Yankees Must Now Address Right Field

The Yankees should fly Byrd to New York

When the Yankees signed Carlos Beltran to a three year, multi-million deal this past offseason, they expected a 25 HR, 90 RBI season from their new right fielder. What they didn't expect was for Beltran to be limited to designated hitter duties to a balky right elbow that may eventually lead to surgery.

For now, Beltran has begun throwing again, but is limited to the designated hitter role. Even if he gets cleared to play the outfield, it will be on a limited bases. Right now, Ichiro Suzuki is the right fielder. Kelly Johnson is on the DL with a groin strain and Zelous Wheeler has a little outfield experience. Yes, the Yankees need an outfielder, preferably someone who can play right field.

The possibilities:

Most teams aren't making deals since they are within close range of either the division leader or the two wild cards. But there are some teams ready to bite the dust.

Josh Willingham
The Twins are one of those team that are quickly descending back to the AL Central basement. The 35-year old had fabulous back to back seasons with the A's and Twins in 2011-12. But injuries limited him to 111 games last year and he missed three-quarters of May this season. His OPS is a modest .770, but his .412 slugging pct. is a vast improvement from last year.

Willingham is a free agent after this year and would be owed the remainder of the $7MM he's set to earn this season. The drawback is that Willingham has primarily been a left-fielder in his career. He has 35 games of experience in right field and that all came in the 2009 season, while he was a member of the Washington Nationals.

Had Beltran been healthy, Kendry Morales would have been a good acquistion from Minny to fill in for the much injured Mark Teixeira.

Marlon Byrd
The Phillies are "phading" fast - they enter Thursday's play 15 games under .500. The 36-year old (these guys are the perfect age to be a Yankee) has played 98 games in right field this season. The much traveled Byrd - he's been with seven organizations in the Major Leagues (and more than once as a member of the Phillies)  - has put up a .796 OPS with 19 HR and 58 RBI in 387 at-bats.

The drawback is that Byrd is owed $8MM next year with the possibility of a vesting option in 2016 (also at $8MM). The Phillies will get more in return in if they eat some of the contract, but they already have a ton of money owed to several players. So far, the rumor is that the Phillies are asking for too much in return.

Alex Rios
The player that was once compared to Dave Winfield is a conundrum. A two-time All-Star, a player let go off recallable waivers, 25 home run power one year and just four home runs in 97 games this year.

It's hard to believe Rios is 33-years old. It seems like yesterday that he was an up and coming five-tool athlete with the Toronto Blue Jays. Rios was an All-Star in 2006-7 and hasn't been since. Toronto signed him to a six-year, $64MM extension prior to the 2008 season. But after a solid, but not upper tier season in 2008, the Blue Jays put him on waivers during the 2009 season. At the time his production had dropped off more and the Blue Jays must have been regretting the contract extension they gave to the then 28-year old.

They could have pulled Rios off of waivers and tried to make a deal with the White Sox, but they simply let him go and allowed the White Sox to assume the rest of the contract. He had just a .530 OPS in 41 games. But he bounced back the next season with 21 HR, 88 RBI, and 34 steals. For the most part he did well with Chicago, but was dealt to Texas last August (after clearing waivers) for Leury Garcia, a light hitting infielder.

This season, Rios leads the AL in triples and has 16 stolen  bases. He has a $13.5MM team option for next season, which no team will exercise. He sprained his ankle a few days ago and has been unable to play, though the team does not think a DL trip is necessary. Rios is a risk, but at the right price, one worth taking for a handful of months.

Drew Stubbs
Stay away from the Colorado Rockies outfielder. The 29-year old once stole 40 bases in a season, but doesn't hit. His .297/.335/.498 slash line and 10 home runs in 82 games is merely a product of playing his home games at Coor's Field. Stubbs road line is .229/.277/.343.

There you have it
And sadly, that's about it. I would love for the Yankees to pick up  Jay Bruce, who has having an off-year. While the Reds might be willing to dump his salary, the Yankees aren't likely to pick up more. ($25.5MM guaranteed with the potential of $12MM more.) The Reds would also demand a king's ransom for him. Marlon Byrd should be the top target in this flip-a-coin reality.

The Yankees also need to address starting pitching, but let's solve one crisis at a time.

Peavy, Rios, and Lee and Lots of Phone Calls

The Chicago White Sox have been miserable all year and are having a semi-annual clearance sale. Alex Rios, Jake Peavy, and Alexei Ramirez are among the sale items that have been marked down (or up). Rios and Peavy are among the most sought after veterans as Major League Baseball nears the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.(4 pm EDT)

Peavy was scratched from his scheduled start this evening and is the subject of trade talk between the White Sox and a number of teams. Boston, St. Louis, and Oakland are among those showing interest.

