The Orioles won their 16th straight game in extra innings this afternoon in Boston.

The Yanks and A’s went to extra innings again. Cut to the end of the game when Raul Ibanez was gunned down at the plate trying to score on a ground ball to second base with one out in the 12th. Derek Jeter popped out to right to end the inning, leaving the bases loaded. The Yanks had gotten through three innings of Freddy Garcia killing ’em softly (Steve Pearce made a beautiful diving catch to rescue Garcia out of one jam) but gilded the lily bringing him back for a fourth. Jonny Gomes hit a two run jack, Yoenis Cespedes hit a bomb and even after Freddy left Chris Carter crushed one too.

The Yanks had used 16 position player and eight pitchers as they went to the bottom of the 13th. Ichiro singled against Pedro Figueroa and Alex Rodriguez followed suit with a base hit of his own. Robbie Cano got ahead in the count, 3-0, took a strike and another (the second one right down Broadway), then lined a single to left to load the bases.

Pat Neshek, a side-arming righty came in for Figueroa to face Eduardo Nunez. The first ball sailed wide, about a three feet outside as rain started to fall. Nunez waved at it but it got away from the catcher and Ichiro scored. He took a ball inside and then a strike and hit one to deep center. Cespedes made the catch and threw a bullet to third keeping Cano at second while Rodriguez scored.

Ibanez got ahead 2-0, then 3-1. Ibanez walloped the next pitch into the second deck in right field and the game was tied again.

Goodness.

Russell Martin grounded out and then Curtis Granderson launched the 0-1 pitch foul. It had the distance but he got out too far ahead of it. He fouled off three more pitches on a the way to a full count before grounding out. But the game was tied.

Now, the question was: who would pitch the 14th?

The man I suspected we wouldn’t see again this year. Cory Wade. Would you believe he got two weak ground outs and a fly ball to the warning track in center to work a scoreless inning?

A giant gasoline-throwing kid named Tyson Ross, wearing number 66, came on in relief for the A’s. The ninth pitcher of the day for Oakland. Eric Chavez fouled off a number of pitches, worked the count even and singled through the right side. Melky Mesa, making his major league debut, replaced Chavez at first. Hey, no pressure, kid.

Jeter bunted the first pitch in the air but it dropped in front of Ross and the sacrifice worked. The A’s had no intention of pitching to Ichiro–who had another three hits today–which put runners on first and second for Rodriguez.

First pitch, a change up or a slider, taken for strike one. Next pitch, he lines into center. And that’s the game.! Right? Wrong. Because Mesa missed the bag at third. He put on the brakes and went back. Bases loaded.

You.

Have.

Got. To. Be.

Shitting.

Me.

Course Cano took some weak hacks, before he grounded a ball to Ross who got the force at home.

A loud Yankee Stadium was suddenly quiet.

Nunez hit a ball off the end of his bat to first. Brandon Moss reached for it and it kicked off his glove. Ichiro scored and the Yanks had their most improbable win of the year.

Excuse my French but: Fuck Yes. Grueling? Sure. But this one ended in pure elation.

Final Score: Yanks 10, A’s 9.

Boys: “Happy” The Rolling Stones

[Photo Credit: Kateopolis]

Yanks have won six straight. Do I hear seven?

1. Jeter SS
2. Suzuki CF
3. A-Rod DH
4. Cano 2B
5. Swisher RF
6. McGehee 1B
7. Nix 3B
8. Jones LF
9. Stewart C

Never mind those battlin’ A’s: Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Picture by Klaus Leidorf via Zeroing]

CC Sabathia was as good–no, he was better–than expected. He was an Ace. Going into the eighth inning he’d given up just one hit. The A’s did make solid contact a few times: Eduardo Nunez made a nice snag on a line drive, Robinson Cano fielded a sharp ground ball, Curtis Granderson caught another line drive, otherwise, this was the CC of old.

Jarrod Parker, his counterpart, was just as good, almost. Granderson waved at a pitch in the dirt in the fourth inning and lifted it into left field, good for a sacrifice fly.

Alex Rodriguez had a couple of hits and Ichiro also got two more hits, including one we’re not likely to see again, a ground ball back to Parker that the pitcher fumbled down his jersey. Ichiro ran safely to first with the ball trapped inside Parker’s shirt.

The score remained 1-0 until the eighth. With a man on first and two out came an infield single before CC hit Johnny Gomes. But he got JJ Reddick to fly out to left on one pitch to escape trouble.

