Yankees 15- Mets 0

NJ Transit has to have the slowest moving trains ever. We left a 5:07 and got back at 7:00.

Mets 0 6 0
Yankees 15 17 1

WP: Burnett (5-3, 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 8 K)
LP: Santana (8-4, 3+ IP, 9H, 9ER, 2BB, 3K [that would be under the 9 Ks that our friend Doug predicted on the way to the game])

PLAYER OF THE GAME: A.J. Burnett. Burnett shut down the Mets lineup and gave the Yankees length, something they had been lacking in the past week.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Hideki Matsui's home run in the fourth inning. It was a bomb to right field that gave the Yankees a comfortable lead and let Burnett settle in and go to work.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: In the top of the third inning, just after the Yankee offense put up a 4-spot on Sanatana, the Mets loaded the bases on two walks and a single by the bottom of their order. But Burnett proceeds get two strike outs and a line out by the top 3 hitters in the Met's order to end the inning without allowing a run. Once this happened, I knew that we were going to win. If Burnett had surrendered 2, 3, or more runs right after he got the lead, the team would have lost confidence, and John and I would have gotten thrown out for cursing loudly in the left field bleachers.

GAME NOTES:

• A.J. Burnett gave the Yankees everything they could want in a start. Seven shutout innings and only four hits, while pitching against "the best pitcher in baseball." (I only put that in quotes because Fernando Nieve shutdown the Yankees while Johan Santana gave up 9 runs). They only used two guys out of the bullpen, and with a day off tomorrow, that will help it get the rest it needs.
• We gave the Player of the Game to Burnett because of his performance on the mound. There were some outstanding performers at the plate today as well. Obviously, because it is hard to score 15 runs without having good days at the plate. Jeter went 4-4 with 2 runs scored, and 2 RBI. Damon and Cano both went 2-4 with 3 RBI. Francisco Cervelli also proved that he can survive in the Majors not playing everyday by going 3-5 while filling in for Posada.
• Well, I think it's fairly obvious that Nick Swisher has seen The Hangover (I've seen it twice, hilarious.) Why else would he have In the Air Tonight as his intro music?
  
• It was my first trip to Yankee Stadium. I was a little too lost to really get a good impression of the place. We were in left field, so when I looked towards home plate, everything back there seemed the same, but when I looked beyond the outfield walls, it was completely different. I'm still used to seeing the surrounding buildings and the facade. It felt to me that this was some other team's ballpark. We did, however, only arrive an hour before the game. So next time, I will try to get there really early and get a better feel of the place. And I go to watch the games anyway, so where I am watching doesn't really matter to me.
  
• Also, Yankee Stadium is now like Disney World, you get your picture taken when you walk in. At least they don't make you leave through the gift shop. (Don't worry, it will happen soon enough.)
• As I said before, we only arrived about an hour before first pitch. That was in time to watch the Army Paratroopers, which was pretty cool. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see the real show, K-Rod and Bruney had a verbal confrontation in the outfield during batting practice. This goes back to the comments Bruney made on Friday, and K-Rod's rebuttal yesterday. In a straw poll of the six of us who were at the game, all six of us said that Bruney would beat K-Rod to a pulp. But, we won't have all the fun. You can vote on the right to voice your opinion on the matter.
  

TOMORROW:
Off day
We'll figure out something interesting to write about.