Rios is a conundrum, tagged early in his career as the next Dave Winfield, his career has been a roller coaster.  He made back to back American All-Star teams as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2006-2007, which lead to a seven year, $64MM contract. While his production dipped slightly in 2008, the 2009 season led the Blue Jays to cut salary.

Rios was putting together a decent season with 62 RBI and a .744 OPS in 108 games when the Blue Jays placed him on post-deadline waivers. The White Sox claimed him and the Blue Jays said you could have him. Suddenly, Toronto had a lot less payroll.

Rios meanwhile didn't adjust well to his new surroundings - a .530 OPS in 41 games. Thus began the rollercoaster for Rios' career. The 2010 season saw a resurgence with 21 HR, 88 RBI, 34 stolen bases and a .791 OPS. A year later though, back down came the coaster; a .613 OPS with just 13 HR and 44 RBI in 537 at-bats. 2012? You guessed it, 850 OPS, topped .300 in his batting avg., 25 HR, 91 RBI and a 15th place finish in the AL MVP voting. Rios still has one year left on his deal, but his OPS is about 100 points less than last season and his HR and RBI pace is down again. I would stay away from him unless you have to give up little in return. He's still guaranteed $12.5MM next year.

Teams in play - Pirates, Yankees (Rios willing to waive his no-trade per NY Post's Joel Sherman); Rangers appear to be out of it for now.

Cliff Lee seems to be in this position every year. In 2002, prior to the deadline he was part of a package (Grady Sizemore, Brandon Phillips, Lee Stevens) that sent Bartolo Colon from Cleveland to Montreal. The '09 deadline saw him and Ben Francisco shipped to Philly for four players. He was sent to the Seattle Mariners that winter and was up for grabs at the 2010 deadline. After it appeared he was going to the Yankees in a Jesus Montero led deal, the Mariners sent Lee to the Texas Rangers for highly touted prospect Justin Smoak and three others.

Lee returned to Philly again as a free agent in 2010 for five years guaranteed (over $100MM) and an option for a sixth year.  It was one of the many recent mistakes GM Reuben Amaro Jr. made that boosted Philly's payroll significantly. Amaro tonight stated that there is "very little chance" that Lee gets dealt" and chances are "remote" that Michael Young does.

The rest of the field:

Ian Kennedy - Angels are going hard after him, willing to deal Howie Kendrick (Ken Rosenthal)

Marc Rzepczynski- A deal is in place that would send the lefty to the Indians (Derrick Goold, St. Louis-Post Dispatch)

Oliver Perez - Yeah, that guy. Multiple teams are said to be interested in adding Perez to their bullpen. (Jon Morosi)

Bud Norris - Astros are getting calls on Norris who would be a middle to back end of the rotation starter.

Baseball Digest Birthdays: Joe Gordon | Baseball Digest

Baseball Digest Birthdays: Joe Gordon | Baseball Digest

Joe “Flash” Gordon was one of the most versatile athletes to ever come out of the Pacific Northwest. After graduating high school he attended the University of Oregon in Eugene where he became one of their most revered student athletes. Gordon starred in baseball, football, and gymnastics. The latter was said to have contributed to his dazzling footwork as a 2nd baseman. He also played soccer and competed in the long jump in track. To round things out, Gordon played violin in the school’s orchestra.

Baseball would win out in the end though, and so would Oregon, as Gordon helped the Ducks win back-to-back Northwest Division college championships in 1934-1935. He signed with the New York Yankees in 1936 and made his major league debut two years later. At 23 years of age, Gordon had the unenviable task of replacing future Hall of Fame member Tony Lazzeri in the Yankees lineup. But Gordon was up to the task.

Had the Rookie of the Year Award existed then, Gordon would have likely captured the trophy with ease. He smacked 25 home runs, drove in 97 runs and scored 83. His season was so good that he finished 12th in the AL MVP voting. Gordon’s bat was even better in the World Series victory over the Chicago Cubs when he drove in six runs and recorded an 1.171 OPS.

In 1939 Gordon began a streak of nine straight all-star seasons despite missing two years (1944-1945) during World War II. He won the AL MVP Award in 1942 when he hit a career high .322, belted 18 HR and knocked in 103 runs. But after a solid season in ’43, Gordon was rusty when he returned from the war. He hit just .210 and struck out more often than not. It led to the Yankees’ decision to deal him that off-season to the Cleveland Indians for pitcher Allie Reynolds. The “Big Chief” would have a stellar career as a Yankee, but Gordon had something to prove as a member of the Indians. He would do just that.

In his first two seasons in Cleveland, Gordon averaged 30 HR and 108 RBI (with career highs in both categories in 1948), finished in the top 10 in the AL MVP voting, and helped lead the Tribe to the 1948 AL pennant and their first World Series win in 28 years. Gordon was also instrumental in helping Larry Doby, the first African-American to play in the American League, integrate with the ball club. Gordon’s simple gesture to play catch with Doby exemplified his leadership and made Doby one of the guys.

