Yankees Claw Back into First Place Tie

The Yankees finally showed you that they had a pulse in this game. After being down 5-1 in the middle portion of the game, the Yankees came back and scored eight times to be able to leave Toronto and their final road game of the regular season with a victory. In the beginning portion of the game, the Yankees looked old, tired and lifeless. However, something clicked in the Yankees' minds. It may have had something to do with Baltimore beating the Orioles that put a jolt of energy into the Yankees. It may have been the fact that they knew they would be out of first place with a loss. Any way you stack it up the Yankees responded to all the adversity, from myself included. The offense showed you something in this game that gave you hope heading into the last three games of the Yankees season against the Red Sox. Lost in the shuffle was Curtis Granderson finally reaching the 100 RBI plateau in the Yankees eighth inning rally when he singled home two runs that capped the Yankees scoring for the day.

Phil Hughes was awful today in a start the Yankees needed him to excel in. He failed to get out of the fifth inning and left the game with a four run deficit after giving up five runs to the Blue Jays. He gave up hit after hit and Toronto was taking advantage of his inability to locate his spots. A defensive play in this game worth mentioning was Ichiro robbing Encarnacion of a double to lead off the third inning when he extended his arm after running fast down the line. If Encarnacion reached, there is a good chance the Blue Jays would have done even more against the Yankees pitching and the Yankees would be sitting in second place right now.

Tomorrow night, the Yankees start their final series of the season against the Red Sox who are coming off of a sweep at the hands of the Orioles. Look for the Red Sox to play the Yankees well after being dead in the Baltimore series. CC Sabathia will match up against Clay Buchholtz. The Yankees need to sweep the series if they want to maintain their first place position. If the Orioles lose one game against the Rays and the Yankees sweep, they win the East and the Orioles play a one-game playoff against the second wildcard team. If the Yankees lose one, a similar situation occurs and the Yankees season hangs on one game.

Lineup: All Hands on Deck!

Derek Jeter SS
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher 1B
Curtis Granderson CF
Raul Ibanez LF
Russell Martin C
Eric Chavez DH

SP: RHP Phil Hughes

What a Pathetic Game

From all facets, the Yankees played like garbage today. They had the leadoff runner on in each of the first five innings and all they managed to get was a measly two runs in the first inning on sac flies. What is even more pathetic was the strike calling behind home plate. The umpire called pitches low and away strikes that were clearly balls and that forced some Yankee strikeouts. In addition, the Yankees were on the wrong side of a blown call in the eighth when Brett Gardner was called out on a stolen base attempt, which would have put a runner in scoring position with one out. The offense did next to nothing despite being given ample opportunity early in the game. With that game, the Yankees hold their breath to see how the Orioles-Red Sox game plays out tonight. The Orioles have a chance to tie for first place with a victory tonight against a weak Red Sox team that has looked lifeless in its games against the Orioles.

I have to give credit to Andy Pettitte for his start this afternoon. Despite clearly not having good stuff, he lasted into the sixth inning before the Blue Jays tied the game on a ground ball picked up by A-Rod which was clearly going foul. Following that, Joba Chamberlain was brought in with runners on the corners and allowed a booming double to give the Blue Jays a lead. The fact that the Yankees could not score any runs after the first inning is a major indication that they would falter quickly in a postseason series. Other teams are probably salivating at the idea of playing the Yankees in a postseason series because of their pathetic statistics with men on base.

The Yankees will bite their nails tonight as they keep track of the Baltimore-Boston score. A win by the Orioles will put them in a first place tie. Tomorrow, Phil Hughes will make his final regular season start and will look to get the Yankees out of Toronto with a series split against a team with a winning percentage of less than 45%.

EDIT: The Baltimore Orioles have indeed won their game against the Red Sox by a final of 4-3. The American League East is up for grabs with four games to go. Let's see if Girardi will have Andruw Jones play again this season...

Lineup: Cano X-Ray Negative

Derek Jeter DH
Ichiro Suzuki LF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher 1B
Curtis Granderson CF
Andruw Jones RF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Chris Stewart C

SP: LHP Andy Pettitte

Magic Number Dwindling

The Yankees went out and did what they needed to do against this lowly Blue Jays team, which was to score early and score often. They were able to do that after getting two runs in the first on a Nick Swisher double and scored in all but three different innings tonight. Scoring early against a bad team is the best way for the other team to give up and pack it in early. The Yankees were able to get that done tonight. Robinson Cano had another great night, going 2-4 with an RBI. Russell Martin, who has been clutch for the Yankees all year despite a low batting average, hit a three-run home run to really put the game out of reach for Toronto. Eric Chavez would cap off the Yankees offensive outburst with a two-run homer in the top of the ninth before the Yankee bullpen shut it down in the bottom of the inning.

Hiroki Kuroda had a sub-par outing tonight, but he battled. Kuroda gave up ten hits in just over five innings of work but allowed only two runners to score after walking the tight-rope his entire start. Hiroki Kuroda is in line to pitch the Yankees final game of the regular season at home against the Red Sox, which may turn out to be a meaningful start for him and the Yankees. He needs to straighten himself out just like Sabathia has turned the corner in his last two starts. With an effective Sabathia, a capable Kuroda and a healthy Pettitte, the Yankees could have a powerful 1-2-3 in the postseason rotation. However, in order for that to happen Kuroda has to pick up his performance and pitch well on Wednesday so the Yankees know what they will get in game two or three of the ALDS.

Tomorrow is another huge game for the Yankees. With a victory or a Tampa Bay loss, the Rays will be eliminated from any possibility they had of winning the division. It has essentially become a two team race between the Orioles, who just keep winning, and the Yankees. Andy Pettitte will get the ball tomorrow afternoon as he tries to make the division race even closer. He had success against this team last week at Yankee Stadium, so hopefully the odds are in his favor.

Magic number for a postseason berth: 2
Magic number for a division title: 5

Lineup: huge game

Derek Jeter SS
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher 1B
Curtis Granderson CF
Raul Ibanez LF
Russell Martin C
Eric Chavez DH

SP: RHP Hiroki Kuroda

Nova and Offense Don't do the Job

The Yankees had a very tough assignment in facing Brandon Morrow tonight, who has done well against the Bombers in his career. As a result of the matchup, the Yankees were not able to get anything going against Morrow until the seventh inning where they stranded runners on first and second with no outs. It was that kind of a night against the Blue Jays. They have struggled with runners in scoring position all season long so it was no surprise to see them fail in such spots tonight. With that said, you can't lose this game if you are the Yankees. The Yankees are now staring at only a one game lead in the division with six games to go. They did a terrible job tonight on all fronts. They cannot be losing games to below average teams when they matter most to their season. A loss like tonight's goes to show exactly what the Yankees are made of. They did not battle, nor did they even show any fight.

