Bronx Bluebloods

Give Me A Break: Yankees Embarass Themselves Again

2009-07-11T23:13:00.003-04:00

(Photo: AP Photo/Keith Birmingham)

A day after blowing a four run lead in an eventual 10-6 loss to the Angels, the Yankees were back it again on Saturday. Andy Pettite was good through his first three innings and the Yankee offense had spotted him a four run lead heading into the bottom of the fourth, however, the world was not enough for Pettite as he eventually imploded and paved the way for another Yankee loss, this time by a score of 14-8.

Pettite's demise came in the bottom of the fifth when he would surrender five runs to make the score 6-4 in favor of the Angels. Pettite wound up with a horrific line of four and a third innings pitched, 7 hits, 6 earned runs and one strikeout. Certainly not what the Yankees were hoping for considering the depleted Angels lineup that they were facing.

Perhaps even more shocking in this game was the absolute and total implosion of th bullpen. Over the past month the Yankee bullpen has been one of the very best in baseball, however, on Saturday they clearly decided to take the day off. In the bullpen's three and two thirds innings of work they combined for eight earned runs on nine hits and needed an astounding 91 pitches to get through it all. Phil Coke saw his era balloon to a somewhat unsightly 3.99, while David Robertson continued his recent decline, his era now sits at 3,57. Brett Tomko also pitched, but come on, its Brett Tomko, you know he was awful. There was clearly nothing else to blame on this day besides the pitching. Any time your offense provides five home runs and eight runs worth of support, the game should be locked up.

Alex Rodriguez would continue his recent tear, clubbing his 16th and 17th round trippers of the year. Rodriguez accounted for six Yankee runs, driving in three and scoring three. Not to be outdone, Erik Hinske continued his Welcome To New York tour as he jacked two homers of his own. The shots were his third and fourth of the season, he accounted for three rbi's and has now hit three home runs in his first nine at bats as a Yankee. Hideki Matsui would contribute the Yankees fifth homerun, his 14th of the season. The Yankees were an efficient 1-4 with men in scoring position and stranded just three men on base, however, due to the absolutely putrid pitching performance it was all for not.

Notes: With the loss the Yankees have now fallen 2.0 games back of the Red Sox in the AL East, not the way you want to end the first half. CC Sabathia (8-5, 3.70) will look to stop the bleeding for the Yanks as they try to save a little face going into the All Star Break. Sabathia will be opposed by the struggling John Lackey (3-4, 5.18). First pitch is scheduled for 3:35 in LA.

Last 10: 6-4

Interview With Marty Appel

2009-07-10T02:12:00.004-04:00

I recently had a brief talk with former Yankee PR Director, Marty Appel. Mr. Appel served in the Yankees organization for the majority of the 1970's, leaving in 1977 to start his own public relations organization. During his tenure with the Yankees, Mr. Appel had the opportunity to work with some of the biggest names in Yankee history. One of the men that he had the privelege of working with was the much beloved Captain of those Yankee teams, Thurman Munson. Mr. Appel recently released his latest book, a biography on the life of the past Yankee great, entitled, Munson: The Life and Death of A Yankee Captain.

Bronx Bluebloods: In Munson, there are a few stories mentioned detailing Thurman's more compassionate side, him flying in the writer's family from out of town comes to mind. Was there ever a time when you saw this "soft side" for yourself? If there are multiple occasions, which one stuck with you the most?

Marty Appel: That was true about offering to fly Phil Pepe's family to spring training, which is included in the book. He had a soft side for sure - he just didnt like too many people to see it. Hard to beat that one about flying the family down, especially considering how he "hated" the press!

BXBB: What was the process like putting the book together? How long did it take? Were there any people that you talked to for the book that you found particularly helpful? How do you feel about this biography of Thurman compared to the last one?

M.A. : Night and day. The autobiography, more than 30 years ago, was only his voice and no research. It was his story as he wanted it told. For a biography, the witers task is much more laborious. We interviewed 150 people - family, friends, teammates, coaches - in an attempt to "get it right". It took over a year to research and write. Finding his brother and sister were the key to unlocking his childhood - they were great finds.

BXBB: What effect did Thurman's being named Captain have on how you did your job? Was he easier to work with? Did you notice any changes in the way he regarded you and other members of the front office?

M.A.: This evokes a funny story. Before he was captain, if I'd ask him to be available to a photo shoot or meet a sponsor, etc., he'd tell me what I could do with my request and I'd go find someone else. After he became captain, he had a new sense of responsibility! So he'd say yes to my requests and then not show up. I liked it better the old way, where you knew where you stood!

BXBB: Which current player, if any, reminds you the most of Thurman in not only how they play the game but also how they conduct themselves around the media and in the public eye?

M.A.: Derek Jeter is much like Munson in all but one area. Both captains played each game hard, gave it their all, never cheated the fans or their teammates, and respected the Yankee traditions. Jeter is of course, accessible to media, whereas Munson shut the media off. Otherwise, you could easily compare them.

BXBB: Having known him personally, if you could sum up all of your thoughts on Thurman into just a few words, what would they be?

M.A.: Most of us, coming from Munson's background, would have spent our adult lives on psychiatrist's couches. Thurman though, became a very well adjusted, regular guy - thanks to being an elite athlete, surrounded year round by coaches, teammates and training routines.....and by getting a girlfriend at age 12 (who he later married), whose family 'took him in' and gave him a semblance of family life early on.

Three For The Money: Yanks Sweep Twins...Again

2009-07-09T23:18:00.003-04:00

(Photo: AP Photo/Jim Mone)

Another series with the Twins, another sweep, this one of the three game variety. The Yankees struck early and often against the hapless Twins, posting three runs in the first two innings and never looking back on their way to the 6-4 win. With the win, the Yankees are now a perfect 7-0 against the Twins on the year.

Alfredo Aceves would get the spot start for the Yanks as he was filling in for the injured Chien Ming Wang. Things didnt go quite as Aceves would have hoped as he lasted three and a third innings, surrendering four runs on four hits. Its not known whether Aceves will get another start as Chien Ming Wang's return date is still up in the air. Aceves saw his era rise from 2.03 to 2.49 over the course of his outing.

Taking over for Aceves in the fourth was David Robertson. Robertson has been very solid for the Yankees over the last month or so, however, on Thursday Robertson was about as bad as he could be without making his team pay for it. Despite allowing three walks over the course of his inning pitched, Robertson managed to get out of the inning unscathed and with the lead intact. Jonathan Albaladejo and Phil Coke would combine to get the Yankees through the next couple of innings, they allowed just one hit and struck out three between them. Phil Hughes needed just 19 pitches to get through the final out of the seventh and the entirety of the eighth. In what is becoming a very welcome trend for the Yankees, Hughes held the opposition scoreless and struck out two of the four men he faced. Coming on in the ninth was the ageless Mariano Rivera who would hurl yet another great inning of relief as he allowed just a solitary hit in his inning of work. Jonathan Albaladejo would pick up the win in this one, he is now 4-1. Mariano Rivera's save was his 24th of the season.

With the exception of Nick Swisher, every Yankee in the starting line up had at least a base hit. Brett Gardner continued his torrid hitting as he chipped in another two rbi's, Cody Ransom would contribute two of his own. Mark Teixiera hit his first homer since June 12, he was 1-4 with the rbi. The Yankees were an efficient 3-10 with RISP and stranded just five men on base.

Notes: With the win, the Yankees moved into a tie for first place with the Boston Red Sox. Heading into their last series before the All Star Break the Yankees have won 13 of their last 15 and are now tied for the second best record in baseball. They will begin a three game set with the Angels tomorrow, Joba Chamberlain (4-2, 4.04) will take the ball for the Yanks, he will be opposed by Joe Saunders (8-5, 4.44) for the Angels. First pitch is scheduled for 10:05 ET in Angel's Stadium.

Last 10: 8-2

Then Again, Maybe Not...

2009-07-09T15:37:00.003-04:00

So much for my bold scenario that had Alfredo Aceves joining the Yankees rotation for good. I for one am not giving up on the idea, however, if today was any sort of audition then he may be bound for permanent long relief duty (which is fine, he's valuable either way).

The game is currently in the seventh, Aceves lasted three and a third innings, which is no surprise seeing how Joe Girardi said that he would be on a hard limit of 65 pitches. The disconcerting part is that in his three and a third innings of work Aceves allowed four runs on four hits including a Jason Kubel solo shot. Better luck next time I guess, if there is one. Roy Halladay anyone?

On the bright side the Yankees are in fact winning, 6-4 at the moment and Mark Teixiera has just clubbed his first home run in his last 90+ at bats. If we have learned anything about Tex thus far its that he likes to hit in bunches so hopefully this is the start of something. Having him and A-Rod firing on all cylinders would be nice to watch. Check back later for the full recap.

'Ace' Of The Rotation?

2009-07-09T10:21:00.004-04:00

(Photo: AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Late last week and early this week, when there was still speculation on who the Yankees would deploy in place of Chien Ming Wang, there was only one guy that I kept thinking of: Alfredo Aceves. There had been talks of a call up, perhaps Sergio Mitre or Josh Towers, but in the end I fully believe that the Yankees made the right call on this one.

Aceves has been absolutely dominant this year, clearly establishing himself as one of the very best long relievers in baseball. In 21 appearances this season Aceves is 5-1 with a 2.03 era, he has struck out 34 men while walking just 7 and has a sterling WHIP of .93.

As many Yankee fans know, this isn't Aceves' first go round as a member of the Yankees starting rotation. As a September call up last season Aceves took the rotation spot of the struggling Darrel Rasner and quickly flourished. In his four starts, Aceves was 1-0 with a 2. 40 era and though the Yankees did not make the playoffs he and fellow battery mate, Phil Coke helped to provide Yankee fans with a little bright spot at the end of an otherwise dark season.

With any luck, Aceves will have a succesful start tonight and perhaps solidify his case as a potential long term part of the Yankee rotation. I know that Joe Girardi is almost certainly not thinking this way, however, I think with Aceves' current track record as compared with Chien Ming Wang's incredible struggles this year, it's not unreal to believe that Aceves may in fact supplant Wang in the rotation. He deserves at least a legitimate shot.

The way I see it is, the best man should have the job and if Alfredo Aceves can do the job more effectively than can CMW, than the job should be his. Plain and simple. Chien Ming Wang should not hold a permanent place in the rotation solely based on his past success. The downside of this would of course be that the Yankees would lose a very effective long reliever, however, Phil Hughes could easily be deployed in the role and when Chien Ming Wang returned he could even fill in as well.

Of course, the reality of the matter is that none of this will probably happen. Aceves will make this start and whether he does well or not will be irrelevant to Joe Girardi and the Yankees management. Once Chien Ming Wang returns after the All Star Break he will once again be thrown into the rotation to get YET ANOTHER chance at redemption. Forgive me for projecting an unlikely scenario, Im just a big Aceves fan and I want to see the Yankee put the absolute best product on the field that they can and right now that is Alfredo Aceves, not Chien Ming Wang.

Good Enough: Yanks Piece Together Another Win

2009-07-08T23:16:00.005-04:00

(Photo: AP Photo/Jim Mone)

It wasnt always pretty, but it was effective. That was the Yankees motto on Wednesday night as they held off the Twins for the second straight night on their way to a 4-3 victory.

AJ Burnett did just enough to get by on this night. While it wasnt as dominant as his past few outings have been, it was encouraging all the same to see Burnett battle his way through a tough, closely contested game. Burnett would end up going six and a third, surrendering two runs on seven hits while walking four and striking out two. Coming on to relieve Burnett in the seventh, Phil Coke would immediately let up a run as he served up a solo shot to Twins catcher, Joe Mauer. Lasting just a third of an inning, Coke was quickly lifted for Phil Hughes. Hughes would provide yet another inning of scoreless relief, can you say set up man? Of course, Mariano Rivera would take the ball in ninth and as is common, he sat down the side in order. Burnett would get the hard fought win, he is now 8-4 on the year, Rivera picked up his 22nd save of the year.

Brett Gardner would have the big hit in this one. He was just 1-4 and the hit was in the 2nd inning, but none the less, it ended up being a game winner. Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher would contribute the other two Yankee RBI's, while Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada would have the only multi hit efforts of the night. The Yankees were an efficient 3-10 with RISP and they stranded seven men on base.

The Yankees continue to be a nightmare match up for the Twins, they have now won all six of the two teams meetings. The win locks up the series victory for the Yanks, they have now won their last five series overall.

Notes: The Yankees remain just a game out of first in the AL East as they and the Red Sox continue to play to a stale mate. With Chien Ming Wang's turn in the rotation coming around just one time before next week's all star break, the Yankees have decided to deploy Alfredo Aceves in his place to take on the Twins. Aceves has been one of the best long relievers in baseball this year and sports a 2.02 era on the season. Aceves was originally signed out of the Mexican League and made his debut last season with the Yankees as a September call up. In four starts last year, Aceves was 1-0 with a 2.40 era. Opposing Aceves tomorrow will be hard throwing Twins lefty, Francisco Liriano (4-8, 5.49). First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 in the Metrodome.

Last 10: 8-2

MUNSON: The Life And Death Of A Yankee Captain

2009-07-07T11:05:00.005-04:00

Few men have ever had the honor of being called the Captain of the New York Yankees, Thurman Munson was one of them. In Marty Appel's new book, Munson: The Life And Death Of A Yankee Captain, readers will be able to take a look at Munson from the view of a true insider, a man who was able to see Munson not only as a ball player, but also as a father, husband, friend and leader.

From the first page to the last, Munson will grab you as a reader and whisk you along through the story of this past Yankee great. So vivid is Mr. Appel's imagery and so precise are his details that it feels almost as if there is a film being played in your head as you read and you can see Thurman there, saying every word and making every movement. So great is Appel's imagery that you almost forget the tragic way in which this story ends, you think that maybe if you just stop reading the outcome will change, but you know it cant be so.

This book could not have been written by any man besides Marty Appel, its just that simple. From Mr. Appel you get a perspective of someone who was just close enough to Munson to be able to speak of him personally, but just far enough away to maintain his objectivity. Appel is able to paint a portrait of Munson from the ground up, where he came from, how it made him the man he was, what his passions were and what made him one of the most revered Yankees of all time. Its all here.

I can tell you that as a Yankee fan from a later generation, I was never able to see Munson actually play. I have seen some clips and I have heard the stories but it wasnt until I read Mr. Appel's book that I felt I had a true grasp on why Thurman Munson was considered a hero to a whole legion of baseball fans in the mid and late seventies. I can unflinchingly reccomend this book to any sports fan, it is not often that you are able to hear a story this great, about a man so beloved from the eyes of someone who was really there. Marty Appel has set the standard for Yankee biographies with this one, I can confidently say that.

Three Out Of Four Aint Bad: Yanks Fall In Finale, Still Take Series

2009-07-06T22:02:00.002-04:00

(Photo: AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Well, the Yanks couldnt finish off the Jays to get the sweep, but honestly, as good as they have been playing how mad can you really be? There wasnt much mystery as to what went wrong in this one as Andy Pettite was roughed up pretty soundly over the course of his six innings. Joe Girardi wasnt long in hitting the showers today either as he was ejected in the bottom of the first for arguing a call at third base. In the end, the Yankees would try to make a late run to bail out Pettite, but it just wasnt meant to be as the Blue Jays hung on for dear life and walked away with a 7-6 victory.

As mentioned, Andy Pettite did not have a day to write home about. In Pettite's six innings he allowed six runs on five hits and walked five men on his way to losing his fourth decision of the season, his record now stands at 8-4.

Brian Bruney would come on to start the seventh and surrender what ended up being a very important run for the Blue Jays. In two thirds of an inning Bruney would give up two hits, walk a man and allow a run to score before being mercifully lifted. The outing elevated Bruney's era to 4.11 on the year. David Robertson and Jonathan Albaladejo would combine for two and third innings of scoreless relief. Robertson would strike out two of the four men he faced.

Eric Hinske made his Yankee debut today against the team that he broke into the big leagues with. Getting the start in right field, Hinske wasted little time in showing why the Yankees dealt for him, as he sent a moon shot into the right field bleachers in the Yankees half of the fifth. Hinske would finish 2-4 in his debut with the homer and RBI, the longball was just Hinske's 2nd on the year.

Nick Swisher would get his first start of the year at first base, he was filling in for Mark Teixiera who was getting a bit of a break and serving as the DH. Swisher would bring his big bat on Monday as he went 3-4 on the afternoon with two rbi's, Robinson Cano would add a multi-hit effort of his own, going 2-5 with a couple of runs scored. In the end, despite the Yankees furious run to get back in the game, it was the dreaded MLOB that would do them in as they were just 2-11 with RISP and stranded eleven base runners.

Notes: With the Red Sox being shut out 6-0 on Monday, the Yankees remain just one game out of the division lead. The Yankees wont return to the Stadium until the 17th, they will start a three game set tomorrow against the Twins in Minnesota and then will travel to LA to face off against the Angels before stopping for the All Star Break. Taking the ball for the Bombers tomorrow will be the big man, CC Sabathia (7-5, 3.85). He will be opposed by the Twins' Scott Baker (6-6, 4.99). Game time is scheduled for 8:10 in the Metrodome.

Last 10: 8-2

What To Do?

2009-07-05T18:58:00.003-04:00

( Photo: Photo/Frank Franklin II)

With Chien Ming Wang going on the DL there is a glaring question staring Joe Girardi right in the face, what to do about a replacement? The two men in the bullpen who would otherwise be the leading candidates, Phil Hughes and Alfredo Aceves, are not even close to being stretched out enough to start. Phil Coke, who has a history as a starter, has been utilized this year as the Yankees lefty specialist out of the pen and has excelled in the role, so it is unlikely he would be considered. So who is it going to be?

As of this moment the answer to that question remains a mystery. Wang's turn in the rotation comes around one more time before the All Star Break so it is possible that a move may be made by then, however, it is also possible that Girardi may use the bullpen for that game, utilizing the All Star Break as a chance for them to rest up.

Girardi has said that Wang will be shut down until after the ASB, so it is fairly safe to assume that we will be seeing some sort of organizational move from the Yankees in the very near future. Looking down on the farm, it would appear as though the two leading candidates to get the call are Sergio Mitre and Josh Towers. Both men have major league experience, Mitre with the Marlins and Towers with the Blue Jays, and have pitched solidly for the SWB Yankees over the last month or so. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears to the ground Yank fans, as of this moment doing that will give you as much of an idea as the next guy as to what the Yankees next move will be.

Weekend Recap

2009-07-05T17:18:00.004-04:00

( Photo: AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Alright folks, Im not going to lie, I had a great fourth yesterday and I hope you all did the same. Due to the festivities I was unable to get to a recap for yesterday's game so Im just going to give you all a little two for one special today and cover both today's and yesterday's contests.

Saturday: Chien Ming Wang was less than good yet again on Saturday but the Yankees still managed to pull out a 6-5 victory in 12 innings against a rusty Roy Halladay and the Jays. Coming into the game, Roy Halladay held a career 6-0 record against the Yanks with an era south of 2.0. However, in just his second start since returning from the DL, Halladay appeared a little rusty and the Yanks took full advantage.

The Yankees hung five earned runs on Halladay during his seven innings of work, however, despite Halladay's less than stellar effort the Yankees had a hard time putting away the Jays, a big part of the reason was the continued struggles of Chien Ming Wang.

Wang wasnt awful, but he was far from good on Saturday, a theme that is becoming all too familiar to Yankee fans. Wang would leave the game in the sixth due to a shoulder strain/bursitis (he is heading to the DL, more on that in a moment), but before he departed he put up a line of: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 1BB and 1K. Like I said, not awful, but not good either. At this point with Wang heading to the DL things can only improve for the Yankees. Wang has been mediocre at best this year and incredibly awful at worst. The way I see it, its going to be hard for anyone the Yankees bring in to be any worse than Wang has already been.

Picking up the pieces for Wang was the Yankees bullpen, basically the entire Yankee bullpen. Six relievers were used in total and in their six and two thirds innings of work they held the Jays to one paltry run on four hits. Thats the stuff championship teams are made of ladies and gentlemen. David Robertson would be the only Yankee reliever to stumble, he gave up a run and a hit while walking two before he was lifted to begin the seventh. From there the bullpen was absolutely lights out. Brian Bruney, Phil Hughes and Mo Rivera would toss an inning each of scoreless ball to get the Bombers through regulation. Giving in my opinion, the performance of the game, Phil Coke would come on to start the tenth and give the Yankees two very clutch hitless scoreless innings to keep the game deadlocked heading into the twelfth. With their options pretty much exhausted, the Yankees turned to their set up man, Brett Tomko to try and keep the game in check for them. Tomko was able to rise to the occasion, pitching a perfect twelfth and eventually picking up the win after Jorge Posada knocked in the game winning run in the bottom of the inning. Tomko's record now stands at 1-2 on the season.

The Yankee offense used the longball to stay in this one. The Bombers socked three round trippers on Saturday, Hideki Matsui hit his 12th, Jorge Posada hit his 11th and Johnny Damon knocked his 16th. Four Yankees would contribute multi-hit efforts including Mark Teixiera who went 3-6. Despite the amount of thunder in the bats, the Yankees didnt manage to pull this one out until Jorge Posada's line drive to the right-center field gap brought the winning run home in the bottom of twelfth. The Bombers finished the game 2-10 with runners in scoring position and left a less than desirable, eleven men on base.

Sunday: The Bombers were able to come from behind on Sunday to take their third in a row from the Jays and lock up the series victory. Joba Chamberlain would take the ball for the Yanks and last just three and two third innings as he surrendered eight runs to put the Yanks in an early hole. So, for the second straight game, it was the Yankees bullpen and offense that would pick up the slack.

After Chamberlain's implosion ( 3.2 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K), recently recalled Jonathan Albaladejo would come on to try and hold serve. Albaladejo would provide an inning and a third of scoreless ball, allowing two hits and striking out two men. Albaladejo was called back up from AAA Scranton-Wilkes Barre today to take the roster spot of Chien Ming Wang who went on the DL after leaving his start yesterday. Coming on in the sixth, Alfredo Aceves would give the Yankees four innings of BRILLIANT relief as he allowed no runs and just one hit while striking out five. Though Albaladejo would pick up the W after the Yankees rallied in the fourth and fifth to take a 10-8 lead, it was Aceves who was the hero of this game as he continued to just be absolutely dominant, Aceves' era on the year now sits at a sterling 2.02. As mentioned, Albaladejo would pick up the win to move his record to 3-1 on the year while Aceves would collect his first save of the season.

Leading the offensive onslaught for the Yanks were the veterans, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada. Both Jeter and Posada would contribute 4-5 afternoons and account for five rbi's, three for Posada and two for Jeter. Jeter would also hit his 10th home run of the season. Not to be outdone, Hideki Matsui continued his recent resurgence as he clubbed his second homer in two games, his 13th of the season, on his way to a 4 rbi day. The Yankees were incredibly efficient with RISP, going 6-12 on their way to putting up 10 runs and 14 hits.