In Gordon’s first year as the Indians’ manager, the Cleveland News’ Ed McAuley talked about his natural leadership. Click here to read all about it!

Gordon made one more All-Star appearance, but after his second-worst offensive season, the Indians released him in October, 1950. He still holds the AL record for home runs by a 2nd baseman (246) and was also the league’s first 2nd baseman to hit 20 home runs in a season.

Gordon spent the next several years as a player-manager, scout, and manager in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). He returned to Cleveland in 1958, this time as their manager. However, he often clashed with GM Frank Lane, who liked to micromanage. Despite finishing second to the Yankees in 1959, one of the oddest trades in baseball history was made in the midst of the 1960 season. Gordon would not have been back for the ’60 season, but talks to hire Leo Durocher didn’t work out. So after 95 games, Cleveland sent Gordon to the Detroit Tigers for their skipper, Jimmy Dykes. After finishing the season with the Tigers, Gordon went on to manage the Kansas City Athletics in 1961, but was fired in mid-season by the always fickle Charlie Finley. Gordon managed one final season in the Major Leagues as the skipper of the expansion Kansas City Royals in 1969.

Unfortunately, Gordon died of a heart attack at age 63 in 1978, 31 years before the Veteran’s Committee honored him with an election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

We remember Joe Gordon on his date of birth, February 18, 1915.

Also Born Today:

Alex Rios (1981, Guaynabo, PR): Was selected with the 19th overall pick (San Pedro Martin HS) in the 1999 amateur draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto’s front office looked at Rios as a young Dave Winfield; a player who could hit for power and average, drive in runs, steal bases, play stellar defense and throw out base runners with his strong arm. Rios progressed nicely, turning out very productive back-to-back All-Star seasons in 2006-2007.

That led the team to sign Rios to a long-term deal, buying up his remaining arbitration years and first years of free agent elibility. The seven year deal guaranteed Rios over $69MM. Though he hit .291 in 2008, Rios’ overall production was down from the prior year and his numbers took an even bigger dip the following season. In August 2009, the Blue Jays decided to put Rios on waivers. When the Chicago White Sox put in a claim, the Blue Jays decided to give their bank account a break and allowed the White Sox to keep him. With no player transaction in return, the White Sox would have to assume the remainder of the contract.

Rios went into an awful slump after the move to Chicago, but in 2010 produced stats (.284-21-88, 34 steals) more in line with his pre-contract form. The White Sox are banking on Rios to repeat those figures for several years to come.

John Mayberry (1949, Detroit, MI): Was one of the most fearsome sluggers of the 1970′s. The 6th overall pick in the 1967 amateur draft (Houston Astros), never played more than 50 games in a season until he was dealt to the Kansas City Royals after the 1971 season. There he became a star, averaging 24 HR and 92 RBI over the next six seasons. He finished second in the 1975 AL MVP voting to rookie Fred Lynn of Boston when he reached career highs in home runs (34), RBI (106), and OPS (.963). He helped lead the Royals to their first three American League West Division titles, but unfortunately for Mayberry and his teammates, they lost all three ALCS series to the New York Yankees.

Mayberry spent four-plus seasons in Toronto and finished out his final season with the Yankees in 1982. In the coming season, he will continue to watch his son John Mayberry Jr. try to make the Major Leagues as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Yankees Rally Falls Short

Filed Under: Yankees

Tags: Alex Rios • andy pettitte • Brian bruney • Derek Jeter • Eric Hinske • Jason Frasor • Joe Girardi ejected • John McDonald • nick swisher • Rickey Romero • Yankees 7/6 recap • Yankees vs. Blue Jays

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Toronto	0	1	3	0	0	0	3	0	0		7	8	0
NY Yankees	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	1	2		6	12	0

WP - Romero (7-3) SV - Frasor (3) LP - Pettitte (8-4)

Late Rally Falls Short

No lead is safe at Yankee Stadium this season and the Yankees are confident they can come back from any deficit. So trailing 7-1 to the Toronto Blue Jays this afternoon, they knew they could mount a rally. But, unfortunately, they came up short. The Jays took advantage of poor showings from Andy Pettitte and Brian Bruney to beat the Yankees 7-6.

Pettitte continued his home struggles (4-3, 5.72 in 10 starts), surrending home runs to Alex Rios and John McDonald to put his team in a 5-1 hole. Pettitte was charged with another run when Bruney allowed a 2-run double to Scott Rolen. (The Blue Jays’ third baseman extended his hitting streak to 23 games.)

Read the rest of my recap at Baseball Digest Online.

