White Or Red We Still Can't Beat Sox

Looks like the Yankees got a fever when playing against Sox, and the only prescription is...Jerry Hairston Jr?

I can't do a recap after this debauchery, so I'll just say this: We needed a pitcher today but instead ended up with Jerry Freaking Hairston Jr. Cashman better get a pitcher, starter or reliever, when players go on waivers Monday, or else this team is in trouble. But hey, nice play by Johnny Damon to stall the game from getting out of hand today. And besides that, there is nothing positive to take away from this game. Just awful.

Burnett's on the mound tomorrow. He's pretty good at winning games.

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GAME 103: Yankees at White Sox

YANKEES (62-40, First Place AL East)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Cabrera CF
Hinske LF
Pitching: RHP Sergio Mitre (1-0, 5.91).

WHITE SOX (52-51, Third Place AL Central)
Podsednik CF
Beckham 3B
Thome DH
Konerko 1B
Pierzynski C
Quentin LF
Kotsay RF
Nix SS
Getz 2B
Pitching: RHP D.J. Carrasco (3-1, 3.58).

Sir Sergio: Sergio Mitre makes his third appearance since being called up. He is 1-0 but has allowed 17 hits and 7 runs over 10.2 innings.
Slammin Shelley: Shelley Duncan has been called up from AAA to provide a right-handed bat. Duncan dominated AAA Scranton with 25 home runs and 70 runs batted in. However, with the acquisition of Jerry Hairston Jr. he may only be up for tonight because for some reason the Yankees love Cody Ransom.
Dreadful Defense: The Yankees have committed seven errors in the last 7 games.
Summer Sizzlin': The Yankees are 18-8 in the month of July.

UPDATE 8:25: Yankees stomping on the throat of the spot-starter for the White Sox early with a 3--0 lead. Also important to get runs with Mitre pitching, being you don't know what you will get out of him.

UPDATE 8:37: Mitre was making everybody sweat that inning. Got himself into a bases loaded jam but ended the inning on a pop up from Kotsay. 3-1 Yankees.

UPDATE 9:00: This is not a good game for Mitre, and I am sure Cashman is already working the waiver wire. 4-3 White Sox, Mitre on 2 outs into the second inning.

UPDATE 9:15: This is such a frustrating game to watch. Now down 5-3 after Quentin hit a bomb off Mitre to lead off the third. And Mitre is still pitchng. Ugh. Yanks offense better score 8 runs next inning, I swear.

UPDATE 9:29: Best move before the trade deadline? The Yankees getting Hinske (joking). But really, another HR for the lefty and 5 of his 7 hits since joining the Yankees ahve left the park, this time to tie the game at 5.

UPDATE 9:37:Well that's it for Mitre. David Robertson on for what is basically a clean slate. Mitre didn't evevn get past the third inning. NOT GOOD.

UPDATE 9:59: This game is extremely frustrating to watch. Robertson can't throw strikes here in the fifth and he has let the White Sox get back ahead 6-5.

UPDATE 10:50: This game is the absolute worst. The White Sox just pulled a Little League move stealing home as Posada threw to second to try and get the runner out. It's 9-5 White Sox, Aceves is still hurt, and now it's 10-5 as Cano had Getz out by a mile but Posada couldn't hold on.

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Yankees Acquire Hairston Jr. at Deadline

The Yankees acquiered utility man Jerry Hairston Jr. from the Cincinatti Reds for a minor league (A) catcher. This is the only reported move the Yankees have made. Hairston likely replaces Cody Ransom on the roster and become the 3B on A-Rod's off day. He also plays every outfield position and can provide some much needed defensive upgrades late in games. Hairston Jr. is hitting .254 with 8 HR, 27 RBI, 47 runs, and 7 stolen bases.

Other notable trades:

The Detroit Tigers acquired LHP Jarrod Washburn from the Seattle Mariners for pitching prospects Luke French and Mauricio Robles.

The Red Sox traded Justin Mastersone, Nick Hagadone, and Bryan Price for 1B/C Victor Martinez. They also traded 1B Adam LaRoche for 1B Casey Kotchman.

The Blue Jays traded Scott Rolen to the Reds for Edwin Encarnacion.

The Marlins acquired 1B Nick Johnson from the Nationals for AA Aaron Thompson.

The Twins acquired SS Orlando Cabrera from the A's.

Rumor is Halladay could possibly be headed to the Angels we will update if any other trades or news breaks out.

UPDATE 4:30: Joel Sherman of the NY Post and Jon Heyman on MLB Network are saying that no deal for Roy Halladay was done. Joel Sherman is also reporting that Jake Peavy has been traded to the White Sox...again! Didn't he veto that trade about 2 months ago, plus he's on the DL. But MLB Network just confirmed that this deal has been agreed to. Peavy may not even be back this year. I don't even know what to think of this trade.

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White Sox 3- Yankees 2

Yankees 2 6 2
White Sox 3 8 0

WP: Thornton (5-2)
LP: Hughes (4-3)

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Gavin Floyd. The righty didn't
get the win, but still pitched a great game. 4 hits, 1 walk, and 10 strike outs over 7.2 innings is an excellent performance against any lineup, especially one as good as the Yankees.

PLAY OF THE GAME/ TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: It's too difficult to differentiate on this one, as it's Wise's game-winning single, just off the glove of Phil Coke.

GAME NOTES:

• Two more errors tonight, and another play that should have been an error make it a week of poor defense for the Yanks. They obviously haven't received the Tom Emanski video we sent them .
• Pettitte has hit a rough patch lately. He hasn't won since July 1 against the Mariners.
  
• Girardi tried to try and get another full inning out of Hughes, and it backfired. Hughes hadn't gone more than 2 innings since June 10. We thought that he might be trying to stretch him out, but its doubtful. And, even if he was trying to stretch him out, they ninth inning of a tie game isn't the place to do it.
  
• The Trade Deadline is now less than 16 hours away. If the Yankees make a deal, be sure to check here for news, analysis, and opinion.
  

TOMORROW:
Yankees at White Sox
Sergio Mitre vs. Clayton Richard

SEE YA!

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Enough About the Roid Sox, We've Got A Game To Play

GAME 102 Yankees at White Sox

YANKEES (62-39, First Place AL East)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Swisher RF
Cano 2B
Cabrera CF
Molina C
Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (8-6, 4.67).

WHITE SOX (51-51, Third Place AL Central)
Kotsay CF
Beckham 3B
Dye RF
Thome DH
Konerko 1B
Pierzynski C
Quentin LF
Getz 2B
Nix SS
Pitching: RHP Gavin Floyd (8-6, 4.24).

Standings Update: The Boston Red (Roid?) Sox defeated the A's today so the Yankees enter the game only 3 games ahead of them. The Yankees have won 3 of their last 4 and 11 of 13 since the All Star Break.
The Other Sox: We all know Mark Buehrle pitched a perfect game last week, but they've been reeling lately. They are on a 3-game losing streak and have lost 6 of their last 7 and have fallen into third place in the AL Central.
The Teixecutioner: Mark Teixeira currently has an eight game hitting streak and is hitting .346 with 5 HR, 11 RBI, and 7 runs scored since the All Star Break.

UPDATE 8:10: Looks like there is going ot be a rain delay. Sounds like a passing storm, so it shouldn't be too long.

UPDATE 9:09: Word is the tarp is off the field and they should start the game at 9:15.

UPDATE 10:39: Well that game is tied up 1-1 going into the bottom of the sixth. For the second straight game Pettitte is not getting any run support. The Yankees only have 3 hits off Gavin Floyd.

UPDATE 11:02: Another solid outing for Pettitte with some bad luck in that inning with 2 errors. Lets hope the bullpen can bail him out this time. But it's Phenom Phil Hughes coming in, so I like out chances.

UPDATE 11:09: Well Cano mad eone of the worst throws of all-time and now it is 2-1 White Sox heading to the eighth. I hope teh Yankees win, if not, it will be two tough losses for Pettitte, and he has pitched remarkable his last two starts.

UPDATE 11:34: Swishalicious getting some revenge on his former team hittng a game-tying 2-out HR in the top of the ninth.

UPDATE 11:50: Well, that sucked.

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Ortiz, Ramirez Tested Positve for PEDs in 2003

The NY Times reports David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez's names are the latest to be leaked from the list of 103 players who tested positive in 2003 for performance-enhancing drugs, which implemented the steroid-testing policy we have today. Ramirez had already been suspended for taking a banned substance this season, but Ortiz is a new name in all this.

