Now, however, the date is September 19 and much has changed for the Yankees.  You know all of the changes, so let’s get right to the good stuff:

1 1/2 games.

That should really be all I need to say, but given my extended hiatus, I think I should say more.  A sweep of the Orioles is nice.  It’s even better to see the boys win a close one.  the offense had a predictable off night after blasting 12 runs last night.  But the pitching continued to be superb, especially Andy Pettitte, who threw 7 2/3 of 1-run ball.  And Mo was his usual self, pretending that he was a little shaky and then getting the job done when the chips were down.  I bet he goes home and watches Yankees Encore and laughs at all of the nervous-looking people they show in the stands.  I bet he has that kind of sick sense of humor.

Speaking of awesome pitching, I haven’t had a chance to say Joba is awesome.  Joba is FREAKING awesome.  I love the kid. I love his energy, his fist pumping, the hysterical look he gets on his face when celebrating a homerun.  Absolutely love the kid.  I haven’t been this excited about a new guy since I watched Derek Jeter on opening day in 1996.  Yes, I’m more excited about Joba than even My Boy Melky!  I’ve requested a Joba Jersey as a present.  And I don’t like jerseys.

Another change since I last posted is the Yankee control of the wild card.  After tonight’s win, the Yanks hold a 5 1/2 game lead.  With just 10 games to play, I would think that the lead is pretty secure.  There’s almost no doubt that the Yankees are on their way to the postseason once again.

Since I’ve mentioned the playoffs…after watching baseball for quite some time, and paying close attention to both New York and Boston in recent weeks, I have to say that the Boston Red Sox don’t have much of a chance in 7 (or 5, for that matter) game series against a top notch team like LAACADERF, Cleveland, or New York. 

Reason number 1: The Red Sox offense is somewhere between inconsistent and nonexistant.  They can blame it on Manny’s absence or whatever all they want, but it’s been that way for quite some time.  There was a small surge in late August/early september, but other than that it hasn’t been reliable since the end of May. 

Reason number 2: Also unreliable since late May is Red Sox starting pitching.  Schilling has been in and out with injuries.  Matsuzaka, suspect early on, has become downright unpredictable.  Josh Beckett, fully deserving of the AL Cy Young Award, has been their only consistent starter.  He’s actually been better in the second half than he was in the first.  But as the Yankees have shown in the past (last year) you don’t win much with only one solid starting pitcher. 

Reason number 3: Do the Red Sox even have a bullpen anymore?  Gagne certainly doesn’t count.  Okajima is currently being "rested"…probably because his arm has pretty much fallen off and has been pitching horribly.  Applebottom is still alright…although he’s blown two games against the Yankees and gave up the Grand Slam tonight.  Is he also showing signs of wear (again)?  even if his struggles are a fluke, if Gagne and Okajima can’t get the ball to him it doesn’t matter.

Reason number 4: The Red Sox, despite their record, are an average baseball team.  And, as is their custom, they are choking down the stretch.  I’ve seen comments elsewhere that say the Red Sox aren’t choking, the Yankees are simply playing insane baseball.  to some extent that’s true…the Yankees are unbelievably hot right now.  But…for a team that was the next coming of the 1998 Yankees in May, I’d say they’ve choked.  But, then again, if an average baseball team plays average are they actually choking? or just being themselves?  Since May 30th, the Red Sox are 54-48.  that’s a .529 winning percentage.  Pretty darn average if you ask me.  That’s not Manny’s "injury."  That’s not a minor slump.  That has nothing to do with the Yankees playing so well.  That’s mediocrity plain and simple.  As a comparison, a team playing close to that level for the whole season thus far: the Colorado Rockies (.526).  And they’re barely still in the race for the NL Wild Card. 

Now, finally for tonight, remember the Yankees playoff chances that were at 30% on July 25?  Those chances now stand at 99.61%.

GO YANKEES!

After tonight’s 7-1 victory, the Yankees now trail Boston by 6.5 games.  That’s still not a neligible deficit….but the Yankees have now made up a full 8 games in the standings since May 30.  6.5 games with 8 weeks to go is not insurmountable.  I’m not even sure the last time the Yankees were this close to the Red Sox.  The most recent time I know for sure was following the Yankees’ 7-game losing streak that began with the blowing of the 6-2 lead in Boston.  They were 8-13 at that point (it was April 27).  It’s possible they’ve been closer since then, but I don’t want to look at the standins for everyday.  Whenever the last time was, it was too long ago.