Notes: The Yanks have now won 11 of their last 15 games and sit just one game behind division leading Boston after Sunday's games. Chien Ming Wang was placed on the 15 day DL on Sunday after leaving his start on Saturday with what has been diagnosed as a shoulder strain and bursitis. Jonathan Albaladejo is the man that has been called up to take his place on the roster for now but with Wang's turn in the rotation coming up one more time before the ASB it is anyone's guess what the Yankees will do. The Yankees will look to complete the four game sweep agains the Jays tomorrow as they will send Andy Pettite (8-3, 4.25) to the mound to oppose the red hot, Ricky Romero (6-3, 2.85). First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 in the Bronx.

Last 10: 9-1

The Enigma Strikes Again: Burnett Leads Bombers Over Jays

2009-07-03T21:26:00.003-04:00

(Photo: nydailynews.com)

AJ "The Enigma" Burnett was lights out again on Friday. Facing his former team for the second time this year, Burnett continued his dominant ways, pitching seven strong innings in a 4-2 Yankees win.

In Burnett's seven innings of work he allowed just two runs on six hits while striking out seven. Burnett has allowed just six runs in his last five starts and is sporting a 3.83 era to go along with his 7-4 record. It was just this sort of hot streak that lead Burnett to an 8-2 second half last season, so hopefully we're seeing the beginning of great things to come from The Enigma.

The Phils combined to pitch a scoreless eighth inning, Coke going one third and Hughes the other two. As usual, Mariano took over in the ninth and rocked the Blue Jays to sleep. He pitched a clean inning, striking out two, to pick up his 21st save of the year.

The Yankee offense was solid this afternoon, nothing great but just enough to get Burnett the victory. Seven Yankee starters collected at least a hit, with Derek Jeter having the only multi hit day, he was 2-3. The thunder was provided by Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez, each hit a solo homerun, Cano his 13th and Rodriguez his 14th. The shot was the fifth in the last ten games for A-Rod as he remains red hot. Mark Teixiera was 1-3 on the day, he collected the third Yankee RBI.

Another solid win for the Bombers as they continue to navigate their way through the treacherous AL East. Its nice to see wins like this, the kind where the offense isnt quite clicking on all cylinders but the pitching is strong enough to get the job done. The Yankees needed a strong pitching performance after CC had an off night last night.

If I dont get a chance tomorrow, I hope everyone out there has a great 4th of July. Be safe and have fun.

Notes: As of this moment the Yankees sit 2.5 games out of first place in the AL East. The Red Sox are locked in an extra inning battle with the Mariners, so by the end of the night the deficit could recede to 2.0 games or stay where it was to begin the day at 3.0. The Yankees will look to take game two of this four game series tomorrow, they will send Chien Ming Wang (1-6, 10.06) out to face the Yankee killer himself, Roy Halladay (10-2, 2.56). I never like to be negative, but its going to take a little Independence Day magic to pull this one out tomorrow, Halladay is just that good against the Yanks. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 in the Bronx.

Last 10: 8-2

Hees Baaaack...

2009-07-03T10:51:00.003-04:00

(Photo: AP Photo/Gus Ruelas, File)

While completely unrelated to anything that has to do with the Yankees, I thought it was pertinent to address the fact that Manny Ramirez will be making his return tonight for the Dodgers as they take on the Padres.

After serving a 50 game suspension for breaking the league's substance abuse program, the Dreadlocked one will be back swinging for the fences and pimping homers. I personally can't wait, Ive always been a fan of Manny's (though I had to supress such things when he played for the Sox), so of course I'm going to be glad when he makes a long awaited return. For those of you out there who want to crucify this guy for possibly taking steroids, go ahead, what does it matter? The sooner you come to the realization that a majority of major league ballplayers has done it, in one way or another, the better off you'll be. So anyway, welcome back to the Man Ram.

Late Recap: Mariners Top CC, Yanks In Series Finale

2009-07-03T10:22:00.006-04:00

(Photo: AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Sorry for being late on this one but I got a little sidetracked last night. Im sure by now you've seen the highlights on Sportscenter, but just to recap...CC got torched for six runs on ten hits, Godzilla hit a two run bomb to make the score 6-4 in the fourth, the score would remain the same until the ninth when Russel Branyan rocked a two run job off of Alfredo Aceves. It wasnt a very pretty game for the Yanks so excuse me for being so brief, I dont like to re-hash losses. Ill be back tonight with full updates on the series opener with Toronto.

Notes: The loss snapped the Yankees recent winning streak at seven games, they now sit 3.0 games back of division leading Boston. Jorge Posada sat out last night's game with an apparent hand injury, he may sit tonight as well as a precautionary measure, the injury does not appear to be serious. The Yankees will begin a four game series tonight with the Blue Jays, the Bombers took two of three from the Jays on the last go round in Toronto. Former Blue Jay great, AJ Burnett (6-4) will take the ball for the Pinstripers, he will be opposed by lefty, Brian Tallet (5-5).

First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 in the Stadium.

Last 10: 7-3

It Just Keeps Getting Worse For Leyritz

2009-07-02T14:09:00.003-04:00

(Photo: nydailynews.com)

Former Yankee catcher and World Series hero, Jim Leyritz, has made his way into the headlines again and again it was not for good reasons. Leyritz, who is still awaiting trial for a 2007 DUI manslaughter charge, was arrested on Wednesday for alledgedly battering his ex-wife.

Leyritz was arrested in his Davie, FL home, he is currently being held in the Broward County jail. According to his ex-wife, Karrie Leyritz, the dispute was over child support payments and Leyritz became heated, striking her when he learned that she had written out a check without his knowledge. According to Leyritz, Karrie injured herself on purpose in order to get back at him for supposedly evicting her from the home.

You know, at this point I just dont care anymore. There are just some people who cant get out of their own way and it appears as though Mr. Leyritz is one of those types. You would think that after taking the DUI charge in 2007 that Jim would have done absolutely everything to keep his nose clean and making headlines for allegedly beating his wife is not the way to do it. Im not going to be stupid and assume that everything Karrie Leyritz said was true, Im not even going to assume that any of it was true, I just dont know. What I do know, is that at this point any news is bad news for Leyritz and I would think a man in his position would do everything in his power to distance himself from anything that is going to get him in further trouble. Frankly, its just getting sad.

Fast Track

2009-07-02T02:34:00.003-04:00

(Photo: daylife.com)

Jesus Montero clubbed his fourth home run in the last three games on Wednesday for the Yankees AA afiliate, the Trenton Thunder. In 20 games since being called up from single A Tampa, Montero is hitting a robust .319, while notching 4 homers, 12 RBI's and 8 runs scored, not to mention that he has an OBP of .395.

Not to get you all too excited, the fact of the matter is we probably wont be seeing this guy until the start of the 2011 season, late 2010 at earliest, but its still nice to see him doing well.

P.S. Keep an eye on Austin Jackson too, down in AAA. A-Jax has been torching International League pitching all season and should make his way to the Bronx by September when the roster expands.

Seventh Heaven: A-Rod's Blast Pushes Yanks Streak To 7

2009-07-02T01:41:00.005-04:00

(Photo: AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Another game, another win for the surging Yankees. Looking to win for the seventh time in a row, the Yankees were able to fend off the visiting Mariners by a score of 4-2. The Bombers had to bring out the thunder sticks to win this one, as every Yankee run was scored by way of the longball. Andy Pettite would provide yet another solid outing and the Yankee bullpen continued to look brilliant.

Pettite gave the Yankees seven strong innings on Wednesday to earn his eighth win of the year. In his time on the mound Pettite would surrender just two runs on six hits while striking out five. Pettite has been able to string together a few of these starts for the Yankees lately, a nice relief from the roller coaster saga's of Chien Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain. Pettite was able to drop his ERA to a respectable, 4.25 and is now 3-1 in his last five starts.

Backing up Pettite was the voracious Yankee bullpen. Phil Coke and Alfredo Aceves combined to produce yet another perfect inning of relief for the Bombers, Coke would strike out one of the men he faced. Mariano Rivera would come on in the ninth to turn out the lights, he managed a clean 1-2-3 inning to collect his 20th save of the season.

As mentioned, the Yankees did all of their damage off the long ball. Johnny Damon would club his 15th homer of the year while Melky Cabrera would swat his 8th, but it was Alex Rodriguez who would hit the biggest of them all on this night as his eighth inning blast resulted in a win for the Yankees. With the score tied at 2-2, A-Rod stepped to the plate with Mark Teixiera already waiting on base in the bottom of the eighth. The Mariners had just scored in their half of the inning to knot the score and steal momentum, but with one swing A-Rod not only re-claimed the momentum for the Bombers, he also locked up the win. The bomb was Alex's 13th of the season and his third in the last five games. Two Yankees would manage multiple hits in this one, A-Rod being one of them and Mark Teixiera being the other, they were each 2-4. The Yanks stood a mere 0-2 with men in scoring position and stranded just four men on base. Like I said, tonight was all about the moon shots.

Notes: The Yankees have now won seven games in a row and sit just 3 games back of the division leading Red Sox (should have been 2.5 games back if it werent for the pathetic Orioles bullpen this afternoon). Newly acquired, Eric Hinske, reported to the team today. Its been speculated that Hinske will be used primarily as A-Rod's back up on the days that Rodriguez is scheduled to have off in order to rest his surgically repaired hip. The Yankees will go for eight straight tomorrow as they try to sweep the Mariners clean off the East Coast. Yankee ace, CC Sabathia (7-4, 3.55) will toe the rubber for the home team, he will be opposed by Jason Vargas (3-3, 3.79). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 in the BX.

Last 10: 7-3

That Was A Close One: Yanks Rally In 8th To Down Mariners

2009-06-30T23:32:00.003-04:00

(Photo: nydailynews.com)

The starting pitching left a little to be desired but with the help of the offense and the majority of the bullpen (Brian Bruney not included), the Yanks were able to pull out an 8-5 victory on Tuesday night against the visiting Mariners. Oh yes and by the way, the Boston Red Sox just managed to choke up a 10-1 lead over the lowly Orioles and ended up losing 11-10. Just thought you all should know.

Joba Chamberlain's line wasnt atrocious, but it really wasnt all that good either. In Chamberlain's five and a third innings of work he threw 96 pitches, just 55 for strikes and nine of them went for hits. Before he was pulled he had allowed three runs to score, had walked three and struck out four. What does this mean? It means more people will come out to say that he belongs in the pen and is wasting innings as a starter yada yada yada. You know what will probably happen? He'll probably come out next time and throw a three hitter and shut everyone up. Anyway, lefty specialist, Phil Coke came on the finish out the sixth for Chamberlain. Coke was perfect, sitting down both batters he faced, one by strikeout. Phil Hughes would take over in the seventh and continue his mastery of the relief art as he pitched a clean inning with a strikeout. Then the game got interesting. Brian Bruney would come on to perform his normal eighth inning set up duties...and promptly get rocked. Bruney would get through the inning, but along the way he allowed the Mariners to tie the score on three hits and two runs. However, Melky Cabrera and the Yankee offense was able to bail out Bruney in the bottom of the eighth and take an 8-5 lead which of course led to the Sandman. Mariano Rivera picked up where he left off on Sunday, collecting save number 501 as he pitched a clean ninth inning for his 19th save of the campaign. Ironically, Brian Bruney would pick up the win despite his poor effort, his record now stands at 3-0 on the year.

The Yankee offense was coldly efficient tonight. Taking an early lead with runs in the second and fourth, the boys just cruised along until their game clinching rally in the eighth. The Yankees were able to slap eleven hits off of Mariner pitching and were a solid 4-16 with RISP. Melky Cabrera and Derek Jeter really led the charge for the Bombers on this night, both men had just one hit but each came in the eighth inning when the Yankees needed them most. It was Cabrera's double that would score Brett Gardner for the go ahead run and shortly thereafter Jeter would add a basehit, driving home Cabrera and Nick Swisher. Alex Rodriguez would provide the thunder, he continued his recent hot hitting with another home run, his twelfth of the season. Johnny Damon and Robinson Cano both had multi-hit efforts, they were each 2-4.

Yet another good win for the Yankees. After stumbling a bit at the beginning of their interleague road swing, they've gotten back on the horse and jumped right back into contention for the division. They're doing it all right now, winning close games, coming from behind, winning blow outs etc. Hopefully they can keep it up heading into the All Star break.

Notes: With the afforementioned gag job that the Red Sox pulled tonight against the Orioles, the Yankees moved to within 2.5 games of first place. The Yankees will look to make it seven in a row on Wednesday, they will send Andy Pettite (7-3) to the hill to oppose Jarrod Washburn (4-5). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 in the Bronx.

Last 10: 7-3

Welcome To New York

2009-06-30T14:38:00.004-04:00

Former AL Rookie of the Year, Eric Hinske, was acquired by the Yankees today in a deal with the Yankees AAAA team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Yankees also recieved cash considerations in the deal, the Pirates recieved minor leaguers, Casey Erickson and Eric Fryer. Hinske will be activated for tonight's game against the Mariners, a roster move has yet to be made to make room for Hinske.

Hinske will look to play a key role for the Yankees down the stretch, capable of playing all three outfield positions as well as third and first. A left handed hitter with some pop, Hinske will figure to send a few balls out to the short porch in right. Hinske is 31 years old and is a major league veteran of seven years. Beginning his career in Toronto (where he wong the ROY award) and making stops in Boston, Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh along the way, Hinske is just the kind of reserve bat the Yankees have been looking for. Unfortunately, it would appear as though Ramiro Pena might be the one to be sent down for Hinske, but Im sure we will be seeing him again come September when the roster expands.

All in all, I dont have a problem with this move. The Yankees do need some additional outfield depth after the loss of Xavier Nady for the season and Hinske has proven to be a valuable asset to contending teams in the past (Boston in 2007 and Tamp Bay last season) and theres no reason he couldnt do the same in New York. Fans across the web have been muttering about how the Yankees need a decent bat coming off the bench and Hinske would seem to fit the profile. When considering the fact that the minor leaguers who were sent away were nothing more than organizational fillers, I think think this deal is a no brainer...yet another solid move for Brian Cashman.

Mo-mentum: Yanks Sweep Mets, Mo Gets Milestone

2009-06-29T00:15:00.004-04:00

(Photo: AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Tonight was a great night to be a Yankees fan. Not only did you get to see your team complete a three game sweep against their intra-city rivals, but you also got a chance to bare witness to one of the greatest pitchers of our generation reaching an incredible milestone. Mariano Rivera became just the second man in history to reach the 500 saves plateau on Sunday as he picked up the final four outs of the game to lock up a 4-2 victory for the Bombers. Rivera moved into rarefied air, joining Milwaukee closer, Trevor Hoffman as the only two members of the 500 saves club (Hoffman is the all time saves leader with 571).

Chien Ming Wang would get the start for the Yankees on Sunday as they looked to stitch up their 2009 interleague play with a sweep of their cross town rivals. Wang was given plenty of support early, as his offense was able to stake him to a 3-0 deficit in the first inning. With some of the pressure relieved, Wang was able to make it through five and a third innings before giving way to lefty specialist, Phil Coke. In his five plus innings Wang allowed two runs on four hits and struck out three. This was Wang's third straight solid start, a very promising sight to see indeed.

After Coke was able to get the left handed hitting Fernando Martinez to strike out swinging, it was time to bring in the Yankees newest secret weapon, Phil Hughes. Hughes entered the game allowing just two runs in 10.2 innings of relief work and would not dissapoint on this night. Hughesy would throw a hitless inning and a third to keep the lead intact and get the ball to the Yankees closing combination of Brian Bruney and Mariano Rivera. Bruney would come in to start the eighth and though he was able to get two outs with no one crossing home plate, Girardi did not hesitate when Bruney started to falter. Having seen enough after Bruney's second walk of the inning, Girardi would call for uber-closer, Mariano Rivera. Rivera would come in to get the final four outs of the game and would surrender just one bloop hit while striking out two on his way to baseball immortality. Wang would get the win, his first in more than a year, as his record now sits at a little less unsightly, 1-6.

The Yankees jumped on Livan Hernandez early, posting three runs before the Mets could even get a turn at bat. Derek Jeter would lead off the inning with a long double and Nick Swisher would promptly coax a walk. With men on first and second, Mark Teixiera came to the plate and calmly laced a perfectly placed double down the left field line scoring both baserunners. Teixiera would eventually score himself when he was sacrificed home by Jorge Posada.

For a long while that was it for the Yankees, they would go the next seven innings without a run. However, in the top half of the ninth, with two out and the bases loaded, the man of the night would come up to bat. Mariano Rivera, who was still in the game because he had to pick up the final out of the eighth, came to bat with a chance to give himself a little insurance heading into the bottom of the inning. In a most unlikey occurrence Rivera was able to collect the first RBI of his career when he worked Mets closer, Francisco Rodriguez, to a full count before coaxing a walk. Hows that for a night, huh? The Yankees would end up going just 1-8 with men in scoring position and would strand 8 men on base throughout the night, but the combination of a strong outing from Wang and some marvelous relief work from the Yankees bullpen, was enough to lead the boys from the Bronx to their fifth consecutive victory and a season series record of 5-1 against the rival Mets.

Wow, what a night. Not only does the immortal Mariano Rivera reach yet another monumental milestone, but by doing so was able to sew up the long awaited first season victory for Chien Ming Wang. Not bad for a night's work.

Notes: Johnny Damon seems to be almost fully recovered from his recent bout with the flu, he was able to pinch hit and fill in in left field tonight. With a Red Sox loss, the Yankees moved to withing three games of the division lead on Sunday. The Bombers will have the day off on Monday and will resume play Tuesday night against the Seattle Mariners at Yankee Stadium. Joba Chamberlain (4-2) will get the nod for the Yanks, Brendan Morrow (0-3) will take the ball for the Mariners. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 in the Bronx.

Last 10: 6-4

It Aint No Bull

2009-06-28T00:00:00.006-04:00

Don't look now, but the Yankees have put together a halfway decent bullpen. Instead of explaining, let me just show you :

Alfredo Aceves - 2.16 era

Brian Bruney - 3.00 era

Phil Coke - 3.34 era

David Robertson - 2.60 era

*Brett Tomko - 5.51 era

*Phil Hughes - 1.67 era

Mariano Rivera - 3.07 era

* Hughes ERA is compiled from the 10.2 innings he has worked out of the bullpen

*Tomko is nothing more than a mop up guy, excuse the grotesque ERA

Pretty impressive I think. Once the Yankees removed the deadweight that was, Jonathan Albeladejo (6.00), Edwar Ramirez (5.19) and Jose Veras (6.14) from the equation, they have been grooving. Phil Hughes has been a revelation since moving to the pen and Alfredo Aceves has been one of the more accomplished long relievers in baseball this year, putting up a sterling record of 5-1 with his gleaming ERA. Now of course, ESPN will never let you know this because as far as they are concerned the Red Sox are the only ones with a decent relief corps, but I just wanted to be sure to throw this out there so that people could actually take a look at the numbers and realize that a lot of the Yankees success over the past month or so isnt just because of their bats and starters.

We Run New York: Burnett, Yanks Lock Up 2009 Subway Series

2009-06-27T23:01:00.005-04:00

(Photo: AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

AJ Burnett owned the Mets from his first pitch to his last as the Yankees topped their cross town rivals, 5-0 on Saturday. Burnett blanked the Mets through his seven innings of work and carried a no hitter into the sixth before having it broken up by an Alex Cora base hit. Burnett has now run off five quality starts in his last six outings, four of them wins.

Burnett's line looked like this: 7.0 IP, 1 H, 3 BB, 10 K's. Looks so pretty doesnt it? It does. Burnett was masterful, it's nights like this that make people rate AJ's pure ability right up there amongst the best in baseball. The command of his fastball was impeccable, match that with his absolutely devasting 12-6 knee buster and the Mets never stood a chance. As mentioned, Burnett had a no no going through five but had it broken up quickly and succinctly by Alex Cora to lead off the sixth. Cora was a miserable 0-21 against Burnett prior to the at bat, go figure. Another night, another superior effort from the Yankee bullpen. Brian Bruney and David Robertson would throw an inning each to close out the game. Neither man would allow a hit. The Enigma would of course pick up the win, he saw his record improve to 6-4 and his ERA continue to drop, it now sits at 3.93.

When your starting pitcher is on like AJ Burnett was tonight, theres not a whole lot that the offense needs to do, in this case, two homers would be more than enough. Nick Swisher would get the party started with a solo shot in the top of the third, it was his fourteenth bomb of the year. The Yankees would break through in the sixth as A-Rod pushed Tex across the plate with an RBI single just prior to Jorge Posada slamming a three run job to left center. Every Yankee in the starting lineup but two would account for a hit, the exceptions being Burnett and lead off man, Brett Gardner (but we can give him a break after going 5-6 last night). The Yankees were an efficient 2-5 with men in scoring position, they did however strand seven men on base.

Notes: The Yankees have won four in a row and outscored the Mets by a tally of 29-1 in their last three contests. With the victory, the Yankees locked up the season series against their cross town rivals and will look to go for the sweep tomorrow in Citi Field. Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon both sat out Saturday's contest, they both have the flu. AJ Burnett saw his ERA dip below 4.00 for the first time since April 19, if you follow Burnett's career numbers it is about this time of year where he starts to turn things up. In the past three seasons Burnett has an ERA of 4.64 prior to the All Star break, while he sports a 3.60 mark after the mid season classic. Get ready. The Yankees remain four games back in the AL East as the Red Sox were able to hold on for dear life today against the Braves. The Yankees will look to sweep their way right out of Citi Field tomorrow. The Chien Ming Wang (0-6) reclamation project will be on full display on Sunday, he will take the mound to face off against Livan Hernandez (5-2). First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 in Queens (catch it on ESPN).

Last 10: 5-5

Good Luck X-Man

2009-06-27T11:21:00.005-04:00

Xavier Nady was nothing short of great for the Yankees since they picked him up last July from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Unfortunately, it looks as though Nady's career with the Bombers will be short lived. Nady left a rehab start for AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday with severe discomfort in his surgically repaired right elbow. On Friday, after further examination, it was determined that Nady had in fact re-injured the elbow and would require season ending Tommy John Surgery. With this season being Nady's last under contract with the Yanks, it is a more than reasonable assumption that we have in fact seen the last of the X-Man in a pinstriped uniform.

Nady has been recovering from the surgery for the better part of two and a half months and was nearing a return, he originally injured the elbow on April 14 in Tampa Bay while making a routine throw to the infield. Elbow trouble is nothing new for Nady, this will be his second TJ procedure, his first coming back in 2001. With the average recovery time from a procedure of this magnitude being approximately 12-18 months it is possible that a large part if not all of Nady's 2010 might be wiped out as well. With that in mind, it is fairly inconceivable that the Yankees make an effort to re-sign Nady, though a short term, low money deal might be in order depending on what Nady's demands are.