Am I surprised about Ortiz? No. I knew it wasn't Fenway Park and hitting behind Manny that made him better and I had my suspicions. The news of this has me with mixed feelings though. I was pissed when so many Yankee players names came out in the Mitchell Report and basically no Red Sox players. I was mad that even the players who weren't on the team when they reportedly used PEDs were still connected to the Yankees (Andy Pettitte). I was upset that the Red Sox unusually got by this report unscathed. I thought it was a conspiracy. So when I heard this news, naturally, I was happy. I am now glad I don't have to hear Red Sox fans say our championships were tainted or chant "You take steroids" to Alex Rodriguez when they can just look into the dugout at the guy who they so revere for bringing them championships.

On the other hand, it continues to make baseball look bad, and the era I grew up watching baseball as a complete joke. This is a dark day for baseball, even if you are a Yankees fan (or Red Sox hater). The list is gradually going to be leaked and it is inevitable to avoid. It's almost impossible to single out records, accomplishments, and titles associated with steroid users when the entire era is tainted. We can only hope guys like Ken Griffey Jr. and Albert Pujols are clean and we can look at them as the true heroes of the sport.

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Yankees 6- Rays 2

HEY BUDDY!

Yankees 6 12 0
Rays 2 6 1

WP: Chamberlain (7-2)
LP: Garza (7-8)

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Duh, it's Joba Chamberlain. The right hander went 8 innings, and allowed only 3 hits and 2 walks, while shutting out the tough Rays lineup.

Image by Keith Allison via Flickr

PLAY OF THE GAME: Mark Teixeira's catch of the line drive off the bat of Dioner Navaro to save a double down the line.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Robinson Cano's home run in the 6th inning that gave the Yankees a 3-0 lead, which was all that Joba needed.

GAME NOTES:

• There's no other way to say it, but right now, Brian Bruney sucks. He can't get people out consistently and tonight, he cost Mariano a night off.
• Unlike Bruney, Joba Chamberlain is pitching as good as he ever has as a starter. Since the break, he has now allowed only 2 runs in 21.2 innings of work over his last 3 starts.
• Oakland is beating Boston 8-5 in the bottom of the 8th, so if that score holds the Yankees will move 3.5 games ahead of the BoSox and 7.5 ahead of the Rays with 61 games left on the schedule.

TOMORROW:
Yankees at White Sox, 8:11 PM Eastern at Comiskey Park (I will always call it that, no matter what)
Andy Pettitte vs Gavin Floyd


SEE YA!

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Game 101: Yankees at Rays

YANKEES (61-39)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Cabrera CF

Pitching: RHP Joba Chamberlain (6-2, 3.86).

RAYS (55-46)
Upton CF
Crawford LF
Longoria 3B
Zobrist 2B
Pena 1B
Burrell DH
Gross RF
Navarro C
Bartlett SS

Pitching: RHP Matt Garza (7-7, 3.68).

TIME/TV: 7:10, YES, ESPN.

Joba Rules: Chamberlain has been dominant since the All-Star Break, allowing only 2 runs in 13.2 innings of work. He has a 1.88 ERA in his career against the Tampa Bay Rays.

One more time: A-Rod needs one more home run to tie Twin-great Harmon Killabrew for 9th on the All-Time home run list.

Rubber Match: The teams split the first two games of this series, so tonight's winner will win this series, and also take the lead in the season series.

UPDATE 7:49: I thought this was a baseball game, but in the past five minutes, I've seen more people eating than people playing baseball.

UPDATE 8:00: 2nd and 3rd, no one out, they need to score two runs. Posada failed to score, and now Cano at least gets a run in as he fails to get a hit with runners in scoring position.

UPDATE 8:35: "You know why the Yankees play Burrell to pull? Because that's what he does." Wow. I am so glad Michael Kay was here to tell me that.

UPDATE 9:05: Joba just needs to get through the 7th, and then hand it off to Hughes and Mo for the 8th and 9th. Getting a run won't hurt, however.

UPDATE 9:13: Joba's at 88 pitches through 7 and is dealing. Send him back out there!

UPDATE 9:22: Good work by Jorge there, getting his pitcher another insurance run.

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Wang to go under knife

After tonight's game, the Yankees announced that Chien-Mien Wang will need season-ending shoulder surgery. It will be tomorrow morning, and presumably performed by Dr. James Andrews, because he seems to be the only guy who does surgeries in Major League Baseball.

A few things to note about this:

• The surgery is on his shoulder, so maybe Wang can use the time off to get the strength back in his legs, since that was the main problem at the beginning of a forgettable year.
  
• You've got to be interested in what happens with Wang's future now. After the season, the Yankees could non-tender him, basically refusing him a contract, and he would become a free agent. He could sign with any team in the League, including the Yankees.
  
• Now that he knows Wang isn't coming back this season, look for Brian Cashman to go hard for a starting pitcher. Jarrod Washburn is a name that has come up, and the Yankees almost pried him away from the Mariner's before, so maybe this will be what makes it happen.
  

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Rays 6- Yanks 2

Well, the Yankees did not have it today. We've sent them a Tom Emanski video of drills that helped win back-to-back-to-back AAU National Championships, because their defense was pretty bad all-around tonight. Don't worry, MLB Superstar Fred McGriff gave this product his full endorsement.
The Yankees play Tampa tomorrow in the rubber game with Joba on the mound versus Matt Garza.

SEE YA!

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GAME 100: Yankees @ Rays

YANKEES (61-38, First Place AL East)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Cabrera CF
Pitching: LHP CC Sabathia (10-6, 3.67).

RAYS (54-46, Third Place AL East)
Upton CF
Crawford LF
Longoria 3B
Zobrist 2B
Burrell DH
Pena 1B
Kapler RF
Navarro C
Bartlett SS
Pitching: LHP Scott Kazmir (4-6, 6.69).
TIME/TV: 7:10, MY9.

UPDATE 8:27: Not much to update. I missed how the Rays scored their last two runs, but from what I understand, the Yankees defense has been very poor today. 3-1 Rays bottom 4.

UPDATE 8:31: Are tehe Yankees advertising for Dos Equis? Or do Michael Kay and Ken Singleton just like that commerical? I ask this because they are quoting it.

UPDATE 8:48: CC is not pitching like CC today. And now Swisher screws up a catch and there is a runner on third 4-1 Rays.

UPDATE 9:10; This game is a lost cause. Sabathia pitched poorly and the Yankees defense, particularly Nick Swisher, are playing like Little Leaguers today. Don't expect another update unless they start making a comeback.

UPDATE 9:26: I lied. I am now updating on something totally unrelated Yankees thing, but a great baseball story. Mark Buerhle has now retired 43 consecutive batters, breaking the old major league-record of 41 set by his teammate Bobby Jenks. Obviously Jenks was a reliever, so this makes Buerhle's accomplishment that more impressive. Buerhle is perfect through 5 innings against the Twins.

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Yankees 11-Rays 4

Yankees 11 15 1
Rays 4 6 1

WP: Burnett (10-4)
LP: Shields (6-7)
S: Robertson (1)

PLAYER OF THE GAME: AJ Burnett. With his 7 inning, two-hit performance tonight, Burnett won his fifth-straight decision. We are going to take all the credit for it, because he started his hot streak on June 27 against the Mets, and we were in attendance.

Image by Keith Allison via Flickr

PLAY OF THE GAME: Robbie Cano and Nick Swisher going bakc-to-back, belly-to-belly in the sixth inning. It was the ninth time this season that the Yankees have hit back-to-back jacks.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Robinson Cano's RBI triple in the 2nd inning to give the Yankees an early two-run lead, which is all Burnett would need.

GAME NOTES:

• The Yanks are obviously on a roll. They've lost only 1 game since the All-Star break. In their last 12 road games, they are 9-3 (all three losses were to the Angels) and are averaging 7.2 runs in those games.
• Robinson Cano walked twice (TWICE!) into tonight's game. That means he let 8 pitches go by without swinging. This is a good example of Cano's maturation as a hitter.
• The Red Sox won, so the Yankees remain 2.5 games ahead of Boston, but move 7.5 ahead of the Rays.
• Johnny Damon hit his 200th career home run in the 9th inning. And the fan who caught it didn't get the opportunity to extort Damon because he threw the ball back in.
  

TOMORROW:
Yankees at Rays, 7:08 PM at Tropicana Field (which, by the way, is probably in the bottom 5 of baseball stadiums I've been to)
Sabathia vs. Kazmir
Great match up set for tomorrow, until then....


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GAME 99: Yankees @ Rays

YANKEES (60-38,First Place AL East)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Cabrera CF
Pitching: RHP A.J. Burnett (9-4, 3.74).

