good:
Alex Rodriguez. It's nights like these when A-Rod shows that when he's on, he's the best in the business. A-Rod helped the Yanks take an early lead when he led off the second inning with a double and then scored his 68th run of the season on Hideki Matsui's sacrifice fly. Rodriguez reached base in all five of his plate appearances and picked up RBI number 75 on Friday night. A-Rod finished a perfect 4 for 4 with a walk, a run scored and 2 RBIs.
Melky Cabrera. Joe Torre stated before Friday night's game that Johnny Damon would not start during the weekend. No problem. Right now, Cabrera is a better hitter and a better fielder. Melky helped the Yanks jump out to a 3-0 lead with a two-run single in the second. In the sixth, Cabrera fouled a ball off his right shin and was in obvious pain. Things looked bleak, but Melky got back in the box and laced a triple to right. That's what I like to see. Cabrera finished 2 for 5 with a run scored and the 2 runs batted in.
Hideki Matsui. Matsui finished 0 for 3, but he made the play of the game in the fifth. The Yanks were up 5-2, but the Giants had the bases loaded with two outs and Bengie Molina at the plate. Molina ripped a ball deep to left and Matsui made a snazzy, twisting, leaping catch to save the lead and end the inning. Matsui also continued to get that runner in from third. Matsui hit a sac fly in the first and is batting .833 with a runner on third this season.
The Bad:
Kei Igawa. Igawa's start was symbolic of his short stay in pinstripes; inconsistent. Igawa started off well, but he fell apart and was unable to hold a 5-0 lead past the fifth inning. His motion is a bit different, but Igawa still had trouble keeping the ball down. I don't know what to expect from Igawa. His ND looked like this: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 5 K.
The Ugly:
The Camera Eye. In the top of the fourth inning, the Yankees had runners on first and second with one out. Kei Igawa stepped up to the plate and was preparing to bunt. The only problem was that the YES camera was fixed on Robinson Cano at second base. It was "stalker cam" as the lens stayed on Cano for the remainder of the inning. Igawa got the bunt down (I guess) because I saw Cano move over to third. Then I watched as Cano jogged on home as Melky grounded out to end the inning. Now I know what it's like to stare at Cano from the third base line.
Fox gets the Yankees and Giants Saturday afternoon tilt. It should be a good pitching matchup as the Yanks send Chien-Ming Wang to the hill to face off with Matt Morris.
Can't wait to hear Joe Buck and Tim McCarver call the action.
The Yankees have fallen into mediocrity.
Again.
The Colorado Rockies completed their three-game sweep of the Yankees with a 4-3 victory at Coors Field on Thursday afternoon. The loss drops the Bombers back to the .500 mark with a 35-35 record and they now sit 10.5 games behind the idle Red Sox.
The Good:
Hideki Matsui. Matsui doubled the Yankee offensive output from the first two games with a two-run clout in the second. It was Godzilla's 8th homer of the season and it gave the Yanks a very short-lived 2-0 lead. Matsui finished 1 for 4 with the homer, a run scored and the 2 ribbies.
The Bullpen. The pen kept the Yankees in the game. Scott Proctor inherited a first and third one out situation in the fifth and gave up a run on a sac fly, but that run was charged to Clemens. Four relievers combined to pitch 3.2 innings of shutout ball. Yes, even Kyle Farnsworth contributed.
The Bad:
Roger Clemens. The Yanks gave Clemens a 2-0 lead in the top of the second, but Roger Dodger gave it right back as he allowed two solo homers in the bottom of the frame. Clemens pitched in and out of trouble all day and Torre yanked him with the Yanks down 3-2 with one out and a runner on first in the fifth. Quick hook? Maybe, but maybe Torre remembered that he stuck with Andy Pettitte a bit too long on Wednesday night. In any event, Clemens was subpar and fell to 1-2 with this: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 6 K, 2 HR.
Derek Jeter. Jeter had a tough afternoon. Jeter was caught stealing after working a walk in the first. It looked like Bobby Abreu missed a sign, but Jeter was still erased. Jeter doubled to start the sixth, but was gunned out trying to advance to third on a ground ball to short. These aren't horrible plays, but Jeter doesn't usually make base running mistakes.
The Ugly:
Borrowed time. Johnny Damon may take great pride in never landing on the DL, but he's really just a whisker away. Damon is nursing a strained rib cage, but he started the game in center. He didn't misplay any balls, but you can tell that he's hurting out there. Damon later moved to first and was charged with an error when he couldn't corral a throw-over from Farnsworth. Farnsworth didn't need to gun it in an attempt to keep catcher Yorvit Torrealba and his zero stolen bases close, but Damon should have made the catch. Damon also isn't tearing it up offensively as he finished 0 for 4 and is marred in a 6 for 33 funk. Playing hurt is one thing, but playing injured is another.
Next up for the Yanks is a trip to San Francisco to take on Barry Bonds and the Giants for a three-game set this weekend. It will be the first ever regular season visit for the Bombers in San Fran and the first meeting between the teams since 2002. Kei Igawa and his reconstructed pitching motion makes his return to the big club and will pitch the opening game. The Giants counter with their version of Andy Pettitte -- righty Matt Cain -- who somehow is 2-7 on the season despite an ERA of 3.15.
The road toward a winning record begins.
Again.
The Yankees have scored a total of two runs in two games against the Colorado Rockies.
And they're playing at Coors Field.
Yeah, that's not going to get it done.
The Yanks dropped their second straight to the Rockies on Wednesday night, 6-1, as the offense continued to fizzle. Colorado pitching combined for 11 K's and Andy Pettitte self-destructed in the later innings as the Bombers dropped 10 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East.