Ivan Nova did a horriifc job tonight, again failing to finish five innings as Girardi pulled him following a two-run double by Edwin Encarnacion. Also, Nova allowed a bomb to the opposite field to Brett Lawrie which set the tone in the early innings. By the time that home run was hit, I felt like the Yankees offense was packing it in. The Yankees magic numbers did not change since yesterday's win. However, one number changed which may have mattered most to the Yankees and that was their lead in the division.

Tomorrow night, Hiroki Kuroda makes what may be his biggest start of the season when he faces this Blue Jays lineup. The Yankees need a solid six innings from Kuroda with a well-rested back end of the bullpen in David Robertson and Rafael Soriano.

Lineup: A-Rod back as DH

Derek Jeter SS
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher 1B
Curtis Granderson CF
Russell Martin C
Raul Ibanez LF
Jayson Nix 3B

SP: RHP Ivan Nova

Sabathia Dealing when it Matters

The Yankees needed a sparkling outing from CC Sabathia today and got just that from the lefty ace. Sabathia tossed eight innings of two run ball, striking out ten hitters and walking only one batter. CC's great start is fantastic news for the Yankees after he was having a pedestrian stretch after his return from the disabled list. He was able to give the bullpen a rest. Robertson and Soriano have been used a lot in this series and the strong outing by the big lefty gave Girardi more tools to work with entering the Toronto series which will be four games long.

The Yankee offense certainly got it going today with a six run rally in the third inning which started with a couple of innocent singles. Chris Dickerson started the rally with a base hit and later hit a bomb off the facing of the upper deck in right field. Another promising sign is to see Cano starting to get out of his funk. Robbie had a big two-run double in the Yankees third inning rally which got the scoring going. He would finish his day with another double and made two spectacular plays in the field which allowed Sabathia to last the length of time he did.

The win puts a lot of pressure on the Baltimore Orioles tonight as the Yankees division lead grows another half game. With an Oriole loss, the Yankees lead in the division would become 2.5 games. The Yankees go into Toronto to play their final four road games of the season beginning tomorrow night. Ivan Nova will make the start for the Yankees as he looks to improve on his previous outing against the Athletics.

The Yankees magic number for a postseason berth: 4

The Yankees magic number for the division: 6

Lineup: Ichiro leading off

Ichiro Suzuki RF
Derek Jeter SS
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher 1B
Curtis Granderson CF
Eric Chavez 3B
Raul Ibanez DH
Chris Stewart C
Chris Dickerson LF

SP: LHP CC Sabathia

Loss Pinned on Girardi

Because of Joe Girardi, the Yankees were unable to put the Twins away in the seventh inning. That inning opened the door for the Twins after the Yankees were leading the entire game up to that point. Phil Hughes loaded the bases in the seventh and was to face Denard Span, who he dominated in three previous at-bats. Instead of letting Hughes, who was at 99 pitches, face Span, Joe elected to bring in the mighty lefty Boone Logan. That turned out to be a joke as Logan allowed all of Hughes' runners to score as well as one of his own. I trusted Phil Hughes to make the out he needed against Span, but Girardi did not. What will that do to the confidence of Hughes, who was pitching a gem until that point? It certainly gives Hughes the right to scrutinize Boone Logan and Joe Girardi. He had one more out in his arm but Girardi chose to go to the bullpen and the decision blew up in his face.

To add to this debacle, the Orioles lost again tonight to the Blue Jays which would have given the Yankees a 2.5 game lead in the division with a win. Instead, the Yankees continue to hang on to this division by a thread and keep giving the Orioles hope which is what fuels their fire. Tonight, the offense was able to get four runs against a bad pitching staff but it should have been enough for them to pull out with a victory. Instead, they are in danger of losing the series to a sub .500 team and Joe Girardi looks like a clown.

CC Sabathia will try to keep the Yankees losing streak at one game tomorrow afternoon as he faces the Twins. The Yankees must win tomorrow to put themselves in position to wrap the division up by the weekend.

The Yankees magic numbers only go down by one tonight. 7 for the division and 5 for the playoffs.

Lineup: Cano at DH

Derek Jeter SS
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano DH
Nick Swisher 1B
Curtis Granderson CF
Russell Martin C
Raul Ibanez LF
Jayson Nix 2B

SP: RHP Phil Hughes

End of Season MLB Review

With less than ten regular season games remaining in Major League Baseball, I figured that I would do an end of season MLB review to recap what happened in baseball in the 2012 season. Before the season started, I had many teams in the playoff picture who are not even close to being contenders. That's baseball for you. You can't predict which teams will go on magic carpet rides and which high payroll teams will miss the postseason completely. I did not have the Orioles and the Athletics making the postseason. In my MLB preview in March, I had the Orioles in last place and the Oakland A's in third place in the AL West with the Angels making the playoffs via the wild card. I also predicted that Matt Moore would have a breakout rookie season after a promising start to his career in late 2011. Robinson Cano was my choice for American League Most Valuable Player and he has not lived up to expectations to say the least. Cano's season has been pedestrian in his standards. He won't even get to 90 RBI at the rate he is going because he's struggled so mightily with runners in scoring position. My AL Cy Young Award winner was Jered Weaver. He's had a great season including pitching a no-hitter, but I don't see him winning the award anymore based on how his team has underperformed and his less stellar pitching of late.

These are now my picks for American League award winners:

AL Rookie of the Year: Mike Trout

AL Cy Young: David Price

AL Most Valuable Player: Miguel Cabrera

AL Manager of the Year: Buck Showalter (Baltimore Orioles)

The National League betrayed me this season with my picks. None of the players that I picked before the season started are even getting considered for awards. My Rookie of the Year was the Padres' Yonder Alonso, and while he has been playing better in the second half, Alonso isn't really in the conversation. Roy Halladay was my choice for NL Cy Young but his season has been plagued by injury and he has not been the same picher all year on a struggling Phillies team. The Phillies overall disappointed me, as I had them winning 91 games to clinch the NL East but the Nationals have been a powerhouse this season and they have run away with the division. For my NL Most Valuable Player prediction, I had Matt Kemp coming out on top after just missing out last year. However, injuries have kept him off the field and he has not been the same dynamic, five tool guy this season. Ryan Braun is having a fantastic season but I wouldn't pick him after his mess in the offseason. The bottom line with Braun is that he did steroids and he found a loophole in the system that allowed him to get off scott-free. However, that is a completely different story.

