Yankee Talk: Road Trip Edition – A Successful Weekend in Chicago

Yanks take two of three in series against White Sox

CHICAGO – When we did this same trip last year, the results were much different.

In four games, the Yankees only managed to salvage the final game to avoid a sweep.

This year, with much of its team depleted the defending world champions used all of its available resources to reach deep down and come away with a series win.

In watching Sunday’s starter Ivan Nova, who was making only his second ever Major League start, he showed everything that Friday’s starter AJ Burnett was not on Friday evening.

The spunky rookie showed of an array of dazzling pitches and control not in the strike zone, but also in his own ability to trust his stuff.

From fastballs on the corners to dancing off-speed pitches, Nova became a revelation right in front our eyes.

For the second straight start though, Manager Joe Girardi pulled the pull on him entirely too early as he was doing well, only to nearly have it backfire.

The moved ended up working out. But more than the Yankees eventual 2-1 win was that they feel as if they may have something in Nova and that he could be a valuable asset down the stretch. He had a great season at Triple-A Scranton and that has been able to translate with the big club.

In the fifth inning when he gave up his first run, the White Sox had mounted a two-out rally and had a chance to tie the game. Other pitchers may have folded in this situation, but not Nova, who was unflappable, striking out Omar Vizquel to end the inning.

Nova showed an ability to minimize damage and keep the Yankees in control.

The same could not be said for Burnett.

Burnett, who this earned his undisputed title of “Mental Case” for his horrific pitching for most of the season, simply showed up on the mound on Friday for the bottom of the first inning and quickly checked out.

How is this for an opening frame: Double, single, stolen base, strikeout, single, single, double.

Yeah, that’s a good way to start. It was as if the Yankees had lost the game before he ever threw a pitch. Watching Burnett in person is even more painful than watching on television.

You clearly can see him rattled on the mound and trying to find composure and confidence in himself that he clearly cannot find and does not have.

With each ball out of the strike zone or bouncing in the dirt, you know the clock is just ticking before the eventual explosion. You just don’t know if it is going to be a bottle rocket or nuclear bomb.

In this case, Burnett went nuclear.

Nine hitters came to the plate. Five of them reached on hits. Four of them scored. All of this took 37

pitches and nearly ended with me breaking my hand as I sat in the upper deck wanting to punch anything hard in effort to “pull an AJ”.

The best words came from Michael Kay after AJ Pierzynski’s two-run double had made it 4-0 when he said, “AJ Burnett has nothing.”

At the precise moment, you could have turned off the TV and found other things to do.

For me, I was at the park. Nothing I could do but sit through it and attempt to come up with something positive.

That would be hard.

Even less frustrating than Burnett was the offense clearly taking the night off against Freddy Garcia,

a man who had the third worst ERA in the American League since the All Star Break.

After scoring two runs in the first three innings, I thought the bats would eventually heat up.

Unfortunately, that did not happen.

Garcia would hold the bats down for seven innings as many players partied hard in Chicago the night before. Either that, or Girardi decided to punt the game by having Francisco Cervelli and Ramiro Pena occupying the eighth and ninth spots in the lineup.

Nonetheless, the rest the team resembled zombies along with Burnett and the offense.

Defensively, the team was awful. From poor throws from Nick Swisher sailing 30 feet over the catchers head, to bad throws by Cervelli and who knows what else, it was just not in the cards for them that night.

Amazingly I stuck it out until the end, which was an upset considering that after the fifth inning, the only thing that was on my mind was the postgame drink fest.

Saturday evening I thought were going to see a pitcher’s duel between two elite starters, John Danks of the White Sox and CC Sabathia of the Yankees.

However, as John Sterling always says, “You just cannot predict baseball.”

It was a relatively warm evening and the wind was not blowing out. But the Yankees rarely need wind to hit home runs.

Three two-run homeruns from Nick Swisher, Marcus Thames and Eduardo Nunez off Danks allowed the Yankees to jump ahead 6-1 after three innings.

Sabathia though did not have his best stuff. He appeared to be battling himself and the White Sox got back into the game with two two-run homeruns of their own to cut the margin to 6-5 after four.

The offense, clearly working with a full night of sleep and a halfway competent lineup struck back for four more runs to give Sabathia a 10-5 lead that he would carry through seven innings, striking out nine along the way.

It was the coming out party for Eduardo Nunez, who went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and two run scoring singles to earn him the nickname “El Tigre”.

All of this proved my belief that “wins” for a pitcher, despite what Kay may want to tell you, is
meaningless.

Kay’s contention is that pitchers get their pay based on the amount of wins that they have and thus that is most important.

This idea of course is ridiculous because a pitcher that is mediocre during an outing can pick up a win as long as his offense can give him a high amount of run support. The numbers between Sabathia and

Mets lefty Johan Santana are similar in nearly every category expect run support, thus the reason Sabathia has 18 wins and Santana 10.

Sabathia finished the game giving up five runs, but got the win because the Yankees scored 10. The only reason he got the win was because he didn’t give up 11.

The bullpen struggled in the final two innings as Boone Logan, Joba Chamberlain and David Robertson were unable to hold a five run lead on their own, thus needing Mariano Rivera to come in to get the final two outs of a 12-9 victory.

It was good to see a win at the park, and with my group of 20 friends, we celebrated the victory in style.

As the saying goes, “You don’t pay to see losses.”

Certainly not on this night as the Yankees stopped a two game losing streak and stay tied atop the AL East.

Sunday was Frank Thomas Day at the ballpark as the White Sox honored perhaps the greatest player in their history. The team was giving up bobblehead dolls, but I had no plans on showing up at eleven in the morning. I did not have much interest and wanted my sleep.

Trying to take the third game of the series, I looked up and saw the lineup Girardi put out there and cringed again. Already missing was Alex Rodriguez to begin with. But the previous night, Mark Teixeira had to leave after injuring his thumb that came on a play from Friday night.

The new configuration had Swisher batting third, Thames hitting fifth and Cervelli back in the lineup did not inspire much confidence in me for whatever reason.

In the second inning, Thames continued his home run tear with a solo blast to left, his fifth in the last five games he has started. He sure may not field worth a damn, but he can turn around a fastball.

Brett Gardner’s single to center in the third upped the lead to 2-0, and with the way Nova was pitching, perhaps it was going to hold up.

The White Sox score a run to cut the lead in half by going on a two out rally, and in the sixth Girardi decided to remove the youngster from the game.

Perhaps he felt that was all he needed to see on this day as he has definitely earned another start if just so I don’t not have to see Burnett’s mug on my screen every five days.

