Bad things come in 3s

The Angels are abusing the American League East.

Despite the ridiculous call that stymied a Yankees rally, the Angels did what they do. Got solid pitching, great defense and timely hitting. That will win a game every time.

The Yankees didn't look awful in this game, although giving up 12 runs is never good. The Angels just scored in bunches and stopped the Yankees from doing the same.

Here's hoping for better things tomorrow.

Worst call ever

Has an umpire ever been more wrong and been that close to a play? No. Never. I hope Ed Hickox sees that replay. I hope he's fined for his ineptitude. I hope, I don't know, every foul ball hit in every game he's behind the plate finds some unprotected fleshy bit.

Yeah, take THAT Ed Hickox.

They're no Angels

Well, that was nice. I tuned in just in time to see not one, but two 3-run bombs off Angels' bats. Andy Pettitte looks clueless. Even when the ball ISN'T flying out of the park, you can tell when Pettitte doesn't have it. He doesn't have it tonight. I hope the Yanks' bats do.

Angry team

13 runs eh?
I suppose it’s about time the Yankees woke up. No surprise getting a great start turns into offense.

Now ... Pudge? Maybe five years ago, but now? Post-steroids? For Kyle Farnsworth? Who has more or less straightened his act out? No no no no ...

Farnsworth’s stuff hasn’t changed, his mind has. He throws strikes more often, gets ahead and puts people away. Apparently now for El Tigres.

One person who’s not happy? My wife. Watch out Brian Cashman, she’s coming for your head.

Too little, too late

George Sherill looks like a high school math teacher. Yet, while giving up 3 runs in the ninth, he managed to strikeout Alex Rodriguez - no surprise, A-Rod looked as if he was trying to hit a 7-run homerun when a 2-run single would have done just as well - Robinson Cano who shouldn't have bothered and Wilson Bettemit, same thing. Those two didn't look interested in anything other than getting back to the dugout.

Let's set that all aside for a moment and wonder why Daniel Cabrera, who once again stuck it to our Yankees, would hit Alex Rodriguez while enjoying a 5-run lead, jeopardizing his start and his team's likely win. Answer: he wouldn't, yet some trigger-happy yayhoo of an umpire decided Cabrera's traditionally awful control was reason enough to run the young starter. What was said umpire thinking? Who knows, but at least that decision was overshadowed by his inability to pick up the no-so-subtle pitch framing of O's catcher Ramon Hernandez.

Note to umpires: when the catcher's glove moves more than 4 inches back toward the plate, it's highly likely the pitch WASN'T a strike.

This, while the Red Sox were getting smoked, again, by the Angels and John Lackey.

ANOTHER wasted opportunity to gain ground.

Argh.

Just a matter of time

Jason Giambi has stranded five runners against Daniel Cy-brera (I hate that guy. He always jams the Yankees and he's mediocre at best. He's the sort of guy the late '90s teams grounded to a pulp.). Still, this game has a different feel than last night. The Yankees are are poised, not comatose. I expect fireworks in the next two innings.

Oh me of little faith

For a second, I thought I missed one of the great comebacks in Yankees history ... but no, I simply missed the end of a very forgettable night of baseball.

At least Angels didn't treat Boston any better, and the Rays continue their slide.

Still, a wasted chance for New York. They've made up a lot of ground, but there's much more work to be done.

The Yankees' dry cleaning bill ...

... is going to be enormous, based on the startling amount of vomit they've spewed on themselves.

What I'm saying is, they've gone from being the hottest team in baseball to the most listless, lifeless husk of a team. Losing to the Red Sox is one thing, but the beating they're getting at the hands of the absolutely pathetic Orioles is unacceptable.

Adam Jones hit a grand slam. Adam Jones!

Mike Mussina looked clueless, but let's face it, the guy's been great for the better part of the season. It wouldn't have hurt for the the Yankees to say, work the count, take some pitches, let Mussina get his junk together and get back out there. Nope. Let's do the opposite tonight.

All right, they're still 8-2 after the break, barring an unlikely comeback. Deep breath. Long season.