This whole thing is really just too bad. Injuries are never good but when its a guy like X who really loves to play and really loved to be a Yankee, its just that much worse. Nady was supposed to be the Yankees starting right fielder this year but has been supplanted by Nick Swisher, an adequate, if not, streaky player. All the Yankees can do is move forward, rally around Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner and make it through the year. Again, this is just really unfortunate, good luck to X with his future endeavors what ever and where ever they may be.

When The Lights Go Down In The Citi: Yanks Roll Mets

2009-06-26T23:09:00.003-04:00

(Photo: nydailynews.com)

The Yankees picked up where they left off against the Mets as they strolled to a 9-1 victory on Friday. CC Sabathia made his start as scheduled and proceeded to rock the Mets to sleep while Brett Gardner and Ramiro Pena (yes, you read correctly) cued the offensive assault. This was the Yankees third win in a row and their third in four games against their cross town rivals this season.

True to his word, CC Sabathia made his start as planned despite leaving his last turn with what was called "elbow tightness". Sabathia stuck to his guns all week, claiming that the tightness was nothing, just a case of arm fatigue and that he would be out there for his next start. Well, he was out there, and tonight he showed why he is one of the premier pitchers in all of baseball as he cruised through seven innings of one run, three hit ball. Sabathia's only mistake came in the fifth when he surrendered a solo shot to the ageless Gary Sheffield, other than that he was golden, in fact, so locked in was CC that in the second inning he actually drove in Ramiro Pena with an RBI single up the middle. With CC leaving with an eight run lead, it was mop up time and that can only mean one thing: the nomad known as Tomko. Brett Tomko chucked the final two innings of this one, not allowing a hit and striking out one. If only he could put up performances like that in a relevant situation. Sabathia would of course pick up the win, he lowered his ERA to 3.55 and now sits at 7-4 for the season.

The Yankee offense continued to punish the opposition as they lashed another fourteen hits tonight on their way to nine runs. Brett Gardner anchored the top end of the lineup as he slapped five, yes five hits in six at bats. Gardners five hits would include his third homer of the season, a solo shot off of Mets reliever Elmer Dessens, Gardner would also add an RBI triple. Ramiro Pena would help balance out the bottom half of the lineup, as he went three for five with two runs scored and RBI. Oh yes, and some guy named Alex Rodriguez continued his torrid hitting, as he clubbed yet another home run, his eleventh on the year. A-Rod would also walk three times and score once, talk about breaking out of a slump. Despite posting nine runs on fourteen hits, the Yankees were just 3-17 with RISP and stranded an obscene 14 men on base. Makes you think, doesnt it?

Notes: Xavier Nady could be officially lost for the season. In Nady's most recent rehab start he experienced pain in his surgically repaired shoulder after making a throw to the infield. The Yankees anticipate that further surgery will be needed and it hasnt been ruled out that a full Tommy John like procedure might be necessary. If you're a Nick Swisher fan (as I am) then get ready to see a whole lot more of your boy, if you're not, well, than Im sorry. The Yankees still sit four games behind Boston as the Red Sox were able to hold off the Braves tonight. The Yankees will take on the Mets again tomorrow looking to lock up a series victory. The Yankees will send The Enigma (AJ Burnett, 5-4) to the mound, he will be opposed by Tim Redding (1-2). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 in Queens.

Last 10: 5-5

First Time In The Citi

2009-06-26T14:11:00.005-04:00

(Photo: venturacountystar.com)

The Yankees will make their first trip to Citi Field tonight when they take on the Mets in this season's second installment of the Subway Series. Citi Field lies in Flushing, Queens, not far from where Shea Stadium still stands. Already this season Citi Field has been plastered across headlines and news casts for the way it plays. However, unlike Yankee Stadium, Citi Field has gained a reputation as a vicious pitchers park where long fly balls go to die. It'll be interesting to see how the Yankees big bats will handle the cavernous confines.

The Yankees managed to take two of three from the Amazin's in the Subway Series first go round, tonight the Mets will look to take revenge in their house. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 tonight, CC Sabathia (6-4) will be squaring off against Mike Pelfrey (5-2).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAP!

2009-06-26T13:57:00.005-04:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that today is in fact, Derek Jeter's birthday, Derek is 35 years young. Here's to you Cap, thanks not only for your phenomenal play over the years but also for embodying, day in and day out, what it means to be a Yankee. You're a captain in every sense of the word, happy birthday.

The Bats Are Barking: Yanks Open The Floodgates, Down Braves

2009-06-25T23:08:00.005-04:00

(Photo: baseballmusings.com)

The Yankees carried their offensive attack from last night right into Thursday's contest as they battered the Braves by a score of 11-6. This game would be a battle of the bullpens as neither starter was able to make it past the fourth. The Yankees were able to post 16 hits as they cruised along to their first series victory on their current interleague road swing.

Andy Pettite did not have a good night. In just three and two thirds innings Pettite allowed six runs, three of which were earned, on seven hits. Pettite was able to make it through the first three innings while allowing just one run but in the fourth things began to unravel and before anyone could blink an eye the Braves had posted a whopping five runs. Alfredo Aceves would provide two and a third innings of relief in defense of Pettite. Aceves would hold the Braves scoreless on two hits while striking out one. Phil Coke continued his recent resurgence as he was called on to pitch the seventh and eighth. In his two innings of work, Coke would allow just one hit while striking out two. David Robertson would get the ball to close things out in the ninth but after allowing the Braves to scratch across another run on three hits Robertson was pulled in favor of Mariano Rivera. Rivera would pick up the gimme save, getting the final out of the game and recording his seventeenth save of the year. Aceves earned the win on this night, his record now stands at a sterling 5-1.

Where to begin with the offense? Wow. Its like they've been saving up this wealth of runs for the last week and a half and just decided to let them all go here in the last two nights. Every Yankee starter had at least a hit with the exception of Mark Tiexiera (figure the odds of that), while five men had multiple hit nights including three who had three hits or more. Derek Jeter would go 4-5 on the night to continue his renaissance while Johnny Damon would go 3-4 with four RBI's. Perhaps the most important performance of the night came from one, Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez. A-Rod who has been struggling mightily of late, put together his second straight productive night as he went 3-5 with four RBI's including his tenth home run of the season. The Yankees were able to hang tough all night long as they scored seven of their eleven runs with two outs in the inning. All in all the Yankees were a respectable 6-19 with RISP, though they did strand an eye opening, 14 men on base.

Notes: The Yankees were able to shave a game off their deficit in the AL East as the Red Sox dropped the final game of their series with the Nationals. The Yankees now sit four games out of first. Utilityman, Cody Ransom returned to the lineup following his stint on the 60 day disabled list, Ransom would fill in for Robinson Cano at second, he would go 2-5 on the night with two RBI's and two runs scored. The Yankees will begin round two of the Subway Series tomorrow when they travel to Citi Field to take on the Mets. CC Sabathia (6-4) will take the mound for the Bombers, he will be opposed by Mike Pelfrey (5-2). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 in Queens.

Last 10: 5-5

Crystal Ball: Montero And Banuelos To Play In Futures Game

2009-06-25T16:40:00.002-04:00

Two of the Yankees top prospects will be taking part in this year's XM Futures Game in St. Louis. For the past eleven years the Futures Game has been a showcase of the best talent that the minor leagues have to offer. The game is a contest between the best minor league players from America vs the best players from the rest of the world, both Jesus Montero and Manuel Banuelos will take the field for the World Team.

Montero is a much heralded catching prospect who is currently playing for the Yankees AA team, the Trenton Thunder. Baseball America ranked Jesus Montero as the second best prospect in all of the Yankees system and so far this year he has lived up to the hype. Prior to being called up to AA Trenton, Montero was hitting .356 with 8 homers and 37 RBI's for high A Tampa. Since being called up to Trenton in early June Montero has hit .276 with five RBI's. This will be Montero's second Futures Game, he was behind the plate for last season's contest as well.

Manuel Banuelos is an as of yet, little known gem that the Yankees have stashed away at their A ball affiliate in Charleston. Banuelos is an 18 year old, hard throwing, right hander who hails from Durango, Mexico. So far this season Banuelos has more than held his own while pitching for the Riverdogs. On the year, Banuelos is sporting a record of 5-3 with a 2.57 era to boot. This will be Banuelos' first Futures Game.

Good Riddance To Bad Rubbish

2009-06-25T03:50:00.003-04:00

The New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians were able to reach a small deal on Wednesday. New York agreed to send RHP Jose Veras to the Indians for cash considerations. Veras had an ERA north of five this season with the big club and has spent the last couple of weeks down in AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Im going to be honest here, Im a little relieved. Veras was one of the streakiest relief pitchers I have ever seen and it always seemed like his down swings lasted twice as long as his up swings. Yet the Yankees never seemed to lose confidence in him, they would just continue to march him out to slaughter, time and time again. If push comes to shove, I would have given Veras away for free just to keep the Yankee brass from callling him up again. Anyway, thats whats making the news. Now if we could just find a few takers for Albaladejo and Ramirez, our pen might stand a chance in the future.

In Joba We Trust: Chamberlain Leads Bombers Over Braves

2009-06-24T22:44:00.004-04:00

(Photo: cnycentral.com)

Hallelujah, its about time! After a three game skid, the Yankees managed to beat out the Braves on Wednesday night, 8-4. Joba Chamberlain lead the way, picking up his fourth win of the season while his battery mate, Francisco Cervelli, would give him a boost by clubbing his first career major league home run.

Chamberlain would put together a very solid outing, surrendering just two earned runs on seven hits in his six and a third innings of work. Chamberlain, who has had issues all year with allowing early runs, was able to make it to the fifth inning before allowing a man to cross the plate. A lot of his success early in this game seems to stem from the superb control that he exhibited, striking out five men and walking none. Phil Coke and Brian Bruney would combine to throw one and a third innings of relief, Coke was perfect while Bruney struggled to keep the Bravos off the basepaths, walking two and allowing a run to score in his two thirds of an inning. Realizing the importance of the victory to the struggling Yankees and not wanting to tempt fate, Yankee hitting coach, Dave Eiland (Joe Girardi was ejected in the sixth) decided to bring in Mariano Rivera with two outs in the eigth to try and lock down the win with a four out save. Rivera looked vintage in his inning and a third of work, striking out all four batters that he faced. The save was Rivera's sixteenth on the season. Joba Chamberlain would earn the win, he now sits at 4-2 on the season.

The offense finally decided to yawn, stretch and emerge from hibernation. Nick Swisher and Francisco Cervelli would provide the thunder for the Bombers as they both jerked solo shots out of Turner Field. Johnny Damon contributed a 3-5 night with an RBI of his own while Alex Rodriguez was able to jar himself from his recent slump to push across two crucial runs in the top of the sixth. The Yankees did strand seven men on base on their way to going 2-9 with RISP, maybe not the best percentages but Im sure Yankee fans will take it after this past week's sudden power outage.

Notes: Yankee GM Brian Cashman made a surprise appearance in Atlanta on Wednesday, pressure, pressure, pressure. Joe Girardi was thrown out in the sixth inning by first base umpire Bill Welke. It was a rather odd exchange as neither Welke nor Girardi ever seemed to get heated, in fact, it appeared as though Girardi actually asked Welke to throw him out, a request that Welke, very calmly, was happy to oblige. Whether Girardi was trying to spark his team to victory or not is debateable, but the team did seem to jump to life following Girardi's removal. CC Sabathia said he felt good following his bullpen today, while Girardi has yet to sign off on it, the sentiment seems to be that CC will be on the mound against the Mets come Friday. The Yankees will send Andy Pettite (7-3, 4.26) to the mound for Thursday's rubber game, Atlanta will counter with Derek Lowe (7-5, 4.09). First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 in Atlanta.

Last 10: 4-6

Contest For The Kids!

2009-06-24T22:03:00.008-04:00

I'll be offering a copy of the Yankees Coloring and Activity Book from Hawk's Nest Publishing to

the first person who can answer these three questions:

1) Which current Yankee lefty was a part of all four championship teams from 1996-2000 and is tied for the franchise record for playoff victories with 13?

2) Which Yankee player once made an incredible catch diving head long into the stands against the Boston Red Sox?

3) Carsten Charles is the full name of what current Yankee pitcher?

There you go folks, three simple questions for you to stew on and answer. You can email your answers to bxbluebloods@yahoo.com along with your mailing address. This book is very well put together and is really a great gift for that young Yankee fan in your life. Good luck with your answers and I hope to be sending a copy of this collectible out real soon.

2009 AAA All Star Game

2009-06-24T10:02:00.004-04:00

Don't forget to vote for the Yankees of the future for the 2009 AAA All Star Game. Austin Jackson, Shelley Duncan, John Rodriguez and Mark Melancon can use all the help they can get, so start voting! You can vist the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees official site to cast your vote and each person can vote up to 25 times. The game is scheduled for July 15 at PGE Park in Portland, OR, voting closes this coming Friday at midnight.

Ughhh: McCann Leads Braves Over Listless Yanks

2009-06-23T22:53:00.008-04:00

What is there left to say? I mean, its the same old stuff ladies and gentleman, Wang runs out there and pitches poorly and the offense takes another night off. There's really no nice way to put it folks, the Yankees are playing awful, awful baseball right now, plain and simple. All I know is these players have nothing to smile about, nothing to joke about, nothing to blame their struggles on...they should just be embarassed. You know what happens to me or you if we perform this badly at our job over the course of two to three weeks? We get fired. Just thought Id add a little perspective there.

As mentioned, it was another stinker from Wang. CMW lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and striking out four. Maybe not the worst line you could think of (Lord knows hes done worse) but far from what you would expect from a player who a year ago was considered the unabated ace of your staff. The lone and I do mean, the lone, bright spot on this night for the Yankees was Phil Hughes and his masterful two innings of work. Hughes has been a revelation since moving to the bullpen and he kept up his recent dominance, striking out two and not allowing a hit in his two frames of relief. David Robertson would come on to pitch the eighth, Robertson has pitched very well of late but tonight he allowed a solo shot to Braves catcher, Brian McCann, Robertson would also add a strikeout. Wang was charged with the loss, he now sits at an abysmal, 0-6 on the season.

Now on to the lineup formerly known as the Bronx Bombers. There was nothing positive to speak of on this night, the offense stink, stank, stunk from the first pitch to the last. It was much of the same, the Yankees stranded eleven, yes, eleven men on base on their way to an 0-8 mark with RISP, Jeter hit into another double play and A-Rod still couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat. The Yankees could only muster four hits off of Braves phenom, Tommy Hanson and managed to get on base just one time in the final three and two thirds innings following Hanson's departure (on a walk mind you, not a hit).

I...ugh...Im sayin...I mean...jeesh just forget it, these guys are completely lost at this point and the only ones who can find them is themselves. Sound deep? I know, I got it like that. At this point if I were anything but a Yankee fan I would give up, but I know that this team has a few pushes left in them, they'd better because Boston doesnt seem to be waiting around.

Notes: The Bombers now sit a whole five games behind the division leading Red Sox. Tuesday's loss to the Braves was the second time the Yanks have been shut out in the last five games. The Yankees will send Joba Chamberlain (3-2) to the mound tomorrow to try to stop the hemorrhaging, he will be opposed by Kenshin Kawakami (4-6). First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 at Turner Field.

Last 10: 4-6

As The Wang Turns

2009-06-23T20:24:00.004-04:00

(Photo: nj.com)

CMW is pitching against the Braves tonight in Atlanta. Currently the score is 3-0 Bravos in the fourth and Wang has thrown 44 pitches. I have to believe that he is just about out of lives as a member of the Yankee rotation, as a team trying to compete in the uber-tough AL East it is just not feasible that you have a member of your starting rotation pitch this poorly outing after outing. Its come down to the fact that Wang quite simply does not give his offense a chance to make an impact, every game he is allowing 3,4 and 5 runs before the end of the second or third inning and putting his offense in too big of a hole to climb out of.

This guy has problems. I think he has problems mechanically, obviously, and I think its safe to say that at this point his struggles are squarely situated in his psyche. Its really a tough situation; Wang is out of minor league options and does not seem to be a huge fan of the bullpen (though Im sure Wang's personal preference would not be a concern of Girardi's come decision making time), it seems the Yankees have one of two options: either move Wang to the bullpen and re-establish Phil Hughes as a member of the rotation, or, send Wang to the DL with a mystery injury in hopes that more time in the minors can help him out. Like I said, its a tough call. They've already tried the "fake DL stint" maneuver earlier this year and it had no effect, I suspect the move to be made will be Wang to the bullpen. Whatever it may be, I dont see him remaining in the rotation, this team, any team, can not afford to suffer this kind of a weakness on their roster and hope to have serious aspirations of making the playoffs.

I'll be back later with game reactions and a re-cap of Wang's outing. Stay tuned.

"I Am Pitching On Friday"

2009-06-23T11:55:00.003-04:00

(Photo: Nick Laham/Getty Images North America)

As the title states, CC Sabathia is extremely confident that he will make his next scheduled start on Friday against the Mets, the Yankee brass however is not so quick to pencil him in. Awaiting the results of Sabathia's bullpen session on Tuesday, the Yankees are still considering the possibility of sitting Sabathia for his next turn. Yankee General Manager, Brian Cashman, was adamant in the Yankees stance on Sabathia's situation, saying,"Ultimately its not his call, its the manager's call in consultation with the medical staff. If there's any concern, than he wont start."

Though we all know that the Yankees are a better team when CC is in the rotation, you cant help but understand where Cashman and the Yankees are coming from. In a media feverish city like New York its easy to live and die with every loss, therefore its easy to say that if CC says he is alright, then let him pitch, especially with the recent struggles the Yankees have been having. I for one am going to side with Cashman on this one.

The Yankees have invested $161 million dollars in this man and to risk damaging him any further just so he can pitch in an interleague game against the Mets would be stupid and irresponsible. I love the attitude that Sabathia is displaying, its an enormous breath of fresh air after the years of having to endure Carl Pavano and Kevin Brown's whiny asses but in the end we need to have a little foresight and realize it is only June and we are going to need CC to be 100% down the stretch if we want to make the playoffs. With any luck, Joe Girardi and the medical staff will agree with CC and allow him to make his next turn without fear of risk, but if they decide to sit him for a turn to assure his wellness, well, I dont have a problem with that either.

CC You On Friday...Hopefully

2009-06-22T09:56:00.004-04:00

(Photo: nydailynews.com)

It appears as though early fears of biceps tendinitis are being considered remedial by the Yankees as they still claim that Sabathia is just day to day with mild tightness. According to Sabathia, he has had feelings like this before in his throwing arm but they have never ammounted to much more than mild discomfort that has pestered him between starts. When asked about the arm issues on Sunday Sabathia said, "It was just achy, it wasnt a sharp pain. It wasnt anything like that. I didnt feel it on any one pitch."

Sabathia will recieve treatment in Atlanta on Monday, if all goes well following the treatment Sabathia will play catch on Tuesday and have his normal bullpen session on Wednesday. Sabathia's next start should be on Friday against the Mets in Citi Field. Keep your fingers crossed.

BIG Problems: CC Leaves With Arm Injury, Yanks Lose...Again

2009-06-22T01:30:00.004-04:00

(Photo: sjbravos.mlblogs.com)

Even more important than the Yankee's less than stellar performance on Sunday was the loss of CC Sabathia. Sabathia made it through just an inning and a third before being pulled from the game with what is being called "left biceps tightness". CC will be re-evaluated on Monday and is adamant that he will make his next start.

As one would figure, the Yankees did not do well in the absense of their ace. Alfredo Aceves did his part to keep the Fish at bay, posting two and two thirds innings of scoreless relief. However, when journeyman pitcher Brett Tomko came in to take over for Aceves, the floodgates opened. Tomko would allow three runs over the course of his two innings, relinquishing the lead and eventually earning the loss. Phil Coke and David Robertson would combine to pitch the final two innings of the ball game, they would allow a run a piece. The loss was Tomko's second of the year, his record now stands at 0-2.

While the Yankee bats werent quite as impotent as they have been over the last few games, they were far from impressive. Only one Yankee would have multiple hits as Brett Gardner went 2-4 with two RBI's. Alex Rodriguez broke an 0-16 slump with a floating single that scored two runs. Mark Teixiera would go 1-4 and account for the fifth RBI. The Yankees were a surprising 3-6 with RISP but the Marlin's young stud, Chris Voltstad, did his best to limit the Yankees scoring opportunities.

In the end it was another dissapointing loss for the Bombers. A team that just a few weeks ago looked untouchable, now looks like they cant get out of their own way. This is the second straight series that the Yankees have dropped to a team that they should have had little trouble with. Its getting old Yankee fans, its getting old real damn fast. If you want me to be quite frank, the reason that the Red Sox have been so successful in recent years is because they come in to series like these already seeing W's on the calendar and they go out an make it happen. Dont take that as me kissing ass to those bastards, its just the facts. Good teams beat bad teams, its just that simple. After watching the last two series it makes me wonder of which category the Yankees fall into.

Notes: The Yankees are now 9-10 in the month of June and 4-5 since their pivotal series with Boston. With a Red Sox victory the Yankees are now four games back of division leading Boston. The Bombers will get a much needed break on Monday, they will resume their road trip on Tuesday in Atlanta. Chien Ming Wang (0-5) will get the ball on Tuesday (gulp!), Braves' phenom, Tommy Hanson (2-0) will man the mound for the hometeam. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 in Hotlanta.

Last 10: 4-6

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T17:10:00.004-04:00

BXBB wants to wish all the dads out there a happy father's day (especially those of you that are Yanks fans). Today is your day to sit back, relax, maybe tip a few cold ones and just enjoy the day. If you're like me you'll be doing a little bit of all of the aforementioned plus doing your best to find some form of baseball to watch. So again, Happy Dad's Day to everyone and thanks for reading!

Bittersweet Homecoming: Burnett Does His Part But Yanks Lose

2009-06-21T10:04:00.006-04:00

(Photo: bostonherald.com)

Great pitching? Check. Offensive support? Offensive Support? Paging, offensive support? Once again the Yankees had one half of the equation working while the other half was DOA. AJ Burnett pitched exceptionally well against his former team yesterday but got no help what so ever as the Yankees fell to the Marlins, 2-1.

Burnett would last six and a third innings on Saturday allowing just two runs on five hits while striking out eight. This was the first time that Burnett had returned to the place where he began his career, unforunately for the Yankees, the Marlins will remain the only team in Major League Baseball that Burnett has yet to defeat. The Phils, Coke and Hughes, would combine to throw two scoreless innings of relief, Hughes would strike out two of the three batters he faced. Burnett was saddled with the tough luck loss, his record now sits at 5-4 on the year.