The Good:
Derek Jeter. Jeter extended his hitting streak to 14 and also knocked in the lone Yankee run. Jeter was also the only Yankee to collect multiple hits. The Captain finished 2 for 4 and drove in his 34th run of the season.
The Bad:
Andy Pettitte. Pettitte was nearly untouchable through the first five innings. But, he stumbled in the 6th as he gave up a gargantuan homer to Matt Holliday that gave the Rockies a 2-1 lead. Then Pettitte completely fell apart in the seventh. He gave up three runs before being lifted with two outs in the seventh and Kaz Matsui on third. Luis Vizcaino then completed Pettitte's ledger for the night as he allowed a base hit to make the score 6-1. Pettitte fell to 4-5 on the year with this: 6.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR.
Bobby Abreu. Abreu pulled off the hat trick as he whiffed three times and finished 0 for 4. Abreu has cooled off in the last week. In his last seven games, Abreu sports a .238 average with 0 HR and 0 RBI.
The Ugly:
Troy Tulowitzki's obsession. During Wednesday night's broadcast on YES, Michael Kay talked about Tulowitzki's fascination with Derek Jeter. Tulowitzki wears number 2 because of Jeter. OK, nothing wrong with that. Tulowitzki uses the same intro music that Jeter does. Hmm, strange, but all right. Tulowitzki bought Derek Jeter's cologne Driven for every member of the Colorado Rockies. A-ha. When the Rockies were at Fenway Park earlier this year, Tulowitzki asked the Red Sox clubhouse personnel if Jeter left anything behind that he could have. What tha? Things could get creepy if Tulowitzki bumps into Jeter during BP on Thursday.
Roger Clemens will try and salvage a game for the Yanks on Thursday afternoon. It will be The Rocket's third straight start against a National League team since he returned in early June. The Rockies will go for the sweep and will send Yankee-punching bag Rodrigo Lopez to the hill. Lopez has pitched well for the Rockies and boasts a 3-0 record and an impressive 2.90 ERA this season. However, Lopez is a former Baltimore Oriole and has had been roughed up by the Yanks in the past. Some quick career numbers:
Derek Jeter vs. Lopez: .446, 4 HR, 11 RBI.
Alex Rodriguez vs. Lopez: .289, 4 HR, 10 RBI.
Melky Cabrera vs. Lopez: .364, 1 HR, 2 RBI.
I'm looking for those three players (and more Yanks) to have big games on Thursday afternoon.
After all, these are the New York Yankees and they are playing at Coors Field.
Aren't they?
I guess the humidifier does work.
Mike Mussina pitched well, but Josh Fogg and the Rockie bullpen shut down the Yankee bats as the Bombers dropped the first of a three-game set, 3-1 , in Colorado. The Yanks best opportunity to score came in the later innings, but Jorge Posada grounded out with the bases loaded in the eighth and Hideki Matsui's leadoff double in the ninth was wasted. The lone Yankee run was scored on a ground out.
The Good:
Mike Mussina. The Moose was solid on Tuesday night, but it wasn't enough. His only real mistake was the homer he gave up to Torrealba in the sixth. On the bright side, it was Mussina's third straight quality start for the Yanks. Mussina fell to 3-4 on the season with this hard-luck line: 6 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 6 K.
Hideki Matsui. Matsui drove in the only run for the Yankees and nearly blasted a homer in the ninth. Godzilla's double gave the Yanks a chance to tie the game in the final frame, but he was stranded at third. Matsui finished 1 for 4 and drove in his 42nd run of the year.
The Bad:
The Yankees hitting approach. The Yankee batters were swinging too early in the count on Tuesday and seemed determined to lift everything in the air. The ball does fly out of Coors Field (even with the humid balls), but that isn't what the Yankees do best. The approach changed in the later innings when they started taking pitches, but it was too late.
The Ugly:
Price gouging. The Colorado Rockies jacked up ticket prices and doubled their parking fees for this three-game set against the Yankees. I understand baseball is a business and the idea of business is to make money, but fans are getting screwed with this deal. It's already expensive to go to a ballgame (especially in New York), but it's really just a matter of time before it becomes impossible.
The Yanks made some roster moves on Tuesday as they recalled Andy Phillips from Triple A. Josh Phelps was designated for assignment and since he's a Rule 5 Draft selection, he must be offered back to the team that drafted him - the Baltimore Orioles for $25,000. Cold.
The move means Miguel Cairo will go back to his normal utility position. Miggy has done a great job at first, but Torre feels the team has been "pushing the envelope" with Cairo as an everyday player. I don't know. It really seems like a lateral move to me.
The Yankees will try to rebound on Wednesday night and will send Andy Pettitte to the hill. It will be Pettitte's third straight start against an NL team and he has gone 8 innings in his previous two. The Rockies will go with lefty Jeff Francis, who owns a respectable 3.61 ERA on the year.
I want to see some arcade style baseball on Wednesday night.
I guess Chien-Ming Wang can be a strikeout pitcher.
Wang fanned a career-high 10 and the Bombers blasted three home runs as the Yankees trounced the Mets 8-2 on a Sunday evening in the Bronx.
The Good:
Chien-Ming Wang. Wang was "wangterful" (my buddy Vinny came up with that one. Yeah, I'm stealing it.) against the Metropolitans. His sinker was devastating, his slider was sharp and his change up was unfair. The Mets really had no shot and Wang can be downright scary if he's able to harness all those pitches. Why did Torre pull Wang with 2 outs and nobody on in the top of the ninth? Who knows? I honestly don't know if I've ever seen that before, but Wang has cemented his place as the ace of the staff. Wang improved to 7-4 on the year like this: 8.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 10 K, 1 hit batter.
