Lackey Needs to Shut His Butt Ugly Face About A-Rod

If you know me at all or have read anything I've written on this blog, other sites, Facebook or Twitter, you know that I am no fan of Alex Rodriguez. I've felt that way for a number of pre-steroid years. Some players are just not likeable and A-Rod, to me, is one of those people. That being said, Boston Red Sox pitcher John Lackey needs to shut his butt ugly face.

Lackey, who is scheduled to face the A-Rod and the Yankees Saturday afternoon, told media members “I’ve got a problem with it (A-Rod playing). You bet I do. How is he still playing? He obviously did something and he’s playing. I’m not sure that’s right. . It’s pretty evident he’s been doing stuff for a lot of years I’ve been facing him. “Sure, we talk about it,” he said. “But talking to the media about it is a little bit different. People have strong feelings." 

“He took me deep the first time I faced him as a rookie, and he admitted to doing stuff back then. There are a lot of things I want back from him.”¹

Yes, I am sure A-Rod came right out and admitted to the opposition that he was using performance enhancing drugs.  Unless Lackey can say with 100% surety that he has never played with a PED user in his 11 year career with the Los Angeles Angels and Boston Red Sox, he needs to keep his thoughts to himself. (He might want to note that David Ortiz, his teammate since 2011 failed a drug test in 2003, but it's been swept under the carpet because of Ortiz's popularity with fellow players, fans, and the media.)

As much as it might annoy people, A-Rod also has the right to play while he appeals his suspension. It's all part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that the players signed off on.

Also, how does Lackey know that it's "pretty evident he's been doing stuff?" There were no rumors early in the decade about A-Rod using PEDs. For that matter how do we know Lackey hasn't cheated. His career looked over, he had major surgery, and all of a sudden he looks like a stud again. Is it because of a Bartolo Colon cocktail or good health and hard work?

I personally don't think Lackey cheated his way back, but as a player who has been part of the steroid era, he should simply keep his mouth shut.

1 - Boston Globe

Selig Ready to Bring the Hammer Down Monday

"I'll hold my breath if you suspend me!"

Alex Rodriguez is on his way to the Windy City, if he's not there already, for the Yankees series with the Chicago White Sox beginning Monday night.

It appears A-Rod will be able to suit up once MLB commissioner Bud Selig hands down the third baseman's suspension as well as that of 12 other players. Selig seems to have backed off his threat of a lifetime ban and will allow any players that choose to appeal to continue to play while their case is heard.

CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reported that in addition to A-Rod, Nelson Cruz (Texas), Jhonny Peralta (Detroit), Everth Cabrera (San Diego), Francisco Cervelli (NYY), Fernando Martinez (NYY minors), Jesus Montero (Seattle), Jordan Norberto (Oakland minors), Cesar Puello (NYM minors), and Fautino De Los Santos (San Diego minors) are to be suspended.¹

All with the exception of A-Rod are expected to be given 50 game suspension. The three time AL MVP on the other hand is reportedly to be suspended through 2014, with the possibility it could into 2015 if the appeal impacts the number of games A-Rod plays the rest of this season.

Melky Cabrera (Toronto), Bartolo Colon (Oakland), and Yasmani Grandal (San Diego) have already served suspensions for their participation with Biogenesis and will not receive further punishment. Washington Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez name had been mentioned in connection with Biogenesis, but there was no evidence of his involvement.

Update 1:50 PM 8/5: In addition to the names listed above (not including A-Rod), Jordany Valdespino (NYM), Antonio Bastardo (Philly), Sergio Escalona (Houston) have reportedly accepted 50 game suspensions.

1 - CBSsports.com

Phil'ed With Good Feelings

A tip of the cap right back at ya.

Phil Hughes has been a conundrum throughout his entire New York Yankees. From can't miss prospect to comparisons to Roger Clemens to injury plagued season to inconsistent to good to bad to good to bad, and so on.

Hughes' year started with a bad omen, a bulging disc in his back that landed him on the 15-day DL. Then his first two starts of the regular season were downright awful. (8 ER, 17 hits in 7 IP) It was especially disappointing considering the improvement Hughes showed in the second half in 2012. Since then, however, Hughes has gotten his game together.

He didn't have a win to show for it, but Hughes kept the Yankees in the game when they faced last season's two Cy Young Award winners, David Price and R.A. Dickey in Hughes' last two starts prior to Saturday. The Yankees rallied to win both games against Tampa Bay and Toronto thanks to Hughes' and the bullpen keeping the games close.

Saturday was all about Hughes in the Yankees 4-2 win against the Oakland A's. The right-hander, who doesn't turn 27 for another month, had his best game of the season. Eight innings of shutout ball and 118 pitches. Hughes' has a bad tendency to usually hit the 100 pitch mark in the 5th or 6th inning. That wasn't the case against the A's as Hughes allowed four hits, walked two, and struck out nine batters for the second straight start.