As good as AJ Burnett was on this night, Josh Johnson was just a little better. Johnson would go seven innings, surrendering just one run on three hits. The Yankees were just baffled with Johnson from the beginning, managing just one run on a seeing eye single for Nick Swisher. Five Yankees would collect a hit, Burnett being one of them, the Bombers were a combined 1-5 with RISP and left four men on base. This was just one of those games where you have to tip your cap to the opposing pitcher, he was just that good. On the other hand, this game fits into a disturbing trend that has been developing lately where the Yankees offense has just gone AWOL. They were shut out by the worst team in the majors just a few days ago and now this? Not what you would expect from a lineup that is projected to score 900+ runs this season.

Notes: Alex Rodriguez was absent in the lineup for the second straight game as he continued to get some well needed rest, Angel Berroa would take his place at third. AJ Burnett has now posted four quality starts in his last five games, his implosion in Boston being the exception. Burnett also managed to lower his ERA from 4.68 to 4.24 despite the loss on Saturday. With the loss to the Marlins the Yankees fell to three games back of the division leading Red Sox as the Red Sox were able to knock off the visiting Braves in Fenway. CC Sabathia (6-4) will take the ball later today for the Yanks, he'll be hoping to pick up the series victory in the rubber game. Sabathia will be opposed by the Marlins young fire baller, Chris Volstad (4-7). First pitch is scheduled for 5:05 at Dolphin Stadium.

Last 10: 4-6

Who Says You Can't Go Home?

2009-06-20T10:20:00.002-04:00

(Photo: turner.com)

When AJ Burnett takes the ball for the Yankees this afternoon, it will be the first time he's toed the rubber in Dolphin Stadium since leaving the Marlins after the 2005 season. Burnett spent the first seven years of his career in Florida, sharing the mound with the likes of Josh Beckett, Brad Penny and yes, even Carl "Bruised Butt" Pavano. Burnett was part of the 2003 Marlins squad that upset the Yankees in the World Series, though Burnett was injured for the vast majority of the year. Burnett's best year as a Marlin came in 2002 when he posted a record of 12-9 to go along with a 3.30 ERA and 203 strikeouts. Tonight in Miami, the old guard will meet the new as Burnett will take on present day Marlin stud, Josh Johnson. It should be a good one.

Yo Pap! Who Says We Want You?

2009-06-20T00:41:00.004-04:00

In a recent interview it was entailed by Jonathan Papelbon that once his contract is up he would be open to taking his fist pumping, river dancing act anywhere that would have him...even the Bronx. Papelbon was quoted as saying, "...not only the Bronx, but everywhere is a possibility."

After making these comments and creating a well deserved stir in Red Sox Nation, Papelbon backtracked, saying,"I dont want to go (expletive) play for the Yankees", he would then go on to add, "This team doesnt need me. I need the Red Sox more than the Red Sox need me." Well Pap old buddy you better hope so. You see that NY on the chest? It means not welcome. (Credit boston.com for the quotes).

Fish Fry: Pettite Shuts Down Marlins, Yanks Win

2009-06-19T23:51:00.005-04:00

(Photo: thesportstruth.com)

Well, this was a nice way to begin a road trip, especially after the way the homestand ended. It was nice to see a legitimately strong pitching performance from one of the starters, it seems like its been a while. Basically the equation was: strong performance from Andy Pettite + great hitting up and down the lineup = a series opening, 5-1 victory for the Bombers.

Pettite jumped in the way back machine tonight folks and came out with a vintage start. Andy chucked seven imaculate innings, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out seven. This was a nice bounce back for Pettite, who has struggled lately with his command. Stitching things up for Pettite were Brian Bruney and Brett Tomko who combined for two scoreless, hitless innings. Ahhh, the way things are supposed to be huh? Doesnt it feel nice? Your starter gives you seven strong, Bruney holds strong in the eighth and then your ninth inning man, usually Mariano in a save situation, comes in to turn out the lights. Damn, if only we could string together a few more of those.

The Yankee bats decided to come out of hibernation tonight and started barking from the jump. Every Yankee in the starting lineup accounted for at least a hit in this one, including Andy Pettite who pitched in an RBI double. The Yankees one through four hitters each had a multi hit night, with Johnny Damon and Jorge Posada driving in a run a piece. Even Angel Berroa served a purpose on this night, he went 1-4 with an RBI in place of the fatigued Alex Rodriguez. The thunder in the lineup came from the Melkman, he clubbed his seventh homer of the season. The Yankees were a very efficient, 5-14 with RISP and stroked a total of thirteen hits in this one.

Notes: Alex Rodriguez sat this one out with fatigue, hes expected to sit tomorrow as well. Angel Berroa filled in for him tonight, I would look for gloveman extraordinaire, Ramiro Pena, to take a turn tomorrow. Derek Jeter reprised his normal spot atop the lineup tonight after missing the previous two games with a stiff ankle, he went 2-4 with a walk in his return. The enigma, I mean, AJ Burnett (5-3), will take the mound for the Bombers tomorrow. He will be opposed by Marlins ace, Josh Johnson (6-1). Game time is scheduled for 7:10 tomorrow night in Miami.

Last 10: 4-6

Pathetic: Joba's Efforts Wasted, Yanks Lose Series To Woeful Nats

2009-06-18T21:38:00.004-04:00

As a fan, this loss is particularly infuriating. For the second straight night the Yankee bats were stymied by a no name pitcher from the worst team in baseball as they were shut out, 3-0 on Thursday night. Craig Stammen (who?) would hurl six and a third spotless innings as he held the Yankees scoreless on six hits. Not the way you want to end a homestand, how embarassing.

Joba Chamberlain would take the ball for the Yanks and would be one of their lone, let me rephrase that, only bright spot on this night. Chamberlain would provide six innings of three run ball, serving up seven hits and striking out six. While the start was nothing to write home about per say, it was still a step in the right direction for the young fire baller as he continues to make his case as a permanent fixture in the rotation. The Yankee relief corps was superb on this night with Alfredo Aceves, Phil Coke and David Robertson pitching an inning each of scoreless ball. However, in the end the offense just couldnt be bothered to lift a finger as Joba was hung with the loss to drop his record to 3-2 on the year.

Well, the good news is that Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano kept up their recent hot hitting as they each went 2-4 on the night, the bad news is that the rest of the lineup was all but worthless. Only three other Yankees had a hit on thier way to a collective 0-4 effort with RISP, stranding seven men on base. Oh yeah and Alex Rodriguez posted another 0-fer going 0-4 with a strikeout.

Notes: The Yankees have now lost six of their last ten and sit 3.5 games behind division leading Boston. Derek Jeter did not play for a second straight night as he continues to rest his sore ankle, he could return tomorrow. The Yankees kick off a nine game road swing tomorrow as they gear up to begin a three game set against the Florida Marlins in Miami. Andy Pettite (6-3) will take the mound for the Bombers, he will be opposed by Sean West (2-1). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 at Dolphin Stadium.

Last 10: 4-6

Another CMW Update

2009-06-18T21:22:00.003-04:00

(PHOTO: nj.com)

Lord Almighty I am tired of talking and writing about Chien Ming Wang, but that's whats relevant at the moment so here I am. Apparently CMW's five inning, three run effort against the Nats last night was good enough to earn him at least another start. Joe Girardi made the announcement today that after reviewing Wang's start on video, he will remain in the rotation and take his next scheduled turn on Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves. Girardi commented on the sharpness he saw from Wang's slider and signature sinker last night as well as saying, "He mixed his pitches well. I thought he threw the ball pretty well." More to come on the CMW saga, I'm sure of it.

Made Man: Local Product Returns To Lead Nats Over Yanks

2009-06-18T11:09:00.007-04:00

(PHOTO: daylife.com)

I was thinking of not even justifying this loss with a post but then I figured that seemed like a bit of a cop out so I decided to do a brief wrap up, besides there were a few decent storylines to follow in this one. Starting with the ongoing saga of CMW.

Chien Ming Wang took the mound with the knowledge that this start could possibly make or break the rest of his season and perhaps even the rest of his career as a New York Yankee. Surprisingly, Wang seemed pretty relaxed for a guy whose job status was on the line, he managed to throw five innings of three run ball allowing six hits over that span while striking out four. Now, no one is going to give Wang a medal for allowing three runs in five innings to the worst team in baseball but when compared to what he has done recently, it was definitly a step in the right direction, besides, Wang was just a few questionable defensive plays away from allowing just one run and maybe walking away with a win or a no decision instead of a cheap loss.

The Yankee bullpen did a nice job keeping the Nats at bay for the rest of the game. Phil Hughes would continue to pitch well out of the bullpen as he went two innings with just one hit allowed and two strikeouts, following Hughes, Phil Coke and Alfredo Aceves would combine to throw two innings of hitless, scoreless ball, Coke would strike out three of the five men he faced.

As for the offenses effort, well, lets just say that New York was done in by one of her own on this night. Long Island native, John Lannan, would return to the Big Apple to square off against his beloved Yankees. An admitted Yankee fan while growing up, Lannan would show no mercy on this night as he provided the Nats with eight and a third innings of two run, four hit ball. Match that masterful effort with the fact that it looked like the Yankees had just rolled out of bed and you've got the makings for one of the more embarassing losses on the season. Only Johnny Damon was able to muster a multi hit effort, going 2-4 with an RBI while Robinson Cano would mash his twelth home run of the season off of Lannan in the fifth. That was it for the Yankees attack on this night, pretty sad if you ask me.

Notes: Derek Jeter was not active for the game, he is still nursing a stiff ankle, Ramiro Pena took his place in the lineup. Alex Rodriguez is now a woeful 3-33 in his last ten games, including 0-3 on Wednesday, if the Yankees are going to turn around this mini skid of theirs that has to change. The game tonight is looking like it might be in doubt due to rain, the word is that thier could be a break in the weather around 3:00 but who knows, we'll just have to wait and see. Regardless of the weather situation, the scheduled starters for this afternoon's game are Joba Chamberlain (3-1) and Craig Stammen (0-2). First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 in the Bronx.

Last 10: 6-4

Saving The Embarassment: Yanks Come Back To Overcome Nats

2009-06-17T01:19:00.005-04:00

(PHOTO: bestsportsphotos.com)

Led by CC Sabathia and Robinson Cano, the Yankees came back to defeat the Washington Nationals 5-3 on Tuesday. The loss would have been a bit embarassing considering the Nationals hold the worst record in baseball and the Yankees were sending thier ace to the mound but in the end it was all ok as the Yankees pulled off their major league leading, 22nd come from behind victory of the season.

Sabathia would throw seven and two thirds strong innings surrendering all three of his runs on one bad pitch to the light hitting Anderson Hernandez. Besides the fluky gopher ball to Hernandez, Sabathia cruised through his outing scattering six hits and striking out two. Fresh off the DL, Brian Bruney would come on in the eighth to successfully get out of a jam and pick up the final out of the inning. Mo would take over in the ninth and hurl a flawless inning to earn his fifteenth save of the season. Sabathia would pick up the win, improving his record to
6-4 on the year.

Robinson Cano would be the story for the offense. Cano was perfect on the night, leading his team's comeback by going 4-4 with 2 RBI's and a run scored. Mark Teixiera would chip in an RBI of his own while going 1-4 and Ramiro Pena would drive in an insurance run to help salt the game away. The Yankees were good, not great tonight with men in scoring position, they went 3-13 and left a dissapoing ten men on base, definitly something that needs to improve if they want to prolong their recent success.

Derek Jeter would leave the game with what is being called: "lower leg stiffness", he is to be considered day to day. It is believed the injury originally occured on Sunday during a Gary Sheffield attempt at breaking up a double play. Ramiro Pena will fill in for Jeter while he is out of the lineup. In order to make room for Brian Bruney the Yankees made the decision to designate Jose Veras for assignment (good riddance). With the Yankees win and a Red Sox win there was no ground to be gained, the Bombers still sit two games back of division leading Boston. New dad, Chien Ming Wang will take the mound for the Bombers tomorrow, he'll be pitching for his rotational life. Opposing Wang will be John Lannan for the visiting Nationals. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 in the Bronx.

Last 10: 7-3

Big Day For Slade

2009-06-17T00:36:00.004-04:00

(PHOTO: Texarkana Gazette)

As reported by Peter Abraham of the LoHud Yankees Blog, the Yankees first round selection, Slade Heathcott, made an appearance at the stadium today and even took a little BP. Facing the New York media for the first time, Slade handled himself well fielding a variety of questions ranging from what he thought of the city to where he is planning on going to school should he and the Yankees be unable to reach a contract agreement.

The sooner this kid signs the better because I have a feeling he is going to be something. He just looks like a guy who has natural strength but could still stand to fill out quite a bit more. I believe there is a lot left in Slade Heathcott that the Yankees should be able to bring out during his development. Match his physical potential with his natural athleticism and it would seem as though the Bombers made a very wise choice. He seems like a solid kid with humble tendencies and with any luck he should work out just fine for the Pinstripers. Oh, by the way, Slade says that if things dont work out between him and the Yankees then he will be attending LSU in the fall...lets hope that the Bayou Bengals have something to pout about come next spring.

Congrats CMW, Now Lets Get Back To Buisness

2009-06-16T14:03:00.007-04:00

Chien Ming Wang is now a proud papa. CMW's wife, Chia Ling, gave birth to the couple's first child on Tuesday morning, a baby boy named Justin Jesse Wang. CMW has been on baby alert for his last couple of starts, aware that at any time the baby could come, now Im not willing to make excuses for Wang because its obvious that he has some very serious mechanical issues but just hear me out.

Like most of you, I myself have felt like out and out slapping Wang for the treacherous efforts he has put forth in his last couple of outings but Im willing to put my name on this, Chien Ming Wang is about to bounce back. Lets review my reasoning.

First of all, the obvious pressure and anxiety that has been weighing down on Wang for the last couple of weeks with his child due, has been lifted. Match that new found state of calm with the fact that Wang's next start is against the loathsome Washington Nationals and I think we might be on to something. Wang is well aware that his next start may well be his last for quite a long time if he doesnt perform, how he handles this pressure is anyone's guess but it is my thinking that when you threaten a man with his job and status that he has only one option and that is to rise to the occasion.

I believe that all it's going to take for Wang to bounce back is one good start, something to get his competitive blood flowing and remind him that he has in fact won 46 games over the last three seasons. Call it a hunch but I think we're about to see big things from CMW and not a minute to soon. Ill check back in after Wang's start on Wednesday to either gloat or take the heat. For our sakes as Yankee fans lets all hope that Im giving myself a big pat on the back.

The Curious Case Of AJ Burnett

2009-06-15T22:30:00.007-04:00

(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images North America)

Much has been expected of AJ Burnett since he first donned the pinstripes at that initial press conference this past winter. The $82.5 million dollar man was expected to stand beside rotation mate CC Sabathia and help lead the Yankees into a new era in their new ballpark, well, it hasnt

QUITE worked out that way.

I emphasize the word QUITE because I dont want to sound too critical of what AJ Burnett has done thus far, after all it is only June but the fact of the matter is that Burnett has been nothing short of an enigma this season. After starting his Yankee career off with back to back victories over Baltimore and Tampa Bay, Burnett began a month long skid that saw him vary between mediocre and just plain awful. He was pounded by Boston for eight runs, blowing a six run lead, then, in his second start of the month of May he faced his former team, the Blue Jays and promptly surrendered five runs over seven innings in a game that saw him be out dueled by his mentor, Roy Halladay. Two weeks later Burnett would cough up another five runs to the powerful Phillies in what was shockingly just his second charged loss of the season. Things looked bleak, very bleak.

Yankee fans and media began to speculate and worry that the AJ Burnett they had gotten was the one they had heard the most about, the self conscious guy who often pitched too timid despite his ferocious stuff, the same guy who at many times over the course of his tenure with Toronto was accused of just being disinterested. But then, like a ray of light in the middle of a northeastern gale, came the Texas Rangers.

Burnett had not had much success against the Rangers in recent years, in fact he held an ERA of 7.30 against them over the course of three starts in 2008. However, despite the poor track record, something seemed to click for Burnett and when he faced the Rangers in Arlington to kick off a late May road trip for the Yankees he looked like a completely different pitcher. Burnett would wind up throwing six solid innings of three hit ball, allowing no runs and striking out seven.

Five days later it appeared the baseball gods were smiling down on AJ as he drew his second straight start against the Rangers, this time in the Bronx. Again Burnett was solid, going seven innings, allowing three runs and striking out eight for his second consecutive victory against Texas. Things looked to be turning around, then along came Boston.

One of the main reasons Burnett was so coveted by the Yankees was his reputation for being a "Red Sox killer". Coming into the season Burnett had a career record of 5-0 against Boston with a sparkling 2.25 ERA. In his first start against the Red Sox Burnett did not fair well, coughing up a six run lead and allowing eight runs over his five inings of work. Going into his second tilt against the Red Sox people hadnt forgotten this early season misstep but they were beginning to forgive him for his struggles and were buoyed by the re-assurances of his past against the Red Sox and his recent domination of Texas. Well, man's best laid plans are often for not and any plans that Yankee fans had of walking out of Boston with a victory sparked by AJ Burnett were quickly dispatched by the hands of the Red Sox. Burnett would last just two and two thirds innings, surrendering five runs (three earned) and walking five. What had happened? More importantly, what was happening? Why all of a sudden was this Sox slayer being beaten around so easily? Yankee fans are still looking for the answer to that one.

Burnett bounced back well yesterday from his defeat in Boston. Burnett silenced the Met's bats over the course of seven innings, not allowing any runs and just four hits. So where is the hope for AJ Burnett? Where do Yankee fans look for a little peace of mind? Well, aside from three of his last four outings being quality starts, how about the fact that in the last three seasons Burnett has a 22-9 record after the allstar break with a 3.28 ERA? Compare that with his pre-all star break marks of 16-17 with a 4.64 ERA and it appears that the best is yet to come from Mr. Burnett. So dont go over the deep end Bomber fans, we are starting to see the emergence of AJ Burnett in pinstripes and the warmer the weather gets, the better he should be. We're going to need him with Wang struggling so for his sake and our's lets hope its a hot summer.

Turf Wars: Yanks Give Bronx Beatdown To Cross Town Rivals

2009-06-14T22:45:00.007-04:00

Boy oh boy, this one was over before the Mets knew it started. The Bombers pounced on Mets starter, Johan Santana from the first pitch and never looked back. AJ Burnett, with more support than a pitcher could dream of, would bounce back from his horrendous outing in Boston to go seven innings and earn the victory as the Yankees rolled over the Mets, 15-0.

Where to start with the offense? How about the fact that the Yankees lit up Mets ace, Johan Santana, for nine earned runs, the most Santana has ever allowed in his prolific career? If thats not enough to sum it up, how about the fact that the Yankees managed to drive in 9 of the 20 men they put in scoring position, while leaving just 7 men on base? Oh, oh, or the fact that all of this offense was created behind just two home runs, bet you didnt see that coming with that many runs put up in Yankee Stadium. Just an amazing offensive on slaught brought about by the Bombers today, the game got so out of hand that it was almost and I stress, ALMOST, boring to watch the beatdown.

Only two Yankee starters were held without a hit in this one (Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher) and even they accounted for three runs scored and two base on balls. Captain Jeter was perfect on the day going 4-4 with two runs scored and two RBI's, not to be outdone, Johnny Damon went 2-4 with a run scored and three RBI's. Robinson Cano would help to bolster the bottom half of the lineup as he went 3-4 with a homerun, two runs scored and three RBI's. Perhaps the biggest revelation of the day was the performance of the Yankees 7-9 hitters. Hideki Matsui, Melky Cabrera and Franky Cervelli would combine to go 6-12 with six runs scored and five driven in. Cervelli chipped in a three hit day to raise his average to .298 (not bad for a backup huh?) while Matsui would club a two run homer and chip in another RBI by taking a walk with the bases loaded. Needless to say, it was a full team effort.

To help accent the pummeling, AJ Burnett would go seven strong innings as he improved his record to 5-3 on the season. Burnett scattered four hits over his outing while striking out eight. He did get into a little bit of trouble in the third when he juiced the bases on two walks and a hit but managed to wiggle out of disaster's way when he beared down to strike out two straight Met batters and get the final out to line to Derek Jeter. Besides that one jam, Burnett sat back, relaxed and cruised to victory backed by the enormous effort of his offense. Dave Robertson and Phil Hughes would help sew up the series victory as they went an inning a piece and struck out a pair each.

The Yankees picked up a key series victory with the win over the Mets, something they needed badly after their poor showing in Boston earlier in the week. Speaking of the Red Sox, they dropped their series finale with the Phillies, 11-6, moving the Yankees within two games of the divsion lead. The Yankees will have the day off on Monday and will begin a three game set against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday that will wrap up their recent home stand. Taking the mound for the Yanks will be CC Sabathia (5-4), he will be opposed by Shairon Martis (5-1). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 at the Stadium.

Last 10: 6-4

Twittiot: John Henry Finds A New Way To Embarass Himself

2009-06-14T00:58:00.007-04:00

The always good for a chuckle, John Henry, was up to his old hi jinx on Thursday following the Yankees loss to the Red Sox. Henry, who can best be described as delightfully tacky, like Hooters, posted an update to his Twitter page not long after the Thursday contest went final, "The MT Curse?" Of course for any fan who has not been under a rock this year, the reference was in regards to none other than Yankee slugger, Mark Teixiera.

Boston's pre-mature love affair with Mark Teixiera began this summer when every analyst under the sun agreed that Teixiera would eventually end up in a Red Sox uniform. Well, things did not work out that way and undoubtedly Boston's dimwit owner still has not gotten over it. Refusing to accept the idea that not every player in baseball wants to take a pay cut to come play in his cess pool of a park, Henry thought the Yankees loss on Thursday (their eighth in a row to the Red Sox this season) was the perfect opportunity to get his pot shot in.

Teixiera found Henry's quip to be humorous, as most of us with an adult mind did and had this to say in response: "I laughed. It's just silly. It really is, we talked to probably 10 or 12 teams this offseason. If 11 owners want to take their shots at me, that's fine. They can say whatever they want. but there's no reason for me to, you know, get into any war of words with a 70-some-year-old man. it doesn't make any sense." Well played Tex, well played. For the record Mr. Henry is only in his sixties, but whose counting?

Curses? Come on, curses? New York doesnt play that stuff Mr Henry. When we have an issue we do our best to determine its cause and then determine the best way to correct it. Curses are for people and organizations who like to make excuses, excuses for something like, oh say, just being a piss poorly managed and operated professional sports franchise for the better part of ninety years. Indeed, curses do not fly in The Big Apple, especially when it comes to the Yankees.

Even Luis Castillo Couldnt Save The Bombers Today

2009-06-13T20:38:00.009-04:00

It was a less than inspiring effort by the Yankees on Saturday afternoon. A day after winning a game by the grace of God the Bombers showed up lifeless and looking like they just needed a rest. When all was said and done, Bomber pitching had allowed six runs on seventeen hits while the offense was only able to muster two runs on five hits.