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod keeps hitting homers harder and farther. Rodriguez slammed his 27th dinger of the year in the first to give the Yanks a 2-0 lead. It's almost as if A-Rod is on a personal mission to become the first player to hit a ball out of Yankee Stadium. He finished 2 for 2 with a walk, 2 runs scored and 3 RBI.
Johnny Damon. Every time I think Damon is creeping toward the DL, he puts together a great game. Damon singled in a run in the the second to put the Yanks up 4-0 and then hit a Yankee Stadium homer to right that gave the Yanks a comfy 6-0 advantage. He finished 2 for 5 with 1 run scored and 2 runs batted in. Go, Johnny, go!
The Bad:
Joe Torre. I could see if there were less than 2 outs. I could see if Wang was losing steam. I could see if there were runners on base. I could see if the score was 5-2. However, I can't see why Torre would remove Wang (or any pitcher for that matter) with 2 outs and nobody on in the ninth with a 6 run lead. Yeah, Carlos Delgado is a lefty and Mike Myers was warming, but it's not like Delgado was the tying run. Delgado isn't even swinging the bat well. Torre has made strange moves regarding pitching changes before, but this one really puzzled me.
The Ugly:
The Bronx is Burning. ESPN ran the promo for their new eight-part mini-series about the 1977 New York Yankees. This thing looks so ridiculous I may just have to watch it. Oliver Platt plays George Steinbrenner and John Turturro is Billy Martin. I don't understand why ESPN feels like they know how to make movies or series, but someone should tell them to stick to showing live sporting events. It's set to air in July.
Monday is a travel day as the Yanks head to Colorado to kick it National League style against the Rockies on Tuesday. Mike Mussina will get the nod and has pitched well so far in June (3 starts, 1-0, 3.86 ERA). The Rockies will send Josh Fogg who sports a devilish 6.66 ERA this year at Coors Field.
Let the challenge for best-hitting Yankee pitcher begin!
Nothing like a slugfest to get a team back on the winning track.
It wasn't easy and it most certainly wasn't pretty, but the Yanks survived a ninth inning rally and defeated the Mets 11-8 at The Stadium. Tyler Clippard was terrible, but the Yanks received solid middle relief and the bats banged out 15 hits as the Bombers evened their weekend series with the Mets at 1-1.
The Good:
Derek Jeter. Jeter's two-run homer in the fourth gave the Yanks a 6-5 advantage and helped turn a see-saw affair into a big Yankee lead. Jeter extended his hitting streak to 11 games and was a triple away from hitting for the cycle. The Captain finished 4 for 5 with the home run, 2 runs scored, 2 ribbies and a stolen base.
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod's red-hot June continued on Saturday afternoon. Rodriguez belted his 7th homer of the month (26th of 2007) and 490th of his career in the third to give the Yanks a short-lived 4-3 lead. A-Rod finished 2 for 4 with 3 runs scored, a walk, 2 RBIs and a stolen base. Look out Hack Wilson; A-Rod has 70 RBI on the season.
Luis Vizcaino. Vizcaino came into the game with the Yanks down 5-4 and runners on first and second with one out. Disaster waiting to happen? I thought so, but Vizcaino pitched out of the jam and went on to vulture his third victory of the year. Vizcaino has been a disappointment this season, but he has pitched well of late. He hasn't allowed an earned run in his last five appearances. Vizcaino improved to 3-1 with this: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB (intentional) and 2 K.
The Bad:
Tyler Clippard. Clippard was awful in his second career start against the Mets. The rookie was hit hard and allowed at least one run in his 3.1 innings of work. Clippard also lost his poise as he allowed a run to score on a balk. Clippard's ERA has now soared to 6.33 on the year and the Yanks may be ready to give Kei Igawa another shot in the rotation. Clippard's sickly totals: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 2 K, 2 HR, 1 Balk.
Kyle Farnsworth. Once again, Torre had the perfect no-pressure situation for Farnsworth and once again Farnsworth proved that he can turn any lead into a potential deficit. Farnsworth entered the game in the eighth with the Yanks up 10-5 and immediately walked the lead off hitter. Two batters later and it was 10-6 Yanks. Now, Farnsworth worked out of the inning, but his act is getting old. I really don't see Kyle surviving the rest of the year in pinstripes. Farnsworth's line: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K.
The Ugly:
E-Z Pass. The Mets continued to swipe bases with impunity. The Metropolitans stole five bases on Saturday afternoon and have 10 steals in two days against the Yanks. What the hell is going on?
The rubber game will be under the lights as the Mets and Yanks play the ESPN Sunday night game. Former Yank Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez will go against Chien-Ming Wang. So far this weekend, these teams have played to a pitcher's duel and a hitter's paradise.
Any guesses for Sunday's game?
A loss was inevitable. You can win only so many games in a row. Still, it always stings when you get shutout.
It stings even more when the Mets are responsible.
Roger Clemens pitched well in his second start of the year, but Oliver Perez shut down the Yanks and Jose Reyes drove in two as the Mets snapped the the Yankees 9-game winning streak with 2-0 victory in the Bronx.
The Good:
Roger Clemens. The Yanks gave Clemens the Houston treatment on Friday night. The Yankees best scoring opportunity came in the fourth when Miguel Cairo drilled a ball to left only to have Carlos Gomez make a great catch and rob Cairo of a three-run homer. Clemens struggled in the early innings, but settled down and delivered his second straight quality start. The Rocket couldn't get Jose Reyes out and it was enough to drop him to 1-1 on the year. Clemens's totals: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K.