RAYS (54-45, Third Place AL East)
Upton CF
Crawford LF
Longoria 3B
Zobrist 2B
Pena 1B
Burrell DH
Gross RF
Hernandez C
Bartlett SS
Pitching: RHP James Shields (6-6, 3.70).

The Season Starts Today: The Yankees begin a 9-game road trip which will include facing the rising Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago White Sox. Then they return home to face the Boston Red Sox for four games. What the Yankees do over this stretch will be a huge indication on where they will be October. A sweep of the Rays will bury them in the division race, but they can't let the Rays start to gain ground along with confidence and hope.
A.J. Keeps on Burnin': A.J. Burnett is 5-0 with a 2.43 ERA and 26 strikeouts in his last 5 starts.
Hot Bats: Derek Jeter is 6 for his last 13 with 6 RBI. Mark Teixeira is 6 of 16 with 5 RBI and Jorge Posada is 7 of 17 with 5 RBI, 5 runs scored, and four extra base hits.
Birthday Boy: Today is Alex Rodriguez'a 34th birthday. He will be in the lineup after getting the day off yesterday.
Rumors Swirlin: MLB FanHouse reports that the Yankees and Reds are discussing a deal that would send RHP Bronson Arroyo to the Yankees. I'm not too excited, because I am looking at Arroyo's numbers and comparing them to someone like Jarrod Washburn. The price for Washburn can't be too high, can it?

UPDATE 7:14: Pete Abraham of the LoHud Journal News is saying that the rumors with Bronson Arroyo are NOT true. Phew. The Yankees can definately do better.

UPDATE 7:33: Pretty good second inning going for the Yankees. Matsui motored from first to home on a double by Posada. Then Cano fell just short of a HR, but Zobrist must have thought it was a HR and fell back into play as he hesitated to pick it up. So Cano gets an RBI triple and scores on a groundout and it is 3-0 Yankees.

UPDATE 8:35: It's the fourth inning and Michael Kay has yet to talk about anything about this very important divisional game and instead is talking about emotions in football, steroids, the Hall of Fame, and the Tony Bernazard/Omar Minaya/ Adam Rubin fiasco.

UPDATE 8:59: Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher just went back-to-back and Swisher's HR was an absolute BOMB! 5-0 Yankees in the top of the 6th.

UPDATE 9:18; So the Yankees exchange the run for a double play so the lead is cut to 5-1. I know our pitching is better than the Blue Jays, but this Rays team came back down 8-0 to them the other day so you can''t count them out. Then agains they were also no-hit the other day too, so uhm, not sure what that means. Maybe the Blue Jays just really suck.

UPDATE 9:23: News is out saying the Indians have traded Ryan Garko to the San Francisco Giants. What this has anything to do with the Yankees you may ask? Well it marks the firesale the Indians are about to go on, but the Red Sox are the team that has been in contact with Cleveland alot lately so we have to keep an eye on what they do. They have the possibility of obtaining Victor Martinez or Cliff Lee.

UPDATE 9:26: It's official. The apocalypse is near. Robinson Cano has walked twice in a single game. Oh look, there goes a pig flying by my window.

UPDATE 9:49: A-Rod just fell short of a birthday home run but he still drives in two and it is 7-1 Yankees.

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Week in Review

It's been a news-worthy week in Yankee-land.

First of all, the Yankees just finished off their best homestand in this millennium, winning percentage wise. Their 9-1 record since the All-Star break has moved the Yankees into first-place in the AL East, 2.5 games ahead of Boston and 6.5 in front of the Rays.

WHO'S HOT: Jorge Posada and Mark Teixeira have been pacing the team on offense over the last seven days, posting averages of .350 and .308, respectively . They're also providing the power, with a combined 5 homers and 10 RBI's over the last week.

On the mound, the bullpen trio of Phil Coke, Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera have been locked in. In a combined 9.2 innings of work, they have allowed only 3 hits and 0 runs, while striking out 7 and walking only one batter. That's why the Yankees have won 7 of the last 9 games by two runs or less.

WHO'S NOT: Hideki Matsui has fallen off from his recent hot streak, with only one hit in his last 17 at-bats. Granted that one hit was a game-winning walk-off home run against the O's, but hopefully this slump doesn't last long because it will create a hole in the middle of the order.

The two men who at one point had the 8th inning job, Alfredo Aceves and Brian Bruney, have been disasters this past week, posting ERA's of 7.71 and 10.80. If they both get their heads on straight, none of the top 3 guys in the 'pen will get overworked.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR THIS WEEK:
The Yankees start a 9 game road trip against the Rays, White Sox, and Blue Jays tomorrow when AJ Burnett takes the hill against James Shields at the Trop. The Yankees are already 6.5 games ahead of Tampa Bay, so they could possibly extend that lead to 9.5 with a sweep.

The trade deadline is Friday. Brian Cashman is obviously working the phones, looking for ways to help this team. He's probably focusing on pitching, specifically a 5th starter. He may also be looking for another bat off the bench, but that problem could probably be solved from within the organization. Just because you don't hear much buzz around the Yankees (because right now, there isn't much, except for the fact that they're scouting Ian Snell) don't be worried. I didn't hear anything about Nady and Marte until the Yankees until John sent me a text after it happened. And the Pudge-for-Farnsworth deal basically came out of nowhere for everybody. So, don't be surprised if Cashman pulls a rabbit out of his hat.

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Yankees 7 A's 5

Athletics 5 12 0
Yankees 7 12 1

WP: Coke (2-3)
LP: Braden (7-9)
S: Rivera (29)

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Derek Jeter. The captain went 2-4 with two singles, two RBI, and a run scored in the winning effort, including the go-ahead single in the bottom of the sixth.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Brian Bruney's eighth inning strikeout of Orlando Cabrera with the tying run on second and one out. It was the biggest out of the game, as it was able to set up Rivera for the four out save.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Derek Jeter's go-ahead two-run single in the sixth inning. The Yankees had just lost the lead but Jeter was able to get it right back and that was enough for the victory.

GAME NOTES:

• Sergio Mitre so far has done a pretty good job. He's done more than Chien-Ming Wang has done for us this year, so that is a good thing. He is also being a more effective number 5 starter than what someone like John Smoltz has been doing for the Red Sox.
• Both the Red Sox and Rays lost today so the Yankees are now 2.5 up on the Red Sox and 6.5 up on the Rays. They begin a 3-game set against the Rays tomorrow, so maybe they can start to distance themselves from the Rays.
• Nice to see Robbie Cano get a big hit with RISP today. A bases clearing double in the first was key in the Yankees victory today, so hopefully it's a sign of things to come for Robbie.
• Hughes scoreless innings streak still lives on, but he is probably unavailable to pitch tomorrow.

Tomorrow:

Yankees @ Rays 7:08 (08?) ET at the Trop

Burnett vs Shields (should be a good one)

See ya!

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GAME 98: Yankees vs A's

YANKEES (59-38, First AL East)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Posada C
Matsui DH
Swisher RF
Cano 2B
Cabrera CF
Ransom 3B
Pitching: RHP Sergio Mitre (1-0, 4.76)

Athletics (41-55, Fourth AL West)
Kennedy 3B
Cabrera SS
Hairston LF
Cust DH
Suzuki C
Sweeney RF
Barton 1B
Ellis 2B
Paterson CF

Starting a New Streak: The Yankees lost their first game after the All Star Break yesterday, but today they send Sergio Mitre out to the mound to start a new streak.
Gardner to DL: Brett Gardner was put on the DL with a broken left thumb. He injured it in the first inning yesterday and still hit a triple and made two diving catches later in the game. That is why I love this guy. Jonathan Albaladejo has been called up to take his spot today. It is expected they will get a position player tomorrow to fill the spot.

UPDATE 1:40: Leave it to Cano to clear the bases and still make the last out in a RISP situation. Anyway, I'll take it, 4-2 Yankees.

UPDATE 1:50: Michael Kya said he has tickets for a Barry Manilow concert. For a birthday gift for his sister...riiiiiight.

UPDATE 2:41: I remember back at school, some Red Sox fans were actually happy they got John Smoltz and thought he'd be a good back end of the rotation guy. He's 1-3 with a 6.31 ERA and is losing 5-0 to the Orioles right now in the 4th inning. Sergio Mitre is doing a better job as a fifth starter than him (knock on wood).

UPDATE 2:48: That's it for Mitre. 5 innings, 3 runs, and 9 hits. Not bad for a fifth starter (better than Smoltz) but now in a 1-run game the Yankees bullpen needs 12 outs. I wonder if they go Coke, Hughes for 2 innings, then Mo? Those are the only guys I trust right now. Maybe Aceves if necessary.

