Yankees 5, Indians 2-Mussina improves to 3-3

Mike Mussina pitched five average innings last night to improve to 3-3 as the Yankees beat the Indians last night 5-2 to split the series in Cleveland.

Mussina was able to get in and out of trouble in the sixth inning, including twice loading the bases and only giving up one run. Mussina has been a solid fifth starter for the Yannkees this season as shown by his 3-3 record. Unfortunately for the Yankees, has been forced almost into a third starter role.

The Yankees bats finally got going in the sixth, although they did not exactly kill the ball. Melky had an infield single, Ensberg had one too, Giambi dribbled one and A-Rod got hit by a pitch. But in the end, they were able to score the runs they needed to win the game.

The bullpen was effective as John Albadalejo and Kyle Farnsworth pitched the sixth and seventh scoreless and Joba and Mariano did the job in the ninth.

For the Yankees to be 14-13 with all these injuries is quite good. They are right in the thick of things in the American League.

Been away

Sorry but I have not been able to post the past few days. This Wednesday, I will half full recaps of all of the Yankees games I did not post on, the NFL Draft, weekly MLB rankings and everything in between. I might even start now.

Yankees 6, White Sox 4-Mussina pitches Yankees to victory

I only watched the final three innings of this game, so I can't go into much depth. But some observations:

Mike Mussina apparently was dealing tonight, which is a good sign. He needs to provide stability at the back end of the rotation.

Jason Giambi got intentionally walked twice. Who is scarier than the Giambino?

Tonight was a preview of how awful the Yankees bullpen is without Joba. Mariano will be getting lots of five out saves if this continues.

Mariano looks untouchable.

The great debate: Is Joba better suited for the pen or the starting rotation?

The question has permeated the New York sports discussion world for the past few days: Is Joba better for the Yankees in the pen or the rotation?

My answer is simple: In the bullpen.

Let me explain.

Joba has emerged as one of the best set-up men in baseball during his time. He blows his fastball by the hitters and when they sit on the fastball, he catches them swinging on the slider. He has only given up two earned runs in all his innings as a set-up man.

The confidence that he has instilled in his teammates, coaches and Yankees fans can be seen everywhere. Fans are confident when Joba enters the game. Twice this season he has been called on to enter the game with runners in scoring position and less than two outs and gotten the job done.

Joba is the best bridge the Yankees have to Mariano. He is effective and has yet to blow a save opportunity. Although baseball is about 27 outs, if you can shorten the game for the starters down to 21 outs, why not? The one area in pitching the Yankees have the advantage over the Red Sox is Mariano and Joba, why give that up?

The Yankees teams that used to win championships had unbeatable bullpens. Jeff Nelson, Mike Stanton, Ramiro Mendoza, they all set-up for Mariano and made the game seven innings. Joba does the same, he shortens the game down to seven innings.

The best case I can make for his role in the bullpen involves tonight. With the bases loaded and one out, Brian Bruney was yanked from the game. If Joba is not available, who can the Yankees go to in that situation? Kyle Farnsworth? LaTroy Hawkins? Ross Ohlondorf? None are exactly going to instill confidence in the hearts of the fans and the players. Joba, though, has the expectation that he can get out of the situation.

By adding Joba to the rotation, the Yankees are left without a true set-up man. None of the aforementioned men are good enough to be a consistent set-up man and get the job done efficiently. They serve better in the 6th and 7th innings.

Joba can also serve as the replacement to Mariano. As much as Yankees fans don't want to think about it, Mo will be gone one day. Who better to replace him than a homegrown arm. No free agent will want to be the Yankees closer, that would just be dumb.

Also, where Joba to go to the rotation right now, that means one of the pitchers must be sent down or moved to the bullpen. Who are you going to send? Phil Hughes? That would make every Yankees fan wish he had Santana and hate Cashman. Mike Mussina? He's not going to the bullpen for $12.5 million. Ian Kennedy? Again, that's going to look like a bad move keeping him.

Although Yankees fans think having Joba for seven innings would be lights out, let's remember that seeing a guy for one inning is different than seeing him for three or four times through the lineup. Will the hitters pick up on his pitches? Will Joba lose the bite on his pitches as he gets toward the 100 pitch count?

Last year against the Indians, Joba actually got hit up pretty well against them primarily because they had seen him so much. The hitters were used to what he was throwing.

The Yankees could use Chamberlain in the rotation, but would be better served having him as the set-up man. Even next year, the Yankees would just need to sign two free agent pitchers ,and with such a deep class of free agents next year, that should not be a problem.

Joba shines in the set-up role out of the bullpen. He shortens the game. Don't make the game longer, let him continue to be one of the premier set-up men in baseball.

Yankees 9, White Sox 5-Abreu grand slam lifts Yankees

Bobby Abreu delivered in the clutch with a two-out, bases loaded grand slam to lift the Yankees to a 9-5 victory over the White Sox tonight.

After Captain Clutch himself Derek Jeter actually struck out, Abreu sent a 2-0 pitch from Octavio Dotel (he is so awful) into the left field seats to give the Yanks a 6-3 lead that they would never give up.

Jason Giambi also added an opposite field homerun earlier in the game ( a good sign) and Johnny Damon added a 3-run shot in the ninth to provide protection. Damon was 3-5 on the night and the Yankees are going to need this kind of production out of him to keep up with the Sox.

On a side note, tonight was a good look into the scenario that the Yankees will be in if they send Joba Chamberlain to the rotation. Billy Traber failed to do his only job and Brian Bruney was not effective. The Yankees had to call on Chamberlain with one out in the seventh and bases loaded. Although one run scored, Chamberlain minimized the damage.

Chien-Ming Wang did not have his best stuff tonight, but was able to grind, which is what you need out of your starting pitchers. He is now 4-0 on the season and an incredible 42-13 over the past three seasons. The Yankees are 5-0 in his starts. His struggles tonight are not that big a deal as he has traditionally had problems pitching at U.S. Cellular.

Tomorrow, Mike Mussina takes the mound against Javier Vazquez. Word to the wise, Ross Ohlondorf get ready to be in relief.

Yankees Stats

After 20 games, you can say we are roughly 1/8 done with the baseball season. Here are the projected Yankees batters stats based on the first 20 games:

Johnny Damon-16 HR, 56 RBI, 88 runs, 24 SB
Derek Jeter-0 HR, 88 RBI, 56 Runs, 0 SB
Bobby Abreu-16 HR, 80 RBI, 72 Runs, 8 SB
Alex Rodriguez-32 HR, 80 RBI, 96 Runs, 8 SB
Jason Giambi-16 HR, 48 RBI, 48 Runs, 0 SB
Robinson Cano-8 HR, 40 RBI, 24 Runs, 0 SB
Jorge Posada-8 HR, 48 RBI, 56 Runs, 0 SB
Hideki Matsui-24 HR, 72 RBI, 56 Runs, 0 SB
Melky Caberera-24 HR, 56 RBI, 64 Runs, 0 SB

As you can see, these stats suggest the Yankees are under-achieving offensively. Derek Jeter is not going to lead the team in RBI's and Melky Cabera is not going to hit 24 homeruns. The real problem here is 5-6-7 where Giambi, Cano and Posada are not exactly lighting up the stat sheets.

As I said before, though, a 10-10 record right now is Ok. Considering how awful the hitting and pitching has been, i'll take 10-10.

Games started by Wang: 4-0
Games started by Pettite: 3-1
Games started by Hughes: 1-3
Games started by Mussina: 1-3
Games started/relieved by Kennedy: 1-3

You cannot go 3-9 in your 3-4-5 starters.

Yankees 7, Orioles 1-Pettite Shines

Sorry folks, but I wasn't able to blog for the past few days for various reasons. The Yankees need a win in the worst way today, and Andy Pettite delivered in a big way for them today as he pitched seven scoreless innings to power the Yankees to a 7-1 win over the Orioles.

After watching the young arms fail, Pettite was great over the seven innings. He got ahead in his counts, and made the batters work. He retired 14 hitters in a row, and gave the Yankees offense the time it needed to score some runs. He did what a veteran pitcher is supposed to do in these spots.

The offense was asleep for most of the game, but woke-up late. A-Rod and Hideki added rbi double's to give the Yanks a 2-0 lead, but later Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter added a homerun and a bases-clearing double to give the Yanks all the offense they needed.

Joba Chamberlain actually got hit-up today, giving up two hits and allowing a run to score.

The Yankees get a much needed day off tomorrow before heading to Chicago to face the talented and hot White Sox. Wang takes the ball in the opener and the Yankees need him to start the series off on the right foot.

After 20 games, the Yankees are 10-10. Considering that 3/5 of our rotation is a combined 1-8, i'll take that record, but we need to start to heat up at some point.

MLB Power Rankings Week 3

1. Arizona Diamondbacks (13-5)-The babybacks continue to shine. They have arguably the best one-two pitching combination in baseball with Haren and Webb at the top and their line-up is producing from top and bottom. In years past, they struggled to score points, but not this year. Right now, they look like the class of the NL and the strongest team in baseball.

2. Boston Red Sox (13-7)-The Red Sox are finally looking like the world champions. They have won their last four games, and in two of them, have beaten Texas' bullpen to do so. Their five-point comeback against the Rangers on Sunday was impressive. The bats have come to life too, and Manny Ramirez is making the $20 million option look like a safe investment for next year.

3. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (12-8)-The Angels are doing a nice job to start the season, considering they are playing without their top two aces, John Lackey and and Kelvim Esobar. The real key for the Angels has been the pitching of Erwin Santana, who has been able to overcome his road woes and get off to a 3-0 start with one of the top five era's in the AL. Chone Figgins is continuing to play amazing as well.