The Bad:
Bobby Abreu. Abreu wasn't "bad" on Friday, but his hitting streak ended at 13 with his 0 for 3 night.
The Ugly:
Johnny Damon. Damon was a late scratch with an abdominal strain. It doesn't look serious, but any injury in the rib cage or abdominal area has the potential to linger. Hopefully, it won't be the case with Damon.
Saturday afternoon will feature a match-up of pitchers on separate sides of their careers. The Mets will send Tom Glavine and his 295 career wins to the mound while the Yanks counter with rookie Tyler Clippard and his 3 career wins. Clippard defeated the Mets for his first career victory in May.
A repeat performance will start a new Yankee winning streak.
This is why the baseball season is considered a marathon.
The season was on life support as May ended, but the Yanks have been galvanized in June as they swept the punchless Diamondbacks 7-1 on Thursday and increased their winning streak to nine. Andy Pettitte pitched eight innings of masterful ball and it was the Matsui and A-Rod show on offense as the Yanks matched their high-water mark of two games over .500 on the year.
The Good:
Andy Pettitte. Pettitte was in total command from the start. It almost seemed as if Pettitte was toying with Arizona during his eight innings of work. The D-Backs never mounted a serious threat and scored their only run on a ground out. Pettitte earned his first win since May 23 against Boston and evened his record at 4-4. The totals: 8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K.
Hideki Matsui. Matsui continued his assault on National League pitching as he collected three more hits. Matsui went 6 for 9 in the three-game set and entered today's game hitting .355 against the NL in his career. Godzilla finished 3 for 4 with 3 RBIs and a run scored. He also upped his average to an even .300 on the season.
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod had half the day off as he was inserted in the DH spot for the first time this year and didn't skip a beat. Rodriguez went 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored, a walk and 2 runs batted in.
The Bad:
Robinson Cano. Cano entered the game hitting an appalling .171 in day games. Well, his 0 for 4 on Thursday didn't do anything to help that average. Cano struck out twice and left six runners on base.
The Ugly:
Is this June? The game time temperature was 64 degrees, but it felt much cooler. I wasn't at the game, but I did walk outside my joint to do some laundry and it felt more like April than June. It's supposed to heat up again this weekend.
The Yankees will welcome in their cross-town rival Mets this weekend for a three-game set. What a difference a month makes. The Yanks limped into Shea in May and lost two of three to the Metropolitans. Now, it's the Mets who are struggling as they've lost 5 in a row and 9 of their last 10. The Rocket will make his second start for the Yanks and will go up against the theatrical Oliver Perez.
Should be fun.
It took nearly two months, but the Yankees are a winning team again.
The Bombers improved to 32-31 on the year with a 7-2 victory over the Diamondbacks on Wednesday. Mike Mussina was solid, Bobby Abreu extended his hitting streak to 12 games and Alex Rodriguez nearly drilled a hole in the upper deck as the Yanks won their eighth straight.
The Good:
Mike Mussina. The Moose was outstanding on Wednesday. It was his second straight quality start and his first victory in nearly a month. Mussina's curve was nasty and his fastball showed more pep. His only mistake was hanging a curve to Conor Jackson in the sixth. Mussina also broke the 100 pitch barrier for the first time this year. Moose evened his record at 3-3 with this: 7.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 7 K.
Alex Rodriguez. The word "bomb" is thrown around a lot these days when describing a home run. I use it constantly. Hyperbole? Sometimes. However, it is no exaggeration to call A-Rod's 25th homer a bomb. Rodriguez hit the facing of the upper deck in left. Right-handed hitters just don't hit balls there in Yankee Stadium. Anyway, A-Rod's two-run "bomb" put the Yanks up 3-1 in the third. Alexander finished 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI.
Hideki Matsui. Matsui is also catching the vapors. He belted a three-run blast in the fourth that extended the Yankee lead to 7-1 and put the game on ice. Matsui is now hitting a Matsui-like .290 on the year. Godzilla finished 2 for 3 with his 7th dinger, a walk, a run scored and 3 ribbies.
Jorge Posada. I usually limit my "good" segment to three players, but I just can't bring myself to leave Jorgie out. He's putting together his finest season in pinstripes. Posada was at DH tonight and continued to swing a hot stick. His homer in the second, his 8th of the year, tied the score at 1-1. Posada finished 1 for 2 with 2 walks, 2 runs scored and the 1 run batted in. He's batting .354.
The Bad:
Wil Nieves. I don't mean to dump on poor Wil, but a catcher in the Majors has to at least hit his weight. Nieves had some good at bats, but he finished 0 for 3 and watched his average drop to .122 on the season. It seems everyone on the Yanks loves Nieves and he may become Mussina's personal catcher and he may be a good receiver and all, but you have to produce something at the plate. I think I can hit .122 in the big leagues. OK, maybe not.
The Ugly:
Selig vs. Giambi revisited. Looks like Bud is leaning toward suspending Giambi if he doesn't cooperate with MLB's steroid investigation and by "cooperate" Selig probably means naming names. Seems Giambi has until Tuesday to make his decision. I'll go out on a limb and say there is NO WAY Giambi cooperates. It's just not going to happen. There are two places where Omerta still reigns supreme: the criminal underworld and a sports locker room. Giambi is no saint, but Bud's tactics may turn the Giambino into a sympathetic figure.
