1.  Score one for us old guys!

2.  Just make sure youse guys saved some runs for today.
And was that a sighting of the rare Andy Philips?

3.  This is more like it. I was able to quit on the Yankee game after the 2nd inning and watch Napoleon Dynamite on HBO. Even though I've watched it 1000 times, I just love how Napoleon has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

4.  re Napoleon...

Prior to that final fly-out double play, do you think Mike Vento was ready to say to anyone who asked about his major league debut "The worst day of my life, what do you think?"

5.  What happened to Mike Vento?

6.  rsmith51, he grounded into a fielder's choice, which made the second out of the inning, then he ran past first - he was safe - turned and ran towards the dugout, thinking there were 3 outs. Oops.

He redeemed himself with a game-ending double play. Gonzalez walked, then LaForest hit a ball to Vento in right, and he gunned Gonzalez down before he could get back to 1st. Thank God for highlights!

7.  BTW Alex - you called it, man - care to offer any predictions on tonight's game?

8.  It should be noted that Gonzalez made a similar gaffe in knowing how many outs there were and was on third base by the time Vento threw to first.

9.  Jen, exactly. Whatever Gonzalez and Vento were smoking before the game must have been some good stuff, because the way the game ending play unfolded was priceless in its symmetry.

10.  Well, the last time they faced Hendrickson I thought they'd knock his dick in the dirt and look what happened. As far as superstition goes, after scoring 17 runs you figure they'd have trouble scoring 5 tonight. Then again, Hendrickson--who, aside from my unfair dissing has pitched very well of late--hasn't lost to the Yanks yet this year so you'd figure he's gunna get his. Frankly, I don't even know what my gut thinks, I just know the Yanks have to win as many games as possible and that they've got a season's worth of pent-up frustration that they should be unleashing on the D-Rays. I could be wrong, but I think the Yanks should bash 'em again tonight. Least I hope they will. Actually, I don't care how they do it, so long as they end the evening with a "w." Am I right or am I right?

11.  Alex - you are right. An injury free "w" will be most welcome, no matter the final score.

BP

12.  While Hendrickson may have had the Yanks' "number" this season, a veteran team eventually catches up with a junkball pitcher like Hendrickson.

The fact that he stifled the Yanks for the first 5 innings last outing and then they seemed to have "solved him" later in the game leads me to believe that they'll score their share of runs tonight.

Hopefully Wang can keep the Rays at 4-5 runs. If so, then the Yanks should be able to end the night with another "W".

13.  Wang: 6 IP, 3 runs, 5 hits, 2 BB, 4 Ks
Hendrickson: 4 IP, 7 runs, 9 hits, 4 BB, 4 Ks.
That's my prediction.

14.  An injury free Wang would be most welcome as well. FWIW, despite the great story that Wang has been this year, he hasn't beaten the Rays once.

I don't mean to keep harping on this, but if anyone read the summary of the D-Rays' wins against us this year (recapped in the Daily News yesterday), it is almost frightening how many different ways they've inflicted torture...you couldn't have scripted all the pain any better if you were a Red Sox fan sticking pins in a doll wearing pinstripes.

Late Gordon home run? Check. Mo Rivera meltdown. Check. Tanyon Sturtze wild pitch to give up winning run. Check. Pavano gopher ball to Nick Green to turn a great outing into a deflating loss. Check. RJ gives up ten runs in 3 innings. Check. Wang gives up two homers in one game to Cantu. Check. RJ gives up two homers in one game to Eduardo Perez. Check.

And that's only the pitching.

But I'm with Alex. Time for the tide to turn.

15.  I'm all for seeing the Yanks knock Hendrickson's "dick in the dirt".

Go Yanks!!!

16.  I fully expect the Yankees to prevail this evening.

What I was most pleased with yesterday -- well admittedly other than the 17 runs -- was Joe's lineup. It's my feeling that the lineup card yesterday will produce precisely what the Yankees "thought" they would have coming into the year. Let me tell you why:

Jeter - Well, I've voiced my concern re: Jeter's misplacement in the leadoff spot, on many occasions. My concern centers on Jeter's relatively low OBP as compared to the better leadoff guys around the league, coupled with its inherent "tying" of his hands, making it more difficult for one of MLB's best hitters to swing away, making matters worse, Joe's reluctance to run Jeter, even against marginal or poor cathers, and pitchers with longer than average time-to-the-plate. However, with Alex in the two hole, this concern is mitigated.