4. Chicago Cubs (12-6)-Yes, the Cubs have beaten the Pirates for their last few wins. But wins are wins, and this team is playing good baseball. Ryan Dempster is doing a great job in transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation, and Derek Lee is playing at a MVP candidate level. John Madden of the Daily news called Alfonso Soriano one of the worst free-agent signings ever. Interesting take on what may develop.

5. Chicago White Sox (11-7)-The White Sox continue to be one of the surprise teams in baseball, storming out to a great start. The key for them has been the pitching by their young arms, Gavin Floyd and John Danks. The team will go as far as they can take them. Javier Vazquez has continued to be solid. Jim Thome seems to have gotten his stroke back.

6. New York Mets (10-7)-The Mets had a great week, going 5-1 against the Nationals and the Phillies. Oliver Perez looked great in his starts, and although he got touched a little on Sunday, Mike Pelfrey is doing a soild job. Jose Reyes is being the catalyst the team needs at the top of the line-up and David Wright is playing great right now. Angel Pagan continues to shine.


7. Oakland Athletics (12-8)-If you had asked me earlier this year how many games it would take for the Athletics to win 12 games, i would have probably said around 30, but instead they have done it in 20. I really can't explain why, but this team is getting the job done. This seems to be a great year for teams that are in rebuilding modes. They will only get better when Rich Harden returns.

8. Baltimore Orioles (11-8)-Another team was supposed to be in complete re-building mode and out of the race from the first day, they have played great baseball and stormed out to an 11-7 record. They smoked the Yankees in their first two games, something on paper they shouldn't do. Adam Jones has flashed some real leather in center and when he develops offensively, will be a great pick-up for them. They will fizzle out eventually, but are playing great now.

9. St. Louis Cardinals (12-7)-Save the last two games of the series against the Giants, and the Cardinals have continued to amaze. Their offense is very limited, but is finding ways to get it done. When you consider their rotation is pretty much consisted 3/5 of converted relievers, its pretty impressive what they are doing. Their concept of rotating five outfielders seems to be working as they all are fresh and doing good jobs.

10. Florida Marlins (11-7)-Team three in re-building mode that is doing a great job and contending. Hanley Ramirez is just a pure baseball player that just makes the gam better. Scott Olsen, who is known more for his temper and problems than his pitching, is off to a quick 3-0 start. This team has a salary 1/10 that of the Yankees and has more wins right now. Wow.

11. Milwaukee Brewers (11-7)-The Brewers are a solid team, but need to solidfy the end of their bullpen and get Prince Fielder going. Eric Gagne has already blown three saves and is looking like he may be one of the worst free agent signings this past year. I mean, giving up back to back homeruns against the Reds is embarrassing. This team also seems to feed off the play of Prince Fielder and needs him to hit consistently.

12. Seattle Mariners (10-10)-Erik Bedard is on the disabled list. That is not news that the Mariners want to hear. Through it all, though, the Mariners are 8-5 in their last 13 and have found solid contributions from Carlos Silva and Miguel Batista has won his last two decisions. The offense also seems to be on the right foot. Their bullpen right now is pretty shaky, but once J.J. Putz cames back, they will be fine.

13. Toronto Blue Jays (10-9)-The Blue Jays are a team that always seems on the verge of breaking out, but can't. They finished the weekend with a nice series win against the Tigers, including wins by A.J. Burnett and Dustin McGowan. They cut Frank Thomas in a move that is supposed to help them put out the best possible team on the field, but I really do not understand that one. Aaron Hill has been really solid.

14. Kansas City Royals (9-10)-The Royals were swept this weekend by the red-hot Athletics, but take that away, and they are playing good baseball. Brian Bannister and Zach Greinke have been real solid, and like lots of analysts say, you could do alot worse than the top three that KC sends out to the hill. They still might be a year or two away.

15. New York Yankees (10-10)-The Yankees are 7-1 in games started by Andy Pettite and Chien-Ming Wang. They are 3-9 in games started by Mike Mussina, Phil Hughes and Andy Pettite. That is not a formula for success. The Yankees offense has been far too inconsistent as well, with Robinson Cano, Johnny Damon and Jason Giambi hitting poorly. If the back end of the rotation does not get it together, this team is in for a long season.

16. Colorado Rockies (9-9)-After starting the season on such a poor note, the Rockies have finally started to get it together. Barring a Brian Fuentes blown save today, they would be 10-8. The only real problem with this team is the lack of start pitching, as Jeff Francis is good, but he's not an ace. Aaron Cook is not a solid second starter as well, adn tehy are relying on young arms too much. With the Diamondbacks in their division, they will have troubles winning the division.

17. Atlanta Braves-The Braves welcomed Andruw Jones back to Atlanta by sweeping the Dodgers to conclude a good week of baseball. Chipper Jones is continuing his trend of getting off to amazingly fast starts and John Smoltz has not missed a beat. This team needs more consistent starts out of Chuck James like the one they got on Friday to compete and Jair Jurjens looks like a solid young pitcher that they will be available to develop.

18. Philadelphia Phillies (9-10)-The Phillies are trying to stay afloat without the MVP, Jimmy Rollins, in their line-up. The team will be fine, but is struggling a little right now, as they normally do at the beginning of the season. If the pitching staff con hold it together, they will contend with the Mets all season. But for now, they just need to keep their heads above water until Rollins gets back.


19. Minnesota Twins (9-10)-In other years, the Twins would have no shot at winning the division with their current team, but right now, they are in the thick of things. Chase Blackburn has been solid, but they are not solid at pitching. Francisco Lirano is off to an 0-2 start, but you kow that he will improve. This team does have a history of putting it together, but I can't see it happening with this cast.

20. San Diego Padres (9-10)-The Padres are an average team. Yes, they have one of the best pitchers in baseball in Peavy, but they just don't have enough to be considered an elite team. Randy Wolf might not be able to last the whole season, and I am not sold on Chris Young as a number two starter. When Kevin Kouzmanoff is your cleanup hitter, you know you need to improve your offense.

21. Cincinnati Reds (8-11)-I thought the Reds could be a real contender this year, but they are struggling to get out of the gate. They have some really solid pitching in Cueto, Volquez and Harang, but have lost their lost two series to rivals Chicago and Milwaukee. Brandon Phillips needs to pick it up a bit. Their offense, for one that should be potent, seems to go dead at points.

22. Tampa Bay Rays (8-11)-While everyone, myself included, said this team could be a sleeper this year and win a handful of games, it seems that Baltimore has taken that role. Edwin Jackson is coming back down to earth, and the offense seems to need just a little bit more. B.J. Upton has been great for the team, looking like the can't miss prospect he was supposed to be.

23. Cleveland Indians (7-12)-The Indians look nowhere near the team that was within one game of the World Series last year. C.C. Sabthia is not providing the pithing that is needed from an ace at the top of the rotation, and Jake Westbrook has been a victim of lack or runn support. I can understand they lost two of three to the Tigers, but two of three to the Twins. Come on now. They're lucky Cliff Lee has been pitching like has for the past few years.

24. San Francisco Giants (8-11)-It's very surprising to say, but the Giants have actually been playing good baseball. They had two offensive outpours in their two games against the Cardinals. Tim Lincecum is looking like the real deal, off to a 3-0 start on team that struggles offensively. If only they could ever get Barry Zito right, this team would have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball.

25. Detroit Tigers (6-13)-The Tigers showed some promise this week and appeared to be on the verge of breaking out, but have since lost three of their last four games. Justin Verlander is not looking like the Cy Young winner I predicted him to be, and the pitching in general is just very suspect. They are a team that will be looking for pitching helop and bullpen help come the trade deadline.

26. Houston Astros (7-12)-With all the sluggers in this line-up, this team could have a better record but they just can't get it done. Roy Oswalt finally won a game and looked like the ace the team has, but outside of him, the rotation is so shaky. Shawn Chacon has actually pitched well, though. Maybe it was all those years on Baltimore that aged Miguel Tejada two years?

27. Los Angeles Dodgers (7-11)-Outside of winning two games against the Pirates, the Dodgers had an awful week and seem to be continuing their trend of not playing to their talent. Andruw Jones can't seem to hit, and when James Loney and Rafael Furcal are your only source of runs, you are going to have problems. They scored a total of three runs in thre games against the Braves, and they didn't even face Smoltz or Hudson.

28. Texas Rangers (7-12)-The Rangers concluded an awful week with their bullpen blowing two games for them, including a five run lead. Josh Hamilton has been playing great and the offense seems to be able to put runs on the board, but the bullpen has blown two wins they could have had against the Red Sox. Kevin Millwood pitched a great game against the Red Sox, but could not get the win. It's looking like that type of season for him.

29. Pittsburgh Pirates (7-11)-The Pirates looked lifeless this week, getting swept by the Cubs in three games and losing their last five. Adam LaRoche really needs to pick his game up, as he is supposed to be the power bat in that line-up, but he continues to struggle. Their pitching staff is solid, but Matt Morris looks like he is done. This team is going nowhere.

30. Washington Nationals (5-14)-The Nationals continued to flounder this week, going 2-4 including a sweep by the Mets. Although the trade for Lastings Milledge looked great at first, it seems the Mets have gotten the better of that deal. This team looks like it's going to struggle all year.