Girardi brought in Boone Logan and eventually Kerry Wood, who loaded the bases but was able to get out the jam. He would stay in for the seventh and got two outs before Joba Chamberlain came on to get out of the seventh and a scoreless eighth to hand the ball to Mariano Rivera to nail down another victory.

A majority of the crowd left before the bottom of the ninth and I couldn’t blame them. If my team had to face Rivera, why would I stay to watch that? 97 times out of a 100, it is a definite loss.

What started as a weekend with the Yankees on the ropes, ended happily with a series win and a 3-3 road trip. The team can exhale as they head back home and I was able to breathe a sigh of relief as I was able to take in a few wins.

Just the way we drew it up.

Yankee Talk: No Bull from Pen

Bullpen emerging as strength

NEW YORK – You realize very quickly how long a regular season is.

We make our snap judgments because we see what is in front of us and never really look too far ahead.

Earlier in the season, the bullpen of the Yankees outside of Mariano Rivera (known as “the bridge”) consisted of rough terrain and Russian roulette.

Manager Joe Girardi had no one he could trust. Every time he would make that slow walk to the mound, he would tap his right or left hand and hope against hope that was making the right decision.

As of late, the bullpen, once an extreme weakness has emerged as an incredible strength.

The starting rotation, a rock in the first half of the season with pitchers taking the ball into and through the seventh inning, has hit a rough patch. During this time, the bullpen has stepped up incredibly to continue to keep the Yankees as leaders in the AL East.

Before the beginning of the season, I championed that this Yankee bullpen would be among the best in the league.

Everything was in place in terms of quality arms and each man in a specific role that there never a thought it could be a problem.

Of course, things did not work out that way.

As we find out every season, there is never a thing as an absolute. The Yankees found this out the hard way over the first three months of the season as the relief core showed holes and their ineffectiveness made things worrisome.

The original plan was to have Joba Chamberlain team up with Mariano Rivera as a lethal tag-team to lock down games after the seventh inning.

David Robertson and, who put up impressive numbers last season, was to man the seventh inning.

Alfredo Aceves was to be the “jack of all trades” for the bullpen. He had the ability to get out one batter, or throw as many as four innings if a starter was roughed up early.

Damaso Marte and Chan Ho Park were to be power, situational arms as well.

Safe to say, none of this worked out.

Chamberlain battled control, velocity and mental confidence in his role.

Robertson could not find the strike zone, and when he did, balls were hit hard and some were leaving the park.

Aceves injured his back in late April has not been back with the team since.

Marte was also injured and Park had a mysterious loss in velocity upon signing with the Yankees and was nowhere to close to the pitcher he was last year for Philadelphia.

With a bullpen in shambles, questions rose as to what they would be able to do about it. General Manager Brian Cashman held firm that bullpens grow over the course of a baseball season and did not feel a major need to seek outside help.

For the most right, he was proven right.

Girardi continued to stick with Chamberlain in the eighth inning as the Yankees continued to remain in first place, but in the middle of July, he saw enough and without actually saying it, he removed the enigmatic right-hander from the role and replaced him with Robertson as he began to regain the form that he had the previous year.

Boone Logan took Marte’s spot as the primary lefty. Logan’s career has always been high on talent, but low on results. He had a stint with the big club early on, but to the minors after continuous career control problems.

Before the trade deadline, the Yankees release Park to the delight of many, replacing him with Kerry Wood, who was pitching for the Cleveland Indians. Wood had battled injuries over his career and despite good stuff, could never stay healthy. However, the Yankees decided to take a chance.

The results from Wood and everyone else has been amazing.

Since arriving, Wood has pitched in nine games, allowing only one earned run in 10 2/3 innings. He has shown his old velocity and his classic breaking stuff that made him one of the league’s most prized pitchers before injury.

Robertson, after starting out slow, has become one of, if not the best relief pitchers in the league. While his current 3.63 ERA is good, considering how far he came is even more impressive. Since June 5,
Robertson has pitched 28 2/3 innings, amassing a 1.59 ERA with 33 strikeouts and has not allowed a run since July 4.

After losing his eighth inning role, Chamberlain sought to rededicate himself and with the other stepping up around him, he wanted to remain in an important role. Over his last 12 appearances, covering 12 innings, he has given up only one earned run.

Logan also has a streak going of his own. Since June 29, he has thrown 13 innings, allowing only one run covering 16 appearances. Even Chad Gaudin has become a successful long man, giving up only two runs over his last 11 innings. His three scoreless innings on Saturday was a key part of the

Yankees 9-5 victory over Seattle when Javier Vazquez again continued his second half struggles.

At the end, the indomitable Rivera is always there, having another one of his traditionally great seasons.

Rosters expand on September 1, so that would allow for the returns of both Aceves and Marte to what has now become a deep bullpen.

With the innings restriction on Phil Hughes and the inconsistencies of Vazquez and AJ Burnett, the pressure is going to be on for the bullpen to continue their stellar performance.

As currently constructed, they are built to withstand an eventual struggle from one of their relievers with others picking up the slack.

However, with everyone on a hot streak, the Yankees hope this will continue for the rest of the season.

Time for Yankees Random Thoughts

After losing the first game of each series to Detroit and Seattle, the Yankees won the remaining five games to finish with 5-2 mark.

You can attribute this to the performance of CC Sabathia, who has proven to be an irreplaceable piece to this team and a true consummate ace pitcher.

At 17-5 with a 3.02 ERA, he is having arguably his best season. With at least seven more starts left, he only needs to win three of them to achieve 20 wins.

He has been absolutely worth the $161 million the Yankees paid him a year and a half ago.

Sunday against the Mariners, he was at his absolute best.

He did not allow a hit for the first three innings and after Austin Kearns’ homerun gave the Yankees the lead, the way he was pitching, there was no reason to think he would give the lead away.

The rain began to come down, so there was some fear that he start could be a waste. Instead, he worked quickly, throwing only 74 pitches and 54 for strikes. When Robinson Cano drilled a grand slam to make the score 5-0, Sabathia had nothing to worry about.

As it stands, it feels as if the Yankees need to win every game that he starts with all of the other pitching issues.

Sabathia brings a feeling of assurance.

I’m really starting to like this Austin Kearns kid.

Since coming to the pinstripes, he is hitting .341 and has an 11 game hitting streak through Sunday.

He always put on a tough, quality at-bat, and that is all you can ask for.

Right now, the results have been positive. Keep it up.

Of course, the same cannot be said of Francisco Cervelli.