UPDATE 2:57: I'm assuming Coke gave up a HR. I didn't see it as I am watching Rickey Henderson's speech, but I turn back to find the Yankees trailing 5-4.

UPDATE 3:06: I gave away my tickets for this game, but it is pretty much like most of the games I have attended. Yanks get on the board early. Give the lead back. Then come back and re-take the lead. 6-5 Yankees on Jeter's RBI single.

UPDATE 4:00: Hughes gets into a jam in the eighth. Bruney gets a key strikeout. Now Mo is on with second and third and two outs for a four out save.

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Yanks Streak Ends At 8

Athletics 6 9 0
Yankees 4 6 0

WP: Gonzalez (2-2)
LP: Pettitte (8-6)
S: Bailey (11)

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Gio Gonzalez. The guy got shelled by the Twins his last start, but comes out today and didn't give up a hit for 4.2 innings. Overall he gave up 1 run on 2 hits over 6.2 innings pitched and struck out 6.

PLAY(s) OF THE GAME: There was lots of excellent defense by the Yankees. Any Pettitte's slide to field a ground ball and backhand flip to first to get an out is one. Then Brett Gardner making two consecutive catches as he was diving forward to make the catch in shallow center field.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Landon Powell's single off Alfredo Aceves in the top of the 7th inning. The hit broke a 1-1 tie and kept the inning going for the A's who scored 6 runs that inning.

GAME NOTES:

• Next time Girardi goes to take out a pitcher, no more Grady Little BS. Take him out if he doesn't look good. That proved to be costly.
• Andy Pettitte pitched very well and effective for 6 innings today. That 7th inning was tough but of the 4 runs charged to him, 3 of those were due to Aceves not being able to escape the bases loaded jam Pettitte left him. If there is any positive you take from this, it is Andy Pettitte has looked a lot better his last 2 starts out, and they are going to need him to pitch well down the road.
• Jeter and Teixeira both homered today, but it was not enough to pull off the comeback. Jeter's single in the fifth inning passed Ted Williams on the all-time list. Teixeira's HR was his 25th for the season, which leads the AL.

Tomorrow:

Yankees vs A's 1:05 ET Yankee Stadium

Mitre vs Braden

See Ya!

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GAME 97: Yankees vs Athletics

YANKEES (59-37, First Place AL East)
Jeter DH
Gardner CF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Swisher RF
Cano 2B
Cabrera LF
Ransom SS
Molina C
Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (8-5, 4.62).

ATHLETICS (40-55, Fourth Place AL West)
Lineup TBA
Pitching: LHP Gio Gonzalez (1-2, 9.33).

8 in a Row, Twice in a Row: The Yankees are the first team to win their first 8 games after the All Star Break for two years in a row. They try and make it 9 in a row today.
Power Pitching: The Yankees have a 2.25 ERA since the All-Star break and their starters are 6-0 with a 2.35 ERA.
A Game Against the A's: The Yankees are 4-0 against the A's this season, and have won 9 of their last 10 against them.
Passing the Splendid Splinter: Forgot to mention this yesterday, but Derek Jeter got his 2,654th hit, tying him with Ted Williams on the all-time hit list.

UPDATE 2:05: Not much to blog about here, but it is the fifth inning already and we got ourselves a pitcher's duel. Pettitte has only given up 1 hit while Gio Gonzalez has the Yankees hitless.

UPDATE 2:28: Well nothing much happening, other than Paul O'Neill telling Al Leiter he deserved giving up a HR to Jeter in the Subway Series because he threw a first pitch changeup.

UPDATE 2:30: O'Neill just said this guy has a 9 ERA coming into this game. I doubled check and indeed he does. What a disgrace that they only have one hit off him. I don't care if some of the starters are resting, but they should have 4 runs off this guy by now.

UPDATE 2:35: Well, it's about time. Gardner hits a triple that brings home Jeter. 1-0 Yankees.

UPDATE 2:53: Single up the middle ties the game up. One out runners at first and second. If there was ever a time for a double play, now would be it.

UPDATE 2:59: Pettitte gets taken out with a bases loaded jam, and Aceves was one strike away fromg etting out of it. Then he gave up a soft liner into left and now it is 3-1 Oakland.

UPDATE 3:04: Something didn't sit well for me when I saw Aceves come in with the bases loaded. He pitches to contact and the hits he gives up aren't hit hard, but now he just gave up a hard one and it is 6-1 A's. This inning has been disastrous for the Yankees. A's getting all the breaks.

UPDATE 3:14: So there is a Michael Kay fan club sign out in the terrace. And of course he loves it. Can a fan club exist wiht only 4 members? I guess so.

UPDATE 3:25: We all know the Yankees won't go away quietly. Does that mean they'll come back and win? No. It means they will score 2-3 runs in the eighth make it 6-3, 6-4. Then they will give up a run or two in the top of th ninth making it 7-3. Then they will rally to make it 7-5 or 7-6 and fall short. It's happened too many times this season and I can just sense it happening again.

UPDATE 3:41: Jeter and Tex go deep and now it is 6-4 A's. I hope they prove me wrong for what I said above, but a key in doing that is not letting the A's get any tack on runs in the ninth.

UPDATE 3:48: THAT BALL IS DRIVEN OUT TO DEEP LEFT FIELD AND IT IS....caught in front of the warning track. Thanks alot Michael Kay for giving me false hope.

UPDATE 3:55: I knwo what you are all wondering and yes, Kay asked if the Yankees had a rally in their bones. If they do, they didn't allow any tack on runs, so it remains 6-4.

UPDATE 4:07: Almost. But Posada had a double play in his bones instead. Check back later as I go and try and make sense of all this.

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Yankees 8 Athletics 3

Athletics 3 4 1
Yankees 8 12 1

WP: Chamberlain (6-2)
LP:Anderson (5-8)

PLAYER OF THE GAME; Joba Chamberlain. Joba was able to go seven innigns for the second straight outing and gave up 1 run on 2 hits and struck out 6.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Jorge Posada's eighth inning home-run. You don't see Posada hit too many home-runs you would consider bombs, but this one ended up about 5 rows back in the left field bleachers. It also took the A's out of the game and made it 5-1.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Bottom of the third inning. The Yankees were able to manufacture two runs in order to take the lead by playing some fundamental baseball. Jeter hit an RBI single ro right to tie it, and Damon was able to bring in a run on an RBI groundout.

GAME NOTES:

• Of course Joba will start pitching well once discussion of Joba's innings limit rises. It'll be interesting how the Yankees handle Joba down the line if he keeps pitching well.
• Nice to give the bullpen a break in this one. The Yankees have won every game during their streak by 3 runs or less, so it was a bit of a relief (no pun intended) to have a blowout to rest our top arms in the pen.

Tommorow:

Yankees vs A's 1:05 ET Yankee Stadium

Pettitte vs Gonzalez

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GAME 96: Yankees vs Athletics

YANKEES (58-37, First Place AL East)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Posada C
Matsui DH
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Cabrera CF
Pitching: RHP Joba Chamberlain (5-2, 4.05).

ATHLETICS (40-54, Fourth Place AL West)
Kennedy 3B
Cabrera SS
Hairston LF
Cust DH
Suzuki C
Sweeney RF
Barton 1B
Ellis 2B
Patterson CF
Pitching: LHP Brett Anderson (5-7, 4.25).



Keep the Streak Going: The Yankees have won 7 straight games and have won 20 of their last 25 games.
Jobamania: Joba Chamberlain takes the hill tonight and he is coming off what is probably his best start, in which he gave up 1 run on 3 hits and 6.1 innings. The question is, can he produce two consecutive quality starts?

UPDATE 8:31: So, I haven't really seen much of this game at this point, but it seems like Joba is pitching well again. I just saw him get out of a second and third jam with a strikeout and he did his whole fist pump celebrations. Maybe that's what Joba needs, to return to his celebratory ways. He's back to being himself, and he's a better pitcher that way.

UPDATE 8:40: Why is Michael Kay obsessing over what people like cotton candy? According to my brother he's been talking about it for 2 innings or so now.

UPDATE 8:49: So the YES cameras kept showing Brett Anderson in the dugout and this kid is nuts. He kept slipping his thumb off of his necklace and was drinking his water and looking down and kept repeating it while sitting in the dugout. He has to have OCD or something. Kid is crazy.

UPDATE 9:04: Another 1-2-3 inning for Joba. I wonder if he comes out for the 8th. There's been alot of talk of his innings limit, but he is dealin right now. Not sure what his pitch count is either.