Rafael Soriano was not as fortunate. He got the first out in the ninth and got pinch-hitter Brandon Moss, a lefty, to foul off a slider. Paul O’Neill, on the YES broadcast, said that was a dangerous pitch to throw to a lefty but Soriano doubled-down and the next one wasn’t low enough and Moss cranked a moon shot into the right field seats. Forget the shutout, forget a “w” for CC.

Soriano got out of the inning thanks in large part to a wonderful catch by Russell Martin next to the Oakland dugout. David Robertson pitched well in the tenth which set up one of the great moments of the season.

Russell Martin got a fastball up and over the plate and he launched the 1-0 pitch into the left field seats for a home run.

Mr. Coltrane, indeed.

Final Score: Yanks 2, A’s 1.

[Photo Credit: NewY-rk; Kathy Kmonicek/AP Photo]

CC’s on the hill tonight against a tough team. He hasn’t been great recently but he’s still the Ace and I believe in him.

1. Jeter DH
2. Swisher RF
3. Cano 2B
4. A-Rod 3B
5. Granderson CF
6. Martin C
7. Chavez 1B
8. Ichiro LF
9. Nunez SS

Never mind those upstart A’s: Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Credit: eccarlson]

The Yankees announced that Andy Pettitte was coming back to the rotation on May 8th.  The Yankees ripped off 31 wins against 15 losses before he got hurt. They announced he was coming back from injury on September 13th. They have gone 6-1 since then. So that’s 37-16 with the notion that Pettitte is on the staff. And 49-47 without him.

From a logical point of view, Pettitte’s presence – and quality – deepens the staff and, just as crucially, lengthens the bullpen. So we should expect the Yankees to perform better than usual when he’s healthy and effective. The rest is just dumb luck.

But given the fact that they’re playing must-win games every day for the remainder of the season, I need something more than logic and dumb luck to hold onto. Andy Pettitte’s the good luck charm that turns this ordinary team into a powerhouse. If they win it all, that’s why. If they don’t well, we know it was all foolishness anyway.

The Yankee offense broke out for seven runs in the fourth inning against the Blue Jays tonight. Ichiro led the way. He hit a solo homer in his first at bat and then in the fourth slapped a double to put the Yanks ahead 3-2. By the end of the inning, Nick Swisher had hit a grand slam and it looked like the Yanks would finally enjoy a laugher.

Not so fast. Phil Hughes wasn’t all that good despite striking out nine hitters. He walked three and gave up four runs over five. A few innings later, Corey Wade took a dump on the mound–the poor bastard, we won’t likely see him again–giving up a home run and then allowing two more base runners, who both came around to score after Joba Chamberlain replaced Wade (infield hit, ground out). Adam Lind just got under a fastball from Joba to end the inning. If he’d squared it up the game would’ve been tied. Then again, if a frog had wings he wouldn’t bump his ass a hoppin’.

Still, the score  was 10-7 and both Dave Robertson and Rafael Soriano were forced to get loose in the Yankee bullpen. What could have been a relaxing night turned into a tense one. But we’re used to that. The game moved along slowly, the elation of the fourth inning faded, boredom offset by aggravation.

It was Robertson in the ninth, the Hammer struck out the side, and the Yanks moved a full game ahead of the Orioles with thirteen remaining.

Final Score: Yanks 10, Jays 7.

[Featured Drawing by Frank Miller]

Peace to Chad Jennings for pointing out this bit of comic relief from our old pal Francisco Cervelli.

It’s Hughes and another must-win tonight for the Yanks. A win means a full game lead on the Orioles, a loss keeps them tied.

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Russell Martin C
Curtis Granderson CF
Casey McGehee 1B
Ichiro Suzuki LF
Jayson Nix 3B

Never mind the standings: Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Image Credit: ‘Giacomond’ by Quint Buchholz, 1984 via La Beaute Convulsive]

The Yankee offense was nowhere to be found again tonight. They stole seven bases yet scored two lousy runs. Fortunately, the Jays only scored one as the Yanks took the second game of today’s double header. Ichiro followed up his three hits this afternoon with four more tonight, including the biggest hit of the game, a single that was slapped to left field with two out in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Oh, yeah, he also swiped four bases in his finest day in pinstripes.

For most of the game, his performance, and an admirable job by David Phelps–as well as scoreless work from the Yankee bullpen (Logan, Eppley, Soriano)–was overshadowed by the Yankees’ inability to score runs. Alex Rodriguez had an awful night and was booed with vigor after his third strike out. His teammates didn’t receive the same rude treatment but they weren’t much better.

