Jason Bay Signs to Play at Yosemite

My expression is better than gymnast Maroney's

One of the most disastrous free agent deals of the last decade (not as bad as Carl Pavano's) was the NY Mets signing of outfielder Jason Bay prior to the 2009 season.  It was a four year deal worth $66MM with opportunities to increase the dollar amount.

Bay went from hitter friendly Fenway Park to the spacious new Citi Field and the rest is misery. Bay made up for the loss of Manny Ramirez in Boston when he slugged 36 HRs and drove in 119 runs in 2008.  It led to a 7th place finish in the AL MVP voting and the shiny new deal with the Mets.

But Bay was constantly battling injuries in New York, the worst of which was a bad back that drained him of his power. He hit 26 home runs and drove in 104 runs over three seasons and averaged just 96 games a year.

The Mets finally gave up this off-season and released the 34-year old native of Canada on November 7th with  one year left on his deal. (The Mets and Bay reached a financial agreement that included deferred money, and Bay became a free agent.)

First things first, if you're a hitter you want to find a home ball park that is conducive to hitting.  Of course in Bay's case, team's weren't knocking down his door based on his last three seasons. The Seattle Mariners did have interest and were willing to gamble. They reached a one year agreement yesterday for an undisclosed (low) amount of money.

Yes, after playing at spacious Citi Field, Bay signed with a team whose home park is always referred to as a "pitcher's park".

Good luck with that.

Javy Drives the Train

photo courtesy of Yahoo Sports

The Yankees took the first game of the current version of the interleague Subway Series with a pair of unexpected contributions. The Yankees topped the Mets 2-1 at Citi Field behind six top notch innings from Javier Vazquez and a 2-run double from rookie Kevin Russo.

Vazquez was beyond good (some would say Jella Good), allowing just one hit, a 5th inning single by Angel Pagan before exiting with an injury. Yes, yet another Yankees injury. This one doesn't seem to be too bad though according to Vazquez himself. Just before laying down his second successful sac bunt of the night, the Yankees hurler took a pitch off his finger as he bunted foul. Bleeding and swelling ensued and Vazquez's night was done.

Vazquez wasn't the only one having trouble with the bat though. The Yankees couldn't solve Mets starter Hisanori Takahashi all night. The left-hander scattered five hits and a walk over six innings and struck out five. He struck out Derek Jeter and got Brett Gardner to ground to strand two runners in scoring position in the third inning.

The Yankees put two more in scoring position in the 4th, but Takahashi struck out Nick Swisher and retired Francisco Cervelli on a fly out. The Yankees finally got on the board in the 7th with the help of the Mets bullpen and their defense.

Swisher led off the frame with a single off Elmer Dessens and Cervelli followed with a potential double play grounder to Alex Cora at second base. Playing in place of Luis Castillo, who had the disastrous drop in last year's Subway Series, Cora cleanly fielded Cervelli's bouncer, but threw the ball well out of the reach of shortstop Jose Reyes. Both runners moved into scoring position and Russo, who had picked up his first major league hit earlier in the game, brought them home with a double into the right field corner.

Joba Chamberlain retired all five men he faced, three by strike out, to set up the bridge to Mariano Rivera. The Yankees closer was on the verge of an easy 1-2-3 inning, but Jason Bay doubled on a 2-strike, 2-out to keep the Mets alive and Ike Davis followed with a double of his own to get the Mets on the scoreboard. But Rivera bounced back, retiring David Wright on a first pitch ground out to preseve the win and end the Yankees three game losing streak.

Yankees Continue Prep for New Decade

We're down to the final two days of 2009 and the Yankees continue to ready themselves for defense of their 27th world championship.

The left field spot is still up for grab, with no firm commitment to Brett Gardner, who would play either left or center (with Curtis Granderson shifting to left). The Yankees grabbed Jamie Hoffman in the Rule V draft, but I really don't see the Yankees going with an inexperienced player for that spot on their 25 man roster. Hoffman will likely be offered back to the Dodgers.
Jason Bay, though he was never seriously considered by the Yankees, has been removed from contention with his signing by the Mets. The Cardinals are said to be trying to work a long term deal, possibly as long as eight years, to keep Matt Holliday in St. Louis. The amount is thought to be around $100 million, well beyond what the Yankees would spend at this point.

So what's "left" out there. One Johnny Damon. But that will only occur if Damon and his agent Scott Boras considerably lower their demands.

Xavier Nady, whom the Yankees acquired from Pittsburgh in '07, missed basically all of last year with elbow surgery. His asking price is said to be too high, plus there is a question as to whether he'd be able to play the outfield this season.

Another option that I, as well as some other readers have wondered, is what about Marlon Byrd. Byrd was once a top prospect in the Phillies organization, but flopped. He became a serviceable part time player at the age of 30 in 2007. Last season Byrd played in a career high 146 games for the Texas Rangers and posted career highs with 20 HR and 89 RBI. Byrd was also give the Yankees another right-handed bat.

Rick Ankiel had a bust out season in 2008, but injured his shoulder last season and didn't produce. He might come cheaper, but his shoulder is a major question mark. Another problem is Scott Boras is his agent. He most likely won't have Ankiel agree to a deal until Damon does in order to set his asking price.

Former A's prospect Javier Herrera was signed to a minor league contract on 12/22. He was highly touted in the A's organization, but injuries and less than adequate output has kept him from fulfilling his promise. He's not likely an option.

Clearly I was way off base with my thoughts that Cashman was still lurking for Bay or Holliday. So now maybe he's lurking for Damon.

So where does that leave us? Nowhere at the moment. It's still Brett Gardner's job for now.

UPDATE - 12/31
You can scratch Marlon Byrd from the list as well. The Cubs and Byrd have reportedly agreed to a three year deal.