Fernando Nieve, whose last start was in 2006, was added to the Mets rotation just this week to replace the injured John Maine. Nieve baffled the Yankees on Saturday allowing just two runs and four hits over the course of his six and two thirds innings of work. So dominating was Nieve, that he would allow just three Yankees to get into scoring position and allowed them to pass homeplate just once. The other run he surrenderd was a solo shot to Alex Rodriguez which barely cleared the left field wall, a Yankee Stadium special indeed. Sean Green and Fernando Rodriguez would combine to finish the last two and two thirds innings for the cross town Mets, allowing just one hit between them. Nieve picked up the win, his first in two years, to move his record to 1-0 on the year.

On the other side of the pitching spectrum was Andy Pettite. Pettite continued his recent struggles as he was pounded by the Mets to the tune of twelve hits and five runs over a mere five innings of work. Jose Veras and Alfredo Aceves would pitch two innings of relief a piece to finish the game, Aceves allowing a run. Pettite saw his ERA continue to climb as it now sits at 4.52 and his record worsened, falling to 6-3 on the year.

Needless to say, the Mets brought the whupping sticks with them on this day. Seven, yes seven, Mets hitters would have multi hit afternoons, Alex Cora and Fernando Tatis were the odd men out, they only had a hit a piece. Omir Santos (who?) would lead the charge, going 2-5 with three RBI and a home run. Gary Sheffield would account for two RBI's in his effort and Fernando Tatis would collect one as well. Things were so bad for Bombers' pitching that the Mets #9 hitter, rookie outfielder Fernando Martinez, would go 3-4 raising his average to a whopping .234 on the year. Perhaps the saddest thing was that the Mets, despite punishing Yankee pitching all game, still left eleven men on base.

As for the hapless Yanks, well, there isnt much to report. Aside from a cheap A-Rod homer and a two out RBI by Derek Jeter in the seventh, the Bomber offense was DOA and never made any real threat of getting back in the game. Jeter, Rodriguez and Melky Cabrera would slap a hit a piece while Brett Gardner would 2-3 to round out the Yankees offensive "attack".

The Yankees now sit 2.5 games a back of the division leading Red Sox and have now dropped four of their last five games. The Bombers will hope for better luck tomorrow as they send the enigmatic AJ Burnett (4-3) to the hill to oppose the Mets all world ace, Johan Santana (8-3). First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 in the Bronx.

Last 10: 5-5

Karma Pays A Visit In The Form Of Luis Castillo, Yanks Walkoff

2009-06-13T00:05:00.009-04:00

Wow, thats all that can be said of Friday nights slugfest between the Bombers and crosstown Mets. The Mets and Yankees would combine for five homeruns and the lead would change hands 7 times. Match all of that up with one of the craziest finishes anyone has ever seen and you have one hell of a way to kick off this weekend's subway series.

Pitching: Joba Chamberlain would struggle from the outset in this one as he welcomed more questions about his role with the team due to his less than stellar performance. Chamberlain would throw over a hundred pitches and last just four innings before departing with a one run lead. Chamberlain only allowed one hit in his four innings but he also permitted five walks that lead to two Mets runs, Chamberlain's ERA would move to 3.84 in the no decision. Brett Tomko would replace Chamberlain and promptly get rocked to the tune of four runs on three hits and two walks, he would last just two thirds of an inning. Replacing Tomko was David Robertson who would provide one and a third innings of one run ball, he would strike out three of the four outs he collected. The enigma known as Phil Coke would come on to try and clean up after Robertson, Coke would end up garnering a blown save for his inability to hold his inherited runners in check but all in all he had an efficient appearance, allowing just one hit over his one and two thirds innings of work. Mariano Rivera would come in to hurl a season high, one and a third innings, however Rivera would not be automatic on this night as he surrendered the lead to the Mets on a David Wright RBI double. Rivera was eventually bailed out and would even steal a win when the Yanks would walk off in the bottom of ninth.

For as ineffective as Joba Chamberlain was, Livan Hernandez was worse. Hernandez would go five and a third innings, allowing six runs while serving up seven hits. John Switzer would come on to relieve Hernandez but would wind up giving away a run in his two thirds of an inning. Sean Green and Pedro Feliciano would combine for two innings of scoreless ball before giving way to the closer, Fernandon Rodriguez. Rodriguez would go on to suffer one of the more unearned blown saves in recent memory as Luis Castillo's horrendous gaffe of an error would allow two unearned runs to score and salt the game away for the Yankees. Rodriguez would pick up his first blown save of the year and would also take the loss to move his record to 1-1.

Batting: The Yankee bats that had laid dormant for their recent trip to Boston came roaring to life on Friday as they slammed their way to nine runs on nine hits. Four Yankees would hit homeruns including Robinson Cano, Mark Teixiera, Hideki Matsui and Derek Jeter. Mark Teixiera and Hideki Matsui would lead the charge as they accounted for two and three RBI's respectively. Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano would both have multi hit efforts, Jeter was 2-5 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Cano was 2-4 with a pair of runs scored and an RBI. Six Yankees would have a hit and the team would combine for 2-9 with RISP, not good but just good enough.

The Mets were clicking as well on this night as they were led by their 3-6 hitters to an eight run, seven hit effort. The core of the Mets lineup was 6-15 in this one and accounted for every Mets hit except one. Gary Sheffield and Ryan Church would lead the way as they combined for 5 RBI's. Sheffield would run Brett Tomko in the fifth after launching his sixth jack of the season, he would also go 2-5 with a couple of runs scored.

Notes: Game two of the annual Subway Series will see Andy Pettite (6-2) face off against Fernando Nieve (0-0). This will be Nieve's first start in the big leagues. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 in the Bronx.

Last 10: 6-4

The Sun Still Shines Over The Empire...

2009-06-12T17:50:00.007-04:00

Ive got to be honest with you folks, last night was one of the first times in a long time that I have flown into a visceral state of rage. I like to consider myself an objective baseball fan first, a dedicated Yankee fan second, but come on now, its Yanks-Sawx. After the absolute disgusting way the Yankees blew the game last night I was so worked up that I couldnt bring myself to write the nightly recap and I couldnt go to sleep until about 4 am. Ive long since come to grips with my somewhat unhealthy obsession with the Bombers but last night tore the scabs off of wounds I thought had healed, apparently I wasnt as level headed as I thought I was.

Now Im not one of those guys whose hammering on the panic button right now, in fact im very far from it, but the utter disgrace of losing eight straight games to kick off the season series against the Sox was almost too much to bare. The obvious reality of the situation is that even after the worst case scenario of losing all three games in Boston, the Yankees are still a mere two games out of first place. Now I know what some of you might be thinking, youre thinking that the Yanks could have walked out of there with the division lead themselves or at least a share of it, but you know what? It didnt work out that way and the collateral damage isnt all that bad.

While I refuse to be a doomsdayer of the Yankee season in the middle of June, I dont want to non chalantly brush away the Boston debacle like it means nothing at all. Obviously, the Yankees are having a very hard time with this team right now but at the end of the day it is just ONE team. Now if the Bombers had to play every game of the season against the Red Sox then I might be worried but that is not the case. Sometimes one team just does not match up well with another, its that simple. Look at how the Yankees have seemed to struggle with the Orioles over the last few years while the Red Sox sweep them away like such pests. On the other side of things, notice how the Red Sox find the Rays to be thier kryptonite, yet the Yanks have little to no problem dealing with the Rays whether at home or in Tropicana. Its all matchups folks and for whatever reason THIS Yankee team does not matchup well with the Red Sox. Maybe once A-Rod starts hitting on a more consistent basis or when and if CMW and AJ Burnett can resolve their issues, then maybe this discrepency can be handled, but for now this is the way things are.

I know Im not providing a whole lot of "feel good" to my fellow Yankee fans right now as we all know that matchups or not it is absolutely inexcusable to open the season 0-8 against Boston but just remember, no matter what ESPN trys to tell you, the season is not over. The Bombers are only a couple of games out and have already climbed out of a 5 or 6 game hole earlier in the season, this is nothing. So keep your heads up, KNOW that your team is one of the very best in the game and KNOW that despite the recent success this team has had, they still have a lot of room to improve. We'll be there in the end kids, dont you worry. Remember, the people on ESPN are mostly from the New England region of the northeast and objectivity often escapes them, they are just fans like me and you, they just have cameras to talk into and expensive suits to wear to make us believe that thier opinions somehow matter more than any of ours. Forget them, keep your heads up, keep your swagger tight and LETS GO BOMBERS!

Time To Make The Call Joe

2009-06-11T00:06:00.005-04:00

It is time for the Yankees to start making some tough decisions. Chien Ming Wang has shown absolutely no signs of life this year in a starting role and its gotten to the point now where you can almost pencil in the Yanks for a loss whenever he pitches. The guy now holds the record for the worst ERA in Major League history after making his first five starts and there are no signs that things are getting better.

The hope upon Wang's return from the DL was that he could return to the rotation, Phil Hughes could go to the bullpen and with a little luck Wang would return to his old form and the Yanks would have a quality long man coming out of the pen in Hughes. Well, its not working out that way. As a team playing in the most competitive division in baseball the Bombers can not afford to have a starter who is unable to get out of the third or fourth inning and who digs a hole so big that even an offense as potent as what the Yankees have cant bail him out. It just can not be allowed.

With that said, it is decision making time. At this point, with Wang out of minor league options and the cupboards relatively bare in AAA as far as starters go, there seems to be only one option: Hughes returns to the rotation and Wang is relegated to the bullpen. Now, as desperate as it might seem there is some shining light to this situation. Before Hughes was assigned to the pen he had managed to piece together a series of solid outings, including a couple of dominant ones. Now, while Hughes is far from being a lock down option, he is providing better innings than Wang at this point and would seem to be a more than acceptable option as the fifth starter. On the other side of the coin, Wang pitched well in his three appearances out of the pen this year and while it might not sit well with him, it would be the best option for the team right now.

The Yankees just need to start thinking a little out of the box here. We all know what Wang's history is. We know he did nothing but win for the Yanks from 2006 until his injury shortened 2008 but right now that is all irrelevant. If the Yankees hope to remain at the top of the standings, Wang has to go. Its that simple, the Yankees just can not afford to have that weak of a spot in their rotation and hope to contend for a division title. How brilliant does Brian Cashman look right now by standing firm and signing Wang for just one year? Im just trying to find a silver lining, when you're 0-7 against the Red Sox you have to take them where you can find them.

Chien Ming Suck: Yanks Cant Dig Out Of Early Hole

2009-06-10T23:21:00.006-04:00

The Yanks were done in once again by their starting pitching. Chien Ming Wang never gave his team a chance as he trotted out to the hill tonight and provided yet another pity inducing effort. Despite going a woeful 2-15 with RISP the Yankees managed to put up five runs on eleven hits but it just wasnt enough to dig out from under the rubble that was Wang's start, as the Bombers would drop another one by a score of 6-5. The Yankees are now 0-7 against Boston this season and have lost their last 8 to the Red Sox overall dating back to last season.

Pitching: As mentioned, Wang was terrible on this night, just like hes been terrible all year. Wang lasted a mere 2 and two third innings on Wednesday, surrendering four runs on six hits while walking 3. Wang was replaced in the third by the man he supplanted in the rotation as Phil Hughes would come on to provide some long relief. Hughes would go three and two thirds innings allowing two runs on a Kevin Youkilis homer but otherwise would pitch well. He would finish up with a line of 3.2 IP, 2 hits, 2 ER, 2 BB and 5 k's. Replacing Hughes in the seventh was Phil Coke, Coke would get the final two outs of the inning in clean fashion, giving way to Alfredo Aceves in the eighth. Aceves would make things a little interesting in his inning of work as he gave up a hit and a walk but managed to tight rope out of trouble to keep the score at 6-5. Wang would get the loss of course to move his record to 0-4 on the year, he now is the owner of a 14.34 ERA.

Tim Wakefield would take the hill for the Red Sox and manage to vulture yet another win on the backs of his offense, his record now stands at 8-3. Wakefield was Wakefield, he did just enough to get by going six innings and allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out two. Ramon Ramirez would come on in the seventh and promptly do his best to get the Yankees back in the contest. Ramirez would surrender solo home runs to the first two men he faced as Johnny Damon and Mark Teixiera would go yard to cut the Red Sox lead to 6-5. Ramirez would then settle in to get two outs before he was replaced by Hideki Okajima. Okajima would give the Sox one and a third innings of stellar relief as he allowed no hits while striking out three. Jonathan Papelbon would get the ball in his usual ninth inning role and would close out the Yanks without much trouble to earn his 15the save of the season.

Batting: The Yankee offense was functioning on this night, just not necessarily when it was most needed. The Yankees would manage to put up five runs and stroke eleven hits but they also stranded 10 men on base while going 2-15 with RISP. Mark Teixiera would lead the charge for the Bombers as he went 4-5 with a homerun and two doubles. Jorge Posada would go yard as well as he clubbed his ninth home run of the season in the second inning, he finished 2-5 on the night. Hideki Matsui would have the other multi hit game for the Yanks, he went 2-3. Six Yankees would have hits and RBI's were collected by Johnny Damon, Mark Teixiera, Robinson Cano, Hideki Matsui and Melky Cabrera, they each accounted for one a piece.

The key to Boston's attack on Wednesday would be balance as all but one Red Sox player would slap a hit (David Ortiz being the odd man out). Kevin Youkilis would deliver the biggest blow of the night as his fourth inning, two run shot off of Phil Hughes would prove to be the difference maker. The Sox number nine hitter, George Kottaras, would garner the only multi hit effort as he was 2-4 on the night with two doubles. In all, the Red Sox would put up six runs on nine hits with RBI's being collected by Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Jason Bay, Mike Lowell and Kottaras.

Notes: The Red Sox seven game win streak against the Yanks to begin the season is the longest since 1912 when the Sox won the first 14 games of the season series, the win gave the Red Sox a full game lead over the Yankees atop the AL East standings. Chien Ming Wang now possesses a 21.61 after his first five starts, that is the worst mark in MLB history for a starter after five starts in a season. The Yankees will turn to CC Sabathia (5-3) tomorrow in hopes of avoiding the sweep, Boston will counter with Brad Penny (5-2). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 in Boston.

Last 10: 5-5

When Rick Sutcliffe Assumes He Just Makes An Ass Of Himself

2009-06-10T17:33:00.005-04:00

Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixiera approached broadcaster and former Cy Young Award winner, Rick Sutcliffe yesterday to express their discontent for the accusations he had made during an ESPN broadcast two weeks ago.

During the broadcast Sutcliffe commented on a whistling noise he heard seconds before a pitch was delivered to Mark Teixiera that he would send into the right field seats. Sutcliffe summized that the whistle had come from Alex Rodriguez who was standing in the on deck circle at the time and was a verbal signal to alert Teixiera as to where the catcher was setting up behind the plate. Sutcliffe commented that he had been around the league long enough to recognize such things and also stated that it was the catcher's fault for assuming his position too early in the pitchers delivery. Mark Teixiera had this to say, "No doubt it's disappointing when someone makes an accusation like that. Whatever. I can't control what they say." Hey Rick, if youre having a hard time controlling what you say you and Arthur Miller can always plant your lips back on Jacoby Ellsbury's ass for a while, that should keep you quiet.

Draft Update

2009-06-10T16:48:00.010-04:00

Ive got a brief update on some of the draft action still going on. After the Yankees first round selection of high school outfielder Slade Heathcott they would go on to take prep catcher, J.R. Murphy from the Pendleton School in Florida. J.R. is 5'10 and weighs in at 170 lbs, so he definitly has room to grow. The Yankees like the power potential they see in Murphy which they think could complement his developing skills behind the plate beautifully. Murphy sports a strong arm and plus speed for a backstop.

The Bombers had no selection in the third round but in the fourth round they selected RHP Adam Warren from the University of North Carolina. Warren stands 6'2" and tips the scales at 200 lbs. Warren is a Junior at UNC and is currently in the middle of competing for a trip to the college world series. In 18 starts this season, Warren has posted a record of 9-2 and sports an ERA of 4.23. Even more impressive than that was Warren's sophomore season, a year in which he posted a 12-0 record in 12 games started. His ERA was a stellar 2.17 and he held the opposition to a .220 BA.

These two picks look to have a lot of upside for the Yanks, which seems to be the strategy they were leaning towards going into this years draft. In recent years the Yankees have taken more established players at the top of the draft, usually guys who fell to the bottom of the first or into the second due to an injury history or signability concerns. This year with a new philosophy built on player development and inter-organization sufficiency, the Yankees have decided to take players that are still maleable and can be easily fostered to achieve their full potential. A great example of this is the the Yankees selection of Heathcott in the first round over RHP Tanner Scheppers, a top 10 talent who ended up falling into the supplemental round due to injury concerns. With a little luck and a lot of hard work, hopefully these guys can fulfill their promise and become great major leaguers, only time will tell.

If you want to take a peak at what the Yankees are up to in the draft you can click on the link (post title) to get comprehensive coverage from MLB.COM.

Overpaid And Underworked: Burnett Blows It Again Against Sox

2009-06-09T22:32:00.005-04:00

For the second time this season AJ Burnett single handedly gave away a game to the Boston Red Sox as the Yankees fell, 7-0. Josh Beckett compounded Burnett's problems by pitching masterfully, subduing the Yankee offense through his six innings of work.

Pitching: As mentioned, AJ Burnett was just plain pathetic on this night. Burnett lasted just 2 and two thirds innings surrendering five runs on five hits and five walks. His first slip up of the night was perhaps the most embarassing of all as he gave up a two run homer to the all but worthless, David Ortiz. Burnett was mercifully pulled in the third for Brett Tomko. Tomko would provide two and a third innings of serviceable relief, he allowed one run on two hits while walking two men and striking out one. Jose Veras would surrender a lone hit in his two innings of relief, unfortunately for the Yankees the hit was a solo shot off the bat of weak hitting infielder Nick Green. The run pushed Veras' ERA to an abysmal 6.46 on the year (why in the world is this man a major league player?). David Robertson would come on in the eighth to pitch a good inning, he would allow a hit but no runs and he would strike out two. Burnett was charged with the loss, dropping his record to 4-3 on the season.

Josh Beckett had it all working on this night as he continued his recent tear. Beckett would leave after six innings due mostly to convenience not necessity as he had allowed just one hit while striking out eight. Manny Delcarmen would replace Beckett and go one and a third innings, he walked two men and allowed a hit but kept the Yankees off the board. Ramon Ramirez would pitch a clean two thirds of an inning to get out of the eighth. Daniel Bard would come in to pitch the ninth to finish things off, he would hurl a flawless inning, striking out one. Beckett picked up the win to move his record to 7-2 on the year.

Batting: There is really nothing to mention here. The Yankees were held in check tonight and never made any real threat of scoring. Brett Gardner and Robinson Cano would collect the lone Yankee hits. A poor effort to say the least.

Boston would be led by a few unlikely sources on Tuesday as JD Drew, David Ortiz and Nick Green each accounted for two RBI's. Seven Red Sox got a hit while Kevin Youkilis and Nick Green would provide multi-hit nights, they both went 2-4. Homeruns would be collected by David Ortiz (3) and Nick Green (2).

Notes: The Yankees are now 0-6 against the Red Sox this season. The Yankees have now went seven straight games with an error since setting the ML record for consecutive errorless games. The Yankees fell into a tie with the Red Sox for first place in the AL East. Game two of the three game set will feature Tim Wakefield (7-3) and Chien Ming Wang (0-3). First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 in Boston.

Last 10: 6-4

Good Ol' Boy: Yanks Take Heathcott With First Selection

2009-06-09T22:04:00.006-04:00

The Yankees took a different route in this years draft as they selected a position player in the first round for the first time since 2005. With the 29th pick the Yankees took center fielder, Slade Heathcott from Texas High School in Texarkana, Texas. Heathcott is listed at 6'1" and 195 lbs and hits from the left side of the plate.

The word used most to describe Heathcott has been "toolsy". He's been known to hit to all fields and offers good speed and defense. Slade has also cut his teeth as a pitcher, reaching 94 MPH and maintaining an ERA below 2.00.

Slade's given name is Zachary and he had commited to play his college ball at LSU. Slade has suffered from some serious injuries as of late tearing his ACL last season and then jamming his shoulder in just his second game back going after a fly ball. All in all, the best way to sum this kid up is to say that he is a ball player. Oh yea and he patterns himself after another Yankee outfielder, some guy named Mantle. This could be the beginning of something great for Slade and the Yankees.

2009 MLB Draft: First Round Coverage

2009-06-09T17:42:00.040-04:00

5:44 - about fifteen minutes until the draft begins, just heard that Scott Boras is asking for 50 million dollars from whatever team selects Steven Strasburg, likely, the Washington Nationals.

5:52 - Yankees have the 29th selection this year as compensation for not signing first round pick, Gerrit Cole, last season. Its hard to tell who they will select, their need lies more in position players than in pitching but the depth of this draft is definitly pitching heavy. It should be interesting, stay tuned.

6:11 - Selig just gave his opening comments, Nationals are now on the clock

6:16 - No surprises here, Strasburg goes #1 to the Nats...Seattle is on the clock.

6:20 - Seattle follows projections and takes UNC outfielder, Dustin Ackley...San Diego is next

6:24 - San Diego nabs Donovan Tate, an outfielder from Cartersville HS in Cartersville, GA...Pittsburgh is up next

6:29 - The Pirates take Jorge Sanchez, a catcher, from Boston College...Baltimore is on the clock

6:33 - The O's selected RHP Matt Hobgood from Norco HS in Norco, CA. Hobgood was just named the Gatorade HS Player of the Year just yesterday. San Fran will pick next.

6:38 - The Giants take RHP Zach Wheeler from East Paulding HS in Georgia. Atlanta is up next.

6:43 - The Braves select LHP Mike Minor from Vandy. The Reds will pick next.

6:49 - Cincinatti takes RHP Mike Leake from Arizon State. Detroit will be up next.

6:52 - So far folks this draft has been as advertised, very pitching heavy. There have been a few surprises, Sanchez, Leake and Hobgood most notably. Just 21 more picks to go...

6:54 - The Tigers take Jacob Turner a RHP from Westminster Christian Academy in Missouri. The Nats are now on the clock and will be making their second selection of the draft.

6:58 - The Nats take RHP Drew Storen from Stanford. Storen will join Strasburg in Washington, more than likely as a reliever. The Rockies are on the clock.

7:03 - The Rockies take the heralded lefty hurler, Tyler Matzek from Capistrano Valley HS in Mission Velejo, CA. The Royals will pick next.

7:08 - Kansas City takes RHP Aaron Crow. Crow has spent his last year playing in an independent league after he failed to sign with the Nationals last season. The A's are now on the clock.