Godzilla Destroys Toronto

Godzilla Sends Yankees Home a Winner

May 15th, 2009 • Related • Filed Under

Filed Under: Yankees

Tags: Alex Rios • brett gardner • Brian Tallet • cc sabathia • Derek Jeter • francisco cervelli • hideki matsui • Johnny Damon • Rod Barajas • Yankees 5/14 recap • Yankees vs. Blue Jays

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
NY Yankees	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0		3	7	0
Toronto	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0		2	5	0

A 4-2 road trip is much better than a 3-3 road trip. While it’s only a one game difference, there’s a world of difference in the confidence that can be built off of the better record. Especially when the final game of the trip is a win. That was the case last night in Toronto where Hideki Matsui’s 7th inning home run put the Yankees ahead for good in a 3-2 win over the Blue Jays.

The Yankees had been bedazzled, for lack of a better word, by journeyman starter Brian Tallet for six innings. They’d managed a run in the first on a Johnny Damon one out double, his 10th straight game with an extra base hit, and three walks, the last coming to Nick Swisher with the bases loaded. But Robinson Cano continued his failure with the bases loaded (.235) by grounding out to end the inning.

The Blue Jays tied the game on Alex Rios‘ solo home run in the 4th and went ahead in the 5th inning when CC Sabathia walked Scott Rolen and gave up an RBI double to Rod Barajas. (The Blue Jays catcher owns Sabathia- he’s now 8-19 with 3 HR and 5 RBI.) John McDonald followed with a single to center, but Brett Gardner made a strong throw home and catcher Francisco Cervelli did an excellent job of applying the tag to nail Barajas for the second out of the inning. Sabathia retired Marco Scutaro to avoid further problems.

The Yankees managed just two singles and a walk against Tallet after the 1st inning, but the 32-yr old left-hander walked Gardner to start the 7th. Joe Girardi put the hit and run on and the Yankees executed it to perfection. Cervelli singled through the hole vacated by Scutaro at shortstop to send Gardner to third. Cito Gaston sent for righty Jason Frasor to face Derek Jeter, whose prior at-bats clearly reflected his strained oblique. But this time Jeter got enough of a pitch to loop it into right-center field for a game tying single.

The Yankees were in prime shape to break the game open with two on, no outs, and the heart of the order up. But Frasor struck out the red hot Damon and retired Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez on fly outs to keep the game tied at two apiece.

Sabathia worked his way out of his own mess in the bottom of the 7th after a lead off double by Rolen and a deep fly out by Kevin Millar advanced the Rolen to third. Sabathia wised up and intentionally walked Barajas before striking out McDonald for the second out. Sabathia issued an unintentional walk to Scutaro, but retired Aaron Hill on a ground to get out of the jam.

Gaston brought in lefty Jesse Carlson out to start the 8th, but anyone who has watched Hideki Matsui play on a regular basis knows he isn’t afraid to bat against southpaws. Godzilla produced further tangible evidence by hitting his 4th home run of the season to right-center field for a 3-2 Yankees lead.

Sabathia retired the side in order in the 8th and then Mariano Rivera pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning, finishing it off by striking out Barajas for his 7th save of the season.

Game Notes

Johnny Damon extended his streak to 10 games in which he has reached with an extra base hit and scored a run. It’s the longest streak by a Yankee since Don Mattingly had a 10 game streak in 1987. Damon leads the team in average, home runs, RBI, and runs scored.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, CC Sabathia has now gone 25 straight starts without allowing an extra base hit to a left-handed hitter. That’s the longest streak since Randy Johnson went 28 games over the 1998-1999 seasons.

The Yankees begin a four game series with the Minnesota Twins tonight at the Stadium. Phil Hughes faces Francisco Liriano in the opener.

Team USA Wrights the Ship

David Wright's one out, 2-run single in the bottom of the ninth capped a three run rally that has sent Team USA over Puerto Rico and into the Pool 2 finals against Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.

Puerto Rico led 5-3, but Shane Victorino and Brian Roberts opened the ninth with back to back singles off of J.C. Romero. Romero retired Derek Jeter on a fly out with Victorino moving to third base. Roberts then stole second base, just ahead of the throw from Yadier Molina. Jimmy Rollins followed with a tough at-bat, eventually drawing a walk to load the bases.

Puerto Rico manager Jose Oquendo sent for right-hander Fernando Cabrera to face Kevin Youkilis, but Cabrera walked in the tying run. Then it was Wright's turn to play the hero, slicing a pitch towards the right field corner that fell well in front of Alex Rios for a game winning single. Wright's teammates flew out of the dugout, nearly crushing him under a celebratory pile.

Rios had given his native country a 1-0 lead with a solo home run off of Team USA starter Ted Lilly in the second inning. The US immediately countered with a pair of runs in their half of the inning on a sac fly by Brian McCann and an RBI single by Victorino.

