Four game series against the Tigers starts tonight. Over at PB, our man Cliff breaks it down like only he can do. In the same space, Jay Jaffe takes a look at the Yankees’ catching situation. Not to be left-out, dig Steve Goldman’s post on Alex Rodriguez’s blustery RBI total.
Over at the Times, Ben Shpigel writes about Rodriguez’s season as well.
Yanks look to win the series today. AJ Delight is on the hill.
C’mon Score Truck, bring ’em home.
[Picture by Bags]
After last night, let’s hope the Yanks have a big, ol’ feast tonight.
Pile it deep and high.
Let’s Go Yan-Kees!
And here, dig this barbeque tour from Anthony Bourdain:
Part Two:
A few weeks back, I was hanging out with my six-year-old nephew over at his house. He was sitting on the floor, working on a puzzle when his mother started singing “Empire State of Mind.” At first, he sang along, and then, by the middle of the son, he stopped and looked irritated. “I KNOW that song already!” he said. You know you’ve reached a certain stage in life when you get annoyed by a song because you’ve heard it too much.
Well, I’ve had no need to hear “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas again, ever, in my life, until our own Hank Waddles dubbed Dustin Moseley, “Dustin, the win” Moseley.
That’s Alonzo, who?
Ol’ Mosie’s on the hill in KC tonight.
Let’s Go Yan-Kees!
Yanks haven’t played their best ball lately. They’ve got Cliff Lee to deal with tonight.
Hang tough, fellas. Go git ’em.
The most impressive Jon Lester–who has struggled recently, not winning a game since before the All-Star Break–goes against Phil Hughes today at the Stadium. It’s a “must-win” for Boston.
Here’s hoping the Yanks can foil ’em.
Go git ’em, boys.
Josh Beckett and AJ Burnett were all set for a Sunday Night Red Ass Bake-Off but Burnett has “tightness in his back” and has been replaced by Dustin “FBI Agent Alonzo” Mosley. Burnett is now scheduled to pitch Tuesday; Phil Hughes will go tomorrow afternoon.
Meanwhile, Lance Berkman is handling the Bronx Cheer in stride. According to Chad Jennings:
“Trust me, I’m booing myself,” [Lance Berkman] said. “I have no credibility here… I didn’t come up here to catch a break. I came up here to play well and win.”
…“As long as it’s not my wife or kids, I’m fine with it,” he said. “This is a big boy’s game and place to play, and if you can’t handle that, go home.”
I think the Big Puma is going to bust-out shortly…
Alex Rodriguez is penciled into the line-up though that is subject to change.
Yanks going for their second-straight win:
Let’s Go Yan-kees.
[Photo Credit: Food Network]
Yanks, Sox: Lackey, Sabathia.
Do it.
[Picture by Bags]
Well, this series has been absolutely no fun at all. A.J. Burnett stinks up the joint on Monday, Rickey Romero is untouchable on Tuesday, the Jays score eight runs in each of the first two games, and here we are on Wednesday afternoon begging for a face-saving win in advance of a visit from the Red Sox while looking up at the Rays in the standings for the first time since June 19. Oy.
It don’t get any easier today, folks. Shaun Marcum is 10-4 with a 3.24 ERA and a 3.82 K/BB on the season, the best numbers of the 28-year-old righty’s brief, injury-interrupted career. He’s given up more than two runs in just one of his last seven starts (5-1, 2.95 ERA) and takes the mound this afternoon coming off a dominant outing against the Indians (7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 10 K).
Phil Hughes opposes Marcum on regular rest, which is good. In his last two starts on regular rest, he has allowed just three runs each time out, albeit without getting past the sixth inning.
The prime-time lineup is out there for this matinee with Fat Elvis batting seventh.
C’mon, boys, give us something . . . anything.
Let’s hope this ain’t no real skid here, and just an old-fashioned two-game losing streak. Either way, the Boss would not be pleased…
Time for the Yanks answer last night’s ass-whuppin’ with one of their own.
Never mind the formalities: Let’s Go Yan-Kees!
(I was fool enough to call Alex Rodriguez’s 600th last week so what do I know; don’t know if he’ll get it tonight but it says here the Big Puma will have a big game.)
[Drawing by Larry Roibal]
Yanks saddled up with some beef for the home stretch: Kerry, Austin and Lance. Sounds like the Chelsea All Boys Glee Club.
Still, the Bombers can use all the muscle they can get against these tough Rays.
Go git ’em, boys.
Yanks go for the series win tonight in Cleveland.
Keep it rollin’, boys, cause the Rays are here to stay.
Let’s Go Yan-Kees!
Alex Rodriguez and the Yanks are back at it in Cleveland tonight.
Go git ’em, fellers.
