Mariano Exchanges Gifts With Mets

Prior to last night's Yankees - Mets game at Citi Field, the Mets gave Yankees closer Mariano Rivera part of an FDNY firehose for being the "ultimate fireman". He also had the honor of throwing out the game's first pitch to former Mets closer John Franco. Hours later, Rivera returned the gift by blowing his first save opportunity of the season in a 2-1 Mets win. I believe he was contaminated by the Mets.

The fact that Mo blew a save and the Yankees lost was no amazing feat. It's happened before and will happen again. What was truly amazing was the fact that it was the first time in his Major League career that the game's greatest closer blew a save or lost a game without having retired a single batter. THAT is remarkable.

The game was excellent pitcher's duel between Yankees veteran Hiroki Kuroda and Mets phenom Matt Harvey. Lyle Overbay's RBI single was the game's lone run through eight innings and happened in part because Marlon Byrd played Brett Gardner's single like Pele, allowing Gardner to advance into scoring position.

The Yankees couldn't get an insurance run though - Ichiro Suzuki got picked off first base in the 9th and was thrown out as he tried to advanced to second - and it came down to Rivera against the Mets trio of Daniel Murphy, David Wright, and Lucas Duda.  Wright had the game winning home run in Monday's opener of the four game set.

Murphy, who was robbed by Gardner of a home run on Monday and an extra base hit in Tuesday's contest, reached out on and poked a Rivera cutter to left for a ground rule double. Wright followed with a single to center that plated Murphy ahead of Gardner's throw. To compound matters, Rivera got caught watching the play and forgot to back up home plate. Sure enough the ball skittered through catcher Chris Stewart to allow Wright to grab the extra base.

Duda's single to right followed and the Mets had done the unthinkable, beaten the game's greatest closer without having recorded an out.

Notes

Though in my opinion it was blown out of proportion by the media, Jeff Wilpon's words during the pre-game presentation to Rivera, annoyed a lot of Mets fans and baffled the media. Basically Wilpon said that it would be the last time Rivera would face the Mets at Citi Field. Mo responded, "You never know." But instead of being let off the hook, Wilpon added something to the effect of "It would take some big turnaround."  I guess Mariano felt bad for him last night.

The series moves to Yankee Stadium Wednesday and Thursday for a pair of games.

Brian Cashman was brutally honest Tuesday when ESPN radio's Don LaGreca asked him if there was room on the team  for Overbay with Mark Teixeira about set to return. Cashman said he wasn't really sure, given the fact that Overbay can only play one position. (All of Overbay's play in the field - 1,270 games - has been at first base.)

Don't Let the Wright Guy Beat You

"Look..up in the sky...it's a bird..it's a plane..it's a Phil Hughes fastball."

If you scratched your head every time you were baffled by Phil Hughes, you would have a number of scabs on your scalp and your fingernails would be worn down to the nub. Such is life when you are watching Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hughes take his regular turn in the rotation.

Monday's night game with the Mets at Citi Field was a prime example of both sides of Hughes show up in a ball game. Hughes was throwing a beautiful game, but the Yankees had scored just a single run due to failed opportunities against Mets starter Jon  Niese. David Wright then strode to the plate in the bottom of the 7th with no one on base. Moments later expletives were heard through living rooms, dens, bars, and in areas of Citi Field that Yankees  fans were seated.

Wright is the only great hitter the Mets have. There is absolutely no reason to face him in a big spot in the game. A big spot such as protecting a one run lead in the 7th inning. Feel free to challenge Wright in the early innings, but with Lucas Duda on deck or whichever possible pinch-hitter is sitting on the bench, you do not give Wright anything to hit.

Of course, it was not Hughes' intention - the target was away - to give up a game tying gopher ball, but that's just what he did.  Wright got a pitch in his wheelhouse and tied the game. As the NY Post's Joel Sherman pointed out, Hughes actually gave up back-to-back home runs, but Brett Gardner robbed Daniel Murphy of a home run to end the 6th inning.

The Yankees ended up with a 2-1 loss when an ineffective David Robertson gave up a two-out RBI single to Murphy an inning later. But they would not have been in that position had Hughes not served up his regular, every fifth day meatball. Hughes has allowed at least one home run in seven of his 10 starts this season and last year, when he served up 35 long balls, opponents homered in 25 of Hughes' 32 starts.

So while Hughes can come through with a number of good starts, more often that not that "one mistake" or "two mistakes" end up costing him and the team. Hughes has even more trouble in his own ballpark, which is not suited for a flyball/strikeout pitcher (in fact Hughes has one of the lowest ground ball outs per game in MLB).

