Close Game Ends in Loss For Yankees

The Yankees lost in a close one against the White Sox today after Joe Crede drove in a run in the bottom of the ninth, giving the White Sox the go ahead run. Phil Hughes started for the Yankees and only pitched two innings. But, it wasn’t because of bad play this time that he didn’t go into the third. In fact, he pitched well, only giving up no runs and only one hit. The reason he didn’t continue playing was because there was a rain delay and Joe Girardi decided not to put Hughes back in after a 51-minute rain delay.

Instead of Hughes, Ross Ohlendorf and LaTroy Hawkins pitched a couple of innings each. Ohlendorf had a rough night, allowing five runs, while surprisingly Hawkins only allowed one. Farnsworth relieved and Joba Chamberlain pitched the last inning and some. Joba ended up taking the loss after Crede hit the game winning single off of him. Definitely no worries though, as this is only the fourth run Joba has allowed in his 20+ innings pitched in the majors.

Tonight’s offense was ok, with nine hits and six runs by the Yankees. It could be better, but it could also be worse. Also, Alex Rodriguez was out again (Morgan Ensberg took his spot.)

Tonight’s game was the last of a three game series with the Chicago White Sox. Next up are the Cleveland Indians, in what will be a rematch of last year’s infamous ALDS. Andy Pettitte will take on Paul Byrd. The game is scheduled for 7:05EST.

$175k For a Battered Jersey

The David Ortiz jersey that was thrown in the cement of New Yankee Stadium in an attempt to curse the Yankees was auctioned off on Ebay in an auction that ended today at 12:30. The jersey fetched an astounding $175,000 and the Yankees have decided to donate the money to the Jimmy Fund, a cancer charity. At least some good came out of Gino Castignolli’s (the construction worker who threw the jersey in the wet cement) action. The winner of the bidding will also get a pair of Red Sox game tickets and a new jersey with the latest artifact from the Red Sox-Yankee rivalry.

Yankees Win 6-4

Mike Mussina got the victory today as the Yankees beat the White Sox again. Moose was stellar, pitching 7 innings and allowing only 4 hits and 2 runs. Ex-Yankee Javier Vazquez started for Chicago and didn’t have such a great day. He allowed 10 hits and 6 runs in a little over 5 innings pitched.

For the Yankees LaTroy Hawkins and Billy Traber relived and Mariano Rivera closed. Hawkins continued his awful season by allowing two runs in .1 innings pitched. Good thing we got him on that short deal so that he won’t be around for very long if he keeps this up.

The Pinstripes looked ok on offense today, with 12 hits and 6 runs. Jorge Posada had a good day with four hits and two RBI. The only other multiple hit players were Damon and Cabrera. 6 runs is ok, but off of 12 hits we can definetely try to get a couple more.

Tomorrow at 8:10EST is the third game against the White Sox. Phil Hughes will take the mound for the Yanks and Gavin Floyd for the White Sox. The game will be aired on YES.

Yankees Beat White Sox

The Yankees beat the White Sox, 9 to 5 today. The bats were swinging nicely despite A. Rod. being out due to his quads (Morgan Ensberg took over at 3B.) The offense combined for 9 runs off 11 hits including a grand slam by Bobby Abreu, a 3-run home run by Johnny Damon, and a solo shot by Jason Giambi. It is good to see the offense doing its part once more, especially Bobby Abreu who has gotten off to a much better start than last year with 3 home runs and a .312 batting average. Abreu recognized the need to step up after Rodriguez’s injury and that combined with his past success at U.S. Cellular Field gave him created the perfect situation for him.

On the defensive side, things were ok. Chien-Ming Wang started and was in for 6 innings. He allowed a lot of hits (10), but only gave up three runs. After Wang Billy Traber, Brian Bruney, Joba Chamberlain, and Kyle Farnsworth split the rest of the pitches. Traber and Farnsworth each allowed a run and Farnsworth took the win. Joba and Bruney both continued their solid seasons by allowing no runs.

Tomorrow is a rematch against Chicago. The game is at 8:10EST and Moose will take on another ex-Yankee in Javier Vazquez. The game will be on ESPN.

The Joba Debate: Round 2

It’s back! The analysts are once more debating whether or not Joba should start after another bold statement by Hank Steinbrenner saying that Chamberlain should be in the rotation right now. Here is part of his statement, an entertaining read as usual:

“I want him as a starter and so does everyone else, including him, and that is what we are working toward and we need him there now, there is no question about it, you don’t have a guy with a 100-mile-per-hour fastball and keep him as a setup guy. You just don’t do that. You have to be an idiot to do that.”

Now it is understandable why little George is upset due to the lackluster 10-10 start. It may not be the greatest beginning to a season, but compared to last year we are doing much better. Also, since Joba is a young pitcher, keeping his pitch count low is important in order to reduce the risk of burnout later in his career.

General Manager Brain Cashman responded to the Joba questions today stating that he will be staying in the bullpen for now. They have a set plan for him and they want to stick to it. Tip of the hat to Cashman for thinking wisely and for the future.

Losing Streak Snapped

The Yankees finally beat the Orioles today and avoided the sweep. Andy Pettitte was solid once more, pitching seven innings of scoreless ball and allowing only four hits. He ended the day with 5 Ks also. Joba came in briefly afterwards, but was taken out after allowing a run. That earned run is only the second he has allowed in 30+ innings pitched so far in the big leagues! Bruney and Rivera both pitched scoreless innings afterwards to end the game.

The Bombers ended up getting the much wanted win, in a 7-1 victory. Derek Jeter had a good game, going 2 for 5 and getting 3 RBI. Johnny Damon look good as well with a couple of hits, including a two run home run in the seventh. The Yankees won, but sadly the win wasn’t all fun and games. Alex Rodriguez strained his right quads while running to first on a grounder. He said that he hopes it won’t be a problem since he hasn’t had problems with his quads in a long time and because he is going to be taking the precautions to get back to 100% as soon as possible. Currently he is only one of two AL players who have started every game this season and he we all hope he can continue that streak. The Yankees have an off-day tomorrow, so that will give him some time to relax.

So now the Yankees are 10-10, 3 games behind first in the AL East. While it may seem like a bad start, it is nothing compared to last year when we went 9-14 in April. Keep in mind that we have had injury problems which has meant that all of our starters haven’t been on the field at the same time for a while. Once we get into the season injuries will slow down as players get more used to daily games.

The next scheduled game for the Yanks is against the White Sox on Tuesday. Chien-Ming Wang, our ace, will take the mound as ex-Yankee Jose Contreras suits up for Chicago. The game is at 8:10 EST and will be broadcasted on YES.