Notes:

-The Red Sox already have nine come from behind wins....Wow

-George Sherrill is 6 for 6 in saves, but has a 6.14 ERA-You need to get that down a little bit

-Releasing Frank Thomas was clearly a move to save themselves of the option for next season

-Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Mike Mussina need to pick it up for the Yankees to have any chance of making the playoffs

-Could Tampa Bay be interested in signing in the Big Hurt?

-Joe Crede is cooling down after a hot start....Joe Danks and Gavin Floyd are pitchig great for back of the rotation starters

-Could KC need the big hurt?

-Delmon Young is not having the offensive output they expected in Minnesota

-Fausto Carmona doesn't seem toe be a one year fluke

-Miguel Caberea seems to be coming around

-Could Erwin Santana be the comeback player of the year?

-Isn't if funny how the A's always trade away all their guys and continue to compete year after year?

-Richie Sexson is hitting the ball real nice and inflating his value for his walk year

-Texas needs to improve its bullpen

-Ryan Church is having no problems adapting to New York

-Hanley Ramirez is the best shortstop in baseball and will be a rich man when he hits free agency

-Is there anything more pure than watching John Smoltz continue to dominate in his 40's?

-Chase Utley is the best second baseman in baseball

-Wily Mo Pena needs to hit the ball

-John Lieber is settling in nicely to the role of the longman

-Adam Wainwright will be one of the best pitchers in baseball soon

-Eric Gagne sucks...period

-Ken Griffey's 600th is coming up and I can't wait to see it

-Pittsburgh needs to do something to get this taste of losing out of its mouth

-No matter how old he is, Miguel Tejada is performing

-I think the Diamondbacks, if they improve their bullpen, can win it all

-Troy Tulowitzki is finally starting to turn the corner

-The Padres will be around .500 all year

-SF is playing as good as anyone could expect

-Rafael Furcal will cash in on the free agent market again

Red Sox 7, Yankes 5-The Moose is loose....and he's stinking up the joint

Mike Mussina went to Stanford. He is supposed to be a smart man. Then how does he let Manny Ramirez brutalize him so bad at the plate. Ramirez homered in his first two at-bats and lead the Red Sox to a 7-5 victory over the Yankees at the stadium tonight for the series tie.

Mussina was brutal. He only lasted three innings, gave up five runs and seven hits, and left early. Again, he could not control the damage and let Manny kill him. How do you miss that bad on a 3-1 fastball that is supposed to be inside? He cannot beat a good lineup anymore. Mussina is past his prime. He will beat the bad lineups, but not the good lineups.

The Yankees line-up was able to manage three runs in eight innings against Josh Beckett, which is not bad considering the quality of starter he is. The surprising aspect was scoring two runs off Papelbon and hitting him up so much in one inning.

A-Rod had a real chance to shoot a hole in the armor of the Sox, but popped up down by four with a man on in the fifth. A-rod is now 1-15 with two outs and risp. That isn't good.

Interesting site tonight as Kyle Farnsworth threw behind Manny Ramirez. After all the years of watching the Red Sox throw at the Yankees, about time a Red Sox got thrown at-BUT I DO NOT CONDEMN THE LOCATION OF THE PITCH-MOTIF YES, LOCATION NO.

Yankees enter a tough stretch tomorrow, as they have straight road games, starting with the much improved Baltimore team. Phil Hughes needs to pitch well tomorrow to prove that he can pitch effectively.

NFL Week by Week Great games preview

Here is my breakdown of games to watch each week:

Week 1
Washington@NYG-Champions host the opener, should be crazy
Jax @ Ten-Two rival teams both looking to start strong after making the playoffs
Cin @ Bal-Both want to get the sour taste out of their mouths
Dal @ Cle-Both teams are picked to do well this upcoming season and what a way to start
Min @ GB-A.F. (After Favre) begins

Week 2
Phi @ Dallas-Gotta love the rivalry, and especially on Monday night

Week 3
Jax @ Ind-Can Jax finally start beating their rivals?
Dallas @ GB-Two of the beasts of the NFC

Week 4
Wash @ Dallas-Tough, hard-played football

Week 5
Pit @ Jax-Jax won twice in Pitt, can they win at home?

Week 6
NE @ SD-San Diego would like to win once
NYG @ Cle-Great Monday night game with alot of intrigue

Week 7
Ind @ GB-Last time, these two had a barn burner-but this one is outside in the cold

Week 8
Buf @ Mia-First game in Toronto
NYG @ Pit-Eli vs Ben, what a group of 2004 quarterbacks
Ind @ Ten-Great division, great match-up

Week 9
NE @ Ind-Best game in football
Dal @ NYG-Dallas would love to make-up for the loss in the playoffs

Week 10
Ind @ Pit-Tough game

Week 11
SD @ Pit-Two tough teams battling for a playoff spot

Week 12
Ind @ SD-Two division winners, Indy looking to make up for last year's loss

Week 13
Ten @ Det, Sea @ Dallas, Ari @ Phi-Thanksgiving. Duh.
Ind @ Cle-Interesting game
Pit @ NE-Pitt got embarrassed last year

Week 14
Phi @ NYG-Season heating up, playoffs up for grab
Dal @ Pit-Two of the best franchises ever

Week 15
GB @ Jax-Two tough teams
NYG @ Dallas-Playoff spot, division title
Cle @ Phi-Cleveland will have some tough games

Week 16
Ind @ Jax-Division title might be up for grabs
GB @ Chi-Rodgers get his first taste of Soldier Field

Week 17
Jax @ Balt-Possible play-off implications
Ten @ Ind-Play-off implications
Dal @ Phi-Could be for NFC East
Cle @ Pit-Could be for AFC North
Den @ SD-Could be for AFC West

Rangers 5, Devils 3-One away from advancing

The Rangers had a lead. They blew it. They had another lead. They blew it. Another lead. Blown. But the Rangers rebounded to score a late goal with over three minutes left to take a 3-1 lead on the Devils and move within one game of eliminating them.

Mark Staal had the game-winner on a turnover in the Devils side. Both teams capitalized off each other's mistakes.

The one thing I noticed, though, is that Marty seems to be off his game. Granted when you have been on top for so long (like Mariano), people get on you when you're off. But he has not been Marty in this series.

My boy Henrik was ok. He allowed three goals, but came up big at the end.

Big game Friday in Newark.

Improved Bullpen

Although the bullpen has been the focal point of the Yankees struggles the past few season, the pen is actually doing a good job this season. Here are the numbers:

Ross Ohlendorf-3.27 ERA, 9 hits and 5 walks in 11 innings, 10 strikeouts
Brian Bruney-1.80 ERA, 6 hits and 4 walks in 10 innings, 11 strikeouts
LaTroy Hawkins-7.00 ERA, 11 hits and 2 walks in 9 innings 7 strikeouts
Kyle Farnsworth-4.91 ERA, 11 hits and 2 walks in 7.1 innings, 7 strikeouts
Mariano Rivera-0.00 ERA, 3 hits and 0 walks in 6.1 innings, 7 strikeouts
Joba Chamberlain-0.00 ERA, 3 hits and 1 walk in 5.1 innings, 6 strikeouts
Billy Traber-4.50 ERA, 4 hits and 1 walk in 4 innings, 5 strikeouts

Not bad statistics. The pen will be the key to holding onto one run leads. They need to pitch more like they did last night than against the Rays.

Yankees 15, Red Sox 9-Yankees bats do the talking

The Yankees have not exactly lived up to their billing as the best offense in baseball this season--until tonight. The Yankees bats powered them to a 15-9 win over the hated Red Sox at the stadium to tie the series at 2-2 and also tie them in the standings at 9-7.

From the first inning, the Yankees bats were alive. Bobby Abreu took a pitch up in the zone out for a bomb, and then A-Rod followed up with an absolute bomb to give the Yanks a 3-1 lead.

Boston would tie the game, but again, the Yankees bats came alive, highlighted by a Derek Jeter single with the bases loaded. Since coming back from his injury, Jeter has been great.

Even when they trailed 9-7, the Yankees scored four in the fifth to re-take the lead for good, including a game-tying rbi single by Robinson Cano.

And to make matters better, they added four in the eight of Mike Timlin to make sure Mariano did not have to pitch three days in a row.

After an offensively frustrating first 15 games, it was good to see the bats come alive. You knew it would happen at one point or another. And tonight, in a game against our biggest rivals, the bats came through in a big way.

The real positive sign tonight was the bullpen. Chien-Mien Wang was brutal tonight, giving up eight runs over four frames. This happens with Wang, though, so Yanks fan should not be too worried. Also, he was working with a catcher he had no previous experience with and he was facing a team that he had just seen.

The bullpen only gave up one run over five innings to preserve the win. Russ Ohlondorf was shaky, but LaTroy Hawkins pitched great and Brian Bruney managed the final two innings without a run. With such a shaky start to the season for Hawkins and the number controversy, it was nice to see him pitch so well. He is working his way into the 7th inning man over Kyle Farnsworth.

Anytime you can beat the Red Sox, it's always good. But a game where the Yankees trailed twice and their starting pitching was awful, is especially rewarding. Let's keep it up tomorrow.

Yankee fans cross the line

LaTroy Hawkins might not be the best relief pitcher in baseball or even close to it, but the man is highly regarded as a good clubhouse presence and someone who is there for his teammates. The man is widely respected for his demeanor.

This season, Hawkins chose to wear number 21 to honor Roberto Clemente. But in Yankees lore, #21 will always belong to Paul O'Neill. Fans have booed Hawkins incessantly for it, even chanting Paul O'Neill.

Paul O' Neill was a great Yankee. I loved his style of play and he is a guy that will forever be a Yankee and part of the dynasty. But his numbers were not retirement worthy. He was a great player, but his number right now isn't worthy of being retired.