Yankees GM Brian Cashman was on ESPN radio Monday afternoon and told hosts Don LaGreca and Ryan Ruocco that he is still very high on Hughes and still believes he can be a very successful pitcher. Something tells me that between now and when Hughes declares his free agency after this season, Cashman's opinion will change.

FullCountPitch - Fans Doing An All-Star Job

In 1957, seven Cincinnati Reds players had been voted to start in the All-Star game. Commissioner Ford Frick responded by taking the vote away from the fans. Things are a little better in 2011.

Halley’s Comet, Steak Tartare, total solar eclipses…all three are less rare than baseball fans voting for the proper starters in the annual Major League All-Star game. But this year the average baseball Joe/Josephine is doing a pretty good job of mixing popularity with the deserving player. There are still mistakes of course, though some would argue that they are not errors since it is who the fans want to see. That being said, it is time to take a look at the current positional leaders for this year’s game, which will be played in Phoenix on July 12. (The statistical numbers indicated are accurate entering Sunday’s play unless otherwise indicated. All-Star vote totals are as of June 20.)

Read the rest of this free article at FullCountPitch.com

Adrian Beltre • Adrian Gonzalez • Albert Pujols • Alex Avila • Alex Rodriguez • Brandon Phillips • Brian McCann • Bruce Bochy • Chipper Jones • Curtis Granderson • David Ortiz • David Wright • Derek Jeter • Dustin Pedroia • Joe Mauer • Joey Votto • Jose Bautista • Jose Reyes • Lance Berkman • Matt Holliday • Matt Kemp • Michael Young • Miguel Montero • Pablo Sandoval • Prince Fielder • Robinson Cano • Ron Washington • Russell Martin • Ryan Braun • Ryan Howard • Ryan Zimmerman • Troy Tulowitzki • Victor Martinez

Mo Closes Out Record All-Star Game

Another year, another American League All-Star win, this time by a 4-3 margin. It was the 13th straight AL win and the 4th straight 1-run win. Mariano Rivera pitched a 1-2-3 9th for an All-Star record 4th save.

The night began with a very lengthy ceremony, which based on Twitter responses seemed to be well received. It thought it was a little schmaltzy and over the top, but some of the sentiment seemed genuine.

Honoring some of the Cardinals greats - Bob Gibson, Stan "the Man" Musial, Lou Brock and others. Honoring normal citizens that have contributed to society was a nice touch, especially have all the ball players greet them and give them a pat on the back.

President Obama, in his White Sox jacket, throwing out the first pitch was great. Unfortunately, the morons at Fox (conspiracy?) didn't bother to show Albert Pujols catching the ball. It was finally shown on a replay much later in the game when the President stopped in to talk with Tweedledee and Tweedledum (McCarver and Buck). By the way Mr. President, I think you're great, but you throw like Johnny Damon.

As for the game itself, it moved quickly, which was fantastic, especially on the heels of the HR Derby debacle. The AL took a 2-0 lead in the first in part thanks to errors by David Wright (how does he win a Gold Glove with that tin arm?) and Albert Pujols (on a ball hit by Mark Teixeira). The most memorable moment of the 1st inning was also the most aggravating. NL starter Tim Lincecum hit Derek Jeter on the wrist. The ball may have gotten part of the bat, but it got part of the Captain too! Outrage throughout Tweetville and living room and bars across the Tri-State area.

Roy Halladay moved down the NL in the 1st, but ran into 2-out trouble in the 2nd. Wright reached on a pop fly single and Shane Victorino and Yadier Molina followed with singles of their own. Wright scored and the "Flying Hawaiian" came home when center fielder Josh Hamilton's throw hit him in the back and got away. Prince Fielder's ground-rule double plated Molina for a 3-2 NL lead. But that would be it for the NL for the night and, in fact, the next 18 NL batters would go down without reaching safely.

The AL tied it up in the 7th against Chad Billingsley when Carl Crawford led off the inning with a single, and Joe Mauer doubled home Jeter, who had forced out Crawford.

Crawford was the defensive hero in the bottom half of the inning when he reached over the wall to take back a home run by Brad Hawpe, who tagged Jonathan Papelbon's delivery. The next hitter, Miguel Tejada, drilled one to right, but the ball seemed to die and landed in the glove of Adam Jones.

The AL took the lead for good against Heath Bell in the 8th thanks to Justin Upton playing out of position. Upton, normally a right fielder, was in lef field and looked totally clueless on Curtis Granderson's drive to the wall in left-center. Instead of a double, Granderson was able to cruise into third with a one out triple.

