Rocky Mountain Low

The Yankee juggernaut has suddenly run into a road block. After winning 9 straight and 11 of 12, the Yankees lost their 2nd straight to the Rockies last night, 6-1. Humidor or not, to only score 2 runs in 2 games is just plain pathetic. Last night lefty Jeff Francis baffled the Yankees over 7 innings, limiting them to 5 hits while striking out 9. The loss was costly as the Yankees dropped another game back in the division and the wild card races.

Derek Jeter had 2 of the Yankees hits, extending his hitting streak to 14 games in the process. He drove in the only run 6th when he followed Melky Cabrera's double with one of his own.

Andy Pettitte breezed through the 1st five innings, but it was all down hill after that. Given a 1-0 lead, Pettitte couldn't hold it in the Rockie's half of the 6th. Pettitte committed one of the biggest sins of interleague play- walking the pitcher to start the inning. Three batters later Matt Holliday smacked a two-out 2-run HR, his 13th, to give the Rockie the lead for good.

Joe Torre then made a big mistake- by doing nothing. Todd Helton followed Holliday's HR with a double and Kaz Matsui singled to left. But Hideki Matsui threw out Helton at the plate to keep it a one run game. One inning later the Rockies would blow it open.

Colorado put two men aboard on one-out singles by Troy Tulowitzki and Yorvit Torrealba. Pettitte retired Ryan Spliborghs on a foce out, but Willy Tavares singled to give the Rockies a 3-1 lead. Kaz Matsui then hit the back-breaker, a 2-run triple that finally got Torre out of the dugout. Holliday closed out the inning's scoring with an RBI single off of Luis Vizcaino.

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The Yankees hesitation to put Johnny Damon on the DL despite a bad rib cage is mystifying. Damon can't swing the bat well from the injury, yet Torre is starting him in CF tonight.

Jeter now has hitting streaks of 20, 19, and 14 games this season.