The Yankees won their 6th straight in style.  I was sure they were going to have a down offensive evening but eke out a win.  Something that would be perfect…an off night with a good result.  Instead, the boys really came alive near the end, including A-Roddasaurus’s 35th homerun, 499th homerun, and his 102nd RBI.  Alex now has 102 RBIs in exactly 100 games, putting him on pace for around 165.  That’s 19 shy of Gehri’s AL record and way short of Hack Wilson’s 191.  But it’ll be a threat and he’s bound to be the closest to the numbers since Manny Ramirez in 1999.

I mentioned the other day that the mathematical experts are putting the Yankee chances of making the playoffs at around 20% for the wild card, 5% for the division.  But I also think that each game gained increases those chances, especially gaining games with 2 months to go in the season.  Well, at the start of play Wednesday, the Yankees chances of winning the Wild Card, according to Baseball Prospectus have increased to 26% and their overall chance of making the playoffs stands at 30%.  That’s after gaining two games in the WC standings.  So it looks like, at this point, each game gained in the standings increases their chances by 3%.  That’s not too shabby.  Of course, I’m not a mathematician, that’s my ignorant interpretation of the numbers.  Other methods (available at the link above) put the Yankee chances as higher.

Tomorrow the Yankees look to gain another game in the standings of some race with their 7th straight victory.  It’ll be nice to see a sweep.  It’s kid of surprising that given the Yankees stupendous July so far that there hasn’t been a single series sweep.  I want to see  Beth’s crazy Steinbrenner!

Last night, Wang didn’t look as smooth and dominant as I had expected, but he looked good enough to earn his 11th win.  He’s on pace for another great season.  The offense, though, was as smooth and dominant as we have come to expect over the last few days, scoring 9 more runs.  That’s now 63 runs they’ve scored during this 5-game win streak.  In case you haven’t yet done the math, it’s 12.6 runs per game.  This is another pace that the team won’t be able to keep up.  But again, the longer they keep it going now, the better off they’ll be later.

The aforementioned Mike Mussina is on the mound tonight against Gil Meche.  Moose has struggled of late.  IN his last 3 starts, he’s 0-2 with a 6.47 ERA.  On a positive note, Moose has struck out 10 and walked only 5 in those 3 games.  Last time out, Friday’s loss to Tampa Bay, Moose started strong by strriking out the side, but then fought location problems for the next 3 2/3, giving up a total of 6 runs and 7 hits in a game the Yankees went on to lose 14-4.  His pitching over these last three games is really indicative of Mussina’s season so far.  He’s been making too many mistakes and hasn’t been able to consistently give the Yankees quality starts.  He’s been pitching just good enough to survive.  I guess in the end, a pitcher that keep you in most games is good…but for the number 5 slot.  Moose has essentially been put in the 4-hole of the rotation, but I suspect he would be the fifth starter if/when Phil Hughes returns in the coming weeks. 

Speaking of Hughes, I believe I read that he pitched 6 shutout innings and struck out a bunch of guys for Scranton/Wilkes Barre last night.  Apparently he needs 1 or 2 more rehab starts because of his low pitch count.  I bet if he puts in one more solid start and it’s accompanied by another bad outing from Igawa (or even Mussina) we see Hughes next week against Chicago.  If my count is correct he’ll make his nex start Sunday and would be ready for next Thursday.  We’ll see.

Back to tonight’s game, the Yankees will face Gil Meche.  Meche was a pretty high-profile signing during the offseason.  Mostly high-profile becuase the Royals were paying him way more than he was worth.  During his last 3 starts, Meche is 2-0, but his ERA is also quite high during that period at 6.00 (12 runs in 18 innings).  In his career, Meche is 3-2 with a 3.88 ERA against the Yankees in 9 games. 

This is a tough one to call for me.  I know Meche has the ability to pitch very well.  He’s done it this year.  His ERA was at 3.00 or lower as late as mid-June.  This could very well be a trap game for the Yankees.  One that they feel is a must-win because Igawa pitches tomorrow so they press a little too much and aren’t able to give Moose the support he needs.  I really hope that isn’t the case and the Yankees are able to keep the momentum rolling.