These are now my picks for National League award winners:

NL Rookie of the Year: Todd Frazier

NL Cy Young: RA Dickey

NL Most Valuable Player: Buster Posey

NL Manager of the Year: Davey Johnson (Washington Nationals)

Pettitte and Power Put Yankees on Top

This was a big start for Andy Pettitte. In just his second start after coming back from his broken foot, Pettitte delivered six scoreless innings of baseball for the Yankees. In the first inning, Pettitte's command was not there and he loaded the bases before he was able to get out of trouble with no runs allowed. Pettitte was able to get the big out(s). Whene he needed a strikeout, Pettitte got one. If he needed a double play, he was able to get it. In fact, the Twins grounded into two double plays against Pettitte which allowed him to go his six innings. Before the game, Girardi said that Pettitte would be able to throw 85-90 pitches and he hoped for six innings out of Andy. He got just that from the veteran lefty as he tossed six scoreless frames on eighty-eight pitches. If this is the Andy Pettitte the Yankees will have come playoff time, they are in good shape.

Another reason the Yankees were able to win fairly easily tonight was because of the power. The Yankees hit four monster shots for home runs. The tone was set by Nick Swisher in the first inning as his home run hit the facing of the upper deck in right-center field. Curtis Granderson followed a few innings later with a solo shot into the upper deck in right-center. With Granderson's home run, he becomes the fifth Yankee with multiple forty homer seasons for the Yankees. Ibanez continued his hot hitting with two more hits, one of which was a monster solo home run down the right field line. Chavez would follow Ibanez with a solo home run to the opposite field into the flower bed. The Yankee offense was able to get the runs when they needed them against a mediocre rookie starter.

The Baltimore Orioles played a double header against Toronto which they split. The Orioles loss puts the Yankees 1.5 games ahead of Baltimore with nine games to play. Tomorrow night, Phil Hughes looks for his seventeenth win against another rookie starter. Tonight's game against the Twins was just the start the Yankees needed to start their final roadtrip of the year.

Magic number to clinch a postseason berth: 6

Magic number to clinch the division: 8

Lineup: Jeter at short

Derek Jeter SS
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher 1B
Curtis Granderson CF
Raul Ibanez LF
Russell Martin C
Eric Chavez 3B

SP: LHP Andy Pettitte

Nunez Error Proves Costly in Loss

Hiroki Kuroda did not provide the Yankees with a clutch performance, and he is the stopper of the seven game winning streak. Kuroda gave up three runs early. Cliff Pennington was the thorn in the side of the Yankees and Kuroda. Without Pennington, the game would have turned out completely different. Kuroda was given back the lead in the fourth after his team scored four runs on a Swisher home run and an Ibanez double. It did not take long for Kuroda to give that lead back to the A's. He allowed an RBI single to Cespedes who has hit the Yankees hard all year. In the sixth, Kuroda pitched relatively well until Eduardo Nunez threw a ball into the stands which allowed the go-ahead run into scoring position. The runner would later score on an RBI single by guess who: Cliff Pennington. That run would be the decisive play in the game as the Yankees could not come back to score against the Oakland bullpen. The game was almost tied on a deep fly ball in the ninth by Alex Rodriguez but Josh Reddick would make the catch against the right field wall.

This game is especially crushing for the Yankees because the Orioles finally lost against the Red Sox. A win by the Yankees would give them a two game edge over Baltimore with ten games left to play. This division race will come down to the wire as the Yankees head into Minnesota for three games against an awful team. However, the games are not played on paper and the Yankees will have to hold the Twins offense down. Doing so tomorrow night will be Andy Pettitte in his second start off the DL. Pettitte was sharp on Wednesday against the Blue Jays where he recieved the win in the day portion of the double-header. The Yankees need to sweep the Twins if they want to keep the Orioles out of their way. Baltimore has played exceptionally well and the Yankees know that the Orioles will not go away. With that said, the Yankees play the remainder of their games against teams with losing records- Minnesota, Toronto and Boston. An 8-2 record in those games will most likely give the Yankees the division.

Lineup: Ibanez in

Derek Jeter DH
Ichiro Suzuki LF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher 1B
Curtis Granderson CF
Russell Martin C
Raul Ibanez RF
Eduardo Nunez SS

SP: RHP Hiroki Kuroda

Yankees with an IMPROBABLE Victory!

Let's fast forward to the thirteenth inning in this whirlwind of a game. Freddy Garcia allows home runs, Justin Thomas allows a home run. The Yankees are dead. Baltimore had already won and the Yankees were about to go back into a tie for first place. However, that would not turn out to be the case. The bases were loaded with Bombers in the bottom of the thirteenth down by four runs. A passed ball, a sac fly and a game-tying two run blast put the Yankees back in the game and forces a fourteenth inning where they would get a clutch effort by Cory Wade. In the bottom of the fourteenth, once again the bases were loaded and down to the last our of the inning, Eduardo Nunez comes through and gets rewarded for putting the ball in play. The first baseman mishandles the ball and it allows Ichiro to score the winning run and give the Yankees a thrilling, come from behind victory that will be talked about for a long time. The Yankees should have won the game on an A-Rod single but Melky Mesa, who was appearing in his first major league game missed third base. No harm, no foul however. A win is a win and the Yankees were desperate for one after watching the Orioles beat the Red Sox in twelve innings.

Lost in the shuffle was Ivan Nova'a horrid start where he pitched into the third inning and Girardi pulled him before the game was out of hand. Girardi played all the cards right and was rewarded with a stunning victory. I look forward to watching this game of Yankees Classics.

The Yankees will go for the sweep and an eight game winning streak tomorrow afternoon when Kuroda takes the mound. Hopefully the Yankees don't have a hangover effect from today's game and are able to pull off a sweep!

