Walk-off Win and a Postseason Pie

The New York Yankees took a 2-0 series lead thanks to two dramatic long balls, one a two-run blast from Alex Rodriguez to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th and the other a wall-scraping solo shot to left off the bat of Mark Teixeira for the walk-off win. The new Yankee Stadium has become the "Home of the Walk-Off," Teixeira's home run marking the 16th victory to be earned in that fashion. And the Minnesota Twins have been victimized more than any team.

Both teams are en route to Minnesota, where the Twins face a do-or-die Game 3 and send Carl Pavano (of all people) to the mound to oppose Yankee veteran and playoff-pro Andy Pettitte on Sunday night.

Quick Hits

Sorry for the lack of updates lately- Final exams have kept me busy recently.

Since my last update:

- The Yankees were swept by the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

- Chien-Ming Wang, Brian Bruney, Cody Ransom, AND Damaso Marte were all placed on the disabled list.

- Mark Melancon made his highly-anticipated M.L. debut.

- The Yankees reduced ticket prices at the new Stadium.

- The Bronx Bombers played a three game series in Detroit, winning 2 out of 3.

- Phil Hughes was called-up from the minors and pitched beautifully, tossing six scoreless innings and notching his first big league victory since the 2007 postseason.


- Melky Cabrera officially (for the time being, at least) regained the starting center field role, pushing Brett Gardner to the bench. Melky has come up huge recently. As of today, Cabrera is batting .321 to Gardner's .222. He's got 4 homeruns (0 for Gardner), 10 RBI (versus Brett's 4), and Melky has even managed 2 stolen bases.

- Who's hot? Robinson Cano, Melky Cabrera, Hideki Matsui, Jorge Posada, Nick Swisher
- Who's not? Mark Teixeira, Brett Gardner, Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez

- The Yankees finished-up a rain-shortened series against the pesky Angels, taking 2 of 3 at the Stadium. I was at the series opener and am happy to say that the new place finally sounded like Yankee Stadium ought to. That might have something to do with my location; it was my first game in the grandstand seats with the real fans. May rolled around and with it came an exciting walk-off victory. Behind by 5 runs in the 8th, the Yankees rallied and won the game with a walk-off, two-run single courtesy of Jorge Posada. The Yanks lost the final game of the series.


- The bullpen remains a serious concern.

- Xavier Nady hopes to be back by the end of the month thanks to an innovative procedure, detailed here by Peter Abraham of The Journal News.

- Alex Rodriguez is progressing with his rehab and could be back with the team by the end of the week. Of course, no A-Rod update is complete without some controversy. Selena Roberts' "A-Rod" expose is hitting bookshelves today after a number of excerpts were leaked. I, for one, am sick of this story already, and it's only just begun.

- And as if all that weren't enough, the Red Sox are in town for their first taste of the New Yankee Stadium. Let's just hope the weather holds up and the Yankees have a sweep of their own in them!

What's Gotten in to Kyle Farnsworth?

Who is this man...

...And what happened to the Kyle Farnsworth we all know and loathe?

Something is amiss here.

This cannot possibly be the same man who took it upon himself to introduce Paul Wilson to a face-full of Wrigley dirt.

...And it certainly isn't Jeremy Affeldt's worst nightmare, reincarnated.

This isn't even the Yankees' much maligned mop-up man incapable of pitching more than an inning a night, whose balky back would act up without notice. (Because look at how fragile that Farnsworth was!)

There must be some kind of mistake. Because the current Kyle Farnsworth has been...dare I say it?... reliable.

I'm not sure we Yankee fans are ready for a world in which Kyle Farnsworth pitches on back-to-back nights, no longer walks the ballpark, and posts a respectable 2.84 ERA.

And bakes delicious peanut butter cookies to help overcome his crippling shyness.

What?!

I am seriously alarmed now.

If only there were some kind of reasonable explanation for that smile, the hair, the glasses, and this new softer side of Kyle Farnsworth.

Wait, wait. What do we have here?

"Farnsworth is taking PR steps to improve it (his
public reputation). He recently hired Steve
Fortunato, a marketing consultant who
has worked with Damon, Alex Rodriguez and Bernie
Williams among others" (Feinsand, 2008)

Ah, that is enlightening. I was worried that someone mistakenly subjected him to a brain transplant when he spent the offseason in the hospital with a staph infection that almost cost him a leg.

But Kyle, do you really want the man in charge of your public persona to be the same one Alex Rodriguez uses? I'm not sure that's the best course of action.

Any day now, Farnsworth will be spotted sunbathing in Central Park, passing out at the birth of one of his children, wandering Toronto with an exotic dancer, and wondering if people dislike him because he's good-looking, biracial, and because he plays for the most popular team.

It should be fascinating to watch.

****************************************************

UPDATE:

For the record, this post was published a day before the same story appeared on Deadspin(which was weird, considering the article I referenced is two months old). Just sayin'.

