Andy Pettitte earned a reputation as a guy who could help end a losing streak. Let’s see what Masahiro Tanaka has in store for us–and the Rays–this afternoon on a gorgeous spring day in the BX.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Brett Gardner LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Brian McCann C
Alfonso Soriano DH
Kelly Johnson 3B
Brian Roberts 2B
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Yangervis Solarte SS

(Oh, yeah and guess who’s back?)

Never mind last night:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Picture by Bags]

Except it says here that Mr. Price will pitch damn well against the Yanks after getting his ass handed to him by them a few weeks back in Tampa.

But hope is the thing in pinstripes so never mind the nonsense and:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Derek Jeter SS
Carlos Beltran RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alfonso Soriano LF
Brian McCann DH
Brian Roberts 2B
Yangervis Solarte 3B
John Ryan Murphy C

[Picture by Bags]

So today isn’t just nicer than yesterday, it’s muggy, almost summer weather.

That’s spring for ya.

Ellsbury CF

Jeter SS

Beltran RF

Soriano DH

Teixeira 1B

McCann C

Solarte 3B

Gardner LF

Roberts 2B

Our man Hiroki’s on the hill and the Yanks sure do need a good start out of him.

Never mind nuthin’:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: Walter Rosemblum]

No game Yankee game tonightski.

It’s C.C. on the hill for Robbie’s return. It’s cold, gray, and rainy in the Bronx.

Brett Gardner CF
Derek Jeter SS
Carlos Beltran RF
Brian McCann C
Alfonso Soriano DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Yangervis Solarte 3B
Ichiro Suzuki LF
Brian Roberts 2B

Never mind the chill:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Picture by Bags]

Man, oh man, how I love sweet plantains, aka plátanos maduros.

Alongside chicken, rice, and beans, that there’s some good Bronx style home cookin’ fuh ya.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Derek Jeter SS
Carlos Beltran RF
Brian McCann C
Alfonso Soriano DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Kelly Johnson 3B
Yangervis Solarte 2B
Ichiro Suzuki LF

It’s our man Tanaka with another challenge–the formidable Angels offense.

Never mind the late hour:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo (and recipe) Via: Lil’ Miss]

That’d be Vidal Nuno. Wonder if he’s got enough to tame the impressive Angels’ hitters or if this afternoon will be another long one for our boys. Then again, chances are the Yanks are going to score more than 1 run themselves.

Never mind the rain:

Let’s Go Yank-ees.

[Photo Via: Melodrama Queen]

Ellsbury CF

Jeter SS

Beltran RF

Soriano DH

Teixeira 1B

McCann C

Gardner LF

Roberts 2B

Solarte 3B

Our man Hiroki’s on the hill.

Never mind Phat Al and King Trout:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Image Via Stamen Design]

C.C. goes. Yanks try to win the series.

Never mind the stickiness:

Let’s Go Yank-ees.

[Picture Via Retrogasm]

If you look quickly at the above picture of Michael Pineda from tonight’s game, you probably won’t see any evidence of a foreign substance in play. But look again. Be sure to focus on the lips and the surrounding area. Then carefully inspect the cheek and the chin. But don’t stop there. The most damning evidence is in the most damning place. All over the right hand.

When a Major League pitcher goes to such great lengths to conceal his wrongdoing, David Cone thinks the other manager might look the other way. Relying on his experience in the big leagues, Cone noted that if a pitcher shoved his cheating in the face of the opposition, then and only then would the umpire be called in to inspect.

How then are we to react to cases such as tonight? Where the infraction was expertly crafted and deployed with such care that Sherlock Holmes himself would be unable to penetrate the subterfuge?

Tip your cap. That’s what Holmes would do. And that what the Yankees did, to their credit. So impressed with the Red Sox superior character and sportsmanship, the Yankees gave up their remaining at bats for strike outs in deference. Only the incompetence of John Lackey checked the total at 14.

The box score says the final was 5-1 to the Red Sox, but who can really measure the difference between angels and demons?

Sorry for the technical difficulties today, guys. I had a feeling that Michael Pineda would get his ass beat around Fenway tonight but I didn’t think the guy would get tossed for an illegal substance–on his neck.

Bright boy.

Yanks down 4-0 in the 4th.

Carry On.

So soon?

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Derek Jeter SS
Carlos Beltran DH
Alfonso Soriano LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Brian McCann C
Yangervis Solarte 3B
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Brian Roberts 2B

Masahiro Tanaka gets the start; Ellsbury returns to Fenway.