The US added a run in the third inning on Youkilis' solo home run off of starter Jonathan Sanchez. But the lead was short lived as Carlos Delgado took Lilly deep in the top of the fourth for a game tying home run.

Puerto Rico went ahead in the sixth on Rios' RBI single off of Heath Bell and added an insurance run in the ninth on Ramon Vazquez' single against eventual winner Jonathan Broxton.

The US will meet Venezuela at 8 PM EDT on Wednesday. The two teams have split a pair of games previously in the tournament.

Box Score

Staff Keeping Away Staph

The dangers of staph infections are not lost on the Yankees personnel. Newsday reports that the Yankees have been proactive in being sure the new Stadium is properly cleaned and remains that way.

"Of course they want to protect their investments, but they also want to minimize any bacterial infection anywhere in the new stadium to protect the fans," said Craig Andrews, CEO of CSG Sportscoatings. "They are the most proactive of any organization in Major League Baseball in protecting their facilities for players and fans."

Mets catcher Brian Schneider and Blue Jays outfielder Alex Rios both had serious staph infections this past season and several NFL teams have been affected by the issue as well.

Damon's Drops Doom Yankees

The Yankees find one way or another to lose these days and Tuesday night they stumbled on a new one in Toronto. With the game tied 1-1 in the eighth inning, Johnny Damon dropped Marco Scutaro's deep fly to center, allowing Joe Inglett to score the go ahead run. It wasn't an easy play, but it was a very catchable ball and Damon knew it. Apparently the official who scored it didn't since he gave Scutaro a double.

“I missed two balls tonight and that’s unacceptable,” Damon said. “I know that stuff happens sometimes, but catching routine fly balls should not be that much of a problem.”

The Yankees tried to rally in the ninth inning against closer B.J. Ryan, but all hope quickly ended when Alex Rodriguez tried to stretch a bloop single into a double. The ball was just out of the reach of first baseman Lyle Overbay, who tracked it down, and in one motion slid on one knee, righted himself and fired a one-hop strike to a waiting John McDonald who tagged out A-Rod for the first out of the inning. It didn't help that A-Rod was running at half speed down to first base and then stumbled as he tried to turn on the after burners.

Darrell Rasner, with the help of three double play grounders, pitched his heart out, allowing just a solo home run to Adam Lind in the seventh inning that tied the game at one apiece. But after scoring a run in the first inning on a Damon walk and Bobby Abreu double, the Yankees couldn't muster anything against A.J. Burnett. Burnett won his 16th game of the season and his sixth straight. His mix of a powerful fastball and hard breaking off-speed pitches lead to 13 strikeouts, three of them by Jason Giambi, who garnered the "Golden Sombrero" when Ryan also K'ed him in the ninth.

Damon, who was named the starting center fielder earlier in the day by Joe Girardi, nearly cost the Yankees the game in the first inning. After a one-out walk to Scutaro, Damon dropped Alex Rios' routine fly to left-center field for a two base error. But Rasner struck out Vernon Wells looking and retired Lind on a ground-out to Robinson Cano.

Abreu led off the fourth inning with his second double of the game, but A-Rod and Giambi struck out and Nady grounded out to McDonald at shortstop. An inning later, Ivan Rodriguez singled with two away and stole second base, but Damon struck out for the inning's final out. For good measure, the Yankees also stranded lead off runners in the sixth and seventh innings.

The bottom of the eighth started innocently enough as Jose Veras struck out Rod Barajas and McDonald. Inglett then reached on a single to center to set up the latest nightmare finish.


News and Notes

Hideki Matsui played his first game since June 22, going 0-3 with a strikeout. Girardi said before the game that he'll be the every day DH with Brett Gardner coming off the bench.

Joba Chamberlain played catch for the second straight day.

Girardi told reporters he'll decide on Thursday whether Phil Hughes or Carl Pavano will start Saturday's game. Of course, that was before Pavano said his neck hurt.

Damon's Drops Doom Yankees

The Yankees find one way or another to lose these days and Tuesday night they stumbled on a new one in Toronto. With the game tied 1-1 in the eighth inning, Johnny Damon dropped Marco Scutaro's deep fly to center, allowing Joe Inglett to score the go ahead run. It wasn't an easy play, but it was a very catchable ball and Damon knew it. Apparently the official who scored it didn't since he gave Scutaro a double.

“I missed two balls tonight and that’s unacceptable,” Damon said. “I know that stuff happens sometimes, but catching routine fly balls should not be that much of a problem.”