Victor Martinez was intentionally walked to set up a double play, but Jones delivered the run with a deep fly ball to right.

Joe Nathan ran into his own troubles in the bottom of the 8th when he issued a 2-out walk to Adrian Gonzalez and Orlando Hudson singled him to third. But after Hudson stole 2nd base, Nathan struck out pinch-hitter Ryan Howard with a nasty breaking pitch to preserve the lead.

The Mets' Francisco Rodriguez retired the AL in order in the top of the 9th and then it was time for the Sandman. And Mo didn't disappoint. He retired Upton on a ground out, struck out Hawpe with a filthy cutter and got Tejada on a game ending pop up to 2nd base.

Another year, another win. Carl Crawford was named the game's MVP for his catch and the start of the game tying rally.

Next year's game will be in Anaheim.

Hey Now Your'e An All-Star

So after sitting through part or all, or none for that matter, of last night's horrendous HR Derby, tonight Fox will do it's best to ruin an easy to ruin event - the All-Star game. The game is dull no matter how you slice it, but when you add the idiots from Fox to the mix, it's barely tolerable.

Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Mariano Rivera, David Wright, and K-Rod are the locals involved, with all the on-closers starting at their respective positions. Marc Carig of the Star Ledger has a nice feature in today's paper on Jeter's longevity and making the All-Star team at 35, which Jeter considers young.

If you remember last year, big mouth Jon Papelbon caused controversy by saying that he, not Mo, should pitch the 9th inning in the game. This year, Pap has wised up and said Mo is da man.

"To me, there's no doubt in my mind that Mo should close," Papelbon said. "Do I want to close? Of course. Am I going to get to? Probably not. I'm going to go into (manager) Joe Maddon's office and say, 'When you want me, I'll be in the bullpen ready to pitch.'"

Rivera laughed after being told of Papelbon's comment.

"Jonathan is a great guy," Rivera said. "He has his own mind, but he means well."

Starting lineups for tonight:

AL - Evan Longoria was scratched due to a finger infection, so the lineup may change

RF Ichiro
SS Derek Jeter
C Joe Mauer
1B Mark Teixeira
LF Jason Bay
CF Josh Hamilton
3B Michael Young
2B Aaron Hill
P Roy Halladay


NL

SS Hanley Ramirez
2B Chase Utley
1B Albert Pujols
RF Ryan Braun
LF Raul Ibanez
3B David Wright
CF Shane Victorino
C Yadier Molina
P Tim Lincecum

Yankees Wallop Sloppy Mets

The big man does it with the bat too!

Filed Under: Yankees

Tags: A-Rod passes Reggie • Alex Rodriguez • brett gardner • cc sabathia • David Wright • Derek Jeter • Happy Birthday Derek Jeter • Interleague Play • Mike Pelfrey • NY Mets • Subway Series • Yankees 6/26 recap • Yankees vs. Mets

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NY Yankees	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	3	2		9	14	0
NY Mets	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0		1	3	3

WP - Sabathia (7-4) LP - Pelfrey (5-3)

The Yankees picked up where they left off in the Subway Series, drubbing the Mets 9-1 tonight at Citi Field. The last time the two teams met on June 14, the Yankees pounded Johan Santana in 15-0 white washing at Yankee Stadium. That was the same series that Luis Castillo committed the “E-4 heard ’round the world“. Tonight’s game was a combo of both of those Yankees victories- great pitching, great hitting, and sloppy Mets play. They didn’t even need the birthday boy, the now 35-yr old Derek Jeter, who sat out the game with a bad cough.

CC Sabathia was outstanding in winning his 7th game of the season. The big man showed no signs of the bicep tightness that knocked him from his start last Sunday in the 2nd inning. He retired the first 12 Mets he faced and retired the side in order in 6 of the 7 innings he worked. His lone “bad” inning was the 5th when he allowed a home run to Gary Sheffield and worked his way out of further trouble to preserve a 4-1 lead. Sabathia’s fastball topped out at 98 mph and was consistently in the mid-90s....

Read the rest of my recap at Baseball Digest Online.

2009 NL East Preview

The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Tampa Bay Rays last fall to win their first word championship in 28 years. The Phillies have also overtaken the New York Mets the last two seasons to win the NL East division. This year should be no different.

NL EAST

Phillies
Mets
Braves
Marlins
Nationals

The Phillies are the team to beat in the NL East, but there are two arms that could change all that. Ace Cole Hamels struggled with a bad elbow all spring, though he did pronounce himself ready to go after an outing on Sunday. Closer Brad Lidge was perfect in 41 save attempts last season. If one or both struggle this season, so will the Phillies. But they're still the best team in the division.

Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jimmy Rollins are as good as any three infielders in MLB. Pat Burrell is out, but the more consistent Raul Ibanez is in. The rotation has Joe Blanton for an entire season. Ryan Madson emerged as an outstanding set up man last season.

The Mets have a lot to prove to their fans after two straight collapses that landed them on the outside looking in at playoff time. Johan Santana is still the best pitcher in baseball and Mike Pelfrey came into his own last season. The Mets re-signed erratic free agent lefty Oliver Perez, who was booed off the mound in Saturday's exhibition game at Citi Field. John Maine was awful in the second half of last season and hasn't totally regained his form this spring. The fifth spot in the rotation, for now, goes to retread Livan Hernandez, but rookie Jon Niese could step in at some point.

On offense, it all still falls on Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, David Wright, and Jose Reyes. Wright and Reyes can't pull a disappearing act down the stretch like they did the last two seasons. The bullpen is a huge upgrade over last year with the acquisitions of closers Francisco Rodriguez and (now set up man) J.J. Putz. The pen is what will win the wildcard for the Mets.

The Atlanta Braves were impressive in their first game last night, beating the Phillies 4-1. Jordan Schafer homered in his first major league at-bat, and Brian McCann and Jeff Francouer also went deep. Derek Lowe threw an outstanding eight innings and tops a solid rotation with Jair Jurjjens, Javier Vazquez, and Japanese rookie Kenshin Kawakami. We are concerned that the top two men out of the pen, Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano, both have a history of arm problems. But alll that being said, the Braves will be very competitive.

The Marlins have a mix of good young players that led to a third place finish last season. They should be in the .500 range again this season, but will fall behind the Braves. Hanley Ramirez is one of the most exciting players to watch and this could be the year that Cameron Maybin develops into a star.

We'll just say this- the Nationals won't sniff fourth place.

Jeter and Wright do battle for Charity

Derek Jeter and David Wright are taking the Yankees-Mets rivalry to another level. The two, who became fast friends at this year's World Baseball Classic, will do battle in a corporate sponsored event to benefit charity.

Delta Airlines has pledged $100,000 to the charity of the player who finishes the season with a higher batting average. $50,000 will be donated to the charity of the runner up.

Jeter's Turn 2 Foundation and "The David Wright Foundation" will use the money to benefit children in the metropolitan area as well as Wright's home state of Virginia.

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

Around the Horn - St. Patrick's Day

A happy green day to everyone. Phillies fans are hoping the luck of the Irish will help out Cole Hamels. The left-hander's MRI came out negative as far as structural damage goes, but just what is causing the ace's pain?

Julio Lugo will be out of the Boston lineup until probably the end of April after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Jed Lowrie will fill at shortstop in the meantime.

Marlins pitcher Matt Lindstrom took exception to a slow home run trot in the WBC the other night and threw behind the next batter. Shortly there after Lindstrom had to leave the game with shoulder pain. Turns out Lindstrom was hurting before the game and didn't tell anyone (here we go again). An examination revealed a strained rotator cuff that will shut down Lindstrom for 7-10 days.

Team USA has been bitten by the injury bug. In addition to Lindstrom, Dustin Pedroia (strained oblique), Ryan Braun (strained intercostal muscle), Chipper Jones (minor oblique strain), and David Wright (rung bell) have all suffered injuries.

Manny Ramirez will sit out the remainder of the week with a hamstring strain. Manny was quoted as saying, "I'm getting old." That didn't seem to be an issue when he wanted a $100 million contract.

Vernon Wells is almost ready to suit up for a spring training game. He's begun swinging the bat in Blue Jays intrasquad games as he makes his way back from an injured hamstring.

Yankees, Red Sox Bond

The intensity of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry goes without saying. But that doesn't mean these guys hate each other, or for that matter, even dislike each other. One thing that All-Star games, winter ball, and the World Baseball Classic do, are give players a chance to get to get know one another, and yes, even become friends.

Such is the case of a pair of middle infielders. Anthony McCarron of the Times reports that Derek Jeter and Dustin Pedroia can be seen palling around during the WBC. Yankees and Red Sox fans everywhere must be shuddering.

The two play the game the same way, balls to the wall, and it's not lost on the other.

"One of the good things about something like this is you get to put the personalities with the players," Jeter said. "I enjoy spending time with some of those guys."

Jeter says he admires the way both Pedroia and Youkilis play "every game like it's the last game they're going to play. You appreciate that."

