Game 17: Yankees at Angels

YANKEES (11-5)
Derek Jeter SS
Brett Gardner LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Curtis Granderson CF
Ramiro Pena 3B
Francisco Cervelli C

LHP Andy Pettitte (2-0, 1.35)

ANGELS (9-9)
Erick Aybar SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Hideki Matsui DH
Kendry Morales 1B
Juan Rivera LF
Howie Kendrick 2B
Mike Napoli 2B
Brandon Wood 3B

Joel Pineiro (2-1, 1.77)

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Game 16: Yankees at Angels

YANKEES (11-4)
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Johnson DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada C
Curtis Granderson CF
Nick Swisher RF
Brett Gardner LF

RHP A.J. Burnett (2-0, 2.37)

ANGELS (8-9)
Erick Aybar SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Hideki Matsui DH
Kendry Morales 1B
Juan Rivera LF
Maicer Izturis 3B
Howie Kendrick 2B
Bobby Wilson C

RHP Ervin Santana (1-2, 4.35)

Keeping it going: Despite the loss yesterday, the Yankees have won every series so far this year. If they can win another one on the road against a good team like the Angels, that will be a good sign for the rest of the season.

Double Up: Derek Jeter needs two doubles to tie Don Mattingly for third on the Yankees All-Time list.

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The Cano Show

LAA 2 5 0
NYY 6 9 0

WP Hughes (1-0)
LP: Kazmir (0-1)

Player of the Game: Robinson Cano. On Jackie Robinson Day, Cano, who was named after him, hit two home runs to lead the Yankees to a 6-2 win.

Play of the Game: Granderson's triples. To get two triples hit to right field in Yankee Stadium is pretty darn impressive.

Turning Point in the Game: Robinson Cano's second home run. It pretty much put the Angels out of the game.

Notes:

• Phil Hughes looked good early, but labored over the last three innings. What I don't understand is why Girardi left him in to start the sixth. Hughes was at 94 pitches after 5, he's young, why push it with him? Hughes walked the two guys he faced in the sixth and didn't have to pitch it. I'm sure Girardi will address that in the postgame.
• Hideki Matsui hit a solo home run in the second inning, and received some cheers for it. Obviously it was a class move for the fans to honor Matsui, but it kind of bothered me because it was a home run to take the lead. The last time a visitor got cheered for a home run was when Tino Martinez returned to Yankee Stadium as a Cardinal.
• Derek Jeter hit his second home run of the season to put the Yankees up 2-1 in the third.
• The Yankees have taken 2 out of 3 in each series so far this season.

Tomorrow

Yankees (6-4) vs Rangers (5-4) (weather pending)

CC Sabathia (1-0) vs CJ Wilson (0-0)

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Game 9: Yankees vs. Angels

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada C
Marcus Thames DH
Curtis Granderson CF
Randy Winn LF

RHP Phil Hughes (first start)

ANGELS
Erick Aybar SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Hideki Matsui DH
Kendry Morales 1B
Howie Kendrick 2B
Mike Napoli 2B
Brandon Wood 3B
Reggie Willits LF

LHP Scott Kazmir (first start)

Time to earn it: Phil Hughes makes his first start of the season after winning the number 5 starter spot out of Spring Training.

Off the bench: Randy Winn will make his first start as a Yankee today, as Nick Johnson and Brett Gardner get the day off against the lefty.

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Game 8: Yankees vs. Angels

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Johnson DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada C
Curtis Granderson CF
Nick Swisher RF
Brett Gardner LF

RHP Javier Vazquez

ANGELS
Erick Aybar SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Hideki Matsui DH
Kendry Morales 1B
Juan Rivera RF
Maicer Izturis 2B
Jeff Mathis C
Brandon Wood 3B

RHP Joel Pineiro

Sorry for the late post, these afternoon games are killing me.

Let's hope Javy's start goes better this time around.

