Game 82: Blue Jays at Yankees

YANKEES (48-33)
Jeter SS
Swisher 1B
Teixeira DH
Rodriguez 3B
Posada C
Cano 2B
Cabrera LF
Hinske RF
Gardner CF
Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (8-3, 4.25).

BLUE JAYS (42-41)
Scutaro SS
Hill DH
Wells CF
Rolen 3B
Rios RF
Millar 1B
Bautista LF
Barajas C
McDonald 2B

Pitching: LHP Ricky Romero (6-3, 2.85).

TIME/TV: 1:05 p.m., YES.


Keep on Rollin': The Yankees have won 10 of their last 12 and are 15 games over .500. They are 1 game behind the AL East leading Boston Red Sox.

Captain Consistency: Derek Jeter hit his 10th home run of the season yesterday, marking his 14th consecutive season with 10-or-more home runs. He is now one of six Yankees to do this and one of five active Major League players through 2008 or 2009. The other Yankees to have done that: Mantle (1951-68), Berra (1947-62), Ruth (1920-34), Gehrig (1925-38) and Bernie (1993-06). Pretty good company if you ask me.

Blue Jay Beatdown: The Yankees are 5-1 against Toronto this season, their only loss coming against All-Star Roy Halladay.

UPDATE 1:21: Well, the blown call costs the Yankees a run. A really short day for Girardi, but he has to protect his Captain. As the play happened I thought he was out, but when Jeter got up and started arguing the way he did I started to believe he was safe, and he was. And when Girardi stopped at third base, I really thought he might pull a Lou Pinalla and toss it.

UPDATE 2:04: Since there were 2 outs when Rios hit that home run, the blown call allowed the Blue Jays to score 3 more runs than they would have. That is, of course, if you believe in the fallacy of the predetermined outcome. (Don't worry, it will be a Michael Kayism). And how many close plays is Jeter going to be involved in?

UPDATE 2:15: I'm pretty sure the inning ended before Kay could follow up on David Cone saying, "the mound at Yankee Stadium has always been center stage" with a plug about the show.

UPDATE 2:18: Why would 2 fans in Florida have Michael Kay's cell phone number? And why don't we have it?

UPDATE 2:28: Welcome to the Yankees, Eric Hinske. Second at-bat on the team and he hits a solo home run off the screen of the foul pole. Not bad. And now Gardner singles, maybe the Yankees can get something going.

UPDATE 3:20: We were taking a short break from the game to watch a car chase, and luckily we did, because that was much more exciting than this debacle before us right now.

UPDATE 3:23: These Geico commercials are getting extremely stupid. You know they've taken the Caveman thing too far when the best they can come up with is a caveman running through the streets to some 3 Doors Down song.

UPDATE 3:28: That call was absolutely HORRIBLE. It wasn't even close!

UPDATE 3:57: So maybe Jeter can shake the bad luck he's had so far today and hit his 2nd career grand slam.

UPDATE 4:05: Anyone else smell that? It smells to me like a comeback.

UPDATE 4:32: They are only doing this because I started writing the recap. Hinske the chance to be a hero in his first game.