Ever since his freakish start to the season that saw him hitting an unsustainable .781 in 14 at bats with runners in scoring position, is proving more and more that he will not consistently be able to hit major league pitching.

One of the most quirky statistics of the season is that the Yankees are 12-0 without Alex Rodriguez in the lineup.

Rodriguez, who had to leave the game on Friday night after his first at-bat, suffering a setback when he injured his calf on his way to first base, is now the disabled list and will miss the next two weeks.

In his absence, the offense has stepped up, averaging 8.2 runs per game. The main reason for the explosion has been MVP-candidate Robinson Cano.

Cano, in Rodriguez’s absence is hitting a blistering .375, with 6 home runs and 19 RBI in the games he has been in the cleanup spot.

Surely, the Yankees will eventually lose one without Rodriguez in the lineup.

Of course, there are some thought the Yankees should sit in the playoffs.

Um, no. At last check, he is still pretty good.

In Rodriguez (97), Mark Teixeira (89) and Cano (86), the Yankees possess three of the top 10 run producers in all of baseball.

Then why I do I complain about the offense?

One person I will continue to complain about is AJ Burnett, who turned in another clunker on Friday night in the Yankees loss to the Mariners.

You knew he didn’t have it in the very first inning, the most deflating feeling for any fan watching.

He had nothing and the Mariners hit him over the park for the first four innings. Girardi then came to the mound we thought to put us all out of our misery by taking him out. Instead, he made a smart move. He told him that because the bullpen had been taxed in the previous games, he was going to have to take one for the team and stay in there, which he did through seven innings.

Who knows what to expect when he pitches in front of my eyes on Friday night in Chicago. If last year on my birthday was any indication, the expletives will be flowing from my mouth at an unbearable rate by the third inning.

Oh, the pain.

Yankee Talk: Another comeback of champions

Yankees show heart in comeback against Lee, Rangers

ARLINGTON – There are times in a baseball season where there is a point in the game when you know it is just not your day.

Sometimes, it can come early. Other times it can come late.

They say the game is 27 outs long, but other times, the game can be over long before that.

Not with the Yankees.

Yes, they have the most talent. That is not in debate. However, with most talented teams, it usually takes something extra. A tangible trait has no measure.

Call it belief or just plain old confidence. Several times this season, the Yankees have shown an innate ability to stage incredible rallies to win games.

Last Wednesday in Texas was just another example and it proved to be their best win of the season, gutting out 7-6 comeback win over the Rangers.

Consider the fact that the Yankees have plenty going against them after losing the previous night with Mariano Rivera and now having Cliff Lee on the mound dominating them through the first five innings, as he always seems to do.

Javier Vazquez, who has not shown an ability to pitch well against a quality lineup, was out of the game after another non-productive 4 1/3 inning, six run, eight hit outing.

Down five runs to Lee with the way he was going would be a definite loss on most nights. However, on this evening in Arlington, where the temperature consistently stayed in the low 100’s, the heat began to take its toll on the ace left-hander.

After scoring a run in the sixth to make it 6-2, the offense began to make Lee work in the seventh. Robinson Cano lead off with a double and with one out, Austin Kearns singled. Up came Lance Berkman, who despite terrible numbers against left-handed pitching was able to hammer a 1-1 pitch into the gap in right center that one-hopped over the wall for a ground rule double to cut the lead in half.

Brett Gardner would work a lengthy at-bat before drilling a single past Lee into center field to bring the Yankees to within 6-4.

Lee’s night was over. His invincibility over the Yankees taking a hit on this night as they finally showed an ability to score off him. No one knows for sure whether the main reason was the heat.

The Yankees would not score another run that inning, but Marcus Thames began the eighth inning with a blast off Frank Francisco to cut it to one.

At that moment, you had a sense that this complete could be complete, but you did not know how it would happen. It was not for Sergio Mitre and Kerry Wood teaming up to pitch 3 2/3 scoreless innings after Vazquez left, none of this would have been possible. But they had at least given the Yankees a chance going into the ninth inning.

With Neftali Feliz in to close the game, Berkman worked a leadoff walk. Gardner on a 2-2 pitch lifted a bloop single into shallow left to put things in motion. Feliz then uncorked a pitch to the backstop that ricocheted back to catcher Bengie Molina as both runners took off.

Pinch runner Curtis Granderson barely beat the throw as both runners moved to second and third with no one out.

Derek Jeter, enduring one of his worst seasons in this situation came up and hit a hard chop that hit off the glove of Feliz and past second baseman Christian Guzman into center for a run-scoring single to tie the game.

Swisher would strike out, but Thames would deliver again with a single through the hole of third and short to give the Yankees an improbable 7-6 lead with Rivera ready to hold it down in the ninth.

But of course, this game had more plot twists left. Elvis Andrus would triple to right center and was there with no one out for the Rangers three best hitters.

Under normal circumstances, a regular closer would not be able to get out of this situation.

Mariano Rivera is not one of those closers.

With veteran Michael Young up, Rivera induced a fly ball to shallow right that Kearns made the shoestring catch on, holding the runner at third.

Josh Hamilton was next, and after he was ahead 2-0, a cutter got in his hands and he grounded the ball back to Rivera, holding the runner again for the second out.

The game was now in the hands of Vladimir Guerrero. Would Rivera really escape this? Back in late June, he worked out of a bases loaded, no out jam in the tenth inning of a Yankees win in Arizona, but these were better hitters at the plate.

With the count 1-0, Guerrero chopped the ball to third. Alex Rodriguez fielded the hop and threw him out at first to end the game and finish off one of the best Yankees wins of the year.

This one goes alongside the ninth inning comeback against the Red Sox in May and the rally against the Dodgers in Los Angeles in June.

With everything not in their favor, they somehow found a way to get it done, coming back when they could have said, “Tomorrow”.

Champions show heart and fight until the end.

This is what they do better than anyone else in the sport.

Yankee Talk: Rivalry Edition – Left with a problem

Yanks problems with southpaws problem

NEW YORK – While you are always looking to win today, when you are the Yankees, you are always looking ahead to the future.

In this case, October.

Judging by the results from this season, it is very easy to foresee potential danger ahead for the defending world champions the moment they attempt to pursue those final 11 wins.

Listen, Red Sox starter Jon Lester is good enough to shut down any offense when he has his good stuff as he did yesterday, throwing 6 1/3 innings of shutout ball, allowing only four hits his team’s 2-1 victory to split the wraparound four-game series.

