Road trippin' and fallin' flat

Thank God that mess is over.

If I were an opposing manager, I'd bench my entire pitching staff — demote them, option them, whatever — if I were facing the Yankees.

You can't waste those AJ Burnett starts — that's two in a row now, with the rain-shortening, eventual loss to the Rangers — because you don't know how many you're going to get.

Brian Bullinger is 29. He was drafted when he was 21. And the Yankees happily, pathetically, handed him his first major league win.

Yet, the manager to outlast Cliff Lee and overcome a 6-1 deficit on this same road trip.

Cliff Lee. Brian Bullinger.

Even with Andy Pettitte's groin area on the shelf for who knows how long, the Yankees rotation hasn't been awful and the bull pen has been outstanding.

But watching this offense, or lack thereof, is brutal. If Cano or Tiexiera — and to be fair, A-Rod, who's inexplicably leading the league now — don't hit with runners on, no one does.

Curtis Granderson asked Kevin Long to remake his swing. Looks like the same old thing to me — pop ups and strikeouts. Lance Berkman continues his nightmare as a Yankees player. He just starting hitting and now he's dinged. Francisco Cervelli's weakness as a batter has been exposed and Brett Gardner, when he gets on, is a statue.

Of course, I happily lay blame at the feet of Joe Girardi. The man is clueless and while he may be fiery, as a fan, I want to see it. I watched Joe Torre sit and hold a bat for a decade. Now, we get to watch Joe Girardi sit and read a stat book.

Dave Eiland mound visits should be a drinking game. What is it with Yankees pitching coaches? Walk. Mound visit. Two guys on. Mound visit. Pitcher adjusts cup. Mound visit. What is he going to say that would suddenly make a pitcher stop sucking? Hey, AJ, throw strikes, OK? Don't let them hit the ball. Get the batters out.

Right, Coach, got it.

The Yankees return home 1 game up on the Rays, and only because they, and the Red Sox, have played just as poorly.

The Tigers and Mariners come to town for 7 games. The Yanks should take at least 5. Unless rookies pitch. Then it's hello third place.