UPDATE 9:22: Joba back out for the eighth.

UPDATE 9:26: Ok, so a single and a hit batter will knock him out of the game. Now it's Phil Coke time. Still an excellent outing for Joba.

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Yankees 6 A's 3

Athletics 3 9 0
Yankees 6 10 0

WP: Sabathia (10-6)
LP: Mazzaro (2-7)
S: Hughes (1)

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Mark Teixeira. Tex went 2-4 with 3 RBI and a run. He hit a 2-run HR and as always, provided an excellent game defensively.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Robinson Cano's backhanded play and throw to first and Teixeira's scoop on the other end. The ball looked to be a single but instead got Hughes out of the eighth inning at only 9 pitches. Bringing him out for the 9th for his first career save.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Mark Teixeir'as 2-run HR in the fourth inning. At this point, Vinny from Jersey was cruising through the Yankees lineup, but Tex reminded him this was the big stage, and hit a bomb that woke up the Yankees offense.

GAME NOTES:

• After a 2 hour and 43 minute rain delay, they were able to get the game in and had it start at 9:40. I contemplated going to bed around the eighth, but I am just too dedicated to the blog to let that happen.
• Once again, Sabathia struggled early but settled later on. He has a team-leading 10 wins on the season.
• Hughes pitches two more scoreless innings and picked up his first career save. I know I shouldn't be, but in the back of my mind I am going, "He's going to have a bad outing sooner or later, please do not let it happen when we play the Red Sox in two weeks." Or maybe he's the next Mo, and will rarely have bad outings. Uh-oh, I think I'm starting a keep Hughes in the pen debate for next year. I'll stop while I'm ahead.

Tommorow:

Yankees vs A's 7:05 ET (unless there's another rain delay)

Brett Anderson vs Joba Chamberlain

See Ya!

Read more...

GAME 95: Yankees vs Athletics

YANKEES (57-37, First Place AL East)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Hinske RF
Gardner CF
Pitching: LHP CC Sabathia (9-6, 3.66).

ATHLETICS (40-53, Fourth Place AL West)
Davis RF
Cabrera SS
Hairston CF
Holliday LF
Garciaparra 1B
Suzuki C
Cust DH
Crosby 3B
Ellis 2B
Pitching: RHP Vin Mazzaro (2-6, 4.09).

Second-Half Stars: The Yankees have opened the second half of the season winning their first six games against the Tigers and Orioles, and will try and make it 7 in a row against the Athletics tonight.
All About the Pitching: Since the All Star Break the Yankee starters are 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA. Including all pitchers, they have given up 13 runs over the last 54 innings.
Phil and Mo: Phil Hughes has a 0.81 ERA and has struck out 22 batters in his last 17.2 innings pitched. Mariano Rivera has converted 28 of 19 save opportunities and has dropped his ERA from his last 15 appearances from 3.38 to 2.18.
Hometown Hero: The starting pitcher for the Oakland Athletics, 22-year old Vin Mazzaro, is originally from Hackensack, NJ and pitched for Rutherford High School (NJ). He will have plenty of family and friends on hand at the game today.

As always, we go to Ollie Williams for our weather forecast (it doesn't look good).

UPDATE 9:30: I have been out most of the evening but I guess I picked the perfect time to miss baseball because the rain delay has caused them to delay the game. The expected start time for the game is 9:40.

UPDATE 10:15: Sabathia is struggling through the second inning right now. 2-0 A's.

UPDATE 10:28: And he comes out for the third and has a six pitch inning. Exactly what Sabathia needed.

UPDATE 10:47: CC Sabathia and the Yankees hitters look like they wished this game was rained out. 3-0 A's. Yankees need to get things going offensively.

UPDATE 10:53: You knew this kid wasn;t gonna shutdown the Yankees all night. Teixeira hits one into the second deck and it's now 3-2 A's.

UPDATE 11:03: Posada hits a double and we're all tied up. Now if CC can settle down...

UPDATE 11:31: Yankees have a chnace to blow this game open this inning. It's 5-3 and Matsui is up with second and third, one out.

UPDATE 11:36: Bases loaded single by Posada makes it 6-3. Bases remain loaded, but the kid from Jersey's night is done. Hey, at least we don't have to keep hearing how he's from NJ and his family is there. (Wait, repetitiveness without Michael Kay there? That can't be good)

UPDATE 11:43: Nomar just got a seeing eye single past A-Rod and Jeter. That's the trifecta of the great 90's shortstops all involved on that play right there.

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New Poll: What do the Yankees Need for the Trade Deadline?

We are just 8 days away from the July 31 trade deadline, and the rumor mill is buzzing with all sorts of news over a bunch of different teams and players. Right now, the Yankees stand 2 games over the Boston Red Sox and 5.5 games over the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East. However, many believe the Yankees should make some sort of move. With the Red Sox sounding like they are going to make an effort for Roy Halladay or Victor Martinez, it is expected the Yankees will counter. Cashman has gone on the record saying he will solve problems internally first, but we've all heard that before.

So, we ask you, what would you like to see the Yankees do by the trade deadline? Acquire a starter? Reliever? Outfielder? Improve the bench? Or should they just stand pat? Vote on the poll to the right and feel free to comment on who you would like to see them get.

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Another Sweep for the Yanks

Orioles 4 9 0
Yankees 6 11 1

WP: AJ Burnett (9-4)
LP: Jason Berken (1-8)
S: Mariano Rivera (28)

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Jorge Posada. The catcher went 2-3 with 2 RBI's and 2 runs scored, while also helping Burnett pitch a gem.

Posada" style="border: medium none ; display: block;" width="240" height="160">Image by Keith Allison via Flickr

PLAY OF THE GAME: Nick Swisher's play at the wall, TOTALLY REDEEMING himself for screwing up an easy fly ball earlier in the game. (Swisher actually made that reference during the postgame interview, so I can't take credit).

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Robinson Cano reaching on an infield single in the first inning with 2 outs. It should have been an error, but it wasn't so there you go. But a run scored on that play and two more runs scored after what should have been the third out, which proved to be the difference in the game.

GAME NOTES:

• The Red Sox and Rangers play tonight at 8:05 pm tonight. Hopefully the Rangers can pull through with another win so the Yankees can take a 2 game lead over Boston.
• Brett Gardner played well today, not wasting one of the few opportunities he's had in the past couple of weeks. The Melk Man seems to be struggling, so if Gardner gets hot, he'll play.
  
• Burnett has been locked in lately. He is 4-0 in his last 5 starts with 26 strikeouts. In the last month, he has lowered his ERA by 0.50.
  
• Bruney needs to get sorted out to be the fourth guy in the bullpen. Behind Mo, Hughes, and Coke, Bruney needs to be the guy.
  

TOMORROW:
A's @ Yankees, 7:05 PM
Mazzaro vs Sabathia

SEE YA!

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Game 94: Orioles at Yankees

YANKEES (56-37, 1st place AL East (that feels so good to write)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Gardner CF

Pitching: RHP A.J. Burnett (8-4, 3.81).

ORIOLES (41-52, 5th place AL East)
Roberts 2B
Jone CF
Markakis RF
Huff 1B
Wigginton 3B
Scott DH
Zaun C
Pie LF
Andino SS

Pitching: RHP Jason Berken (1-7, 6.44).

TIME/TV: 1:05, YES.

Going for six in the city:The Yankees are 5-0 during the first homestand after the All-Star break.

Beating up on the O's: The Yanks lead the season series against the Orioles with a record of 8-3.

Captain Milestone: Derek Jeter, with 2,650 hits, is only 4 behind Ted Williams on the All-Time list.

Who?: I've never heard of Jason Berken and he has an ERA over 6. So, if the Yankees decide they are going to go back to not being able hit someone that is horrible, it's going to be a long day.

UPDATE 1:15: So now Jeter's only 3 hits behind Teddy Ballgame. And it looks like the Red Sox traded for Adam LaRoche. From the Yankees perspective, I'd rather face LaRoche than Nick Johnson or Garret Atkins, who were some of the other options the BoSox were looking at.

UPDATE 1:18: Jeter is in the lineup, but it still looks like he's favoring that leg a little.

UPDATE 1:19: Looks like the Yankees already have this guy's number. They've been tattooing the ball.

UPDATE 1:28: That's one of the weakest hits I've ever seen. That's gotta be an error. And they need to score more than 2 runs this inning.

UPDATE 2:48: Let's see if Burnett can get through 7. He's at 89 pitches through 6.

UPDATE 3:08: Well, there goes the shutout.

UPDATE 3:47: This is one of the areas the Yankees need to look to improve: their bench. They need to pick up a right handed or a switch hitting bat to pinch hit in tight situations late in ballgames.