Here We Go Again

Who would've thought that, after their abysmal beginning, the New York Yankees would be playing a meaningful series against the Boston Red Sox in September?

As they prepare for a three-game set in Fenway Park, the Yankees look to topple the Red Sox from their perch atop the American League East standings, where they've resided all season.
With only two weeks left, a 5 1/2 game deficit is not easy to surmount. The best, and possibly only chance the Wild Card leading Yankees have is to sweep this series and hope for some help. In the meantime, Boston would like nothing more than to give the Yankees a taste of their own medicine and sweep them out of town. Once up by 14 1/2 games (shades of '78), the Yankees are a little too close for comfort in the eyes of the best team in baseball.
Despite having the best record in the Majors, the Red Sox trail the Yankees 7-8 in the season series, thanks in large part to the most recent series between the two in which New York swept Boston two weeks ago. In fact, since May 23, the Yankees are 7-2 against their rivals, and remain the best team in baseball since the All-Star Break (Boston is second).
The epic rivalry is renewed this evening, as Daisuke Matsuzaka and Andy Pettitte face-off at Fenway Park. Dice-K has been smacked around by the Yankees this season, to the tune of a 6.98 ERA, and he's coming off the worst outing of his (albeit very short) Major League career. Pettitte, on the other hand, is 2-1 against the Sox this season, is 9-2 since the All Star break, and is looking for the 200th win of career.
The pitching match-ups this weekend couldn't be better. Matsuzaka and Pettitte tonight. Tomorrow, two 18-game winners in Josh Beckett and Chien-Ming Wang will toe the rubber. And on Sunday night, Roger Clemens returns to Fenway as a Yankee for the first time since the 2003 ALCS (a.k.a. "Ultimate Fighting Championship: Pedro Martinez vs. Don Zimmer), to take on another fiery old veteran in Curt Schilling.
As is typical with these two teams, there are several underlying storylines and a fair share of bad blood that will likely be stirred up this weekend. This season alone, there have been hard hits and questionable slides (Mike Lowell, Alex Rodriguez), head-hunting (Scott Proctor), hit batsmen galore (Jeter, A-Rod, Posada, Pedroia, Youkilis), veiled accusations and league suspensions (Terry Francona, Kevin Youkilis and Joba Chamberlain). Never a dull moment with these two. This weekend should be no different. With this being the last meeting between the two bitter rivals and the playoffs just around the corner, all bets are off. This is the last face-off between the powerhouse Yankees and Red Sox of 2007. Unless, of course, October beckons.

(All photos courtesy of Yahoo! Sports and Yankee Kids)

Yankees vs. Red Sox- Series Recap

Game 1: An embarrassing debacle of a game for the Yankees. The Big Unit was useless again, A-Rod was his typical "un"-clutch, error-prone-in-a-tight-spot self, and who was out "playing" right field? Melky Cabrera (Shudders). Game 2: Quite the opposite of Tuesday night's game. The Yankees and Mike Mussina got off to a shaky start after the Moose surrendered a two-run homerun to- who else? - Big Papi in the first and a solo shot to Mike Lowell the next inning. With Curt Schilling on the mound, things were not looking up for the Yanks. However, Jason Giambi continued his homerun tear with a two-run shot after Bernie Williams drove in a run with a sac fly and the score was tied 3-3; suddenly, it was a whole new ballgame. Mussina bore down and ended up with another excellent outing going 6 2/3 innings and surrendering only the 3 early runs. Alex Rodriguez, whose two errors the night before had greatly upset George Steinbrenner, ended up hitting a solo homerun off Schilling to break the tie, and Jorge Posada hit a two-run homer later in the inning to provide all the run support Mussina and the bullpen needed. I was lucky enough to witness the game in person, and it was a typically exciting and atmospheric event like no other. Mike Mussina won his 230th career game and became the first American League pitcher to win 6 games, taking his record to 6-1 on the year with a 2.56 ERA, good for 3rd in the A.L.Game 3: The Yankees lose the game, lose the series, lose first place, and lose their left-fielder for the foreseeable future. Terrible, just terrible. Hideki Matsui will undergo surgery on his fractured wrist tomorrow morning after injuring himself in the first inning of the Yankees 5-3 loss to the Red Sox and effectively ending his consecutive game streak that dates back to his days with the Yomiuri Giants. Don't be shocked to see someone like Ken Griffey, Jr. sporting the pinstripes in left field sometime in the near future...

Lara*

Yankees Win, The-e-e-e Yankees Win!

