21-7 against .525 (Yanks 5, Orioles 1)

Pros often say that many of the best teams have, in general, two goals during the season. The first is to win a large portion of their games against weak opponents. The second is to play approximately .500 baseball against the best teams. Put them together, and you should have enough wins to find a way into the playoffs. From there you just take your chances against similarly skilled opposition.

I thought about that when I compiled these numbers on the Yankees' amazing August run. By the numbers, it was 21 wins and 7 losses over 28 games. The Yankees outscored their opponents by a combined 175-123 during the month. And here's the most telling stat of all. When you look at a 21-7 record, most people would say, "well their opposition wasn't much good." So I looked at the records for the opposition, and I found the average record and winning percentage across all 28 games. Teams the Yankees played more than once got more weight in the comparison. But most importantly, I calculated the combined opponents' winning percentage minus any games against the Yankees. In other words, I calculated the Yankees' opponents' winning percentage as though the Yankees did not play any of them this month.

The Yankees' opponents' average winning percentage was .525 in August. Only 4 teams in the American League have a winning percentage of more than .525, and one of them is the Yankees themselves (remember, just 4 teams make the playoffs from each league). What this means is that, for August, it was as though the Yankees faced a playoff team (a .525 team) in all 28 games they played. And in those games the Yankees decimated the opposition, outscoring them 175-123, and winning 21 of the 28 games.

The goal, apparently, isn't to play .500 baseball against the best teams. The goal seems to be...to destroy them.

A word about Joba

The Joba issue has always been less about what the Yankees want to do and more about avoiding the ire of the Steinbrenners. Here's Hank back in 2008:

"I want him as a starter. You don't have a guy with a 100-mile-per-hour fastball and keep him as a set-up guy. You just don't do that. You have to be an idiot to do that."

And later,

"The mistake was already made last year switching him to the bullpen out of panic or whatever. I had no say in it last year and I wouldn't have allowed it. That was done last year, so now we have to catch up. It has to be done on a schedule so we don't rush him."

We haven't seen Joba in the bullpen since.

So Girardi has found a way. Rather than moving Joba to the bullpen, which of course he wants to do but which would be going over Hank's head, Girardi simply limits Joba's pitch count (35 pitches yesterday) to that of a reliever.
Problem solved.

The bench-warmer

Check this out...

The Yankees have 20 wins in August.

Mariano has saved only 7 of those 20 wins.

What does that tell you?

It tells me the Yankees aren't just winning ballgames. They're winning easily.

Vengeance (Yanks 8, White Sox 3)

At the end of July the Yankees had broken out of the gate in the second half on a tear. They had swept Detroit and Baltimore, taken 3 of 4 from Oakland, and then gone to Tampa Bay and won another 3 game series down there, 2-1.

But they hit a snag in Chicago. The White Sox at the time were red hot, and over the first three games they rode the lively Chicago crowd to victory, playing above themselves, getting all the bounces, and making life difficult for the Bombers, who had that look of surprise one gets while being suddenly mugged in a dark alley. In the process the White Sox looked like a second-half juggernaut poised for a pennant race and a playoff run, and the Yankees were only saved by Melky's cycle in the last game, which gave them a chance to salvage the last of the four games.

And yet, as with many things about this season (Joe Mauer's supremacy, the Red Sox's superiority over the Yankees, etc, etc), it was all a mirage. With a rather vengeful 3-game stomping this weekend, the Yankees proved it.

First it was CC and the Yankees getting the best of Mr. Perfect. Then a 10-0 wipeout, in which Mitre and Gaudin combined to 1-hit the Sox, while the Yankee bats laid waste to their pitching staff. And then today it was vintage Yankee baseball; a decent start by Joba, nice relief work by Aceves (who is now 9-1) and his crew, and a late inning explosion by the Yankee lineup.

Ballgame over. Mirage revealed.

Joba in flux again

More Joba rules, more Joba drama, more Joba nonsense. Another deranged reversal for Girardi and the staff, who seem constitutionally incapable of deciding what to do with this guy and sticking to the plan. Well, here's why it's so hard:

He's a headcase. Where's the mental toughness consultant when you need him?

Mitre the Merciless! (Yanks 10, White Sox 0)

Bravely led into battle by the Sergio Mitre, the Bombers exploded on Chicago, ripping Jose Conteras and his relief core to shreds, and blowing out the Sox 10-0 in a frightening show of destructive force!

Mitre led the defence, mercilessly pounding the zone and outflanking the Sox's best hitters, confounding, vexing, flummoxing, and simply blowing everyone away for a 1-hit 7 inning smackdown of epic proportions! (I like Jermaine Dye after striking out, stepping toward the centerfield camera and looking pissed, as if to say, "what the ef you lookin at?".)

Sergio Mitre, I now dub you Mitre the Merciless! And your work is only just beginning. Welcome to the Bronx.

RC and CC (Yanks 5, White Sox 2)

Don't get me wrong...this is Cano's game. In the 10th inning with two outs, Robby Cano came to the plate with the chance to win the game with a hit. And for the second time in August, he came though with a momentous walk-off, (this one a missile into the Yankee bullpen in right) to lead the Yankees to victory.

But I think the key today was Sabathia, as he has been for many weeks now. In this game CC struck out ten over 7 innings and gave up just two runs. In the process he lead his team to victory against one of the top pitchers in the American league (Buehrle), in another clash of aces.

CC keeps winning these clashes. In the month of August he has taken down Buehrle twice, Josh Beckett, and Clay Buckholtz. And in every game he started this month, the Yankees won.

Though Jeter and the offense have been red hot, the Yankee MVP could easily be CC Sabathia for August, simply because he has had the most impact on and has given the Yankees the best chances to win the most difficult games of the month.

Here are the highlights from this decisive victory over a team that really took it to the Yankees last time they met in Chicago. This time, the Bombers struck back.

Jeter's leadoff jolt.

Damon Destruction.



Cano's clutchness.

Jeter, on the Minka Kelly engagement rumors:

"Engagement rumors with who?"

An American Leader

Steinbrenner's thoughts.

The Captain's new Queen?

Congrats, Mr. Jeter. But you're still trailing Matsui! Step it up and get it done!

Getting one's mind right (Rangers 7, Yanks 2)

I don't know what A.J.'s problem was when he pitched against Boston, but he just told the media that, at the time, he didn't "have his mind right".

A.J.: "I think over the past couple of starts I haven’t been as strong upstairs as I was today..."

OK, stop right there. Forget about this unfortunate game against the Rangers (in which the Yankee bats were curiously quiet).

Someone needs to tell Burnett to get his mind right or get out of New York. There's no excuse for not having your mind right when you're playing major league baseball.