The Yankees tried to rally in the ninth inning against closer B.J. Ryan, but all hope quickly ended when Alex Rodriguez tried to stretch a bloop single into a double. The ball was just out of the reach of first baseman Lyle Overbay, who tracked it down, and in one motion slid on one knee, righted himself and fired a one-hop strike to a waiting John McDonald who tagged out A-Rod for the first out of the inning. It didn't help that A-Rod was running at half speed down to first base and then stumbled as he tried to turn on the after burners.

Darrell Rasner, with the help of three double play grounders, pitched his heart out, allowing just a solo home run to Adam Lind in the seventh inning that tied the game at one apiece. But after scoring a run in the first inning on a Damon walk and Bobby Abreu double, the Yankees couldn't muster anything against A.J. Burnett. Burnett won his 16th game of the season and his sixth straight. His mix of a powerful fastball and hard breaking off-speed pitches lead to 13 strikeouts, three of them by Jason Giambi, who garnered the "Golden Sombrero" when Ryan also K'ed him in the ninth.

Damon, who was named the starting center fielder earlier in the day by Joe Girardi, nearly cost the Yankees the game in the first inning. After a one-out walk to Scutaro, Damon dropped Alex Rios' routine fly to left-center field for a two base error. But Rasner struck out Vernon Wells looking and retired Lind on a ground-out to Robinson Cano.

Abreu led off the fourth inning with his second double of the game, but A-Rod and Giambi struck out and Nady grounded out to McDonald at shortstop. An inning later, Ivan Rodriguez singled with two away and stole second base, but Damon struck out for the inning's final out. For good measure, the Yankees also stranded lead off runners in the sixth and seventh innings.

The bottom of the eighth started innocently enough as Jose Veras struck out Rod Barajas and McDonald. Inglett then reached on a single to center to set up the latest nightmare finish.


News and Notes

Hideki Matsui played his first game since June 22, going 0-3 with a strikeout. Girardi said before the game that he'll be the every day DH with Brett Gardner coming off the bench.

Joba Chamberlain played catch for the second straight day.

Girardi told reporters he'll decide on Thursday whether Phil Hughes or Carl Pavano will start Saturday's game. Of course, that was before Pavano said his neck hurt.

Stars Align for Moose

Right now we can't imagine how Mike Mussina will not be picked for this year's American League All-Star team. His last selection was in 1999. Mussina (9-4) continued his remarkable season last night by dazzling the Toronto Blue Jays for 6 innings in a 5-1 Yankees victory. The win snapped the Yankees 3-game losing streak and gave Mussina his 9th win of the season, tied with the Angels' Joe Saunders and Indians' Cliff Lee for tops in the American League.

Mussina allowed a pair of harmless singles through the first three innings and then the Yankees got on the board first. Jose Molina lead off the bottom of the 3rd with a single off Jays starter Jesse Litsch, and moved to 3rd Base on Johnny Damon's perfectly execute 1-out hit and run single. Derek Jeter then made history when he inside outed a ball to right field for an RBI single. It was hit number 2,416, moving him past Mickey Mantle into sole possession of 3rd place on the all-time Yankees hit list.

Mussina allowed a lead off double to Alex Rios in the 4th, but retired Scott Rolen on a line out and struck out Matt Stairs and Lyle Overbay. The Yankees then took advantage with 2 outs in their half of the inning. Wilson Betemit took Litsch deep to right for his 2nd home run of the season and a 2-0 lead. Robinson Cano followed with a double and after a walk to Molina, Melky Cabrera singled to right for a 3-0 advantage.

That would be all Mussina would need. He retired 8 men in a row before allowing a 2-out walk to Rios in the 6th. Home ump C.B. Bucknor seemed to tighten the strike zone in the at-bat. Moose was clearly frustrated on some 2-strike calls to Rolen as well and surrendered an RBI double before finally retiring Stairs on a ground out to Cano. The long pitch sequences to Rios and Rolen cost Mussina another inning as he left to a big ovation after 103 pitches.

The Yankees tacked on single runs in the 6th and 7th on RBI singles by Damon and Hideki Matsui. Ross Ohlendorf, Kyle Farnsworth, and Mariano Rivera finished up with 1 inning each. Rivera, in a non-save situation, struck out 2 of the 3 batters he faced.

News and Notes

Johnny Damon extended his hitting streak to 13 games.

Blue Jays outfielder Vernon Wells is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a broken wrist and could be back in 10 days. He's begun taking batting practice.