[Picture by Stephen Holland]
What’s up with the Yanks losing to rookie pitchers? Rob Neyer takes a look:
Josh Tomlin will make his major league debut tonight by starting for the Indians. Talk about being thrown into the fire. He starts his big league career by facing the defending champs and his new team’s former Cy Young award winning ace, and could end the evening as the answer to a trivia question about a milestone home run.
Tomlin is a 25-year-old righty who was drafted out of Texas Tech in the 19th round of the 2006 draft and has bounced between starting and relieving in his five minor league seasons. He’s a strike-thrower (career 1.9 BB/9 in the minors), but despite good results for Triple-A Columbus this year (8-4, 2.68 ERA), his walks have been up (2.8 BB/9) and his strikeouts have been down (6.7 K/9, which likely translates to a below average strikeout rate in the majors).
I don’t know much more about him other than he and two members of the Double-A Akron Aeros were charged with felonious assault (later reduced to disorderly conduct) for allegedly beating up a bouncer at an Akron bar on June 3.
Outfielder Michael Brantley has been optioned to Columbus to make room for Tomlin on the roster. Juan Miranda will play first base and bat eighth against the righty Tomlin. Mark Teixeira gets a half-day off at DH. Everyone else is in their usual place.
Earlier in the week, Sean O’Sullivan handed the Yankees’ their ass while pitching for the Angels. Since, O’Sullivan has been traded to the Royals, and he’s on the hill again today. No offense to Mr. O’Sullivan, but I sure would expect the Bombers to come out a-sluggin’ this afternoon. Phil Hughes is on the hill for the Yanks, and it would be nice to see him have a good, strong, outing, now wouldn’t it?
Stay cool, cheer hard, eat well, and Let’s Go Yan-Kees!
[Picture by Bags]
It’s hot and damp in New York. AJ Burnett goes for the Yanks tonight and all eyes are on the $82 million knucklehead. With Serge Mitre throwing tomorrow afternoon, it behooves Mr. Burnett to not only pitch well, but deep into the game. Otherwise, he g’wan here it but good, Bronx Cheer Style.
Man-up, tough guy, and let’s go Yan-kees!
(p.s. I don’t think I’m going out on a limb here when I tell you that I think Alex Rodriguez will hit career dinger 600 and more this weekend.)
[Picture by Bags]
Doesn’t take much to get me riled-up. Just ask my old pal Rich Lederer, die-hard Angels fan, who had me cursing like a sailor last night as the Angels pounded the Yanks. Eh, I don’t like to disappoint, so I gave him a show. In honor of Sweet Lou announcing his retirement. Yeah, that’s it.
The Yanks and Angels finish their two-game series this afternoon with Mr. Vazquez and Mr. Pineiro on the hill. Pineiro has been terrific for the past two months, and Vazquez hasn’t been too bad himself.
Another scorcher out there today; this one could be a barn-burner. Nevermind the heat, boys…
Let’s Go Yan-Kees!
[Picture by Bags]
Cliff Lee was supposed to start for the Mariners tonight. Then he was supposed to sit in the Yankee dugout. Now he’s on a plane for Arlington Texas, where he’ll become the new ace of the Rangers. Keep an eye on SI.com tonight for my trade analysis.
As for tonight’s ballgame, the Yankees do benefit from the downgrade from Lee to David Pauley, who will be the Mariners’ spot-starter, but last year the Yankees faced a similar situation and lost. Clayton Richard was scheduled to start against the Yankees on the day that he was traded to the Padres in the package for Jake Peavy. The Yankees instead faced spot-starter D.J. Carrasco and got whupped. What’s more, the Yankees still have five games left against the Rangers and thus could face Lee twice more during the regular season and potentially in the postseason as well. Not that I feel bad for them. I’m beginning to think they’ll be the frontrunners for the free-agent Lee this winter.
As for Pauley, he’s a 27-year-old righty on his fourth organization making his fifth big-league start and first since 2008, when he was with the Red Sox. That also came against the Yankees and saw Pauley surrender seven runs in 2 2/3 innings. The Yankees hope for more of the same tonight as well as for a strong outing from Phil Hughes, who has allowed five or more runs in three of his last four outings and has a 5.56 ERA over his last nine starts, only four of which were quality starts.
Nick Swisher is the DH tonight. Colin Curtis plays right field and bats eighth.
Luke French is up to take Lee’s spot on the roster and Pauley’s spot in the bullpen.
Oh, and the Yankees still have the best record in baseball and a five-deep rotation.
Update: here’s my Lee analysis
I was thinking about the two impressive starting pitchers being featured tonight in Oakland, but this being Oakland, up popped the image of the Tooz:
Good ol’, Oakland.
Let’s Go Yan-Kees!