Mental toughness and preparedness is extremely important in sports, in fact it's more important than most people realize. Championships in every sport are won and lost every year because of mental toughness. Some players have it, some don't. But more importantly, some coaches understand it, and some don't.

As a tournament-level racquetball player I learned about mental toughness because I thought it would give me an edge against my similarly skilled opponents. After learning about it I quickly learned to spot tennis players who practiced it (most of them try to) and who did not. For example, Andy Roddick was mentally weak until recently.

I can also spot basketball, baseball, and football coaches who train their teams in mental toughness. Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and the Lakers' Phil Jackson do it. Terry Francona does it. And John Gruden is a master.

Back to baseball. Being a wealthy organization with vast recources means that the Yankees should be doing everything they can to win ballgames. If they don't have at least a mental toughness consultant, they need one, because the idea of an elite Yankee pitcher coming to Fenway for an important game without his "mind right" is completely unacceptable.

UNacceptable!

Mystique (Yanks 9, Rangers 2)

When you see Posada going deep, Pettitte snagging liners and Jeter turning two at one moment and then coming through with the bases loaded the next, you know you're watching Yankee baseball at its finest. There are days in which the Yankees look mortal. And then there are days like today, where the mystique takes over.

Mauer the mirage

Mauer is an excellent hitter. One could even say he is one of the league’s elite. But if you’re like me and you had a nagging feeling that Mauer’s numbers are too good to be true, you’re right. They’re inflated. The imbalanced schedule allows him to repeatedly tee off against weak pitching staffs in his own division. A closer look reveals how powerfully hitting numbers can be inflated in the AL Central and suppressed in the AL East.

Mauer has had the most at bats against KC, against whom he has punished the ball for 21 hits in 44 at bats.

#2 on Mauer’s hit list is Cleveland, the staff with the worst ERA in baseball. Mauer has feasted repeatedly on their weak pitching, going a stratospheric 19 for 35.

But how about Roy Holliday? The excellent staffs in Tampa Bay and Boston?

Jeter has faced Halliday in two games and has just one hit to show for it. Mauer has not faced Halliday this year.

Mauer has just 8 at-bats this season against Tampa Bay’s above-average staff. Jeter has 46 and has managed a respectable 14 hits.

But here’s the clincher. Against the elite Boston staff Mauer has just two hits in 11 at bats. He will not face Boston again this year. But Jeter has come to the plate against the Sox an astonishing 71 times and rapped 19 hits for a .268 average.

Conclusion: Mauer’s numbers are spectacularly inflated because he plays in the central division. Injuries in April allowed him to almost completely avoid having to face the Red Sox and Tampa bay, and all year long he was never once tested by Halliday. The truth is, Derek Jeter is the MVP because he has faced and overcome much tougher pitching, and has lead his team to the best record in baseball, in baseball’s toughest division. It’s as simple as that.

A rough loss with a silver lining (Rangers 10, Yanks 9)

This one was rather painful.

With a home run Posada had helped stake the Yankees to a 4-0 lead early in the game and with Joba off to a blistering start. Things looked good.

But Joba blew it. He was torched for 7 earned runs and by the 4th inning had given up the lead. After being replaced by Gaudin, the Yankee pitching had surrendered 10 runs.

Little did we know, the Rangers would need every one of those runs. Down 10-5 in the 9th, the Yankees showed why they're the best in baseball.

Damon lead off with a single. Tex walked. A-Rod walked. Matsui singled to bring in one. Posada dribbled an infield single towards third for another run. Cano then singled to bring the Yanks to within one run with nobody out and runners on first and second.

You know how the story ended. But once in a while you can look back on a game with pride in your performance, even if you lost. That it what the Yankees should take from this game. An amazing performance in spite of knowing that 99 times out of 100, they will lose the game.

Bombed (Yanks 8, Red Sox 4)

The Sox never had a chance.

On the first pitch Josh Beckett, the Red Sox ace, threw an outside fastball to Derek Jeter and El Capitan ignited the offense, crushing a bomb into the Boston bullpen. The first pitch. In the bottom of the inning Jeter stabbed a grounder on the outfield grass and, leaping, fired a perfect strike to Teixeira for the out. Joe Morgan's jaw was on the floor as he said, "He does that better than anyone."

Then Matsui. On a blistering high fastball from Beckett the Sayonara Kid launched a rocket that soared majestically over the Sox bullpen and into the bleachers.

Cano joined the march. With the enemy dug in and battling back in defiance, Robby demonstrated with how many weapons and with what overwhelming force the Yankee lineup can wield it's destructive power, as he punished an inside pitch into the bleachers and continue the assault.

The shock and awe continued. A-Rod smoked a devastating two-out line-drive missile that rocketed over the green monster for two more runs.

And it was Matsui who fired the final volley. This time he rocked an inside fastball such that the sound of his bat seemed to rattle Fenway's very foundations, a blast that dashed all hope of a Red Sox comeback.

Oh the glory of victory, of conquering the enemy in their own homeland. There will be more battles, but few were as decisive as this one, as both teams brought their elite troops to battle and the Yankees emerged victorious.

Here are John Sterling's calls of all 5 home runs.

And here are the recaps for the series:

Game 1 (Yankees win 20-11)

Game 2 (Red Sox win 14-1)

Game 3 (Yankees win 8-4 and the series, 2-1)

CC's defining start at Fenway (+ game notes)

Jeter just homered on the first pitch so that bears mentioning.

But what I really wanted to say was that CC's start today is even more important and in a much tougher environment than the one in which he did so well last time at the Stadium.

I said before that CC had earned his pinstripes. But it's in games like this (and in the playoffs) that Yankees are made.

Whoops Cano just botched a weak Ellsbury ground ball to start the game.

Some game notes:

Jeter's got that look. The Yankees are going to be tough today if he has anything to do with it.

This officiating crew (the legion of doom) continues to distinguish itself as the worst in the league. Another home plate umpire with too wide a strike zone. Yup, it's Vanover.

CC just picked Ellsbury off. I didn't know he had that good of a move.

A lil' jump throw on the grass by Jeter ends the inning. He owns this game already. 1-0 after 1.

Matsui!!! Trotting ever so slowly. Top 2 2-0.

CC got Youk looking on a pitch about 8 inches outside. Legion of doom strikes again!

CC isn't using the generous zone and allows the Sox to tie it. Not very Yankee-like! 2-2 after 2.

Jeter-Damon-Tex 1 out rally puts Yanks back in the lead. ESPN is stat-happy. A-Rod sac makes it 4-2.

ESPN's announcer looks like Dick Cheney. Talks like him too. Nasty curve gets Ellsbury looking.