Gillette is smart

Gillette has been using the best golfer in the world, the best tennis player in the world and the best ... soccer player in the world. Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Thoren Furry? er, Theo Fleury? Er, Franz Ferdinand? Well, whatever, point is, he's a soccer player ... Amercians won't buy stuff from soccer player ... they will however, buy something from ... Derek Jeter. Fox aired, what I assume was the first of many Gillette spot featuring Jeter, and he even takes a shot at Woods for not playing a real sport. Imagine how Furrball felt with those guys? Right, thanks for coming soccer guy, here's your last paycheck, there's the door. And don't forget your shin guards.

Oh, and the Yankees are very quietly looking like the best team in baseball. They're 8-0 coming off the break and showing no signs of slowing. I was worried Tim Wakefield's knuckleball would cause problems, much like the 12:10 showing of The Dark Night is causing problems for this entry ...

In Mo we trust

In fairness, on the heels of Joba's (short) career day and Mo looking like the hero by getting five outs and escaping a two-on one-out jam in the 8th, Kyle Farnsworth wasn't horrible. He gave up two cheapy hits and I think Joe Girardi panicked a little.

That said, this game and the next two are huge for the Yankees, they been coming on like a pinstripes comet, finally pairing enough runs with the solid pitching they've gotten most of the season. One was all they need today, all they got against Josh Beckett, who always gives the Yanks such a hard time.

The dust up in the 7th was typical of this rivalry. Kevin Youkilis dives into the plate, and takes one of the knob. The fact is Joba hasn't hit Youkilis yet, despite what appears to be his best efforts. More comical out of the whole thing was Youkilis waving feebly at the next two breaking balls and, just after the foul, Beckett popping out the dugout, ready to throw down.

First of all, Josh Beckett is a redneck who needs to calm down. I'm positive he didn't pitch the 8th because Terry Francona knew Beckett would drill A-Rod and get ejected and suspended. There's no other reason to pull him. Becket's stuff was fine, his pitch count wasn't awful heading into the eighth. No, that collar was for Beckett's own good.

Incidentally, kudos to the MY9 team for having the previous buzzballs Joba threw at/to Youkilis ready to roll. I'm pretty sure "That was right at my f***ing head" was out of Youkilis' mouth before those flashback was rolling.

And, as these things happen, Manny Delcarmen took one shot at A-Rod, missed, eventually struck A-Rod out, and injured himself on the third strike. Ha ha.

Of course, the highlight was Mike Lowell going nuclear on HP umpire Marty Foster and Foster's roomy strikezone. Lowell got punched out after 7 or 8 pitches - a bunch of fouls as Rivera worked the outside corner - and launched into a gesticulating tirade, eventually getting ejected. I can't blame him. Rivera gets that call. It's probably not a strike, but that's life. Just as JD Drew fell victim to Rivera to end the game. If you have two strikes and you're lefthanded, a two-seamer on the outside part is coming. If it's even close, swing, because it's going to be called a strike.

The Hammer of God gets those calls.

Every now and then I get a little bit lonely, and you're never comin' 'round

Turn around ...

These Yankees are so vastly different from the April, May and most of June Yankees. The pitching has been fine, but the hitting these last few days in the wake of the All-Star break has been fantastic.

Robbie Cano has awoken. Jeter's driving the ball. The crack of the Yankees' bats just sound different. And the Yankees batters aren't missing pitches when they get them. Even tonight, Captain Clutch botched a sac bunt situation ... and then ripped an 0-2 double down the line for two runs that eventually was built to an 8-2 lead.

The bad ... Melky Cabrera. Does he have to swing at the first pitch every time? He's a fine fielder, with a great arm. But boy, his head seems jammed up his own arse sometimes.

Also, while Tim McClellan has the most annoying strike call in baseball, he also is coming up fast on CB Buckner for the worst zone. At least he doesn't have that ridiculous mustache anymore. We all know those only help former steroid abusing weak-fielding, power-hitting first basemen.

Stupid stat of the night: Kyle Farnsworth's "no hitter." Nine straight innings - probably in nine, maybe 10 appearances - without surrendering a hit. Wow. Baseball is it's numbers, but it ain't that number.