Does Cashman have a Card up his sleeve?

Now that left field has been vacated by dispatching of Melky Cabrera to Atlanta, I suspect Brian Cashman may have something bigger in the works. We've heard about the need to monitor/cut back payroll. We've heard about possible discussions to/about Mark DeRosa and other low cost moves. But may very well be laying in the weeds to make a big, scratch that, very big move.

Matt Holliday in a Yankees lineup would likely make some opposing managers quit before the season even started. It would make anti-Yankees sentiment burn even hotter. It would cause those who want a salary cap to scream from the mountain tops. And of course it would satisfy those Yankees fans who ridiculously feel they need an All-Star at every position.

I think it's still not likely to occur, but Holliday could very well end up in a Yankees uniform if the length and amount of the contract was to the liking of Hal Steinbrenner and company.

That means that Johnny Damon is still an option as is Jason Bay.

The Yankees could still use a number five hitter to protect A-Rod and Holliday would certainly fit that role to a tee.

So to recap:

Plan A - Holliday

Plan B - Bay

Plan C - DeRosa type

Plan D - Damon

The order of this can all change of course if Damon lowers demands or the front office nixes a four or five year deal for Holliday or Bay. But the feeling here is that signing Holliday is Cashman's true agenda.

12 Shopping Days 'til Xmas Hot Stove

Happy Hanukkah, no matter your spelling. When exactly is Festivus this year? I can just see Hal and Hank Steinbrenner competing in the feats of strength. Hank would probably start off well, but Hal would then use Hank's heft against him.

So what has happened since we checked in last. Winter meetings are obviously done. There have been signings, some rumors, some trades, and some near trades.

The Mets four year offer to free agent outfielder, and one time Mets minor leaguer, Jason Bay created quite the buzz on New York sports talk radio yesterday. Debates centered on whether or not the Mets offer was a legit one.

The offer of $65 million was just $5 million over an offer proposed by the Red Sox. Many fans and members of the media feel the Mets could have made a much bigger impact on the bidding with a bigger boost than 5 mill. Perhaps even throwing a 5th year into the deal may have made a lot more noise.

The Mets also made an offer to one of their top priorities, free agent catcher Bengie Molina.


The Rangers-Red Sox deal is still in the works and is still expected to happen. That's the one where Mike Lowell goes to Texas to take over first base, while catching prospect Max Ramirez heads to Beantown. Money is still being worked out and it's possible the Rangers still have concerns about Lowell's hip. It'll probably get done though.

Today is the deadline for non-tendering players. Chief among them will be the Yankees own, and one of my personal favorites, Chien-Ming Wang. I'll have more on this later.

Cards GM John Mozeliak confirmed that the team has made a formal offer in an attempt to retain the services of free agent Matt Holliday. Mozeliak told St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist/radio host Bernie Miklaz Friday that he expects to hear back from Holliday's agent, Scott Boras, in 48 hours.

The Royals have signed veteran catcher Jason Kendall to a 2-yr, $6 million deal.

The White Sox have signed right-handed reliever J.J. Putz to a 1-yr, $3 million deal to set up closer Bobby Jenks. Putz was expected to be a large part of the Mets bullpen last season after his acquisition from Seattle, but injuries shortened his season.

Tony Pena Jr., son of the Yankees bench coach, and one time infielder has signed a minor league contract with the Giants as he continues his attempt to become a reliever.

FoxSports stated Thursday the Phillies are the front-runners to land Roy Halladay. Not so fast, said Phils' GM Reuben Amaro in response. Amaro may be playing his cards close to his vest, but he does not expect to land the Blue Jays ace.

The Giants and Marlins have had in-depth discussions about a deal that would bring second baseman Dan Uggla to the Bay area.

The Red Sox picked up pitcher Boof Bonser from the Twins for a PTBNL.

Godzilla Outshines Ichiro

Didn't think we would be awake for all of last night's game, but in fact we were. It was a big night for Hideki Matsui (2 HR, 5 RBI) and CC Sabathia (8 IP 10 K) as the Yankees clobbered Ian Snell and the Seattle Mariners, 11-1, in the series opener.

Any time Matsui or Ichiro play, it's big ratings back in Japan, so when both are on the field at the same time you can really expect big numbers. And Matsui gave them plenty to talk about.

Godzilla put the Yankees up 5-0 in the 3rd with a 2-run shot, added an RBI single in the 3-run 7th, and put some icing on the cake with a 2-run shot in the 8th that barely got over the glove of a leaping Ichiro.


CC was dominant from the start. His 10 Ks were a season high and he allowed just 3 hits. In winning his last 2 starts Sabathia has allowed 1 earned run, 5 hits and has struck out 19 in 15.2 innings pitched. Overall, he's now 13-7, 3.64 in 25 starts) 170.2 innings pitched. Sabathia has had his ups and downs this year, but he's clearly the best free agent signing the Yankees have had in years.


Had a good debate on Twitter last night with some fellow Yankees fans concerning the 2010 prospects for Matsui and Johnny Damon. Almost everyone agrees that Matsui shouldn't be back next year. As much as I love Godzilla, I agree. It's not good to have one player, unless it's a really dominant player, be a full time DH. Matsui isn't as productive as he was, though as he is doing right now, he can still get hot in stretches. But he's become too injury prone and even more prone to ground out to 2nd.


Damon is having a resurgent season- a resurgent season in a contract year. While he's had decent numbers during his time in New York, he's be'll 36 in November and his body seems to be older. Though he's rarely been on the DL, he's been a constant source of bumps, bruises, and injuries. His play in left field has become a nightly adventure and his arm is weaker than my 10-month old nephew's. While the consensus seems to be to keep him, I think the Yankees should let him go.