Yankee interior defense is slightly feeble today as grounders continually skip under gloves. 6-4-3 dp ends the inning! (Bi-polar defense, I call it!) 4-2 after 3.

Trouble in Beantown: Tex leads TB 4-0.

Robby Cano!!! Over the bullpen in right, 5-2 Bombers. Reached for it on the outside corner, and pulled it into the seats, eliciting a "wow" from the Taiwanese announcer.

5-2 after 3 and a half. Cano botched a 2 out pop up, runner on first scores, 5-3 Yanks. 4th inning is the "Cano inning". He catches the next pop-up, hears derisive cheer, 5-3 after 4.

Cano has two errors for 1 unearned run today.

Nice camerawork by ESPN. Damon singles up the middle and rather than cutting away, camera simply pulls back from normal pitcher-batter shot to show Ellsbury's play and Damon rounding first in one frame. ESPN's camerawork is still the best in the biz, imho.

An A-Bomb! From A-Rod! Over the monster! 7 earned runs against Beckett in 4.2! 4 home runs! 7-3!

Yankees have scored in every inning against Beckett (5 innings so far).

In the 8th now, 7-4. Beckett had "settled down" and is still in the game. Matsui just homered again, though, and the Yankees are up 8-4. Beckett still laboring. Yanks aren't doing his ERA any good and Francona refuses to use his bullpen. Josh has been a "workhorse" today. More like "pummel horse". God I hate Beckett!

Theo doesn't look pleased. Hughes will pitch the 8th and he gets out of it. Does Mariano need work?

Mariano walks the lead-off man in the 9th and Molina comes out for a chat.

Varitek down looking on a questionable call. Legion of doom to the rescue! One away.

Mo is trying to take advantage of the wide strike zone, with unpredictable success. Vanover has been fickle today.

Crotchman rounds out, two gone.

Oh and Ellsbury swings and misses for strike 3, ballgame over, Yankees win!

5 homers off Beckett seals the series win 2-1 and 7.5 game advantage in the East with 38 to play. With the Texas win Boston is now just a .5 games ahead in the wild card race.

Time to look at magic numbers?

Vanover and his minions strike again

In June Larry Vanover blew an easy call and cost the Yankees a game. I thought that Vanover should be replaced by a competent umpire. However, it seems we need to go further. Vanover's entire crew needs to be sent down to AAA or below.

Remember that there are thousands of umpires officiating big games (high school, college, and in the minor leagues) and less than 100 reach MLB. These umpires officiate together in "crews", which are groups of four, throughout the season. Crews travel from city to city to officiate a series (usually a 2, 3 or 4 game set) before going to the next series. And during the series the umpires rotate rolls. On one day Vanover might be a 1st base umpire while another will call balls and strikes. Then they change rolls later.

I don't know what this crew's problem is. But the home plate umpire during the 20-11 game was awful, and there's no doubt the umpire for the 14-1 game was similarly clueless. And since Vanover is part of this crew, we can surmise that they may have a poor work ethic.

Conclusion: Fans should revolt if this hapless crew is given any work in October.

A Flipped script (Red Sox 14, Yanks 1)

In college I had a couple of friends who were girls from out of town sleep over at my dorm for the weekend. My old roommate remarked that, if he was in my shoes, he would attempt to "flip the script", meaning that, even though these girls had been friends for a long time, he'd try and have some sex with them...both of them at once. I admit that there are times when a man needs to "flip the script", but in my view this was not one of them.

Well the Red Sox flipped the script yesterday in a similarly dramatic fashion. As unexpected as it would have been for me to have "flipped the script" on my lady-friends from childhood, so too was it just as unexpected that the Sox managed to beat the Yankees by such a lopsided score. On to game 3, where CC and Burnett square off, and where the Yankees will try to right the ship (and flip the script back) to familiar territory.

25 for 46

Jeter's numbers over the last 11 games. Scott Brosius once said that Jeter has a "slump-proof swing".

Yeah.

Rampage!

Two home runs and 7 RBIs. Enjoy.

The bullies come to Beantown (Yanks 20, Red Sox 11)

Yankee glory at Fenway!!!!!!!!!!

Pettitte no-hit the Sox for 4 innings (video of the first hit and Jeter's putout here) as Penny was rocked repeatedly and forced out of the game in the 5th. Bowden, his replacement, was even more brutally hammered by the Yankee bats, so badly that fans were left wondering if there would be any fallout from this (he was sent down after the game). Eventually Delcarmen and Ramon Ramirez were asked to come on and stop the bleeding, and neither of them was able to. After the 6 run 4th Pettitte couldn’t find his rhythm and was replaced by a succession of poor performances, broken only by the return of Marte, who pitched to two batters and got them both out impressively. Will he be a playoff weapon after all? What a crazy year he’s had…I gave up on him as soon as he got injured but it’s just such a long season and anything can happen. Anyway Mitre followed and pitched exceedingly poorly. The good news: the Yankees never had to use Aceves, Robertson, Coke, or Hughes. And they, especially Jeter, Matsui, Tex and A-Rod just pounded on everyone the Sox sent out there. It was a glorious day at Fenway, a 4 hour whipping that began the process of banishing memories of the early defeats here this season.

The numbers for this historic game, broken down by MLB.com.

Here's the inning-by-inning "live" report. Enjoy (or don't if you don't have the time)

Relive every moment of the thrashing below. I recorded it as it played out.

T1: I woke up to the sight of Jeter at second base with nobody out (Jeter is now 4/7 for his career against Penny). Don’t know how he got there but you can bet it wasn’t a HBP and a balk. (I learn later it was a ground rule double to right). It was probably a smash off the monster or a gapper to right. Damon, probably unfamiliar the sightlines at Fenway, struck out looking (he then left the game for because he fouled a ball off of his foot). Tex walked on a 3-2 pitch and A-Rod followed suit to load the bases with one out. But Matsui struck out looking. Posada came up next, waited for a hitter's count, and then smashed a hard ground ball single up the middle. 2-0 Yanks! Cano grounded to 2nd to end the inning.

B1: Ellsbury walked on a questionable pitch and promptly stole second because Cano was unable to handle Posada’s throw. Pedroia flew out to right, moving Ellsbury to third. YES obnoxiously replayed Ellbury’s steal of home, as if he was going to try it again. Martinez sacrificed him home with a fly-out to Melky, and the Sox were on the board. I don’t remember how but Youk somehow got out and the Sox were done.

