Hang 'em Javy Keeps Yanks Looking Up

You know you had your doubts coming into tonight's Yankees-Blue Jays game when you saw that Javier Vazquez would make the start in place of Andy Pettitte. Joe Girardi talked before the game about how Javy was still in the mix for the post-season roster, blah blah blah.

Vazquez gave up three home runs on a night that the Blue Jays honored retiring manager Cito Gaston. The Yankees gave Gaston their own present, an 8-4 Blue Jays win. Vazquez should be joining A.J. Burnett on the sidelines during the division series since he has done nothing to gain Girardi's confidence.

The Blue Jays are a home run hitting monstrosity and Vazquez was happy to oblige them. Travis Snider, wearing a fake lamp black mustache in tribute to Gaston, homered to lead off the bottom of the 1st and you know things would only get worse from there. Aaron Hill and John Buck also went deep, with Buck reaching 20 home runs for the first time.

One of the few bright spots for the Yankees was the continued hot hitting of Alex Rodriguez. He homered for the fifth time in six games and reached the 30 home run mark for the 13 straight season and 14th overall. (I had predicted he would finish with 28; thankfully I didn't make any wagers on that.) He also added an RBI ground out to increase his team leading RBI total to 123.

The game started a half hour later than usual as the Toronto organization brought back some of Gaston's former players, such as 1992 World Series hero Joe Carter, and presented Gaston with a painting done by outfielder Vernon Wells' father, Vernon Jr. (the ball playing Wells is the III). Gaston then gave a very heartfelt speech.

The Yankees remained a half-game back of the Tampa Bay Rays thanks to a stellar pitching effort by the Baltimore Orioles staff. Kevin Millwood, who has had a horrendous year, limited the Rays to two hits over seven innings in the 2-0 O's win. The victory gave the Orioles the series victory with all three games being shutouts. The Rays now travel to Kansas City for their final four games of the regular season.

The Yankees have Thursday off and travel to Boston for a final three game set with the Red Sox beginning on Friday night.

Cervelli and Yankees Drop the Ball

The course of a baseball game or life can change an instant. Okay, enough paraphrasing John Sterling. Francisco Cervelli learned the hard way last night just how much one play can change things. Cervelli's drop opened the flood gates last night en route to a 6-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox.

Yankees starter Javier Vazquez may have flashed back to October '04 when he surrendered home runs to David Ortiz and Ryan Kalish, but it was his multiple walk in the park that really ruined his and the Yankees' night.

The Bombers, as is their custom lately, took an early lead and then went to sleep on offense. Up 2-1 in the 2nd on a Mark Teixeira blast, Vazquez gave up a lead off double to Adrian Beltre to start the 2nd inning, but got J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell to hit back to back pop ups. The only problem was that Cervelli dropped Lowell's would be second out.

Vazquez struck out Kalish, but then completely lost the strike zone, issuing consecutive walks to Jed Lowrie and Jacoby Ellsbury to force in a run. Vazquez then left a hanger in the zone that Marco Scutaro ripped to left for a 2-run double and 4-2 Red Sox lead.

The Yankees wasted a 2-on, no one out opportunity in the 4th, but chipped away with a run in the 5th. Derek Jeter reached with one out when he was plunked by a Clay Buchholz pitch. Nick Swisher followed with a single to right and two batters later Alex Rodriguez delivered an RBI single. Robinson Cano had a chance to tie things up, but grounded out to end the inning.

Vazquez, known as "Hang 'em Javy" by disgruntled Yankees fans lived up to his longball reputation when he served up a back breaking 2-run shot to Kalish in the 6th. It was the rookie's 1st major league home run and gave Boston a 6-3 lead.

The Yankees final try came in the 9th when Jeter reached on a 2-out walk by closer Jonathan Papelbon, but Swisher flied out to end the game.

Notes

The Yankees remained in first place in the AL East thanks to some help from Toronto, which beat Tampa Bay 2-1.

Since July 1, Mark Teixeira is hitting .328 with 11 HR, 35 RBI, and OPS over 1.000 in 31 games.

New daddy CC Sabathia will try to stop the Yankees skid when he faces off today at 4 p.m. against John Lackey.

Slugger Carlos Delgado worked out for the Red Sox in the Stadium's indoor batting cage and could be signed to a deal as early as today.

Another Red Sox went on the DL yesterday; this time it was lefty Hideki Okajima with a hamstring strain.

Vazquez's fastballs were mostly below 90 mph last night; not a good sign.

UPDATE 12:35 pm 8/7 - Ken Rosenthal is reporting that Carlos Delgado has agreed to a minor league with the Red Sox. If not called up by 9/1, he becomes a free agent.