Hawkins was trying to honor Roberto Clemente, and instead, got booed for it. Now, he is changing his number to 22 to avoid all of this (which might even cause booing because its Roger's number).

Yankee fans need to smarten up a little and let it be.

Giants 2008 Schedule

The NFL released the schedules today and here is the Giants:

Washington
@St. Louis
Cincinnati
Bye
Seattle
@Cleveland
SF
@Pittsburgh
Dallas
@Philadelphia
Baltimore
@Arizona
@Washington
Philadelphia
@Dallas
Carolina
@Minnesota

This schedule is easier than it could have been. They get Cincinnati and Seattle at home, which are teams you'd rather see at home than on the road. Also, Carolina is another team you would rather see at home and the Giants always have luck playing im Minnesota.

An interesting game will be at Cleveland on that Monday night. Cleveland should be much improved and playing there will not be easy.

The tough stretch of this schedule will be from Pittsburgh to Baltimore and then the brutal stretch of Washington, Dallas and Philadelphia.

I still believe the Giants are a playoff team this season.

Yankees 5, Rays 3-Solid pitching picks up bats

A solid pitching performance by Andy Pettite, a rare scoreless inning by Kyle Farnsworthless and another great inning by Mariano Rivera secured a 5-3 Yankees victory tonight to sweep the Rays.

Although he was not spectacular, Andy Pettite gave the Yankees seven hard-pitched innings, while only giving up three runs. He let alot of runners on base, but was able to get out of jams and minimized the damage. This is the difference between Pettite and the young pitchers, he minimizes damage.

In the biggest shock of all, Kyle Farnsworth pitched a scoreless inning. I thought the game was over when he came in, but he actually looked good and retired the side in order, which set up the automatic save by Mariano Rivera.

The pitching saved the bats tonight, which although they put up five runs, they still were not good with the bases loaded. They went 0-3 and are 2-15 on the season. They just did not get too many timely hits.

The power came from Hideki Matsui who hit a homerun, and other RBI's from Derek Jeter and Bobby Abreu.

This series should give the Yankees a big lift as they head into a big home series against Boston. Boston has looked vulnerable and we should have swept them last time. Let's hope Wanger is on again.

Yankees 8, Ray 7-Cano saves the Yankees

Robinson Cano has been awful all season for the Yankees. He has looked lost at the plate and has not been patient. So with the Yankees tied at 7-7 in the eight, Cano stepped up to the plate in a pinch-hit role. And he finally showed why he's the best second baseman in the American League.

Cano's homerun gave the Yankees an 8-7 that they would never give up as they beat the Rays 8-7 tonight. Mariano Rivera close the game for his fifth save and still has yet to give up a run.

There were great signs in this game. The Offense had its most hits and runs that it has had all season and just looked to be firing on all cylinders. Johnny Damon led off the game with a homerun and had three rbi's, Jeter had two rbi's in his return, A-Rod went yard. The team was jsut great offensively.

Ian Kennedy looked sharp for the first time this season. He was able to get ahead of all of his batters and made the Rays batters work from behind in the count. He only gave up three runs over six and was effective. This is what the Yankees are looking for in their young guns.

The problems thought, was the bullpen. Billy Traber served up a homerun to Carl Crawford, while Brian Bruney gave up homeruns to B.J. Upton and Evan Longoria. The bullpen has looked solid for most of the season, but not tonight. Bruney looked like the old Bruney, and Traber looked like the guy who didnt have a job in spring training.

The Yankees are now 7-7. Next up, Andy Pettite against Edwin Jackson.

Red Sox 8, Yankees 5-The Future? Girardi gamble backfires...again

Phil Hughes is supposed to be the future of the Yankees. There is no doubt he will develop into a good major league pitcher. But tonight, he looked god awful for the second straight start as the Red Sox pounded him in route to an 8-5 victory.

I know that he is young and he needs time to learn, but Hughes has been just awful his last two times out. Tonight, he only lasted two innings and is pitch count was awful, as he would have only lasted three innings tops.

In his 11 innings pitched this season, Hughes has given up 11 earned runs. A great average.

I know it is unfair to compared him to Santana, but right now, Hughes is making the Yankees look more and more wrong for not trading him for Johan. Although Johan is 1-2, atleast he pitches six plus innings and only has an era of 3.42.

But throughout Hughes performance, the Yankee still had a chance to win. Jason Giambi flew out as the tying run in the fifth. The Yanks had two on in the sixth, again could do nothing.

The real chance was the eight. The Yanks were trailing 7-5 and had two runners on and no outs. Johnny Damon up. The obvious thing to do here is to bunt and give Abreu and Cano chances to drive in the game tiers.

Instead, Johnny Damon grounded into a double play that included awful baserunning by Melky Cabrera for the second straight time, where he ran into a double play instead of causing a run-down.

Girardi made an awful decision and the Yankees paid for it.

The Yankees hitting though again was awful. Alex Rodriguez went 0-5 today and 0-9 over the past few days. Robinson Cano went 0-5 and again could not get a big hit when he needed. Overall, the team left nine guys on base and they still cannot get a hit with runners in scoring position.

The Yankees are lucky they are only 6-7. They just don't look good right now. They could have swept this series but instead went 1-2. They need to get it together.

MLB Power Rankings Week 2

1. Arizona Diamondbacks (9-3)-The Diamondbacks have won eight of their last nine games and are just playing excellent baseball. Brandon Webb and Dan Haren are a combined 5-0 and Web is looking every part like a Cy Young pitcher. The offense, which used to be the baby backs problem, has produced the most homeruns in the majors, headlined by the youngest pitcher in the major Leagues, Justin Upton. This team looks like the by far best team in the NL.

2. Milwaukee Brewers (8-4)-The Brewers, although the wins have not been pretty, have started off on a fast note, winning eight of 12, including two series wins over the Mets and the Cubs. Jason Kendall and Gape Kapler are hitting the ball great, and although he was shaky to start the season, Eric Gagne has gotten the past few saves. This team will only improve when Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun actually start to hit.

3. St. Louis Cardinals (9-4)-I really do not know how they are doing this, but the Cardinals have won 9 of their first 13 games with a less than stellar pitching rotation. You just have to give Dave Duncan credit for what he is able to do with such a no name roster. Albert Pujols is really starting to heat up, and Rick Ankiel just continues to be a great comeback story.

4. Boston Red Sox (7-6)-The Red Sox rebounded from a tough sweep against the Blue Jays to win two series against the Tigers and the Yankees. Although the Red Sox did not play great ball, they were able to win four of six games which is nice for them to do, considering David Ortiz did not have a hit all week. Clay Buccholz looked great though, and beating your rivals is always good.
5. Chicago White Sox (7-4)-You have to respect what this team has done, winning four of six from the Tigers. Joe Crede has been the best third baseman in baseball, driving in 15 runs, 8 more than A-Rod. Gavin Floyd looked great in his almost no-hitter against the Tigers. This team can contend in the division.

6. Oakland Athletics (8-5)-If you had told me this team would 8-5 to start the season, I would have bet anything against it. They traded away such talent and players, but have just won games. Since starting 1-3, they are actually 7-2, including great wins against Cleveland's Sabathia and Carmona. Who knows, could they be a sleeper?

7. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (7-6)-The Angels did lose two of three to their rivals, but won two of three from the Indians and are playing solid. This team will only improve when John Lackey comes back. The trade for John Garland is not looking too solid right now, though. They need K-Rod to not go on the DL.

8. Chicago Cubs (7-5)-The Cubs have not played up to their potential, but still have lots of season to go. Derek Lee has been the force in the middle of the lineup they expected, but Ted Lilly has not been the number two starter they envisioned. Their middle relief has been really solid though.

9. Toronto Blue Jays (7-5)-The Blue Jays have been an inconsistent team this season. They sweep the Red Sox, then get swept by Oakland, but then sweep the Rangers. This team has great potential, but needs to play more consistent. Frank Thomas needs to hit better than .178 and A.J. Burnett needs to pitch like he did against the Yankees.

10. San Diego Padres (7-6)-The Padres, a team that I projected to finish 4th in the NL West, have acutally played solid ball and sit in second in the tough division. Jake Peavy has been filthy, and the team has gotten production from the entire line-up. As has been their m.o., the Padres pulled out a 1-0 win on Sunday.

11. Kansas City Royals (7-5)-The Royals would be higher up on this list if they could only beat the Twins. Alex Gordon is playing like the phenom that everyone projected him to be and the team is just gelling. Brian Bannister (3-0) has beaten the Twins, Yankees and Tigers and has just been dirty.

12. Baltimore Orioles (7-5)-The surprise team in the AL East, the Orioles are actually in first place in the division. I really don't know how, but you have to give this team credit. Although I believe they will end the season toward the bototm, for now, they are at the top.

13. New York Yankees (6-7)-The Yankees had a prime chance to sweep their rivals, but instead played awful ball this weekend and dropped a series to the Red Sox. On the week, the Yankees went 3-4 and even lost a series to the Royals. Phil Hughes was just plain terrible this week and Johnny Damon and Robinson Cano have been useless. The Yankees might be in for a long season.

14. Tampa Bay Rays (6-6)-The Rays are playing as a very inconsistent team. Somedays they look great, while others, they look like the old Devil Rays. They should benefit, though, with the return of Scott Kazmir to their pitching rotation. Edwin Jackson has actually been pitching very solid this season for them. Cliff Floyd is back on the DL, a move that nobody saw coming.

