Game 62: Yankees vs Mets

YANKEES (35-26, Second Place AL East)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Posada C
Matsui DH
Cabrera RF
Gardner CF
Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (6-2, 4.22).

METS (31-28, Second Place NL East)
Castillo 2B
Cora SS
Beltran CF
Wright 3B
Sheffield DH
Tatis 1B
Church RF
Santos C
Martinez LF
Pitching: RHP Fernando Nieve (0-0, 0.00).
TIME/TV: 4:10 p.m., FOX

What to do with the gift: Last night the Yankees received a gift win courtesy of Luis Castillo. They should have lost. After the absrudity of last nights game it will be interesting how the Yankees respond today. They all know they should be on a 4-game losing streak. Do they continue to struggle, or do they come out and play crisp, clean baseball? On the other side, it will be interesting how the Mets respond after a devastating loss. A loss like last night cannot be good for the psyche of the team.
Who's the New Guy?: The Mets will send out 26-year-old RHP Fernando Nieve. Nieve has major league experience with the Astros in 2006, but has only pitched 2 innings this year for the Mets. He was 3-1 with a 4.29 ERA in AA and AAA before being called up.
Andy needs a Dandy: 3 of the last 4 Yankee pitchers have failed to make it past 4 innings. The bullpen has been overused the last 4 games and the Yankees need Pettitte to give them a solid outing. Here's the problem: Pettitte has pitched 16 innings in his last 3 starts, which is an average of 5.1 IP. That needs to change today.
Swisher Sits: In case you couldn't tell, I am furious with the way Nick Swisher has been playing lately. He missed a fly ball and was doubled off twice in Boston. Yesterday he played a fly ball to right awfully. He is just getting a day off, but I think he should have gotten a day off for disciplinary reasons. If Billy Martin coached Swisher he wouldn't have played that last game in Boston or the game last night.
Injury Update: Brian Bruney threw 1 perfect inning at Trenton today. 12 pitches, 8 strikes, 0 strikeouts. Girardi said he'd consider activating him after one appearance, he better tell the truth on how he feels then.

UPDATE: Wow. Check this out over at the Trenton Thunder Blog. Bruney rips K-Rod. Interesting... http://thunderbaseball.wordpress.com/2009/06/13/brian-bruney-quotes-featuring-a-k-rod-rip/

Pete Abe has K-Rod's response under the 2:34 update on his blog. No history between the two.

UPDATE 4:10: Castillo get an ovation from the Yankee Faithful as he steps in the box. There were some boos in there, but it must have been the Mets fans.

UPDATE 4:36: 2-run home run off the end of the bat of Omir Santos into the first row. Remember Pettitte needs to help the bullpen, adn give them at least 6 innings, 7 may be asking to much from Andy. Rain starting to fall at the Stadium too.

UPDATE 4:47: An A-Bomb from A-Rod. 2-1 Mets. And we get it Joe Buck and Tim Mccarver. The ball carries in Yankee Stadium and you think it is a joke.

UPDATE 4:53: Ok Tim McCarver, you think they should move the walls back 15 feet? It will be 330 to left, 414 to left center, 423 to center, 400 to right center, and 327 to right. That will stop home runs for sure. Geeze, the second inning just ended and I am already thinking about muting these guys.

UPDATE 5:08: A nice shot of Joba, Burnett, and Wang sitting together in the dugout. They were all laughing. I wonder if they all think their last outings were funny, neither one of them getting past 4 innings and all.

UPDATE 5:40: Pettitte approaching 100 pitches in the fifth. It's 4-1 Mets thanks to leadoff hits by Beltran and Wright to set up 2 runs. Can Sabathia pitch everyday?

UPDATE 5:42: Well I ask for Swisher to be benched and this is what I get from Melky. I had flashes of Bobby Abreu on that play. 5-1 Mets.

UPDATE 6:27: Bottom of the 7th, Sheffield just made it 6-1 in the top half of the inning. Nieve is making the Yankees look foolish. They have 2 hits in 6 inngs. Posada, Matsui, Melky. Pray for a rally.

UPDATE 6:37: "Cy" Nieve is out of the game. First and third two outs and Sean Green is in to face Jeter. Meanwhile Pete Abe reported that the Yankees had Veras up in the bullpen at the start of the inning. If they happen to score I do not want to see him anywhere near that mound.

UPDATE 6:39: Infield single for Jeter. Castillo doing everything he can to make up for last night but Jeter beat out the throw. 6-2 Damon up.

UPDATE 6:41: So much for that. Damon has been slumping since the Boston series. Yankees look like they just don't have that fire to come back today. Somebody should tell them they are facing Johan Santana tommorow.

UPDATE 7:02: Yankees go down without a fight in the 8th. Onto the ninth. All I can say is, A.J. better earn his paycheck tomorrow.

UPDATE 7:12: Do the Yankees have a "rally in their bones?" Ok, I just can't write that anymore. I will stop unless I have to use it in a direct quote of Michael Kay.