However, the long-term problems exist of how the good (or even not so good) left-handed pitching has been able to handcuff the Yankees offense to where they seem to be on the defensive before the game ever begins.

In past years, seeing a left-hander would not faze the Yankees at all. They would have a multitude of hitters in their lineup that not only good, but also prolific to where they would not have to take a seat on the bench. Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui, two members of last year’s squad, were known for their ability to hang in against a southpaw and have success.

Such numbers have yet to translate to this season’s team as numerous players have put up incredibly feeble numbers to the put where Joe Girardi has to juggle his lineup considerably to give his team a good chance to win.

While Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher are doing their fair share against southpaws, the performances of Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson and Lance Berkman border on the obscene, with numbers suggesting they are nothing more than automatic outs.

To illustrate, Brett Gardner’s OPS against left-handed pitching (.739) is higher than that of Rodriguez (.677), Granderson (.518) and Berkman (.551) by a sizeable amount given similar sample sizes. This problems negates the ability of Girardi to use his “A” lineup, especially come October.

One look at yesterday’s lineup showed a bottom of the lineup consisting of Marcus Thames (a beast against southpaws, hitting .332), Austin Kearns and Curtis Granderson.

Granderson had a career reputation for his inability to hit southpaws before joining the Yankees and there was a belief the coaching staff could correct those flaws.

None of that has happened. His incredibly bad .183 average last year has marginally improved to .a still awful 206 in 2010, not good enough by any measure to justify his place in the lineup.

The big at-bat in yesterday’s game came with him at the plate against Lester with the bases loaded and no outs. Needing a fly ball to the outfield or a groundball to drive home a run, Granderson did neither. Instead, he produced an unproductive out, striking out swinging in an inning as the Red Sox held the Yankees scoreless.

We don’t want to beat up on Granderson, but the smart money is that either Damon or Matsui would have had a more proficient at-bat in that situation.

This becomes an issue in eight weeks, with the American League playoff field has a tough left-hander the Yankees would have to contend with in a series. Texas has Cliff Lee and C.J Wilson. Tampa Bay has David Price. Chicago has John Danks and to a lesser extent Mark Buehrle (though against the Yankees, he is 1-7 with 6.68 ERA). And as long as they remain in the race, Boston has Lester.

By coincidence, this week begins stretch of four consecutive games in which the Yankees will face a left-hander. CJ Wilson and Cliff Lee start for Texas in the upcoming two-game series that begins Tuesday, followed by Bruce Chen of the Royals on Thursday night.

The pitchers force the Yankees to change the configuration of their lineup. While Thames is great against lefties, he is a liability in the outfield defensively. His only suitable position is DH. Taking Granderson out of the lineup shifts Gardner from left field to centerfield and moves Austin Kearns into the lineup, who despite ability to put up a professional at-bat and play the outfield to quality, is not as good defensively compared to the ground Gardner and Granderson combined can cover when they are both out there.

If Granderson could just be an average hitter against lefties, none of this would be issue. The fact he along with Berkman (despite being a switch hitter) simply are utterly inept causes a trickledown effect the Yankees now have to deal with.

Not having the DH available to Posada brings worse defense behind the plate and also does not allow the older Jeter, Rodriguez or even Teixeira to get even a half day off.

The Yankees hope they are not “left” holding the bag at the end of the season.

Yankee Talk: Rivalry Edition – Can’t Win Them All

Yanks miss chances, split four game series with Sawx

NEW YORK – Maybe the Yankees will regret not having their chance to put their foot on the throat of the Red Sox.

Then again, maybe they will not.

For now, they will look back to the seventh inning when they had an opportunity to put Boston away as they did in a similar situation one year ago when they swept them and took control of the AL East.

This time, the Red Sox made a stand, stopping the Yankees cold by holding them scoreless after loading the bases with no one out, allowing them to eventually come away with nai-biting 2-1 victory to split the four-game series in front of 49,476 at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees had a chance to tie the game earlier in the bottom of the seventh inning before blowing their chance.

Boston starter Jon Lester handcuffed the offense through the first six innings, but Jorge Posada singled to begin the frame. Marcus Thames would step in a drove a pitch to deep right center that just hit off the padding atop the fence next to the Yankees bullpen.

Had it gone just several inches further, it would have meant a tie game. Instead, Thames had to settle for a double and runners were on second and third. Austin Kearns was then hit slightly with a 1-2 pitch to load the bases for Curtis Granderson.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona stuck with his ace lefty in an advantageous matchup against Granderson, who has amassed an abysmal .518 OPS this season versus left handed pitching. Lester struck him out on a slider on his 99th and final pitch of the game. For the day, he went 6 1/3 innings, giving up only four hits, walking three and striking out six.

Daniel Bard came into the game, and in an impressive display, struck out both Derek Jeter (high fastball) and Nick Swisher (outside fastball) on three pitches each to end the threat, leaving the Yankees scoreless and the Red Sox still on top.

“You don’t want to be the guy that gives it up,” Bard said. “Also you want to see where your stuff takes you.”

Papelbon added, “I think he showed us a lot of guts and determination.”

Boston got their initial runs in the second inning on balls that did not leave the infield against starter Phil Hughes.

With one out in the top half, Ryan Kalish singled, stole second and advanced to third when Posada’s throw went into center field and would later score on an infield single by Bill Hall.

Hughes got into more trouble when Jacoby Ellsbury would single to center and stole second. With Hall on third, Marco Scutaro would walk to load the bases.

A ground out by JD Drew would extend the lead to 2-0 nothing as Hughes would end the inning throwing 36 pitches, and 56 through two innings.

The lead was more than enough for Lester, who after blasting away off Josh Beckett the previous night found their bats ice cold. They did not get their first hit until Kearns lined a single to center in the fifth inning to start a mini-rally that continued with two out when Jeter singled to right. However,
Lester would strikeout Swisher to end the threat.

While Lester was dealing, Hughes would settle down, retiring 12 of the next 13 batters to make a good showing of himself on the afternoon, throwing six innings and yielding only those two runs and six hits over 114 pitches, walking one and striking out three.

With Bard still in the game to begin the eighth, Mark Teixeira connected on his 24th homerun of the year to trim the margin to a run and Alex Rodriguez would single to center. Brett Gardner would pinch run and stayed out of a double play when Robinson Cano would ground out to second base.

Posada drew a walk, and Lance Berkman pinch-hit for Thames. With a 2-0 count, Berkman was unable to get around on Bard’s fastball thrown at 98 and flied out routinely to left. With two out, Francona brought in closer Jonathan Papelbon, who got Kearns to groundout softly to second to end the inning.