He got early run support from a pair of unlikely sources - Chris Stewart and Lyle Overbay - who both homered against Hughes' ex-teammate Bartolo Colon. The California native allowed just two runners to reach second base and retired the last 10 men he faced.

Hughes relied heavily on his four-seam fastball, especially in the early going and late in the ball game. 80 of his 118 pitches were fastballs with sliders (16 pitches) and curveballs (13) mixed into the middle innings. He threw just four changeups on the day. Hughes hit 92-95 mph on the radar gun in the early innings and still rang up 91-92 consistently in his final two innings.  According to the Elias Sports Bureau the 19 swings and misses he produced matched Hughes' career high.

Now if only Hughes could bottle up this performance and bring it out to the mound 90% of the time.

Notes

The sky is falling - Mariano Rivera allowed an inherited runner to score and gave up a run himself! The Yankees magic man was in a non-save situation since the Yankees had a 4-0 lead and he entered after Shawn Kelley allowed a lead off single to the first batter in the 9th. (Why did Joe Girardi bother to even have Kelley pitch if he was going to pull him for one base runner?) Rivera's ERA jumped to 2.19 after he allowed his third earned run of the season in 12.1 innings pitched.

Overbay's five home runs are his highest total since he hit eight in 2011. The last time he had 500+ at-bats (2010), the first baseman hit 20 home runs for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Stewart has two home runs in 14 games after he just one in 55 games last year.

Skip Bayless, Attention Whore

Look at me, I an asshat

This would not have come to my attention had the NY Daily News' Mark Feinsand not tweeted it earlier this evening.

I NEVER watch First Take...I stopped when it was still called Cold Pizza and stunk just as much. Any show that would employ the intolerable Skip Bayless is a show that should not be watched. No one should care what Bayless says or how many times he mentions Tim Tebow (definitely could be a drinking game.).

But Bayless' latest comments are purely the work of an attention seeking asshole. With the Melky Cabrera and Bartolo Colon PED disasters, Bayless opined on how Derek Jeter could possibly be performing the way he is at age 38:

“I would have to be sight- and hearing-impaired not to at least wonder, because there is no HGH test in the sport of baseball,” Bayless said. “They do not blood test; they do it one time in spring training for HGH, not again the rest of the year. How could I not wonder, ‘Is he using something?’ If you’re Derek Jeter, would you think about using HGH right now? Because I would. How would you not? Would you not think about it?”

The Yankees' captain didn't take the comment lying down:

Jeter called it “unfortunate” that somebody can go on television and make such insinuations, joking that Bayless might be the one in need of a drug test. “Whenever you have people that anytime you bring something like this to light with guys that are doing things, it’s like, now you have everybody questioning everything,” Jeter said. “That’s the unfortunate thing. Maybe Skip should be tested.”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/yankees-captain-derek-jeter-suggests-skip-bayless-check-hgh-usage-article-1.1142392?pgno=1#ixzz24KbxOU7q

Say It Ain't So, Bar-to-lo

Another one bites the dust, hey hey..another bites the dust.

We're still smack dab (what the hell kind of an expression is smack dab anyway? But I digress) in the middle of Melkygate when word came out today that another former Yankee has been caught with his hand in the testosterone jar.

Bartolo Colon, whose career came back from the dead with the Yankees last season, tested positive for synthetic testosterone (Yo Victor Conte, sleezbeag, you still think no one will get caught with the new synthetic PEDs?)

The punishment is the same as the Melkman- 50 games. That finishes Colon's season, and should the A's make the playoffs, the first 10 games of the post-season.

Colon, the only player I've seen take PEDs and still be extremely overweight, surprised everyone when he stood out at times for the Yankees in 2011. He wore out towards the end of the season, but not before he compiled an 8-10, 4.00 record (he was 8-6, 3.30 through July) in 26 starts and three relief appearances after having not pitched in the Majors since 2009.

Melky Cabrera, Colon. Who's next? I'm afraid to find out.

A's Flunk Yankees - How Low Can You Go?

Coco Crisp ruins my afternoon - courtesy of sfgate.com

It appeared the Yankees would salvage the finale of the four game set in Oakland with the Athletics after losing to the A's kiddie corp three straight nights. After all, the Yankees had built a 4-0 against ex-teammate Bartolo Colon and had their ace, CC Sabathia, on the hill.

But after Curtis Granderson gave the Yankees a 4-0 lead with his 26th home run in the 4th inning, the Yankees offense went to sleep. Meanwhile the A's chipped away on solo home runs by Saturday's hero Brandon Inge, and catcher Kurt Suzuki and trailed 4-3 when Sabathia departed after seven innings.

David Robertson escaped a jam in the 8th, but closer Rafael Soriano was not so lucky. Soriano, who has been so good in place of the injured Mariano Rivera, served up a gopher ball to Seth Smith in the 9th to tie the game 4-4 for just his second blown save of the season.

