GAME 86: Yankees at Angels

YANKEES (51-34, Tied for First Place AL East)
Jeter DH
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Swisher RF
Cano 2B
Cabrera CF
Ransom SS
Molina C
Pitching: RHP Joba Chamberlain (4-2, 4.04).

ANGELS (46-37, Second Place AL West)
Figgins 3B
Izturis 2B
Abreu RF
Rivera LF
Morales 1B
Napoli DH
Matthews CF
Mathis C
Aybar SS
Pitching: LHP Joe Saunders (8-5, 4.44).

TIME/TV: 10:05 p.m., YES.

Top of their Game: The Yankees have won 13 of the last 15 games, and now sit in a first place tie with the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees also lead the majors in runs (477), OBP (.358) and slugging (.469). They are second in home runs with 126.
Road Warriors Head to Anaheim: The Yankees have won 8 consecutive road games, the first time since 1998, and are 25-18 on the road this season. The Yankees also have not trailed in their last 67 innings on the road.
Mo and Cano: Mariano Rivera's last 13 games, he has pitched 13.2 innings and allowed 4 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 15 strikeouts.

UPDATE 10:07: The Red Sox just beat the Royals 1-0 as the Yankee game is underway. So right now they are 1/2 game back. And Jeter hits the first pitch right up the middle for a single. Good start.

UPDATE 10:16: Well the Yankees are off to a good start. A-Rod and Swish get back to back hits with men on base and it's 3-0 Yankees.

UPDATE 10:51: Well, Joba had a 9 pitch first inning, but he's back to the Joba we all know, giving up a hit to Juan Rivera and walking Mike Napoli, and throwing alot of pitches.

UPDATE 11:06: First 1-2-3 inning for Saunders. After a long inning by Joba, he has to go right back out there. See if it effects him at all.

UPDATE 11:15: If Joba could get his slider working like that all the time, he'd be back to the original Joba we all know. (The really, really good one, in case you weren't sure)

UPDATE 11:21: Bobby Abreu made a running catch toward the wall. That's something you don't see everyday. Maybe he thought the wall was farther away.

UPDATE 11:33: And it's the Verizon Wireless Call to the Bullpen as this is Jim coming in for John. John went 3+ innings, 2 hours and 18 minutes and leaves with the Yankees leading 4-1. Nice play by Cano to help Joba get out of the jam.

UPDATE 11:37: I wish I could take a flick the bat at a ball and hit it 400 freaking feet.

UPDATE 11:41: Did Flaherty really need to admit that he wasn't a good hitter? If you thought Flaherty was a good hitter... I can't even think of anything clever to compare it to he was so bad.

UPDATE 11:44: Ransom didn't want to hit right there. When it got to 3-0, he gave up on the at-bat and wanted to take a walk. Someone who doesn't get many at bats shouldn't go wasting them like that.

UPDATE 11:52: He may have been out. It was close, but you are never, ever going to get the call when the SS/2B tags him on the shoulder.

UPDATE 11:58: Well, if anyone answered Ken Singelton's question of "It's Friday night, where you going tomorrow?" with Sandy Hook, NJ. I'll be there cooking your food.

UPDATE 12:01: Not a good way to start off the day.

UPDATE 12:04: I'm looking at PeteAbe's post on Old Timer's Day. I see that Chad Curtis is going to be there. Don't he and Derek Jeter hate each other?

And apparently I used the wrong sponsor before, as they just called it the AT&T Call to the Bullpen on YES. My bad.

UPDATE 12:07: Hahaha. I just scrolled all the way down on that post: "Won’t the day be spoiled when Jeter punches out Chad Curtis?"