Go Yankees!

Back to the task at hand, the Yankees send Ace Chien-Ming Wang to the mound today. I have to believe that the team’s chances of winning are high with Wang on the mound.  I love it when he pitches.  Wang has lost just twice in his last 13 starts with an ERA of under 3.  Unfortunately for Wang, however, he has performed worse against Kansas City than any other team.  He’s made just 3 starts against the Royals and is 1-0, but he’s given up 12 runs in 18.2 innings, a 5.79 ERA.  In Kauffman Stadium, Wang has pitched only once and gave up 3 runs in 5.2 innings.  I’m not sure when that start was, though.  I fully expect him to have a strong start tonight.  The whole team is on such a role that I don’t think the number one starter will be the one to mess it up.  If he messed up roles, Wang wouldn’t be the ace of the staff.  No, Wang will pitch well tonight.  I feel a 5th straight win comig on.  I don’t make predictions often, but this is one I’m feeling.  Refueling Yankees!  Refueling Chien-Ming Wang!

Stay tuned, we’re gonna have a Popeye cartoon in a minute…

As the All-Star Break ended I said the Yankees needed to win 15 of their 21 reamining decisions in July.  So far they are 8-3, meaning they would have to go 7-3 in the last 10 (this is including the completion of the suspended game).  I also asked the Red Sox to go 10-9 (not much of a request, considering they’ve been playing .478 ball since May 30).  This would put the Yankees down by 6 games going into August, a manageable deficit.  So far, both teams have lived up to their ends, the Red Sox going 5-5 so far.

Andy Pettitte is the one the Yankees are asking to keep this thing going.  He had a couple of rough starts, but seemed to get it back under control last time against Toronto.  He earned a no-decision, but struck out 7 and gave up just 1 run in 7 innings.  The way the offense performed yesterday, I have a feeling this will be a low-scoring affair, so Andy’ll have to be on his game again.  I certainly hope he is.

But let’s not forget to mention the big news: The Yankees have made a trade for a decent backup catcher, Jose Molina.  Molina isn’t exactly Ivan Rodriguez, but he’s no Wil Nieves either.  He’s hitting .224 with no homeruns and 10 RBIs.  Not super numbers (although he has only played in 40 games), but Nieves was only batting .164.  I’m happy that an experienced catcher that can throw out a runner is coming.  I think this was an important move.  I no longer feel like whenever Posada needs a day off there will be a useless slot in the rotation.  And who knows…maybe coming to New York will liven Molina’s bat, although that may be tough since he won’t be playing every day.  I must admit, however, that I’m sad to see Nieves go.  While his bat was next to useless and his defense was only passable, he seemed like such a nice guy that worked hard and was truly happy just to be there.  Wil, your smiles will be missed, but your game will not.

Alright, guys….5 straight series, 3 straight games, 5 games over.  Let’s do it.  Go Yankees!

Because Fox stinks, I couldn’t see the game.  Via gamecast I saw the Rays take a 2-0 lead and then Igawa load the bases in the third.  I decided to go to lunch and take the recycling and shop for bird seed and do almost anything but be near the Yankees.  I even left my phone at home.  Apparently it worked.  When I got back it was 2-2 and the Yankees were about to score 5 more led by Duncan’s homerun.

Farnsworth managed to not give up a run!  The sky is falling!!

Mo made it interesting.  I went to check the mail after he loaded the bases and when I came back, the game was over.  2 strikeouts for the greatest ever, and the Yankees win the opener of an incredibly dangerous double header.  I wish I had more to write, but I really have nothing else to say.

Prince of Pennsylvania tonight.  I remember once he pitched a great game and got a win.  Then he started to be terrible.  My fingers are crossed for DH sweep and putting us in position to win the series….but let’s start with tonight.

Refueling Chickens!