It's too easy to fall in love with the players you like and root for. For example, Scott Brosius was tremendous for the Yankees in 1998, but signing him to a long term deal and trading Mike Lowell was, in hindsight, a mistake.

Austin Jackson may not be ready next season, but Brett Gardner should get a shot at center field every day. Melky Cabrera could play a corner, be a 4th outfielder, or be dealt. There are free agent options such as Jason Bay, and trade options like Jermaine Dye and Carl Crawford to fill the outfielder. The main is to get younger and better.

Stinko de Mayo in the Bronx

Minny-Manny Keeps Yankees at Bay

May 5th, 2009 • Related • Filed Under

Filed Under: Yankees

Tags: Jason Bay • Joba 12 strikeouts • joba chamberlain • Josh Beckett • Manny Ramirez • mark melancon • Yankees recap 5/5 • Yankees vs. Red Sox

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The Boston Red Sox refused to trade Manny Ramirez last season until they were sure they would receive a special player in return. Not only did they get that player, but Jason Bay has supplanted Ramirez as a Yankee killer. Tuesday night Bay struck again, belting a 3-run, 1st inning home run off of Joba Chamberlain to lead the Red Sox to a 7-3 victory. The win completed a sweep of the brief 2-game series and put the season series at 5-0 in favor of the Red Sox.

If you turned the game on after the 1st inning you would have thought Chamberlain was having the best start of his career. And in some ways you’d be right. Chamberlain struck out a career high 12 hitters in 5.2 innings, but his lack of command in the 1st inning destined the game to be a loss. His pitches laid flat in the strike zone and Boston jumped all over them.

Jacoby Ellsbury, who later the left the game with a sore hamstring, led off the 1st with a single and promptly stole 2nd base. Singles by Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz brought Ellsbury home and Bay destroyed a Chamberlain hanger for his 7th home run of the season and a 4-0 Boston lead. In the five meetings between the two teams, Bay is 10-18 (.555) with 3 home runs, 10 RBI, 2 doubles, 6 runs scored, and 2 stolen bases.

Josh Beckett, who allowed 15 runs in his last two starts, gave Boston a quality start this time out. He escaped 1st inning trouble when he retired Robinson Cano on a 2-on, 2-out pop up, but the Yankees made it a ball game in the 3rd. Johnny Damon followed back to back singles by Jose Molina and Derek Jeter with a 3-run shot to right to cut the lead to a single run. It was Damon’s 6th home run of the season and third in the last five games.

Meanwhile, Chamberlain began to dominate. He struck out two batters in both the 2nd and 3rd innings, then struck out the side (plus a walk) in the 4th. He put two men on in the 5th, but struck out the side again, freezing Mike Lowell looking to end the frame. Joe Girardi was understandably booed when he pulled Chamberlain after the emotional right-hander blew away J.D. Drew and Jeff Bailey to start the 6th. But Chamberlain’s final pitch was his 108th and the Yankees wisely protected their young star. The only problem being that meant going to the bullpen.

Jose Veras and Phil Coke recorded four outs, but the Red Sox scored a pair of unearned runs against Jonathan Albaladejo in the eighth. Bay reached 1st base safely when Ramiro Pena couldn’t come up with his grounder on the sloppy surface, and then proceeded to steal 2nd base. Lowell’s ground out moved Bay to 3rd before the Red Sox loaded the bases on a walk to Drew and a hit batsmen (Bailey). Jason Varitek’s sac fly brought home Bay for a 5-3 lead and Nick Green added another run when he punched a single threw the right side.

The Yankees stranded runners in scoring position in both the 4th and 6th innings and then went down meekly after the bullpen took over for Beckett in the 7th inning.

Game Notes

Melky Cabrera was 3-4 and extended his hitting streak to 9 games. He’s 14-35 (.400) during the stretch and has firmly replaced Brett Gardner in center field. Gardner pinch-hit in the 9th and struck out looking.

Mark Melancon had a horrible night. He walked the first three hitters in the 9th and was pulled with a 2-0 count on Lowell.

With .2 innings pitched on Tuesday, Phil Coke has not been scored on in nine straight appearances.

The Yankees finish up the current homestand with a two game series with the Tampa Bay Rays. A.J. Burnett kicks things off Wednesay night when he faces Andy Sonnanstine.

Red Sox Continue to Roll Yanks

Red Sox Continue ‘09 Dominance

Filed Under: Yankees

Tags: al aceves • Jason Bay • Joe Girardi • Jon Lester • Jonathan Papelbon • Mark Teixeira • Mike Lowell • Phil Hughes • Yankees 5/4 recap • Yankees vs. Red Sox

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When the Yankees look out on the mound at the Boston Red Sox‘ Jon Lester, they see the culmination of good scouting, hard work, and talent coming to fruition. The Yankees hope one day they can look at Phil Hughes the same way. For now though, Hughes is still a work in progress. Meanwhile, Lester is dominating major league hitters. He did so last night in beating the Yankees 6-4 after a 2 hour-17 minute rain delay that pushed back the start of the game to 9:22 ET.

Save for a couple of home run balls, Lester used a mid-90s fastball and wide sweeping breaking pitches to strike out 10 hitters in 7 innings. In doing so he evened his record at 2-2. Hughes was ineffective in his four innings of work. YES announcer Michael Kay repeatedly pointed out that Hughes only allowed one run per inning, but those runs add up. Hughes threw 94 pitches, just 56 for strikes. He allowed 7hits, walked 4, and struck out just 2 in an outing that was the complete opposite of the dominant performance he had last week in Detroit.

Mike Lowell was Hughes’ biggest nemesis. He cracked a long home run in the second inning that gave the Sox a 2-0 lead and added an RBI single an inning later. David Ortiz, hitting just .208 entering the game, had a pair of doubles off Hughes, with an RBI and a run scored.

