When it comes to winning, I am never content, and that is a good thing.
So even though the Yankees finished the first half of the season by winning eight of their last nine games, it felt good.
However, I was still upset about that loss on Saturday night.
Javier Vazquez (who is this close to escaping my calling him of “mental patient”) pitched one of his best games of the season, throwing seven shutout innings and leaving the game with a 1-0 lead.
Unfortunately, Joba Chamberlain once again imploded, giving up two base hits, an intentional walk after falling behind in the count 3-1, and topped it by serving up a grand slam to Jose Lopez turning victory into defeat.
The loss snapped a seven game winning streak. Even though they pounded the Mariners 8-2 the following day to close the west coast trip an impressive 6-1, I can only look back to that loss on Saturday.
It was not necessarily the loss, but the ramifications of the loss. As it stands, Chamberlain is still a question mark in the bullpen and thus, makes the eighth inning a question mark.
“People are going to look at the five bad ones, “said Chamberlain in reference to the outings in which has given up three runs or more. “But I’m going to look at the 25 good ones.”
No one is available to bring in that can replace him and so the Yankees are always going to wonder whether he can get the ball to the now one-inning only version of Mariano Rivera.
Scouring throughout baseball for an eighth-inning reliever is a frugless task because no such pitcher is good enough to come into our pressure environment and succeed.
The answer either has to come from within the minor league system or by Chamberlain simply pitching better. The idea that Phil Hughes, a potential 20-game winner this season, should come out of the rotation to pitch in the bullpen in October is ridiculous.
We will just have to wait and see.
Tex Finally Sends a Message
Who said Mark Teixeira was not going to hit?
Teixeira, who told everyone during his early season struggles that he was not concerned at all, pointing out that by the end of the season he would have what the back of his baseball card shows is now starting to hit.
After going 4-for5 on Sunday, Teixeira now has 18 hits in 43 at-bats (.418) the average is now over .250 as he continues his climb at just the right time for the Yankees offense.
Since June 8, he has hit .316 with 9 homeruns and 26 RBI. The All Star break could not have come at a worse time during his hot stretch.
“The last couple weeks, I haven’t been chasing too many pitches and if I do get a good pitch to hit, I’m putting a good swing on it,” Teixeira said. “Hopefully when I get back, I’ll still be swinging the bat well. I do feel pretty good up there right now.”
For the most part this season, the offense has been underwhelming, usually just getting enough runs and not putting up prolific numbers as in the past.
To a man, the Yankees feel as if they can improve in this area with Teixeira being among the catalysts after the break.
“You don’t want to take a break,” Teixeira said. “But at the same time when we get home I hope I can pick it back up.”
If he can, the Yankees will be even tougher to beat in the second half.
Best and worst of the first half
Top game: May 17 vs. Boston
The best game of the first half of the season had to be the Yankees rally against the Red Sox and Jonathan Papelbon by scoring four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
After having a 5-0 lead, the Yankees blew the lead and eventually trailed 9-7 down to their final three outs.
Papelbon would give up a two-run home run to Alex Rodriguez to tie the game and then another two-run blast to Marcus Thames as the Yankees celebrated at home plate with their first pie of the season.
Heartbreak City game: April 21 vs. Oakland
Phil Hughes had his attempt for a no-hitter broken up in the eighth inning when a ball off the bat of Eric Chavez deflected off him.
Thinking the ball was in the air, he looked up only to have Jorge Posada alert him that the ball was on the ground but it was too late as Chavez reached first base safely.
This was the second time in just over two weeks that an opponent broke up a Yankee potential no-hitter in the eighth inning.
Against Tampa Bay on April 10, CC Sabathia pitched 7 2/3 hitless innings that included numerous great defensive plays. However, Jason Bartlett would single to left in front of Brett Gardner to end his bid at history.
Head scratcher moment: April 25 vs. Los Angeles Angels
With runners on second and third and one out, Yankee lefty Damaso Marte fell behind slugger Kendry Morales 2-0.