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Ringing in the new season

Angels 5 11 0
Yankees 7 13 0

WP: Pettitte (1-0)
LP: Santana (0-2)
S: Rivera (3)

Player of the Game: Nick Johnson. Despite the fact that he has the Stadium crew play Miley Cyrus as he walks to the plate (apparently it's his daughter's favorite song), the new DH went 2-3 with a homer and three runs scored.

Play of the Game: The Jeterian home run to right center field by the Captain in the third inning.

Turning Point of the Game: The infield single by Derek Jeter with the bases loaded in the fourth inning. The ball bounced off Ervin Santana's hip and a run scored to give the Yankees a 3-0 lead.

Notes

• The Yankees received their World Series rings prior to the game today. It was an emotional moment all around when Head Trainer Gene Monahan, who is currently away from the team to undergo treatment for cancer, came out of the dugout to get his ring. World Series MVP Hideki Matsui, now a member of the Angels was on hand, as was current Padres Jerry Harriston Jr, who flew cross country on a red eye.
  
• Prior to the ceremony, Derek Jeter and Joe Girardi presented the Boss, George Steinbrenner, with his World Series Ring. They continue to maintain the curtain of secrecy around the Boss, because as far as I know, they didn't show him on TV.
• Derek Jeter played a prank on his old buddy Matsui. Apparently, the gave a way fake rings to fans, so Jeter put a fake one in Matsui's box, because Hideki wouldn't have anyone to compare it to and wouldn't realize until afterward. Girardi gave Matsui the real ring when the teams came on the foul lines for pre-game introductions.
• And Chan Ho Park pitched out of the bullpen, and was able to control all of his bodily functions.

TOMORROW:
Yankees vs. Angels, 1:05 PM
Vazquez vs. Pineiro

SEE YA!

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Opening Day: Yankees vs Angels

Lineups via Chad Jennings

Yankees
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Johnson DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada C
Curtis Granderson CF
Nick Swisher RF
Brett Gardner LF
LHP Andy Pettitte

Angels
Erick Aybar SS
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Hideki Matsui DH
Kendry Morales 1B
Juan Rivera RF
Howie Kendrick 2B
Jeff Mathis C
Brandon Wood 3B
RHP Ervin Santana

Home of Champions: The Yankees will receive their rings and raise their 27th World Championship flag during the pre-game ceremonies today. Opening Day is always a special game at Yankee Stadium, and opening it up celebrating a World Series Championship should be a great sight.
He's Been Here Before: Andy Pettitte has pitched on Opening Day at Yankee Stadium three times. He is 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA, so he's had success in this position before and shouldn't be overwhelmed by the ceremonies.
Welcoming Back the Sayanora Kid: World Series MVP Hideki Matsui returns to Yankee Stadium today wearing the Angels gray and red. Matsui established himself as a postseason hero last year and my prediction is he receives one of the biggest ovations of the day.

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Why Nick Johnson Over Godzilla?

So it seems like the Nick Johnson deal is all but done. Now, some people are upset about this because Johnson is injury-prone and essentially going to be a full-time DH with Teixeira playing everyday. Many have been quick to criticize the Yankees and Cashman because if they were going to get an injury-prone full-time DH, why not just stick with Matsui? Well, I will tell you.

Matsui's knees are more of a liability than any injuries Johnson has. By signing Johnson he replaces Johnny Damon's spot as the number 2 hitter in the lineup. His OBP was .426 last year. How many players had a better OBP in the majors?

Two. Joe Mauer and Albert Pujols. The two MVPs of each league.

With Jeter leading off and Johnson as the 2 hitter, the Yankees have two guys who know how to get on base which will be able to set up the power guys. Granderson will replace Matsui's spot in the lineup as the number 5 hitter. Granderson likes to pull the ball and hit 30 HR last year so I think the lineup is looking pretty good. Plus Granderson and Johnson are younger and cheaper than Matsui and Damon.

I can understand the frustration of some by refusing to sign Matsui but going after Johnson instead. But overall, I think this move will benefit the Yankees. Granderson and Johnson are not Matsui and Damon, but they are younger and have more upside. I think the Yankees will be just fine, and did a good job replacing two important pieces that brought a championship back to New York.