Andy Pettitte will try and dispose of the Diamondbacks on Thursday afternoon as the Yanks go for the sweep and their ninth consecutive win. Arizona will send the lefty Doug Davis to the hill.
Let's see if Pettitte can make it an afternoon delight.
Not even Mother Nature can slow the Yankees down at this point.
The start of Tuesday night's game was delayed about an hour because of rain, but it was the Yankees who dampened Arizona's spirits with a 4-1 victory at The Stadium. Bobby Abreu continued his torrid hitting and Chien-Ming Wang went seven strong as the Yankees reached the .500 mark for the first time since May 9.
The Good:
Chien-Ming Wang. Wang struggled early, but his sinker improved as the game progressed and the Yankee defense made some sparkling plays behind him. Wanger's ground ball to fly ball ratio was off (9-10), but he pitched well enough to earn his sixth win of the season. His only mistake was giving up a blast to Chad Tracy in the fourth. Wang improved to 6-4 with this line: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 Hit Batsman.
Bobby Abreu. Abreu's three-run bomb in the first was all the runs the Yankees would need. Abreu looks like a different hitter at the plate and his confidence has been renewed. It even shows when he takes pitches. Abreu finished 1 for 3 with his 4th homer of the year and also extended his hitting streak to 11 games.
Mariano Rivera. Rivera breezed through the ninth and picked up his 8th save of the season. Rivera hasn't allowed an earned run in his last nine appearances and has lowered his ERA to a more respectable 3.96. Mo's line: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.
The Bad:
Kyle Farnsworth. I was shocked Farnsworth came in to protect a 4-1 lead in the eighth. I don't know if Torre is trying to showcase him for a possible trade or if he's trying to "straighten him out." Farnsworth didn't give up a run, but he had to throw 29 pitches to work out of his mini-jam in the eighth. His totals: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K.
The Ugly:
The unspoken family plan. Former Yank Randy Johnson wasn't scheduled to pitch during the three-game set and therefore didn't make the trip to New York. Arizona officials said they don't want The Big Unit to take an unnecessary plane rides due to his chronic bad back. That's a nice story and it makes sense, but he's still separating himself from the team, isn't he? Where's the outrage? I'm not a big fan of The Clemens Family Plan, but at least The Rocket is being honest about it.
Mike Mussina will try and make it an even eight wins in a row for the Yankees on Wednesday night and will go up against Livan Hernandez.
A victory on Wednesday and the Yanks can call themselves a winning team once again.
The swagger is back.
The Yankees didn't receive a quality start for the first time in a week, but the offense battered Pittsburgh's pitching staff as the Bombers slammed the Pirates 13-6 for their sixth straight win.
The Good:
Alex Rodriguez. Once again, A-Rod is swinging the bat like Thor as he belted two more homers. His first dinger gave the Yanks an 8-6 lead in the fourth and his second blast put the game away at 10-6. A-Rod finished 2 for 3 with 2 walks, 4 runs scored and 5 RBIs. Rodriguez now has 24 homers and 63 runs batted in.
Bobby Abreu. El Comedulce! Abreu is the hottest hitter on the planet right now and his resurgence is one of the reasons the Yanks are winning. Abreu was in the middle of everything on Sunday and finished a perfect 4 for 4 with a walk, 4 runs scored, 3 ribbies and a stolen base. He finished a home run shy of the cycle. Over the last 10 days, Abreu's average has jumped from .234 to .272. He's also working on a modest 10-game hitting streak.
Hideki Matsui. Matsui's day was solid, but it just doesn't compare to the day Abreu and A-Rod had on Sunday afternoon. Still, Matsui's two-run double in the first inning extended the Yankee lead to 3-0 and gave Tyler Clippard an early cushion. Matsui finished 2 for 4 with a walk and the 2 RBI.
The Bad:
Tyler Clippard. Clippard should be kicking himself. Clippard coughed up two separate 3-run leads and was finished by the fourth inning. I'm sure he realizes he missed out on an easy win. Clippard's totals: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 2 K.
Robinson Cano. Oh, Robbie. There's always one person who doesn't get an invitation to the party. The Yanks banged out 14 hits, but Cano was the only starter to go hitless. Cano went 0 for 5 and left 5 runners on base.
The Ugly:
Name dropping. There are some names that just aren't conducive to baseball. For example: a number 3 hitter whose last name is Whiff or a starter with the last name of Ragarm. These may be poor examples, but you get my drift. So, when Pirate reliever Josh Sharpless entered the game to face A-Rod in the fourth with two-runners on, let's just say I felt extremely confident. Obviously, Sharpless didn't disappoint as he gave up the three-run bomb. Sometimes you can predict the future.
Bat Day. Sunday was Bat Day at The Stadium. Fans 14 and under received a Jason Giambi bat. Yeah, the timing was a bit off.
The Yanks are off on Monday and will welcome in the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday for a three-game set. Last season's Cy Young Award winner Brandon Webb will be going for the D-backs against Chien-Ming Wang. I'm going to place the over/under for total ground outs at 30. Somebody warn the worms.
With the off-day, I guess there's only one thing you can do when things are going you're way:
Strut.
They all came out to see Rogers Clemens on Saturday afternoon and The Rocket didn't disappoint.
Roger Clemens made his first start of 2007 and led the Yanks to a 9-3 thrashing of the Pirates. Clemens struggled early, but pitched six solid innings and the Yankee offense continued their surge as the Bombers won their 5th game in a row.