"It's awesome to play with him, especially because we play against him so much during the season and he's always getting hits and doing things, so you respect him so much," added Pedroia. "We don't hate them and I don't think they hate us. It's great competition. That's what makes it fun - playing against great players and trying to win."

It's not just Yankees-Red Sox though. The intra-city rivals have a chance to show admiration for each other too.

"The thing with him, I respect the way he handles himself in New York," Jeter said of (David) Wright. "I can relate to what it's like coming up at a young age. He's a great player, it goes without saying that.

"But I'm more impressed with the way he handles himself. It seems like he's a guy on that team that people look toward. The thing I like about him is you don't have to be a rah-rah guy and run your mouth all the time to show leadership. I think he shows all the right leadership skills - he leads by example and he's not phony. What you see is what you get from him. It's not an image he's trying to portray; I think that's how he is as a person."

He notes how Jeter, despite his accomplishments, still works on his game diligently. "He's a leader and a winner and that's something I'd like to be," Wright said.

Remember all of this, Yankees, Red Sox, and Mets fans, the next time your ready to dump your beer or take a swing at the fan in the other team's colors.

Jeter's Top 10

We're not talking about rating Jessica Biel or Jessica Alba, though that would be fun. No, Derek Jeter and 9 Team USA teammates were on the David Letterman Show last night to read the top 10 list. Here it is:

Top 10 reasons to watch the World Baseball Classic:

10. Jimmy Rollins: "Due to economic crisis, we all have to share same pair of pants."

9. Curtis Granderson: "Japan has one of them crazy robot shortstops."

8. Dustin Pedroia: "Because it's an international event, our right fielder is Secretary of State Hillary Clinton."

7. Chipper Jones: "The winning team plays Neptune in the Galactic Baseball Classic."

6. Roy Oswalt: "It's fascinating seeing how players from other countries scratch themselves."

5. Adam Dunn: "You'll be part of a cherished baseball tradition dating all the way back to 2006." (Letterman added: "Oh, the stories they can tell.")

4. Ryan Braun: "Because of the metric system, games will be 6.83 innings."

3. Kevin Youkilis: "Before each game, get to sit through 30 different national anthems."

2. David Wright: "Australia's secret weapon: a fastball-throwing kangaroo."

1. Derek Jeter: "What else are you going to watch, hockey?"

Oswalt definitely got the best one. You can also watch the Top 10 on Letterman's website.

The Pennant Race - 8/21

You just get the feeling that for the second straight year, the Mets and Phillies will come down to the final weekend to determine the NL East winner. The Mets are playing good baseball, but they haven't been able to put much cushion between themselves and the Phillies since moving into first place.

Mike Pelfrey has really stepped up this season and did again last night, limiting the Braves to three hits in a complete game, 6-3 Mets victory. David Wright continued his run at the NL MVP with his 24th home run and 97th RBI. Rookie Dan Murphy's two RBI gave him 11 in 18 games and he's batting .404 in 47 at-bats.

The Phillies got a complete game of their own from Brett Myers, who scattered nine hits in shutting down the Nationals 4-0. Washington has lost 12 straight. After a brief stint in the minors, Myers has returned to form and is 3-1, 1.47 in his last five starts.

The Marlins' hopes are fading away. They dropped a 6-5 game to the Giants last night that put them 5 games behind the Mets and 7.5 behind the wildcard-leading Brewers. Florida rallied for 3 runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game, but Bengie Molina's sac fly won it for the Giants in the bottom of the ninth.

Speaking of the Brewers, they got themselves back to within 5 games of the Cubs with a 5-2 win over the Astros. J.J. Hardy hit a 2-run home run to help Manny Parra win his 10th game. Ryan Braun sat out for the 9th time in 11 games due to lower back soreness.

The Reds edged the Cubs 2-1 despite starter Ted Lilly allowing just two hits over seven innings.

The Cardinals remained 2.5 behind the Brewers in the wildcard with an 11-2 thumping of the Pirates. Todd Wellemeyer won his career-high 11th game and reached the century mark in strikeouts for the first time.

The Diamondbacks moved two games ahead of the Dodgers with an 8-6 win over the Padres. Neither starter Dan Haren nor Jake Peavy was good, but after allowing four runs in the first inning, Haren settled down to get the win. Adam Dunn belted a 3-run home run, his 34th of the season.

The Rockies played spoilers, beating the Dodgers 4-3. The Dodgers lead 3-0 early, but Brad Hawpe almost single-handedly beat LA. He reached on an error that cut the lead to 3-2, singled in the game-tying run in the seventh, and singled again in the ninth to drive in the go-ahead run.