The Yankees got the tying on in the ninth when Jeter drew a one out walk. But Papelbon would strike out Swisher and Teixeira to end the game and the series.

Tomorrow night begins a six game road trip starting in Texas and concluding with a four game weekend series against Kansas City.

Yankee Talk: Rivalry Edition – Dustin Quite A Find

Moseley surprises all with another good effort

NEW YORK – He was not scheduled to start until Monday afternoon, but when Dustin Moseley received the call from Manager Joe Girardi that he would sub for AJ Burnett and to prepare himself to take the ball just in case.

When Girardi alerted him in the morning that he would in face the Red Sox in the nationally televised game, even he probably did not know what to expect.

In the seventh inning with one out, Girardi came to the mound. It would be the end of the night for the right-hander as he gave his manager the ball, giving him more than he could have asked for.

Moseley continued to impress again, allowing only two runs and six hits in the Yankees 7-2 victory over the Red Sox, becoming an incredible revelation as he fills the shoes of the injured Andy Pettitte.

“You can’t dream of anything better,” said Moseley.

One of the highlights of his night came during the first at-bat of the game when he made a great play fielding slow infield chop of the bat of Jacoby Ellsbury that he was able to grab with a bare hand and nail him on a close play at first.

“You don’t ever work on those things,” said Moseley. “That is just the athletic side of it kicks in there. I got a nice bounce and barehanded it and had a nice throw.

Using his two-seam fastball on the corners for strikes, attacking hitters with his quick pace and utilizing his defense, he has been very effective during his time and continues to earn trust not only of his manager, but also his teammates.

“That’s the way I have to pitch,” Moseley said. “If I fall behind in the count, I don’t have overpowering stuff to blow things by people. I have to throw strikes and expand the zone.

In a matchup on paper that was to be a mismatch against the Red Sox Josh Beckett. Instead, Beckett would leave the mound once again battered and bruised by the Yankees offense for the fourth time this season.

Meanwhile Moseley cruised early, only allowing one hit through the first three innings. In the fourth, he ran into trouble when gave up a single to Victor Martinez and then walking both JD Drew and Adrian Beltre to load the bases. Boston could have made a dent in the game right then, but Moseley induced a groundout from Ryan Kalish to end the potential threat.

A homerun by Bill Hall to begin the fifth was one of the few blemishes on his night. Once the Yankees lead expanded from 2-1 to 7-1 going into the sixth, the game was firmly in his hands to take home.

For Moseley, this game meant a lot to him and his family back in his home state.

“I have a lot of people back home in Arkansas,” Moseley said. “Most of the people cannot afford the package, and it was good knowing the game was on ESPN, so my wife sent out a mass text to let everyone know.”

They tuned in and saw a great performance. For a pitcher who spent his early years with the Angels before injury problems plagued him, allowing the Yankees to sign him this past offseason. It has been a long road just to get back to where he currently stands now.

He has never had overpowering stuff, but the organization brought him in as a low risk move in hopes of him providing depth on the major league club at some point.

“I put a lot of hard work in these last couple years,” said Moseley. “I’ve had some bumps in the road. “

Pitching six innings of one run ball in Cleveland, he earned another chance last Tuesday against Toronto and pitched into the eighth inning despite taking the loss. Sunday, he continued his string of good outings, lessening the pain of not having Pettitte in the rotation.

So far, it has been a success.

“They (the organization) brought him in spring training, and the thought was as he rehabbed himself, he would be a guy that would help us out down the road, said Girardi. “They have been right.”

“He’s had some health issues, but he has gotten over them and he’s pitched very well for us.”

Moseley can serve in a number of roles. Starting right now is one of them. The other would be a long man out of the bullpen assuming Alfredo Aceves does not return before the end of the season. His versatility is something that can be of tremendous benefit to the club going forward.

Maybe this is just a small sample of starts before eventual regression. Or perhaps he can channel what Shawn Chacon and Aaron Small did for the Yankees in 2005 when combined to go 17-3 to help propel the team into the playoffs.

They expect Pettitte to return to the rotation in the next two weeks, so he will not have to pitch the remainder the year. However, with the innings limit the organization has on Phil Hughes, Moseley has certainly earned the teams trust to take the ball whenever the time calls.

When it was over, he walked off the mound at Yankee Stadium to a raucous standing ovation for a job well done on this night.

“It was incredible,” Moseley said. “Something I will never forget.”

He only hopes he will get more opportunities.

Yankee Talk – Rivalry Edition: By a Mose

Moseley subs in for Burnett as Yanks bomb Beckett again

NEW YORK – Two weeks ago, after Andy Pettitte went down and Sergio Mitre was ineffective in his start, the Yankees gave the ball to Dustin Moseley not knowing what to expect.

All they had to go on was his previous starting experience as recent as last July, his minor league success this season and two relief efforts.

Sunday night, forced to move up his start one day early due to back spasms by AJ Burnet, continued his good string of performances that even the Yankees could not expect him, pitching them to a 7-2 victory over the Red Sox on Sunday night to extend their AL East lead over their rivals to seven games.

For Moseley, who at 28 has had injuries set him back for most of his career, having this stage in a game on national television, and to pitch well was something he never could expect.

“I would go home every night in spring training and dream of something like this,” Moseley said after pitching one of the best games of his career, throwing 6 1/3 innings of outstanding ball, limiting the Red Sox to only two runs and six hits.

On paper, the matchup of Moseley against Boston hurler Josh Beckett would appear to be a mismatch.

The mismatch was what it was, on paper.

On the field where it counts, it was a mismatch in favor of the Yankees.

Beckett, roughed up by the Yankees for the fourth time this season, was unable to make it out of the fifth inning for the third time this year.

In the second inning, the Yankees scored the game’s first run when on Bill Hall, rather than holding the ball on a grounder with the speedy Brett Gardner running toward first, made a bad throw, allowing Lance Berkman (who doubled) to score from third.


Derek Jeter would then single to center after Gardner stole second to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead.

The lead was enough for Moseley early on as he only allowed one hit through the first three innings, including making a fabulous play to begin the game when he barehanded a ground ball and nailed
Jacoby Ellsbury at first.

Moseley ran into trouble in the fourth inning when he loaded the bases after surrendering a single and two walks. The threat ended when he induced a groundout from Ryan Kalish to keep the game at 2-0 before a homerun to Bill Hall in the fifth for the first Boston run.