And Michael Kay joked (and no, it wasn't funny. Do you need to even ask?) that YES was putting cameras in his house to see how he prepares for games. I was under the impression that he didn't actually prepare and he was just up there winging it.

UPDATE 3:59: I was literally right in the middle of writing "Bruney is obviously performing much better after meeting Michael Kay's Successors" before he just gave up back-to-back home runs.

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Back on top in the AL East

Orioles 4 9 0
Yankees 6 4

WP: Siergio Mitre (1-0)
LP: Rich Hill (3-3)
S: Rivera (27)

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod's 2 RBI's could not have come at a better time, as he drove in Cody Ransom and Derek Jeter with a single in the bottom of the third that gave the Yankees a one-run lead.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Robbie Cano, don't ya know! His 2-run shot in the fourth gave the Yankees some breathing room for Sergio Mitre.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: The aforementioned single by Rodriguez.

GAME NOTES:

• Thank you, Texas Rangers. With the Red Sox loss to the Rangers, the Yankees move into first place in the AL East all by themselves for the first time since June 8th. Maybe if they had actually beaten Boston once this season, the lead would be bigger.
  
• One very important thing to watch tomorrow: Jeter was favoring his leg. He stayed in the game, but it's Jeter, his leg would need to fall off for him to come out.
• Brett Bombko was designated for assignment, so hopefully we won't have to watch the opposing team take batting practice.
  
• The Yankees improve to 31-16 at the New Ballpark in the Bronx.
• This was Mitre's first win in the Majors since 2007 with the Marlins

TOMORROW:
Orioles at Yankees
Jason Berken vs AJ Burnett


OHHHHHHHHHHHHH WHAT A POST!!! THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST POSTS... YOU WILL EVER SEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


SEE YA!

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GAME 93 Yankees vs Orioles

YANKEES (55-37, Tied for First Place AL East)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez DH
Posada C
Swisher RF
Cano 2B
Cabrera CF
Ransom 3B
Pitching: RHP Sergio Mitre (4-1, 2.32 in minors).

ORIOLES (41-51, Fifth Place AL East)
Roberts 2B
Jones CF
Markakis RF
Huff 1B
Scott DH
Mora 3B
Reimold LF
Wieters C
Izturis SS
Pitching: LHP Rich Hill

Going for Five: The Yankee have opened the second-half of the season winning four straight and they try and make it 5 in a row tonight. They are also tied for first with the Red Sox.
Meet Mitre: Sergio Mitre is making his first start since September 2007. He is 10-23 with a 5.36 ERA over 5 seasons with the Cubs and Marlins. Mitre signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees prior to the season and went 4-1 with a 2.32 ERA in 54.1 IP with AAA Scranton. Brett Tomko was DFA'd to make room for Mitre.
Sticking to the Plan: The Yankees are giving Alex Rodriguez the day off and Cody Ransom will be starting at 3B. It's A-Rod's first day off since the All Star break.
All about the Pitching: Yankees pitchers are 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA since the All-Star break.
Hot-decki: The hero of last night's game has been on fire during the month of July. Since July 2, he is .350/.471/.775 with 5 HR and 14 RBI. He has also scored 7 runs and walked 10 times too.

UPDATE 8:35: Wrote in the notes Yanks were sticking to the plan giving A-Rod the day off. Well, I lied, he has a half-day off as the DH. Because he just gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead on a bases-loaded single.

UPDATE 8:48: Cano hits his first HR since July 3, and it's 5-2 Yankees.

UPDATE 9:04: 6-2 Yankees top of the fifth. Looks like Jeter got up from that play at the plate limping. He's back out at short, but let's just hope he is okay and stays in for the remainder of the game.

UPDATE 9:13: I think there are only two thoughts going through Yankees fans minds during this game right now. 1. Mitre ain't that bad. 2. Jeter better not be 'effing hurt.

UPDATE 9:22: Maybe I spoke too soon about Mitre. Or maybe 5 innings is his limit against MLB teams, now it's 6-4 Yankees. And one more thing, how atrocious has Damon's fielding been this year?

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Baseball News on a Rainy Day

It's raining out and there is nothing to do, so we'll give you some baseball news to read about.

As most of you already know, the Yankees enter tonight's game in a first place tie with the Red Sox. I think it's safe to say the AL pennant is heating up, and it should be fun to watch to the finish.

What most of the baseball world is talking about is, none other than Roy Halladay. The rumor mill continues to provide new information each day on him. Yesterday, there was talk that JP Ricciardi offered Roy Halladay to the Mets for Fernando Martinez, Jon Niese, Bobby Parnell, and Ruben Tejada, but was rejected by Omar Minaya. Word is this was a false report, and if it were true, Ricciardi should have been fired for offering it, and Minaya should have been fired for rejecting it.

• Anyway, today's Halladay news is that the Blue Jays are setting a July 28 deadline to deal him. The Phillies remain the favorites to get him.
• Buster Olney suggests an alternative to Halladay, in Justin Duchscherer. Duchscherer's numbers from 2008 were 141 innings, 107 hits, 2.54 ERA, 34 walks, and 95 strikeouts. He has missed all of this year due to an injury, but is expected to return in a couple of weeks. I don't know if anyone would trade for this guy not knowing if he'll pitch this season, but he will be a free agent ater the season, so keep an eye on him.
• There has been much talk over last night's game between the A's and the Twins, where the A's came back from a 12-2 deficit to beat the Twins 14-13. It was the way the game ended that had everyone talking. Michael Cuddyer was called out at home plate after a wild pitch to end the game on a play where he was clearly safe. This is now bringing more uproar to the MLB and instant replat debate.
• Also do not expect the Rockies todeal Huston Street or Jason Marquis, because they took a 1/2 game lead in the NL Wild Card race with a 10-6 victory over the Diamondbacks.

If you are wondering on what my thoughts are for the Yankees at the trade deadline, I believe they need a middle to back-end of the rotation type of guy. I would like to see if the price for Cliff Lee isn't too high, but I think they will end up with someone like Ian Snell, Doug Davis, or Aaron Harang. If the Mariners fall out of contention, expect a push for Jarrod Washburn again.

Hopefully the Yankees get this game in tonight despite the rain.

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Yankees 2- Orioles 1

Orioles 1 6 4
Yankees 2 4 0

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Andy Pettitte. The veteran lefty went 7.1 innings, allowing only 1 run on 6 hits. He helped the Yanks win their 3rd-straight close game.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Mark Teixeira cutting down Cezar Izturis at the plate to keep the game tied in the top of the 8th inning.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Hideki Matsui's walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the ninth to win the game.

Game Notes:

• With the Rangers 6-2 over the Red Sox, the Yankees are now tied for first place in the AL East.


• Matsui's homer is the Yankees's 4th walk-off home run of the season. That ties them for first in the league with the Rangers.


• Eric Hinske has hit 4 home runs in his first 5 games with the Yankees. That hasn't been done since 1977, when Dave Kingman did it.

TOMORROW:

Orioles at Yankees (7:05 PM, MY9)

Rich Hill vs Sergio Mitre

SEE YA!

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GAME 92: Yankees vs Orioles

YANKEES (54-37, Second Place AL East)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Cano 2B
Hinske RF
Cabrera CF
Molina C
Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (8-5, 4.85).

ORIOLES (41-50, Fifth Place AL East)
Roberts 2B
Markakis RF
Jones CF
Huff 1B
Mora 3B
Scott DH
Reimold LF
Wieters C
Izturis SS
Pitching: RHP David Hernandez (2-2, 3.94).

Yankees Rolling: The Yankees are coming off sweeping the Tigers and have won 16 of their last 21 games. They are one game behind the Red Sox for the AL East and 17 games over .500. They have not been 18 games over .500 since the final game of the 2007 season.
Pettitte to Keep the Line Moving: The Yankees pitching was supurb this past weekend. Their line was 27 innings, 20 hits, 5 earned runs, 12 walks, 24 strikeouts. All starters wen at least 6 innings and gave up no more than 3 runs. Pettitte is 25-6 in his career vs the O's, and 10-2 in the Bronx. The last time he faced them was the final game at Yankee Stadium in which he gave up 2 earned runs in five innings.
The Mo Show: Mariano Rivera has pitched the last 3 games and recorded the save in each of them. He has thrown 13.1 scoreless innings in his last 13 appearances, allowing four hits with one walk and 12 strikeouts. He may not be available to today because of pitching 3 days in a row.
Home Sweet Home: The Yankees are 29-16 at home and are 23-9 in their last 32 games at home. Their next 7 games are at home against two last place teams, the Orioles and Athletics.