Lineup: Ichiro batting second

Derek Jeter SS
Ichiro Suzuki CF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Casey McGehee 1B
Jayson Nix 3B
Andruw Jones LF
Chris Stewart C

SP: RHP Ivan Nova

Russell Shows Muscle in Walk-Off Win

The Yankees offense was anemic for much of the night but were still two outs away from winning the game 1-0. The only run driven in to that point was by Curtis Granderson on a sac fly to shallow center field. The one run would prove to not be enough against this pesky A's team that was rolling prior to tonight. Brandon Moss hit against Soriano in the ninth and he provided the blast which tied the game and forced the Yankees into extra innings. David Robertson was key in the tenth inning as he set down the top of the Oakland lineup in order. Russell Martin led off the bottom of the tenth inning and did not waste any itime. Before he came up, I truly believed that he would do something special. He did not disappoint as he lined a walk-off home run into the left field seats to send the Yankees to their sixth straight victory. The entire stadium was roaring as Martin rounded the bases to give the Yankees an extra inning walk-off.

CC Sabathia was fantastic in his start despite not receiving a decision. Sabathia did not allow a hit until the sixth inning and finished his night by tossing eight shutout innings. This is the Sabathia the Yankees need heading into late September and fall baseball. If CC can pitch anywhere near as well as he pitched tonight, the Yankees have a postseason rotation with minimal question marks.

The Yankees did to the Oakland Athletics what the Oakland Athletics did to the Yankees in July. They won the game by one run in walk-off fashion to give the Athletics a taste of their own medicine. Being at the stadium to witness Martin's walk-off hit was the best experience I have has at Yankee Stadium after witnessing Alex Rodriguez's 600th home run. Oh, and the Yankees have won six straight games!

Lineup: on my way to the game! Jeter DH

Derek Jeter DH
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Curtis Granderson CF
Russell Martin C
Eric Chavez 1B
Ichiro Suzuki LF
Eduardo Nunez SS

SP: LHP CC Sabathia

Swisher, Suzuki Significant in Series Sweep

I figured that alliteration would be fitting after tonight's game being that the Yankees have swept the Blue Jays. Nick Swisher and Ichiro Suzuki had their hitting shoes on tonight as they drive in seven combined runs of the Yankees ten total runs scored. Ichiro put the Yankees on the board with a laser home run in the third inning. After that, the Yankees would figure out Laffey because in the following inning, Ichiro scorched a ball to the right field wall for a two-run double and Swisher would add on with a grand slam to give the Yankees an 8-2 lead as the game turned into a laugher. The home run by Swisher was his third grand slam of the season and the Yankees tenth slam of the season, tying a club record set in 1987 then in 2010-11. Derek Jeter also had a key single in the Yankees seven-run fourth inning to re-load the bases for Swisher's home run. The Yankees, with the help of their offense tonight, did what they needed to do and swept the Toronto Blue Jays out of the Bronx as they get ready to face a real contender who started the Yankees slide two months ago.

Phil Hughes did not contribute much in terms of tonight's win despite the "W" getting placed next to his name. Hughes allowed two runs to score before the Yankees would even score a run and barely made it through the fifth inning after allowing a two-run homer to Moises Sierra. Despite his lackluster performance, Hughes earns his sixteenth win to lead the Yankees starting staff in wins.

Tomorrow night, the Oakland Athletics come to Yankee Stadium as the Yankees try to give them a taste of their own medicine. CC Sabathia hopes to turn in a decent start after not doing well in several straight games now. I will be at the game tomorrow night, hoping for a victory and a six game winning streak.

Lineup: Ichiro in, Jones out

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Russell Martin C
Curtis Granderson CF
Casey McGehee 1B
Ichiro Suzuki LF
Jayson Nix 3B

SP: RHP Phil Hughes

Ichiro Caps Big Day with Game Winner

Something that I did not mention about the afternoon game was that Ichiro got three hits. In part two of the double header, Ichiro continued after getting the start over Andruw Jones by getting FOUR more hits. The biggest hit of the night came off the bat of Ichiro, who finished the day with seven hits and four stolen bases! Those are crazy numbers and the trade paid off for today's game, even if it's the only game Ichiro makes a huge impact in. Another crazy number is how many runners were left on base by the Yankees tonight. Twelve runners were left on base but the only run that mattered was scored by Ichiro in the bottom of the eighth to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead which Soriano would hold on to and save the game. The Yankees swept the double header and go ahead of the Orioles by a full game. This is a series that the Yankees need to sweep and they are just one win away from doing so. By the way, the Yankees are on a four game winning streak. Things are starting to come along for the Bombers when they need it most.

David Phelps provided the Yankees with a stellar performance by going 6.2 innings and allowing one run on three hits. He was not at all helped out by the umpire but managed to work around the ump and got outs all on his own. The bullpen was fantastic tonight, capped off by Soriano's second save of the day to give him forty-two on the season. The Yankees will need to go out and score some runs tomorrow because I have a feeling the Blue Jays are not going down without a fight after getting swept in a day-night doubleheader.

Trying to stop the Blue Jays tomorrow night will be Phil Hughes, who is coming off perhaps his best performance of the season in Boston last week. Facing Hughes will be Aaron Laffey. The Blue Jays lineup is missing crucial home run power so if that says anything about Hughes, he should have a good night.

Game 2 Lineup: Jeter back at short

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano DH
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Curtis Granderson CF
Jayson Nix 2B
Casey McGehee 1B
Ichiro Suzuki LF
Chris Stewart C

SP: RHP David Phelps

Yankees Start Long Day With a Win

Boy, was this a game the Yankees needed to win or what! The game began in a promising manner for the Yankees as they amassed three straight hits off of starter Henderson Alvarez and scored three runs in the inning. The game looked like it was going to be an easy blowout in the Yankees favor. That was not the case. After the first inning, Alvarez pitches another six frames and only allowed two hits and walked none. For someone who isn't a strikeout pitcher, Alvarez certainly had his fair share with seven Yankee punch outs. The Yankees were able to tack on a run in the eighth against Darren Oliver and that turned out to be enough in this nerve-racking first game of the double header.

The story entering the day was Andy Pettitte. Andy was making his first start in over two months and was on a pitch limit of about 75. Pettitte was in trouble a couple of times, but he left the game in line for a win by going five shutout innings. The bridge to the "A" bullpen relievers worked out well until they crossed it when David Robertson gave up two runs on four hits in 2/3 innings and Soriano was called upon for a four out save. Soriano barely got out of the inning and continued to pitch a perfect ninth inning to seal the victory. It was huge for the Yankees to take the first game.

Tonight, David Phelps will start the night-cap portion of the double header. The Yankees need length out of Phelps after using all of their big relievers and making their top two pitchers throw a lot of pitches.

Game 1 lineup: Jeter sits in Pettitte's first post-DL start

Jeter is sitting out game one for some reason after two days off. I'm beside myself on this move by Girardi in two must win games.