In the bottom half, the Yankees would blow the game open and knockout Beckett. Mark Teixeira crushed his 25th homerun of the year deep into the right field bleachers. After a walk to Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano reached on a hit-by-pitch, Berkman doubled inside the third base line, driving home Rodriguez.

Things got worse when after Gardner struck out, catcher Kevin Cash ill advisedly tried to double up Cano at third base, but his throw went into left field, scoring the run from third anyway. Jeter followed up with a two-run double into the gap in right center to extend the lead to 7-1, also passing Babe Ruth on the all-time hit list at 2,874. The blow sent Beckett to the shower.

“You give up seven runs, who else are you gonna blame?” Beckett said of his 4 2/3 inning, 11 hit, 7 run outing, and the defensive miscues that led to runs. “It’s nobody else’s fault in here.

The numbers this season for Beckett against the Yankees have been ugly. In four starts, he is 0-3 with an 11.30 ERA, allowing 33 hits and 24 earned runs in 19 1/3 innings.

“It’s hard for our guys to catch ball when they are hit that hard,” said Beckett. “I just threw too many balls over the fat part of the plate.”

While Beckett stumbled again, Moseley flourished. Armed with the sizable lead, he took the game home. Throwing strikes with his two-seam fastball and working quickly on the mound, the Red Sox were unable to line him up and get good swings against him.

The big stage of The Rivalry was not too big for him.

Moseley took the game into the seventh inning before surrendering a double and an infield single brought Joe Girardi to the mound to take the ball from his right-hander, who left to a standing ovation from the 49,096 at Yankee Stadium.

“You can’t dream anything better.” Moseley said about the ovation.
“It is something I’ll remember for the rest of my career.”

“He attacked the zone,” Girardi said. “We told him (Saturday) to be prepared to pitch, and I wasn’t concerned about him handling (the situation).

With Joba Chamberlain in the game, an infield single by Mike Lowell made it 7-2. A two walk to Marco Scutaro loaded the bases for David Ortiz. Girardi went to lefty Boone Logan, who has been a revelation as of late, and got him to groundout to end the inning.


Logan pitched a scoreless 1 1/3 innings. With two outs in the ninth and five-run lead, Mariano Rivera, throwing only one pitch, got the final out of the game.

The Yankees have now won 15 of their last 20 against the Red Sox.

While Moseley came through, Berkman turned the boos he had been hearing from Yankees fans into cheers, going 3-for-4 after starting out a miserable 2-for-22 and then injuring Rodriguez in batting practice Saturday afternoon with a line drive.

“As long as we win, if doesn’t matter if I hit .150,” Berkman said. “But you want to feel like you’re contributing. You don’t want to feel like you’re an albatross.

“You kind of have to reestablish your credibility with a new team, with a new set of fans. And the only way you can do that is by getting some hits.”

Sunday night, both players found ways to help in victory.

Yankee Talk: No Trust Factor

Vazquez performance hurts future credibility

NEW YORK – Javier Vazquez proclaimed before his start against the Red Sox Friday that he wanted this stage.

He wanted a chance to redeem himself. It was an opportunity to show that he can earn the trust of Yankee fans that look at him cynically, always awaiting his eventual meltdown.

Last night, he did none of that.

Even worse, Vazquez again served notice that in a big game, he has yet to earn the confidence that he can come through in big games, especially come October, which is a damaging sign for the Yankees.

The Yankees 6-3 loss to the Red Sox dropped their AL East lead to five games, but it was about more than that. This was about a continuing belief that this pitcher, when asked to come up big, continues to come up small.

It all began with two outs in the first inning when he left a pitch over the middle of the plate that David Ortiz drove out to dead center to give the Red Sox a quick 1-0 lead.

After Mark Teixeira gave him a 2-1 lead to work with in the second, he gave it right back, albeit with some help. After Adrian Beltre doubled to the gap to lead off the second, Vazquez got J.D Drew to pop out and then appeared to have the second out when Mike Lowell popped up a ball along with the first base line near foul ground. Vazquez would have caught it, but then Francisco Cervelli called him off and the ball bounced off his glove in fair territory.

It is unknown whether that rattled the right-hander. He was able to strikeout Ryan Kalish, but walked the ninth place hitter Jed Lowrie, who is not a threat with the bat to load the bases. Jacoby Ellsbury then drew a walk that forced home a run to tie the game as the crowd groaned.

Marco Scutaro then got a pitch up in the zone and drove it down into the left field corner for a two-run double to expand the lead to 4-2. The crowd, expecting the worst, got it.

It made no difference that since his awful 9.78 ERA start in April, he has been the Yankees second best pitcher (3.34 ERA). All Yankee fans know and believe is the past and that memory hangs over like a dark cloud.

Last week against Tampa Bay in a similar situation, he got behind quickly. Once the Yankees evened the game for him, he quickly gave it back.

When the game was tied in the sixth, all the Yankees asked was for him to keep the game the game tied, he could not do it, giving the Rays the lead once again. The Yankees would eventually win, but his propensity for “coughing it up” rendered its head again.

Friday night, it was back and no one was going to forget.

Vazquez would settle down for the next three innings and when Alex Rodriguez had an RBI single to trim the lead to 4-3 going into the sixth, it was incumbent on him to hold the lead right there to give the Yankees a chance against both Clay Buchholz and the Red Sox bullpen. All he needed to do was get at least three more outs.

This, he could not do.

After getting the first out, Lowell singled to left. Kalish then came up and drove a two-run homer into the Yankees bullpen in right center to balloon the lead to three. The crowd, the most intelligent in all of baseball knew what was going on here. They had seen this pitcher do exactly what they knew going in, and that was find a way somehow to spit the bit.

These were the house rules with Vazquez the moment he returned. No matter how he performed this season, he would never fully earn the fans trust unless came through in big games and in October. He could perform like Bob Gibson in 1967 or Pedro Martinez in 1999 and none of would matter unless had gave fans the belief and faith in him.

Here in early August, he still does not have it.

So as we look ahead to October, the dread still exists of Vazquez melting down on the road in the postseason or at worst, Game 2 at home and continuing his career legacy.

When the Yankees brought him back this season, the move was met with trepidation. Why bring this man back when his past stint was filled with negativity.

The belief was that he could not pitch in New York. Vazquez claimed he was hurt, thus leading to complete inefficiency in the second half of that 2004 season after Joe Torre named him to the All Star team.

His first month was awful and continued the trend that he was not fit to pitch here. However, he rebounded, able to salvage a season when all seemed lost.

Last night though, he opened up old wounds.