Looks like we're going to be snowed in this weekend. So I'll have nothing else better to do than surf the Internet for the latest trades and rumors so we'll keep you up to date.

See Ya!

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Matsui Reaches Agreement with Angels

The Hot Stove has been on fire all day today. Tyler Kepner of the NY Times reports that Matsui and the Angels agreed to a 1-year deal. Matsui, 35, played in 142 games and hit .272 with 28 homer runs and 90 RBI last season. He was 8 for 13 (.615) with three homers and eight R.B.I. in the World Series, making him the World Series MVP for the Yankees 27th title.

Matsui was never a priority for the Yankees this offseason. Cashman's philosophy of getting younger and healthier doesn't fit well with Matsui, who is 35 and battling knee issues. Getting Johnny Damon back would be more beneficial to the Yankees for his ability to still play the field.

Matsui never lived up to the power numbers he put up in Japan, but because of his postseason success he will be remembered as a hero in the Yankee Universe. The Yankees home-opener is against the Angels next year, so he will be there for the ring ceremony, and will be sure to get a standing ovation.

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Free Agents 2010: The Outfield

With nothing really solid happening on the free agent market yet, we'll take a look at some of the names being associated with the Yankees in regards to offseason plans, and how realistic the chances are they are wearing pinstripes in 2010.

Today we will look at he outfield candidates that could possibly end up in pinstripes next season. This is arguably the area the Yankees need to concentrate most this offseason because of Damon and Matsui (if you consider him OF) are free agents.

Outfielders
Matt Holliday
Age: 29
Status: Free Agent
2009 Salary: $13.5 Million

Matt Holliday is probably the biggest position-player free agent on the market. With Johnny Damon also a free agent the Yankees are looking to fill a void in leftfield and Holliday can provide that. Holliday hit .313 with 29 HRs and 109 RBI last year. He was the leader of the Colorado Rockies team that went on an incredible run in 2007 to win the NL Pennant. However, he started the season with the A's last year and struggled power-wise in the AL. Once traded to St. Louis he re-emerged from his power-outage, making him a National League hitter. However, he is young and in the prime of his career, and is almost in the exact same situation Mark Teixeira was last year.

Like Teixeira Holliday will want a long-term contract and with Scott Boras as his agent that contract will be over the $100 million mark. Cashman has already made it clear he wants to watch spending, so I do not expect Holliday to go to the Yankees. However, the Red Sox are candidates to sign Holliday if they cannot re-sign Jason Bay, and if the Red Sox are in play so are the Yankees. It will be interesting to see if the Yankees lurk in the bushes like they did with Teixeira, or go after another outfielder.

Jason Bay
Age: 31
Status: Free Agent
2009 Salary: $7.8 Million

Jason Bay's name has gone hand-in-hand with Matt Holliday this offseason because they are the two biggest position player commodities ont he free agent market. Bay hit .267 with 26 HRs and 119 RBI last year with the Red Sox. Bay came to the Red Sox in the Manny Ramirez deal, and easily filled that void by quickly becoming a Yankee-killer the way Manny was. Bay's numbers show he had a solid season, but it was also a streaky season as his OPS was below .800 in the months of June and July and his batting average dropped from .301 on May 21 to .251 on July 31.

The Red Sox recently offered Bay a 4-year $60MM deal that Bay rejected. So obviously Bay is looking for something more than $15MM a year, but how far up would the Yankees be willing to go? Bay could be looking for something more like a 4-year $80MM which the Yankees can certainly provide. Bay might cost less money than Holliday, although there has been speculation that he wants a similar contract to Holliday. I do not think Bay will sign with a team until Holliday signs, but looking at the numbers, Holliday is clearly the better player. I wouldn't mind having Jason Bay on the Yankees, he is certainly an upgrade over Damon and other than Holliday there is no other free-agent outfielder who can provide the offensive production that these two can.