The Yankees were as lifeless as the rain soaked crowd for much of the game. Lester struck out Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon, and Mark Teixeira to start the game, then added strikeouts of Melky Cabrera and Jose Molina with two on and two out in the second inning. It wasn’t until Jeter was called out on strikes in the fifth inning that the Yankees came to life.

Jeter didn’t like the called third strike from home plate ump Jerry Meals, who had seemingly squeezed the strike zone on Hughes in the early innings. Joe Girardi quickly came out to protect his shortstop and was ejected for arguing ball and strikes, but gave Meals a piece of his mind before exiting. With Molina on first, Damonlaunched his 5th home run of the season into the right field seats and just like that the Yankees were back in the ball game. The crowd finally had some life and really got fired up when the next hitter,Teixeira, homered to left-center field to cut the Red Sox lead to just one.

Al Aceves, recalled earlier in the day from Scranton, replaced Hughes to start the fifth and pitched effectively. The one blight on his record was a 2-run home run surrendered to Jason Bay that gave the Red Sox a 6-3 lead. Teixeira got it back to 6-4 with his second solo home run of the game, this time from the left side of the plate, in the eighth to set up a showdown with Jonathan Papelbon.

When Ramon Ramirez followed Teixeira’s home run by walking Robinson Cano, Red Sox manager Terry Francona didn’t hesitate to bring on his closer for a five out save. It was an unusual call by Francona, who doesn’t like to use Papelbon for more than an inning, but it paid off in the long run. Papelbon struck out pinch-hitter Hideki Matsui, and after a single by Cabrera, retired Molina on a pop up.

The Yankees had one more potential rally in them in the ninth. Pinch-hitter Brett Gardner reached on a lead off single and Papelbon hit Jeter with a pitch to put the tying runs on base with no one out. But Damon flied out and Teixeira struck out, leaving it up to Nick Swisher. First Gardner and Jeter made it more interesting by pulling off a double steal. When Papelbon walked Swisher to load the bases, the fans that remained were on the edge of their seats. That excitement quickly turned to groans whenPapelbon struck out Cano to end the game at 1:10 a.m.

Game Notes

Jose Molina had to bat for himself in the eighth inning, because Jorge Posada had to leave the game with a bad hamstring. Posada had injured the leg last week. He’ll be sent for an MRI today and a trip to the disabled list is not out of the question.

Alex Rodriguez’s teammates and opponents, including David Ortiz, don’t believe Selena Roberts‘ accusation that A-Rod tipped pitches to opponents. Former teammates like Michael Young have also said the accusation is absurd.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Jon Lester became the first Red Sox left-handed pitcher in 73 years to strike out 10 or more Yankees. Lefty Grove last accomplished the feat in 1936.

Elias also came up with this crazy stat. It was only the second time in 773 visits to Yankee Stadium(s) that Boston scored a single in each of the first four innings- the “picket fence”.

The series concludes tonight with Joba Chamberlain squaring off against Josh Beckett.

Yankees late failures leads to late loss

Prior to last night's New York Yankees - Boston Red Sox game, David Ortiz sent a verbal warning to Joba Chamberlain to not go head hunting. Ortiz was specifically talking about Chamberlain's propensity for throwing at the large noggin of KevinYoukilis. Perhaps the Yankees bullpen should have taken a shot at it. Youkilis singled in the 9th to set up the game tying rally against Mariano Rivera and then hit a game winning home run atop the Green Monster off Damaso Marte in the 11th. The home run gave the Red Sox a 5-4 win in the first of the three game series.

The Yankees had taken a 4-2 lead in the 7th inning on an RBI single by Mark Teixeira and a sacrifice fly by Robinson Cano, but it was Cano's failure with the bases loaded and no out in the 9th that fans will be talking about today. With a missed opportunity to break the game open, the Yankees relied on Mariano Rivera to get a four out save. Rivera had entered the game in a unique situation in the eighth inning. With a man aboard, two outs, and an 0-1 count onJacoby Ellsbury, Joe Girardi pulled Jonathan Albaladejo from the game in favor of Rivera. Had Girardi made this move after July 1st it might have made sense, but such a move in April wreaked of panic. Rivera allowed a single to Ellsbury before catching Pedroia looking for a called third third strike.

The Yankees loaded the bases in the 9th when Javier Lopez hit Mark Teixeira and walked Jorge Posada and Nick Swisher to start the frame. But Cano's woes with the bases loaded continued (.244 average). With the infield playing in, Cano hit a grounder right to Pedroia, who started a home to first double play. Lopez got out of the jam when he retired Melky Cabrera on a foul pop.

A slumping Ortiz struck out, the third of four on the night, to open the 9th, but Youkilis buzzed Mariano with a head high line drive to center field for a single. J.D. Drew grounded out, but Jason Bay crushed a pitch to center for a game tying 2-run home run. It was the 12th blown save by Rivera in 90 appearances against the Red Sox and the first this year.

The Yankees had chances to take the lead in extra innings, but Teixeira struck out to end the 10th and Cabrera bounced into a double play in the 11th. Damaso Marte struck out 3 of the first 4 batters he faced before Youkilis launched his game winner with one out in the 11th.

Game Notes

Brian Bruney was unavailable due to a sore elbow and will be placed on the DL today. Mark Melancon is expected to replace him. To make room on the 40 man roster, Humberto Sanchez was designated for assignment.

Brian Cashman stated that Chien-Ming Wang's problems are due to an abductor strain in his hip. How convenient. Phil Hughes will most likely start in Wang's place on Tuesday, but for now the Yankees called up reliever David Robertson.

Cody Ransom injured his quad sliding into second base and left the game after he reached third. He was placed on the 60 day DL and Angel Berroa was recalled to take his place on both the 25 and 40 man rosters.