And more stupidity

Kim Jones: Joe, Jose Molina is a back up catcher, a good one, but a guy not known for his hitting. And, the more he plays, the more he's exposed. He got three hits tonight. How much of a boast is that for this offense?

Joe Girardi (in my perfect world): Well Kim, clearly we don't WANT him to hit. I mean, really, what would be the point of putting a guy in the lineup and EXPECTING him to drive runs in, or even make contact with the baseball? No, we want our guys to know they don't need to do anything productive, especially when filling in for an all-star the likes of Jorge Posada, who he had to put on the 15-day DL. Obviously, Molina's three hits tonight were a product of this coaching staff not getting its message across. We'll have a meeting before tomorrow's agame and make it clear. Just showing up is good enough.

Seriously, can clubhouse/sideline reporting be any less informative? Possibly, but unlikely.

Hooray for four in a row.

Things I think about while the Yankees are winning

I don't like multi-color uniforms. The Twins have blue shirts with gray pinstripes pants. Who's designing this stuff. I get the marketing angle. More jersey variants mean it's more likely someone will buy Boof Bonser's gear. But really, it looks ridiculous. The Yankees have two uniforms. Same for the Sox. Home and away. No retro, no prostate awareness baby blue junk. The Mets and Padres have what, 30 jerseys? Even a camouflage one for the Dads. Ya need two versions. End of story.

Also, something needs to be done about check swings. When I'm agreeing with Michael Kay about "the intent to hit," there's a problem.

Yeah, like that

Two harmless grounders and a strikeout. That's the way you pitch when you've just been handed a 4-run cushion. You hear that Randy Johnson? You no-lead holding freak. I still curse your years in pinstripes. Curse them!!

Knock out

Nick Blackburn was done in by shoddy defense, uncharacteristic of the Twinkies. But the Yanks are coming through in the clutch, something they've had trouble with all season.

Ponson needs to get his junk together though. He survived the top of the 2nd, which could have gone for the Twins are the bottom of the 2nd went for the Yanks.

Broom job!

Get em' on, get em over, get em in.

Then hit a cheapy bomb into the lower porch in rightfield to win it.

Winning doesn't always have to be pretty. Today, it wasn't, especially coupled with "Adventures in Rightfield" with Bobby Abreu. Not sure if he was decoying the runner, but having a ball simply fall out of your glove is possibly the worst thing that can happen to a major leaguer. THEN Abreu airmails the throw. Fortunately A-Rod and Derek Jeter had the presence of mind to be in the right places and get the force at second, effectively ending the game.

The Yankees continue to get impressive pitching - and wallow in third place. But, their record is better than it's ever been this season. Just hoping reality hits the Rays sometime soon.

I watched a bit - OK, most - of the ESPYs Sunday night. I typically from on awards shows, and this one was no different. Stupid awards, awkward moments, but that Justin Timberlake, can he entertain a crowd. He was everywhere, killing audience members, prancing in a blonde wig, creepily flirting with himself. He's funny. He's talented. Let's face it. I think he spent too much time going on about Memphis' inability to shoot free throws - it did cost them the NCAA tourney - but I would have done the same about the Yankes inability to prevent a stolen base, or Tony Romo's inability to spot the ball on field goal try. In short, for all that Timberlake did, there was still not enough him, too much Giants and way too much everything else.

Coming through in the clutch

Joe Girardi hasn't caught on that Mo Rivera isn't as effective in non-save situations. Rivera's losses have all come in tie games. It's no excuse for getting smoked by the A's, but you'd think Lil' Joe would catch on.

Still, the Yankees had enough to come back, thanks to a lot of luck and good old Lenny DiNardo. You hit a guy to drive in the winning run? Comical.

A suspiciously good start

It's just the A's.

It's just one game.

There's a long way to go.

But, seven runs and more solid pitching is still what it is. Ritchie Sexson drove in a run. That's got to mean something.