But none of that will be remembered. David Phelps was a star tonight–he retired 12 straight at one point–but Ichiro was the hero.

And we go to bed Heppy Kets, pulling hard for King Felix.

Final Score: Yanks 2, Jays 1.

[Photo Credit: Drew McKenzie, Sportspress Northwest]

One is never enough, especially now. But the Yanks are going to need a delivery from the Score Truck tonightski.

Pile it high and deep, boys.

Never mind the scoreboard-watching: Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Via: Pug King]

The Yanks won another nail-biter this afternoon, the one, 4-2. They scored three runs in the first and then were shut down by Henderson Alvarez. Meanwhile, Andy Pettitte had more than a little rust on him but worked out of three jams and pitched five scoreless innings.

Ichiro had a big day for the Yanks with three hits and Nick Swisher had a huge RBI base hit in the eighth. It was critical because the game almost slipped away in the top of the inning. The Jays greeted Dave Robertson with three straight hits (double, single, single) and after a strike out, Omar Vizquel hit a double that put runners on second and third, score, 3-2. One out.

Then Robertson got another strike out–killing us softly in the process–before being lifted for Rafael Soriano.

Who walked the number nine hitter to load the bases. Yeah, it was one of those. He got Raja Davis to line out and after the insurance run worked a 1-2-3 ninth for the save. He earned this one.

No style points on this one, plenty of sweaty moments for us, but I ain’t complaining as the win is the thing.

[Photo Credit: Story Road; Jason Szenes/Getty Images]

It’s return of Andy Pettitte this afternoon. Tonight gives Dave Phelps.

Yanks are going to need to score runs and plenty of them. Let’s make this long day of baseball a good one, fellas.

Ichiro Suzuki LF
Nick Swisher 1B
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Curtis Granderson CF
Russell Martin C
Eric Chavez 3B
Raul Ibanez RF
Eduardo Nunez SS

Never mind the nonsense: Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Via: Gruesome Twosome]

Brett Gardner is set to return to the Yankees as a pinch-runner. Daniel Barbarisi has the story in the Wall Street Journal:

It has been eight weeks since the surgery, and Gardner says he feels normal. But he only swung a bat for the first time Tuesday, and is nowhere near being ready to hit, which the .265 career hitter said isn’t such a big deal.

“Obviously I have to be able to swing a bat,” Gardner said. “Somebody joked with me, I think it was one of my buddies down in Tampa. They said, ‘What can you not do?’ I said I can’t hit. They said ‘What’s changed?'”

So for now, he’ll try to salvage his season with his best tools: his legs, and his glove, filling a September role usually reserved for minor leaguers with great legs and weak bats. Instead, manager Joe Girardi will have a veteran to deploy.

“He can play defense if we needed him to play some defense,” Girardi said. “He’s not going to be able to hit, but you have enough guys on your bench that if his spot came up in a crazy game, you could do something.”

[Photo Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images]

We’ve had a few chilly mornings in New York but today was the first one where I smelled the fall. The streets of the Bronx are littered with fallen branches from last night’s storml.  The sun is out and it is clear and bright.

The Orioles continued their miracle season last night beating the Mariners 4-2 in 18 innings. That’s right, 18 innings. As irritating as that news is for us Yankee fans, it’s also hard not to be impressed.

Yanks play two today and have to win ’em both.

We’ll be watching.

[Photo Credit: Alex Trautwig/Getty Images]

Tonight gives the return of Andy Pettitte. It also brings a rain storm that’s supposed to be something fierce. They might not get this game in which would mean a double header tomorrow I suppose.

If they play tonight, we’ll be root-root-rootin’ for the home team.

Never mind twister: Let’s Go Yank-ees!

UPDATE: It’s been cancelled. They’ll play two tomorrow. First game at 1:05.

[Photo Via: Art Deco Architecture;  My Philosophy]

Charlie Pierce visited the Yanks in the Bronx this weekend. Here’s what he found:

If the Yankees rally and do anything in the postseason, when the game really becomes a serious television extravaganza, you might be able to point to this weekend as to when the season really righted itself. It had been building for a while. Injured players — including Saturday’s hero, Nova — are beginning to come back to the lineup. (Andy Pettitte and Brett Gardner are also expected back soon.) All season, the team had looked like the Island of Misfit Cleanup Hitters, a bunch of guys — Eric Chavez? Raul Ibanez? — who’d been big noises elsewhere, but who were manifestly out of place as the spare parts they obviously are in New York. (Part of this has to do with a Yankees farm system gone ragged.) The team had a weird, patchwork personality this year, and only the collapse of every other team in the American League East except Baltimore — most notably, the transformation of the Boston Red Sox into Mystery Zombie Theater — kept New York from serious trouble throughout most of August. But, over the weekend, in his first start since coming off the DL, Nova appeared to solidify their pitching and then, on Sunday, in the process of driving poor Matt Moore around the bend, the Yankees showed a real gift for manufacturing runs on the basepaths.