Rays Sacrifice to Stay Alive

It's difficult to say a team has their backs to the wall after the first game of a seven game playoff series, but that was really the case for the Tampa Rays last evening. Going back to Boston down two games to none, would have created a nearly impossible feat even for an experienced playoff team. But the Rays won't have to worry about that situation. Last night they pulled out a see-saw battle with the Red Sox on B.J. Upton's sacrifice fly in the 11th inning.

If Terry Francona has made a mistake in this playoff, it's keeping Mike Timlin on the post-season roster. While the thinking was probably not use Timlin in a big situation, Francona had no choice last night after having used five relievers, including his closer Jon Papelbon for 1.1 innings.

Timlin walked Dioner Navarro and light hitting Ben Zobrist to start the inning. Jason Bartlett's sacrifice bunt moved the runners up a base, forcing the Red Sox to intentionally walk Aki Iwamura to load the bases. That brought up B.J. Upton, who hit a fly to shallow right. The Rays gambled that J.D. Drew, running hard on the play, would not be able to set himself for an accurate throw home. The gamble paid off when speedy pinch-runner Fernando Perez slid home with the winning run ahead of an off the target throw by Drew.

The Rays would not have been in position to win if not for the relief work of veteran Dan Wheeler and rookie David Price. Wheeler had to bounce back after his wild pitch allowed the Red Sox to tie the game in the eighth inning. But he tossed a scoreless ninth and tenth before leaving with one man out in the 11th and runner on a first. Price, the number one overall pick in the 2007 amateur draft, walked Drew, but struck out Mark Kotsay looking and got Coco Crisp to bounce into an inning ending ground out.

Neither starter pitched well, with Boston's Josh Beckett fighting a strained oblique and Tampa's Scott Kazmir continuing his '08 struggles against the Red Sox. Boston struck first against Kazmir, who was 0-2, 9.00 in four starts against the Sox this season. Kazmir's control problems came up to bite him in the first inning when he issued a two out walk to David Ortiz. Kevin Youkilis followed with a single and Jason Bay brought them both home with a double. Kazmir walked Jed Lowrie, but struck out Jason Varitek to escape further trouble.

The Rays came right back though when Evan Longoria smacked a 2-run home run, his third of the post-season, in the bottom half of the first. The tie only lasted until the third when Dustin Pedroia smashed a solo home run to left. That lead would last an even shorter amount of time when Upton crushed a 424-ft solo shot in the bottom of the third. Longoria stroked a one out double and came home on Carl Crawford's single for a 4-3 Rays lead.

Tampa extended their advantage to 5-3 when Cliff Floyd led off with a solo home run to straight away center field. But Kazmir wouldn't stick around to try to get the win. Pedroia's second solo shot of the game and Youkilis' own solo blast one batter later knocked Kazmir from the box and tied the game at 5-5. Bay greeted Grant Balfour with another solo home run to put the Red Sox ahead 6-5. Balfour then walked Lowrie and Varitek before J.P. Howell came on to work out of the jam.

Upton led off the fifth with a walk and promptly stole second base. Carlos Pena singled off of Beckett to tie the game and came home on Longoria's second double, and third extra base hit, of the ball game. Fracona finally yanked Beckett from the game, but Crawford laced reliever Javier Lopez's delivery to right for an RBI single and an 8-6 Rays lead. Manny DelCarmen was next out of the Boston pen and he finally quelled the fire.

Pedroia drew a one out walk in the sixth, but Howell struck out Ortiz looking. Joe Maddon went to the pen again for right-hander Chad Bradford, but Bradford gave up back to back singles to Youkilis and Bay to cut the Rays lead to 8-7.

After a scoreless seventh, only the second scoreless inning of the game, Pedroia singled off of Bradford to start the eighth. Maddon sent for lefty Trevor Miller to face Ortiz, but Big Papi drew a walk as well. Wheeler came on and got a big double play grounder from Youkilis, but then threw a fastball a mile over Navarro's head to allow Pedroia to score the tying run.

Box Score

Rays Sacrifice to Stay Alive

It's difficult to say a team has their backs to the wall after the first game of a seven game playoff series, but that was really the case for the Tampa Rays last evening. Going back to Boston down two games to none, would have created a nearly impossible feat even for an experienced playoff team. But the Rays won't have to worry about that situation. Last night they pulled out a see-saw battle with the Red Sox on B.J. Upton's sacrifice fly in the 11th inning.

If Terry Francona has made a mistake in this playoff, it's keeping Mike Timlin on the post-season roster. While the thinking was probably not use Timlin in a big situation, Francona had no choice last night after having used five relievers, including his closer Jon Papelbon for 1.1 innings.

Timlin walked Dioner Navarro and light hitting Ben Zobrist to start the inning. Jason Bartlett's sacrifice bunt moved the runners up a base, forcing the Red Sox to intentionally walk Aki Iwamura to load the bases. That brought up B.J. Upton, who hit a fly to shallow right. The Rays gambled that J.D. Drew, running hard on the play, would not be able to set himself for an accurate throw home. The gamble paid off when speedy pinch-runner Fernando Perez slid home with the winning run ahead of an off the target throw by Drew.

The Rays would not have been in position to win if not for the relief work of veteran Dan Wheeler and rookie David Price. Wheeler had to bounce back after his wild pitch allowed the Red Sox to tie the game in the eighth inning. But he tossed a scoreless ninth and tenth before leaving with one man out in the 11th and runner on a first. Price, the number one overall pick in the 2007 amateur draft, walked Drew, but struck out Mark Kotsay looking and got Coco Crisp to bounce into an inning ending ground out.