15. Seattle Mariner (6-7)-Despite starting the season off 2-5, the Mariners have rebounded to win four of their last six, including a series win over the Angels. Richie Sexson, a man that was supposed to be awful this season, has better numbers right now than several solid first basemen. The real concern, though, with this team is Erik Bedard, who again missed a start with injuries. Beating the Angels, though, shows they can compete with the best team in their division.

16. Philadelphia Phillies (6-7)-The Phillies get the top nod in the NL East, but only because they finished the weekend with 2 of 3 from the cubs. This team still has alot of question marks, including its starting pitching and its bullpen. You can see this team really needs Jimmy Rollins, he just gives the team a spark in the lineup and in the field that is desperately missed.

17. New York Mets (5-6)-The Mets have too much talent to be this low in the power rankings, but are getting off to a cold start. They lost 2 of 3 to the Brewers, and got swept by the Braves, but were able to win 2 of 3 from the Phillies. When Oliver Perez is given a 4 run lead, he needs to hold it. and Johan Santana is 1-2, which they didn't expect. He's pitched fine, but just too many long balls. They should rebound quickly though.

18. Florida Marlins (7-5)-The Marlins are in first in the NL East, but that does not mean they are better than the other teams in their division. They lost their last two games to the Astros, but you have to give them credit for the fact that they are 7-5 overall and doing better than anyone expected.

19. Cleveland Indians (5-7)-The Indians will finish the seas as one of the best teams in the American League, but right now, they stink. C.C. Sabathia is 0-2 with an awful ERA, and Fausto Carmona had no control yesterday and gave up alot of runs. Cliff Lee has actually been a pleasant surprise, going 2-0 with a .66 era. The pitching is the key to this team.

20. Atlanta Braves (5-7)-The Atlanta Braves were some teams sleeper pick to win the NL East, but they aren't playing like it. They got swept by the Colorado Rockies, and their pitching outside of Smoltz and Hudson, who have been absolutely brilliant this season. Mark Texeira is still struggling to hit, and the offense really gets going when he is hitting. Yunel Escobar is continuing to have a great season.

21. Minnesota Twins (6-6)-The Twins are off to a .500 start after life without Johan Santana. Their new ace, Francisco Liriano, looked shaky today and took the loss against the Royals. This team has actually had luck against the Royals, but the rest of the league has had luck. They need to get more hitting out of Delmon Young.

22. Los Angeles Dodgers (5-7)-Take away their opening series win against the Giants, and this team is 3-6 against the rest of the league. The team is not hitting, as evidenced by their 1-0 loss to San Diego today. Andruw Jones, their big off season signing, is hitting a whooping .100. Chad Billingsley, their talented pitcher, is off to an 0-2 start. Joe Torre needs to start working his magic.

23. Cincinnati Reds (6-7)-This team was high on my list of the weekly rankings, but then proceeded to get swept by the Pirates and drop them below .500. The real problem has been how they have not been getting good solid pitching outside of Aaron Harang. Adam Dunn is not hitting the ball well either, and his main object in the line-up is to hit the ball out of the park. The Reds can contend in this division, but they can't get swept by the Pirates.

24. Colorado Rockies (5-7)-The Rockies are off to a slow start this season, but it may be more due to their opening schedule. They have already played six games against the Diamondbacks, who are the top team. Outside of that, they are 4-3, including a three game sweep of the Braves. Once Troy Tulowitzki gets going, this team will improve. The pitching also needs to step it up a little bit.

25. Pittsburgh Pirates (6-6)-The Pirates actually pulled off an impressive sweep of the Cincinnati Reds this weekend, but still have their problems. The offense, though, still has some gaping holes. Nate McLouth is playing really well, and the X man,Xavier Nady is doing his annual tearing the face off the ball in April. Ian Snell (2-0) is off to a fast start.

26. Texas Rangers (5-7)-The Rangers were 5-4, but then got swept in three games by the Blue Jays, who had just been swept by the Athletics. The Rangers have talent, but just need to put it together. Kevin Millwood has been pitching phenomenal, despite the 1-2 record with a slightly above 1.00 era. This team will only continue to improve.

27. San Francisco Giants (5-8)-The Giants actually played like a team with a pulse this weekend, splitting a series with the Cardinals and also taking two of three games from the Padres. Barry Zito is working his way toward being one of the worst free agent signings in the history of baseball. Had their bullpen held a lead on Saturday, they would actually only be 6-7. But the offense is still anemic.

28. Houston Astros (5-8)-The Astros ace Roy Oswalt is not off to the start they envisioned for him, 0-3, 9.00. The batting isn't what it is supposed to be either, as they are having a hard time driving in runs. Michael Bourn isn't being the spark at the top of the line-up that the team needs either. A trade for Juan Pierre in the works? Wandy Rodriguez did pitch well the otehr day as well.

29. Detroit Tigers (2-10)-I would put them in the last place but they just have too much talent to be the worst team. They picked up their first win of the season against the Red Sox, but have since gone 1-3 and gotten annihilated against the White Sox, including two games where they did not score. They need to start hitting becuse their pitching right now just looks god awful.

30. Washington Nationals (4-9)-The Nats started the season off on a real hot note, winning their first three games but have gone 1-10 since then. I thought this team had a real chance to be a surprise team in the NL this year, but they aren't playing well. Atleast they have Wily Mo Pena coming back.

Notes:
-Aubrey Huff is swinging the bat well

-A.J. Burnett is a pitcher that somedays makes him look like a Cy Young candidate, but others looks like the biggest bust in baseball

-Clay Buccholz is going to be a great pitcher that will terrorize that division for years-that curveball is the real deal

-Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy are a combined 0-3-The Yankees are not going to contend with those numbers

-Carlos Pena (13 rbi) is looking like last year might not have been a fluke

-Kenny Williams is sure glad he didnt trade Joe Crede huh? And what a steal the trade for Gavin Floyd is looking like, with Freddy Garcia currently without a job.

-Alex Gordon is showing why he was so highly touted out of college, and will be a stud for yeras to come

-Francisco Lirano will be fine-It was his first game, and most pitchers struggle in their first game off the Disabled List

-C.C. Sabathia is hurting his case to make great money on the free agent class-He needs to raise his level

-Detroit's line-up just stinks right now

-Rich Harden is back on the disabled list-what else is new?

-John Garland is getting lit up and htis team needs him to be a solid third starter

-Raul Ibanez is a quite outfielder who puts up solid production year after year

-Vincente Padilla is just a bad pitcher

-Florida sure doesn't seem to miss Dontrelle and Miguel eh?

-Jason Bruntlett nees to hope Jimmy Rollins comes back sono

-Ryan Church and Brian Schneider have given the Mets sold production along with Angel Pagan, who is having a superb year

-Tim Hudson is pitching like he did last year and that's a good sign for the Braves

-The Nats will rebound with Wily Mo Pena!

-Prince Fielder needs to eat a hamburger (he became a vegetarian)

-If Rico Washington is not a feel good story, I really do not know what is then

-Alfonso Soriano is still to streaky a hitter

-Johnny Cueto got hit up today-It's going to happen, no need to panic-He's pitching bette than any other rookie

-Xavier Nady is Mr. April, not A-Rod

-Houston needs to trade for Juan Pierre

-Brandon Webb has the best sinker in baseball and I personally just love watching him get strikeouts on filthy pitches

-Adrian Gonzalez is the most underrated player in baseball

-Rafael Furcal is having a great season...the rest of his team, though, is not

-Matt Holliday is finally hitting like an mvp

-The Giants have scored more runs in one game (seven) than the Yankees have this season....Wow. Let me repeat that. Wow.

Red Sox 4, Yankees 3-Yankees gamble proves to be the game

The Manny Ramirez powered Red Sox beat the Yankees today 4-3 on a pitch that Joe Girardi and Mike Mussina would love to have back.

With two runners on in the sixth and two outs, Manny Ramirez stepped up to the plate. Manny had already blasted an absolute bomb over the monster. The Yankees could have walked him to load the bases for the not as dangerous Kevin Youkilis. But instead the Yankees pitched to him.

Now in this spot, when you do pitch to him, you don't give him anything he can hit.

Mike Mussina though gave him a nice fastball over the outside that Manny just drove the other way for the go ahead rbis.

And to make matters worse, Brian Bruney then allowed Youkilis to drive in Manny for the rbi that proved to the game winner.

Josh Beckett was dealing for the first five innings. The man was unhitable. But the Yankees were able to rally for six runs and take the lead. But then Mussina blew it.

Mike Mussina was given a lead and a real chance to put a dent into the Red So, but couldn't hold a lead.

The Yankees then rallied for a run, but could not rally in the end.

A-Rod had a chance to tie the game with two men on and two out, but fanned on three pitches to end the eight against Papelbon, and then Cano, Posada and Giambi went down in the ninth.

The Yankees did what they could today, but the real blame in this loss comes down to Mike Mussina. The veteran pitcher needs to be able to hold the lead, but he could not and it hurt the Yankees.

Tomorrow, big game: Phil Hughes vs Dice-K. Phil Franchise needs to pick up the win.

Donte Green to NBA.....or not?

Donte Green announced recently his intention to go to the NBA. Here are my thoughts on his decision.

I understand the draw of the NBA, the lifestyle, the money, but I believe that Donte should have stayed.

Donte is a good player. No doubt. But he is not ready yet. He faltered down the stretch and was not a big factor in the Big East. He was often a streaky shooter down the stretch, and needs to develop into a more consistent threat.