Johnny Damon
Age: 36
Status: Free Agent
2009 Salary: $13 Million

Johnny Damon had a career-year hitting .282 a career high 24 HRs and 82 RBI. Damon was a vital part of the Yankees 27th World Championship and his double steal in Game 4 will go down as one of the greatest postseason plays and World Series moments in Yankees history. If not for Matsui's Game 6, Damon may have been the MVP. So, how do the Yankees deal with a player who has been so good for the team the last 5 years, but at the same time is aging and exiting the prime of his career? It all comes down to if Damon is willing to take a pay cut. And as a client of Scott Boras, that is highly unlikely.

Damon has reiterated that he wants to stay in New York while Boras has been saying that they will listen to who has the best offer. They finally got on the same page this week, when Damon tweaked his wording around, saying, "I want to continue to be on a team that can win and to play in front of great fans – and we know that the Yankees fill both of those,” Damon said. “I think everyone knows my desire to come back. Still, every time I’ve been a free agent, I’ve ended up switching teams. It’s the nature of the beast. If people are interested, I’m going to listen.”

Signing Damon back on a short-term deal would be the most cost-efficient way to fill the hole in leftfield. His defense may be shaky, but they were still able to win a championship with him out there everyday. Then again, this is the same guy who said he would never leave Boston, and then went to the Yankees that same winter. I would love to see Damon return to pinstripes, but the Yankees objective is to get younger. I think that Damon is their first choice at who to play left-field next year, but with Boras as his agent and Damon's free agent history, signs indicate he will go the highest bidder.

Curtis Granderson
Age: 28
Status: Under contract with Detroit Tigers until 2012. Owed $25.75MM over next 3 seasons.
2009 Salary: $3.5 million

In order for the Yankees to obtain Granderson, they'd have to give up prospects to get him. Maybe not the pitchers that they'd have to give up for Roy Halladay, but star prospect Austin Jackson would have to be the centerpiece of the deal. Acquiring Granderson could also mean fixing the DH spot, as the Tigers are also looking to get rid of Magglio Ordonez. If they can dump his contract off in a deal with Granderson and the Yankees are the one's who can do it, than they can fill the void in the outfield and DH in one deal. Acquring these two would also be less expensive than re-signing Damon and Matsui.

The downside to Granderson is that many believe he has turned into a platoon player. His numbers against lefties are downright awful. He only hit .183 against lefties last year. Granderson's numbers were .249, 30 HRs, and 71 RBI. Are the Yankees willing to deal Jackson for a guy who isn't any better than a platoon player? I only see the Yankees getting him if they can pull off a deal without giving up their top prospects. I believe if a team takes a chance on Granderson, he can have the type of season Nick Swisher had this year with the Yankees.


Mike Cameron
Age: 36
Status: Free agent
2009 Salary: $10 million

Mike Cameron has been mentioned as a possibility of going to the Yankees for the last few years. Cameron hit .250 with 24 HR and 70 RBI last year and has above-average defense. With him in center Melky in left that gives the Yankees two-above average outfielders defensively. However, Cameron would be a downgrade offensively, despite similar numbers to Damon, his OBP is 20 points lower and he struck out 58 more times than Damon did last season. Cameron would come at a low price, but I think he's more of a last-option.

Hideki Matsui
Age: 35
Status: Free-agent
2009 Salary: $13 million

I decided to include Matsui in this category, despite him now being a full-time DH. Matsui was the World Series MVP and had himself a pretty good year too. He hit .274 with 28 HRs and 90 RBI. I have always liked Matsui and see him as a very professional ballplayer who is all about winning. He has gotten his share of big hits over the years for the Yankees, and if they cannot re-sign Damon, I think the Yankees would be more than happy to re-sign Matsui to return as the DH. The only problem is re-signing Matsui does not answer their problem in left-field, and that needs to be addressed first.

Matsui will probably sign for less money as he is in the decline of his career. It could be possible he can be this year's Bobby Abreu, and sign a 1-year deal for about $5million with incentives.

That conclude's the outfield edition of free-agents. There are still many possibilities we didn't explore, such as the Yankees taking a chance on Austin Jackson, or other free-agent outfielders like Jermaine Dye. But I felt both those were highly unlikely to happen.