Never mind that nasty starting pitcher for Boston:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Painting by Franz Kline]

…Crackle or pop. An MRI revealed that Ivan Nova has a partial torn UCL. Smells like Tommy John Surgery to me.

What a drag, man.

In the meantime, Mark Teixeira is back in the lineup (Scott Sizemore we hardly knew ye).

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Derek Jeter SS
Carlos Beltran RF
Alfonso Soriano DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Yangervis Solarte 3B
Brett Gardner LF
Brian Roberts 2B
John Ryan Murphy C

Never mind the bad news or the last two games:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

The Yanks face Chris Archer tonight. The “Now You See Me, Now You Don’t” Ivan Nova goes for the Yanks.

Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Brett Gardner LF
Carlos Beltran DH
Brian McCann C
Alfonso Soriano RF
Yangervis Solarte 3B
Kelly Johnson 1B
Brian Roberts 2B
Dean Anna SS

Never mind last night’s meltdown:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Picture Via: Sketchy]

Our man Hiroki’s on the hill tonight; Beltran’s got the night off.

Brett Gardner LF
Derek Jeter SS
Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Alfonso Soriano DH
Brian McCann C
Yangervis Solarte 2B
Kelly Johnson 1B
Scott Sizemore 3B
Ichiro Suzuki RF

Never mind letting up:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: Teresa Zabala/The New York Times]

The Yanks meet the Rays. Last year, C.C. was no bueno against Tampa. Let’s hope that changes, starting tonight.

Never mind the lousy dome:

Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Picture by Bags]

I should credit my friend Scott for the headline as he mentioned it as a possible name for his fantasy squad, but he ultimately rejected the handle because he’s a godforsaken Red Sox fan and couldn’t stand the idea of giving such an honor to a Yankee. So screw him.

When the Yankees signed Tanaka, we all breathed a huge sigh of relief as they had put the team before the tax and filled the hole in the rotation with the best available pitcher. But we didn’t exhale completely because we really didn’t know what we were getting. After today’s 3-0 win, my exhale is complete.

Sure he did it against a Cubs team that would make Ernie Banks say, “Let’s play none.” But we’re talking two lousy bunt hits away from a no-hitter. This is straight filth. What I have thoroughly enjoyed about his pitching is that his late innings are just as damn unhittable as his early ones. Moreso thus far.

Carlos Beltran and Jacoby Ellsbury continue to hit, though there wasn’t a lot in the pot for the offense today. No matter. Tanaka was so strong, Girardi traded a free base for an out just to be damn sure he plated the third run.

When Ellsbury nicked Baker’s glove and the ball dribbled into play in the fifth, he could have advanced to first, setting up first and third for the clean up hitter with one out. Instead, he took the out and the extra run, which must have seemed like ten more to the Cubs.

It’s so damn cold, Girardi would be well within his rights to rest some regulars tonight and the probabilty of a sweep isn’t going to be as high as I’d like. Still, I can’t see these Cubs running around the bases unless it’s a mascot race or something.   

Use this as your game thread for the nightcap. I will try to get you lineups when I see them.

There’s ice on the windshield this morning. God damned ice on the windshield. Girardi’s got a bunch of old guys with tweaks and playing in 35 degree weather ain’t what the doctor ordered. Here’s the lineup, Jeter’s not in it.

Brett Gardner LF
Carlos Beltran RF
Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Alfonso Soriano DH
Brian McCann C
Yangervis Solarte 2B
Kelly Johnson 1B
Dean Anna SS
Scott Sizemore 3B

Today’s the day all of Tanaka’s cold-weather preparation pays off.

Last night’s recap: The Red Sox have sprinkled their magical beard dandruff on Grady Sizemore and turned him into a player again. It’s already cost the Yankees a game in the standings and Skinny C a notch in the loss column.

Today, I’d prefer the Yankees to win. Whaddya say?

Brett Gardner LF
Brian Roberts 2B
Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Carlos Beltran DH
Brian McCann C
Alfonso Soriano RF
Kelly Johnson 1B
Yangervis Solarte 3B
Dean Anna SS

This frog butt to all the fuss about the pine tar. You know it’s a non-issue when even David Ortiz, who’s never shy to ham it up, let it slide. Game Two of this four-game set rocks tonight with Lester and Skinny C dueling. Got off on the right foot last night, now hop to the left with the southpaws. It will be interesting to see how Sabathia goes after this tough lineup with his softer stuff.

Jeter SS

Ellsbury CF

Beltran RF

Soriano DH

Cervelli C

Solarte 3B

Suzuki LF

Roberts 2B

Johnson 1B

Lineups Via LoHud