The Good:
Roger Clemens. Clemens gave up a run in the first and labored at times, but his splitter was nasty and he put forth a strong first outing. The Rocket continues to defy logic as he threw 108 pitches just two months shy of his 45th birthday. It sounds ridiculous (almost insane), but if he can deliver this type of performance for the rest of the year, then it was worth the money. Clemens picked up his first victory of 2007 and his 349th overall with this: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 7 K.
Jorge Posada. Posada gave the Yanks a 2-1 lead with an RBI single in the first and then broke a 3-3 tie with a sac fly in the fifth. Jorgie finished 1 for 3 with a walk, a run scored and 2 runs batted in. His average still sits at a lofty .358 on the season.
Robinson Cano. Cano continues to scald the baseball as he picked up three more hits. Since May 29, Cano has raised his average from .249 to .275.
The Bad:
Hideki Matsui. This isn't really "bad," but I've come up with this formula and I'm sticking to it. Matsui drove in a run with a sac fly, but he was the only Yankee starter to go hitless. He also left six runners on base.
The Ugly:
Beer and baseballs. In the eighth a foul ball was hit into the stands and somehow landed in a cup of beer. The woman holding the cup, most likely egged on by the people around her, started chugging. She drank a beer with a baseball in it. A baseball rubbed with mud before the game and hit with a bat covered in pine tar and who knows what else. Also, Kyle Farnsworth was in the game at that point and he has a disgusting habit of licking his entire palm before he pitches. I guess that was the only thing a lady could do when a beer goes for $47 a cup. Great job by YES to capture this on camera.
The Yanks will go for six straight and a sweep of the Pirates on Sunday afternoon. Tyler "Yankee" Clippard will take the hill against another former Yank (there have been a slew of them lately) Shawn Chacon.
A win on Sunday will inch the Yanks to within a game of .500.
It wasn't exactly a screaming line drive, but it'll do.
Derek Jeter dribbled an infield single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th to give the Yanks a 5-4 victory over the Pirates on a hot, hazy Friday night in the Bronx. This was a very encouraging win if you're a Yankee fan. The Bombers received another solid starting performance, battled back from 2 two-run deficits and Mariano Rivera pitched effectively as the Yanks won their 4th in a row.
The Good:
Andy Pettitte. Pettitte may have needed therapy if the Yanks lost this one. Once again he pitched brilliantly and once again he failed to get credit for the win. Pettitte's only real mistake was the homer hit by Xavier Nady in the second. A bloop single accounted for the other run and a misplay in center drove in two more. Pettitte's no decision went down like this: 8 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 5 K. Hang in there, Andy.
Hideki Matsui. Matsui's two-run bomb in the sixth drew the Yanks even at 2-2 and injected some life into the team. He didn't deliver with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh, but I'll cut him a break. It's just a matter of time before he catches fire. He finished 2 for 5 with 2 ribbies and a run scored.
Derek Jeter. The base hit may have only traveled 40 feet, but it was good enough to give the Bombers the victory. The Captain finished 2 for 4 with a walk, a run scored and 2 big runs batted in. Just another ordinary night for Jeter.
Mariano Rivera. It was a little bumpy, but Rivera navigated his way through 2 innings for the win. Mo's record now stands at 2-3 and his ERA has dropped to a still strange but dipping 4.12.
The Bad:
Melky Cabrera. It wasn't a good night for Melky. He finished 0 for 3 with two K's and butchered a line drive in center that turned into a two-run inside-the-park home run off the bat of Chris Duffy. Still, the Melk-Man battled back as he delivered a clutch sac bunt in the 10th.
Ducks on the pond. Every Yankee player left at least one runner on base during Friday night's contest as the team finished with a total of 21 stranded base runners. Robinson Cano was the leader with five with Matsui coming in at a close second with four. Both guys did contribute to the win (Cano with a leadoff double in the 10th and Matsui with his two-run blast) so it worked out.
The Ugly:
Tom Gorzelanny vs. the mound. Something was up with Gorzelanny and the Yankee Stadium mound. He stumbled a few times while pitching and floated one delivery to Posada that went WAY high and WAY wide when his footing slipped. Everyone was smiling after that play. Even Gorzelanny chuckled after the pitch. He also freaked out on a couple of comebackers. Odd.
In case you've been hibernating in a cave on the planet Neptune, Roger Clemens will make his 2007 debut for the Yankees on Saturday afternoon. The Pirates will go with another lefty, Paul Maholm, who sports an ugly 2-8 record and a 5.35 ERA.
Can The Rocket push the Yanks streak to 5?
It started out as a pitcher's duel and turned into a blowout.
Mike Mussina and Jose Contreras battled over six innings and then the Yankee bats exploded as the Bombers scored nine runs over the final two frames to slam the White Sox, 10-3. It was the Yanks third win in a row and it was Joe Torre's 2,000th career victory as a skipper. Torre is now the only major leaguer to collect over 2,000 hits as a player and win 2,000 games as a manager.
The Good:
Mike Mussina. The Moose had his whiffle ball curve working on Thursday night. His fastball still lacked its normal velocity (maxed at 86), but he spotted it well and looked more comfortable using it. The only negative was that he left in the seventh after giving up a lead-off dribbler to Jim Thome and a screaming single to Paul Konerko. The Thome single may have unnerved Mussina as he departed after only 79 pitches. Still, it was a positive step forward for Mussina. His ND: 6+ IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 4 K.
Bobby Abreu. Abreu is now officially out of his funk. He was involved in almost all the scoring for the Yanks and his two-run double in the eighth gave the Yanks a 3-1 lead. Abreu finished 2 for 4 with a walk, the 2 RBIs and 3 runs scored. Welcome back, Bobby.