I believe he also needs to work more on developing an inside game. His outside shooting is great, but you are not going to always be able to pull up and take the three-pointer. In the NBA, he needs to be able to play inside and get the dirty rebounds and the dirty points.

Also, he has chosen to enter in a year where there is alot of depth. So many good players are entering this year, that is it really worth going to be a mid first-round pick? Don't get me wrong, but Donte only played in the Quarterfinals of the NIT. That was the biggest game of his career. Wouldn't he rather end his career next year with what looks to be a good Syracuse team possibly in the Big East final or the Sweet 16?

If Donte goes, I wish him all the best wishes. But for now, I hope he reconsiders and comes back not only to help the program, but to help himself develop as a player.

A question to ponder is whether Donte Green is better than Demetris Nichols was as a senior? I personally do not believe so, and now Nichols is scrapping for any playing time and has been traded several times. Demetris was more physically and age ready for the NBA, and he isn't exactly lighting up the scoreboard.

Just my thoughts.

Rangers 2, Devils 1-Rangers take 2-0 lead to the Garden

In a great played hockey game, the Rangers edged the Devils, 2-1, tonight at the Prudential Center to take a 2-0 lead into MSG.

Both teams played a great first two periods, but the Rangers were able to sneak one behind Marty when his teammate accidentally bumped him to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead, and then Sean Avery followed that with a beautiful goal 22 seconds later to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead.

The Devils added a late goal, but the Rangers held on.

Henrik Lundqvist was absolutely great again, stopping 26 of 27 shots. As my brothers friend Mark said to me, the Rangers are winning because Henrik is stopping everything. With such a presence in the goal, its no shock the Rangers are up 2-0.

Look for the Rangers to finish off the Devils in four or five games.

Yankees 4, Red Sox 1-Wang, Molina and Giambi lift Yanks to big win in bean town

For all the haters out there that thing Chien-Ming Wang is not an ace, you're dead wrong. Wang pitched nine innings of two hit ball, only yielding one run on two hits, one that bounced off Abreu's glove for a homerun and a bunt single by Coco Crisp.

Wang was just brilliant tonight. His sinker was heavy, although several balls did fly off the bats, but he was able to mix his pitches and keep the Boston lineup on its toes. He has normally not pitched well in Boston, but today was great.

Clay Buccholz was great. His curveball is just excellent, and he can throw it at different times in the count. He made several Yankees lose silly and was able to keep the Yankees to one run over six innings.

The Yankees, though, took the lead for good off a huge homerun by my boy, Jason GIAMBINOOOOOO. He crushed a pitch from Mike Timlin deep to center to give Wang a one-run lead he wouldn't relinquish.

Jose Molina was extremely solid tonight, driving in a run and just calling an absoulute great game behind the plate. Brian Cashman gets criticized for alot of his moves, but the signing of Jose Molina was a great move.

The only real concern tonight was Robinson Cano, who went 0-5 and is batting a whooping .159. He needs to get his bat alive.

Just overall, a great win for the Yankees. It's always important to get the first win against the Red Sox, especially when Josh Beckett is pitching tomorrow.

Yankees 6, Royals 1-Pettite and Cabrera power Yankees to avoid sweep

After sleeping through the first two games against the Royals, the Yankees played a solid game tonight to beat the Royals, 6-1, and avoid the sweep.

Andy Pettite was great tonight, going 6.2 innings and only giving up one run in the first inning. From there on, the veteran lefty was solid and kept the Royals at bay, which allowed the Yankees bats to get going.

Although the Yankees did not have a grand output of runs, they managed some tonight. Melky Cabrera went yard and plated another, while A-Rod and Jorge went deep in the ninth. The Yankees 12 hits were the most this season.

The Yankees line-up today was interesting with Jose Molina, Alberto Gonzalez and Morgan Ensberg in there, but they still got the job done today. Next up for the Yanks, the Red Sox, who enter with the same record (5-5).

The Yankees needed this win today or they would have been in serious trouble.

Pitching match-ups:
Wang v. Buccholz
Mussina v. Beckett
Hughes v. Dice-K

I like the Yankees in the first and Boston in the second, with the third game being up in the air.

Join the club - Feature

Join the club - Feature

Royals 4, Yankees 0-You can't win when you don't score

I don't claim to be a genius. Far from it actually. But I know if you want to win a baseball game, you have to score some runs. You can't win a game with no runs. Well apparently, someone forgot to tell the Yankees as they got blanked 4-0 by the Royals.

Now let me say this. There are days where you are not going to score any runs against a pitcher like Johan Santana or Josh Beckett. But Zach Greinke? Brian Bannister? Edwin Jackson? Andy Sonnastine? The Yankees have not been able to hit mediocre pitching at all this year, which has cost them in several games and got them out to a 4-5 record.

The Royals scored two runs off who else but Kyle Farnsworthless. I don't care how fast you throw the ball, when you put it over the plate like he did tonight, even I could hit it out for a homer. Ian Kennedy gave up two over three, but like his pal Phil, used way too many pitches to try and get through the innings.

The Yankees are really running into a wall right now, and of course, they decide to do it heading into Boston.

Rangers 4, Devils 1-Rangers take series lead 1-0

The Rangers won seven of eight games from the Devils in the regular season. That streak continued tonight as the Rangers bested the Devils 4-1 to take the first game of the series tonight in Jersey.

Neither team scored in the first, but the Rangers got on the board quick in the second behind Brendan Shannahan. The Devils tied the score to keep it even going into the third period, but the Rangers exploded for three goals to take the game.

Winning game one was huge for the Rangers, especially on the road. The Rangers could not let the Devils get any momentum.

Next up, Friday in Jersey again.

Royals 5, Yankees 2-Hughes struggles and offense falters again....

Phil Hughes gave Yankees fans something to be optimistic about in his last start against the Blue Jays by pitching six solid innings and only giving up two runs. But today, he took a few steps back.

Hughes struggled with his control, only lasting three plus innings in his first loss of the season today. Hughes had no control from the beginning and could not establish the strike zone. He threw over 90 pitches in three plus. His ERA now stands at 5.00.

The bullpen only gave up two runs over the final five innings, but with the offense not hitting, the game was all but over.

As has been the case this season, the Yankees couldn't get timely hits. Cano struck out with the bases loaded, Johnny Damon popped up when he represented the tying run, Giambi couldn't drive in a run from third, and A-Rod had the Golden Sombrero.

The Yankees also received awful news, as Jorge Posada is most likely headed to the disabled list. Without him and Jeter in the lineup, the Yankees are missing two big bats in the lineup with Boston coming up.

The Yankees right now have been lucky they have had solid pitching or they could easily be 2-6 or 1-7. Tomorrow, Ian Kennedy looks to rebound.

Yankees 6, Rays 1-The MOOOOOOOOOOse is looose

Ok, I know I'm going a little overboard here but any time you can good pitching from Mike Mussina there is reason to be excited.

The Moose pitched six solid innings today, yielding only one homerun, and the bullpen then pitched three scoreless innings to beat the Rays, 6-1. The three stooges (Bruney, Farnsworth and Hawkins) did not yield a run, imagine that.

The Yankees benefitted from their first "outburst" of the season, highlighted by a nice line drive bomb by El Camadooza, Bobby sweet as candy Abreu. Abreu is playing incredible ball right now. Matsui, A-Rod and mosti importantly Cano all added RBI's.

The Yankees are now 4-3 and the best part is the pitching has been absolutely great. In five of seven games, the Yankees have gotten quality starts and the offense has not been hitting-and you know that will turn around.

Kansas City starts today-The Yankees will need to play some solid ball as the Royals showed they can be a tough team to compete against.

MLB Power Rankings: Week 1

Let me say this about the rankings: They are a mixture of team's talent and how they have done so far. Let me explain. The Detroit Tigers will not be one of the worst teams in the league despite their record, and the Baltimore Orioles will not be the best team in the American League. The top teams, though, will be based on how they have been playing this week.

1. Milwaukee Brewers (5-1)-The Brewers concluded a great week by sweeping the lifeless Giants. They started the week with a nice series win in Chicago. I don't believe that Milwaukee is the best team in baseball right now, but they had the best week.

2. Toronto Blue Jays (4-2)-The Blue Jays lost a tough opening series to the Yankees but rebounded to demolish the World Series champions Red Sox. The Blue Jays pitching staff was great and they proved that they should be considered in the talk for the AL East. Consider that they only lost the two games to the Yankees by two runs, and this team could have gone 6-0 with that hard opening schedule.

3. Arizona Diamondbacks (4-2)-The Diamondbacks bounced back from a disappointing opening series against Cincinnati to sweep the Rockies in Colorado. The Diamondbacks got two great starts from Brandon Webb, and could easily be 5-1 if Lyons had not blow that save. Justin Upton has had a great starts to his season.

4. Los Angeles Dodgers (4-2)-The Dodgers went 4-2 against their NL West rivals in the Giants and Padres. Hiroki Kuroda was fantastic in his debut. Rafael Furcal has had a nice start to his season, but Andruw Jones is again slumping. This doesn't take away from the week they had though.

5. St. Louis Cardinals (5-1)-Do I believe the Cardinals are the fifth best team in baseball? No. But did they start the season in great fashion? Yes. The Cardinals took 2 of 3 from Colorado and then swept the Nationals behind solid pitching from what is not considered a strong rotation. Winning five games in a row is a nice start to a season.

6. Cincinnati Reds (4-2)-The Reds had a great opening week by winning series from the Diamondbacks and Phillies, both of whom have been picked to go to the playoffs this year. Everyone's favorite rookie Johnny Cueto was brilliant in his start, and Jeff Keppinger is hitting the ball solidly. They could be a sleeper in that division.