T2: Swisher grounded out to start things off. Melky reached base, don’t know how. Hit and run was on and Jeter roped a single to center. Then Hinske smashed a ground rule double down the line to score Melky from third and now Tex is at the plate! Oh pour it on, boys! Yeah! Tex doubles down the right field line and it’s 5-1 Yankees! That ball bounced off the wall and caromed into the middle of right field, rather than skipping to the outfield wall. A-Rod doubles down the left field line! But he’s out at second on a great play by Jason Bay. 6-1 Bombers, all without a home run! Fenway is silent; they must have known this was coming. Oh and Matsui LAUNCHED one to the right field wall, backing Drew up all the way, and drawing a terrified “AW!” from the Fenway Fools. But it settled into Drew’s glove. 4 runs in the inning on countless hits.

B2: Ha YES atones for the sin of showing the Ellsbury steal by reminding us that this day in baseball history marks…the 5th game of the Boston Massacre sweep that effectively ended the PED Sox season in 2006. Anyway Bay comes up and promptly pops out to Tex. Ortiz follows him, still batting an apparently Roid-less .224. He walks on a pitch that was called a strike earlier in the game. Cameras show Girardi, then close-ups of the umpire, then lines over the plate indicating the strike zone and how the ump has apparently lost it. We’ll find this umpire’s name later and go kick his fat ass. Lowell just smacked one but right at Melky. The hit drew a “YEAH!” from the fans as it rose lazily into center. Drew is up. More close-ups of the umpire, who is imposing himself on the game with his poor calling of balls and strikes. Drew grounds out weakly and at the break a Yankee coach goes out to respectfully request that the umpire throw himself off the green monster.

T3: Everyone’s applauding Jerry Remi, who I’ve never heard of before. I guess he’s a beloved Red Sox announcer.
Anyway here’s Posada leading off against Penny, who must have thrown more than 50 pitches by now. Whoops Martinez, a recent pickup for his bat and not his glove behind the plate, let Posada’s third strike skip to the wall. Posada made it exciting by running slowly to first, but he made it in.
Cano makes us forget this by promptly grounding into a double play. He’s probably the only Yankee not to reach base today. Oh I’m wrong Swisher also did not reach. He’s up now. He struggles mentally at Fenway.
There’s some guy named Bowden in the bullpen warming up already. Swisher strikes out swinging, but the totals flashed on the screen tell the story: Yankees have 6 runs on 8 hits. Sox have 1 run and no hits so far.

B3: Here’s Alex Gonzales, the recently acquired Sox shortstop, batting 9th. He strikes out swinging. 50 pitches now for Pettitte. Ellsbury now. He has tied someone named “Harper” (almost certainly a white player) for the most steals in a season for a Red Sox player, at 54. Well he’ll have to wait to break it, as Pettitte gets him swinging on a nasty slider or something. Here’s Pedroia with two away. Red Sox still don’t have a hit. And PED lofts one to the edge of the monster, Hinske misplays it for what should be an error, and ball rolls all the way to Jeter, who turns and gets PEDroida by a mile at third. They’ll probably rule that a hit because Hinske didn’t touch it, but it should be an error. We’ll see. BTW Hinske looked awful on that play. Must he be out in the field? I’d better report on Damon soon.

T4: Question: Who is the last Red Sox player to lead the AL in stolen bases? I’ll say DON’T KNOW DON’T CARE. Almost certainly a white player. If not maybe Ellis Burks? Jim Rice? Nomar?
Anyway Melky grounds out to short, almost beat that out. Jeter, with his .334 average is up. He’s 2 for 2 today. But he flies out to Drew and now Hinske, who seems determined to lose this game somehow, is up. Cameras keep showing a couple in B caps in the stands smiling. Now he’s on his cell phone. Hinkse flies out to left and the Yankees are out.

B4: Hinske’s error could get interesting. Wow the answer to the trivia question was Ellsbury last year. Ground ball to Jeter, who gracefully fields and throws out Martinez. Now it’s Youk swinging violently on the first pitch and popping out to Tex. How long will this no-hitter last? Here’s Bay the Yankee killer. His bat has cooled off considerably since April and May. But Bay flies out sharply to Hinske, who makes us all nervous now. 4 innings of no-hit ball from Pettitte.

T5: Hey there we go. In the quiet of Fenway a fan shouted as loudly as he could that someone (I guess Teixeira) was a “homo”. Tex singles to center to lead off. And then A-Rod ripped one off the wall for a long single, and Tex moved to third. Umpires have gathered to determine whether that was a home run? No it just hit the top of the wall. Penny leaves to hearty boos for his 4+ innings 10 hits 6 run performance. It’s fair to say that he’s been outpitched by Pettitte. Here’s Matsui and he CRUSHES ONE WAY OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH LEFTY TO LEFT AND HE GETS ALL OF IT!!!!! 9-1 YANKEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH OH OH GODZILLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! INTO THE SOX BULLPEN AND OUT OF DREW’S REACH. A Sox fan grabbed it and celebrated. Posada walks and the Yankees aren’t finished. Girardi is applauding in the dugout. Here’s Cano. Francona is chewing seeds furiously. Another one goes past Martinez and Posada lumbers to second. Cano smokes one to the gap, scoring Posada. 10-1 Yankees. Only Swisher is without a hit, and he’s at the plate. He grounds out, eliciting a derisive cheer from the Boston Buffoons in the stands. Melky up and he lashes a 3-1 pitch into center, scoring Cano from third. The score is now 11-1. Will we see Traber again? Have the Sox already given up? Here’s Jeter with one out and the Melk Man on first. Jete is 2 for 3. Grounds to Youk but beats out the 3-6-3. Hinske is up. Bowden has thrown 30 pitches already. 4 pitch walk, not sure how much of this Francona will tolerate. Now Tex. He only has a single a double a walk, 2 RBI and 3 runs scored (in the 5th inning). This is still the inning in which Tex was called a homo. And he singles to right, scoring Jeter and drawing a “hooray” from the Fenway philistines. Bowden can’t find the strike zone against A-Rod. Why not walk him and pitch to Matsui? Pettitte is waiting patiently in the dugout. He’s still got a no-hitter going. 41 pitches for Bowden. Francona steadfastly refusing to bring anyone else in. And A-Rod walks to load em up. Matsui, who has already homered against this pitcher in this inning, comes to the plate. This could get messy. HA HA DECLARAMEN IS WARMING!!!!! Yes give me all your pitchers, Francona. Damn Matsui flies out. 12-1 Yankees now.

B5: Hinske corralled Ortiz’s pop fly but Lowell gets the first legitimate hit for the Sox (the other hit will surely be changed). Drew is out of the game, Baldelli in. Sox are waving the white flag. Well Baldelli doubles off the wall in center, giving the Fraudway faithful something to cheer about. Oops I guess not so much, Gonzales grounds out and does not get the run across. To gone, men on 2nd and 3rd with Ellsbury up. And Ellsbury goes down and gets one for a hit, scoring two. It’s 12-3 now and Boston fans have a glimmer of hope. Pedroia follows with a double, and now we’re wondering if Pettitte can finish this out. He’s thrown 91 pitches now. And he strikes out Martinez, muttering to himself has he strolls back to the dugout. We’ll probably see Bruney in the 6th.