Ichiro Suzuki LF
Nick Swisher 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Curtis Granderson CF
Russell Martin C
Eric Chavez 3B
Raul Ibanez RF
Eduardo Nunez SS

SP: LHP Andy Pettitte

Kuroda, Yanks Put Rays Away

Entering play today, the Rays sat at three games out of first place in the division with the Yankees atop. Yesterday's win coupled with the Orioles loss to the Athletics allowed the Yankees to move into sole possession of first place yet again. The Yankees and Orioles have been going back and forth for what seems like an eternity but to this point, the Orioles have not had a lead bigger than .5 games in the division. With today's Yankee win over the Rays, the Rays find themselves five games out of first place and a little further away in the wild card race. Winning two out of three games against the pesky Rays was just what the Yankees needed. Also, the Yankee bats were able to wake up in the series against Tampa Bay's tough starting pitching.

Hiroki Kuroda looked untouchable through the first five innings before things got messy in the sixth inning. Kuroda led off the inning with a walk to the Rays number nine hitter, Jose Lobaton, followed by an infield single and another walk to load the bases. Evan Longoria hit a ground ball to third base which took a nasty hop and went over A-Rod's head as two runs would score. Another run would score in the inning on a double play ball but Kuroda left the game in the sixth with the lead. What makes you feel good is that none of the balls in the sixth inning were hit hard off Kuroda and he was able to get ten strikeouts. In a game the Yankees desperately needed, Kuroda stepped up to the plate and delivered. No pun intended.

The Yankee offense was able to continue their hot hitting against a tough rookie starter in Matt Moore. Moore got in trouble in the third inning when he allowed a five spot. Russell Martin was the clutch performer of the game offensively when he went opposite field to hit a three-run jack into the short porch in right field. Other than that inning, the Yankee offense was not able to do much against a tough bullpen, mainly Wade Davis who struck out four hitters in 1.2 innings. Another bright spot for the Yankees was Eduardo Nunez who reached base twice and stole three bases. He started the Yankees five run fifth inning with a walk and a stolen base. He adds a distraction to the opposing pitcher. Matt Moore may have lost his momentum after Nunez was on the base paths.

Depending on what the Orioles do against the A's this afternoon, the Yankees could have a two game lead after the day is done. A two game lead would be much more comfortable for the Yankees and would allow them to go about their business in a calmer manner. The Blue Jays come to Yankee Stadium for three games starting on Tuesday night after an off-day tomorrow. Andy Pettitte will be making his long awaited post-DL debut and will be on a pitch limit of about 70-75 pitches. Ricky Romero will make the start for the Jays.

Lineup: Jeter in

Derek Jeter DH
Nick Swisher RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Russell Martin C
Andruw Jones LF
Curtis Granderson CF
Steve Pearce 1B
Eduardo Nunez SS

SP: RHP Hiroki Kuroda

A Clutch Performance

A clutch performance was needed not only out of Ivan Nova who made his first post-DL start, but also was needed by the Yankees offense. They have been putrid over the last week with runners in scoring position. Today, the Yankees received clutch performances out of the entire team that took the field. Ivan Nova looked brilliant in his outing despite going only six plus innings. Nova made the Rays offense look foolish through four innings. He looked a bit more human in the latter part of his start today. The Rays hitters were able to get a good look at him and began to hit the ball hard but Girardi came to get the ball from Nova just in time. Even so, Joba Chamlerlain gave up two runs on a Luke Scott single with two outs in the seventh inning but buckled down to retire the next hitter to get out of the inning with the Yankees ahead. David Robertson provided the Yankees with a clutch outing this afternoon by retiring the side in the eighth for a one-two-three inning. Rafael Soriano, who has been just about automatic this season, notched his thirty-ninth save of the season after not being the closer until mid-May.

Even more clutch than the pitching was the hitting. Curtis Granderson shot a two-run blast in the second inning followed by Eduardo Nunez's first home run of the season. Derek Jeter would single in a run later in the game against Shields in a lengthy at bat. Alex Rodriguez would join the RISP party in the eighth after he singled on a line drive up the middle to score Cano from second to give Rafael Soriano some insurance in the ninth. A day like today is what the Yankees need to do in order to finish the season strong. With a couple of clutch hits, the sky is the limit for the Yankees.

In tomorrow's rubber game of the series, Hiroki Kuroda will look to improve on his recent starts against the Rays young lefty Matt Moore. With Alex Rodriguez in the lineup, the Yankees look much more intimidating against lefty pitching. His presence gives the opposing team something to think about other than Andruw Jones or Steve Pearce.

Lineup: Ichiro leading off

Ichiro Suzuki LF
Derek Jeter DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Raul Ibanez RF
Nick Swisher 1B
Curtis Granderson CF
Eduardo Nunez SS
Chris Stewart C

SP: RHP Ivan Nova

Also, Brett Gardner was on the field practicing bunting and running the bases. Girardi did not rule out the possibility of Gardner being used as a late inning defensive replacement or a pinch-runner.

Sabathia Gives up the Lead Again

Tonight was a night in which CC Sabathia earns his paycheck. He was supposed to go on the mound and shut down a weak Rays offense. He was given a 1-0 lead on a Steve Pearce RBI single and two innings later, surrendered the lead and then some. Sabathia cannot be healthy with the way he has pitched since coming off the disabled list. It's as if he has turned into a completely different pitcher in this span. His fastball is getting hit hard and he cannot throw his off-speed pitches for strikes to save his life. In the inning where he gave up three runs, Sabathia had Carlos Pena where he wanted him but ultimately walked him which set up the rest of the inning for the Rays.

The offense was anemic yet again. Alex Rodriguez provided the Yankees with some life in the eighth inning when he homered deep to left field. That gave the Yankees a one run deficit to make up. However, in the top of the ninth inning, Nunez made a crucial error at shortstop which allowed Tampa Bay's sixth run to score. That play took the wind out of the sails of the Yankee hitters and they went down quietly into the night against Fernando Rodney who notched his forty-third save of the season.

Tomorrow night, the Yankees will attempt to get back onto the winning track as Ivan Nova will make his first start since going on the DL with shoulder inflammation. James Shields will go for the Rays. The Rays have made themselves relevant in the division race yet again as the Yankees fail to tame them in the series opener.