It would stay that way until the 12th inning when Coco Crisp singled off Cody Eppley to bring home Derek Norris with the winning run. It completed the first ever four game sweep of Yankees by the A's in their home ball park. Each game was decided by one run, three of them in Oakland's final at-bat.

The afternoon started out as nicely as the 70 degree, sunny weather in Oakland. Mark Teixeira smacked the Yankees' fourth straight single to start the 3rd inning to put the Bombers on the board. Alex Rodriguez followed with a 2-run double for a 3-0 advantage.

Sabathia was sharp at the start, but was victimized in the 5th by Inge and Suzuki, who both pulled home runs into the left field seats. Colon, on the other hand, settled down and allowed just three more hits after the 3rd inning. Granderson's solo shot seemed to seal the deal, but the A's never-say-die attitude caught up with the Sabathia and the Yankees' pen.

Notes


Robinson Cano had his 23 game hitting streak snapped on Saturday, but had two hits on Sunday.

Derek Jeter didn't start the game, but came in as a late game defensive replacement.

Baltimore's victory moved them to within six games of the Yankees, but both Boston and Tampa Bay lost.

Girardi: You Kids Get Off My Lawn

Oakland A's starters Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin

I can picture Joe Girardi in a Scooby Doo scene,  a mask pulled off him as the gang, in unison, said "Mr Girardi!"  Girardi's response, of course, would have been, "That's right and I would have gotten away it too if you not for your snooping kids). When Bartolo Colon steps on the mound this afternoon (Sunday) in Oakland, you couldn't blame the Yankees if they gave their ex-teammate a standing ovation.

It wouldn't be for anything Colon has done other being born in the 1970's, well before teammates A.J. Griffin, Tom Milone, and Jarrod Parker. Colon has pitched in 375 games; that's 329 appearances more than Griffin (5), Milone (24), and Parker (17) combined.

Colon will be looking to join his young teammates in the winner's column as Oakland tries to complete a four game sweep of the Yankees on Sunday afternoon.  The series began Thursday night when Griffin, a 13th round draft choice by the A's in 2010, limited the Yankees to two runs over six innings in the A's 4-3 victory. The win improved the 24-year old's record to 2-0, 2.70.

The bullpen prevented the 25-year old Milone from earning his 10th win, but the left-hander shut the Yankees out over seven innings. Milone and the pen's performance snapped the Yankees streak of scoring three or more runs in a game at 43. Milone (9-6, 3.34) was acquired in the Gio Gonzalez deal with Washington this past off-season. Ryan Cook, the team's young closer, blew the save, but got the win when the A's scored in the bottom of the 9th for a 2-1 victory. Cook was picked up from Arizona for Trevor Cahill last December.

Parker, the team's top rated prospect coming into the season (acquired along with Cook in the Cahill deal), matched up in an old fashioned pitcher's duel with Phil Hughes on Saturday night. Hughes had allowed just two hits through seven innings, but Brandon Inge's opposite field home run gave the A's a 2-1 win.

The Yankees had one last chance in the 9th inning against left-hander Sean Dolittle, the team's 1st round pick in 2007. Dolittle was a power hitting 1st basemen/outfielder back then- he'd produced a 22 HR, 91 RBI season in 2008, but a knee injury contributed to Dolittle's decision to go back to pitching. Dolittle had excelled on the mound for the University of Virginia. One look at Dolittle and you would think he played violin from the way he tucks his glove under his chin as he waits for his catcher's signs, but he showed last night that he can definitely pitch.

After Alex Rodriguez reached on an infield single, Dolittle dominated the teeth of the Yankees lineup. He blew a high fastball past Robinson Cano for a swinging third strike. As Rodriguez stole second base, Dolittle caught Mark Teixeira looking on a called third strike on the outside corner. Finally, Dolittle completed the strikeout hat trick when he blew a third strike past Andruw Jones.

Notes

Robinson Cano's 23 game hitting streak came to end on Saturday.

Nick Swisher will sit out again on Sunday with a strained hip flexor tendon. It's up in the air whether he'll play in the next series in Seattle or not.

Yankees Rally, Rivera Ties Hoffman

With Bartolo Colon battered by the Toronto Blue Jays' hitters, it didn't appear any monumental records would be tied this afternoon's game between the Yankees and Toronto. But the Yankees slumbering bats woke up to give the team a 7-6 lead entering the bottom of the 9th. That's all Mariano Rivera would need as he retired the side in order to earn his 42nd save of the season and number 601 for his career, tying Trevor Hoffman for the all time record.

Rivera can thank Alex Rodriguez and Curtis Granderson most of all for the opportunity to enter Saturday's game with a lead. Down 6-1 in the 6th inning, the Yankees had already put a second run on the board when A-Rod came to the plate with two men on base. He promptly turned on an inside fastball from rookie Henderson Alvarez and drilled it over the left field fence to cut Toronto's lead to a single run.

