I wonder if ARod will get as much 'rest' (as in DH time) when Gritner is back. Maybe the difference between Chavez's bat and Ibanez's bat isn't that much?

Bravo, boys.

Alex's grandfather invented the Cobb Salad. Go Yankees!

Jetes had to chop it about six feet higher.

Eight pitches, eight strikes. (Nova's second inning.)

Yay!

Teix! Shift that Maddon!

Wow.

Nice

Don't let the URP jinx get them tonight.

Per espn, the Yanks are 23-9 against pitchers they're seeing for the first time over the past 2 years

Russell Branyan debuted for the Empire State Yankees yesterday and hit 2 homers and had 6 rbis. He has hit another homer today. fyi.

Nice start for Nova.

One thing I see in Rodriguez this year is a guy who hasn't gotten hot for a stretch of games, even a series, let alone a week or two. Also, he's getting good swings but he fouls off those hacks. Seems like he gets two or three good swings per night where he's fouling a ball off.

Munson

[11] He is also missing some fat pitches. He is not really on the ball.

[3] perplexing...what does that mean?

[14] Alex Cobb.

[14] My apologies. It's a Curb Your Enthusiasm reference from Larry David. A character from the show was trying to convince Larry that his grandfather invented the Cobb Salad. Larry got all fired up and claimed his grandfather invented Bingo. Anyway, the Rays pitcher tonight is named Alex Cobb. It was the first thing I thought of when I flipped on the game. : )

[16] No apologies needed. That's funny!

[16] Nicer than calling him a Corn Cob.

Okay, this game is terribly boring.

Fucking horseshit, Alex! WTF!

But it can be said that Alex "The Centaur" Rodriquez might be a Corn Cob. Graceful on the bases too.

Damn I blinked. Wowza.

Perfect timing, really.

Hell, I'll take the run.

It took A-Rod getting picked off, but it worked.

And Alex' the base running blunder cost a run (all things being equal). Nice wall scraper by Robinson.

[16] I love that show, great episode. Need to catch up on the last season.
Not familiar with this Cobb..

Damn, just missed Cano's tater!

When Nova is focused he looks like a master. I think following Pettitte in the rotation is a good thing. And now of course Cone makes the same point.

[26] It's no Brady Bunch but it'll do. ; )

[28] That's funny, I think he always looks focused, but he never looks like a master. I mean, he's good, and I like him. I like his attitude. But frankly I think he's been lucky. Not just this game, either.

Until A-Rod's walk, I was watching ESPN. Then I switched to the mlb.tv YES feed. Dave O'Brien and Nomar, not good, especially in a boring game. Those guys are stultifying.

[29] Did you know that Robert Reid was trained in the theater, playing the Great Dane among others? That surprised me.

[30] He's in control tonight, though the Rays lineup is craptacular.

[32] Oh, yes, he's doing well tonight. Still, a little lucky.

The Great Dane?? He played Marmaduke?

The Orioles are threatening in the sixth. I am ambivalent about that game, because, you know, it would be nice for the Yankees to move into first place tonight.

[33] Marmaduke had better dialogue than some of those Brady episodes. Poor Mr. Brady, he never got the respect he deserved and then to die of AIDS..

This game is not as exciting as I hoped it would be..maybe Price vs CC tomorrow will be better?

[32] I did not know that. But then again when you say the Great Dane i don't know what you're talking about. I'm on RIY's plane. I love Marmaduke! lol....
I did see Barry Williams do a stand up show my freshman year in college.

73 pitches. Damn.

[35] I assume he means Hamlet, but I've never seen anyone call Hamlet "The Great Dane"!
You can come on my plane. It's a G6.

Tough crowd! Ivan's cruising, the good guys could be back in 1st place by 11, and folks are bored. C'mon!

Nice outing by Nova.

[37] It's from the film "Withnail & I". Uncle Monty called Hamlet the "great Dane" I think.

Michael Kay just said Yogi Berra was at Normandy? I never knew that.

[40] Whoa, did I clear the room?

That Zobrist AB seemed to last for eons..

Good try, Godzilla!

Spoiled on good pitching of late. Damn straight.

TB really misses Longoria.

This ump has called some horrendous strikes tonight. What else is new?

Red Sox threatening in the seventh, two on nobody out.

(laughing re: Marmaduke.)

Boston gives away an out in exchange for moving two runners up.

Marlon Byrd strikes out. The bunt is looking like a bad move...

Wei-Yin Chen retires Mike Aviles to end the threat.
This Chen kid is really good.

Screw the 100 pitch count. Nova for the ninth?

Is it fair to say Hughes, Pettitte and Nova have had their best starts of the year in a row?

Nice. I'm down to see the second complete game victory this week. Keep him in, Joe!

[52] Not just fair, obvious.

[52] Well I suppose it is. How 'bout that, huh?

Yeah, I'd keep him in for the ninth, definitely. I'd pull him if the number of base runners exceeds the number of outs, though...

Oh, nobody's up in the pen! Wow.

Yay!
Awesome, love Swish. Love him.

And good wheels on Wyse, huh?

An interesting side effect to Mo getting hurt. Starters getting the chance to finish games.

I approve.

Let Nova finish

Whoo-hoo! More runs.

There ya go. Nice! I think this is a prime example of effectiveness dropping off with a high pitch count.

Awww, I was hoping to see one of them old fashioned complete games by both starters.

Man, the one day my schedule and free baseball on the intertubes coincide, I have to have trouble even connecting (after a couple of hours down, I can *finally* connect to some sites, though not ESPN3 ... grrr), but at least the Yankees are winning again!

Go solo shots, go Nova, go Yankees!

[54] I think there's a little bit of wiggle room with Pettitte and the Reds game, but i think that's six of one and a half dozen of the other.

Papi batting in the bottom of the eighth, one on, one out, trailing by a run...

[65] Yeah, you're right. I forgot about that game. I don't think it was better, but it was more exhilarating because we still weren't sure Pettitte would be able to pitch in the Majors...

Ortiz walks. Two on for Young Will Middlebrooks.

Middlebrooks flies out. Podsednik gets a try with two out. Pods grounds out. Going to the ninth, 2-1 Orioles.

Detroit is 6 outs away from 6 games under .500. That's really surprising.

Sox done in the 8th. 2-1, O's.

Aw.
Nova's tired.

Well that's something you don't see every day!

Well that sucks.

You don't see that too often.

[69] [70]; [72] [74], you are just too slow, man.

Great game Ivan. I don't care if it was against a weak Rays lineup.

Yup, Mo time -- oh that's right. Time for an antacid washed down with something strong.

In Boston, down goes Salty. One out.

Nova's going to be giving the Yanks 200 innings for years to come. I feel it in me bones.

Soriano is filling the role pretty well. I mean, he's been much better than I expected, anyway.

Ryan "Apeneck" Sweeney pinch hitting with one away in the ninth.
The Red Sox are not at all scary. I think I'm going to try to go see Dan Bard pitch in Pawtucket.

Two down.

In Boston, down goes Salty. One out.
In Boston, down goes Sweeney. One out.

OOps. TWO outs.

Sweeney strikes out, Nava pinch hitting, last chance...

Don't fucking walk Matsui!

In Boston, down goes Salty. One out.
In Boston, down goes Sweeney. Two outs.
In Boston, down goes Nava.
Ballgame.

Yay!

Another good win! : )

Yes! Good night all.

And Nova gets away with just the one run, too. That seems just.

And the Orioles win.

nice win. good job by nova and soriano. Is order restored?

Hitting tonight...not so good, but good enough.