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Weekend Trade Rumors

We apologize for not having any updates over the weekend, but there really hasn't been anything but rumors. So, we will give you a rundown on what some of those rumors are.

• Saturday rumors were flying around about Curtis Granderson. Granderson hit 249/.327/.453 in 710 plate appearances this year. Those are not his best numbers but what is really striking is his numbers against lefties. The Yankees have to ask themselvesx how much would they be willing to give up for a guy who may possibly be a platoon player due to his numbers against lefties. And if the Yankees do acquire him, say goodbye to Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui.
• Speaking of Matsui, he says that he would be disappointed if he does not return to the Yankees. The Yankees are going to have to make a decision on who is more important to resign Damon or Matsui, because I only see one, if any, of them returning.
• Rumors continue to link the Yankees to John Lackey. I don't know if there should be anything read into that yet, being that a big-name player on the market the Yankees will always see what the price and if he fits their needs, but I don't see the Yankees handing out a big contract to him.
• Joel Sherman of the NY Post suggests that trade possibilities for the Yankees. One possibility would be making a deal for Magglio Ordonez/Granderson to replace Damon and Matsui. By doing this it would be cheaper than to resign them.
• Bob Klapisch of FOX Sports thinks the Yankees should consider extending Jeter's contract before it expires. I think the Yankees will take care of this situation under the radar, and before you know it Jeter will have a contract extension.
• Buster Olney thinks that Tigers RP Brandon Lyon could end up with a team like the Yankees as a setup man. I think this is not a bad idea, considering it seems Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain may be part of the rotation next year.

There are a lot of rumors and not much real news, and it is going to be like that probably until the Winter Meetings. We're going to continue to hear rumors about Holliday and Bay talking to the Yankees and Damon with the San Francisco Giants. We'll let you know if anything noteworthy happens.

For some real news, Marlins outfielder Chris Coghlan and A's pitcher Andrew Bailey were named Rookie of the Years for their respective leagues today. Tommorow AL Cy Young is announced. I'd say Greinke wins over Felix Hernandez.

See Ya!

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GAME 5 ALCS: Yankees at Angels

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Melky Cabrera CF
Jose Molina C
Pitching: RHP A.J. Burnett (0-0, 2.19 ERA in postseason)

ANGELS
Chone Figgins 3B
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Kendry Morales 1B
Maicer Izturis 2B
Juan Rivera LF
Jeff Mathis C
Erick Aybar SS
Pitching: RHP John Lackey (1-1, 1.38 ERA in postseason)

TIME/TV: 7:57 p.m., FOX

For the Pennant: The Yankees can clinch their 40th pennant tonight, and their first since 2003 with a win. To do that, A.J. Burnett will take the mound for the Yankees while the offense will face John Lackey.
A-Mazing: Alex Rodriguez has driven in 11 RBI this postseason, and at least one in ever game. The franchise record is held by Scott Brosius (98) and Bernie Williams (96).
They've been here before: Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui, and Andy Pettitte were all on teh 2004 team (that's as far as I'll go explaining what happened). They know nothing has been won and have probably been itching to get back to this point the last six years.

As always Jim will be tweeting @jgeant and I may or may not be tweeting @KaysSuccessors. I've been slacking off on my tweeting since school started and I hate doing it from my phone because it kills my battery and I don't get good service in my room.

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Let It Rock: Yanks Take Game 1

Angels 1 4 3

Yankees 4 10 0


WP: Sabathia (2-0, postseason)
LP: Lackey (1-1, postseason)
S: Rivera (2, postseason)

PLAYER OF THE GAME: This one goes to Carsten Charles Sabathia. The lefty went 8 innings giving up 1 run on 4 hits while striking out 7 in the frigid cold in the Bronx. After all the talk of Sabathia's postseason's struggles he has turned in back-to-back solid performances.

PLAY/TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: More like the non-play of the game, as Matsui popped a ball up between third and short and neither player caught it, letting Johnn Damon, who was running hard because there was two outs, score from second. That second run was all the Yankees would need with Sabathia on the mound.