Mike Mussina has more wins now than he did in all of '07. It's really quite remarkable, the turnaround he's having, but I've said this before. He just looks like he figured out what to do with the stuff he has. I never tire of seeing that 68 mph curveball. It's bizarre to think a pitch that slow causes so many problems, but it's speed and location must make Mussina's fastball look about 95 mph. Plus, he's throwing that two-seamer to lefties that always rides back across the inside part, or somewhere close enough to trigger the umpirean response.

This guy is pitching against the Yankees Saturday.


His name is Sean Gallagher, hailing from? Yes, Boston. He's 4-4 and looks as if he belongs in Room 100 with a helmet, and possible mittens. Yeah, yeah, he's probably a great guy, he just doesn't photograph well. Whatever. If the Yankees don't hang 10 on this guy, they should be replaced by the Sisters of Charity softball team.

Thanks to A-Rod for hitting that 6th inning solo shot. Most people would criticize him for doing most of his damage when there's no pressure. Standing in an MLB batter's box, no matter the score, is pressure. You fail most of the time. Some Hall of Famers produced a hit in fewer than 30 percent of their at-bats. Mickey Mantle's career batting average was .298. And he was arguably the best player of his generation, and possibly any other. (Damn you Joe Dimaggio.) So, to say A-Rod's homer is meaningless is somewhat short-sighted, and frankly, wrongheaded. If the A's scored five runs between the 7th and 9th innings, that homer looks pretty good.

Back from the break

The All-Star weekend oddity: Not Josh Hamilton going nuts in the home run derby, and losing in the last round. It’s a horrible format, even reworked to count the first two round as cumulative. Still,

Not the 15-innning game Tuesday night that lost my interest after 13. I didn’t go to bed until 3:30 that morning and I seriously expected the game to still be going, perhaps with lucky fans chosen from the crowd to throw an inning. No, it Andy Pettitte in Mystic. He’s got three or four days off, a bottomless bank account, and he goes to Mystic. I’m not saying anything, I’m just saying.

I hope the Yankees play .600 ball post-break, cause otherwise, football season’s coming early this year. I’m stoked for the Cowboys Super Bowl run, and inevitable and immediate self-destruction right after.

How about some offense guys? Just a little? OK?

Blame Canada

AJ Burnett, Mr. .500, came two outs from handing the Yankees their second defeat via complete game shutout in a three-game set.

Except for what turned out to be a historic offensive outburst in Game 2, A-Rod and Jeter hit milestone HRs, the Yankees offense was pathetic, awful, anemic, impotetent, putrid, flaccid, listless, woeful, nonexistent ... I could, and should go on. In any case, can the Yankees play worse baseball? Yes. Can they play with less brains. Probably not.

I'm glad I don't scream at the TV ... as much ... as I once did, because I'd be mute by now. The other team hangs a crooked number on the Yankees, so their batters swing at early and often in the count. The Yankees are swinging at awful 2-0 and 3-1 pitches, rolling over them and popping up because everyone wants to hit a 7-run homer. And the sad part is the Yankees' pitching has been pretty good. What a waste.

Their rotation, now, isn't awful, and when/if Wanger comes back, they've really got a nice group, although it looks as if Rasner is the odd man out in that set-up. Still, he wouldn't be awful out of the bullpen, and that's not something I thin the Yankees are overly concerned with. For now.

I heard the Yankees are looking at Ritchie Sexson. Sexon's hitting a robust .218 with 11 HRs and 30 RBIs in 74 games. I'm sure the Yankees could look elsewhere, perhaps a batboy or clubhouse attendant, for production from the right side.

It's too bad about Bobby Murcer. He was great in the booth, better than the chuckleheads we're left with. He had great stories, relevant comments and best of all, he knew when to keep quiet.

Choke choke choke

I blame A-Rod for this loss.

For a while there, I thought he didn't care much about his divorce. Maybe he knew a prearrangement had his millions protected. By the way he's batting, either that prenuptial didn't exist, or lawyers found a way around it.

Stupid rain. Stupid Pirates.

Watched "CSI" Thursday night. Guest star: Method Man, a rapper most known as a founder of Staten Island-based Wu Tang Clan. He's also been in a bunch of silly, but funny movies. I noticed he has a Yankees symbol tatooed on his neck. Nice job Meth, I always liked you and your work. Glad we have the same taste in baseball teams. Nice job on "CSI" too.