After Aaron Laffey (3-2) held Toronto in check in the bottom of the inning, the Yankees went back to work in the 7th. Derek Jeter beat out an infielder grounder to start off the inning and Granderson then did battle with reliever Carlos Villanueva. After fouling off several 2-2 pitches, Granderson hit a pitch low in the zone and sent it over the fence in centerfield for his 40th home run of the season and the Yankees first lead of the day.

The Yankees pen made it stand up; after Scott Proctor and Laffey, Hector Noesi tossed a scoreless 7th and Rafael Soriano came on in the 8th to strike out the side for the second straight game. That left it all up to Rivera who was entering his 60th game for the 14th time in his career. He struck out Colby Rasmus looking, got Brett Lawrie on a ground out, and finished the save off when he retired pinch-hitter Eric Thames on a fly out to Granderson in center.

Notes

Alex Rodriguez's home run was the 629th of his career and his first since September 4.

Bartolo Colon's four inning start was his shortest outing since he lasted just 4.2 innings against Boston on August 5.

Sticks And Stones May Break My Bones But Last Licks Really Hurt Me

The Yankees are on a roll right now and it's not a good one. Dominated by Jered Weaver, the Yankees managed just three hits against the LA Angels and lost in the bottom of the 9th 2-1. It made the three straight losses for NY, all of them in the opponent's final at-bat.

Jesus Montero's third home run of the season provided the Yankees with their only run and Montero was also the only Yankee to reach second base off of Weaver, who struck out 11. The Angels tied the game when a Derek Jeter error led to an unearned run off Bartolo Colon (7 IP), who had his best start of the second half.

But after David Robertson tossed a scoreless 8th inning, Joe Girardi went to the back end/mop up/garbage part of the bullpen. Aaron Laffey allowed a lead off single to Alberto Callaspo and was pulled in favor of Luis Ayala. The veteran right-hander gave up a single to Vernon Wells and then hit Peter Bourjos to load the bases. Maicer Izturis delivered a pinch-hit sac fly to center to score pinch-runner Jeremy Moore with the game winner.

With the Yankees losses to the Orioles on Wednesday and Thursday in extra innings by identical 5-4 scores, the Bombers have a three game losing streak. But the AL East still remains a 2.5 game lead with Boston having also lost three straight and seven of nine (no, not THAT seven of nine).

The Yankees managed just a walk off Weaver in the first two innings before Montero started off the third with his third home run of the season. After going 0-4 in his debut, the Yankees top prospect is 7-16 (.438) with three home runs and six RBI, all of which have come in the last three games. The only other hits the Yankees managed were a Robinson Cano single in the 4th and a Derek Jeter single in the 7th. Alex Rodriguez drew a one out walk in the 9th off closer Jordan Walden, but pinch-runner Eduardo Nunez was thrown out attempting to steal second base.

Colon scattered six hits, walked just one, and struck out five in the no-decision. Bourjos reached against him with out in the 5th with a bunt single and Jeff Mathis reached on Jeter's throwing error. Colon got Erick Aybar on a fielder's choice, but Howie Kendrick singled to tie the game.

Have You Ever Seen The Run?

Bad puns come to mind when the Yankees lose, which is now somewhat habitual. Four losses in fives games to the "lowly" Oakland A's and Baltimore Orioles. Hurricane Irene went through Baltimore and sun shined on Sunday afternoon in the first game of a day-night doubleheader, but apparently the Yankees offense got swept out to see.

Credit has to be given though to Orioles starter Zach Britton, who didn't make it out of the 1st inning the last time he faced a team that more resembled the "Bronx Bombers". This time around Britton limited the Yankees to four hits over seven innings and the Orioles shut out the Yankees 2-0. Jim Johnson tossed a scoreless 8th inning before closer Kevin Gregg got Alex Rodriguez to bounce into a game ending double play for his 19th save.

Yankees starter Bartolo Colon matched Britton zero for zero until the Orioles broke through in the 7th inning. Nick Markakis led off the inning with a double off the right field wall and came home on Vlad Guerrero's base hit.

The O's added a big insurance in the 8th with some help from the Yankees. Mark Reynolds hit a pop fly to center that was too shallow for centerfielder Curtis Granderson and too deep for second baseman Robinson Cano. The two closed in on the ball and it appeared one of them would make the grab, but instead the ball fell between a lunging Cano and a sliding Granderson. Ryan Adams then followed with a single to put runners on the corners with no one out.

Colon looked like he might get out of the jam after retiring Adam Jones on a comebacker and caught Robert Andino looking at a called third strike, but J.J. Hardy delivered a two out single to put the O's up 2-0.

Britton and company were outstanding as not one Yankee reached second base safely. Mark Teixeira had three of the five Yankees hits and only one other New York base runner reached on a walk.

