Game 76: Mariners at Yankees

YANKEES (43-32, 2nd place AL East 3.5 GB)

Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Posada C
Matsui DH
Swisher RF
Cabrera CF

Pitching: RHP Joba Chamberlain (4-2, 3.81).

MARINERS (39-36, 3rd place AL West 3.5 GB)
Ichiro RF
Branyan 1B
Lopez 2B
Griffey LF
Sweeney DH
Gutierrez CF
Woodward 3B
Johjima C
Cedeno SS

Pitching: RHP Brandon Morrow (0-3, 5.64).

TIME/TV: 7:05, YES.

Vote Teixeira: Ok, Kevin Youkilis has moved back into first place in the AL All Star Voting for the starting first baseman spot. WE CANNOT LET THIS HAPPEN! I will not watch if Pukilis gets the starting nod over Tex. Go here to vote for Teixeira. Don't worry, I will be harping on this all night.

A-Bombs A-way: A-Rod seems to be fresh and ready to go, as he is 8 of his last 23 with 2 home runs and 11 RBIs.

New guy in town...well not yet: Eric Hinske is supposed to be arriving for tonight's game, but his plane is stuck in Pittsburgh, so there has been no roster move yet. If I was Hinske and was being traded away from the Pirates, I don't care if I needed to walk, ride a bike, or hitchhike, I would just get out of Pittsburgh as fast as possible.

Weather Report: We'll go to Ollie Williams for our forecast.

UPDATE 6:13: YES WE CAN! VOTE TEIXEIRA!

UPDATE 6:35: The Yankees are going to try and play this game, but the tarp is still on the field. And when they do start, Mariano Rivera will throw out the ceremonial pitch.

And I hope a foul ball hits Tony Romo in the head, I don't care if he's there with a sick kid or not.

UPDATE 7:00: Game will be delayed, first pitch scheduled for 7:45.

UPDATE 7:50: OK, so the game is now scheduled to start at 8:05. I spent the rain delay voting for mark Teixeira 75 times. (Hint, you can vote more than the "maximum" 25 times if you use different e-mail addresses.) And yes, I hate Kevin Youkilis that much.

UPDATE 8:00: I wonder if the first pitch thrower will throw it from the rubber?

UPDATE 8:05: WHAT!? Did he really just throw from halfway up the mound with Jorge in front of the plate? Come on Mo, I was joking with the last post.

UPDATE 8:17: I just had one of those What If? thoughts. Imagine Ken Griffey, Jr. in his prime playing 81 games a year in the new Stadium.

UPDATE 8:24: Wow! Now you can get Michael Kay anywhere! Who wouldn't want that?

UPDATE 8:29: So we're back to letting that ball drop in. Is there any reason they can't go out before the game and work on that for an hour? That happens much more often than it should.

UPDATE 8:39: Wait, I thought we were done playing the Mets.

UPDATE 8:43: Now I know why the Mariners have such a low team ERA, all their runs are unearned.

UPDATE 9:05: Ok, so he grounded into a double play, but you should still vote Mark Teixeira for the AL All-Star Game. He's change you can believe in. Kevin Youkilis was the starter last year, he's just more of the same.

UPDATE 10:03: This game is taking forever as the M's go the pen. O yea, Mark Teixeira was just up and I'm here to remind you to Vote for Him!

UPDATE 10:35: Hughes gets out of that inning with only 9 pitches. You have to send him back out there for the 8th right?

UPDATE 10:42: I think it's safe to say that A-Rod's hip isn't fatigued anymore.

UPDATE 10:53: This is why he should have left Hughes in. And how come Bruney doesn't have a patch on the back of his hat?

UPDATE 11:04: OK Michael Kay, I only mentioned the Hughes thing a half hour ago, and then again 10 minutes ago. Nice rip by Matsui.

UPDATE 11:05: Wow, I didn't think Swisher could bunt. He could have been called out for stepping out of the box, but the never make that call. I remember the White Sox lost the ALDS on a bunt like that in 2000 on a no-call. If I remember correctly, it was against the Mariners, so that ties in nicely.

And Melky continues to come through in the clutch.

UPDATE 11:09: Best part about this rally? We don't have to get asked whether the Yankees have a rally in their bones.

UPDATE 11:18: After all that, Mo better not blow this save. That would suck.