GAME NOTES:

• The weather held up for today's game but tommorow's forecast looks bleak. I'm sure they'll do everything they can to play the game.
• The last thing we need in this round is more umpire controversy. Torii Hunter laid down a bunt in the sixth inning and was called out by first base umpire Laz Diaz. Hunter and Scioscia argued saying that Teixeira's foot came off the bag. Replays appeared to show Teixeira may have had his foot on the bag with the ball in his glove for a split second, but it really was too close to call. I say he deserves to be out because that's what you get for having your best player bunt.
• Jim sent me a text during the game which pretty much sums up the game. "Since when did the Angels become the Mets?"

Tommorow

Game 2

Burnett vs Saunders 7:57 pm ET FOX...Hopefully the weather holds up, as I am going.

See Ya!

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ALCS Game 1: Angels and Yankees

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui DH
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Melky Cabrera CF

Pitching: LHP CC Sabathia (1-0, 1.37 ERA)

ANGELS
Chone Figgins 3B
Bobby Abreu RF
Torii Hunter CF
Vladimir Guerrero DH
Juan Rivera LF
Kendry Morales 1B
Howie Kendrick 2B
Jeff Mathis C
Erick Aybar SS

Pitching: RHP John Lackey (1-0, 0.00)

TIME/TV: 7:57 p.m., FOX

Revenge is coming: The Yankees are looking to get back at the Angels for knocking them out of the playoffs in 2002 and 2005.

Weather Watch: It's gonna be a chilly night in the Bronx. Hopefully there are no delays or postponements that mess with the schedule, especially for John who is headed to Game 2, (hopefully) tomorrow.

CC for 3: Assuming the weather holds up, tonight will be the first of three starts for the Big Lefty.

Getting on the board: Winning Game 1 will be very important, to prevent falling into a hole, especially when they head to Los Angeles (or Anaheim, whatever you want to call it) for Games 3, 4, and 5.

As with the ALDS, follow updates on Twitter @jgeant, and maybe after John gets back from a Pep Rally @KaysSuccessors.

Oh, and definitely look on some commentary on Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. It's been a while since we had a little fun with them.

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Oops! They Did it Again: Yanks go back-to-back in eigth to beat Jays

Blue Jays 5 8 0
Yankees 7 14 0

WP: Robertson (2-1)
LP: Carlson (1-5)
S: Rivera (33)

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Jorge Posada. The catcher went 2-4 with 2 RBI's, including the go-ahead home run in the 8th inning.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

PLAY OF THE GAME: Posada's go-ahead home run in the 8th.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: The Thrilla from Godzilla! Matsui's home run seemed to wake up the team, the Stadium, and certainly John Sterling (I was listening on the radio).

GAME NOTES:

• The Yankees win today's game exactly as they won Sunday's, with back-to-back home runs in the 8th inning after being down by one, hence the "Oops I Did It Again" headline.
• Rick Porcello is my new favorite player not on the Yankees, because he absolutely PWNED Kevin Youkilis. It wasn't as good as the Nolan Ryan v. Robin Ventura (which I can't seem to find a video of, but here's a picture) beat down, but because if was Pukelis, it will hold a special place in my heart.
  
• So the Yankees seemed to jolt themselves from the sleepwalk they were in after the Boston sweep. That's good because I'd like this divisional race to be over as soon as possible, and winning games is the only way that's going to happen.
• New Yankee Chad Gaudin will start on Sunday, with Sergio Mitre going on Saturday. This effectively gives them a 6-man rotation, at least for this turn. It basically helps them limit Joba's innings by pushing him back a day.
  

TOMORROW:
Blue Jays at Yankees
Romero vs Burnett


SEE YA!

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Yanks Lose; Joba Embarassed, Doesn't Know What 'Best Stuff" Means

We had no postgame last night because either Jim fell asleep or flew across country to kick Joba's a**. I'm glad I didn't stay up to see this one because Joba Chamberlain got shelled for the second consecutive start.