Alex - Love him second, Jeter gets on often enough to couple Alex's deep threat, whether Jete's on our not, with mitigation for Jete's low steal numbers with Alex's .320 average. His ability to put bat on the ball, to push Jeter along, while getting great pitches to hit make it the best fit, largely due to Mr. Giambino coming up next, it's ideal for Alex.

Giambi - With Giambi finally back in stride, he cushions Alex, as I said, and is likely to get good pitches, especially with men on base, his GREAT eye and bat, makes it more likely you'll have the runners move up again, or with Giambi's .449 OBP, put the pitcher in a position where there are 2 or more runners on facing:

Sheffield: Why the guy with the highest RBI percentage and RISP average hasn't been 4th all year is just befuddling. Isn't that why they call it "cleanup?" DH will keep him healthy. Well, Sheffield's up with runners on, nuff said, and now:

Matsui: Great bat control and clutch performances, good eye, high average, and incredibly low strikeout total, to clean up what's left on the pond, and his ability to hit righties or lefties makes it almost impossible to walk Sheffield, and then:

Bernie: If he is typical Bernie, he'll see a bunch of pitches, put wood on the ball, and is smart enough, when healthy, to make "keeping the line moving" a priority, then:

Posada: Well, if he's able to maintain or get near his previous years average, he'll pose a potential power threat, as well as put wood on it, and let the chips fall where they may.

Cano: Another power threat who will likely hit the ball hard, he will not see a ton of pitches, but he certainly has the potential to clear what's left on the bases with a hard hit ball.

Crosby: Keep him here Joe, he has a passion to play, and his defense is desperately needed, taking some pressure off Bernie in deep right center solidifying a suspect outfield. Further, he opens up the possibility later in the game to pinch hit the switch hitting Sierra to keep managers using their bullpen. Further, if Womack is needed to run, he can always take over in right.

The lineup doesn't tail until 7, well I'd say 7.5, instead of 5 or 6, where it was most of the year. The whole lineup can keep opposing pitchers off balance, isn't that the goal?

17.  I think Jeter has a standing green light to steal if he so chooses, except in very rare instances. So I think he's the one who chooses not to run a much as he probably could, and with A-Rod and Sheff behind you even if there's a Cano or a Womack in between, why would you run like your name was Carl Crawford.

I could be wrong about that though.

18.  I just like Pressure! Pressure! Pressure! Pressure!

It's not true for all pitchers, that's for sure, but many many of them. They handle pressure the same way most of us do, a lot of them fold and change their normal behavior. I think it's good solid baseball.

It's like playing poker. The station to station approach is analagous to playing only very good hands, betting them, not really raising and hoping to win them at a showdown, if neccessary. You win some of the time, never really lose that much, but conversely, can NEVER win that much either.

Pressure is playing more hands, not irresposibly so of course, and betting them hard, when your cards do not hit, when there is weakness in your opponent, you try to intimidate, bet heavy, raise, keep them guessing. You can lose a ton, but you will win much much much more over the course of time, or, a season.

19.  Stormer, stormer, stormer...I like your analysis of Torre's much too belated most efficient line-up however...please, please, please check your facts before you just riff. DJ's OBP is the highest among all lead-off hitters in the AL and overall is 6th, behind only a group of fearsome sluggers (Giambi,ARod, Ortiz, Hafner, and Vlad). He's 18 points ahead of Damon, 40 points above Ichiro and 43 points ahead of Chone Figgins. You're thinking about Derek's 2004 season when he walked a career low total...he did start the season below .200 for almost 6 weeks.

20.  We could all use an injury-free Wang, couldn't we?

giggling as I type...I'm an idiot.

21.  Don't know why you'd run Jeter before high OBP/slugging guys. The likelihood he'll get to second free when Giambi walks is too high. Maybe if a pure singles hitter (Ichiro?) was up after him... Well, he is a very good base stealer, but with ARod, Giambi, and Sheff coming up I think he'd have to be even better to send him more.

Also, it's long been suspected that Jeter is a better hitter when more selective and as a leadoff hitter he sees more pitches. (I seem to recall his 2-strike average is exceptional, not sure how that squares with the above.)