T6: Bowden is still hanging around, getting rocked. Francona is willing to let him get embarrassed. Posada rocks a double off the centerfield wall. Cano flies out on a 1-0 pitch. Single by Swisher, and all the Yankees have hits! Posada inches over to third. Now Melk. First pitch crushed off the monster! Francona? Now the top of the order is up. Jeter first pitch single to center. 15-4 now! Francona? The Yankees want your best pitchers. Bring them in or this slaughter will not stop!!! Francona??? Oh he leaves Bowden in!!! They’re letting Bowden’s ERA skyrocket to 18.90 now. He can’t throw strikes anymore. Jeter is on second. This is hilarious. Well Hinske grounds out, and they’re leaving Bowden in to face Tex. A cry of “homo” is picked up by the cameras. Damn and Bowden gets out of it. 15 runs and 18 hits for the Yankees now, and we’re still in the 6th.

B6: Cano pulls Tex off the bag with a lazy throw and Green singles to right, first and third with nobody out, Ortiz up, and this may be Pettitte’s last batter. Ortiz pops out but there’s some miscommunication between Hinske and Melky. Basically Melky didn’t learn in the Dominican Republic that the centerfielder has priority. Cano didn’t learn to play hard in the D.R. either. No wonder they got beat twice in the WBC.
Pettitte out, Bruney in. Bruney gives up two walks, one of them with the bases loaded, and now Boston has cut the lead to single digits again, 15-6 with bases loaded nobody out. Bruney falls behind and a parade of Yankees comes to talk on the mound. 4-6-3 Double Play! It’s 15-7 but with two outs now. Ellsbury gets jammed and pops out to Cano, inning over.

T7: Still hoping the Yankees force the Sox to tire out their better relievers. Each team needs to get 9 outs with the bullpen. And here’s Delcarmen! He’s been cold lately, but Ramirez or Okajima would be nice to see, too. A-Rod triples off the garage door in center as Ellsbury does a jumping jack in a vain attempt to catch it. A Matsui ground-out scores A-Rod and the Yankees have 16 runs. Posada lines one to left and the Yankees are helping the Sox by swinging too early in counts. And that won’t stop with Cano, who grounds out to Pedroia.

B7: Bruney got an out but walked everyone else, so the bases are loaded for Ortiz, and Girardi brings in the lefty Marte! Long Time No See! Ortiz flies out to Hinske and there are two gone! Lowell now. And Marte has struck him out!
It seems that Bruney may no longer be a reliable pitcher for the Yankees this year. If they plan on using him for the playoffs they’d better get him right. Marte looked ok but that’s only two batters. I never thought the Yankees would bring him back, but here he is.

T8: Saito! Come on down! Can the Yankees knock him out and force a Ramirez/ Okajima appearance? Here’s Swisher. Fenway sounds empty now. They were still keeping the flame of hope alive in the 7th, down by 9 runs? With the whole Yankee bullpen rested? Delusional people! Swisher strikes out on a 3-2 pitch. Melky now. He’s 3 for 4 and batting .272. Hits it hard but it’s a catchable ball to left, two down and…Jeter up. He’s 3 for 5. Boos for Jeter but no “homo” accusations. Hit hard but right near Pedroia, who was playing very deep. Yankees go 1-2-3 and Saito has done his job. I’m thinking: What will Boston do if tomorrow’s pitcher, whom the Yankees have already seen (and with whom A-Rod made fast friends) can’t go more than 4 or 5 innings? Who’s coming in? Do they expect to outpitch A.J. Burnett?

B8: Interesting. Mitre is on the hill. I guess they aren’t planning on starting him any time soon. Joba will probably take his place in a brief Sabathia/Burnett/Pettitte/Gaudin/Chamberlain rotation, with Mitre occasionally replacing Joba later in the year. Before I can finish these sentences (and I type reasonably fast), Mitre gets two outs, one of them a weak comebacker. Could we be seeing another secret weapon emerging from the pen? Well he’d have to blow a couple of people away. He didn’t blow anyone away but got Ellsbury to ground to A-Rod, who unleashed a bullet across the diamond to Tex for the out. He doesn’t throw hard unless he needs to, and then he guns it.

T9: Yes, Ramon Ramirez is on the hill. I think we saw everyone but Okajima and Papelbon today. But with only one inning of work, Ramirez and Saito should be able to pitch tomorrow. Ellsbury again tried to catch one too far in front of him, dove forward and let the ball skip past him, extending Hinske’s single into a double. Ellsbury is having a very weak day in the field, and the Yankees have 20 hits. Here’s Hairston in for A-Rod. I like Hairston; he’s a ballplayer, with a varied skill set and polish all around. Hairston draws a walk and now we’re wondering if Ramirez will be available tomorrow. Matsui at the plate, swung on and HIT IN THE AIR TO DEEP RIGHT! NEAR THE FOUL POLE! IT IS HIGH, IT IS FAR, IT IS….GONE!!!!!!!!!! THE YANKEES HAVE 19 RUNS ON 21 HITS, MATSUI’S BLAST SAILED INTO THE SEATS JUST BEHIND THE FOUL POLE IN RIGHT, AND THE YANKEES HAVE A 19-7 LEAD! Posada is out but Green misplayed a Cano fly-out and turned it into a double! Can the Yankees score 20 runs today? Let’s see what Swisher can do. I know one thing for sure: this is the most runs the Yankees have scored this year. Ramirez is still out there, it’s very unlikely he’ll be available tomorrow. Off the centerfield wall!!!!! 20 runs now!!! Ramirez is still out there! Oh it’s glorious, nobody’s going to warm in the pen but I just love this!! 20 runs, 22 hits. Here’s Melky. Make that 23 hits, but Melky is out at second. 20 runs on 23 hits today, and only Okajima and Papelbon didn’t pitch for the Sox. Brilliant.

B9: Mitre gets Pedroia to fly out to right, one gone. Varitek is up and he cracks one over the centerfield wall for a home run, 21-8 now. Mitre gives up another hit to Crotchman and falls behind Nick Green. But it’s grounded to A-Rod, who flips to Cano for the force, two away. Here’s Ortiz and Big Juicy doubles to center over Melky’s head to make it 20-9. Here’s Lowell now, and Mitre is laboring, but he’s gonna try and get the last out. The old man is still hitting .300, bless his roid-laden soul, and he hits one over the green monster to cut the lead to 20-11. Well Mitre just hit someone but the 9 hitter grounded out to none other than Derek Jeter and the Yankees win!!!