Who knows how the game would have turned if Cervelli was able to make that catch for the second. Maybe not all three of those eventual runs would have crossed the plate and he could have settled in to pitch a good ballgame.

Unfortunately, those things happen and the dropped ball did not lead to him walking two hitters and then give up a two run double, nor a two-run homerun in the sixth when the team needed him to put up a zero.

That is why when Joe Girardi came to the mound after his 108th pitch to take the ball from him, the crowd showered him with boos.

The past is still there. Only Vazquez can change it.

Right now, there is no belief in him that he can.

Yankee Talk: Rivalry Edition – Sawx strike first

Javy, poor defense help Boston to victory

NEW YORK – Javier Vazquez was to earn himself the respect of his cynical fan base.

In the days leading up to this start, Vazquez relished the chance to face the Red Sox after having the Yankees skip him back in May for fear him completely losing his confidence.

Friday night did nothing the crowd, or Vazquez.

While poor defense played a role, the Yankees right-hander did not do himself any favors by allowing the game to get away from him early and see the Red Sox close him out late as they took the first of the four game series 6-3 in front of 49,555 at Yankee Stadium.

Vazquez, who statistically has been the Yankees second best pitcher since May when count the absence of Andy Pettitte, found trouble right from the start of the game. After getting the first two outs on ground balls, David Ortiz took an outside pitch and crushed it over the center field fence near
Monument Park for his 24th blast of the season that gave Boston the early lead.

Mark Teixeira would counter in the bottom half, drilling a two-run homer into the right field bleachers to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead. It was the fourth game in a row in which they had a two-run first inning homerun.

In the second inning, the Red Sox would add to their lead. After Adrian Beltre double to begin the frame, JD Drew popped out and the same was going to be said of Mike Lowell just to the right of the first base bag. Vazquez called for it initially, but catcher Francisco Cervelli took charge and the ball bounced off his glove in fair territory, allowing Beltre to go to third.

“Someone’s got to catch it. That’s the bottom line,” Yankees Manager Joe Girardi said.

Ryan Kalish struck out, but then Vazquez walked light hitting Jed Lowrie on four pitches to load the bases. Jacoby Ellsbury would also work a walk when a 3-1 pitch sailed outside, allowing Beltre to score from third to tie the game at two.

A hanging changeup to Marco Scutaro was hammered down into the left field corner for a two-run double to extend the Boston lead to 4-2 as the denizens at Yankee Stadium would cascade boos on the Yankees enigmatic right hander.

Because of the error, Vazquez was not charged with any earned runs. However, he could have picked up Cervelli after he got the second out instead of walking Lowrie to load the bases, walk Ellsbury to tie the score and the yield a two-run double to Scutaro that gave the Red Sox the lead.

Having a two-run advantage, Boston starter Clay Buchholz went to work. He has been among the league’s best pitchers this season and after struggling against the Yankees back in May, he sought a chance to redeem himself.

Working at a quick pace and throwing strikes, many Yankee hitters came to the plate and quickly went back to the dugout after the Teixeira homerun. He kept the Yankees scoreless until the bottom of the fifth when Alex Rodriguez’s RBI single scored Derek Jeter from third to cut the margin to 4-3.

Vazquez had settled down from his bad second inning and put up zeroes for the next three frames. However, needing just one more scoreless to come away with a respectable outing, he was unable to do so.

Drew flied out, but then Mike Lowell singled and Kalish would drill a two-run homer into the Yankees bullpen to build the Red Sox lead back to 6-3. Vazquez would then walk Lowrie and Manager Joe Girardi made that slow walk to the mound, marking the end of his night.

In 5 1/3 innings, Vazquez allowed six runs (three earned) and six hits, walking four and striking out five in 109 pitches to fall to 9-8 on the season.

Buchholz kept his pitch count low and departed with one out in the eighth inning throwing only 97 pitches before giving up a double to Robinson Cano, giving up only three runs and scattering nine hits while walking no one and striking out four to improve to 12-5.

Daniel Bard got the final two outs of the eighth to get the ball to Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth. The Yankees bullpen kept them in the game with 3 2/3 scoreless innings of pitching from Joba Chamberlain, Kerry Wood, Boone Logan and Chad Gaudin.

Papelbon got the first two outs quickly before Jeter worked a 12 pitch at-bat for a walk. The game would end when Swisher flied out softly to left field as the Red Sox came away with a win, determined to not suffer the same fate when they were swept in four straight games last August, thus eliminating them from the AL East race.

“It’s pretty big, yeah. Everyone has high hopes going into tomorrow,” Buchholz said. “We lose this one, and then lose that one, everyone knows where that goes.”

Boston closed within five games of the Yankees and on Saturday has John Lackey going to the mound against CC Sabathia.

Yankee Talk: Rays Have Staying Power

Tampa shows Yanks they will not go away

ST. PETERSBURG – For three days in July that blended its way into August, we saw the two best teams in the league do battle.

In this battle of heavyweights, it was the Rays that would hold serve at home, winning two of three from the Yankees in response to what the Yankees did two weeks earlier.

There was nothing to settle over this weekend. The season still has eight more weeks to go and these two teams still have to player each other eight more times, even though by the looks of it, these teams appear poised to meet more than seven times by the time this 2010 concludes.

What we saw from this young, feisty bunch from Tampa Bay is that they have no fear of the defending world champions. The Rays, American League champions two seasons ago when they were able to outlast the Red Sox in both the regular season and in a seven-game ALCS, are battle-tested and were able to stand up to the Yankees and put them on notice that they will go away anytime soon.

They have the starting pitching, ability to get timely hits and have the relievers in late innings to get key outs and hold their leads. On the surface, the Rays do not have a definable weakness.

Friday and Sunday saw Wade Davis and James Shields handcuff the Yankee lineup. Davis, after giving up a two runs after five pitches Friday, settled in to shut down the vaunted lineup through seven innings. Sunday saw Shields pitch the best game of his season. Coming in at a mediocre 9-9 with an ERA hovering close to five, he completely dominated, throwing 7 1/3 shutout innings, striking out 11.

That the Rays were able to do this without potential CY Young candidate David Price and a subpar outing by Matt Garza illustrates the depth and quality of their rotation. Seeing that makes you know right away envision them and the Yankees meeting in October with a World Series berth at stake.

Price, Garza, Shields, Davis and Randy Niemann are as good a rotation as anyone in baseball and can stand toe-to-toe with the Yankees. This is why they have the second best record in the league and for as great a year as the Yankees have had, only one game separates the two.