There was no movement in the AL Central standings as both the White Sox and Twins were daytime winners. Chicago got four home runs in a 15-3 rout of the Mariners. Ken Griffey Jr. tied Sammy CheaterSosa with his 609th career home run, and his first in Chicago. Gavin Floyd earned his 13th win.

Francisco Lirano and four pitchers pitched the Twins to a 3-1 win over the A's. Little-used reserve Mike Redmond drove in two runs.

The AL East's top two teams remained 4.5 apart as they both lost last night. The Angels beat the Rays 5-4, overcoming an early 3-0 deficit, and then winning after blowing a 4-3 lead. Garret Anderson's ninth inning single was the game winner. K-Rod notched his 48th save.

The Red Sox jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but it was all Baltimore after that as the Orioles won it 11-6. Melvin Mora, who had four RBI, and Ramon Hernandez each hit 3-run home runs. Clay Buchholz was hammered for five runs in 2.1 IP and is reportedly headed back to Pawtucket.

The Pennant Race - 8/21

You just get the feeling that for the second straight year, the Mets and Phillies will come down to the final weekend to determine the NL East winner. The Mets are playing good baseball, but they haven't been able to put much cushion between themselves and the Phillies since moving into first place.

Mike Pelfrey has really stepped up this season and did again last night, limiting the Braves to three hits in a complete game, 6-3 Mets victory. David Wright continued his run at the NL MVP with his 24th home run and 97th RBI. Rookie Dan Murphy's two RBI gave him 11 in 18 games and he's batting .404 in 47 at-bats.

The Phillies got a complete game of their own from Brett Myers, who scattered nine hits in shutting down the Nationals 4-0. Washington has lost 12 straight. After a brief stint in the minors, Myers has returned to form and is 3-1, 1.47 in his last five starts.

The Marlins' hopes are fading away. They dropped a 6-5 game to the Giants last night that put them 5 games behind the Mets and 7.5 behind the wildcard-leading Brewers. Florida rallied for 3 runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game, but Bengie Molina's sac fly won it for the Giants in the bottom of the ninth.

Speaking of the Brewers, they got themselves back to within 5 games of the Cubs with a 5-2 win over the Astros. J.J. Hardy hit a 2-run home run to help Manny Parra win his 10th game. Ryan Braun sat out for the 9th time in 11 games due to lower back soreness.

The Reds edged the Cubs 2-1 despite starter Ted Lilly allowing just two hits over seven innings.

The Cardinals remained 2.5 behind the Brewers in the wildcard with an 11-2 thumping of the Pirates. Todd Wellemeyer won his career-high 11th game and reached the century mark in strikeouts for the first time.

The Diamondbacks moved two games ahead of the Dodgers with an 8-6 win over the Padres. Neither starter Dan Haren nor Jake Peavy was good, but after allowing four runs in the first inning, Haren settled down to get the win. Adam Dunn belted a 3-run home run, his 34th of the season.

The Rockies played spoilers, beating the Dodgers 4-3. The Dodgers lead 3-0 early, but Brad Hawpe almost single-handedly beat LA. He reached on an error that cut the lead to 3-2, singled in the game-tying run in the seventh, and singled again in the ninth to drive in the go-ahead run.


There was no movement in the AL Central standings as both the White Sox and Twins were daytime winners. Chicago got four home runs in a 15-3 rout of the Mariners. Ken Griffey Jr. tied Sammy CheaterSosa with his 609th career home run, and his first in Chicago. Gavin Floyd earned his 13th win.

Francisco Lirano and four pitchers pitched the Twins to a 3-1 win over the A's. Little-used reserve Mike Redmond drove in two runs.

The AL East's top two teams remained 4.5 apart as they both lost last night. The Angels beat the Rays 5-4, overcoming an early 3-0 deficit, and then winning after blowing a 4-3 lead. Garret Anderson's ninth inning single was the game winner. K-Rod notched his 48th save.

The Red Sox jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but it was all Baltimore after that as the Orioles won it 11-6. Melvin Mora, who had four RBI, and Ramon Hernandez each hit 3-run home runs. Clay Buchholz was hammered for five runs in 2.1 IP and is reportedly headed back to Pawtucket.

The Pennant Race - 8/7

The Phillies came into today leading the Marlins by 2.5 and the Mets by 3. All three were involved in action this afternoon, with the Phillies and Marlins going head to head.

The Mets pen blew another lead for Johan Santana, but David Wright saved the day with a walk off 2-run home run for a 5-3 Mets win. Meanwhile the Marlins shut out the Phillies 3-0, after getting a big boost from rookie starter Chris Volstad.