[Photo Via: Stuff Nobody Cares About]

Here’s out it’s gunna be: Yanks play three against the Blue Jays at the Stadium tomorrow night and then host the A’s for three over the weekend. Next week, they’ll play three in Minnie and four in Toronto before returning home to end the season with three against the Red Sox.

If the Yanks miss the playoffs, they’ll have nobody to blame but themselves.

We’ll be Keepin’ the Faith in the BX.

[Photo Credit: Flip Flop Fly Ballin’]

The first nine outs today were strikeouts. Hiroki Kuroda (six) and Matt Moore (three), both dealing.

The Yanks scored first. Here’s out how it went down. Eduardo Nunez lead off the third with a walk, stole second and scored on a base hit by Derek Jeter. B.J. Upton missed the cut-off man and Jeter advanced to second. Small ballin’ Nick Swisher sacrificed him to third and down in the count, Alex Rodriguez lined a base hit to center. He moved to second on a wild pitch and then stole third as Robinson Cano walked.

Russell Martin fell behind, laid off a couple of nasty breaking balls, worked the count full and then popped a fastball over the fence in right field for a three-run home run.

With a five run lead, the usually luckless Kuroda had a cushion to work with. And when he gave up a solo home run to Ben Zobrist in the fourth, the Yanks scored a run in the bottom of the inning. But strange things awaited Kuroda and the Yanks in the sixth.

It began when Kuroda walked the ninth place hitter on a full count pitch to start the inning. Then, Desmond Jennings hit a slow grounder to third. Rodriguez charged, fielded it and made a nice throw to first but it wasn’t in time to get Jennings. So, Zobrist. Looked like Kuroda had him when he popped a ball in foul territory. Pearce tracked it and leaned into the stands. He brushed against a Mook in a Nick Swisher jersey who was trying to catch the ball, too. And the ball knocked off Pearce’s glove. The fan didn’t help but it was on Pearce–he should have made the catch.

Instead, Zobrist walked and the bases were loaded for Evan Longoria. Kuroda got him to hit a ground ball. It bounced toward Rodriguez and then took a high hop and went over his head. Runners on the corners, nobody out and the score was 6-3. But Kuroda didn’t break. He got a double play–which scored another run, and then a strike out.

And that was it for the scoring today. Dave Phelps worked into and out of trouble in the seventh, Robertson and Soriano did the voodoo that they do so well in the eighth and ninth to close it out.

Final Score: Yanks 6, Rays 4.

Yanks now five up on the Rays. The O’s and A’s game just started…

[Photo Via: Pug King]

It’s Hiroki and Hope today, another beautiful one in the BX.

1. Jeter DH
2. Swisher RF
3. A-Rod 3B
4. Cano 2B
5. Martin C
6. Jones LF
7. Granderson CF
8. Pearce 1B
9. Nunez SS

Never mind the glare: Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Via: mOrtality]

On a gorgeous early autumn day in New York the Yankees beat the Rays, 5-3. It was another close one–the Rays had the tying runs on base in the ninth before Rafael Soriano got the final out–but no complaints here. Bitching at this point of the season when your team wins is unseemly.

The story of the day was Ivan Nova who was terrific. He gave the Yanks the kind of performance they’ve needed from CC Sabathia. Curtis Granderson and Eduardo Nunez hit back-to-back home runs against James Shields early, Derek Jeter added an RBI single later on, and Alex Rodriguez drove home an insurance run with an RBI base hit in the eighth.

Yes, today was good in Yankeeland.

Head on over to the ol’ Lo Hud for more.

[Photo Credit: Alex Trautwig/Getty Images]

Another day, another tough starting pitcher goes for the Rays. This time, it’s James Shields. The Yanks counter with Ivan Nova.

1. Ichiro LF
2. Jeter DH
3. Cano 2B
4. A-Rod 3B
5. Ibanez RF
6. Swisher 1B
7. Granderson CF
8. Nunez SS
9. Stewart C

Never mind the bitchin’ and moanin’: Let’s Go Yank-ees!

[Photo Via: Atmospheric Photography]