7:12 - Oakland takes SS Grant Green from USC with the 13th selection. Very nice pick there. The Rangers are on the clock.

7:16 - Texas selects Matt Purke a LHP from Klein HS in Klein, TX. Cleveland is next.

7:21 - The Tribe takes RHP Alex White from UNC. Great value with that pick. The D-Backs are on the clock, they will be taking their first of back to back picks at 16 and 17.

7:26 - Arizona selects 3B Bobby Borchering from Bishop Virot HS in Florida. The D-Backs will be taking the next pick as well.

7:31 - The D-Backs take OF AJ Pollock from Notre Dame. The Marlins are next. Only 11 more picks folks.

7:36 - Florida takes LHP Chad James from Yukon HS in Oklahoma. St. Louis is on the clock.

7:40 - The Cards take RHP Shelby Miller from Brownwood HS in Brownwood, TX. The Jays are up next.

7:45 - Toronto selects RHP Chad Jenkins from Kennesaw State in Kennesaw, GA. Houston will be up next.

7:49 - The Astros take SS Jiovanni Mier from Bonita HS in California. The Twins are on the clock.

7:54 - The Twins take RHP Kyle Gibson from the University of Missouri. The White Sox are on the clock.

7:58 - The White Sox select OF Jared Mitchell from LSU. The Angels are on the clock and will be making the first of back to back picks.

8:03 - The Angels take OF Randal Grichuk from Lamar Consolidated HS in Texas. LA will take the next pick as well. Just five more picks Yank fans.

8:07 - LA of Anaheim selects OF Mike Trout from Millville Senior HS in Millville, NJ. Milwaukee will be picking next.

8:12 - The Brewers take RHP Eric Arnett from Indiana U. The Mariners will be up next they recieved the pick in return for losing Raul Ibanez to the Phillies.

8:16 - Seattle selects SS Nicholas Franklin from Lake Brantley HS in Florida. The loathsome Boston Red Sox will pick next.

8:21 - The Red Sox take OF Ramon Fuentes from Fernando Callejo HS in Puerto Rico. The Bombers are up next folks, could it be Tanner Scheppers?

8:25 - The Yankees select OF Slade Heathcott from Texas HS in Texas. Supposed to be a very toolsy player that the Yankees are looking to develop. The Rays will pick next.

8:30 - Tampa Bay picks 2B Levon Washington from Buchholz HS in Florida. The Cubbies will be up next.

8:35 - The Cubs take OF Brett Jackson from the University of California. The Rockies will take the final pick of the first round, they are on the clock.

8:40 - Colorado selects OF Tim Wheeler from Sacramento State University in California. Well thats it for me folks, you can find comprehensive draft coverage on MLB.com. Ill try to get something up on the Yankees first round pick, Slade Heathcott, shortly.

Bronx Bridge

2009-06-09T17:02:00.004-04:00

Monday night saw the bullpen debut of Yankee's rising star, Phil Hughes. Hughes was relegated to the pen when room had to be made for Chien Ming Wang's return to the starting rotation. In Hughes one inning of work he was flawless, not allowing a hit and striking out Rays slugger, Evan Longoria, to end the inning. What was most shocking about Hughes' performance wasnt that he did well but rather his velocity.

Hughes, who had settled into a range of 90-93 MPH during his time as a starter was clocked throwing as hard as 96 MPH yesterday in his inning of relief. Coming out of Santa Ana High School in California, Hughes was considered to be a "power pitcher" who could dial it up to the mid to high 90's, however, once he started his professional career he began to throw more consistently in the low 90's to maintain command of his fastball. Well last night he had no problem with his command and made more than a few Yankee fans raise their eye brows and say,"Oh yea, thats why he was a top prospect."

Though it is only one game, Hughes plays in New York and the media machine is already whirling. Could Hughes be the piece the Yankees have been missing in the bridge to closer, Mariano Rivera? With Phil Coke holding his own and Alfredo Aceves quickly becoming the most reliable middle relief man the Yankees have, the emergence of Phil Hughes could be enormous in the development of the Yankee bullpen. With Hughes, Aceves, Coke and eventually Brian Bruney paving the way to Rivera, the Yankees may finally be able to patch up what has been one of their most glaring weaknesses over the last few seasons.

Though most still believe that Hughes' future lies as a starter, it is definitly intriguing to think of what he could do for the bullpen. Justin Masterson comes to mind for the Red Sox. Though Masterson was more than adequate in his starting role with the Red Sox, he has become even more valuable to the team as a reliever. Able to provide long relief while also shutting down the opposing team's offense in a late inning jam, Masterson has become one of the Red Sox best relievers. Hopefully, Phil Hughes can be the same for the Yankees.

Shock And Awe: Yanks Launch Bombs To Finish Off Rays

2009-06-08T22:12:00.005-04:00

The Yankees won their fourth series in a row on Monday as they beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 to take the rain shortened series two games to one. All five New York runs were scored by way of the longball as the Bombers left the yard four times to notch their 34 win on the season. The Yankees will head to Boston next to begin a three game set against the hated Red Sox on Tuesday.

Pitching: Andy Pettite provided six solid innings for the Yankees as he improved his record to 6-2 on the season. Pettite surrendered five hits and three earned runs but did strike out seven to earn the victory and lower his era to 4.22. Pettite was succeeded by Phil Hughes who made his first appearance since being sent to the bullpen to make room for Chien Ming Wang. Hughes would impress in his relief debut throwing a clean inning and collecting a strikeout. Hughes would give way to Phile Coke in the eighth. Coke made his twenty fourth appearance of the season and worked around a walk to get out of the inning unscathed and with the Yankees lead intact. Who else but Mariano Rivera would come on in the ninth to turn out the lights, he hurled a sterling inning of work, striking out one, to earn his fourteenth save of the season.

Andy Sonnanstine's luck at Yankee Stadium would run out on this night. Though Sonnanstine provided the Rays with seven innings of work, he allowed all five Yankee runs and took the loss sending his record to 4-6 on the year. Randy Choate and Jason Isringhausen would combine to pitch a clean bottom of the eighth in relief of Sonnanstine.

Batting: The Yankee charge was led by the power of four homeruns as the ball continued to soar out of Yankee Stadium. Mark Teixiera would get the party started with a solo shot in the bottom of the first. The tater was Teixiera's 18th of the year and accounted for his fifty first RBI. Nick Swisher would pick up where Teixiera left off in the second inning as he knocked a two run shot into the right field seats to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead. The homer was Swisher's twelth on the season and he would go on to have a 2-3 night to continue his hot hitting. Johnny Damon would hit his twelth homer of the season in the sixth, a ball that seemed to just keep drifting before it settled into the right field seats. Derek Jeter would add an insurance run in the eighth as he clocked his eighth homer of the year to complete the Yankee attack.

The Rays would knot the score in the fourth inning as they posted a three run inning punctuated by Gabe Kapler's two run job off of Andy Pettite. Carl Crawford would post the only multi hit effort for the Rays as he went 2-4.

Notes: There has now been a homerun hit in all twenty eight games this year in Yankee Stadium. After setting the ML record for consecutive games without an error last week the Yankees have commited one error in all six games since. The Bombers will begin a three game series against the Red Sox on Tuesday in Fenway Park. AJ Burnett (4-2) will get the start against ex Florida Marlins team mate, Josh Beckett (6-2) to kick off the series. The Yankees are 0-5 against the Red Sox this season over the course of two different series, lets not forget the team that played those earlier games was NOT these Yankees. It should be a good one. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 in Boston.

Last 10: 7-3

Comeback Kids: Yanks Rally in 8th To Top Rays

2009-06-07T21:23:00.004-04:00

A day after dropping a game they should have won, the Yankees battled back in the late innings of Sunday's contest to defeat the Rays, 4-3. The Yankees bailed Joba Chamberlain out with their late game heroics, though he did provide six innings of quality work. Alfredo Aceves would pick up the win as he continues to be the best thing going in the Yankee bullpen.

Pitching: Joba Chamberlain would provide his team with six innings of five hit ball. He would allow three runs but would strike out four. Chamberlain was replaced by the increasingly impressive, Alfredo Aceves. Aceves would go two innings, allowing just one hit and sat down four Rays on strike outs. A day after surrendering three runs in the top of the ninth and taking the loss, Mariano Rivera bounced back and showed why he is still the Godfather of closing shop. Rivera would pitch a clean ninth, not allowing a hit and striking a man out. The save was his 13th on the season. Aceves would pick up the win, he is now 4-1.

Matt Garza took the hill for the Rays and matched Joba Chamberlain pitch for pitch. When Garza's day was over he had lasted five innings, allowed just one run on four hits and struck out two. Joe Nelson would play fireman for the Rays and pitch two beautiful innigs, allowing no hits and strking out one. The goat on this day would be Grant Balfour. Balfour, still unable to regain his dominant 2008 form, lasted just a third of an inning giving up three runs on two hits. JP Howell would come on with a chance to save the game for the Rays, but after walking two men he surrendered a sacrifice ground out to Hideki Matsui, plating Robinson Cano to give the Bombers the lead. Howell was charged with the blown save and Balfour, the loss.

Batting: Nick Swisher kept his recent groove going as he smacked a solo shot in the third inning to knot the score at 1 a piece. The homerun was Swisher's 11th of the season, he would later be replaced for defensive purposes by Melky Cabrera. The Yankee offense would lay dormant until the eighth inning when trailing the Rays, 3-1, they put together a rally on relievers Grant Balfour and JP Howell and took the lead for good. The rally saw RBI's being collected by Robinson Cano, Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui. Johnny Damon was the only Yankee to stroke multiple hits on the day as he went 2-4 with a run scored.

Six of the Rays would collect a hit on Sunday, none of them would connect more than once. Gabe Gross was 1-4, driving in two of the Rays three runs. The slumping BJ Upton would account for the other. The Rays would go just 1-8 with RISP on Sunday afternoon and would strand five men on base.

Notes: The Yankees picked up the win today despite going 0-9 with RISP and stranding 8 men. Coupled with the Yankees win was a Red Sox loss as they fell to the Rangers in Fenway by a score of 6-3. This turn of events provided the Yankees with a half game lead over the Sox and assured them the top spot in the AL East for the night. Speaking of the Sox, they will have a day off on Monday before they begin their three game set against the Bombers at Fenway Park on Tuesday. The Yankees will conclude their series with the Rays tomorrow as they look to make it a 3-1 series victory. Andy Pettite (5-2) will face off against Andy Sonnanstine (4-5) as he looks to bounce back from a rough go round his last time out. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 in the Bronx.

Money For Nothing And Leads For Free

2009-06-05T23:40:00.005-04:00

The Yankees took sole possesion of first place on Friday without even lifting a finger. While the Bombers were rained out of their series opening game against the Rays, the Red Sox were busy dropping their series opener to the Rangers by a score of 5-1.

With the Red Sox loss the Yankees moved back atop the AL East mountain by a whopping half a game. Hey, it isnt much but who can complain when all you have to do is kick back for the night and watch the mutts from Boston hand you a lead? The Yankees will rest up and get right back into the saddle tomorrow as they take on the Rays in the Bronx. Who knows, maybe by the end of the day it might be a full game lead.

Rain Out: Rays Bring The Florida Showers With Them

2009-06-05T19:07:00.004-04:00

Tonights game between the Yankees and Rays has been postponed due to inclement weather. A make up date has not been announced but it is important to note that Andy Pettite will leap frog AJ Burnett in the rotation to take a turn against the Rays. This will set Burnett up to pitch the first game of the Yankees upcoming series against the Red Sox in Fenway Park. Burnett suffered through a rough outing his last go round against the Sox but holds a 5-0 record with a 3.52 ERA against the boys from Boston in his career.

Tomorrow will feature a matchup of two of the games most spectacular left handers as CC Sabathia will take on rising star David Price. Sabathia has been dominant as of late, while Price struck out 11 men his last time out. We should be in for a good one. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 in the Bronx.

Last 10: 7-3

Moving On Up

2009-06-05T09:44:00.007-04:00

Yankees prized catching prospect, Jesus Montero, was called up to AA Trenton on Tuesday. Montero is currently ranked as the #2 prospect in the Yankees organizaton (behind Austin Jackson) and has played in high A Tampa for the better part of the last season.Montero had a line of: .356, 8 HR, 37 RBI, 26 R, during his 48 games with Tampa this year. Considered to have legitimate superstar potential, Montero has been said to have ranked an 80 on the scouting scale for power (the scale is out of 80). Though Montero is coming up through the system as a catcher, it is believed by many that his Major League future lies as a DH. Due to Montero's ability to hit for power and average it would make sense that the Yankees would want to maximize his offensive potential once he reached the big leagues, keeping him at a high stress position such as catcher does not seem to be conducive to this sentiment.

Montero was signed as a 17 year old back in July of 2006. Considered the #1 international prospect at that time, the Yankees inked him for $1.6 million dollars and never looked back. In his brief taste of ML action, Montero clubbed a home run in his one and only at bat during 2009 spring training with the big team. Keep your eyes open and your ear to the ground folks, this kid looks like the real deal, the Yankees version of Big Papi (before he was absolutely terrible).

Montero will get his first taste of the New York/Boston rivalry tonight as he and the Thunder travel to Portland, ME to take on the Red Sox AA affiliate, the Sea Dogs.

Alls Well That Ends Well: Melky Comes Through Again

2009-06-04T16:15:00.005-04:00

It didnt look good for the Bombers early in this one. Chien Ming Wang made his return to the rotation and struggled early and often to retire the Texas hitters. Wang surrendered two runs in the third, two in the fourth and one in the fifth before he was pulled with two outs in the inning. Wang was bailed out in the fifth when the Yanks posted five runs to take the lead 6-5. The bullpen would hold strong and the Yankees would go on to win 8-6 to take another series from the good ol' boys from Arlington.

Pitching: It was not a nice welcome back to the rotation for Wang. He did escape the first two inning unscathed but then unraveled in the third as he surrendered two runs and would eventually finish his day after just 4.2 innings. Wang allowed 7 hits in his outing which lead to five runs, he also struck out five. Wang's ERA now sits at an ugly 14.46 on the year. Wang was replaced by Alfredo Aceves who would pitch the rest of the fifth and the sixth. Aceves surrendered the lead after the Yankees big fifth as he allowed a run on two hits to knot the score at 6-6. Aceves would also walk two and strike out two. Aceves was suplanted by Phil Coke in the eighth, Coke would have his good stuff working as he hurled 1.1 innings of clean relief, striking out two. David Robertson and Mariano Rivera would team up to get the final two outs of the ball game. David Robertson would pick up the win in this one to move his record to 1-0 on the year.

The pitching wasnt any better for the Rangers as they saw their starter, Brandon McCarthy go just four innings and allow six runs. McCarthy was cruising along nicely until the fifth when he served up five runs to the Bombers without getting an out. McCarthy would be replaced by Jason Jennings who would provide three quality innings of relief, yielding three hits while holding the Yanks scoreless. The Ranger night would be ruined in the eighth when CJ Wilson would come on to replace Jennings. Wilson, known for his late inning meltdowns, gave up a two run homer to Yankees center fielder, Melky Cabrera. Wilson was charged with the loss, dropping his record to 3-3 on the year.

Batting: It seemed the Yankees were rallying all day and thier first big charge came in the fifth. The Bombers posted five runs to take the lead 6-5. After the score was knotted in the sixth, the Yanks made one more late push as Melky Cabrera played the hero again, knocking out the eventual game winning two run homer. Home runs were hit by Cabrera and Johnny Damon. Damon, Nick Swisher and Alex Rodriguez tallied an RBI a piece while Mark Teixiera collected three and Melky Cabrera punched in two. Mark Teixiera and Nick Swisher had multi hit games, Swisher was 2-3 and Teixiera was 2-4.

Nelson Cruz and Chris Davis would each go yard in this one, Cruz' shot was a solo job and Davis' a two run job. RBI's were notched by Davis, Cruz, Ian Kinsler and Hank Blalock. Michael Young and Chris Davis would both produce multiple hit efforts as they each collected two hits in four trips.

Notes: Nick Swisher continued to excel in the two hole, that role does not look to be permanent as he was just filling in for the resting Derek Jeter. Mark Teixiera returned to play despite the bruised ankle he suffered on Tuesday when he made a hard slide into second to break up a double play. The Yankees took the second series in as many weeks from the Rangers and will begin a four game meeting with the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday. The pitching match up looks very promising as young, up and coming stud lefty, David Price (1-0) will oppose CC Sabathia (5-3). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 in the Bronx.

Last 10: 7-3

Heeeeres....Wanger!

2009-06-03T23:05:00.004-04:00

The Yankees finally made a decision on their cramped rotation Wednesday. Chien Ming Wang will make his return to the rotation on Thursday as he will take on the Rangers in Yankee Stadium. Wang's horrible start to the season was well chronicled and his trip to the DL made more than a few cynical eye brows raise, but recently Wang has appeared to get the bite back on his sinker and has regained the velocity he was lacking back in April. It was never really a matter of "if", just "when", Wang would make his return.

Of course, with Wang coming back there had to be a little collateral damage. Phil Hughes will be moved to the bullpen to continue his growth at the Major League level. Hughes has been solid in his last four outings and its my own personal belief that the Yankees made the right decision by leaving him up in the bigs, nothing more could have been gained by sending him back to AAA.

This is all good new for the Yankee's rotation. If Wang returns to his form of the last few seasons then the Yankees just added one of the best #2 or #3 starters in baseball to the mix and if Wang struggles you can always fall back on Hughes who has appeared to turn a corner as of late, making people remember why he has been so valued by this organization since his days in the low minors. Everything on the starting pitching front looks golden for the Bombers at the moment. Now, how about we start fine tuning that bullpen, huh?

Ranger Revenge: Texas Rebounds To Take Second Game Of Series

2009-06-03T22:31:00.005-04:00

It was the Rangers who would strike first in this one and behind the steady hand of Scott Feldman, striking first was all that needed to be done. The Rangers would piece together a three run first inning to take a lead they would never relinquish as they beat Andy Pettite and the Yankees 4-2 on Wednesday night.

Pitching: New York fans had to sit through the "Bad Andy Pettite" tonight. Pettite didnt have full command from the jump as he surrendered 4 runs on 7 hits in just 5 innings of work. Pettite also walked 6 men. The loss dropped Pettite's record to 5-2 on the season and he saw his ERA climb to 4.33. After Pettite's departure, Brett Tomko would come on to provide 3 innings of high quality relief as he held the Rangers to just 2 hits while striking out 3. David Robertson would come on in the 9th to pitch an efficient inning, allowing no runs while striking out one and walking one.

Scott Feldman continued to impress on Wednesday. Feldman, who has been consistently good for the Rangers all season long, saw his record improve to 5-0 on the season as he went 6 and a third innings allowing 2 runs on 5 hits while striking out 5. Feldman surrendered a run in the first inning but then settled in to throw 5 innings of scoreless ball before being run in the seventh after serving up a solo home run to Jorge Posada. Feldman was replaced by CJ Wilson who provided one and two thirds innings of solid relief, he gave up one hit and struck out two. Frank Francisco would get the ball in the ninth and close out the Bombers, pitching a clean inning with a strikeout to pick up his 13th save of the season.

Batting: The Bomber bats took a break tonight, one cant blame them when you consider the recent tirade they have been on. Alex Rodriguez would go 1-4 on the night and push across the first Yankee run of the night in the first inning. After that the Yankee bats lay silent until Jorge Posada stroked a solo shot in the seventh for his 8th round tripper on the year. That was all she wrote folks on this night. Jorge Posada and Nick Swisher were the only Yankees with multiple hits on this night as they both went 2-4. Other than that all was silent.

The Rangers would distribute their offensive attack up and down the lineup as seven of their nine hitters collected at least one hit. The powerful Rangers had no homers on this night but RBI's were gathered by Ian Kinsler, Nelson Cruz, Marlon Byrd and Chris Davis. Elvis Andrus would go 2-3 with a couple of stolen bases and Ian Kinsler would add a run scored and a couple of walks to his RBI.

Notes: With a Red Sox victory on Wednesday the Yankees have now fell into a first place tie with their rivals from the north. A night after taking the best record in the AL from the Texas Rangers, the Yankees gave it right back. They now sit at 31-22 on the season. Chien Ming Wang (0-3) will get the ball for the Yankees on Thursday, he will be making his first start since returning from the DL. Wang will be opposed by Brandon McCarthy (5-2). First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 in the Bronx.

Last 10: 6-4

Mashing Good Time: Georgie and AJ Lead The Way As Yanks Roll

2009-06-02T23:33:00.007-04:00

The flood gates burst open for the Yankees on Tuesday night as they put up 12 runs against the visiting Rangers to take the first game of a three game series, 12-3. The offense was clicking on all cylinders in this one and AJ Burnett provided 7 strong innings of work as he picked up his second win against the Rangers in as many weeks.

Pitching: AJ Burnett continued his recent success against the Rangers as he went 7 innings, allowing 3 earned runs on 8 hits with 8 strike outs thrown in to help move his record to 4-2 on the season. Burnett made one bad pitch in the third inning, surrendering a three run homer to the red hot Nelson Cruz. Aside from that he was masterful navigating his way into and out of jams and getting big strike outs when he needed them. Burnett would be relieved by Brett Tomko and Jose Veras who would pitch a clean inning a piece to shut down the Indians.

Vicente Padilla had a night to forget. He lasted just 3.2 innings and was man handled for 7 earned runs on 7 hits. Padilla was yanked with two outs in the third and rookie, Derek Holland would come on in relief. The Yankees had beaten Holland around a week earlier in Arlington and the trend would continue on this night as Holland would go only 1.1 innings and allow 2 runs on 3 hits. The procession would continue for Texas as they replaced Holland with Warner Madrigal who promptly allowed three runs to cross as he lasted just one inning. Kris Benson and Eddie Guardado would come on to pitch clean innings in the eighth and ninth.

Batting: Where to start? Well, how about Jorge Posada? Posada had a stellar night going 3-5, scoring two runs and driving in 4, 3 of which came on a sixth inning homer off of Warner Madrigal. Hideki Matsui would have a big night as well as he would go 2-5 driving in 3 runs, all coming on a fourth inning shot off of Derek Holland and scoring two runs. The other RBI's would be collected by Johnny Damon, Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano and Brett Gardner. Derek Jeter would continue to be smoking hot as was 3-4 with a run scored and a walk.

Aside from Nelson Cruz' third inning bomb, the Rangers offense was pretty well stifled on Tuesday as AJ Burnett was able to scatter hits up and down the lineup. David Murphy would be the only Ranger to have a multi hit night as he was 2-4. Besides horrendous pitching, the Rangers would suffer from a lack of clutch hitting on this night as they were just 1-9 with RISP compared to the Yankees 6-14.