Inning by inning?

I'm strongly considering doing inning-by-inning updates for this first game (Pettitte vs. Penny). I haven't done it since Wang's last game.

To those that think the Yanks still have something to prove going into this Fenway series...

The Yankees aren't giving up the AL East lead. This isn't the Mets we're talking about. The race is ALL BUT OVER because the Yankees have no weaknesses besides the very back of their rotation, which is everyone's weakness. They're rolling right now. They jacked up the Red Sox in four straight games a few weeks ago. They have nothing more to prove against them. The sweep also taught us that the first 8 games were a mirage, if you hadn't figured it out beforehand.

These games are but a formality. Only a Sox sweep would make this race even a little interesting, and looking at the pitching match-ups the Sox should be more concerned about getting swept (MLB.com preview/pitching matchups).

Pettitte vs. Penny (winless in August)
Burnett vs. Tazawa (the rookie)
Sabathia vs. Beckett (ace vs. ace)

If this looks like a Boston sweep to you...you're delusional.

Golden Gaudin (Yanks 3, A's 2)

Playing the A's has been a real treat for the Yankees this year. NY won 6 out of the 8 games, and Oakland was nice enough not to burden the Bombers with having to get Holliday and Giambi out after the first series (Giambi is hurt and Holliday was left to languish in the light-hitting National League).

Today was a treat because Oakland played the Yankees tough and provided a nice tune-up for the big series in Boston that awaits.

Of course, the series could be bigger. But Boston is a whopping 7 games back (just 6 in the loss column), so even an extremely unlikely Fenway sweep would only bring the PED Sox to 4 games out.

Anyway, much more about that later. Today Gaudin pitched 4.1 shutout innings and got just enough support from Jeter, Teixeira, Hughes and Mariano to get the win.

Another Melky moment

How can an athlete hit for the cycle one day, make a spectacular catch the next, and then in a jaw-dropping bout of clumsiness briefly mount Oakland's catcher before toppling over after getting plunked? "I've never seen that before," said the announcer.

Yankee baseball.

...but a big one helps! (Yanks 7, A's 2)

Yeah, CC. (Video of CC's 8 inning, 2 run performance)

By the 8th inning the Oakland announcers were describing CC's slider as "unfair". That might be the ultimate compliment in baseball...when the opposition realizes that you belong in another, higher league.

Well MLB is as high as it gets.

In other news, Jeter is rested and smacking hits all over the place. He is 10 for his last 13 and has apparently decided to accelerate his pace to pass Gehrig for the most hits ever as a Yankee, just as he did last year when he was close to passing Gehrig for the most hits at the old stadium. Back then, Jeter broke the record by finishing a 10 for 16 tear.

I guess he just prefers to get it over with as soon as possible.

Payroll isn't everything... (A's 3, Yanks 0)

Brett Tomko shut down the Yankees for 5 innings today, leading the A's to a 3-0 victory.

That's right, the same Tomko who...pitched for the Yankees this year.

When one team's released reliever becomes another team's starter, you get a true sense of just how much of a financial advantage some teams have over others.

Of course, it could just be that the A's are a frugal organization. But in reality the Yankees have advantages now that make it very difficult for teams like the A's to compete.

Now there are teams out there who have the means to compete with and win consistently against the Yankees. Those teams include the Red Sox, the Dodgers, the Phillies, the Angels, the Rays, the Cubs, and maybe a couple of others. They make up baseball's elite. But I think Yankee fans will always feel a (very) slight twinge of payroll guilt, especially when seeing games like the one today, in which Tomko, a Yankee castoff, went up against A.J. Burnett.

And by the way, you can see that Tomko's team won. This is why I don't feel much payroll guilt at all. That's because, apparently, payroll isn't everything.

A Sidenote (Mariners 10, Yanks 3)

Despite Jeter's historic hits, the Yankees lost today, mostly because their lineup was a bit shorthanded and because Joba and Aceves pitched poorly.

The good news is that the Yankees are still a whopping 30 games over .500 with 44 to play, and are still 7.5 games ahead of the PED Sox, who have now dropped out of first in the wild card race.

The Shortstop (Jeter 2,675, Aparicio 2,673)

Derek Jeter just passed Luis Aparicio (video here) for the most hits in baseball history by someone playing shortstop.

Jeter is 35 now. He has another year left on his contract, and after that he will almost certainly be with the Yankees for an additional year, maybe two or even three more. In those years Jeter may move to the outfield, but I don't see that happening within a year or two. Even at 37 or 38 Jeter should still be able to play a solid SS.

What this all means is that, unless he gets hurt, he is going to absolutely obliterate the record for hits as a shortstop, and etch his name in stone as the greatest shortstop this game has ever seen.

Handling business in the pen

The Yankee bullpen's performance after Mitre left in the 6th:

3.2 IP, 3 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts, no runs allowed.

Highlights here.

When Titans Meet (Yanks 5, Mariners 2)

Before I get to the Clash, I should note this: The Yankees are 23 and 6 since the All Star break. That amounts to their best post-all-star-break record after 29 games...in Yankee history. Like I said, this is a special group.

Back to the story. Anytime the Yankees and Mariners meet with a healthy Jeter and Ichiro, I consider that game a clash of baseball titans. Not the teams, but the players themselves, because these two are, in my mind, two of the very best.

But even one of the best players in the world makes mistakes. On second with two outs in the bottom of the 7th, and with the tying run on first base and a power hitter at the plate, Ichiro did what any sensible baserunner would do. He made a break for third base!

However, it was Jose Molina behind the plate, and he alertly pounced. Ichiro's reputation is such that teams need to be ready for anything when he's on the base paths, and the Yankees were ready. A-Rod moved over to cover third, Molina leaped up and fired a bullet, and when the ball arrived in A-Rod's glove Ichiro was two feet from the bag. Inning over.

I've always said that the three players I'd like to see play baseball in person before I die would be Bonds (who is retired and who I missed seeing on the field), Ichiro (who I may still see, but more likely when he's a pitcher) and Jeter, who I've seen many times. To me, they're the three best players of this era, with Albert Pujols now emerging as #4.

With Bonds out, Pujols is the premier hitter, and Ichiro is the most physically skilled. But Derek Jeter puts it all together, expertise at the plate, precision fielding, competitive fire, leadership, and in-game brilliance, unlike any player in the world. Jeter almost never makes mental mistakes, especially mistakes that a player with less hubris would have avoided. Instead, when the game is on the line Jeter's maneuvers become more brilliant, his tactics more amazing, not less. And that's part of why Jeter, when he hit that late-inning home run over Ichiro's head, sent a little message to the world: This is Yankee baseball, and Ichiro, this is how it's done.

