GAME 54: Yankees vs Rangers

Live Gameday

YANKEES (31-22, tied for 1st place in the AL East)
Damon LF
Swisher RF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Matsui DH
Cabrera CF
Cervelli C
Pena SS
Pitching: RHP Chien-Ming Wang (0-3, 16.07).
RANGERS (31-21, 1st place AL West)
Kinsler 2B
Young 3B
Blalock DH
Cruz RF
Murphy LF
Byrd CF
Davis 1B
Teagarden CAndrus SSPitching: RHP Brandon McCarthy (5-2, 4.35).
TIME/TV: 1:05 p.m., YES.

Yankees lead the season series 3-2.
Welcome Back: Today will be Chien-Ming Wang's first start in the rotation since coming of the dsiabled list. Wang has pitched well in relief and is expected to have a pitch count limit of around 80 pitches.
Home Run Derby...Not So Much: These two teams lead the majors in home runs, but only four have been hit so far this series.
Getting Some R&R: Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada are both getting the day off. Posada is just not catching a day game after a night game and Jeter is just getting an off day. Meanwhile, Mark Teixeira is back in the lineup.

UPDATE 12:52: A.J. Burnett has been suspended 6 games by Major League Baseball for throwing at Nelson Cruz's head the other night. Burnett is appealing the decision.

UPDATE 1:18: 1-0 Yankees. Johnny Damon returns to the leadoff spot with a solo home run.

UPDATE 1:31: Two perfect innings for Wang. He is definately looking more like the 19-game winner today.

UPDATE 1:48: Tough break for Wang with that wild pitch.Tied 1-1 now. He now has first and second 2 outs with Blalock up. He needs to get out of this jam now if he wants to go 6 innings.

UPDATE 1:51: Wang seems like he just cant get out of this inning. No balls have really been hit hard though but the Rangers take a 2-1 lead on Blalocks single.

UPDATE 1:56: Damon almost hit another home run. If Cruz did not leap to catch that, it looks like the fan in the front row would have interfered and caught the ball. That fan was leaning way over the wall and intereference would have been called without a doubt.

UPDATE 2:05: Now Wang is struggling. 4-1 Rangers after that double by Chris Davis. Although he is struggling he still looks better than April, but cannot let anymore runs score.

UPDATE 2:23: Nelson Cruz sure can play. He just crushed one into the bullpen in leftfield off Wang. And that is it for Wang. 4.2 IP 7 H 5 ER 1BB 5 K. 5-1 Rangers as Aceves comes in to pitch.
UPDATE 2:37: Bases loaded nobody out. They MUST capitalize on this opportunity. Swisher and Teixeira up they need to get at least two runs out of this.

UPDATE 2:41: McCarthy walks Swisher. 5-2 bases remain loaded for Teixeira nobody out. Good at bat by Swisher to foul off close pitches and work a walk.

UPDATE 2:43: Tie game. Bases clearing double by Tex that somehow got under the glove of Michael Young. The ball was hit so soft that Swisher was able to score all the way from first base. That is it for McCarthy. Excellent inning for the Yankees so far.

UPDATE 2:47: RBI single for A-Rod. 6-5 Yankees still nobody out. This team doesn't lead the majors in come-from behind victories for nothing.

UPDATE 3:02: This is Jim taking over for a little while. I'm the lucky one anyway. I'm 2-0 while John's 0-1, and the Yankees didn't start hitting until I got home from school. This one is going to be an old-fashioned slugfest, especially with the Yankees bullpen and the homer-happy lineups of both teams in Coors Field East.

UPDATE 3:14: Pena gets caught stealing there, but it's not that bad of a play. Now Swisher's up first next inning with a fresh count and hopefully he can get on in front of Tex and A-Rod.

UPDATE 3:17: Good job by Aceves out of the pen. In comes Phil Coke to try and keep the game tied. Just a thought about the rotation. There is obviously another motive to putting Wang in to day's game while bumping Sabathia back a day. Now, instead of going today against the Rangers, and then Tuesday in Boston, he can go tomorrow against the Rays and Wednesday against the Red Sox. The Yankees would much rather have him go up against their two biggest divisional rivals.

UPDATE 3:42: Coke out of the game, retired all four batters he faced. Look what he can do when he doesn't get used every day, a la Scott Proctor.

UPDATE 3:45: I really hope Jeter and Posada are getting loose. Cabrera is due up third this inning, and then he's followed by Pena and Cervelli.

UPDATE 3:50: The Melk Man is becoming the Pie Man. He now has 13 RBI's in the 7th inning or later and six go-ahead hits this year.

UPDATE 3:52: By the way, vote Melky Cabrera for Pepsi Clutch Performer of the Month.

UPDATE 4:00: I realize Melky wants to make that play, but as Paul O'Neil just said on-air, you've got to keep the double play in order there. The tying run is now at the plate and Nelson Cruz is on-deck.