7. New York Yankees (3-3)-The Yankees won their opening series against the Blue Jays, but then faltered a little against the Rays. Considering the Yankees went 3-3 in those gamges, despite only scoring 17 runs (2.84) per game, it has to be considered a good week for the Bronx Bombers.

8. Boston Red Sox (3-4)-The World Champions ran into some great pitching this weekend down in Toronto. They looked solid to open the season by winning three of four against the A's, but then faltered. The bullpen appears to be a little bit shaky. Jacoby Ellsbury is going to be the real deal.

9. Cleveland Indians (3-3)-C.C. Sabathia is not exactly following up his Cy Young campaign by pitching two awful games against the Indians and A's. Fausto Carmona on the other hand, looked great. This team will be there the whole season, and if the Tigers continue to falter, will be the strong favorites in the Central.

10.Tampa Bay Rays (3-2)-This team is for real. They could be 5-0 right now, but their bullpen blew a lead against the Orioles and they couldn't score against Chien-Mien Wang. The Rays have a good blend of speed and power and will be able to catch some teams this year.

11. Atlanta Braves (3-3)-Atlanta rebounded from a terrible 1-3 start to sweep the Mets behind strong pitching performances from Tim Hudson and John Smoltz. The key, though, will be the hitting as right now, everyone on that team is hitting for a good average. The bullepn also needs to shape up a little as they blew several games early on.

12. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (4-3)-This team has been shaky so far. They won 3 of from the Twins, but then lost 2 of 3 to the Rangers at home. They have a solid club, but without Escobar and Lackey the pitching needs to step up. John Garland looked brilliant in one start, and then got shelled today. There is still plenty of time though.

13. New York Mets (2-3)-The Mets absolutely tore the facing off the ball against the Marlins, and then hit a wall against the Braves. The Mets will take Johan's sevin inning against the Braves any day of the week. This team will rebound, though. Ryan Church has been a pleasant surprise.

14.Chicago White Sox (4-2)-After starting the season with two tough losses, the White Sox rebounded to win the final game against the Indians and take the series from Detroit. I think this team has alot of potential this season. Orlando Cabrera needs to get going at the top of the lineup. The outing by John Danks was a nice indication of what he can do.

15.Chicago Cubs (3-3)-The Cubs, everyone's pre-season pick to win the NL Central has faltered to start this season, losing two of three to their rivals the Brewers, and then having to struggle to get by the Astros. Derek Lee has been hitting the ball tremendously, but Soriano and Ramirez have been struggling. This team has too much talent to falter.

16.Kansas City Royals (4-2)-The Royals started the season in dominant fashion, sweeping three games in Detroit, but then lost two of three to the Twins. This team needs to be consistent if they want to prove themselves in the AL. Alex Gordon has been stroking the ball real well.

17.San Diego Padres (4-3)-The Padres were able to 4-3 this week, but three of those wins came against the punchless Astros. They lost a tough series to the Dodgers. The big question with them at this point in the season is Trevor Hoffman. The all-time leader i saves hasn't exactly been great, getting two losses in their first seven games. They need him.

18.Texas Rangers (3-3)-The Rangers could easily be 5-1 had they given Kevin Millwood any runs during his starts. They gave the Mariners all they could handle despite losing 2 of 3 to them and won 2 of 3 in Anaheim. Although I don't think they can compete in the AL West, 3-3 to start against LAA and Seattle is good.

19.Washington Nationals (3-4)-The Nationals started the season with a nice first four games by taking three of those against the Braves and the Phillies. But they then proceeded to get swept by the Cardinals. I think this team could give some teams problems if they can get good pitching.

20.Baltimore Orioles (4-1)-Yes, this team is in first in the AL East, but that shouldn't last that long. I will admit that I am impressed by how this team played its first few games, but that doesn't take away from how bad they are. There is no pitching on this team, and the offense is all old. I expect by the end of the month for them to be where they belong: last place.

21.Minnesota Twins (3-4)-The Twins won their first game of the season, then lost three in a row to the Angels, before taking two of three from the Royals. This team just doesn't have enough offense in the AL to compete, and will have a hard time competing in that division.

22.Seattle Mariners (2-4)-After making a big splash to acquire Erik Bedard, all this team has to show for it is a 2-4 record that includes three losses in a row to the awful Baltimore Orioles. The offense isn't delivering, and Batista and Washburn were shaky in their first starts. An that great bullpen: it's already blown two games.

23.Philadelphia Phillies (2-4)-The Phillies seem as if they want to duplicate last season's slow start which turned into a NL East title. Althought I do not think this team will finish the season this low, they just have been playing bad baseball. Brett Myers looks as if he should stay in the pen. Thank God they still have Chase Utley to do some damage offensively.

24.Oakland Athletics (3-4)-Oakland looked hapless to start the season by losing its first three of four games to the Red Sox, but then rebounded to take two of three from the Indians. Although this team's record is ok, they just are not a good team. How many people have actually heard of Jack Hannahan?

25.Florida Marlins (3-3)-The Marlins lost two of three to the Mets and looked bad in dong so, and then took two of 3 from the Pirates. This team has some quality young guys like Ramirez and Uggla, but is not built for successful. At least fans have the Manatees to dance for them.

26.Detroit Tigers (0-6)-I never thought that I would be putting my predicted World Series champions this low, but they have played that awful. The bats have not been able to come to life as predicted, and the pitching staff has been shaky. Every team in the AL is salivating at the chance to get to that Tigers bullpen. They need to get it together quick.

27.Pittsburgh Pirates (3-3)-The Pirates had a nice opening series against the Braves, but then proceeded to lose two of three to the Marlins. The Pirates don't have much punch in their line-up and their starting pitching can be awfully shaky at times. This team doesn't inspire you.

28.Colorado Rockies (1-5)-I like this team, I really do, but they way they have been playing they deserve to be this low. The offense has not been able to get anything going and Matt Holliday has had a big part to do with that. Paair that with how the pitching staff has been shaky, and you have a team with lots of potential off to a 1-5 start.

29.Houston Astros (2-5)-I thought this team would be able to make up for its bad pitching staff, but instead, the offense has been putrid. The sluggers in the lineup are not hitting consistently, and leadoff man Michael Bourn hasn't been a table-setter at the top of the line-up. The bullpen has also blown several games.

30. San Francisco Giants (1-5)-This team will probably lose 100 games this year and no one will be surprised. The lineup has no punch and despite having two great starters in Lincecum and Cain, they will not get enough run support to win any games. Barry Zito looks like a worse and worse signing as he pitches.

Some thoughts from the opening week:

Although I picked them to win the AL, the Tigers are looking awfully vulnerable right now. Sheffield already has sustained an injury, Cabrera has missed days, the bullpen looks like a nightmare, and the starting pitching hasn't been efficient.

My thoughts:
-Toronto's pitching staff is the real deal. To go 4-2 against the Yanks and Sawx is not an easy task. This team has pitching that wins in October.

-Chien-Mien Wang IS AN ACE. Say what you want, but the man delivers.

-The Red Sox are going to have a hard time getting the ball to Okie-Doke and Papelbon. Their middle relief is really suspect.

-Billy Butler is a player that everyone will come to know on the Royals

-Orlando Cabrera has not been the spark that the White Sox hoped for

-The Indians sure do miss the presence of Victor Martinez behind the plate, they are 2-4 without him

-Kevin Millwood has a reason to complain-He pitched great games against Seattle and LAA and got losses despite not giving up more than two runs in each

-Erik Bedard has already missed a start

-Rafael Soriano has filthy stuff, but needs to learn how to be a closer-His demeanor on the mound today was rather shaky and didn't instill confidence

-Lastings Milledge is going to the make the Mets regret that trade

-The Phillies have no pitching

-Adam Wainwright will turn into the top ace on the Cardinals staff

-Hunter Pence has fallen down to earth this season

-Brandon Webb is just filthy...but you already know that

-Juan Pierre needs to look for a trade....I'm sure Houston wouldn't mind having him

-I could probably hit in the Giants lineup

Devils 3, Rangers 2-Series to start in Jersey

The Devils picked up their first win in eight attempts against the Rangers today with a 3-2 win in the shootout.

The real importance of this game was settling who got home ice for the playoffs. The Rangers needed to win in regulation to get home ice, but the Devils just needed any win or loss in overtime.

The Rangers fought back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game, but could not get the goal needed. Henrik made some great saves at the end to keep the game tied.

The loss in the end really didn't matter. The playoffs were already decided and in the playoffs, the shootout doesn't matter.

I'm looking forward to this series. After losing via sweep two years ago, this one should be great.

LET'S GO RANGERS!

Yankees 2, Rays 0-Wanger and Godzilla get the job done

Yankees beat the Rays, 2-0, behind a great performance by Chien-Mien Wang and a 2-run shot by Hideki Matsui,

Wanger was great, pitching six solid innings and giving up no runs. His sinker was on and his other pitches were working as well. His six strikeouts today showed that he was able to get the batters to chase.

Joba Chamberlain did a great job out of the bullpen, getting six outs, including getting out of a man on third and first, no-out situation. Joba pitching two innigns i something Yankees fan should get used to this year.

Mariano was of course Mariano. He pitched a great ninth inning and has converted all three of his saves opportunities so far.

The offense was able to pick up hits today, but still could not put together an offensive output. The only runs came off one swing by Matsui. It was nice to see, though, Cano get his swing back and pick up two hits including a nice double down the line. Abreu looked fooled at the plate today.