Video

And now, in honor of the first place Yankees' remarkable season so far, I present....

Video.

I'll go back and edit some of the posts, so that we have not just my words and the pictures, but also video to remember this great year the Yankees are having.

As an example, you can look back through my blog and find this (just click here, you're gonna love it).

A playoff-like game (Yanks 4, Mariners 2)

This was the kind of game that we should see in the playoffs.

1. Solid starting pitching for 6+ innings.
After the first inning Pettitte was in control, striking out 10 Mariners even without his best stuff. He pitched for 6 innings and allowed 2 runs, both in the first.

2. The Hughes/Bruney/Coke/Robertson/Aceves quintet stifling the opposition in the pivotal 7th and 8th innings.

Today it was Bruney and Hughes and came on and did what they're supposed to do: Bring the heat and blow people away.

3. A Mariano execution.

Mo came on and, ever so gently, put the Mariners to bed.

4. Shortening the opposing starter's outing.

The Yankees took pitches, worked deep counts, fouled balls off, and grabbed opportunities as best they could against a very good pitcher who was having a superb game.

5. Executing at the plate in the last 1/3 of the game against the opposition's bullpen.

The great teams always do. Someone always comes through to win the game. That's the man who gets the pie in the face. And if it had been at Yankee Stadium, it would have been Mr. Teixeira, who came to the plate with a home run on his mind, much like he must have against Boston in that final dramatic game, and delivered the goods.

Yankee Baseball.

Ichiro brilliance

Ichiro is one of only a handful of players in the league who would have caught this ball.

An amazing almost-catch.

Full steam ahead

Nice video of CC's 10 strikeout wipeout of the Mariners.

The horn blasts from the arriving trains nearby coincided nicely with Mariners whiffing for strike three, as if the arriving train was Mr. Sabathia himself.

Another city flattened

4 for 5 with 4 runs scored, 5 RBI, 2 home runs.

Annihilation (Yanks 11, Mariners 1)

Even without A-Rod and Posada, the Yankees looked like the best team in baseball today. Coming out west to Seattle, home to a good team, the Yankees absolutely smoked the Mariners (a couple of home runs here). The Bombers scored 11 runs on 15 hits while Seattle managed 1 run on 3 hits. This game was a mismatch from the start and an example of how good the Yankees are going to be in August, September, and hopefully October.

If you're the Sox, Dodgers, Angels, Phillies, Rangers or anyone else, and you don't truly fear the Yankees right now, you should.

Blazing Cano (Yanks 4, Blue Jays 3)

Robinson Cano is doing what he does best year after year: pounding the stuffing out of the ball after the All Sar break. There are a lot of analysts out there who think Cano is one of the best, if not the best second half hitter in the big leagues, and no small reason why the Yankees always seem to get hot in August and September.

Now on a 10 game hitting streak and batting about.450 during that stretch, we're seeing a Cano that is very devastating, as he will spray balls all around the field or hit them with electrifying power, as he did yesterday. He first hit a long home run, and then smashed a double off the wall that won the game in the 11th, a double that earned him a Burnett pie (pictured above). And since Cano never went into his customary extended slump early in the year, he may be poised to contend for the batting title...of course, he still needs to overtake Jeter (who got hurt in this game) for first on the team, which might be a tall order. But we'll see. Anyway, he's got that sweet swing going, and seems utterly comfortable at the plate, even in big spots. Let's hope it stays that way in October, when the Yankees will need it most.

It should also be noted that Mr. Gaudin, from San Diego, came in during the extra frames and got the Blue Jays out. As he was walking off the field after the third out, the cameras were on him and you could see how excited he was to be in the Bronx. And I don't blame him, the Bronx is an exciting place, especially this year.

Back to back! (Yanks 7, Blue Jays 5)

Once again, in the 8th inning the Yankees went back to back to first tie, then go ahead. As these games keep piling up, and as we continue to see performances like this, it's becoming clear that this truly is a special team. How often does a team, in two out of three games, hit late-inning home runs to tie and go ahead like this? Not very often, and when it does happen, it's usually done by a group destined for glory.

About those home runs: Posada's jack was a routine Yankee stadium homer. But Matsui's home run (off a side-arming lefty) to start the 8th inning, tie the game, and propel the Yankees to victory was a titanic blast. You really can't say enough about how skilled Matsui really is. He simply owns left-handed pitching. I doubt they will, but I really hope the Yankees re-sign this guy for a couple more years. He's still a devastating power hitter who can get it done in the clutch. A Yankee through and through.

Back to earth? (Blue Jays 5, Yanks 4)

While the Yankees sweep of Boston was electrifying, the Bombers shouldn't rest. After all, the Blue Jays are in tow....

WOW what a tremendous ass-whupping we just dealt Boston!!!!!!!!!!

Sing it, boys!:

Start spreading the news, Im leaving today
I want to be a part of it - new york, new york
These vagabond shoes, are longing to stray
Right through the very heart of it - new york, new york

I wanna wake up in a city, that doesnt sleep
And find Im king of the hill - top of the heap

These little town blues, are melting away
Ill make a brand new start of it - in old new york
If I can make it there, Ill make it anywhere
Its up to you - new york, new york

New york, new york
I want to wake up in a city, that never sleeps
And find Im a number one top of the list, king of the hill
A number one

These little town blues, are melting away
Im gonna make a brand new start of it - in old new york
And if I can make it there, Im gonna make it anywhere

It up to you - new york new york

New york

Blasting the NY Times

Here's my contribution to the discussion on the NY Times blog. A little history:

When the Sox went up 8-0 in the season series, Tyler Kepner, not one to give his unsolicited opinion very often, said flatly and unimaginitively, "the Red Sox have a better organization." Later he relayed a moronic tweet from John Henry, the Sox's principal owner. The tweet went something like..."The MT curse?"

We'll here's what I wrote today on the blog:

"At what point, Mr. Kepner, did it occur to you this weekend that the Yankees have the best organization in baseball? Was it when the Sox tried to parade John Smoltz into Yankee stadium and instead watch his career end in a devastating hitting display? Was it when the Yankee bullpen outpitched the vaunted Sox bullpen in that 15-inning epic? Did it cross your mind then? How about while Burnett, CC and Pettitte manhandled the vaunted Sox lineup for 31 innings?

Was it when Ortiz stepped to the microphone and without even a prepared statement lied so brazenly, so disrespectfully to every baseball fan? Did it occur to you how differently A-Rod had handled it, perhaps because steroids cannot explain A-Rod’s brilliant career, but that they clearly have everything to do with Ortiz’s rise to stardom? Did it occur to you that A-Rod’s and Ortiz’s handling of the steroids issue reflects the positions and the cultures of the organizations for which they play?