New York Yankees 15

Oakland Athletics 2

Win: Randy Johnson (1-0)

Loss: Barry Zito (0-1)

_________________________________________________________

Player(s) of the Game: Randy Johnson- 7 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 3 K

Hideki Matsui- 4 for 4, 3-Run Homerun, 4 RBI, 2 BB

Play of the Game: Alex Rodriguez's 12th Career Grand Slam (430th of Career, 1 HR shy of Thome and Ripken)

___________________________________________________________________________

Worth Mentioning:

*Alex Rodriguez is only the fourth Yankee to hit an Opening Day Grand Slam. He joins Russ Derry (1985), Bobby Murcer (1981), and Alfonso Soriano (2003)

* Both starting pitchers, Randy Johnson and Barry Zito, were the 2002 Cy Young Award winners in their respective leagues

* Randy Johnson started his 14th Opening Day and won the start for the 7th time in his career

* The 15 runs the Yankees scored ties for the most runs ever scored on the road on Opening Day

* Barry Zito's outing was the shortest of his career- He completed only 1 1/3 innings, giving up 7 ER

__________________________________________________________________________

Anyone else totally worried that the Yanks won't have nearly enough offense this season? If Opening Day is any indication of things to come, we're in for quite a ride.

Lara*

What's New With the Yankees?

George Steinbrenner- Yanks Will Win it All This Season

"It's been a while; we haven't won it," said Steinbrenner today. "We're going to win it this year. We're going after them this year." Steinbrenner has been more visible at this year’s Spring Training than any year in recent memory and has made a point of being there in order to patch up his relationship with Joe Torre.

Gary Sheffield (from www.yankees.com)

Sheffield took the entire winter off, giving his battered body time to heal. He said that the Division Series loss to the Angels didn't stick with him, as he traveled to Paris, Italy, London and the Bahamas, spent time with his family and got as far away from baseball as he could.

General manager Brian Cashman met privately with Sheffield after the right fielder finished with his physical, telling the nine-time All-Star that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the club would likely pick up the $13 million option.

"The only thing I judge it on is how many rings I have, and I don't have any," Sheffield said. "That's the thing that eludes me right now and agitates me. It agitates me a lot, because I feel with the guys in this room, we should have two rings since I've been here and be working on our third. With that in mind, the mission never stops until I get it."

Mike Mussina Not Concerned With Contract

Cashman spoke with starter Mike Mussina, conveying the impression that the Yankees want to keep him beyond this season. But even Mussina said he believes he will not return at a salary of $17 million, meaning the Yankees will probably decline his option for that amount and try to sign him for less. "I'm pretty sure it won't be picked up unless I win 25 games," Mussina said. "But I've known that for years."


Johnny Damon: High Expectations

"I thought Joe's introductory speech was amazing," said Johnny Damon. "It really hit home. We do have to enjoy being a part of this, because the game of baseball will pass you by. This is my 12th year, and it seems like yesterday that I took the field for the first time."

"Knowing we have a good team, knowing that the goal here is to win a championship, that's what it's all about," Damon said, adding that no other manager had ever set his sights that high on the first day of spring. "There is no reason to celebrate getting into the postseason. It's great, but it's winning that championship that stays with you for a long time."

Bernie Williams Looking Forward to New Role

"It will probably be a more complicated role than being an everyday player at a set position," Williams said. "If I look at it that way, I think it will be more of a challenge for me."

Alex Rodriguez (from www.yankees.com - Sorry, I was lazy today!)

Alex Rodriguez's 2005 season was as good as any player's in Major League Baseball. He led the American League in home runs, slugging percentage and runs scored, placed in the top four in batting average, RBIs and on-base percentage, capturing his second AL MVP Award in three years.

None of that matters to the 30-year-old superstar. The Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round, sent home early after just five games in which he went 2-for-15.

"It was very painful," Rodriguez said Monday, shortly after arriving at Legends Field for the first time this spring. "When you play as miserable as I did in the most important five games of the year, that kind of fuels you going into this year. It fuels me tremendously, because I feel that my career won't be complete without a world championship.

"This year, to use a poker term," he added, "we're all in."

Aside from A-Rod's obvious crack at his offseason poker scandal, it is clear that the third baseman is extremely focused on filling in the one gaping hole on his resume.

"[The MVP Award] is a consolation, but if you don't win in October, if you're not a world champion, nobody really cares about anything else," he said. "I came here for one reason. Winning, that's it. I could have won MVPs in Texas. I did that."

Lara*

Alex Rodriguez Needs a Publicist...BADLY!

I feel stupid even reporting this, because chances are I'll have to edit it at some point in the near future, but as of this very second, Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez WILL play in the World Baseball Classic, and he WILL play for the UNITED STATES.

Now, to be fair to dear Alex, I understand how difficult the decision must have been. I mean, he was only born in New York, raised in Miami, and employed as the richest man in baseball in Seattle, Arlington, Texas, and New York. Other than that, he has no connection whatsoever to the United States. He totally spent, like, at least two summers in the Dominican Republic when he was four or five years old.

Totally.

Lara*