Lineup: Jeter at DH

Derek Jeter DH
Nick Swisher RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Russell Martin C
Andruw Jones LF
Curtis Granderson CF
Steve Pearce 1B
Eduardo Nunez SS

SP: LHP CC Sabathia

Hughes Sparkles in Win

The story of the night was not the Yankees inability to hit with runners in scoring position, nor was it Derek Jeter's ankle injury. Tonight, the talk was about how well Phil Hughes pitched against this Boston lineup. From the first inning, I could tell that Hughes had great stuff after retiring the first three hitters on eight pitches. He would continue by pitching two more innings of perfect baseball before he even allowed a hit to the Red Sox. Hughes' night would end with 7.1 innings pitched of zero runs allowed on four hits and one walk. Hughes would strike out seven batters, most of which came via the fastball. The radar was reading 90-92 MPH on the gun but the hitters made his fastball look like it was coming at them at 100 MPH. Hughes was his first half of 2010 self tonight which enabled him to get strikeouts and go deep into the game. Phil Hughes has had outings like he did today this season but tonight was his biggest start to date because of the implications. The Orioles won earlier today, sweeping Tampa Bay which gave them a guaranteed lead atop the American League East. A Yankee win would keep them tied and the Yankees were able to keep it tied with tonight's tight victory.

The offense was sluggish again tonight, which is of concern if this team wants to go into the playoffs. However, Hughes proved that with a good starting pitching performance two runs is enough to win a ball game. Jeter, after scaring Yankee fans last night with his ankle injury tied Willie Mays for tenth on the all-time hits list. He also drove in one of the two Yankee runs in the seventh inning to give Hughes a two run lead as well as more breathing room. Andruw Jones drove in the other run with a sac fly with the bases loaded. That was the only run the Yankees would get after loading the bases with no men out in the fourth inning.

The Tampa Bay Rays enter Yankee Stadium tomorrow night fresh off a three game sweep at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles. The Rays will be hungry for a victory against the Yankees to climb in the division standings. They will have to do it against CC Sabathia who has not been good at all lately. Maybe starting against a weak hitting team will give Sabathia a good outing. The Yankees will face David Price who is having a Cy Young worthy season. Price is coming off the disabled list with a leg injury so hopefully the Yankees are catching him at the right time.

VIctory With a Cost?

The Yankees were able to come away with a much needed victory against the Boston Red Sox tonight, with the final score of 5-4. However, the Yankees lost Jeter after running to first to try and avoid a double play and came up lame after hitting the bag. Jeter has been playing with a bum ankle for about a week now but has insisted that he is alright. Tonight looked much worse but Jeter was walking out to his position after injuring his ankle. Girardi and head trainer Steve Donahue had to force him to come out of the game. With the Yankee injuries stacking up, they can ill afford to lose Jeter for any amount of time. Jeter has been undoubtedly the Yankees best player this season. The Yankees learned today that Andy Pettitte is ready to come back into the rotation. Also, they will get Ivan Nova back this weekend against the Rays which was supposed to be Freddy Garcia's turn in the rotation.

In tonight's game, the Yankees again were unable to get hits with runners in scoring position. They have been dreadful in the first two games of this series in those situations. Despite their struggles with men on base, they were able to do what they do best: hit home runs. Curtis Granderson provided the Yankees with two long balls and three runs batted in. Cano also hit a home run which was his thirtieth of the season, a personal career best. After watching the way the Yankees have been playing lately, I will take the home runs and not getting any hits with men in scoring position because home runs usually win games in the regular season. The postseason is a different story but first, let's get there.

In tomorrow night's finale in Boston, Phil Hughes will try to notch his fifteenth win of the season against lefty Felix Doubront. The Yankees have not been good in games started by Doubront this season. They need to get a victory tomorrow night. They are still tied atop the American League East with the pesky Orioles.

Lineup: Curtis batting second

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher 1B
Raul Ibanez LF
Eric Chavez 3B
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Chris Stewart C

SP: RHP David Phelps

Jeopardy

The Yankees again lose and have not won consecutive games in one month since they did it against the Rangers at Yankee Stadium. That echos something that the Red Sox went through last September. I am almost compelled to ask where the fried chicken is being hidden. At this point of the season, playing hard does not mean anything unless you come away with a victory. Thanks to the Yankees inability to get a big hit late in the game, coupled with Kuroda's inability to hold a lead, they lose and are tied again with the Orioles for first place in the American League East. Jon Lester walked a career high seven batters! The Yankees were still unable to get anything going against him. That tells it all in terms of the Yankee season. If the Yankees cannot win games against teams under .500, they should be not be able to get into the playoffs. This streak of theirs where they have not been playing well has stemmed from the All-Star break. It is embarrassing for the Yankees to be playing the way they they have and they can't seem to find a way to stop losing. Also, David Robertson gave it his all tonight but because of a ground ball in the hole that was stopped by Jeter, Ellsbury was able to come up with the winning run at second base. Robertson has an ugly 1-7 record this season but many of those outings have not been as bad as his record displays. However, if the Yankees do not win the next two games, their season is in jeopardy.

Lineup: First Boston lineup

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Russell Martin C
Steve Pearce 1B
Curtis Granderson CF
Andruw Jones LF
Jayson Nix 3B

SP: RHP Hiroki Kuroda

Yankees Victorious in Blowout

The Yankees bats showed up to the ballpark today as they hammered the Orioles en route to a 13-3 victory. After last night's blown call at first base to end the game and Teixeira re-injuring his calf, the Yankees were able to do what they needed in order to jump back up into first place in the American League East. Leading them into sole possession of first place were two unlikely candidates. The first of whom has been ice cold lately and the second has struggled in limited playing time after coming back from Tommy John surgery. Curtis Granderson started the game by sitting on the bench. He was called upon to pinch hit for a lifeless Andruw Jones and homered to left center field on the first pitch he saw by Jake Arrieta. He would finish his day by going 3-3 with a double, a single and a home run and five runs batted in. The other man, Joba Chamberlain, gave the Yankees what they needed after Garcia was about to blow the game in the fourth inning by pitching 1.2 scoreless innings with four strikeouts. His last three outings have been dominant and the Yankees are starting to believe in Chamberlain a little more with each great outing.

The Yankees were able to get to starter Zach Britton mostly because of Britton's inability to throw strikes but they worked their way through the Orioles bullpen and were able to blow the birds out. This was a game the Yankees desperately needed to win, not only to jump back into first place but also because of how badly the game ended last night. Hopefully the Yankees can build momentum and head into Boston to beat up on a bad team. Tuesday will begin the series in Boston as Hiroki Kuroda will face lefty Jon Lester who has improved on his season following the All-Star game.

