GAME 131: Yankee at Orioles

Lineups via PeteAbe

YANKEES (82-48)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Matsui DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Hairston 3B
Cabrera CF
Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (11-6, 4.18).

ORIOLES (54-77, Fifth Place AL East)
Roberts 2B
Izturis SS
Jones CF
Markakis RF
Reimold LF
Mora 3B
Scott DH
Wieters C
Wigginton 1B
Pitching: RHP Jeremy Guthrie (9-12, 5.26).
TIME/TV: 7:05, YES.

All's Well in teh Bronx Right Now: They Yankees have won three straight and 20 of their last 26. They are 6 games ahead of the Red Sox and have the best record in the majors.
MVC: Most Valuable Captain: Derek Jeter is hitting .381 in August with 26 runs and 17 RBI.
Andy Dandy: Andy Pettitte is 3-1 with a 2.79 ERA since the All-Star break. He has allowed only 43 hits over 51.2 innings and has struck out 54.
Phil Choke: Phil Coke’s last 14 appearances: 11 innings, 15 hits, 13 earned runs, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts and 4 home runs. Not quite "Philthy" as Michael Kay would call him.

UPDATE 7:06: So Jeremy Guthrie leads the league in home runs and runs allowed...I like where this game could be headed.

UPDATE 7:24: "Hey Fans! Greatness has a new home!" Wait. There was no hey fans. That commercial wasn't done by Michael Kay? That's odd. But even the replacement had an annoying voice.

UPDATE 7:32: Swisher goes yard and it's 1-0 Yankees. By the way, Kay left a small detail out of that story. He forgot to mention it was A-Rod's first at-bat since he admitted he used steroids. Another reason why that HR was big, but why should we say anything negative about a Yankee?

UPDATE 8:06: Andy Pettitte has retired 12 consecutive batters through 4 innings.

UPDATE 8:24: Pettitte has not allowed a baserunner through 5. Yankees lead 2-0.

UPDATE 8:35: Naturally, I'd text people to make sure they are watching the game now, but the last time someone pitched like this after 6 innings I did that, changed my seat, and muted the TV, and the game was no longer a must watch.

UPDATE 8:38: This is Jim: Don't anyone move! If this ends, I'm holding YOU personally responsible.

UPDATE 8:42: Jim again: How many times have we heard the knuckleball story? And they will talk about Pettitte sitting around for a long time between innings, the only question is for how long.

UPDATE 8:56: Well there goes the perfect game and no httter. If Hairston makes that play they are out of the inning with the perfecto in-tact.

UPDATE 9:00: Jim: Yankees pitchers the last 25 innings: 3 runs, 10 hits, 2 walks. (It's John updating unless noted otherwise.)