Notes

Derek Jeter broke another franchise record when he appeared in his 2,402nd game as a Yankee, surpassing Mickey Mantle's total.

Missed It By That Much

No one appreciates the post walk-off pie in the face more the Yankees' Nick Swisher. The Yankees entertaining right fielder stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the 9th last night with a chance to get a special delivery from A.J. Burnett.

It was Swisher's 8th inning 3-run home run that had cut the Oakland A's 6-0 lead in half. The Yankees had already scored a pair of runs in their last at-bat against A's closer Andrew Bailey and had the bases loaded witht two down. Bailey quickly fell behind 2-0 and had to come in with a strike. Swisher knew it, the crowd knew it, heck, even Michael Kay knew it. Swisher jumped all over Bailey's pitch and the ball soared into the night sky towards right-center.

A roar quickly went up from the crowd, but just as quickly died as centerfielder Coco Crisp settled under the ball, just shy of the wall, and closed his glove around it for the final out. There was no pie celebration.

The loss combined with the Red Sox win over the Rangers put the two teams back in a tie atop the AL East, though technically the Yankees are ahead by .002. Bartolo Colon struggled and appears to be tiring down the stretch. It wouldn't be surprising to see Colon find his way to the DL when Freddy Garcia returns. One guy who wasn't tired last night was rookie Brad Allen, who hit a pair of tape measure shot to ignite the A's offense. His 2nd inning blast reached the third deck in right and his 8th inning monster off of Hector Noesi proved to be the difference in the ball game. Fellow rookie Eric Sogard also hit his first Major League home run against Colon.

The story of the game though was A's starter Brandon McCarthy, who is enjoying his best season in the Major Leagues. The win matched McCarthy's previous career high of seven and it was his sixth victory in his last eight starts. The Yankees had at least one base runner on in all but one of McCarthy's 7.2 IP, but couldn't come up with a clutch hit. That included the 5th inning when Jorge Posada reached on a lead off double and was stranded there. Posada also ignited the 9th inning rally with a solo home run and Robinson Cano picked up an RBI when he walked with the bases loaded. But there was no joy in Pieville.

Notes

Derek Jeter enjoyed a perfect night, going 3 for 3 with a walk and a sacrifice bunt, and raised hit batting average to .295. Though Jeter has a tendency to hit into double plays, it was a curious decision by Joe Girardi to bunt his hottest hitter in the 9th with two on and none out.

Alex Rodriguez had his hand taped/bandaged up after jamming his left thumb in Minnesota on Sunday. X-Rays were negative and A-Rod is listed as day-to-day.

Blue Makes Yankees See Red

It was only a matter of time today before Major League Baseball admitted the umpires blew it when they didn't overturn a home run hit by the Kansas City Royals Billy Butler last night. The run was significant in the Royals 5-4 win over the New York Yankees, and while the correct call would not necessarily have meant the Yankees would have won the game (the home run put KC up 4-2 at the time), it was another example of just how poor big league umpiring has become.

Bad calls have been made many times over the years, and it's expected, the umpires are human and therefore fallible. It's easy to remember bad calls over the years- the missed call at first base that cost the 1985 Cardinals the World Series, the Jeffrey Maier incident in the '96 ALCS, and Joe Mauer's double that wasn't a double in the '09 ALDS are among the bad calls in crucial situations. But bad calls and poor judgement are becoming more and more prevalent, whether it cost a pitcher (Armando Galarraga) a perfect game or takes away an at-bat with an erratic ball-strike zone.

But when an umpiring crew cannot get a call right with the use of instant replay it's time to go back to the drawing board. Whether it be a point system where umpires are graded to determine if they get to work in the Major Leagues the follow season or are docked pay based on performance, something has to be done.

After the game Joe Girardi regretted not protesting the game, but there's no point since there's nothing more futile than a baseball protest. It was a futile night all told. The real reason the Yankees lost was a poor performance by starter Bartolo Colon and the failure to take care of offensive threats.

Colon was shaky and deliberate all night. He didn't have his usual positive energy on the mound nor the location of his pitches. Curtis Granderson's 34th home run of the season had helped stake the Yankees to a 2-0 lead, but Colon couldn't hold the Royals down in the 3rd inning. Alex Gordon belted his 15th home run of the season with two aboard to put the Royals on top for good, 3-2. One out later, came Butler's drive to left field that bounced off of the padding atop the wall and back into play. Brett Gardner quickly got the ball back in, but the umpires ruled a home run.

During a long replay review, Butler knew what the right call was and prepared to go back on the field with a double,. Television cameras caught Butler's sheepish grin when the umpires upheld the call and also the fury that no one knew Mariano Rivera was capable of. The Yankees closer barked out at the umpires and had to be quieted down by coach Tony Pena and Girardi so he would not get ejected. Rivera was still angry after the game while speaking with reporters.