Lineup: Teixeira calf reinjured

Derek Jeter DH
Nick Swisher RF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Russell Martin C
Steve Pearce 1B
Andruw Jones LF
Jayson Nix SS
Ichiro Suzuki CF

SP: RHP Freddy Garcia

CC Fails in Another Big Start

In Sabathia's third straight start, he has failed to give the Yankees what they needed, which is a comforting feeling that when they get a lead, it will be safe. In three straight starts, the lefty has had leads and has given them all back. That isn't something that an ace should be doing. Which leads to my next question: is Sabathia a fading ace? The lefty's velocity has been topping out at 93 MPH this season after throwing nothing short of 94+ MPH in his first three Yankee seasons. Also, he has been on the disabled list twice this season after not going on the disabled list since his Cleveland days. The Yankees have a lot invested in CC Sabathia over the next several seasons and with the way CC has pitched in his last three starts, it makes you wonder whether his best days are behind him. Lately, Sabathia has looked like a number three starter. The Yankees are paying him ace money to give up five runs in a game that is critical to the Yankees season. He has not been money in the bank this season at all.

The Yankee offense was able to manage two runs in the first two innings against Orioles starter Joe Saunders. After the first two innings, Saunders settled down and baffled the Yankees. Alex Rodriguez has been swinging a hot bat since coming off the disabled list and continued to display that tonight with another home run to deep center field to bring the Yankees to within two runs in the eighth inning. The Yankees began the ninth inning with the bases loaded and nobody out against closer Jim Johnson. After a ground ball to score one run, Mark Teixeira hit a ground ball that he was clearly safe on. The tying run should have scored but the Yankees end up losing. Jerry Meals blew the game for the Yankees, as did CC Sabathia.

Lineup: Teixeira is back

Also, Ivan Nova has been activated off the disabled list and is available out of the bullpen tonight and tomorrow.

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Russell Martin C
Andruw Jones LF
Ichiro Suzuki CF
Jayson Nix 3B

SP: LHP CC Sabathia

Back on Top... Again

The pesky Orioles made it tough on the Yankees tonight but the Yankees persevered and ended their night atop the standings in the American League East, alone. The beginning third of the game was scoreless and had a playoff feel to it because of the lack of scoring. Both pitchers were on their game and the offenses were looking foolish. However, in the fourth inning the Yankees were able to figure out Chen and put a five spot on the board much in part to Russell Martin's clutch three-run home run followed by Steve Pearce's wall scraper that just made it over. All home runs count the same. Matt Wieters hit a first row homer to left field last night and Steve Pearce did the same today. Both teams play on the same field, thus they both have the same offensive dimensions to work with. Phil Hughes looked great through the first five innings but ended up giving up a three-run home run to Adam Jones after an error at first base by Nick Swisher followed by a double by Nate McClouth. Turns out the Yankees would need all of the runs that were scored as the Orioles kept creeping closer and closer to the Yankees. The bullpen was able to escape trouble and ultimately got the job done.

Russell Martin looks like a completely different offensive player in the last week. He has brought his average over the .200 mark and has been constantly giving the Yankees clutch hits. He has had a bad luck season and just now, the tide is turning his way and all his work is beginning to pay off when it matters most. Alex Rodriguez looks like he never hit the disabled list with a single and a long home run to left-center field. If the Yankees are going to do well, Alex Rodriguez will have to continue hitting the way he has over the past two games.

Tomorrow, CC Sabathia will try to get back on a groove as he faces the Orioles. CC has fantastic numbers at Camden Yards and another Yankee win would give the Bombers breathing room again. Joe Saunders will pitch his for the Orioles. In his second Oriole start, Joe Saunders pitched six plus innings of scoreless baseball.

Lineup: A-Rod at DH

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Russell Martin C
Curtis Granderson CF
Andruw Jones LF
Steve Pearce 1B
Casey McGehee

SP: RHP Phil Hughes

Bullpen Implodes as Yanks back in First Place Tie

This was a game the Yankees did not look like they were going to win through the first seven plus innings. However in the eighth inning a couple of hits and a couple of walks led to a 6-6 tie as Pedro Strop once again faltered under the pressure of a pennant race game. Ichiro Suzuki was the Yankee who tied the game with a single to score a couple. In the bottom of the eighth, the Yankee bullpen imploded as Adam Jones smashed a solo home run into the left field seats as the Yankees momentum was moving back toward the Orioles. David Robertson was at fault after serving up two homers to put the game out of the Yankees' hands.

This is a game which until the eighth inning, the Yankees had no business of winning. However, they rallied to tie the game and everything went to naught after Robertson served up Jones' home run to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning. What makes this loss so heart breaking for the Yankees is that they were able to rally after displaying a dead offense over the first two-thirds of the game. Also, they have been unable to come back so many times this season and everything they did in that eighth was wasted. Scoring five runs in an inning is not easy and for the Yankees, they have not seen that kind of lob-sided number on their side in a long time.

Instead of gaining another game on the Baltimore Orioles, the Yankees are back in a first place tie atop the AL East and the next three games should be interesting. Phil Hughes will try to keep the O's off the board tomorrow night as he faces lefty Chen who pitched against the Yankees last week.

Lineup: Teixeira getting closer

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Eric Chavez 3B
Curtis Granderson CF
Russell Martin C
Raul Ibanez LF
Ichiro Suzuki RF

SP: RHP David Phelps

Back on Top

For now, at least. Thanks to costly errors by second baseman Elliot Johnson combined with a bad throw from Adam Jones in the Baltimore/Blue Jays game, the Yankees are back in sole possesion of the American League East heading into tomorrow night's game at Camden Yards. The Yankees got timely hits by unlikely players and combined that with small ball that put pressure on the Rays defense which was the ultimate deciding factor in the game. Alex Rodriguez hit an RBI double to tie the game at 1 followed by Russell Martin who hit a HUGE two-run double that scored the go-ahead runs. After the Rays came back to tie the game with a two-run triple by Ben Zobrist, Russell Martin hit a solo home run in the top of the following inning to give the Yankees another temporary lead. Luke Scott then tied the game once again with a solo shot lined into the right field seats. The Yankees were able to get runners in scoring position in the top of the next frame and scored the eventual winning runs on the error by Elliot Johnson.