Neither starter pitched well, with Boston's Josh Beckett fighting a strained oblique and Tampa's Scott Kazmir continuing his '08 struggles against the Red Sox. Boston struck first against Kazmir, who was 0-2, 9.00 in four starts against the Sox this season. Kazmir's control problems came up to bite him in the first inning when he issued a two out walk to David Ortiz. Kevin Youkilis followed with a single and Jason Bay brought them both home with a double. Kazmir walked Jed Lowrie, but struck out Jason Varitek to escape further trouble.

The Rays came right back though when Evan Longoria smacked a 2-run home run, his third of the post-season, in the bottom half of the first. The tie only lasted until the third when Dustin Pedroia smashed a solo home run to left. That lead would last an even shorter amount of time when Upton crushed a 424-ft solo shot in the bottom of the third. Longoria stroked a one out double and came home on Carl Crawford's single for a 4-3 Rays lead.

Tampa extended their advantage to 5-3 when Cliff Floyd led off with a solo home run to straight away center field. But Kazmir wouldn't stick around to try to get the win. Pedroia's second solo shot of the game and Youkilis' own solo blast one batter later knocked Kazmir from the box and tied the game at 5-5. Bay greeted Grant Balfour with another solo home run to put the Red Sox ahead 6-5. Balfour then walked Lowrie and Varitek before J.P. Howell came on to work out of the jam.

Upton led off the fifth with a walk and promptly stole second base. Carlos Pena singled off of Beckett to tie the game and came home on Longoria's second double, and third extra base hit, of the ball game. Fracona finally yanked Beckett from the game, but Crawford laced reliever Javier Lopez's delivery to right for an RBI single and an 8-6 Rays lead. Manny DelCarmen was next out of the Boston pen and he finally quelled the fire.

Pedroia drew a one out walk in the sixth, but Howell struck out Ortiz looking. Joe Maddon went to the pen again for right-hander Chad Bradford, but Bradford gave up back to back singles to Youkilis and Bay to cut the Rays lead to 8-7.

After a scoreless seventh, only the second scoreless inning of the game, Pedroia singled off of Bradford to start the eighth. Maddon sent for lefty Trevor Miller to face Ortiz, but Big Papi drew a walk as well. Wheeler came on and got a big double play grounder from Youkilis, but then threw a fastball a mile over Navarro's head to allow Pedroia to score the tying run.

Box Score

The Pennant Race - 10/2

Three of the four playoff series got underway yesterday, with some good games right off the bat.

Cole as Ice

It may have only been his second career playoff game, but Cole Hamels looked like Whitey Ford yesterday for the Phillies. Hamels limited the Brewers to just two runs over eight innings as the Phillies beat Milwaukee, 3-1.

Brad Lidge may have been 41-41 in save situations this season, but we still don't trust him in big spots. His performance yesterday did nothing to change that. Lidge struck out the side, but not before allowing a run on two hits and a walk.

Game 2 is tonight with CC Sabathia facing off against Brett Myers.


Loney Slams Cubs

It's a managerial match up of ex-Yankees managers. Joe Torre in his first year with the Dodgers and Lou Piniella in his second season with the Cubs. The Cubs sent 17-game winner Ryan Dempster to the mound in game one and things looked good as Chicago led 1-0 through four innings.

But James Loney, who was 3-4 in his only other playoff experience, hit his first career playoff grand slam to give the Dodgers the lead for good. Manny Ramirez added a solo shot for good measure, as did Russell Martin.

Dempster struggled with his control, walking seven Dodgers, while Dodgers starter Derek Lowe allowed two runs in six innings of work for the win. The series continues tonight at Wrigley with Chad Billingsley facing Carlos Zambrano.


Manny Who?

Everyone knows Jason Bay is very talented, but when you're in a deal for Manny Ramirez, you don't get a lot of attention. That may change after last night, when Bay's 2-run home run put the Red Sox ahead and catapulted them to a 4-1 win.

The Angels had taken a 1-0 lead in the third inning against Boston starter Jon Lester, but Bay made his first playoff appearance a memorable one, hitting a John Lackey pitch over the left field wall.

Lester breezed through seven and the Red Sox gave Jon Papelbon room to work with, scoring a pair of runs off of Scot Shields in the ninth. The series continues on Friday night with Dice-K facing Ervin Santana.

The Pennant Race - 10/2

Three of the four playoff series got underway yesterday, with some good games right off the bat.

Cole as Ice

It may have only been his second career playoff game, but Cole Hamels looked like Whitey Ford yesterday for the Phillies. Hamels limited the Brewers to just two runs over eight innings as the Phillies beat Milwaukee, 3-1.

Brad Lidge may have been 41-41 in save situations this season, but we still don't trust him in big spots. His performance yesterday did nothing to change that. Lidge struck out the side, but not before allowing a run on two hits and a walk.

Game 2 is tonight with CC Sabathia facing off against Brett Myers.


Loney Slams Cubs

It's a managerial match up of ex-Yankees managers. Joe Torre in his first year with the Dodgers and Lou Piniella in his second season with the Cubs. The Cubs sent 17-game winner Ryan Dempster to the mound in game one and things looked good as Chicago led 1-0 through four innings.

But James Loney, who was 3-4 in his only other playoff experience, hit his first career playoff grand slam to give the Dodgers the lead for good. Manny Ramirez added a solo shot for good measure, as did Russell Martin.

Dempster struggled with his control, walking seven Dodgers, while Dodgers starter Derek Lowe allowed two runs in six innings of work for the win. The series continues tonight at Wrigley with Chad Billingsley facing Carlos Zambrano.


Manny Who?

Everyone knows Jason Bay is very talented, but when you're in a deal for Manny Ramirez, you don't get a lot of attention. That may change after last night, when Bay's 2-run home run put the Red Sox ahead and catapulted them to a 4-1 win.