The Yankees had a chance in the 9th to at least tie things up against Royals closer Joakim Soria, who has pitched far below his normal excellence this season. The Yankees loaded the bases on a Derek Jeter single and walks to Granderson and Mark Teixeira. That set the stage for a big battle with Robinson Cano, who had delivered a key three run home run the night before. But Soria made a big pitch and got Cano to fly out to left. Though Jeter scored to cut the lead to 5-4, the Yankees were down to their final out.

After a passed ball moved the tying and go ahead runs into scoring position, Soria issued another free pass to Nick Swisher to reload the bases. That brought up the birthday boy Jorge Posada, who turned 40 on Wednesday. This past Saturday Posada delivered twice the bases loaded, putting up six RBI in the process. It wasn't meant to be this time as Posada never got the bat off his shoulder. A 1-0 pitch missed the zone, but was called a strike by home plate ump Chad Fairchild, changing the tenor of the at-bat. Posada eventually looked at a called third strike on a pitch that was border line, but too close to take.

Notes

Prospect Dellin Betances was promoted to Triple-A Scranton.

Logan's No Run

The Yankees trailed the Red Sox 2-0 in the 5th inning tonight, and Boston had the bases loaded with two outs. With Jon Lester throwing zeroes it appeared the game was one pitch from being over. Adrian Gonzalez, the Major's leader in RBI, was at the plate, so Joe Girardi recognized it was now or never and sent for lefty Boone Logan. In affect it was over, because Logan struck out Gonzalez on three pitches and the Yankees rallied for a 3-2 win, their eighth straight.

Starter Bartolo Colon breezed through the first two innings and looked like he was on his way to a big night. But Jacoby Ellsbury touched him for an RBI double in the 3rd and David Ortiz smacked his 21st home run an inning later. In the 5th the Red Sox had a man on with two outs when Colon walked Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia reached on an infield single.

Having watched Colon's pitch count rise to 94 and his location suffer, Joe Girardi made the quick hook. It was the best move of the night. Logan picked up the win after his big K in the 5th and two outs in the 6th. Corey Wade finished out the inning, stranding Carl Crawford at second base, and then Rafael Soriano, David Robertson, and Mariano Rivera put up goose eggs in the final three innings. Crawford reached on a one out single in the 9th, but Rivera struck out Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Josh Reddick looking to nail down his 29th save.

Lester limited the Yankees to two hits through the first five innings, but issued a lead off walk to Eduardo Nunez to start the 6th. Consecutive singles by Derek Jeter and Curtis Granderson put the Yankees on the board and Lester gave another free pass (Mark Teixeira) to load the bases. A nine pitch battle ensued with Robinson Cano with Lester inducing a 4-6-3 double play. The tying run scored, but it could have been a rally ending DP. Nick Swisher though saved the day when he ripped a ball past third baseman Kevin Youkilis for a go ahead RBI ground-rule double.

It would be the last hit the Yankees had on the night as the Red Sox pen pitched three scoreless innings. A fine effort, but not as big a night as the Yankees pen turned in.

Welcome To The Dunderdome

Baseball was meant to be played on grass fields in outdoor stadiums. Due to weather and financial restrictions, domes and artificial turf were introduced to the game beginning in the 1960's. But by no means was baseball ever meant to be played in a warehouse. A warehouse with poor lighting, poor acoustics, catwalks, hanging fixtures, wires, a fish tank (ok, rays tank) and other assorted paraphernalia. Ball parks can be quirky. There is nothing quirky about a puke green decorated warehouse that costs teams wins.

Minnesota did Major League Baseball a favor when it built it's new beautiful Target Field and abandoned the piece of garbage (and outfield fences made of garbage bags) known as the Metrodome. Now Tampa Bay needs to do the same and jettison the Trop. Heck if you have to screw and swindle the fans and voting public like Florida's slimy owner, Jeffrey Loria did. Perhaps owner Stuart Sternberg can ring Loria up for some pointers on bilking the constituency.

Why all the anger? All of the vitroile, as Michael Kay likes to say. Because when you see your team lose a game because of the Tampa Bay's excuse of a ball park, it pisses you off.

Bartolo Colon, who struggled with his confidence and control since returning from the DL, had gotten his mojo back (the Trop also caused me not to use an Austin Powers-Bartolo Colon photoshopped picture!) Tuesday night against the Rays. He struck out a season high nine batters and held a 2-1 lead in the 7th inning. Joe Girardi pulled him after 105 pitches and back to back one out singles by Robinson Chirinos and Sean Rodriguez. That's when the Trap Trop came into play.

Boone Logan got pinch-hitter Justin Ruggiano to hit a routine fly to center field, but Curtis Granderson lost sight of the ball in the ceiling and it dropped in for a single. Suddenly instead of two on and two out, the Rays had the bases loaded and just one out. Logan again made the right pitch, this time to Elliot Johnson, getting the pinch-hitter to hit a comebacker. But instead of a possible inning ending double play, the ball ticked off the glove of the 6'7" Logan for a game tying error.