Hiroki Kuroda did not hold any of the leads that he was given in tonight's game but ended up getting a win because of the Yankees rally in the seventh inning following his departure after completing six innings. The Yankee bullpen was able to get key outs and was helped out by Jeter who just barely caught a bloop in shallow left field that allowed David Robertson and the Yankees breathe a sigh of relief after what has happened to them over the past several weeks.

After the much needed win that put the Yankees back in sole possession of first, they fly into Baltimore tonight to play an even bigger series against the Orioles. Jason Hammel will pitch against the Yankees and David Phelps will hope to improve on his last clunker against the O's on Saturday at the Stadium.

Lifeless

Absolutely lifeless. The Yankees offense is looking as weak as it has looked in a very long time in this stretch. The division lead is gone, the offense is limping and the starting pitching can't ever hold on. The story of the Yankees season has been their inability to get a big hit and their buga-boo has come back to haunt them since the All-Star break. The Yankees are playing under .500 baseball since the break and have seen their ten game division lead dissipate entirely. Some action needs to be taken with this team before they are out of the playoff picture entirely. It is unacceptable for the Yankees to play the way they have played over the course of the last two months. A firing, a lineup shake-up, a pitching change- something needs to be done to fire this team up. They look lifeless and battered, having gone a week without getting more than six hits in a game. There is nothing left to say other than to watch the Yankees play out their remaining schedule and pray they find a big hit in a big spot before it is too late. Freddy Garcia was awful in 5.1 innings of work and did not keep the Yankees in the game. The Yankees hit ground ball after ground ball. Unless your name is Nick Swisher. If you were Nick Swisher, you struck out time and time again. This is becoming comical. These Yankee at-bats are following a script that is not taking any turns or edits. You can keep the script the same for each game and you would get the same result.

The lifeless Yankees have one last shot to salvage a game in this series tomorrow night as they will send their ace Hiroki Kuroda to face these mighty Rays and the rookie lefty Matt Moore. If they let another one slip away, their season is all but over as they head into Baltimore on Thursday. This season is hanging by a thread that is almost non-existant.

Lineup: Cano and Granderson in

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Nick Swisher 1B
Robinson Cano DH
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Raul Ibanez LF
Jayson Nix 2B
Chris Dickerson RF
Chris Stewart C

SP: RHP Freddy Garcia

Collapse?

The Yankees were one out away in the eighth inning of getting out of the frame with no damage done. However, Chris Gimenez came up with a Ryan Roberts on first and eeked a single through the right side as Robinson Cano could not get it to throw the runner out. Chris Gimenez is a .200 hitting back-up catcher for the Rays who has killed the Yankees today with two big hits. Ryan Roberts stole second base in Gimenez's at-bat to enable Roberts to later score on the single.

The Yankees had the lead-off runner on in both, the seventh and eighth innings against Shields and hit into two double plays. Advancing and scoring runners has been the Yankees problem for the better part of the season and now it is starting to take effect on their season as the Orioles are now just one game behind the Yankees in the standings. This is a scary thing for the Yankees as they continue to stumble and lose ground in the standings. You don't have to go too far back to see what the Red Sox did last season and correlate it to how the Yankees have been playing recently. With that said, it is not too early to be concerned with this team's play.

Sabathia pitched well enough to get the victory but the Yankees sluggish offense was the reason for the loss yet again. With a runner on third and the Yankees down to their last out of the game, Curtis Granderson struck out to end the game. The Yankees division lead is down to one game and the Rays are just 2.5 games behind the Yankees. In other words, the Yankees are dead ducks.

Lineup: A-Rod is back

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Eric Chavez 3B
Raul Ibanez LF
Russell Martin C
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Chris Dickerson CF

SP: LHP CC Sabathia

Yankees Embarrass Themselves in Finale

Embarrassment would be an understatement for how the Yankees played today. With a 3-1 lead heading into the sixth inning, Phil Hughes forgot how to pitch and ended up serving a home run to Mark Reynolds which gave up the lead and buried the Yankees in the game. Hughes had been rolling along prior to the sixth inning but the wheels fell off as he allowed four straight runners to reach in the sixth before getting pulled by Girardi following the Reynolds homer. Leaving Hughes in to face Reynolds again after he already homered in his previous at bat against Hughes.

Everything would go downhill from there as the bullpen gave up an additional three runs in the eighth inning as it took five pitchers in the inning to get three outs. The Yankees offense looked lethargic after Chris Dickerson's home run in the second inning. Another bone I have to pick with Girardi is him pinch-hitting for Dickerson with Andruw Jones in the seventh after the day that Dickerson had at the plate and in the field. The Yankees now lead by only two games in the division.

The Yankees will try to stop their slide as they head into Florida to face Tampa Bay who is fighting for the division along with Baltimore and New York. Hopefully, the Yankees can start winning again as Alex Rodriguez may return to the lineup.

Lineup: Grandy out

Derek Jeter DH
Nick Swisher 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Eric Chavez 3B
Raul Ibanez RF
Russell Martin C
Ichiro Suzuki LF
Chris Dickerson CF
Jayson Nix SS

SP: RHP Phil Hughes

Yanks Rally Late and Hold on

Over the first seven innings of today's game, the Yankees offense continued to look lifeless. They picked up where they left off over the past week or so. However, the seventh inning came and with a few base runners, the Yankees were able to knock the starter Chen out of the game and got to Pedro Strip for a three run rally without the benefit of a base hit. The offense didn't really break out in this game, but they kept their cool through the inning to get the three runs they would need to ultimately win the ball game. Thanks to Pedro Strop's wildness and an error by JJ Hardy, the Yankees were able to get a must win game. Something that will be overlooked was Eduardo Nunez's base hit to drive in the Yankees second run of the game. Nunez's problem was never with the bat but he had issues playing the field.

Starter David Phelps had control issues through his 4.2 innings but only ended up giving up three runs. He allowed ten base runners in the start but most times, was able to get the big out when he needed it. The bullpen was perfect as Robertson and Soriano retired the last six batters of the game. Since Soriano blew the save against the Blue Jays on Monday night, he has been perfect since, not allowing a base runner in both saves proceeding the blown save.

In tomorrow's rubber game, Phil Hughes will get the start against Chris Tillman. Tillman made a start at Yankee stadium one month ago and received a victory despite allowing five runs.

Lineup: Nunez at DH

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Andruw Jones RF
Curtis Granderson CF
Russell Martin C
Jayson Nix 3B
Eduardo Nunez DH
Ichiro Suzuki LF

SP: RHP David Phelps