Another huge win tonight secured by a couple of late-inning assaults.  It guarantees a series win over Toronto.  And given Toronto’s proximity to the Yankees in the race, it was an essential series win.  It’s their fourth consecutive series victory.  this is something that is made more impressive when you think about the fact that 3 of those 4 series(es) were 4-game sets.  The Yankees have won 11 of 14 and with Wang on the mound tomorrow, they have a great shot at winning 12 of 15.  Soon-to-be 3-time MVP Alex Rodriguez got everything the Yankees needed tonight with his 2-run double.  Just chalk that up to his already-impressive RBI scoresheet.  He’s now at 92 on the year, well on his way to around 150.

On a bad note, Johnny Damon continues to be useless.

Something else I’m excited for, and I partially have Jason to thank for bringing it up, is my upcoming trip to Minnesota and Pennsylvania/Maryland/New York.  In Minnesota, the Sister-in-Law will be giving birth shortly to the newest Yankee fan.  Following that momentous occasion, I will be travelling to Pittsburgh and then Baltimore for a bachelor party and then up to New York for a visit with the family (it’s been over 3 years since I’ve visited good old Western New York).  So how does J fit into this?  He expressed his preference for Sheetz food and made me hungry for the most delicious gas station food on the planet.  I plan to eat there a minimum of 5 times between landing in Pittsburgh August 10 and departing a week later.  I can’t wait.

Nephews. Sheetz. Yankee victories.  Wild card and division leader losses. I’m excited all the way around.

When I left class tonight I checked the score on my phone and learned that the Yankees were trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the 8th because of a throwing error by none other than Kyle Farnsworthless.  I also saw that the Red Sox were losing to Kansas City 8-1.  I was all set to write a post about how tired I am of wasted opportunities.  Since the Arod "Ha" game against Toronto, the Yankees are 26-15.  Now, that’s not bad baseball.  But the Red Sox are 20-22.  That’s not good baseball.  And while the Yankees struggled in Colorado and San Francisco, the red Sox were a mere 1 1/2 games better.  That was a time full of wasted opportunity.  When Boston lost the first game to Toronto last week, the Yankees lost their only game to Tampa.  But the Yankees made me eat my planned words with an exciting comeback victory.

Accardo’s balk in the bottom of the ninth was good stuff.  For the Yankees, at least.  Before, when the Yankees were playing poorly, I joked about how many different ways can the Yankees find to lose a game.  Beth pointed out that they could lose on a balk.  Well, it hasn’t happened to the Yankees, but tonight it happened to the Blue Jays.  Usually when a balk occurs I’m not entirely sure what the pitcher did wrong.  But tonight his flinch after bringing the ball and glove together but before stepping off was blatant.  Even Damon and Melky were jumping up and down at it.  It was definitely a moment worth cheering out loud, although I’ve got to admit that’s a tough break for Accardo.  Oh, well.  I’ll take what I can get, I suppose.

Whenever Robinson Cano comes to the plate I instruct the opposing pitcher to throw the ball anywhere that’s somewhat remotely close to the plate because Robbie will swing even at pitches above his head.  Tonight, Cano swung at the first pitch as expected.  Only it was a hittable pitch.  Note to pitchers opposing the Yankees: to get Robinson Cano out, do not throw anything near where his bat can make contact.  But how great the hit was!  And how great was Alex Rodriguez nearly bowling over Larry Bowa like he was Pedro protecting himself from Don Zimmer.

Speaking of Larry Bowa, what was he thinking sending Cairo home on Melky’s single?  And not only that, but what the hel1 was he doing trying to slide into home behind Miguel?  I hope Cairo’s alright.  He’s been a huge piece of the puzzle of late.  Since he was able to go out and play the field, I’m guessing his neck or shoulders or whatever will be fine with maybe a day or so of rest.  He’d probably get that time off anyway.

So, the Yankees managed to NOT waste an opportunity.  And they managed to NOT waste another strong Andy Pettitte start (although they didn’t exactly help him out much, either).  One thing that they DID manage to do is gain a game on Boston.  They now stand at a mere 8 games back.  They’ve been this close before, hopefully they don’t blow it again.  Two more against Toronto including starts by Roger Clemens and Chien-Ming "Cool Hand Luke" Wang.  I like the Yankee chances for the sweep.  If Clemens can rebound from his rough start in Tampa, things will be good.  And then Moose will have his necessary 5 days of beauty sleep, putting him in a good mood for Friday.  It’s the gross double header lineup of HKP and the Prince of Pennsylvania that worries me.  We’ll see how it goes.

