This Just In...Yankees Win!

It happened, it really did, the Yankees won a ball game tonight. And they won it by a lot. Darrell Rasner (3-0) pitched a gem and the Yankees blew out the Baltimore Orioles 8-0. If only the Yankees could follow this blue print more than once a week. A well pitched game, timely hitting, and runs scored with and without home runs.

It all started with Rasner though. The guy throws strikes and pitches with confidence. Even before this success we always wondered what Jim Bowden was thinking when he released him from the Washington Nationals. Tonight he allowed just 5 hits through 7 innings and struck out 6 to earn the win. Joba Chamberlain completed the final 2 innings to preserve the shutout. And in a quick on field post-game interview Joe Girardi admitted to Kim Jones that the team is starting to stretch Joba out in an effort to make him a starter.

The Yankees are ecstatic to have Alex Rodriguez back in the lineup. One night after a long 2-run home run, A-Rod was back at it again tonight, with 3 hits, including a tremendous solo home run in the 3rd inning. He was also deprived of a home run in the 6th inning, much like Carlos Delgado was Sunday night. A-Rod's drive to deep right-center careened off the stairs to the bleachers and back on the field. A-Rod slid head first into 2nd for an RBI double and immediately yelled to the umpires that it was a home run. But after a meeting of the umpiring crew it remained a double.

The Yankees jumped on Orioles starter Garret Olson (3-1) in the 2nd inning. Shelley Duncan started the rally with a 1-out single and came home on Robinson Cano's double to right-center for a 1-0 lead. Chad Moeller roped a single to left to score Cano and the Yankees had a hit with runners in scoring position. Derek Jeter's ground out brought home the final run of the inning for a 3-0 lead.

After A-Rod's home run in the 4th, Johnny Damon delivered a bases loaded 2-run single to give the Yankees a 6-0 lead. Rasner meanwhile moved down the O's despite not having pitched since May 10. Then it was Joba Chamberlain throwing 35 pitches as he begins the transition to starter.

News and Notes

Melvin Mora had to leave the game in the 3rd inning after being inadvertently spiked on the hand when Hideki Matsui slid into 3rd base.

A-Rod's home run gave him 524 for his career, moving him to within 10 blasts of Jimmy Foxx.

Darrell Rasner has allowed just 4 earned runs in 19 this season (1.89 ERA) and has issued just 2 walks.

Yes, that was the Yankees running. Bobby Abreu and Derek Jeter both stole bases.