Manny Ramirez homered this afternoon for the fourth time in 24 at-bats as a Dodger.

The Red Sox claimed Brian Giles off of waivers and have 48 hours to swing a deal. Where exactly Giles would play remains to be seen.

The Phillies claimed lefty set up man Scott Eyre off waivers from the Cubs and sent minor league pitcher Brian Schlitter (watch the typos) to Chi-town to complete the deal.

The Phillies have reportedly passed on free agent Freddy Garcia, feeling the veteran right-hander couldn't help them this year.

Chad Bradford made it through waivers and was dealt from the O's to the Rays for a player to be named later.

The Rockies were awarded Livan Hernandez after claiming the right-hander off of waivers from the Twins. The two teams couldn't work out a deal so the Twins decided to let him and his contract go.

The Pennant Race - 8/7

The Phillies came into today leading the Marlins by 2.5 and the Mets by 3. All three were involved in action this afternoon, with the Phillies and Marlins going head to head.

The Mets pen blew another lead for Johan Santana, but David Wright saved the day with a walk off 2-run home run for a 5-3 Mets win. Meanwhile the Marlins shut out the Phillies 3-0, after getting a big boost from rookie starter Chris Volstad.

Manny Ramirez homered this afternoon for the fourth time in 24 at-bats as a Dodger.

The Red Sox claimed Brian Giles off of waivers and have 48 hours to swing a deal. Where exactly Giles would play remains to be seen.

The Phillies claimed lefty set up man Scott Eyre off waivers from the Cubs and sent minor league pitcher Brian Schlitter (watch the typos) to Chi-town to complete the deal.

The Phillies have reportedly passed on free agent Freddy Garcia, feeling the veteran right-hander couldn't help them this year.

Chad Bradford made it through waivers and was dealt from the O's to the Rays for a player to be named later.

The Rockies were awarded Livan Hernandez after claiming the right-hander off of waivers from the Twins. The two teams couldn't work out a deal so the Twins decided to let him and his contract go.

Yankees Outlast Mets and Rain

Yesterday's Yankees-Mets contest was delayed at the start and in the middle of the 6th inning by rain, but there was no stopping Andy Pettitte as he pitched the Yankees to a 3-2 win at Shea Stadium. A 57-minute stoppage didn't prevent Pettitte from returning in the bottom of the 6th, and though he gave up a solo home run to David Wright, he finished the inning and picked up his 9th win of the season.

A low scoring game was expected with Pettitte and Mets ace Johan Santana on the mound and that's exactly what the fans got. The Mets struck first when Ramon Castro drilled a Pettitte breaking ball over the wall in left-center field in the bottom of the 2nd for a 1-0 lead.

That would hold up until the 4th when Santana issued back to back walks to Derek Jeter and Bobby Abreu to start the inning. Alex Rodriguez then lined a single to left to load the bases with no one out. Jason Giambi hit a grounder up the middle that shortstop Jose Reyes fielded on the 2nd base side of the bag. His only play was to retire Giambi at 1st base as Jeter scored the tying run. Jorge Posada's deep fly to Carlos Beltran in center sent home Abreu with the go ahead run.

The Mets put two aboard with 2 outs in the 5th when Reyes singled and Damien Easley walked. But Pettitte waited out an aggressive Reyes, spun around and threw to Jeter covering 2nd base to pick off the Mets speedster to end the inning.

The rains started coming down heavily in the top of the 6th as the Yankees added what proved to be the winning run. A-Rod drew a 1-out walk and was balked to 2nd base. Santana struck out Giambi for the 2nd out and the Mets opted to walk the switch-hitting Posada to face the left-handed hitting Robinson Cano instead. But the move backfired when Cano singled through the right side to score A-Rod for a 3-1 lead.

Pettitte was finished after the 6th inning and Joe Girardi finished the game by rote. Jose Veras and Kyle Farnsworth pitched one inning each and handed things over to Mariano Rivera who saved his 22nd game in as many tries with a 1-2-3 9th inning.


News and Notes

Mariano Rivera has now saved 54 of Andy Pettitte's wins. The only higher total in baseball are the 55 saves Dennis Eckersley had for A's teammate Bob Welch.

Derek Jeter's 18-game hitting streak against the Mets and 15-game current hitting streak both came to an end with an 0 for 4 day. But Jeter did reach safely on a walk and has done so in 42 straight interleague games.

Robinson Cano has a career best 5-game RBI streak.

Knicks' 1st round pick Danilo Gallinari threw out the first pitch.