Scott Proctor. Proctor's stuff wasn't great, but he entered the game with the score tied 1-1 and inherited runners on first and second with nobody out. He blew away Josh Fields and was then saved by the howling winds as Rob Mackowiak's bomb died in centerfield. He recorded the final out on a ground ball and recorded his first victory of the season. Proctor improved to 1-3 with this: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod is feeling hot, hot, hot!! A-Rod belted his second grand-slam of the season in the ninth to give the Yanks a comfortable 8-3 advantage. It was his 22nd of the year. He finished 2 for 4 with a walk, a run scored and the 4 big RBIs.
The Bad:
Kyle Farnsworth. Farnsworth continues to give Yankee fans everywhere agita. Why was he asked to protect a 4-1 Yankee lead in the eighth? Who knows. It didn't take long for Farnsworth to make things exciting. His line: .1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 0 K. Kyle also made a throwing error. Nice job.
The Ugly:
The baseball draft. Talk about unwatchable. I happened to catch the Yankees pick, but couldn't bring myself to watch much more. There was Bud Selig with his greasy used car salesman charm and Steve Phillips with his confusing baseball logic. 'Nuff said.
The Yanks finished the 10-game road trip with a solid 6-4 mark. Now, they'll head home to take on the Pirates in a three-game weekend set. Andy Pettitte will make the start for the Bombers on Friday night and will oppose Pirates lefty Tom Gorzelanny. Gorzelanny has had a solid season so far; 6-3, 2.53 ERA.
All aboard!
Summer is only a few weeks away and the Yanks are heating up.
Chien-Ming Wang pitched a complete game gem, the Yankees first of the season, and a four-run third inning was enough as the Yanks downed the White Sox 5-1. The Yankees have won five of seven and have sliced the Red Sox lead in the AL East to 10.5 games.
The Good:
Chien-Ming Wang. The Wanger dominated on Wednesday night. His only blip was in the third inning when the Sox played a little small ball to push across a run. It's amazing what a well-pitched game can do for a team's (and a fan's) outlook. Wang also kicked it old school by finishing what he started. Wang pushed his record to 5-4 with this: 9 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K.
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod drilled a two-run single in the third inning to give the Yanks a 3-0 lead. It should have been a double, but A-Rod wasn't digging out of the box. It was a bang-bang play at second, but he looked safe. A-Rod finished 2 for 4 with the two RBI and is now batting .303 on the year.
Melky Cabrera. Melky is also starting to sizzle with his increased playing time. He went 2 for 4, including a triple, and gunned down Jerry Owens at the plate in the sixth.
The Bad:
Poor baserunning. The Yanks could have blown the game open earlier if they ran the bases better. A-Rod was gunned out at second after hitting a ball to the left field wall and Jorge Posada was thrown out at second trying to advance on Hideki Matsui's sacrifice fly. Those two plays helped Chicago starter Javier Vazquez escape the third inning. Posada was later thrown out at third on a fielder's choice after doubling to lead off the sixth.
The Ugly:
Jason Giambi vs. Bud Selig. Giambi may now be forced to cooperate with the George Mitchell investigation regarding steroids. I'm not a huge Giambi fan. In fact, the Giambi signing has come to symbolize the Yankees decline over the past few years. And his statements recently about using "that stuff" was dumb. But, Selig is wrong for going after him. It just comes across as a strong-arm tactic. Giambi was just speaking his mind. Is that a punishable offense? Check out Brian's take at depressedfan.com.
The Yanks will try and make it three out of four in the Windy City on Thursday as Mike Mussina will oppose another former Yankee, Jose Contreras.
Let's see if the Yankees hot streak can ignite The Moose.
This is the type of offense Yankee fans envisioned at the beginning of the season.
The Bombers banged out 17 hits and rookie Tyler Clippard chipped in with five solid innings as the Yanks beat the White Sox, 7-3, on the South Side of Chicago Tuesday night. Every Yankee had a least one hit and Mariano Rivera earned his 6th save of the year.
The Good:
Tyler Clippard. Clippard was impressive in his five innings of work. He sometimes struggled with his control, but you can see that he's a gamer. He could have gone longer than the five innings (89 pitches), but Torre has a quick trigger on the starters this season. Clippard improved to 3-1 and is the only starting pitcher on the active roster with a winning record. Guh! His totals: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 K.
Miguel Cairo. Cairo started at first for the first time this year and impressed in the field and at the plate. Cairo's single in the fifth tied the score at 1-1 and he also started two nifty 3-6-1 double plays. Miggy finished 2 for 4.
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod's 21st round-tripper in the top of the ninth was the icing on the cake. He also delivered an RBI single during the Yankees four-run outburst in the sixth. A-Rod finished 3 for 5 with the dinger, 3 RBI and 2 runs scored.
The Bad:
Kyle Farnsworth. Torre has found the perfect situation for Farnsworth: eighth inning, Yanks up by five. Very low pressure. Farnsworth still mucked it up: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB.
Brian Bruney. Bruney couldn't slam the door in the ninth and the Yanks were forced to bring in Rivera. Bruney has been the Yanks best option out of the pen this season, but he needed to close it out tonight and couldn't do it. You're better than this Bruney: .1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB.
The Ugly:
Catchers and their masks. Bobby Abreu was safe at the plate on Posada's sac fly in the sixth. On the play, catcher A.J. Pierzynski kept his mask on. Why? This is a trend that has been going on for years in the league and I still can't understand it. Posada does the same thing. It didn't factor into this particular play, but the mask has to block the catcher's vision. If you believe it doesn't, tell the catcher to leave his mask on when he's catching a pop up.