You would have thought the Yankees were on their way to putting their foot on the Rays early on Friday night after Nick Swisher hit that two run homer in the first inning. With the way Phil Hughes was pitching through the first five innings, they were comfortably in control.

Suddenly, with two men on, two out and a 2-2 count to Matt Joyce, Hughes misplaced a fastball that went out for a three-run blast to give the Rays the lead.

The combination of Davis, Joaquin Benoit and Rafael Soriano teamed
up to hold the Yankees hitless the final three innings to win the opener.

Saturday night, the Rays jumped out early with runners on second and third with no one out in the first inning, but Javier Vazquez limited the potential damage to only one run.

By the end of five innings, Tampa Bay held a 3-1 lead and Garza had his good stuff even if he was not throwing a no-hitter as he did last Monday against Detroit.

However, the Yankees finally got to him the sixth. After Derek Jeter doubled, Mark Teixeira connected on a fastball and hammered it deep to right to tie the game.

After Joyce hit his second homerun in as many nights to retake the lead in the bottom half, Swisher would answer with a blast of his own in the seventh to re-tie the game.

In his two previous at-bats, Garza would pound the zone with fastballs only to finish him off with a breaking ball. This time, Swisher knew it was coming, sat on it, and got a hanging curve that he drove over the wall.

Boone Logan and David Robertson kept the score tied until the ninth. Benoit did the same on Tampa Bay’s side and now closer Rafael Soriano was in the game looking to give his team a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth.

He did not get that far.

After Soriano got Alex Rodriguez to pop out on the infield for the first out, Robinson Cano connected on a fastball down and in, crushing deep into the right field seats to give the Yankees a lead that Mariano Rivera would hold down in the bottom half for the save.

For the Yankees, it allowed them to breathe easily. The win assured them that they would leave St. Petersburg still in first place as both teams played one of the most intense games anyone will watch this season.

While Joe Girardi will not say it, he knew that winning Saturday allowed him to tinker with his lineup on Sunday. Resting was Rodriguez and Brett Gardner to go along with Teixeira as the designated hitter and Ramiro Pena playing third base.

The “A” lineup was not there which led to Shields pitching his best game of the season. Newly acquired Lance Berkman made two defensive miscues that eventually led to the three runs the Rays scored off CC Sabathia.

It is very likely that even the best lineup was not going to beat the Tampa Bay right hander the way he was throwing Sunday, but the Yankees did not take the loss as if it was going to have any bearing in the future. They see the long term in this season and with both teams firmly in playoff position, would rather tend to the health of their players than anything else.

No much separates these teams in August. Nothing much will separate the two the final eight weeks.


The two best teams in baseball appear headed for a classic matchup in October.

Time for Yankee Random Thoughts

Clearly seeing that the moves made in the off-season were not of quality or simply just did not work, the Yankees felt the need for a slight makeover without doing anything drastic.

In acquiring Lance Berkman, it was an admission the signing Nick Johnson and having him replace Hideki Matsui was an abject failure.
Johnson only hit .167, amassing double the amount of walks (24) than hits (12) in 24 games before suffering a hand injury that has put him out ever since.

Johnson was looked upon to make up for Johnny Damon’s slot in the number two hole, but despite working counts, never truly fit. His chronic health problems were always a concern and they resurrected immediately upon his return to the Yankees.

Now that they have replaced him with Berkman, the question has to be asked of why the Yankees got rid of either Damon or Matsui despite their advanced age and injury history for a man whose body breaks down faster than Carl Pavano’s did when he was here.


Berkman has always been a gamer on the field. However, his numbers have been in precipitous decline the last four seasons to the point where his current salary could not be justified. This is why the Yankees demanded the Astros pay a sizeable portion of his contract before even taking him.

It will take time for him to adjust. Since 2005, he has not played in any meaningful games for the Astros, and the change to a new league, new team, and playing in games of this magnitude, with this scrutiny and at this level take time to adjust.

All the Yankees are in search of is a quality at bat either in the number two slot (which he was in on both Saturday and Sunday) or even down in the lineup. Perhaps his new surroundings will invigorate him and he can perhaps find past glory.


Bringing in utility man Austin Kearns was a clear signal that the organization finally concluded that Curtis Granderson’s history of being poor against left-handed pitching was real and even they could not correct it.

When acquired, the Yankees talked in glowing terms that several mechanical flaws in his swing would help at least be competent when facing a left-hander at the plate.

Instead, with an average of .219 against them this year (.188 last year), those numbers were not trending upward in a way the Yankees could continue to justify keeping him in there.

Kearns brings a professional bat from the right side that hits lefty pitching and can start on those days, allowing Brett Gardner to shift to center.

Looking to October, Granderson would have been a near automatic out against potential lefty starters such as Cliff Lee, David Price, Jon Lester, Francisco Liriano and John Danks.


Putting a more competent bat in there strengthens the lineup and allows for Marcus Thames, a sold hitter against lefties, to not play in the outfield and rather, have him as a pinch hitter.

Kerry Wood as an addition to the bullpen is simply a “buy low” proposition. He still have tremendous stuff, but is often injured and just recently returned from a blister problem that landed him on the disabled list for several weeks.

Before that, the numbers were not good. Peripherally, he still strikes out a batter an inning, but has a few too many walks despite reasonable hit-to-innings pitched numbers.

The best thing one could say was that his addition was good only
because it meant the last of Chan Ho Park, who the Yankees released the next day.

I was on the Park bandwagon back in spring training and thought it was a bargain to get a guy who performed the way he did out of the bullpen for Philadelphia. Somehow, upon arrival to the Yankees, he lost 5 MPH on his fastball and lost all sense of how to pitch.

At least he gave us a great YouTube moment about how his poor pitching came from a case of diarrhea. It would not have surprised us if he had that the entire season.

All Wood has to do is stabilize the pen just a little bit. If he gets hot and can pitch 25 good innings the rest of the season, the Yankees will take that. With him, Chamberlain and Robertson to go along with the recent hot streak of Boone Logan, hope to finally build a solid bridge to Mariano Rivera.

Sunday he threw a knee-buckling 3-2 curveball to Evan Longoria for a strikeout. That type of power arm can help the team as he struck out three.


However, he did have two walks and left the game with the bases loaded.

Not good.

Not getting Cliff Lee made these moves appear like second prizes. The equivalent of this would be like asking for Playstation 3 and ending up with a Sega Genesis.

I was not a fan of the A-Rod “Chase for 600”, and now that the chase is ten games old, I think we have had enough of all of this.

Listen, Rodriguez is going to hit another homerun at some point before the end of the season.

However, this has become tedious.