The Angels had taken a 1-0 lead in the third inning against Boston starter Jon Lester, but Bay made his first playoff appearance a memorable one, hitting a John Lackey pitch over the left field wall.

Lester breezed through seven and the Red Sox gave Jon Papelbon room to work with, scoring a pair of runs off of Scot Shields in the ninth. The series continues on Friday night with Dice-K facing Ervin Santana.

The Pennant Race - 9/10

We're back from vacation, tanned, rested, and ready to get back to full posting. The races in four of the six divisions continue to be exciting. The Angels have a magic number of two to clinch the AL West, and the Cubs aren't losing any ground, because the Brewers are losing as much as the Chi-town team.

Things have really gotten crazy out in the NL West. The Dodgers lost eight straight in August before winning their final two of the month. They've since won seven of their first eight games in September to, remarkably, pick up five games on the Diamondbacks. LA has gone from 2.5 games out to 2.5 in front. Last night they trailed the Padres 2-0 in the sixth inning when Manny Ramirez's solo home run ignited a comeback. Andre Ethier drove in four runs, including a back breaking 3-run double in the ninth inning.

The Diamondbacks meanwhile lost for the 12th time in 15 games. Chris Snyder hit a game tying, 2-run home run in the ninth against Giants closer Brian Wilson, but Eugenio Velez singled in the game winner in the home half of the ninth.

The Blue Jays continue to muck up contending team's plans. Yesterday they out pitched and out hit the White Sox in a doubleheader sweep to extend their winning streak to 10 games. A.J. Burnett won his 17th game in the opener, allowing just one hit over seven innings in a 3-1 Blue Jays win.

The Jays won the nightcap 8-2 behind seven strong innings from Jessie Litsch and three home runs. News also got worse for the White Sox, already without Carlos Quentin, when Paul Konerko went down with a sprained MCL. He'll be further evaluated today.

The Twins took advantage of the White Sox double demise with a 7-2 win over the Royals. The victory moved the Twins back to within one game of the AL Central lead. Justin Morneau continued his run at another MVP award with his 23rd home run and RBI, 118 and 119.

When Jason Bay hit a 2-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning last night, it appeared the Red Sox would overtake Tampa for first place in the AL East, but the Rays had more up their sleeve. Dan Johnson took Jon Papelbon deep for a game tying home run in the ninth. One out later, pinch-hitter Fernando Perez and Dionner Navarro stroked back to back doubles to give the Rays a 5-4.

Troy Percival came on in the ninth and faced a two out challenge when pinch-runner Jacoby Ellsbury stole second base and moved to third base on Navarro's throwing error. But Percival got Coco Crisp to pop out to end the game and push the Rays lead back to 1.5 games.

10-8. Important numbers in the NL East. The Mets blew a 5-2 lead to the Nationals and then had to rally from an 8-7 deficit to beat Washington, 10-8. Carlos Delgado went from first half boos to second half chants of 'MVP' with games like last night's in which he slugged two home runs.

The Phillies trailed the Marlins 9-1 before rallying behind Ryan Howard's 41st home run. They fell short though and the Marlins emerged with a 10-8 win, dropping the Phillies 2.5 games behind the Mets.

The Cubbies struggles continue. They led the Cardinals 3-0 last night before Albert Pujols hit a game tying 3-run home run in the sixth inning. The game would remain tied until the ninth when pinch-runner Bo Ryan came home with the winning run on Caesar Izturis' grounder. The victory moved the Cardinals to within 4.5 games of the Brewers in the NL wildcard race.

The Cubs didn't lose any of their lead though as the Brewers rallied back from a 4-1 deficit, only to lose to the Reds, 5-4, in 11 innings. Ray Durham hit the game tying 3-run blast in the seventh. The Brewers remain 4.5 back of the Cubs in the NL Central, while maintaining their 3.5 game lead over the Phillies in the wildcard.

The Pennant Race - 9/10

We're back from vacation, tanned, rested, and ready to get back to full posting. The races in four of the six divisions continue to be exciting. The Angels have a magic number of two to clinch the AL West, and the Cubs aren't losing any ground, because the Brewers are losing as much as the Chi-town team.

Things have really gotten crazy out in the NL West. The Dodgers lost eight straight in August before winning their final two of the month. They've since won seven of their first eight games in September to, remarkably, pick up five games on the Diamondbacks. LA has gone from 2.5 games out to 2.5 in front. Last night they trailed the Padres 2-0 in the sixth inning when Manny Ramirez's solo home run ignited a comeback. Andre Ethier drove in four runs, including a back breaking 3-run double in the ninth inning.

The Diamondbacks meanwhile lost for the 12th time in 15 games. Chris Snyder hit a game tying, 2-run home run in the ninth against Giants closer Brian Wilson, but Eugenio Velez singled in the game winner in the home half of the ninth.

The Blue Jays continue to muck up contending team's plans. Yesterday they out pitched and out hit the White Sox in a doubleheader sweep to extend their winning streak to 10 games. A.J. Burnett won his 17th game in the opener, allowing just one hit over seven innings in a 3-1 Blue Jays win.

The Jays won the nightcap 8-2 behind seven strong innings from Jessie Litsch and three home runs. News also got worse for the White Sox, already without Carlos Quentin, when Paul Konerko went down with a sprained MCL. He'll be further evaluated today.

The Twins took advantage of the White Sox double demise with a 7-2 win over the Royals. The victory moved the Twins back to within one game of the AL Central lead. Justin Morneau continued his run at another MVP award with his 23rd home run and RBI, 118 and 119.

When Jason Bay hit a 2-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning last night, it appeared the Red Sox would overtake Tampa for first place in the AL East, but the Rays had more up their sleeve. Dan Johnson took Jon Papelbon deep for a game tying home run in the ninth. One out later, pinch-hitter Fernando Perez and Dionner Navarro stroked back to back doubles to give the Rays a 5-4.