So what did Logan do? He made another good pitch. Johnny Damon hit a shallow fly that normally would not allow a runner to score from third base. But the ball was too deep for either shortstop Eduardo Nunez or second baseman Robinson Cano to reach. Instead Granderson made a sliding catch that enabled Ruggiano to get a good jump off third and score easily ahead of the wild throw home.

The Yankees only put one base runner on in the final two innings, but that was erased when Cano, who supplied the Yankees runs with a 2-run homer ended the 8th by grounding into a double play.

Starter Jeremy Hellickson held the Yankees to five hits over seven innings and picked up the victory (9-7). Reid Brignac, who was hitting .192 at the time, singled in the Rays first run in the 5th inning.

Notes

Brett Gardner swiped two more bases (the Yankees had four steals in all) to take over the AL lead with 29, one more than Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury and Texas' Elvis Andrus. Gardner has been successful in 14 consecutive steal attempts.

Joel Peralta earned his first save of the season and the third of his career by pitching a 1-2-3 9th inning.

Prior to the game the Yankees put Sergio Mitre on the disabled list with a sore shoulder and called up left-hander Steve Garrison from Double-A Trenton.

Since the 5-5 day that enabled Derek Jeter to reach 3,000 hits and beyond, the Yankees captain is in a 5-26 slide.

CC Stops The Bleeding

"You ain't hitting this."

After shaky outings from Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia, you can bet Joe Girardi was ecstatic to put CC Sabathia's name on the lineup card as the starting pitcher.

Sabathia became the Major's first 14-game winner with a dominant eight inning performance against the Toronto Blue Jays in a 4-1 Yankees win. The victory snapped the Yankees two game losing streak with a chance to gain a split of the series tomorrow afternoon.

Sabathia won his seventh straight after he allowed a run in the first inning. Rajai Davis drew a lead off walk and stole his 25th base of the season. One out later Yunel Escobar singled past a diving Robinson Cano for a 1-0 Blue Jays lead. But Sabathia would allow just one more hit until John McDonald's one out double in the 8th. He allowed three walks, struck out eight and won for the 12th time in 13 starts. The 6'7" left-hander has also won seven straight starts and has allowed just two earned runs in his last 39.2 innings pitched.

The Yankees took the lead in the 2nd inning when Andruw Jones followed Nick Swisher's ground rule double with an RBI single off Rickey Romero. Jones homered twice in Thursday night's loss. Brett Gardner's double put boith runners in scoring position with Jones scoring on Eduardo Nunez's chopper to third.

The Yankees played sloppy defense in the first two games, but Saturday it was Toronto's turn to do some gifting. Curtis Granderson drew a lead off walk to start the third and one out later Robinson Cano singled him to third. Romero struck out Swisher, but Cano broke for second to draw a throw from catcher J.P. Arencibia. Second baseman Aaron Hill threw wildly home as Granderson scored the Yankees third run.

The Yankees scored again in the 4th when Gardner, who had three hits, hit a bloop to center and hustled to second for a lead off double. He scored from third on a two out RBI single by Derek Jeter for a 4-1 Yankees lead.

The Blue Jays got back to back one out bloop singles off Mariano Rivera in the 9th, but the Yankees closer picked up his 23rd save when he struck out Hill and got Travis Snider to ground out to Jeter to end the game.

Notes

In addition to his three hits, Brett Gardner stole his 10th consecutive base without getting caught.

Eric Chavez will reportedly start a rehab assignment any day now.

Eduardo Nunez's fielding trouble continued Saturday. He made his 12th error of the season.

The Blue Jays hope to get Jose Bautista (twisted ankle) back on Tuesday. For now, he's in a walking boot.

Yankees Still On Break

The Yankees have had two games since the All-Star break, but apparently no one has notified them yet. Thursday they started with an embarrassing 16-7 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. Friday night the Yankees were doubled to death by Toronto in a 7-1 loss. The two games have exposed the elephant in the room/stadium. The Yankees starting pitching staff is still a question mark.

The rotation had exceeded expectations during the first half, but cracks began to show when Bartolo Colon went on the DL with a hamstring injury. Colon has made two starts since being activated and is pitched poorly both times out. After Thursday night's first inning exit, Colon admitted he's been tentative due to his leg injury. Colon's success in the first half was due to his blazing fastball and aggressive approach.

Colon's allowed five runs in 5.2 innings against Tampa Bay on July 7, but things went worse for him last evening. He had trouble getting over to first base to cover on a grounder to Mark Teixeira and couldn't move quickly enough on a pair of swinging bunts on the third base side of the mound.

In fairness to Garcia, he entered Friday evening on a streak of five straight starts with three runs or less allowed and at least six innings pitched. But Friday night Garcia hung one breaking pitch after another to the tune of five doubles in five innings. That is the problem when you have two aging starters whose best days are behind them. Colon has had physical issues for a number of years, while Garcia is no longer the hard thrower he once was. If he's on, he's terrific, but when he's not you get games like tonight's.