To sum up the game real quick. the Yankees scored 5 runs in the first 5 innings to give Joba the lead early, just like his last start. With a 5-1 lead, Joba only recorded one out in the fifth, giving up 4 runs, 3 earned. The big blow was a 3-run HR by Kendry Morales. He left after 4.1 innings, and the bullpen could not hold the lead. Hideki Matsui almost hit a grand-slam, but they aren't playing in Yankee Stadium so it was an out. Mark Melancon pitched more innings than he's capable of, Derek Jeter dropped a pop up and then Brian Bruney gave up a bomb to Erick Aybar. The Yankees lost 10-6.

The big issue here is the state of Joba Chamberlain. His last two starts: 8 innings, 18 hits, 13 runs, 7 earned runs, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts, 3 home runs. What worries me most is the combination of not going deep into games, and the unearned runs. The 6 unearned runs tells me he can't pick up his teammates and handle mistakes well. After A-Rod made an error, the next pitch he threw was a get-me-over curve right over the middle of the plate to Kendry Morales, who crushed it into centerfield.

"It's frustrating. I'm letting my teammates down. It's kind of embarassing, too," Joba said after the game. But Joba still believed he made good pitches, including the bomb Morales hit.

He said it was "a little up" but made a good pitch. He also said that his stuff and mechanics have been his best the last two starts. Did you see his numbers from his last two starts? It's absurd to suggest that he has had his "best stuff." Maybe for a batter or two, but not the whole game. When you give up 9 hits, 5 runs, and can't get out of the fifth inning with your "best stuff" you should not be in the major leagues.

With Wang injured and Joba consistently not going more than 5 innings, the Yankees are in the market for a starting pitcher (and no not Halladay you fools). Someone like a Jarrod Washburn or Jason Marquis would fit well.

If Joba cannot turn things around his next start, it's either back to the bullpen, or Scranton. The Yankees cannot afford to have him pitch like this the second half of the season.

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Yankees 10 Blue Jays 8

Well, it was a long day at the Stadium and I am exhausted but here is the recap:

Blue Jays 8 12 1
Yankees 10 14 2

WP: Albaladejo (3-1)
LP: B. Ryan (1-1)
S: Aceves (1)

PLAYER OF THE GAME: El Capitan, Derek Jeter. Jeter went 4-5 scoring 3 runs and hit the go-ahead 2 run home-run to put the Yankees ahead 9-8 in the 5th inning.

PLAY OF THE GAME: The aforementioned home run by Derek Jeter. The Yankees were trailing by 4, then cut the lead to 8-7 and the Captain's blast put them ahead and proved to be the game-winner.

TURNING POINT OF THE GAME: Hideki Matsui's 3-run home run in the 4th. Joba and Cody Ransom helped make a 4-0 lead turn into an 8-4 deficit, but Godzilla, who has been red-hot lately, closed the game within one run, and put the Yankees right back in the game.

GAME NOTES:

• Joba, Joba, Joba. Thank God there is a day game tommorow so I don't have to listen to Francesa say he should be in the pen. I have been a Joba as a starter person, but the more and more inconsistent, poor starts he makes, the less valid the argument of him being a starter becomes.
• Alfredo Aceves. Maybe he should start? He has been nothing short of terrific out of the pen this season, and today he once again showed how valuable he is. Aceves threw three shutout innings to end the game, keeping the Blue Jays offense quiet and picking up his first career save.
• For those keeping track, Nick Swisher has changed his batting intro music from Phil Collins' In the Air Tonight, back to Soulja Boy's Turn My Swag On. We are 100% sure he only had In the Air Tonight because he saw The Hangover.
• The game was about 4 hours long, so as we exited otu Gate 8 they were giving away free ice cream to the fans. I never saw anything like this before leaving a game at Yankee Stadium, so it's nice to see them treat their fans like this for sticking out a 4-hour marathon in the heat.

Tommorow:

Yankees vs Blue Jays 1:05 ET Yankee Stadium

Andy Pettitte (8-3, 4.25) vs Ricky Romero (6-3, 2.85)

See Ya!

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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.

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