The Yanks made some roster moves on Tuesday as outfielder Kevin Thompson and pitcher Matt DeSalvo were optioned to Scranton and lefty reliever Sean Henn and infielder/outfielder Chris Basak were promoted to the big club. Torre is looking to give A-Rod, Jeter and possibly Matsui a turn at DH. Jeter is especially banged up.
Chien-Ming Wang gets the call for Wednesday night and will oppose former Yankee Javier Vazquez.
Hopefully, the Yanks can keep their bats rolling.
Too bad the Yankee offense waited until the ninth to wake up.
Rookie Matt DeSalvo was knocked out in the second inning and the Yanks couldn't solve Jon Garland as the White Sox handed the Bombers a 6-4 defeat in Chicago. The Yanks mounted a rally by scoring three runs in the ninth, but the deficit was too large to overcome. The Pale Hose sure didn't look like the worst offense in the AL on Monday night as they blasted two homers and banged out 10 hits.
The loss ends the Yankee winning streak at one.
The Good:
Robinson Cano. Cano was perfect on the night as he finished 2 for 2 with 2 walks. Robbie is starting to look more like the man who batted .342 last season.
Chris Britton. Britton really saved the Yankee pen as he delivered 3 innings of solid relief. His only mistake was giving up the solo shot to Paul Konerko in the seventh. My brother said Britton looks a lot like Gomer Pyle. I concurred.
The Bad:
Matt DeSalvo. DeSalvo had nothing tonight. Still, if the Yankee defense made some plays in the second inning he might have lasted longer. I was shocked Torre hooked him with one out in the second. It was a minor miracle that only three pitchers were used out of the pen on Monday. I'm sure DeSalvo wished he was still in Scranton with his performance tonight. DeSalvo dropped to 1-3 on the year with this putrid line: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R (2 earned), 1 BB, 0 K.
Josh Phelps. Phelps banged into 2 rally-killing double plays and made a huge throwing error in the second that led to a run and nearly knocked Jeter out at second. He did drive in a run in the ninth, but it was still a tough night for Phelps.
The Ugly:
Momentum? What momentum? The longest winning streak so far this year for the Yanks has been three. Three! They accomplished this "feat" twice this season; against the Indians April 17, 18 and 19 and against the Rangers May 1 and 2 (double-header sweep). I'm not expecting the Yanks to rattle off 12 wins in a row, but there's no way that they will improve upon their 24-31 record without stringing together wins.
Sad Note:
Former Yank Clete Boyer died on Monday from a stroke. He was 70. I never saw Boyer play, but I did get the chance to meet him. My brother and I spent a weekend at The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown four years ago and we saw Boyer walking down the street. He was very approachable and talked to us about baseball and the Hall and even took a few pics with us. He was a good guy and should be remembered as one of the finest defensive third basemen in Yankee history.
Another rookie will take the hill for the Yanks on Tuesday night as Tyler Clippard gets the nod. The ChiSox will counter with lefty Mark Buehrle.
Someone should remind the Yanks that the game starts at 8:00 on Tuesday and not the ninth inning.
You gotta love baseball.
It was shaping up to be another heart-breaking loss for the Yanks, but Alex Rodriguez belted a solo homer in the top of the ninth against Red Sox reliever Jonathan Papelbon and Mariano Rivera set down the heart of the Boston order in the bottom of the ninth that capped a 6-5 Yankee win.
The Yankees battled back after blowing a 4-0 lead by scoring single runs in the eighth and ninth to take two of three this weekend at Fenway.
The Good:
Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod was down 0-2 when he rocked a Papelbon delivery the other way for his 20th homer of the season. It's amazing how often Joe Morgan, Jon Miller and ESPN discussed A-Rod's week during the telecast (the "Ha" moment in Toronto, the stripper photograph, his possible involvement in the JFK assassination), but A-Rod had the final word. He finished 2 for 5 with 2 RBI, a run scored and the game-winning bop.
Robinson Cano. Cano's triple against tough lefty Hideki Okajima brought the Yanks even at 5-5 in the eighth. It turned out to be a bitter-sweet inning as the Yankees failed to get Cano in from third with nobody out, but it gave the Yanks hope and set the stage for A-Rod in the ninth.
Mariano Rivera. It wasn't easy, but Rivera slammed the door in the ninth against the meat of the Red Sox order. Rivera retired Ortiz, Ramirez and after hitting Kevin Youkilis, struck out Mike Lowell for his 5th save of the year. The Sandman's line: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HBP. The reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated.
The Bad:
Bobby Abreu. Abreu collected two hits on Sunday night batting in the number 3 slot, but butchered another ball in right during the Red Sox 5-run fifth. He made up for it in the bottom of the eighth as he somehow nabbed a ball heading for the gap off the bat of Dustin Pedroia. Still, his half-assed attempt at the ball in the fifth (either play it on a hop or try and make the diving catch) had me steaming until the ninth.
The Ugly:
Andy Pettitte. Pettitte was cruising until the fifth. After the Yanks spotted him a 4-0 lead in the top of the inning, Pettitte responded by allowing three straight hits to load the bases. He struck out Julio Lugo for the first out, but something went wrong. Terribly wrong. Posada motioned to the Yankee dugout and Torre and the trainers rushed out. Pettitte assured all that he was fine, but that turned out to be a filthy lie. Pedroia stepped up and cleared the bases with a double, Abreu spazzed out in right and Pettitte's night was done. Turns out Pettitte tweaked his | | |