The Yankees still need to improve the rotation for the long haul of the second half. Whether it is Ivan Nova or a pitcher acquired through a trade, something needs to be done.

Colon, Nunez Dominate Mets

A little after 4 p.m. on Saturday Bartolo Colon picked up right where he left off when he injured his hamstring on June 11. Colon improved to 6-3 with six shutout innings in the Yankees 5-2 win over the Mets. It was the Yankees seventh straight victory and clinched their seventh straight series victory. Colon scattered five hits, didn't walk a batter and struck out six.

Eduardo Nunez continued his red hot hitting with three hits (seven in the last two innings), including his first Major League home run. Mets starter Dillon Gee was solid through five innings, but ran into the Yankees hot bats in the 6th.

Gee retired Brett Gardner to start the 6th, but Curtis Granderson homered for the first time since June 14 (#22) to break the scoreless tie. Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez followed with singles and Robinson Cano brought them home with a two-run triple into the right field corner. Nick Swisher's sac fly made it a 4-0 game.

The Mets offense got humstrung both figuratively and literally when Jose Reyes had to leave the game with a tweaked hamstring. The injury occurred in the first inning as Reyes raced to first base with a single. The Mets posed no threat to Colon until the 5th inning when they loaded the bases with one out on singles by Jason Bay, Lucas Duda, and Josh Thole. But pitcher Dillon Gee bounced a ball to Alex Rodriguez, who stepped on third and threw across the diamond for an easy inning ending double play.

Nunez's first blast came off of Tim Byrdak in the 9th and he was greeted in the dugout by the silent treatment. He laughed about it afterwards with Fox's Ken Rosenthal.

The Mets finally broke through in the 9th with a pair of runs off of Sergio Mitre in the 9th.

1st Inning, Umps Do In Mets

The Yankees-Mets Subway Series is not what it once was. The media tries to create a buzz and the fans still want to see the opponent beaten to a pulp, but there's not the tension there was earlier in the decade.

That doesn't mean there can't be a tightly contested game that is not without it's controversy. Case in point, last night's meeting between the two teams that resulted in a 5-1 Yankees win. It was just a 3-1 Yankees lead in the 7th inning when Alex Rodriguez pulled off an Oscar worthy performance and umpire Jerry Layne possibly changed the course of events. Mets shortsop Jose Reyes singled off Corey Wade to start the inning and advanced to second on a deep fly out by Justin Turner. When the ball got away from relay man Eduardo Nunez, Reyes broke for third and appeared to beat Nunez's throw to Rodriguez.

But Layne, who had run up the line from home plate, was blocked out by Rodriguez on the play. The Yankees third baseman made a swipe tag and sold it to Layne, who called Reyes out. The only problem was Rodriguez's tag attempt never reached Reyes. The Mets shortstop and third base coach Chip Hale immediately went after Layne, and manager Terry Collins was ejected as he joined the fray.

Instead of a man on third and less than two outs, the Mets had two out and none on and were done. Josh Thole reached on a one out single off Hector Noesi in the 9th prompting Joe Girardi to immediately call on (translation-overreact) Mariano Rivera in a non-save situation to close things out for the Yankees 16th win in 20 games.

As has been customary of late, the Yankees put runs together in the 1st inning. Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson started the game with back to back singles against starter Jon Niese, and both scored on Mark Teixeira's double to right. Niese finally retired Rodriguez for the first out, but Robinson Cano drilled a double to left for a 3-0 Yankes lead.

Ivan Nova wasn't particulary sharp, but made some big pitches when he needed to. Reyes and Turner began the bottom of the 1st with singles, but Nova got Carlos Beltran to pop out and Dan Murphy to bounce into an inning ending DP. The Mets did get their lone run an inning later on three straight singles by Jason Bay, Ronny Paulino, and Ruben Tejada, but stranded two runners when Niese struck out and Reyes bounced out.

In Nova's 5th and final inning, he retired the first two hitters, but gave up back to back singles to Beltran and Turner and walked Murphy to load the bases. But the right-hander, who won his 8th game, struck out Angel Pagan to escape the threat.

Notes

Alex Rodriguez made a spectacular throw, Jeterian like, when he backhanded a well hit ball and leapt to throw the runner out at first. But he thanked Mark Teixeira after the game for saving him from throwing errors on scoops made my the Gold Glove 1st baseman.

As expected, Derek Jeter will play tonight and tomorrow for the Trenton Thunder. GM Brian Cashman said Jeter will not play the full nine innings this evening.

Bartolo Colon will be activated to start this afternoon's game with Hector Noesi the likely candidate to be sent to the minors. UPDATE 3:40 pm: so much for rumors..Brian Gordon, not Noesi, was sent to Scranton to make room for Colon.