All in all, a nice Sunday game for the Yankees. Tomorrow is a big game as the Bronx bombers go for the split. Mike Mussina needs to rebound from his first start. Let's see how he does.

Kansas-Memphis National Title Game

Well, I was wrong in both games.

Memphis and Kansas both deserve credit for playing two great games to reach the championship game.

UCLA just had no answer for all the athleticism and size that Memphis brought to the table. I really liked Memphis but I guess I should've realized that they had not been playing that great throughout the whole tournament. Memphis looked hungry and deserved to win this game.

Kansas absolutely took to it to UNC in the first half, but let the lead slip late to five points. As my father informed me, UNC had a 3-pt shot that rimmed in and out late in the game, that would've most definitely changed all the momentum and made the game two points. Although they almost blew a 31 point lead, you still have to be impressed with what this team did.

I predicted Memphis over Kansas Monday night.

Rays 6, Yankees 3-Pettite and bats falter

For the second straight game, the Rays beat the Yankees, this time 6-3.

Andy Pettite made his first start of the season and gave you five runs (3 earned) in five innings to take the loss. Eight hits were scattered throughout those innings. Pettite's loss made the Yankees rotation a super 1-3 through its first go-through. If the Yankees are going to compete this yera in the American League, they are going to need better pitching than what they have been given in these first few games.

Pettite was pitching fine until he gave up a 3-run shot to Johnny Gomes.

The Yankees bats, though, again faltered. This team, which is supposed to be an offensive juggernaut, has not done anything grand yet. They have only scored 15 runs in five games.

Damon is batting .111, Jeter .211, Giambi .083, Cano .105 and Posada .200. The Yankees had the bases loaded with one out once and got no runs out of it, and then later in the game only were able to get two runs with no outs.

The Yankees need to start playing better ball, end of story.

Alarming Yankees Statistics

I found this on the yankees.lhblogs.com so all the credit in the world goes to Peter Abraham, who I may say has my favorite blog on the internet.

Robinson Cano is 1-15 to start the season

Johnny Damon has got on base three times

Yankees are 2-23 with risp

Kyle Farnsworthless has given up five hits over seven outs

As I have said before, the Yankees have not been playing awe inspiring baseball. Cano needs to hit for this team to succeed. Remember last season the Yankees struggled mightily when him and Abreu could not hit. Batting sixth, there is extra pressure on him.

Damon needs to get on base too. He is the leadoff hitter and needs to be the table setter and get on base and get the engine going from the top. Last year, he had a hard time doing this and the Yankees struggled offensively.

I know the season is only four days old, but these stats are a little alarming.

Final Four Predictions

I've said it all along and I will say it one last time.

I like UCLA against UNC in the finals.

I think Memphis will give UCLA a tough battle but in the end, the defense of UCLA will prevail.

I think UNC should be able to handle Kansas considering the way the Jayhawks played against Memphis.

Rays 13, Yankees 4-Kennedy less than stellar in opening debut

The Yankees came into 2008 knowing they would rely heavily on their young pitching. So far, Joba and Phil have done a good job. Ian Kennedy, though, didn't. He gave up six runs in 2.1 innings to get the loss. Even though some pitches didn't go his way, he was not economical with his pitches and got shelled. The Yankees are going to need better pitching from him to stay in the playoff race.

Despite being down 6-0, the Yankees rallied to make it 6-4 in the third, but could not put any more on the board. Andy Sonnastine got the win. Two of his last seven wins are against the Yankees, figure that. How the rest of this league can batter this guy and the Yankees can't makes no sense.

The game got blown out of proportion when the two best arms in the pen (just kidding) Hawkins and Farnsworth combined to give up seven runs between the two of them highlighted by an absolute bomb by Carlos Pena. One of the biggest needs for the Yankees this off-season was bullpen and tonight showed that we still have a sucky one in the late innings. The middle relief actually looked good, but out late guys were awful.

The Yankees need to get a win tomorrow. They have not been playing awe inspiring baseball this season.

Mets synopsis for my mother

As one of my most loyal readers, mia madre, I will do a Mets synopsis.

So far, the Mets look like one of the best teams in the NL. Yes, they did only beat the Marlins, but they still looked solid.

David Wright is hitting the ball unbelievably, as evidence by his upper decker the other night. Ryan Church is doing fine as well, actually adding some rbis and going yard the other night.

The biggest problem for this Mets team will be health. Pedro could be a pretty big loss because that means the Mets will be searching for innings elsewhere, including the king on injury, El Duque. The Mets have a solid threesome in Santana (who was filthy the other night), Perez and Maine.

With the way the Phillies and Braves are pitching, the Mets should without a doubt win this division this year.

Top 20 Countdown-No. 2-Boone deep to left

You know the story. You know the history. You know the moment.

Yankees-Red Sox. ALCS Game 7. World Series Bid on the line.

The Yankees trailed early as the Bo Sawx got on the board behind a homerun by Trot Nixon and added another run on an error by Yankees third baseman Enrique Wilson to take a 3-0 lead. Millar then added a solo shot of his own to make the score 4-0.

I remember sitting at home watching the game in my kitchen thinking the season was over to our worst enemies and what a crappy way to end the season.

But the Yankees fought back behind a fifth inning homerun by Jason Giambi, and then another homerun by the Giambino in the seventh to make it 4-2.

But Boston got that run back on a Big Papi homerun to make it 5-2. All hope seemed lost at that point.

Nick Johnson popped out to start the bottom of the eigth. Down to five outs.

And then the most magical moments I have ever seen in baseball transpired.

Derek Jeter, Captain Clutch, doubles to right. Bernie Williams singles up the middle to make it 5-3. Hideki Matsui then hits a ground-rule double to move Williams to third. Up comes Jorge Posada.

Posada swings at a Pedro Martinez pitch. The ball barely sails out of the infield. Todd Walker runs after it. Nomar Garciaparra runs after it. The ball drops in center and Williams and Matsui score. THE YANKEES TIED IT! PANDEMONIUM IN THE BRONX!

From there, both teams battled into extra innings. In the top of the 11th, Mariano Rivera struck out Doug Mirabelli to end the frame. Things looked bleak for the Yankees from there because Mo was done and the Sawx had Tim Wakefield going who had been dominant against the Yankees that series.

Up steps Aaron Boone. And Charlie Steiner had the call:

"His first at bat of the game, and THERE'S A FLY BALL DEEP TO LEFT! IT'S ON ITS WAY! THERE IT GOES! AND THE YANKEES ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES! AARON BOONE HAS HIT A HOME RUN, AND THE YANKEES WIN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE PENNANT FOR THE 39TH TIME IN THEIR REMARKABLE HISTORY!"

My favorite part of this whole moment was that as soon as the ball left Boone's bat yo could hear New York, New York playing in the background.

The YANKEES WON THE PENNANT!

Aaron Boone really did nothing else in his career, but in one moment, became a Yankees legend.

Yankees 3, Blue Jays 2-El Camadooza and Phil Franchise deliver

Great win for the Yankees tonight. Despite trailing 2-0 for most of the game, the Yankees rallied to tie the game 2-2 in the sixth.

Phil Franchise Hughes pitched a solid game, giving up two runs over six solid innings and only yielding four hits. Dustin McGowan was one step better than Hughes until the sixth inning, when the Yankees tied the game off a GIAMBINO rbi sac fly.

The game came down to a battle of the bullpens, and the Yankees were able to score in the eighth. Melky led off with a single, after Damon was out, it was followed by a Jeter bunt that turned into a single when Scott Downs could not handle it. Abreu then blooped a hit to center to win the game.

And as always, Mariano picked up the save to give the Yankees the win and the 2-1 series win.

This series was big for the Yankees. Although the hitting was not there for most of it, it came through in clutch situations and the pitching was solid outside of Mussina's outing.

Next up: Those Pesky Rays at the stadium

RANGERS CLINCH!

The New York Rangers are going back to the playoffs with a 3-0 win over the Islanders at Nassau tonight.

What a better way to clinch for the playoffs than a 3-0 shutout by the King in the home of your bitter rivals.

As it sets up right now, the Yankees will have the Devils in the first round. Who wouldn't want to see them in the playoffs considering the Rangers are 7-0 against them?

Great job Blue Shirts. Let's get 'em in the playoffs.

FB | Standout receiver Sales finally focused solely on football - Sports

FB | Standout receiver Sales finally focused solely on football - Sports

Walsh to take over as Knicks President

Thank God. Time for Isiah to go. Bye Bye Isiah. Don't let the door hit ya on the way out.

Blue Jays 5, Yankees 2-Burnett and Wells power Jays to first win

The Yankees lost their first game of the season and under Joe Girardi, 5-2, to the Blue Jays tonight.

The Yankees just could not get anything going off A.J. Burnett, who has filthy stuff. When this man is healthy and dealing, he is as good as the elite pitchers in the game, But he spends so much time on the D.L. that this doesn't happen.

Games like this are going to happen to the Yankees. Great pitching can always beat great hitting and that happened tonight.

Mike Mussina was ok. He gave up 4 (3 earned) in 5.2 innings, but he did nothing to instill into the heart of the Yankee fan that he will rebound from last year.

The Yankees had their shot at the end with A-Rod, Giambi and Cano all given chances to tie the game with one shot. A-Rod missed two fastballs, Giambi (0-7 so far) flew to the track and Cano swung at the first pitch and popped it up.

Tomorrow will be a great game. Each team would like to earn the opening weeke series victory and Dustin McGowan and Phil Hughes will be two of the best pitchers in the AL East for years to come.