June 4, 2008

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Toronto	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0		1	6	0
NY Yankees	0	0	1	2	0	1	1	0	X		5	12	0

Toronto	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Stewart, LF	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	.253
Scutaro, 2B	4	0	1	0	0	2	0	.269
Rios, CF	3	1	2	0	1	1	0	.266
Rolen, 3B	4	0	1	1	0	1	3	.304
Stairs, DH	4	0	0	0	0	2	2	.261
Overbay, 1B	4	0	2	0	0	1	1	.280
Barajas, C	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	.297
Thigpen, C	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000
Wilkerson, RF	3	0	0	0	0	1	2	.237
Eckstein, SS	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	.268
Totals	32	1	6	1	1	9	11
BATTING 2B: Rios (13, Mussina), Rolen (13, Mussina). TB: Scutaro; Rios 3; Rolen 2; Overbay 2. RBI: Rolen (15). 2-out RBI: Rolen. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Overbay; Stairs; Eckstein. GIDP: Rolen. Team LOB: 5. FIELDING DP: 3 (Overbay-Eckstein-Litsch, Eckstein-Scutaro-Overbay, Rolen-Scutaro-Overbay).

Toronto IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Litsch (L, 7-2) 5.1 10 4 4 2 1 1 3.45 Camp 1.0 1 1 1 1 0 0 4.11 Downs 0.2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1.88 Benitez 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3.18

NY Yankees	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Damon, LF	4	0	3	1	0	0	2	.310
Jeter, SS	4	0	1	1	0	1	2	.282
Abreu, RF	3	1	0	0	1	0	3	.281
Rodriguez, 3B	4	0	1	0	0	0	2	.293
Matsui, DH	3	0	2	1	1	0	0	.337
Betemit, 1B	4	1	1	1	0	0	4	.238
Cano, 2B	4	1	1	0	0	0	1	.217
Molina, C	3	2	2	0	1	0	0	.222
Cabrera, CF	4	0	1	1	0	1	2	.265
Totals	33	5	12	5	3	2	16
BATTING 2B: Cano (11, Litsch), Rodriguez (13, Litsch), Molina (12, Litsch). HR: Betemit (2, 4th inning off Litsch, 0 on, 2 out). TB: Damon 3; Jeter; Rodriguez 2; Matsui 2; Betemit 4; Cano 2; Molina 3; Cabrera. RBI: Jeter (27), Betemit (4), Cabrera (26), Damon (27), Matsui (28). 2-out RBI: Betemit; Cabrera; Damon. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Damon 2; Betemit. GIDP: Cano; Abreu; Betemit. Team LOB: 7. FIELDING DP: (Cano-Jeter-Betemit).

NY Yankees	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Mussina (W, 9-4)	6.0	5	1	1	1	6	0	4.01
Ohlendorf (H, 3)	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	5.79
Farnsworth	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	4.28
Rivera	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0.35

WP: Ohlendorf.
IBB: Matsui (by Litsch).
Pitches-strikes: Litsch 99-59, Camp 16-8, Downs 8-6,
Benitez 10-7, Mussina 103-67, Ohlendorf 18-10,
Farnsworth 13-9, Rivera 14-10.
Ground outs-fly outs: Litsch 10-5, Camp 3-0, Downs 2-0,
Benitez 1-1, Mussina 6-6, Ohlendorf 2-1, Farnsworth 1-1, Rivera 1-0.
Batters faced: Litsch 26, Camp 5, Downs 2, Benitez 3,
Mussina 23, Ohlendorf 4, Farnsworth 3, Rivera 3.
Inherited runners-scored: Camp 1-1, Downs 1-1.
Umpires: HP: CB Bucknor. 1B: Joe West. 2B: Ed Rapuano.
3B: Ed Hickox.
Weather: 70 degrees, rain.
Wind: 6 mph, Out to LF.
T: 2:46.
Att: 51,151.

Stars Align for Moose

Right now we can't imagine how Mike Mussina will not be picked for this year's American League All-Star team. His last selection was in 1999. Mussina (9-4) continued his remarkable season last night by dazzling the Toronto Blue Jays for 6 innings in a 5-1 Yankees victory. The win snapped the Yankees 3-game losing streak and gave Mussina his 9th win of the season, tied with the Angels' Joe Saunders and Indians' Cliff Lee for tops in the American League.

Mussina allowed a pair of harmless singles through the first three innings and then the Yankees got on the board first. Jose Molina lead off the bottom of the 3rd with a single off Jays starter Jesse Litsch, and moved to 3rd Base on Johnny Damon's perfectly execute 1-out hit and run single. Derek Jeter then made history when he inside outed a ball to right field for an RBI single. It was hit number 2,416, moving him past Mickey Mantle into sole possession of 3rd place on the all-time Yankees hit list.

Mussina allowed a lead off double to Alex Rios in the 4th, but retired Scott Rolen on a line out and struck out Matt Stairs and Lyle Overbay. The Yankees then took advantage with 2 outs in their half of the inning. Wilson Betemit took Litsch deep to right for his 2nd home run of the season and a 2-0 lead. Robinson Cano followed with a double and after a walk to Molina, Melky Cabrera singled to right for a 3-0 advantage.