UPDATE 8:51: Ok, so I missed the first 3 innings or so, but nothing has really happened inthis game. Nick Markakis and Eric Hinske each have a solo HR. That's it. It's the seventh inning alredy. Hey, at least Andy looks like he's pitching well. Knock on wood.

UPDATE 9:04: I could have sworn I read somewhere, perhaps on Pete Abe's blog, that it was unprofessional for the journalists to ask for a players' autograph. I kind of understabd the Old Timer guys yesterday, but does he really need Mo's signature? And why does he have to talk about it in the 7th and 8th inning of a 1-1 game? Sorry, this guyjsut baffles me at times.

UPDATE 9:08: Gotta say, I am impressed with Pettitte today. He is now in his eighth inning of work. Hopefully he can be the second-half pitcher he's been in the past.

UPDATE 9:11: Well I started giving Andy a little too much credit as it looks like 8 innings was pushing it a little. He leaves after 7.1 innings pitched with 2 men on. He gave up 4 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, and struck out 7. Solid outing by Pettitte, certainly surpassed my expectations entering thegame.

UPDATE 9:16: What a crazy sequence of events that jsut took place. Tex throws a guy out at home plate on a groundball to first. Then the next pitch Coke throws is wild and gets away from Molina. Brian Roberts goes for home and Molina throws it to Coke who tags Roberts, who missed home plate according to the ump. End of inning. What a bizarre way to end the inning.

UPDATE 9:48: Matsui ends the game with a walk-off home run and gets an pie in the face courtesy of A.J. Burnett.

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Yankees 2 Tigers 1...Again

Tigers 1 4 0

Yankees 2 5 1

WP: Chamberlain (5-2)

LP: Jackson (7-5)

S: Rivera (26)

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Joba Chamberlain. He struggled a bit early, but like CC yesterday, he eventually settled in and turned back to the Joba we all once loved. He went 6.2 giving up 3 hits 1 run and striking out 8.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Mark Teixeira's go-ahead solo home-run in the bottom of the sixth. It gave the Yankees the lead that they needed in order to win the game. It was also a shot into the second deck, as ar most of his home runs.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: When Joba Chamberlain got out of a first and third one out jam in the top half of the fifth inning. He go Miguel Cabrera to pop up and struck out Marcus Thames out released an emphatic fist pump that we haven't seen in a while.

GAME NOTES:

• The Yankees now move within 1 game of the Red Sox after today's win. Sweeping a division leading team like the Tigers has got to be good for this team and shows they can beat winning ballclubs. Especially the last two games to come away with a low scoring one-run victory against two tough pitchers says alot about the Yankees pitchers and that the hitters are coming up with clutch hits late in the game.


• A-Rod hit his 19th HR earlier in the game, the 572 in his career. It seemed like most of the offense the entire series was provided by A-Rod and Tex.


• Phil Hughes once again pitched a scoreless inning, striking out two batters. Check out this stat on Hughes in the bullpen: He has thrown 16.2 consecutive scoreless innings, 21 K's. and a 0.84 overall ERA in relief.

Tommorow:

Yankees vs Orioles 7:05 ET Yankee Stadium

Pettitte (8-5) sv Hernandez (2-2)

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GAME 91: Yankees vs Tigers

YANKEES (53-37, Second Place AL East)
Jeter SS
Gardner CF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Cabrera LF
Pitching: RHP Joba Chamberlain (4-2, 4.25).

TIGERS (48-41, First Place AL Central)
Granderson CF
Polanco 2B
Cabrera 1B
Thames DH
Thomas RF
Inge 3B
Anderson LF
Laird C
Santiago SS
Pitching: RHP Edwin Jackson (7-4, 2.52).

Let's Pray for an AL Central October Matchup: The Yankees are 18-5 against the AL Central this season and 4-1 against the Tigers.
What will he have us talk about tommorow?: Joba Chamberlain gets the start today. In his last seven starts he is 1-1 with a 5.05 ERA. All eyes will be on him because the debate on whether he's a starter or reliever will ever die.
Most Valuable Captain: Derek Jeter has been on fire lately. He is 22 of 51 (.431) with nine runs scored, five RBI, eight walks and a .508 OPB. He has only struck out 4 times in that time too.

UPDATE 2:57: After 3 innings Joba has thrown 53 pitches. Not bad considering he threw 23 in the first inning. No score in the bottom of the third with Swish on first and Melky up at bat.

UPDATE 3:08: Joba just gave up a BOMB to Clete Thomas, who looks like he weighs as much as me (I'm about 150). That was about 10-15 rows up the bleachers.

UPDATE 3:19: A-Rod erases that deficit quickly with one swing of the bat. Now the Yankees have something going with 2 on and 2 outs but its our favorite hitter with RISP, Robbie Cano at the plate.

UPDATE 3:27: Roy Hallladay just pitched a 1 run CG against the Red Sox. Whatever contender gets him HAS to be the favorite to reach the WS in their respective league.

UPDATE 3:32: They gave Granderson a triple??? He doesnt reach third base if not for Nick Swishers inability to play the outfield. And now he hits Polanco. Great.

UPDATE 3:37: Don't know if Miek Francesa will be back tommorow, but if he is Joba is doign a good job, but don't worry, becasue he pumped his fist striking out Thames so that will get him all riled up.

UPDATE 3:40: Al Leiter just said the photographers at Yankee Stadium is a good idea because it is like Disney World. We have been saying the exact same thing about the photographers for the last couple of months. Next they'll have you exit the Stadium through the gift store.

UPDATE 3:56: How about Mark Teixeira? Another second deck shot and it's 2-1 Yankees.

UPDATE 4:14: Joba was freakin dealin' I would have let him finish the inning. But God forbid Girardi has a righty pitch to a lefty late in a game. Joba strikes out 5 of his last 6 batters he faces and did a tremendous job. Hopefully we see more of this the rest of the season.

UPDATE 4:41: Hughes strikes out 2 more batters in the eighth today, and, there may be evidence of him doing a fist pump. It was very subtle, but when 8 of the 9 outs you record over the span of 3 days are strikeouts, you can pump your fist all you want.

UPDATE 4:44: We can now add this to the list of stupid things Michael Kay says: "Good name for a Tiger, Brandon Lyon." (Rolling my eyes)

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Yankees 2 Tigers 1

Tigers 1 6 0
Yankees 2 7 0

WP: Sabathia (9-6)
LP: Verlander (10-5)
S: Rivera (25)

PLAYER OF THE GAME: CC Sabathia. It was going to be the pitcher who came out on the winning end of this one, and Sabathia got the job done. It wasn't pretty to watch, 66 of his 112 pitches were strikes, but he threw 7 scoreless innings, which was better than what Verlander did.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Alex Rodriguez's seventh inning HR. It may have been a "Yankee Stadium Homer," but he came through in the clutch and it was first strike of any offense for both teams.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: The top of the 6th inning. Sabathia had runners on second and third with one out and his pitch count getting near 100. It looked like he wouldn't be able to grind out of another jam, but he did by getting the next two batters to pop out. After that, you got the feeling that maybe the Yankees can pull a victory out of this one.

GAME NOTES:

• This was a good old fashioned pitchers duel. You can't say enough about Sabathia's effort today, doing everything he can to shutdown the Tigers.
• David Cone threw out the ceremonial first pitch in honor of his 10th anniversary of his perfect game. I was at that game when I was 9, and it is one my most memorable Yankee Stadium moments.
• Michael Kay was at the game sitting in the Legends Suite. Mark Teixeira lost control of his bat in the sixth inning and almost hit his head (just kidding) but Tex really did lose his bat.

Tommorow:

Old Timers Day: Coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. Should be a good one, alot of players from those dynasty 90's teams will be on hand.

Actual Game: 2:05 pm ET Chamberlain vs Jackson.

See Ya!

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GAME 90 Yankees vs Tigers

YANKEES (52-37, Second AL East)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Cabrera CF
Pitching: LHP CC Sabathia (8-6, 3.86).

TIGERS (48-40, First AL Central)
Granderson CF
Polanco 2B
Cabrera 1B
Thames DH
Ordonez RF
Raburn LF
Inge 3B
Laird C
Everett SS
Pitching: RHP Justin Verlander (10-4, 3.38).