Interesting conversation on yesterday's telecast between Joe Buck and Tim McCarver as to whether or not Andy Pettitte could be Hall of Fame material. They pointed out the fact that every pitcher 100 games over .500 is in the Hall. Pettitte is 92 games over .500 after yesterday's win. One problem though and it's spelled HGH. No telling how that would affect Hall voters.

Johan Santana is 0-4 with 1 no decision, despite a 2.53 ERA, since June 1. Guess that must be Willie Randolph's fault too.

Since Joba Chamberlain threw 114 pitches in his last start, the Yankees have moved his start back to Tuesday against Texas. Mike Mussina, who had his start called after 2 innings on Thursday, will go on Monday.


June 28, 2008

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

NY Yankees	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Damon, LF	4	0	0	0	1	2	0	.317
Jeter, SS	4	1	0	0	1	1	2	.281
Abreu, RF	3	1	1	0	1	1	0	.286
Rodriguez, 3B	3	1	1	0	1	0	1	.327
Giambi, 1B	4	0	0	1	0	3	4	.263
Farnsworth, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Rivera, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Posada, C-1B	2	0	0	1	1	1	1	.297
Cano, 2B	4	0	2	1	0	1	0	.244
Cabrera, CF	4	0	0	0	0	0	4	.249
Pettitte, P	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	.000
a-Betemit, PH	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.267
Veras, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Molina, C	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	.230
Totals	32	3	5	3	5	11	12
a-Struck out for Pettitte in the 7th.
BATTING TB: Abreu; Rodriguez; Cano 2; Molina. RBI: Giambi (46), Posada (20), Cano (33). 2-out RBI: Cano. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Cabrera 2; Posada; Jeter. SF: Posada. Team LOB: 8. BASERUNNING SB: Rodriguez (10, 2nd base off Sanchez/Castro). FIELDING DP: (Jeter-Giambi). Pickoffs: Pettitte (Reyes at 2nd base).

NY Yankees	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Pettitte (W, 9-5)	6.0	5	2	2	3	4	2	3.98
Veras (H, 4)	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2.96
Farnsworth (H, 9)	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	4.00
Rivera (S, 22)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0.74

NY Mets	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Reyes, SS	4	0	1	0	0	0	1	.294
Easley, 2B	2	0	1	0	2	0	0	.252
Wright, 3B	3	1	1	1	1	0	1	.288
Beltran, CF	4	0	0	0	0	4	3	.273
Delgado, 1B	4	0	0	0	0	1	2	.230
Tatis, RF	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	.256
Phillips, A, LF	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	.120
a-Castillo, PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.253
Sanchez, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
c-Nixon, PH	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	.171
Castro, C	3	1	1	1	0	0	0	.259
Santana, P	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	.147
Feliciano, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
b-Anderson, PH-LF	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	.200
Totals	31	2	6	2	3	7	8
a-Popped out for Phillips, A in the 7th. b-Singled for Feliciano in the 7th. c-Struck out for Sanchez in the 9th.
BATTING HR: Castro (2, 2nd inning off Pettitte, 0 on, 2 out), Wright (15, 6th inning off Pettitte, 0 on, 0 out). TB: Reyes; Easley; Wright 4; Tatis; Castro 4; Anderson. RBI: Castro (8), Wright (63). 2-out RBI: Castro. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Delgado. GIDP: Phillips, A. Team LOB: 5. BASERUNNING PO: Reyes (2nd base by Pettitte). FIELDING E: Wright (11, throw).

NY Mets	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Santana (L, 7-7)	6.0	4	3	3	4	8	0	3.01
Feliciano	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	2.87
Sanchez	2.0	1	0	0	1	1	0	3.89

Balk: Santana.
IBB: Posada (by Santana).
Pitches-strikes: Pettitte 88-56, Veras 14-9, Farnsworth 11-8,
Rivera 12-10, Santana 113-66, Feliciano 15-10, Sanchez 34-20.
Ground outs-fly outs: Pettitte 8-5, Veras 1-2, Farnsworth 0-2,
Rivera 0-1, Santana 6-4, Feliciano 1-0, Sanchez 1-4.
Batters faced: Pettitte 24, Veras 4, Farnsworth 3, Rivera 3,
Santana 26, Feliciano 3, Sanchez 9.
Umpires: HP: Mike Everitt. 1B: Mike DiMuro.
2B: Tim McClelland. 3B: Larry Vanover.
Weather: 82 degrees, cloudy.
Wind: 16 mph, R to L.
T: 3:00 (1:19 delay).
Att: 56,172.