Notes: The Yankees consecutive game errorless streak was ended a night after they set the ML record. Jorge Posada sailed a throw out attempt over second baseman, Robinson Cano's head to snap the streak at 18 games. Mark Teixiera was plunked twice last night by Rangers pitching and had a few choice words for former team mate, Vicente Padilla, definitly something to keep an eye on as this series continues. The Yankees will look to take game two of their three game set with the Rangers as they send Andy Pettite (5-1) to the mound to oppose Scott Feldman (4-0). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 in the Bronx.

Last 10: 7-3

Its All Good...

2009-06-02T15:32:00.004-04:00

The Bombers will enjoy a little home cooking tonight as they begin a week long stand at Yankee Stadium. The Yanks will be kicking off their homestand against the Texas Rangers, a team they took two of three from a week ago in Arlington. All in all the Yankee's recent road trip was a great success, they stole the first series of the trip from the Rangers and then went into Cleveland and took three of four from the Tribe. Not to mention they made history in Cleveland last night, setting the record for most consecutive games without an error during thier 5-2 victory. The record was previously held by the 2006 Boston Red Sox.

Things couldnt be going better for the Pinstripers right now. Aside from returning home, their pitching has been great both as a unit and individually. It appears as though Phil Hughes may have finally began to figure things out as he seemed to turn a corner last month picking up a couple of victories and commanding the strike zone a little better than he was before. Last weeks road trip also saw the return of Chien Ming Wang. Wang has been pitching out of the bullpen recently and seems to have the sharp bite back to his sinker as he put together a couple fantastic long relief appearances against the Rangers and Indians. Match these things with the facts that CC Sabathia has hit his usual dominant stride, AJ Burnett had a very strong start his last time out against the Rangers and Joba Chamberlain continues to show why he will succeed whether in the rotation or the bullpen and everything appears to be coming up roses for the Yanks. Oh yes and lets not forget the return of Jorge Posada and the emergence of Francisco Cervelli.

At this point, you can dig for negatives but you wont find many and the ones you might find will probably be fairly insignificant. At this time, the biggest problem seems to be what to do with the rotation? Should Hughes be sent down to AAA to make way for CMW's retuurn to the rotation? Should Joba be sent to the bullpen to make way for Wang? Any way you slice it, those are problems I would like to have, the kind where there are apparently no negative consequences.

Joba Rules, Yanks Make History

2009-06-01T23:30:00.003-04:00

The Yankees made Major League Baseball history on Monday night as they played in their 18th straight game without commiting an error. Backed by a masterful effort on the mound by Joba Chamberlain and just enough offense to get the job done, the Yankees beat the Indians, 5-2. The win gave the Yankees the victory in the series and helped widen their lead in the AL East to a full game ahead of idle Boston.

Pitching: Joba Chamberlain would have his good stuff working on this night as he made his longest start of the season going 8 innings and allowing only 2 runs. Chamberlain surrendered only 4 hits on the night and struck out 5. For as well as he pitched, the highlight of the night for Chamberlain may have came in the fifth when Cleveland backstop, Kelly Shoppach, popped an attempted sacrifice bunt up towards the left side of the pitching mound. Chamberlain, displaying great reaction time for a man of his size, dove for the ball, snared it and then was able to double the man off second to effectively end the Indian threat. Chamberlain gave way to Mariano Rivera in the ninth who pitched a clean inning to pick up his 11th save of the season. Chamberlain would collect the win to move his record to 3-1 on the season and he saw his ERA drop to 3.71.

Jeremy Sowers would take the mound for the Tribe hoping to salvage a series split at Progressive Field. Sowers would start off well enough, allowing only one run through his first five innings. It was in the sixth however, that everything seemed to unravel. Sowers would load the bases with no outs and eventually be pulled by manager Erik Wedge, who would hand the ball to middle reliever, Greg Aquino. Aquino would work wonders in the inning, managing to navigate the Yankee mine field and get out of the inning stranding all three runners that he inherited. The next inning though, Aquino apparently caught the same bug that Sowers had succumbed to and before he knew it, the bases were loaded with Bombers with just one out. Nick Swisher would make him pay, driving a two run double off the wall in left field and Alex Rodriguez would drive in two of his own as he hit a sharp grounder to short that could not be handled by Indian shortstop, Asdrubal Cabrera. All told, Aquino allowed four earned runs in 1.1 innings of work and would be pulled in favor of Luis Vizcaino. Vizcaino would pitch an efficient inning and two thirds, keeping the score in check and Jensen Lewis would come on in the ninth to pitch a clean inning. The loss was charged to Aquino whose record now sits at 1-1 on the season.

Batting: All of the damage was done by the 1 through 4 men for New York on this night. Derek Jeter would continue his hot ways as he went 2-3 with a run scored and a couple of walks. Nick Swisher made his first appearance in the two hole and responded well, going 2-4 with 2 RBI's, a run scored and a walk. Mark Teixiera was 1-3 with a couple of walks and Alex Rodriguez was 1-4 with a couple of RBI's. The rest of the lineup combined to go 0-16 with four walks and three strike outs.

The Cleveland offense was generally ruled ineffective on this night by Joba Chamberlain's spectacular performance. The lone runs were scored on a Victor Martinez solo shot and a sacrifice groundout in the seventh. Shin Soo Choo woul go 2-4 with a run scored.

Notes: The Yankees swept aside the old ML mark of 17 straight games without an error on Monday as they completed their 18th straight errorless game. The record was formerly held by the 2006 Boston Red Sox. Joba Chamberlain's eight innings of work were a career high.

Bullpen Wastes Tex's Heroics, Yanks Fall

2009-05-31T22:15:00.007-04:00

Despite Mark Teixiera serving as a one man wrecking crew in bringing the Yanks back from a 4-0 deficit, the bullpen faltered to give the Cleveland Indians a 5-4, walk off victory on Sunday. Oh yea and Carl "I'm A Waste Of Oxygen" Pavano, pitched well, go figure.

Pitching: The Yanks sent 22 year old wunderkind Phil Hughes to the mound on Sunday, hoping to lock up a series victory against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Hughes had pitched well in his previous two starts allowing only 3 runs in his last 13 innings. On this day he was not quite as sharp but did provide 5 serviceable innings without letting things get too out of hand. In his 5 innings Hughes allowed 4 runs on 5 hits while striking out 6. Replacing Hughes in the 6th was the enigmatic Chien Ming Wang. Wang would provide 3 high quality innings of relief, surrendering 3 hits, no runs and striking out 3. Things went south for the Yanks bullpen in the bottom of the ninth as Phil Coke would allow lead off man, Trevor Crowe, to reach first on a walk. David Robertson replaced Coke following an Asdrubal Cabrera sac bunt to move Crowe into scoring position. Robertson would promptly walk the first man he faced, Ben Francisco, and would then give up the game winning hit to Jhonny Perata to allow the Indians to walk off. Phil Coke was charged with the loss and saw his ERA climb to 4.79.

Ahh yes, Carl Pavano. Murphys Law would state that he would throw well against his former team and that is exactly what he did. Pavano went 7.1 strong innings for the Tribe allowing 3 runs on 7 hits and striking out 4. Pavano was removed with one out in the seventh after coughing up a base hit to Johnny Damon. Rafael Perez would come on to face Mark Teixiera and surrender the game tying double. Rafael Betancourt would come on but would leave with an injury before recording an out, he was replaced by Matt Herges who would finish off the eighth recording the last two outs while allowing a hit and striking a man out. Kerry Wood would pitch the ninth for the Indians, getting himself into early trouble by allowing a leadoff walk and then serving up a double to Johnny Damon to put men at first and third with just one out. However, the Yanks could not capitalize as Wood induced Jorge Posada into the the 4-6-3 double play to end the inning. Wood gained the victory to move his record to 2-2 on the season.

Batting: The Yankee bats laid dormant for the first six innings as Carl Pavano held the Bombers to just three hits. Come the sixth inning though things started to fall off the tracks a little for Pavano as he gave up a one out base hit to Johnny Damon and subsequently offered up a no doubt, gopher ball to the scorching hot Mark Teixiera to reduce the Indians lead to 4-2. The Yanks would tie the score in the eighth inning as it was Teixiera again doubling off the left-center wall to drive in men on second and third. The Yankees got plenty of production from the top of the lineup as they saw their 1 through 3 hitters go a combined 6-12, however, the rest of the lineup lay predominantly dormant, going 4-22. Teixiera's homerun was his 16th and his 4 RBI's gave him 44 on the year.

The Indians would get a big day out of short stop Jhonny Peralta as he went 3-4 with 3 RBI's including the walk off base hit in the bottom of the ninth. Multi hit games were also garnerd by lead off man Asdrubal Cabrera and Ben Francisco. RBI's were also collected by Shin Soo Choo and Mark DeRosa who had one a piece.

Notes: The Yankees tied a ML record on Sunday, playing in thier 17th straight game without an error. The record was set in 2006 by the Boston Red Sox. Phil Coke has now pitched 22 innings this season and his ERA seems to be continuously climbing, definitly something to keep an eye on. Joba Chamberlain (2-1) will take the ball for the Yanks on Monday as they look to make it 3 out of 4 against the Tribe, he will be opposed by Jeremy Sowers (1-2). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm.

Carl Pavano, Let Me Count The Ways...You Make Me Sick!

2009-05-31T09:06:00.006-04:00

The Yanks will be taking the field today looking to take the third game of a four game series with the Cleveland Indians. However, in my mind that is not the story here. Taking the ball for the Indians will be that despicable piece of rotting human mass aka Carl Pavano. You might remember him, he was the one who out right stole 40 million dollars right out of the Bombers pockets, giving 145 painfully mediocre innigs in return. For five years this man did nothing but come up with reasons he couldnt play, reasons why injuries were worse than they really were, all because he did not have the testicular fortitude as a man and as a human being to live up to his contract and provide the due services.

This wont be the first time that the Yanks have faced Pavano this season, there was an earlier match up in April that saw the Yanks come away victorious but Pavano pitch very well (surprise, surprise). Thats the thing with this guy, it might be the thing that gets me fired up the most and that is his complete and utter disregard for even trying to make his injury woes with the Yanks seem legit. I mean, give us the courtesy of at least selling it a little better you soft as Charmin, gutless waste. No, what does he do? He drags his worthless butt around Yankee rehab facilities and minor league dugouts for the better part of a decade, whining about how this hurts or how that hurts too much for him to pitch, then, when his contract is up and its time for him to be a free agent again, well what do you know? He's healed.

The slimy SOB goes right out, gets a one year deal laced with incentives from the sneaky smart Cleveland Indians and rides off into the sunset, 40 million dollars spilling out of his saddle bags as he crosses the county line. Now I call the Indians sneaky smart because anyone who has been following the Pavano soap opera for the last 4-5 years saw this coming, the Indians included. They knew what Pavano was doing in New York, they knew he was just collecting a check. They also knew that he could be a quality pitcher when he had something to play for. So what did the Indians do? They did the smart thing, offered Pavano a one year deal with plenty of incentives and gave him something to work for. With no security in the contract the Tribe knew that Pavano would pitch his butt off to get his money, thats what underhanded people like him do.

Sorry to say, the Indians plan has worked out. Though he got off to a rocky start, Pavano has been one of the more reliable starters in the Bigs over the last month, posting a 5-1 record over that time. Lets only hope that the Bombers can keep up their torrid ways and mop the floor with this dishonest shell of a human being. Whats the injured hockey player in the beginning of Jerry McGuire say? "I gotta get the bonus," yea, indeed.

Sorry for the rant, Im usually very level headed when it comes to my Yankee coverage but Im only human and there are a few things that just get me going, Carl Pavano being one of them. Phew, now that I got that off of my chest we can get back to buisness. The buisness of smacking that sarcastic smile right off Carl Pavano's face! Just kidding...or am I? Cue suspenseful music.

Homecoming King

2009-05-30T22:27:00.003-04:00

CC Sabathia went seven strong against his former club as he and the Yanks topped the Tribe for the second straight night, 10-5. Sabathia was backed by an ample offesive attack that saw the Bombers post five runs in the fourth inning alone. Jorge Posada and Nick Swisher both clubbed homeruns to help key the onslaught.

Pitching: CC Sabathia kept he and the Yanks winning ways going on Saturday night, posting 7 innings of 5 hit ball and allowing only 3 runs with 8 strike outs. Sabathia was facing the Indians for the first time since he was traded mid way through last season and wasted little time getting re-aquainted with his old stomping grounds. Sabathia was replaced by David Robertson in the eighth, who pitched a clean inning of relief picking up a strikeout along the way. Coming on in the ninth with the score 10-3, Jose Veras continued to struggle as he allowed a solo homerun to Shin-Soo Choo and an RBI double to Ben Francisco. Lucky for Veras he had a large enough cushion that the runs were inconsequential and he trudged on to finish the inning and end the game. Veras did manage to strike out a batter during his inning of work but saw his ERA continue to climb as it now sits at 6.97.

Fausto Carmona took the ball for the Tribe to oppose the surging Yanks. Carmona, who has struggled mightily this season, allowed 7 runs (4 earned) in just four innings of work. The runs came across by way of 8 hits and Carmona saw his ERA jack up to an ugly 6.60. It took Carmona 81 pitches to get through the fourth so he was relieved by veteran journey man, Tomo Ohka to start the fifth. Ohka would go the rest of the way for the home team allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and striking out 3.

Batting: The Yankees got contributions up and down the lineup on Friday as 6 men would have at least a hit, with 4 of them producing multi-hit efforts. Jorge Posada would stroke his sixth homer of the season in just his second game back from the DL and Nick Swisher would later match him, clubbing his 10th. Robinson Cano would help lead the charge, going 2-5 with 3 RBI's and Hideki Matsui would continue his recent resurgence going 3-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Mark Teixiera and Derek Jeter would each contribute 2-5 nights, Jeter also collected 2 RBI's.

The Indians offense was bolstered by the bottom of the lineup on this night as their 1 through 4 men went a collective 1-16. Shin-Soo Choo had a solid night at the plate going 2-3 with 2 runs scored and an RBI. He also hit his seventh homerun of the season off of Yankees reliever Jose Veras in the ninth. Victor Martinez had to leave the game after pulling up lame running to first on a ground out, he was replaced by Kelly Shoppach.

Notes: The Yankees have now won 12 of their last 15 including their last 3. After a Boston loss earlier in the day, the Yankees now have a 1.5 game lead in the AL East. Phil Hughes (3-2) is slated to take the ball for the Bombers on Sunday, he will be opposed by Carl Pavano (5-4). First pitch is scheduled for 12:40.

Another Bullet Dodged...

2009-05-30T19:54:00.003-04:00

It appears that it was much ado about nothing in regards to Andy Pettite and his mysterious "lower body injury". The mysterious injury has been deemed a tight lower back and Pettite doesnt see much reason for concern:"I don't think there would be any way I would not make my start." Pettite originally tweaked his back when he was tracking down a flyball during batting practice on Monday. He said the back bothered him a lot more when he originally injured it and figures that last night's discomfort was just a residual effect.

Pettite has pitched well for the Yankees this season going 5-1 with a 4.10 ERA, so the fact that this was just a false alarm is a big relief. If all goes well Pettite will take the mound again on Wednesday when the Yanks take on the Rangers in Yankee Stadium.

Welcome Back

2009-05-30T19:01:00.006-04:00

CC Sabathia will toe the mound for the Yankees today as he takes on his former club, the Cleveland Indians. This will be the first time that Sabathia has pitched against his old team since being traded last season to the Milwaukee Brewers. Sabathia comes into the game riding a recent hot streak and will look to earn his fifth victory of the season. Opposing Sabathia will be his former battery mate, Fausto Carmona. Carmona and Sabathia teamed up against the Yanks in the 2007 divisional series to clinch a trip to the AL Championship for the upstart Indians. You know what they say, if you cant beat em, sign em.

Yanks Top Tribe, Take Lead In AL East

2009-05-29T23:52:00.007-04:00

The Bombers kept on rolling on Friday as they toppled the struggling Indians, 3-1. Andy Pettite took the mound for the Yanks and spun five efficient innings as he earned his fifth win of the season. Pettite did leave the game after the fifth inning with what is being called a, "lower body injury". With the victory the Yankees took sole possesion of first place in the AL East as they took a half game lead on the Boston Red Sox.

Pitching: Pettite did just enough to get the win on this night. While he did allow only one run, he did so on 6 hits and 5 walks, working in and out of trouble for the majority of his outing. As mentioned, Pettite left after the fifth with an as of yet unknown injury to his lower body. Pettite moved to 5-1 on the season and lowered his ERA to 4.10. Coming on for Pettite in the sixth was long man, Alfredo Aceves. Aceves gave the Yanks three superb innings as he allowed only 1 hit and struck out 3. Aceves handed the ball over to Mariano Rivera in the ninth and Rivera continued on to close out game one of the four game series, allowing 1 hit and striking out 2 to collect his tenth save on the year.

Indians starter Cliff Lee provided six serviceable innings for his club as he allowed three runs on nine hits while striking out five. Lee, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, saw his record fall to a deceptive 2-6 as his ERA now sits at 3.16. Matt Herges would come on for Lee and provide two scoreless innings for the Tribe, allowing just 1 hit. Rafael Perez, recalled from AAA prior to the game, would pitch a clean ninth inning for the home team.

Batting: Eight Yankees collected a hit on Friday, two of which provided multi-hit efforts. Derek Jeter was 2-5 and got the scoring started in the second inning with his 23rd RBI of the season. Jeter was then promptly driven in by the other worldly Mark Teixiera who notched his 40 RBI of the campaign. Nick Swisher would drive in the third Yankee run in the third inning, the RBI was his 28th. Returning from the DL was Yankee backstop, Jorge Posada. Posada wasted no time getting back into the swing of things as he went 2-3 on the night with a walk to raise his average to .325.

The Indian attack was paced by lead off man, Asdrubal Cabrera who went 2-5 and right fielder, Ben Francisco who went 2-3 with a walk. Six Indians would stroke hits on the night including Shin-Soo Choo who accounted for the Indians only run during his pinch hit appearance.

Notes: It was a battle of attrition on Friday as the Yankees went 2-12 with RISP and left 10 men on base. Not to be outdone, the Indians were 0-7 with men in scoring position and stranded 11. Game 2 of the 4 game series will be played on Saturday and first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 ET. CC Sabathia (4-3) will take the mound for the Yanks against his former club, the Indians will send sinker baller, Fausto Carmona (2-4) to the hill to oppose him.

Speaking Of The Indians...

2009-05-29T15:49:00.005-04:00

It has been thrown out there by ESPN's Buster Olney that the Cleveland Indians will be entertaining offers for veteran utilityman, Mark DeRosa. Furthermore, the word on the street is the Yankees may in fact be the team with the most interest. Olney had this odd analogy to illustrate his claims:

"Imagine DeRosa as a big hunk of tuna, bait on a hook. One of the looming shadows circling below is that of the New York Yankees, who are weighing options and haven't decided whether to take a shot at the versatile veteran."

Now, no one is sure as of yet what it may cost the Yanks if in fact they were to make a serious push at the versatile veteran. The Indians have thrown it out there that they would be seeking a ML ready pitching talent in return for DeRosa, whether as a starter or reliever was not specified. This is where the speculation begins for many fans and analysts as the Yankees dont seem to have a ML ready pitcher who would fit the value provided by DeRosa.

Names like Phil Hughes and Andrew Brackman come to mind but one would think that the Yankees value both of these young arms more than they would an aging infielder. Digging a litte deeper you might come up with guys like Ian Kennedy, who has struggled at the ML level and irritated many of the Yankee veterans with his passe attitude, he could be a perfect fit but would the Indians bite? And do the Yanks value Kennedy more than I do? Who knows, we're just spitballing.

The bottom line is DeRosa is coming off a career year with the Chicago Cubs that saw him hit, .285 with career highs in home runs (21), RBI's (87) and runs scored (103). While he is not hitting for quite as good an average this season (.266) he is still producing very solid numbers with 8 homeruns, 32 RBI's and 31 runs scored. He is very useful folks and could be great injury insurance down the stretch as he can play every position but catcher and shortstop, its definitly something to look into. In Cashman we trust... or at least I do.

Boys Night Out

2009-05-29T10:07:00.003-04:00

CC Sabathia, Alex Rodriguez, Mariano Rivera and Robinson Cano caught game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Cleveland on Thurday night.

The chemistry on this team continues to be crazy good.

Mr. Popular

2009-05-28T20:12:00.003-04:00

Don't look now but it appears Ol' Cap is headed back to the big game. Hoping to make his tenth All Star Game appearance, Derek Jeter seems well on his way as he is currently the leading vote getter in all of the American League.

Jeter, who is currently having a bit of a bounce back year, is hitting .297, has clocked 7 homeruns, driven in 22 men and crossed homeplate 30 times. He has also stolen 10 bases already while only being caught once. At the end of the first round of voting Jeter had collected 664,63o votes, 570 votes ahead of second place man, Evan Longoria.

Check the link (title) for the complete results of the first round of voting.

More Good News...

2009-05-28T19:49:00.003-04:00

The coast looks clear for Yankee center fielder Melky Cabrera. Cabrera, who injured his right arm on Tuesday night going after a fly ball, has been diagnosed with a bruised shoulder. After leaving the Yankees on Thursday to return to New York for more tests, Cabrera was diagnosed by the team doctor and is now considered day to day.

Cabrera will likely still recieve a few days off but is slated to re-join the team tomorrow when they begin a four game series against the Indians at Progressive Field in Cleveland. He could possibly play sometime this weekend.

Yanks Just Keep Getting Stronger: Posada Set For Friday Return

2009-05-28T15:49:00.005-04:00

There is a great chance that the Yankees may regain the services of Jorge Posada in time for Friday's tilt against the Indians. Posada, who has been on the DL since May 5, has been participating in extended spring training games as of late, he has also been taking batting practice and keeping up with a running and throwing program.

Posada's return couldnt come at a better time for the Yanks as they recently lost the surging Melky Cabrera for an undetermined amount of time and hope to maintain their winning ways. Before his recent injury, Posada had made a triumphant return from right shoulder surgery that cost him the majority of last season. In his first month of action this year he contributed 20 RBI's with 5 homeruns and 10 runs scored, all on a .312 BA.

Whenever Posada returns to action the Yankees will have to make the tough call to either send down Francisco Cervelli or Kevin Cash, both of which have filled in phenomenaly in Posada's absence. Im crossing my fingers for Franky, not only for now but for the rest of the season.

Bombers Take A Breather After Successful Start To Road Trip

2009-05-28T12:42:00.004-04:00

The Yanks will have a travel day on Thursday as they head to Cleveland to face the Indians in a four game series that begins on Friday. Fresh off their series victory against the Texas Rangers, the Bombers hope to recharge their batteries on their day off and get right back to winning tomorrow as they try to stay atop the ultra competitice AL East.

The Yanks will be facing off against the 2008 AL Cy Yong Award winner, Cliff Lee (2-5) in the series opener, Andy Pettite (4-1) will be sent to oppose him.