That would be all Mussina would need. He retired 8 men in a row before allowing a 2-out walk to Rios in the 6th. Home ump C.B. Bucknor seemed to tighten the strike zone in the at-bat. Moose was clearly frustrated on some 2-strike calls to Rolen as well and surrendered an RBI double before finally retiring Stairs on a ground out to Cano. The long pitch sequences to Rios and Rolen cost Mussina another inning as he left to a big ovation after 103 pitches.

The Yankees tacked on single runs in the 6th and 7th on RBI singles by Damon and Hideki Matsui. Ross Ohlendorf, Kyle Farnsworth, and Mariano Rivera finished up with 1 inning each. Rivera, in a non-save situation, struck out 2 of the 3 batters he faced.

News and Notes

Johnny Damon extended his hitting streak to 13 games.

Blue Jays outfielder Vernon Wells is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a broken wrist and could be back in 10 days. He's begun taking batting practice.


June 4, 2008

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Toronto	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0		1	6	0
NY Yankees	0	0	1	2	0	1	1	0	X		5	12	0

Toronto	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Stewart, LF	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	.253
Scutaro, 2B	4	0	1	0	0	2	0	.269
Rios, CF	3	1	2	0	1	1	0	.266
Rolen, 3B	4	0	1	1	0	1	3	.304
Stairs, DH	4	0	0	0	0	2	2	.261
Overbay, 1B	4	0	2	0	0	1	1	.280
Barajas, C	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	.297
Thigpen, C	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000
Wilkerson, RF	3	0	0	0	0	1	2	.237
Eckstein, SS	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	.268
Totals	32	1	6	1	1	9	11
BATTING 2B: Rios (13, Mussina), Rolen (13, Mussina). TB: Scutaro; Rios 3; Rolen 2; Overbay 2. RBI: Rolen (15). 2-out RBI: Rolen. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Overbay; Stairs; Eckstein. GIDP: Rolen. Team LOB: 5. FIELDING DP: 3 (Overbay-Eckstein-Litsch, Eckstein-Scutaro-Overbay, Rolen-Scutaro-Overbay).

Toronto IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Litsch (L, 7-2) 5.1 10 4 4 2 1 1 3.45 Camp 1.0 1 1 1 1 0 0 4.11 Downs 0.2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1.88 Benitez 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3.18

NY Yankees	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Damon, LF	4	0	3	1	0	0	2	.310
Jeter, SS	4	0	1	1	0	1	2	.282
Abreu, RF	3	1	0	0	1	0	3	.281
Rodriguez, 3B	4	0	1	0	0	0	2	.293
Matsui, DH	3	0	2	1	1	0	0	.337
Betemit, 1B	4	1	1	1	0	0	4	.238
Cano, 2B	4	1	1	0	0	0	1	.217
Molina, C	3	2	2	0	1	0	0	.222
Cabrera, CF	4	0	1	1	0	1	2	.265
Totals	33	5	12	5	3	2	16
BATTING 2B: Cano (11, Litsch), Rodriguez (13, Litsch), Molina (12, Litsch). HR: Betemit (2, 4th inning off Litsch, 0 on, 2 out). TB: Damon 3; Jeter; Rodriguez 2; Matsui 2; Betemit 4; Cano 2; Molina 3; Cabrera. RBI: Jeter (27), Betemit (4), Cabrera (26), Damon (27), Matsui (28). 2-out RBI: Betemit; Cabrera; Damon. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Damon 2; Betemit. GIDP: Cano; Abreu; Betemit. Team LOB: 7. FIELDING DP: (Cano-Jeter-Betemit).

NY Yankees	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Mussina (W, 9-4)	6.0	5	1	1	1	6	0	4.01
Ohlendorf (H, 3)	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	5.79
Farnsworth	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	4.28
Rivera	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0.35

WP: Ohlendorf.
IBB: Matsui (by Litsch).
Pitches-strikes: Litsch 99-59, Camp 16-8, Downs 8-6,
Benitez 10-7, Mussina 103-67, Ohlendorf 18-10,
Farnsworth 13-9, Rivera 14-10.
Ground outs-fly outs: Litsch 10-5, Camp 3-0, Downs 2-0,
Benitez 1-1, Mussina 6-6, Ohlendorf 2-1, Farnsworth 1-1, Rivera 1-0.
Batters faced: Litsch 26, Camp 5, Downs 2, Benitez 3,
Mussina 23, Ohlendorf 4, Farnsworth 3, Rivera 3.
Inherited runners-scored: Camp 1-1, Downs 1-1.
Umpires: HP: CB Bucknor. 1B: Joe West. 2B: Ed Rapuano.
3B: Ed Hickox.
Weather: 70 degrees, rain.
Wind: 6 mph, Out to LF.
T: 2:46.
Att: 51,151.