Girardi Pieces Together Yankees Playoff Clinching Monster

New York Yankees starter Phil Hughes was scratched today due to back spasms and manager Joe Girardi did a masterful job of piecing together a mosaic of pitchers to help the team beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-2, and clinch a playoff berth this afternoon at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees trailed for seven innings until Eduardo Nunez smashed a solo home run into the left field seats to tie the game at two.  Brett Gardner and Derek Jeter followed with singles and Robinson Cano doubled to give the Yankees a 4-2 lead they would hang on to.

Less than a work of art, Girardi created a sort of Frankenstein starter by using the arms of seven different pitchers through eight innings-- to make up for the loss of Hughes and not upset the rotation-- before Mariano Rivera came in to get the save in the ninth.

The managers' creation would go toe-to-toe with Rays starter James Shields who allowed one run and four hits through seven innings-- using one spare part after another.

The head of Girardi's monster was Hector Noesi who was making his first Major League start.  Noesi lasted 2.2 innings and gave up four hits and allowed the only two runs Tampa Bay would score.

After that, the mad scientist Girardi would stitch in Raul Valdes for 1.1 innings.  Valdes allowed one hit and stymied the Rays with three strikeouts.

Next, Girardi would utilize George Kontos, Aaron Laffey, Corey Wade and Boone Logan in small roles until the seventh.  Each of those pitchers, except Wade, would go 0.2 innings and allow a single hit apiece.  Wade would last 1.1 innings.

Luis Ayala (2-2) struck out two Rays batters for the final outs in the eighth and was the beneficiary of the Yankees three-run eighth.

Mariano Rivera came in and got the last three Rays hitters out for his 44th save of the season and No. 603 for his career.

The Yankees clinched a playoff berth today for the 16th time in the last 17 years.  The come-from-behind victory put the team 6 1/2 games in front of the second place Boston Red Sox.

Shields (15-12) got the devastating loss; which dropped the Rays 2 1/2 games behind the Sox in the wild card race with only eight games left.  The team has now lost 5-out-of-9 and looks like it is running out of steam.

The only bad news for the Yankees was the updated condition of Hughes back spasms.  After the game, Girardi was asked if the scheduled starter's injury was serious.

"Hughes went for an MRI," he reluctantly told the YES network.  "I think he went for an MRI."

 Dr. Girardistein now has to hit the laboratory and put together a four-man playoff rotation.  Where's Igor when you need him?

Sabathia Gets Monkey Off His Back & Girardi Goes Ape As Yanks Beat Sox

It was like old times at Fenway Park on Tuesday night as tempers rose and benches emptied during the New York Yankees 5-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox.  Batters from both sides were plunked and Yankees manager Joe Girardi was ejected.

The good news for the Yankees was that  CC Sabathia finally won a game against their division rivals.  The victory pulled the Yankees to within a half-game behind the AL East leaders.

It was Sabathia's first win this season against the Sox after losing his first four.  The victory was no thing of beauty, but it had to look like Miss America to the Yankees ace.

Sabathia (18-7) scattered ten hits and struck out the same amount through 6 1/3 innings. He threw 128 pitches-- the most ever in one game as a Yankee-- and was lucky the Sox stranded 16 runners.

The Yank's bullpen wasn't perfect either,  but were good enough to preserve the big guy's long-awaited win.

Boone Logan bailed out Sabathia by relieving him with two men on and one out in the seventh.  Logan struck out two after loading the bases.

Rafael Soriano threw a scoreless eighth and Mariano Rivera wrapped up the game in the ninth.

The real excitement was centered around Red Sox starter John Lackey (12-10) and his penchant for hitting opposing batters.  He now leads the league with 17.

While Sabathia did hit Jacoby Ellsbury to lead off the first, it was Lackey who was retaliating throughout the game.

In the first, Lackey bopped Curtis Granderson, who started towards first base, but was called back by the home plate umpire Ed Rapuano.

It was in the seventh, when Francisco Cervelli added a little spice to the game after Lackey's brush-back hit the Yankees player.

Cervelli, who sent a home-run ball sailing out of Fenway in his previous at bat, probably ticked off Lackey, who couldn't have liked the way the Yankees backup catcher clapped his hands as he emphatically hopped on home plate after circling the bases. 

After Cervelli got popped, he started to rush the mound before being held back by Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltamacchia.  Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild rushed in and was tossed out of the game by third base umpire Mark Wegner.

In the ninth, Girardi took offense when a Saltamacchia's check-swing stopped a Rivera cutter on his  arm.  This time the batter was awarded first.  Girardi stormed out and was hopping mad.  He was quickly sent to the showers by Wegman after arguing that the Red Sox batter had swung into Rivera's pitch.

It's good to see a little fire in the old rivalry.  They'll do it again tomorrow night.

Hey Kid! Curb Your Enthusiasm For The Yankees

Television curmudgeon Larry David and former TV bartender Woody Harrelson take in the Yankees/Red Sox game at Fenway Park.  What do you get when you combine "Seinfeld" and "Cheers?"--a bored kid.

The little Yankees fan seated behind the two celebrities didn't seem to impressed to have the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" star and Boston's favorite dimwitted bartender from "Cheers" blocking his view.

I guess not everybody knows their names.



The Yankees come-from-behind victory extended their win streak to eight after defeating the Red Sox, 3-2, last night.  It was the opening game of a three-game series and put the Bombers into sole possession of first place in the AL East and masters of their domain

Boone Logan picked up the win for the Yankees after coming in for Bartolo Colon and striking out Adrian Gonzalez, the best hitter in the American League, with the bases loaded in the fifth inning.  It was only the second Yankees win in 10 games against Boston this season.

With two outs, Yankees manager Joe Girardi pulled Colon after his pitcher loaded the bases.  It was a risk the manager felt he had to take and it paid off.

"You look at Gonzalez," said Girardi of the hard-hitting batter.  "He has a lot of power and Bartolo was getting tired."

Yankee-killer Jon Lester (8-2 career vs. Yanks) then turned into Mayday Malone and got knocked out in the sixth after giving up three runs. Lester struck out seven, walked four and allowed five hits.

The move seemed to take the wind out of Boston's sails.  Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Girardi used five pitchers from the bullpen, including Rafael Soriano who was asked to get big outs for the first time in three appearances since returning from the DL.  He pitched a perfect seventh inning with one strike-out.

The Yankees haven't lead the division since July 6 or beaten Boston in Fenway since April 9.  Girardi was philosophical about also getting the double-dip win against his rivals this season.

"Winning the game [was] more important than anything," said the manager.  "There is a long way to go."

Yada, yada, yada.