For now, as usual, I’m just going to be happy the Yankees picked up a big and timely win and await tomorrow.

Go Yankees!

On a good note, the Yankee bats are still full of power.  4 of their 6 runs came on homeruns, including A-Rod’s 32nd (and his 89th ice cream).  Robbie Cano hit his 7th, another good sign from the young second baseman.  Like I wrote before the break, we keep hearing about his power but he hasn’t really shown it to us yet.  He’s put it on display in July, hitting 4 homeruns and 2 doubles.  Not exactly a dramatic month, but better than we’re used to (he hit 1 in each previous month, including a homerless streak of June 1-July 3).  If he could just learn to take some pitches, he might be everything he’s cracked up to be (he’s struck out 3 times more than he’s walked this month).

On a less good note, Johnny Damon cannot continue to lead off.  I’m not sure who would be a better choice, but Damon is simpy not working out.  His average is at .241 after tonight’s 0-for-4.  His OBP is around .340 (lower after tonight, I think).  Johnny Damon is simply not on base enough to be leading off and a lead off man that isn’t on base is scarcely a leadoff man at all.  He’s already been taken off of centerfield duty because he’s not really performing well there either.  I think if the Yankees are going to make a trade, this is where they should focus.  While a decent bullpen arm would be nice, a backup catcher would be great, what about someone that can lead off?  And maybe even play first?  Just throwing that out there.  Rumor has it Dan Johnson in Oakland is a possibility.  He’s not on base much more than Damon, though (and less than Andy Philips who is batting over .300 and picked up the game winning RBIs tonight).

This post is feeling kind of negative.  I’m not entirely sure why, it’s just what I wanted to talk about.  Unfortunately, the Red Sox won, but the night wasn’t a complete wash.  The Indians lost, moving the Yankees within 7 games of the Wild Card.  Minnesota is off and Seattle is losing.  When you’re having a season like the Yankees are, gaining any ground is a positive, even if it’s in the Wild Card race.

Go Yankees!

Yankee pitching gave up 16 hits.  That’s a ton of hits.  But Mussina wouldn’t let the Yankees lose, either.  He let 13 guys get on base (11 hits), but only 3 could manage to cross the plate.  When the chips were down, Mussina was at his best today.  He didn’t have his best stuff.  He didn’t even have very good stuff.  But he had enough to hold down the fort for 6 innings.   And if it weren’t for bullpen ineptitude, he could have had the win. 

The bullpen tried perhaps harder than anyone to lose the game.  First Villone pooped the bed giving up the two-run homerun.  Then Farnsworth showed why he really is honestly and completely worthless.  Two doubles while recording one out is not good.  Then, Dioner Navarro came to the plate.  Already 2 for 2 on the day, Navarro was probably feeling like a stud.  Unfortunately for him, he’s not a stud.  In fact I heard Thursday or Friday during the game that he has the lowest average in the major leagues for those over 200 at-bats.  I haven’t looked it up to confirm, but it doesn’t mater if the fact is accurate.  He’s hitting .179.  And it was worse before today.  Farnsworth, however, had given up an RBI single to right to the guy.  Andy Philips, however, refused to let the Yankees lose.  He made a GREAT play, snaring the hard liner.  Then, with Cano’s prompting, made a heads-up throw to double off the runner.  It is this play, the play that made it possible for the Yankees to win, that puts Andy Philips into the Mile High Yankees Club.  Oh yeah…did he mentioned he had an RBI triple to go with it?  And is now batting over .300 again?

Andy Philips
July 15, 2007
2-4
2 Really Big Ice Creams
Awesome play in the 8th to preserve the win.
Yankees win 7-6

Even Jorge Posada tried to lose the game with his catcher’s interference in the ninth.  But, as usual, Mo would not allow it, inducing the double play and then the popup to save his 13th of the year.  The Yankees climbed back over .500 for the first time since Colorado.  They won the series, their 3rd consecutive.  And, most importantly, they gained a game in the standings as Toronto was able to earn a split with Boston.  9 games back is better than 10, and I think this was a good start to the second half.  The Yankees head home to face Toronto for 4 and then the Rays for 4 more.  It would be great to see them take 3 of 4 in each of those series(es)…..we’ll see.

Go Yankees!