Identity crisis

Pick a direction!

So, now the Yankees are a team that gets a clutch hit and lights out pitching. They've won three in a row, and tonight (Tuesday) took the first game in a series - after an off day - a rarity for these Yankees.

Of course they beat Scott Kazmir. Of course Derek Jeter got a clutch two-out hit two drive in he winning run(s). Of course Jeter made the play in the 7th inning to keep the Rays off the board and preserve Andy Pettitte's four-hit, eight-inning gem.

Tomorrow, who knows.

Noticed Yankees eating some marble-sized green things in the dug. I'll say they were figs until proven otherwise - anyone? - no, I thought not. It was odd the see a clump of green fruit-like objects, still in the bunch on the ledge above the bench seating. And yet Robbie Cano and Joba Chamberlain were munching away on them.

A-Rod doesn't look much fazed by his impending split. That's good, because we wouldn't have simpathy for him, if, say, he went 0-4, as he did against Kazmir and Grant Balfour and maybe Gary Glover.

"Shamwow" is the new Procede, but only by virtue of Procede dropping off the face of the YES planent. If you haven't heard of "Shamwow," you have no idea what you're missing.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NJEKqI1e714

Regular towels beware. Your time is nearly up. Those Germans, you know they make good stuff.

Like kicking your sister ...

Or something like that.

No one on the Yankees will say it, but they needed to sweep Boston. (As the need to sweep Tampa.) Or at least take the series. Getting pounded in the first two games and then rallying to salvage the final two does nothing but prove the Yankees are great at damage control.

Watching this series against the Sox makes me weep for baseball. Both teams showed how stupid and selfish players have become. Down by two, with a man on and a 3-1 count, instead of taking a pitch and maybe working a walk, bring the tying run to the plate, Melky Cabrera swings and pops up. Next batter grounds into a double play. The Sox load the bases with no outs down by one. Strikeout, pop up strikeout. After Mariano Rivera showed he clearly didn’t have his customary control. Similiar scenarios played themselves out time and again this weekend.

The Yankees took the fourth game because they got a runner on, got him over and got him in ... not with a homerun, but a with a grounder the cleared the infield only after bounding off of Julio Lugo’s glove in his diving attempt. A bunt and a rookie’s speed.

I wonder if Alex Rodriguez will hire Scott Boras to be his divorce lawyer, or will he just negotiate that deal himself, too?

So, it was Hank, not God?

Usually an offense credits God for big hits. You see a batter point to the sky, bless himself, whatever.

The Yankees score 18 runs - after sleep walking through the last handful of games - and Hank Steinbrenner gets the credit, because he said the offense needs to get going. I see.

The Yankees could have scored 30 runs last night. Won't matter tonight. Momentum, as John Sterling says, is your starting pitcher. It's Andy Pettitte and Jon Lester. Pettitte has regained his form, and Lester has been OK for the Sox, who lead the Wild Card and still trail the first-place Rays - gasp again.

I hesitantly say advantage Yankees tonight, who undoubtedly need to sweep this series.

Let the overhype begin!

Back on the horse

For what it's worth ... I'm back.

And the Yankees are back to season opener form, getting pretty good pitching and absolutely no offense. Scoring 3 runs against Corey Feldman, or whatever his name was, and Kevin Millwood is about as bad as it gets, especially when Yankees starters only gave up 5. Joba's four innings Tuesday was all about my favorite thing ... pitch count. Six-man rotations are coming and coming fast. I predict Boston will be the first team to use it.

With one more game against Texas and two huge series against the Red Sox and (gasp) first place Rays, the Yanks need to get the stuff together or risk dropping from the race even before the All-Star break.

Incidentally, New York would be in first place in at least two other divisions. Good old American League East. Where 100-win seasons go to die.

Ken Singleton is rhyming more, and punning ... Michael Young reached on an error and Singleton said he "got restless" and went to second. Michel Kay mercifully ignored the comment. Is this what passes for creativity in the booth these days? Drives me nuts.