Morales, who won the game on Friday night with a three run blast has been a notorious Yankee killer and Manager Joe Girardi obviously knew that.
Or so he thought.
He would call for an intentional walk as the count went to 3-0.
Suddenly, he changed his mind and call it off, electing to have Marte pitch to him.
The signal came from the bench that Morales would swing 3-0 and not to throw anything he could get a good swing on.
Instead, the ball found the middle of the plate and Morales hit another to turn a one run lead into an eventual 8-4 Angels win.
Girardi after the game put the blame on himself, but we all had a feeling the worst was going to happen after the confusion that took place in that sequence.
“WTF?” Moment: May 16 vs. Minnesota
The Twins had lost to the Yankees 12 straight times, and were on the verge of losing to them again, swept out of the Bronx once more.
With Joba Chamberlain in the game, the Twins were able to get two men on. Girardi elected to bring in Mariano Rivera and even up 1-2, pinch hitter Jim Thome was able to work a walk.
Jason Kubel stepped and cheated on a Rivera cutter, connecting on the first pitch for a grand slam into the lower deck that gave the Twins a 6-3 lead.
The Stadium was silent. No hitter had taken Mo deep like that since 1995.
Even the great Rivera is human.
The oddball moment: May 25-26 vs. Minnesota
AJ Burnett made his start in the first game of a series against the Twins. However, heavy rains after the fifth inning suspended the game with neither team having scored a run.
Wednesday, the game resumed and Derek Jeter hit a homerun in the top of the sixth to give the Yankees the lead.
Four relievers would keep the 1-0 score where it was and Burnett, without having to throw a pitch, earned a victory.
Not a bad day’s work.
Worst loss moment: May 29 vs. Cleveland
With a six-run lead and CC Sabathia on the mound, the Yankees appeared to be in complete control.
However, when Sabathia (who struggled throughout) departed, all hell broke loose.
David Robertson could not get anyone out and he had to leave after an injury. Sergio Mitre gave up a walk and Girardi did not want to see him anymore.
In came Joba Chamberlain, proceeding to give up five hits, allowing five runs to score and allowing the Indians to rally and take the lead in a game they went on to win 13-11.
It was perhaps the most disgusting loss of the season.
Unexpected moment: June 16 vs. Philadelphia
After giving up nine runs in his previous start on Friday to the Red Sox at Fenway Park, it sure had the feel the Yankees would be ready to feast on Jamie Moyer and his geritol self at The Stadium.
Instead, Moyer baffled the Yankees, throwing eight innings of two-run ball, allowing only three hits in a 6-3 Phillies victory.
As shocking as it was to see Roy Halladay pounded the previous night, Moyer turned the tables. His 83 MPH junk completely had them fooled.
Even now, I still do not understand it.
Most dramatic moment: June 27 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
For those who leave when they think a game is in doubt should look back at this game as a reason never to shut the television off or head out the park to beat traffic.
The Yankees bumbled and stumbled their way to what seemed to be a loss to the Dodgers on the final game of their long west coast trip.
Trailing 6-2 in the ninth inning, the ending appeared to be inevitable with Jonathan Broxton in to get the final three outs.
Alex Rodriguez would single with one out, moved to second on defensive indifference and would score on a double by Robinson Cano.
Dodgers 6, Yankees 3.
Jorge Posada single to right center and Curtis Granderson worked a walk to load the bases where Chad Huffman singled home two runs with a sharp single to right.
Dodgers 6, Yankees 5.
Colin Curtis was now up and worked a 10 pitch at bat before grounding to first where Dodgers first baseman James Loney stepped on first and made the ill-advised decision of throwing home, where Granderson beat the throw sliding feet first as the umpire signaled safe and the Yankees had tied the score.
Dodgers 6, Yankees 6.
Robinson Cano would hit a two-run homer in the tenth inning and Mariano Rivera slammed the door as the Yankees completed one of their best comebacks in years at Dodger Stadium.
That is why you never leave early.
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