Philnominal: The story after last night's game was all about Phenom Phil Hughes, who struck out 6 batters in 2 innings. He has thrown 15.2 shutout innings in his last 12 outings while striking out 19. However, because he threw so many pitches yesterday, he will not be available for today's game.
Comeback Kids: The other story from last night, was the Yankees winning their 24th come-from-behind victory, and their 12th when trailing after 6 innings.
Aces Wild: Today's pitching matchup is Justing Verlander vs CC Sabathia. Verlander is 3-1 with a 4.85 ERA against the Yankees. Sabathia is 13-10 with a 4.69 ERA vs the Tigers.

UPDATE 2:06: Well we are getting what is advertised so far: a pitchers duel. Although Sabathia has gotten himself out of jams and thrown alot of pitches. Verlander has only given up one hit thus far.

UPDATE 2:15: The DP is CCs BFF today. Ok, that's something Michael Kay would say. Speaking of which, Michael Kay is at the game today in the Legends Suite. Looks like he's enjoying his two-week vacation. Anyway CC is at 75 pitches through 4, but those DPs could help get him through the 6th hopefully into the 7th.

UPDATE 2:50: Wow. Sabathia got himself out of a huge jam right there. Second and third one out, and he gets the next two batters to pop up. Thats six shutout innings. I'm notsure if he'll be out for the seventh. But the Yankees got to get something going against Verlander, because the Tigers look closer to scoring, and one run may be all one of these teams needs to win this game.

UPDATE 2:55: Two-out double by Damon. Let's see if Tex can bring him in.

UPDATE 2:59: And he strikes out.

UPDATE 3:05: CC comes back out for the seventh and gets a 1-2-3 inning. That is probably it for him. It may not have been pretty, but he did his job today. Let's see if the Yankees bats and pen do their part.

UPDATE 3:09: A-Rod coming through in the clutch!!! I wonder if Verlander thought it was a regular fly ball, cuase that was a first row right field HR. That may be the only run of the game, Yanks pen has to shut the Tigers down. Probably Aceves or Coke I would think for the eighth.

UPDATE 3:18: Look at that! Two runs! A slow roller to short, Swisher got in teh way of Everett to block his view of the ball, and by the time he picked it up and fired to first the Melkman was safe. 2-0 Heading into the eighth. Feel alot better with that second run.

UPDATE 3:30" Thank goodness for that insurance run. Thames makes it 2-1 with a solo shot.

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Yankees 5 Tigers 3

Tigers 3 10 3
Yankees 5 13 1


WP: Hughes (4-2)
LP: Zumaya (3-3)
S: Rivera (24)

PLAYER OF THe GAME: Phil "Phranchise" Hughes. The guy struck out 6 batters in 2 innings of relief. Enough said.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Melky Cabrera throwing out Miguel Cabrera from right field. Miguel hit a ball off the wall and the Melkman threw him out from teh rightfield scoreboard at second base.


TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Mark Teixeira's 3-run shot in the second deck to put the Yankees up 5-3.

GAME NOTES:

• Hughes was absolutely filthy today. He threw 40 pitches, 30 for strikes. I wonder if not for the rain delay, would Hughes have gone out for a third inning? And was Girardi letting Hugehs pitch 2 innings stretching him out for a start in the future? Watch the YES postgame for answers.


• Burnett did not have his best stuff today. But he kept them in the game going 6 innings and allowing only 3 runs.


• Nice to see Tex come through in the clutch and starting to get that home run swing back.

Tommorow:

Yankees vs Tigers 1:05 ET Yankee Stadium

Sabthia vs Verlander....matchup of the aces.

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GAME 89: Yankees vs Tigers

YANKEES (51-37, Second Place AL East)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Cabrera CF
Pitching: RHP A.J. Burnett (8-4, 3.77)

TIGERS (48-39, First Place AL Central)
Granderson CF
Polanco 2B
Cabrera 1B
Thames DH
Thomas RF
Inge 3B
Anderson LF
Laird C
Everett SS
Pitching: LHP Lucas French (1-0, 1.93).

TIME/TV: 7:05 p.m., YES.

They're Baaaaack: After what seemed like an eternity, the Yankees are back to playing baseball. They are 51-34 entering the second half and 3 games behind the divison leading Red Sox. These games down the stretch mean more and will give us a good indication on what this team is made of if they play in the postseason. Let the fun begin.
Keep on Burnin': A.J. Burnett is 4-1 with 1.34 ERA in his last five starts. He has struck out 35 batters and allowed 23 hits in his alst 33.2 IP.
El Capitan and Godzilla: Derek Jeter is hitting .382 since June 21 and has raised his average to .321 which is third in the AL. Hideki Matsui is 12 of his last 31 (.387) with four homers and 12 RBI and six runs scored.
Mitre to Start: Journeyman Sergio Mitre has been announced as Tuesday's starter. He will be spot starting due to Chien Ming Wang going on the DL. Alfredo Aceves will be back in the bullpen.

UPDATE 7:14 : Well Curtis Granderson picks off where he left offa t the All-Star Game. He led off with a double and the Tigers were able to get the run to scor,e 1-0 Tigers. Meanwhile Michael Kay has taken another series off. That's three in a row, and put the All Star Break in the middle of that. Yes folks, "the Voice of the Yankees" is on a 2-week vacation during a 6 month season. Not that we're complaining..

UPDATE 8:30: Curtis Granderson just hit a solo HR and it's 3-1 Tigers. Yankees need to get going off this no-name guy whose last name is French. Verlander and Edwin Jackson go the next two days so they need to win today.

UPDATE 8:50: TIgers playing like the Mets as a single into leftfield goes through Anderson's legs allowing Damon to score from first. Now its 3-2 1 out with Teixeira on second.

UPDATE 8:55: After the Tigers start playing like the Mets, A-Rod decides to get in on the fun and gets doubled off to kill the rally. The play was right in front of him and it was the softest liner Matsui could have hit to Polanco.

UPDATE 9:35: Mark Teixeira hits a 3-run shot into Damon's Deck off Zumaya. Technincally it shouldn't be called Damon's Deck, but, er, we'll get into that on one of our Michael Kaysim posts. But Tex coming through in the clutch with a monster shot!

UPDATE 10:04:Want to know why Phil Hughes is so great? He just pitched 2 innings and every out he got was a strikeout. Six K's in 2 IP. He was touching 97 on the YES gun. This guy is Philthyyy. He must not want Halladay on the Yankees.

UPDATE 10:54: Rain delay is almost over. Baseball should resume shortly.

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Meeting Brian Bruney

Today, Michael Kay's Successors traveled down to Wall, NJ for a autograph session with Brian Bruney.

First of all, yes, he is as bad-ass in person as he is on t.v., maybe even more.

When asked about a potential UFC 101 match up against K-Rod, he laughed and said, "I don't want to talk about that." And the friend who was there with him said, "That'd be on the front page of the (New York) Post tomorrow."

He signed and took pictures, as you can see below. John is in the first, and I am in the second.

Then, when we were in the parking lot, we saw a car (if you can call it that) that just looked like it belonged to Bruney, so we took a picture. We blocked out the license plate, but it was customized and only furthered our suspicions that it was Bruney's.

Yes, it says Alter Ego on the hood of the car. How could you look at that car, and not think it's Bruney's.

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Michael Kayisms: Fallacy of the Predetermined Outcome

We are continuing our segment on the weird things that Michael Kay says (over and over and over and over again). In the first post, John wrote about whether the Yankees have a "rally in their bones" or not.

Now, I'm here to tell you if I believe in the "fallacy of the predetermined outcome."

First of all, there is no such thing as the fallacy of the predetermined outcome (FPO), Kay just made it up. But did I really need to tell you that?

The definition of the FPO, according to Kay (considering he made it up, who else is going to define it?). For ease, I'm going to use a somewhat recent example to explain:
In the game on July 6, Derek Jeter was incorrectly called out trying to steal third base. The next batter got a hit. It would be natural to say, "Oh, if the umpire hadn't screwed up, Jeter would have scored on that hit!" Then Kay will say, "only if you believe in the FPO," because, if Jeter had been on third, the pitcher may have pitched the next batter differently and he wouldn't have gotten a hit.

The problem is, you can't "believe" in a fallacy. I'm going to use a philosophical example here so stay with me. A philosophical skeptic believes that there can be no absolute truth, that truth is relative and is different for everyone. But that means that no one can be wrong. Then, I could say there are absolute truths, and, based on the logic of a skeptic, I am right. That is the fallacy of the skeptic. (See, I actually did pay attention in my Western Civilization class). You can be a skeptic (or a predetermined outcomer) but there is the fallacy of each. You cannot believe in the fallacy, it's there or it isn't there.

So, the point is, Michael Kay isn't Socrates. He does have the whole "the only true wisdom is in knowing that you know nothing" thing down, but he still should not philosophize on-air.

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