You know when it occurred to ME that the Yankees have the best organization in baseball? Well, at all of these moments. But maybe most strongly it was in the last game, in a moment where every intangible game together. It was while the New Yankee Stadium, the team’s new, glimmering throne for the kings of baseball, was rocking with a sound that only the destruction of the Red Sox can elicit, as Mark Teixeira, the Yankees’ proud free-agent steal from under Boston’s nose, trotted around the bases (care to tell us what John Henry was tweeting then?), as the Yankee pitchers CC, AJ, Pettitte, Joba, and their star hitters A-Rod, Jeter, Damon, Matsui, and Posada, all of whom contributed so much to this Boston Massacre 2009, and the rest of the Yankees celebrated in the dugout, and in the most familiar sight of all, as Mariano began to warm in the bullpen once more. That’s when it really hit home.

Don’t you think?"

Life's not worth living!

It's funny how so many commentators are wondering whether Red Sox fans are going to throw themselves off of a high structure.

Here was the MLB.com broadcaster's remark before recapping the final game of the sweep:

"After a three dramatic W's the Bombers are sitting on a sweep, the likes of which just might send the Fenway faithful into a frantic free fall off the Charles river bridge!"

That's a little extreme. But I guess Sox fans would rather die than admit the Yankees have the better organization.

All is well in Yankee land (Yanks 5, Sox 2)

John Sterling with the calls (you can see/listen to them here):

"And the pitch swung on and DRILLED to deep right! It is high, it is far, it is GONE into the Yankees bullpen! He's tied it up! AH! Johnny Damon hits a bullet, it's a Johnny Rocket, a line drive home run into the Yankees bullpen, we're all tied at 2!"

(moments later...)

"Breaking ball HIT IN THE AIR TO DEEP RIGHT! That ball is high, it is far, it is gone!!! AHHH!!! Mark Teixeira sends a TEX message into the right field seats --------Mark Teixeira!!! And Teixeira and Damon go back-to-back and a belly-to-belly, and the Yankees take an 8th inning 3-2 lead!!!"

Video of The Boston Massacre, 2009:

Game 1: Yanks 13, Sox 6
Game 2: Yanks 2, Sox 0

Game 3: Yanks 5, Sox 0

Game 4: Yanks 5, Sox 2

The Yankees now have a 6.5 game lead in the AL East. They have swept the Red Sox again in a pivotal August series, not unlike what they accomplished in 2006. And it was made all the sweeter by the dominant pitching performances, the clutch hitting and dramatic home runs from the team's biggest stars, and from the memorable final game that put to rest all doubt that the Yankees are the better team, and the better organization. End of discussion.

Maybe the series was won the minute Muhammed Ali rode onto the field in a golf cart to be honored for something or other. The fact is that Ali would never appear in Fenway park. He came to NY because that where champions go. To NY, to Yankee stadium, to baseball's throne.

And here are some additional clips from the last game; Pettitte's fine start and a great contrast of captains: Jeter in the field and Varitek at the plate.

Ortiz

Oh and Francona is bringing in Ortiz to make the last out in this complete thrashing of a series. This will really satisfy Yankee fans if Ortiz makes the last out. It would then be a TOTAL domination, a FLAWLESS VICTORY, in Mortal Kombat terms.

Edit: Ortiz managed to draw a walk, but the next batter, the new face of the Red Sox, Jacoby Ellsbury, grounded out weakly to first to end the game, finish the sweep, and complete the 2009 Boston Massacre.

6.5 games up. And Boston is now tied with Texas for the wild card. Good luck with that, Roid Sox.

Swisher!!!

A-Rod walks, Posada doubles, and then Swisher comes up. Seemed like Okajima tried to hit him twice, and then Swish fists one into center for a base hit!!! Two runs score, Yankees lead 5-2! Oh it doesn't get any better than this! And now another hit by Cano, the Yankees have another runner in scoring position.

The Yankees have just scored 4 runs with 2 outs in the 8th to lead 5-2. This is Yankee baseball at its best, Yankee MAGIC! Yankee MYSTIQUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Back to Back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh it's just glorious!!!!!!!!!!

Damon and then Teixeira to take the lead 3-2 with two outs in the 8th! Glorious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Electrifying!!!!

And you just knew it when Teixeira came up! You could just feel it. The crowd was going crazy and Tex just had this look about him, I don't know what it was. But you just knew he was swinging for the fence there. And OH did he pop one! No doubt about it, JD Drew just stood there watching as Tex's moon shot rocketed into the second deck. And as he rounded first he still held his bat high in the air.

Did Tex earn his pinstripes today? I think so.

Hughes?

Yankees lead 1-0 top of the 8th. The top of the Sox order is coming up. Pettitte is finished. Who do you bring in?

I think most fans right now would bring in Phil Hughes. A few months ago it would have been Brian Bruney. Instead Girardi brought in Phil Coke. The result? A bloop and a blast, and the Red Sox take the lead.

I'm assuming we'll learn soon why Coke was brought in instead of Hughes or Bruney. Girardi will be asked after the game, especially if the Yankees lose. We're highly anticipating his explanation.

Very highly anticipating it.

The best record

The Yankees have the best record in baseball at 68-42. They just passed the Dodgers, who are 67-44.

At the end of this series we'll do a breakdown of what the Yankees will need to do to make the playoffs. But right now the Yankees are taking some of the suspense out of that one.

CC Sabathia (Yanks 5, Red Sox 0)

Dear CC,

I just want to take this moment to say that I'm sorry for what I said at the beginning of the season. After your first outing, when you got hit and lost the game, I called you "CC Sabustia" because I didn't think you would perform well in high-profile games. I thought that also because you got hit pretty hard in the postseason several times.

Yesterday's game was as high-profile as they come, outside of the postseason. You proved that you're not a bust, but an ace, and really one of the finest pitchers in baseball. This was a game against our arch rivals on national television, a game that would clinch the series win and announce to the world that there is no doubt about the fact that the Yankees are the team to beat in the American League. And you didn't just come through. You pitched perfectly until the 5th, and no-hit the Red Sox until the 6th. You continued into the 8th inning without allowing a run, at a time when the bullpen truly needed you to do just that. All after getting less sleep than usual.

CC, you are the man, no doubt about it. You earned your pinstripes today, and with those pinstripes you earned the trust of Yankee fans like myself who can now be confident that you will perform at your best when it matters most.

Regards,

-L

(By the way, this was also The Jeter Show, in the field and at the plate.)