P.S. Boston's Josh Beckett will oppose the Twins Anthony Swarzak today in Minnesota, lets see if the Twinkies can help the Yanks gain sole position of first place. GO TWINS!

Bombs Fly In The Texas Sky

2009-05-27T23:38:00.005-04:00

The Yankees moved into a tie for first place in the AL East on Wednesday as they pummeled the hapless Rangers, 9-2. The Bombers grabbed an early lead and never let go as they provided AJ Burnett with enough run support to cruise to their 27th victory of the season.

Pitching: AJ Burnett put his recent struggles behind him on Wednesday to throw six innings of scoreless ball as he collected his first win in his last eight starts. Burnett who worked smoothly through his six innings of work, allowed only three hits while striking out seven. The win moved Burnett's record to 3-2 on the season and locked up the series victory for the Yanks. Jose Veras ran into a bit of trouble in the seventh as he allowed two hits, including a two run shot by Texas second baseman, Ian Kinsler. Managing to only claim one out, Joe Girardi wasted no time in digging back into his bullpen as he would call on the young right hander David Robertson to help get the Yanks out of the inning. Robertson, recently recalled from AAA to replace the injured Brian Bruney, made quick work of the final two batters of the inning picking up a strikeout in the process. The game would be closed out by Chien Ming Wang who made just his second appearance since being activated from the DL. Wang was strong in his two innings of work, allowing no hits and striking out two.

Texas prospect Derek Holland would get the ball for the hometown Rangers and proceed to be left at the mercy of the New York offensive on slaught. Holland would last five innings, surrendering 10 hits and 6 runs, 5 of the earned. The Texas bullpen would continue their shaky ways as Jason Jennings, Warner Madrigal, Eddie Guardado and Kris Benson combined to give up five hits in their collective four innings of work and would surrender three runs.

Batting: The Yankee attack was lead by the previously struggling Hideki Matsui. Matsui would go 2-4 on the night with his two hits coming via the longball. Matsui accounted for three RBI's and scored two runs himself. Mark Teixiera continued his romp as he went 2-5 while hitting his 15th homer of the season. Derek Jeter would contribute a 3-4 night, while scoring a run and driving another in and Robinso Cano would rub the salt in the Ranger's wounds in the ninth as he smacked his ninth homer of the campaign off Texas reliever Kris Benson.

Thanks to AJ Burnett the Texas night was relatively quiet from an offensive standpoint. Managing only 5 hits on the night, Texas' production was limited to a seventh inning two run homer off the bat of Ian Kinsler.

Notes: AJ Burnett ended the longest winless streak of his career at seven games. Yankee centerfielder, Melky Cabrera returned to New York prior to the game to have further testing done on his sore right shoulder. Texas first baseman, Chris Davis struck out three times on the night, he has struck out in 44% of his at bats. The Yankees are off on Thursday, they will begin a four game set against Cleveland on Friday .

Wheres Wang?

2009-05-27T16:31:00.003-04:00

Since being recalled from AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre five days ago many questions have been asked about Chien Ming Wang's role in the Yankee battery. As of now Wang is working out of the bullpen while the Yankee ride the hot hand of Phil Hughes. Wang has made one appearance thus far out of the pen, a less than successful venture against the Phillies that saw him go 3 innings and surrender 2 runs in 6 hits.

As of now the biggest hurdle remaining in Wang's way of rejoining the rotation is heralded Yankees prospect, Phil Hughes. Hughes who has struggled in the major leagues for the majority of his brief career, has pitched phenomenally over his last two starts going 2-0 while stiking out 15 in just 13 innings and allowing a poltry 3 runs. If its not broke, why fix it? That seems to be the question the Yanks are asking themselves right now.

Its not as if Wang was burning the world down prior to his "hip injury", in fact its pretty much been the exact opposite. On the season Wang is sporting an 0-3 record with more walks than strikeouts and an ERA of 25.00. So you can see where the Yanks may not exactly be chomping at the bit to throw him back into the fire.

If you look at this with rose colored glasses, which as Bomber fans we often have to do just to stay sane, this is really a win-win situation. If Phil Hughes is able to keep up his current pace then we will finally have the star that was promised when Hughes first threw a pitch for the Yanks back in 2006. On the other hand, if Wang can return to his old form, the form that saw him win 46 games for the Yanks over the course of three seasons, then we have one of the best #3 starters in the game. Or, for you doomsdayers out there, we could see both Hughes and Wang falter. Right now all that can be done is take the situation one day at a time, just another element to the ongoing soap opera that is Yankee Baseball.

No Man Left Behind: Yanks Bit By LOB Bug, Fall To Rangers

2009-05-27T12:19:00.003-04:00

(NY Post/Charles Wenzelburg)

It was an all too familiar scene for the Yanks on Tuesday. Prior to their latest hot streak that has seen them go 12-2 over their last 14 games, the Yankees had a little problem with scoring men on base. That problem manifested itself last night in the form of a 2-12 night with runners in scoring position (RISP) and a total of 12 men left on base (LOB). Capitalizing on the Yankees inability to produce, the offesive minded Rangers had little trouble in toppling the Bombers, 7-3.

Pitching: Joba Chamberlain took the mound for the Bombers on Tuesday, making his ninth start of the season. Chamberlain, who has had consistent problems this season getting out of the first inning un-scathed, continued this unfortunate trend last night as he allowed the Rangers to put up two runs in the first frame. Chamberlain would go just four innings on this night, surrendering 4 hits, 3 runs and striking out 5. Relieving Chamberlain was the hot of late, Alfredo Aceves. Aceves, who entered the game with an ERA below 2, would end up surrendering 3 runs on 4 hits in just 2 inning of work. Aceves, would be succeeded by Phil Coke who surenedered a run of his own when he gave up Chris Davis' second rountripper of the night. David Robertson made his first appearance since being recalled form AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and pitched a scoreless eighth, picking up a strikeout.

Kevin Millwood would get the ball for the Rangers to oppose Joba Chamberlain. Millwood has had a bit of a personal renaissance this season as he entered Tuesday nights contest with a record of 4-4 and an ERA in the low 3's. Millwood would be serviceable on this night but little more as he lasted 5.2 innings and surrendered 3 runs on 9 hits, he also struck out 3. Millwood would be driven by the game in the fifth after surredering a solo homer to Mark Teixiera. Jason Jennings would come on to throw .2 innings of scoreless ball, though he had to be bailed out by C.J. Wilson after surrendering two hits to load the bases. Wilson would get the final two outs of the inning, getting Nich Swisher to bounce into a 6-4-3 double play to get out of trouble. The game would be soundly wrapped up by Darren O'Day and Frank Francisco who contributed an inning of scoreless ball a piece to close out the Yanks.

Batting: It was a fairly quiet night offensively for the Bombers. RBI's were contributed by Mark Teixiera, Hideki Matsui and Francisco Cervelli and Brett Gardner had a 3-5 night, with 3 stolen bases as he stood in for Melky Cabrera who strained his right shoulder in the first inning tracking down a fly ball off the bat of Ian Kinsler. The story on this night was the Yankees complete inability to drive men in once they got on base. In total the Bombers stranded 12 men, a problem that came to a head in the seventh inning when Nick Swisher bounced into a double play to end the inning with the bases loaded.

On the other side of the field, the Rangers had an efficient night at the plate as they ran the Yanks starter, Joba Chamberlain, early. RBI's would be collected by Marlon Byrd and Chris Davis who chipped in two a piece, Davis' both coming on solo shots. Josh Hamilton, David Murphy and Jarrod Saltalamacchia would each provied one a piece. The red hot Nelson Cruz would go 1-2 on the day with a run scored and two walks.

Notes: Joba Chamberlain has an ERA of 10+ in the first inning, 2.25 otherwise. Nick Swisher is now 8-67 in May...hurry back X. One Tool Player: Chris Davis clubbed his eleventh and twelth homers of the season on Tuesday, to go along with his power Davis is batting a robust .208 and has a nauseating K/BB ratio of 68/10. AJ Burnett (2-2, 5.28) will look to get things going tonight in the rubber match as he is opposed by Derek Holland (1-1, 4.82).

A-Rod All Smiles

2009-05-26T16:48:00.005-04:00

Many speculated on how Alex Rodriguez would respond in his return to the major leagues after admitting to using PED's prior to the season. Well, so far so good. After two solid weeks Rodriguez is batting .259, a number that continues to climb, has already swatted 7 homeruns and driven in 17 runs. Among his 7 dingers are one walkoff (stroked against the Minnesota Twins) and a bottom of the ninth, game tying roundtripper off of the Phillies' Brad Lidge. Clutch? It looks that way.

From the trained eye of any seasoned Yankee fan the change in A-Rod is not so much found in his game but rather in his demeanor. A man who at times would seem lost in a big at bat, is now thriving. Rodriguez is looking more relaxed at the dish and the clutch homers are a sure sign of this. Their are other encouraging signs that A-Rod has seemingly turned a corner, the joyous look on his face after Melky Cabrera's walk off single against the Phillies on Saturday, the ear to ear grin he showed when pied by teammate AJ Burnett after his late game heroics against the Twins, referring to his teammates as "brothers" in a recent post game interview, all of these things point to the idea that the Yankees 27 million dollar man might have finally figured things out.

It has been noted on numerous occasions this year that the Yankees seem to be finally having fun. Whether this is attributed to the offseason additions of Nick Swisher, AJ Burnett, CC Sabathia and Mark Teixiera, all quote en quote, "character guys" or to the simple fact that they are winning, is unknown. More than likely its a little bit of both. All I know is the good juju going around the Yankee clubhouse seems to be rubbing off on their most important player and the relevance of this is immense.

Injury Updates Are Bittersweet For Bombers

2009-05-26T01:13:00.005-04:00

Yankees set up man Brian Bruney is on his way back to the DL. Bruney, who returned from his previous DL stint last Tuesday, is still complaining of pain in his right elbow. Bruney made one appearance during his short time back with the team. Bruney will be examined by the infamous Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday (gulp!). In the meantime the club plans to recall reliever Dave Robertson from AAA Scranton/Wilkes Barre to fill in.

Now the good news, it appears as though the Bombers are close to getting back not one but three key players in the near future. Injured catcher Jorge Posada (strained hamstring) is expected to play in an extended spring training game later this week. Posada has been throwing and taking BP as of late and says, "Its now a matter of getting into baseball shape." Right fielder Xavier Nady (elbow ligament) who has been out since the first week of the season is slated to be the DH in a few minor league games later this week is eyeing a return and injured backup catcher Jose Molina may be ready to return to major league action by the end of the week.

Hughesy and A-Rod Lead The Way As Yanks Roll

2009-05-25T21:20:00.004-04:00

The Bombers exploded for 11 runs on Monday afternoon as they stifled the hapless Rangers 11-1. Leading the attack for the offense was Alex Rodriguez who swatted 5 hits against his old club in his first game back in Arlington since this spring's steroid fiasco. On the mound for the Yanks was the mysterious Phil Hughes, a man who can wow you with his raw ability one moment then leave you scratching your head after he surrenders five runs in an inning. On this particular night the young wunderkind had it all working as he lasted a very solid 8 innings and gained his second consecutive victory to move his record to 3-2.

Pitching: As mentioned Phil Hughes was dominant on this night, going 8 innings while surrendering only 3 hits and striking out 6. What was particularly striking about Hughes was the relative ease with which he navigated the treacherous Texas lineup, a lineup that lead all of baseball in runs scored last season. It took Hughes a mere 101 pitches to get through the eighth and he probably could have finished the task had the score not been so outlandish. The benefactor of outstanding run support, Hughes moved his record to 3-2 on the season and lowered his ERA to 5.16. Working the ninth for the Yanks was Alfredo Aceves. Aceves surrendered the lone run allowed by the Bombers on a solo blast by the red hot Nelson Cruz. Aceves also struck out one. His ERA was raised to a tidy 1.84.

The pitching situation for the hometown Rangers was not so fortunate on this day as starter Matt Harrison allowed 11 hits and 7 runs in his 5 innings of work. The loss dropped Harrison's record to 4-4 and jacked his ERA to 5.43. Following Harrison was the elusive Kris Benson, yes husband of Ana, Kris would continue to serve batting practice for the Yanks as he was pounded for 6 hits and 4 runs in his 3 innings of work. Finally, Warner Madrigal came in to pitch the ninth and actually managed to get through it without allowing a run, though he did give up two hits.

Batting: There was no doubt who lead the on slaught for the Yanks on this day as Alex Rodriguez returned to his old stomping grounds with a vengeance. Rodriguez ripped 5 hits off of Texas pitching which lead to 4 RBI's, he also scored two runs and effectively silenced the hostile Texas crowd. Mark Teixiera continued his sweet swinging ways as he went 3-4 and chipped in two RBI's, his 35th and 36th on the season. The remainder of the offense was provided by Robinson Cano who drove in two more to bring his season total to 27 and Nick Swisher drove in 3 to help put a halt to his recent struggles.

Three Rangers would gather hits on this day. Nelson Cruz lead the way with 2 and the only RBI of the day for the hometown team as he launched his 12th homer of the season off of Alfredo Aceves in the ninth. Josh Hamilton and Taylor Teagarden accounted for a hit each.

Notes: Monday's start was Phil Hughes first start against the Texas Rangers since his injury ruined no hit bid back in 2007, apparently he really likes the mound in Arlington. Alex Rodriguez raised his average from a miniscule .189 to a respectable .259 over the course of Monday's five hit effort.

The Chemicals Between Us

2009-05-25T10:26:00.005-04:00

Yankee and Ranger fans share something in common, one Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez. The enigmatic slugger will return to The Ballpark in Arlington for the first time since he confessed to using PED's during his time with the Rangers. Hostility is expected, how will he respond? Will Michael Young still be talking big? Will Tom Hicks' head explode? Stay tuned as the A-Rod "Im Sorry" Tour continues.

Melkman Delivers But Phils Are Intollerant

2009-05-24T20:59:00.005-04:00

Melky Cabrera's bottom of the ninth, game tying single provided plenty of excitement but in the end another walk off victory was not in the cards for the Bronx Bombers on Sunday afternoon.

After a low scoring pitching duel between lefty studs, CC Sabathia and Cole Hamels, nine innings was not enough as Melky Cabrera ushered Brad Lidge to his second straight blown save. With Ramiro Pena's theft of second base the Yankees had a man in scoring position with 1 out in the bottom of the ninth inning of a game they were trailing 3-2. Stepping to the plate the red hot Melky Cabrera did what he's done best over the early part of this season and deliverd a game tying single up the middle to score Pena and drive the game into extra innings.

After the struggling Hideki Matsui and Nick Swisher failed to score Cabrera in the inning, Mariano Rivera came on in the top of the tenth to keep the Phillies dormant and buy the Yankees one more try at closing out the defending world champs.

Leading off the bottom of the tenth it seemed as though that was exactly what was going to take place as Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon led off the inning with back to back base hits to give the Bombers men at first and second with no outs. Lumbering to the plate was the absolutely unconscious of late, Mark Teixiera. Teixiera, who clubbed his thirteenth homer earlier in the contest, came to the dish hoping to at least get one out of the infield and send home Jeter for the Yanks second late inning, come from behind victory in as many days. However, best laid plans are laid to waste and Phillies reliever Clay Condrey deliverd a taylor made double play ball that retired Damon and Tex, 6-4-3. Condrey then induced an inning ending fly out from light hitting utility man, Ramiro Pena to strand Jeter at third and get out of the inning.

Relieving Rivera was 36 year old journeyman, Brett Tomko. After retiring the first two batters he faced, Tomko surrendered a base hit to Phillies star second baseman, Chase Utley. Wasting no time, Utley brazenly stole second base despite the strong arm of Yankee backstop Kevin Cash and the Phils were in buisness with a man in scoring position and the scrappy Carlos Ruiz coming to the dish. After a long, drawn out battle with Ruiz that included a handful of foul tips, Tomko caved and surrendered a game breaking double to Ruiz, plating Utley and giving the Phils a 4-3 lead entering the bottom of the eleventh.

Cabrera, the earlier hero for the Yanks, stepped to the plate to lead off the inning against the hard throwing Condrey. After a valiant battle, Cabrera grounded out and left the Yankee hopes up the 7 and 8 hitters. As good relievers should, Condrey motored through the last two batters getting Kevin Cash to strike out to end the ball game.

Pitching: CC Sabathia was strong once again as he went 8 innings, surrendering 9 hits, 3 runs and striking out 4 in getting a no decision. Jose Veras effectively relieved Sabathia in the ninth as did Rivera relieve Veras in the tenth. Brett Tomko faltered in the eleventh and took his first loss of the season.

Cole Hamels effectively opposed Sabathia in what was billed as a pitchers duel from the beginning. Hamels, like Sabathia, has been on the resurgent trail of late as he provided his team with another strong outing going 6 innings, surrendering 8 hits, 2 runs and striking out 5. He would recieve a no decision. Following Hamels was Chad Durbin who pitched a scoreless seventh before yielding to Scott Eyre and Ryan Madson who teamed up to hurl a run-less eighth. Brad Lidge took over in the ninth and promptly recieved his second blown save in as many days as he surrendered the game tying run before getting out of the inning. Clay Condrey came on to finish the game as he went the last two innings and recieved the W to move his record to 4-0 on the young campaign.

Batting: Mark Teixiera knocked his team leading thirteenth homerun out of the park in the sixth to succesfully run Hamels from the game. While Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon provided an RBI a piece to make up the New York scoring attack. Jeter went 3-5 on the day as did Melky Cabrera. Alex Rodriguez went 0-4 on the day with a walk to lower his average to .189.

The Phillies recieved a 3-6 day from speedster Shane Victorino to lead their attack and Carlos Ruiz chipped in 3 hits of his own in 4 trips to help bolster the bottom of the lineup. RBI's were provided by Victorino and Ruiz as well as Jimmy Rollins and Raul Ibanez who chipped in with one a piece.

Notes: CC Sabathia has now allowed a poltry 6 runs in his last 32 innings pitched. The Yankees fell to 25-19 on the season and dropped to a game back of the AL East leading Boston Red Sox. The Bombers will kick off their upcoming road trip tomorrow in Arlington as they begin a three game set against the AL West leading Texas Rangers. Scheduled starters for the game are Phil Hughes (2-2) for the Yanks and Matt Harrison (4-3) for the Rangers.

LETS GO METS...wait...what?

2009-05-24T06:26:00.003-04:00

The crosstown Mets won their second game in as many nights as they defeated the Boston Red Sox 3-2 in Fenway Park on Saturday. Josh Beckett took a 2-1 lead through the 8th before handing the ball to closer Jonathan Papelbon in the 9th. Papelbon promptly surrendered a leadoff walk and subsequently blew the save when he gave up a two run homer to Ramon Santos that barely cleared the front lip of the Green Monster. JJ Putz would fill in for Francisco Rodriguez in the bottom of the 9th and close out the Sox.

I bet none of you ever thought you would be rooting for the Mets but I think in this case an exception can be granted. With the Mets win (and the Sox loss) the Yankees moved into a tie for second place in the AL East with Boston, sharing identical records of 25-17. To sweeten the deal for the Mets, their big brothers from the Bronx lent a bit of a helping hand themselves by topping the Phils 5-4. So for now at least...GO METS!

Times Get Harder for Leyritz

2009-05-24T05:28:00.007-04:00

Aces Wild: Interleague Battle of Lefty Studs Set for Sunday

2009-05-24T03:08:00.017-04:00

The Yanks will look to keep their hot bats sizzling on Sunday as they go head to head against 2008 World Series MVP, Cole Hamels. Looking for the series victory in tomorrow's rubber match, the Yankees will send their own big lefty to the mound as CC Sabathia will oppose Hamels in what is being billed as one of the young seasons finest pitching match ups thus far.

Both Hamels and Sabathia started the season slowly as they tried to gain their bearings in new environments: Sabathia in a new city and Hamels in post World Series Philadelphia, a city of which he is now the appointed Prince after his performance last October. However, despite their slow starts, the two young aces have rounded back to form as of late as Hamels has gone 2-0 in his last 3 starts while striking out 24 in just 19 innings pitched and Sabathia has gone 3-0 in his last 3 while allowing a stingy 12 hits in his last 24 innings pitched.

Will Sabathia keep rolling? Will Hamels be able to maintain his early season resurgence? Can either of them keep the baseball from being projected into the thin atmosphere at Coors Field East...I mean Yankee Stadium? Stay tuned.

The Melkman Delivers on Saturdays

2009-05-24T00:47:00.011-04:00

Another game, another walkoff for the Pinstripers. After trailing Philadelphia for the majority of Saturday's showdown the ghosts of Yankees past made themselves feel at home in their new digs as they helped lift the Yanks to a 5-4 come from behind victory, their 10th in the last 11 games.

Pitching: Andy Pettite provided 7 strong innings of work for the Bombers allowing 4 runs on 5 hits including a 3-run homerun to John Mayberry Jr. Relieving Pettite was the increasingly reliable, Phil Coke. Coke provided the Yanks with 1.2 inning of scoreless relief, yielding just 1 hit. Coke was succeded by Jose Veras who tallied the final out of the 9th inning and picked up the win.
JA Happ was tapped for his first start of the season for Philadelphia, he was replacing the ineffective Chan Ho Park. Happ twirled 6 outstanding innings for the visiting team as he allowed only 2 earned runs on 4 hits. Following Happ was Chad Durbin and Ryan Madson who pitched an inning a piece of scoreless work, Madson struck out the side in the 8th. Taking over in the 9th was Brad Lidge who promptly blew his third save of the young season as he surrendered a game tying homerun to Alex Rodriguez and a subsequent game winning hit to Melky Cabrera as he singled home Robinson Cano. Lidge was also charged with the loss, moving his record to 0-2 on the season.

Batting: The Yankees were yet again the beneficiary of the longball as Derek Jeter's (7) solo shot in the 6th inning helped cut the deficit to 4-2 only to be followed up by a game tying two run shot by Rodriguez (7) in the bottom of the 9th. Mark Teixiera and Robinson Cano collected two hits a piece, Cano also scored two runs. But of the Yankees 8 hits on Saturday afternoon none was bigger than that of Melky Cabrera who in the bottom of the 9th, with Cano standing on second, looped a Lidge fastball into the gap of right-center field. Cano came around to score the winnnig run and the Yanks walked off with their 25th victory of the season.
Not to be ignored, the Phillies came out doing what they do best: punishing the baseball. Raul Ibanez clubbed his major league leading 17th homerun in the second inning and was followed three innings later by a three run shot in the top of the 6th by John Mayberry Jr. The homerun was the first of Mayberry Jr's career. Mayberry would later chip in a double and Chase Utley also contributed with a 2 for 4 day.

Standings: The Yanks now sit tied for second place in the AL East with the Boston Red Sox. They both trail the Toronto Blue Jays by half a game.

(Photo Courtesy of Simmons of the NY Daily News)