Troy Percival came on in the ninth and faced a two out challenge when pinch-runner Jacoby Ellsbury stole second base and moved to third base on Navarro's throwing error. But Percival got Coco Crisp to pop out to end the game and push the Rays lead back to 1.5 games.

10-8. Important numbers in the NL East. The Mets blew a 5-2 lead to the Nationals and then had to rally from an 8-7 deficit to beat Washington, 10-8. Carlos Delgado went from first half boos to second half chants of 'MVP' with games like last night's in which he slugged two home runs.

The Phillies trailed the Marlins 9-1 before rallying behind Ryan Howard's 41st home run. They fell short though and the Marlins emerged with a 10-8 win, dropping the Phillies 2.5 games behind the Mets.

The Cubbies struggles continue. They led the Cardinals 3-0 last night before Albert Pujols hit a game tying 3-run home run in the sixth inning. The game would remain tied until the ninth when pinch-runner Bo Ryan came home with the winning run on Caesar Izturis' grounder. The victory moved the Cardinals to within 4.5 games of the Brewers in the NL wildcard race.

The Cubs didn't lose any of their lead though as the Brewers rallied back from a 4-1 deficit, only to lose to the Reds, 5-4, in 11 innings. Ray Durham hit the game tying 3-run blast in the seventh. The Brewers remain 4.5 back of the Cubs in the NL Central, while maintaining their 3.5 game lead over the Phillies in the wildcard.

We Sucked

Those were Hank Steinbrenner's words last night as he left the Stadium. It says it all.

August 27, 2008

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Boston	2	0	0	0	2	0	0	7	0		11	13	0
NY Yankees	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1		3	8	0

Boston	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Ellsbury, RF	5	2	2	0	0	2	0	.264
Pedroia, 2B	5	3	3	4	0	1	0	.317
Ortiz, DH	3	1	2	0	2	0	0	.267
Youkilis, 1B	4	1	1	1	1	1	4	.318
Bay, LF	4	1	2	4	0	0	1	.295
Lowrie, 3B	3	1	1	0	2	1	2	.296
Varitek, C	4	1	1	0	1	1	1	.224
Cora, SS	4	0	0	1	0	0	1	.267
Crisp, CF	4	1	1	1	0	1	0	.263
Totals	36	11	13	11	6	7	9
BATTING 2B: Ortiz (20, Ponson), Bay (27, Ponson), Lowrie (16, Ponson). 3B: Bay (4, Veras). HR: Pedroia (15, 8th inning off Robertson, 3 on, 1 out). TB: Ellsbury 2; Pedroia 6; Ortiz 3; Youkilis; Bay 5; Lowrie 2; Varitek; Crisp. RBI: Bay 4 (88), Youkilis (91), Cora (8), Crisp (33), Pedroia 4 (68). 2-out RBI: Bay 2. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Cora; Lowrie. SF: Bay; Cora. GIDP: Youkilis. Team LOB: 6. FIELDING DP: (Pedroia-Cora-Youkilis).

Boston	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Byrd (W, 9-11)	6.0	5	2	2	2	5	0	4.55
Delcarmen (H, 17)	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0	4.18
Timlin	2.0	3	1	1	0	0	1	5.09

NY Yankees	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Damon, CF	4	0	1	0	0	1	0	.313
Jeter, SS	4	0	1	0	0	0	1	.294
Abreu, RF	3	1	0	0	1	0	2	.296
Rodriguez, A, 3B	4	1	2	1	0	0	1	.310
Giambi, 1B	4	1	1	1	0	1	2	.247
Nady, LF	4	0	1	0	0	2	1	.327
Matsui, DH	3	0	1	0	1	0	0	.311
Cano, 2B	4	0	1	1	0	2	2	.268
Rodriguez, I, C	4	0	0	0	0	1	4	.280
Totals	34	3	8	3	2	7	13
BATTING 2B: Rodriguez, A 2 (31, Byrd, Byrd). HR: Giambi (26, 9th inning off Timlin, 0 on, 0 out). TB: Damon; Jeter; Rodriguez, A 4; Giambi 4; Nady; Matsui; Cano. RBI: Rodriguez, A (79), Cano (59), Giambi (78). 2-out RBI: Rodriguez, A; Cano. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Giambi; Rodriguez, I. GIDP: Rodriguez, I. Team LOB: 6. FIELDING Outfield assists: Abreu (Bay at home). DP: (Rodriguez, A-Cano-Giambi).

NY Yankees IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA Ponson (L, 7-5) 4.2 7 4 4 4 3 0 4.80 Ramirez 1.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3.49 Marte 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 4.26 Veras 0.1 3 5 5 2 0 0 3.64 Robertson 0.2 3 2 2 0 0 1 6.31 Britton 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 4.02

Pitches-strikes: Byrd 106-66, Delcarmen 17-9, Timlin 21-15, Ponson 89-51, Ramirez 8-4, Marte 19-13, Veras 23-9, Robertson 18-10, Britton 10-9. Groundouts-flyouts: Byrd 4-9, Delcarmen 0-1, Timlin 5-1, Ponson 6-4, Ramirez 3-1, Marte 1-0, Veras 0-1, Robertson 1-1, Britton 1-0. Batters faced: Byrd 25, Delcarmen 3, Timlin 8, Ponson 23, Ramirez 4, Marte 3, Veras 6, Robertson 5, Britton 3. Inherited runners-scored: Ramirez 2-0, Robertson 2-2. Umpires: HP: Tim Timmons. 1B: Gary Cederstrom. 2B: Fieldin Culbreth. 3B: Jim Reynolds. Weather: 72 degrees, partly cloudy. Wind: 7 mph, R to L. T: 3:16. Att: 55,027.