Ex-Met Lenny Dykstra granted permission to attend Gary Carter's funeral

Former New York Mets star Lenny Dykstra will be permitted to attend the funeral of teammate Gary Carter after he "begged" a judge to let him go.

The disgraced and broke Dykstra, who is under house arrest in Los Angeles on allegations of bankruptcy fraud and embezzlement, filed papers with a judge earlier this week in an attempt to attend Carter's funeral, according to TMZ.com.

The judge allowed Dykstra's request to cross state lines to attend the memorial service in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. at 7 p.m. on Friday night.

Carter died last Thursday after a long battle with brain cancer.  He was 57.

Nicknamed "Nails" because of his tough style of play, Dykstra played alongside Carter on the Mets from 1985-89.  The were integral parts of the Mets during that charismatic team's miraculous '86 World Championship title run.

 It was Carter's two-out single in the 10th inning of Game 6 of the World Series against the Boston Red Sox that ignited a rally and forced a Game 7.

Dykstra is out on bail for charges he sold or destroyed items under jurisdiction of bankruptcy court.

In addition to Dykstra, some of Carter's former Mets teammates expected to attend the funeral are: Keith Hernandez, Wally Backman, Howard Johnson, Roger McDowell, Darryl Strawberry, Sid Fernandez and Bob Ojeda.

Red Sox Fans Serenade Real "Sweet Caroline" at Kennedy Center Honors

Dozens of Boston Red Sox fans joined Smokey Robinson in a sing-a-long of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" at last night's taping of the 2011 Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C..  The surprise guest was Sweet Caroline herself—Caroline Kennedy the daughter of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy.

As a chorus of Boston fans in Red Sox T-shirts and head-gear backed up Robinson and Lionel Ritchie with their Fenway Park anthem, Caroline got onstage and shyly sang the song which was written about her by Diamond in 1969 after he saw the young teen on a cover of Life magazine.

The song has become a staple at Red Sox home games and can even be heard by fearless "Sawx" fans trying to sing it through the Bronx cheers at Yankees/Red Sox games in New York too.

The "Sweet Caroline...bum, bum, bum" refrain has become as well known as the Yankees "New York, New York" anthem and has been featured in movies like "Fever Pitch."

Diamond was one of five honorees this year and sang from his featured spot in the audience.

Mookie And Buckner Auctioning Off WS Dinner Date Together

In what could be considered one of the most awkward dinner parties in history, fans will get a chance to bid for a chance to break bread and watch a World Series game with Mookie Wilson and Bill Buckner-- 25 years after the former New York Met's ground ball rolled through the legs of the self-exiled Boston Red Sox first baseman.

Buckner's improbable error of Wilson's 10th-inning dribbler down the first base line in the 1986 Fall Classic led to a Mets comeback victory and eventual world title.  The moment will forever link the two players in baseball lore.

Hopefully, Buckner cuts his food into little pieces so he doesn't...  too easy.

The auction begins today for the Oct. 24 dinner at Mickey Mantle's restaurant in Manhattan with an opening bid of $5,000.

Buckner's legendary fail helped the Mets win the World Championship and sent the Boston star into hiding.  It took the Red Sox another 18 years before they exorcised the "Curse of the Bambino" by finally winning a championship in 2004 after a long drought.

Over the years, the moment has been broken down in too many articles and documentaries to forget.

Buckner, 61, the one-time pariah has put the monumental error behind him and has now turned a lemon into lemonade.

He appears at card shows with Wilson, 55, and even poked fun at himself in an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" by catching a baby dropped from a burning building.

Championships by the Red Sox in 2004 and 2007 have also helped damper the pain for the once championship-starved Sox fans who shunned Buckner.

The top bidder can invite three guests to sit down and rehash the infamous moment.

It will be interesting to see if a Mets or Sox fan makes the largest bid for the meal.  There are a lot of questions to be plated.

For Mets fans, it''ll be an opportunity to stuff their faces with one of the brightest moments in their history and help erase memories of the last few dismal seasons.

Meanwhile, Red Sox fans, who just went through one of the great season-ending collapses, might not want any more leftover scraps of misery on their plates.

Bidding on the Dinner for Mucks runs through Oct. 19.  The sitdown is scheduled for the eve of Oct. 25-- the 25th anniversary of the 1986 game.

Even if the final bid for this dinner ends up skyrocketing, it'll pale to the cost of the actual ball hit by Wilson.  The ball's owner is asking $1 million at an auction set to end at the exact moment-- 25 years ago-- when Buckner bungled the routine play.

Let the Heimlich Maneuver jokes begin and pass the Tums.

Toy Plane Bomber Used the Name 'Dave Winfield' as His Alias

The Massachusetts physics expert, who reportedly planned to bomb the Pentagon and U.S. Capital with homemade drones loaded with C-4 explosives, purchased the model planes over the Internet by using the name of former Major League star Dave Winfield.

It looks like the accused terrorist, Rezwan Ferdaus, had an affinity for "Mr. May."

Federal agents, according to the New York Daily News, said Ferdaus purchased the miniature planes, one a replica of an Navy F-4 phantom jet with a Playboy decal on its tail, by passing himself off as someone named after the former New York Yankees outfielder.

Luckily, the Feds busted the idiot before he could carry out the alleged plot.

Dave Winfield would seem like an odd choice of name for the alleged Ashland, Mass. bomber to use as an alias.  I don't remember George Steinbrenner's whipping boy being very effective against the Boston Red Sox.

Any Red Sox-blooded fan would have probably used the names of either Bucky "F@s!#@" Dent or Aaron "F*@;#@" Boone as a fake name to wreak havoc.

I hear the name Robert "F*@#!@" Andino is now big in Beantown.

Too soon?

The Yankees' Season Wrapped Up in a Song Tribute

What happens when you cross the end of an music era with the last day of the baseball regular season... a song of course.

When the band R.E.M., after over a decade of making music together, announced they were finally calling it quits last week, the words to one of their most iconic songs came to me while I was summarizing this crazy (which ones aren't) New York Yankees season: "It's the End of the World as We Know it (And I feel Fine)."

With apologies to Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe, I give you the Yankees season-- from the off-season contract squabbles to winning the AL East title-- wrapped up in a re-worded version of the great song.

That's great, New York has an earthquake, words and stakes,

get paid, Derek Jeter's not afraid.

Irene was a hurricane, A-Rod in a poker game.

Core Four to Key Three, no sign of Cliff Lee.

Stem cell, elbow, Bartolo's all well,

Joba Rules, Tommy John, Garcia still has the tools.

Red Sox, on fire, trumped by eight, no Yank bats for hire.

AL East, too strong, breathing down your neck, but not for long.

 Dead arm, search the farm, Ivan Nova is a charm

Look at those slow players!

Fine, then.

Uh oh, roster change, Soriano overpaid.

Save yourself, Jorge, batting ninth, no way.

A.J., vitriolic, psychotic, fight, melt down,

felling pretty tight- right

It's the end of the season as we know it.

It's the end of the season as we know it.

It's the end of the season as we know it and the Yanks feel fine.

11 o'clock- TV hour.  Don't get caught in rain showers.

Swish, the man, honeymoon in Afghanistan.

Every motive escalated, six-man rotation, CC hated.

In the dirt, in the sun, Tex's glove saves a run.

DL, milestone, All-Star snub, Jeter atones.
Sandman, 602, watch the cutter, Hall of Fame.

Home run derby, father throws, turn the corner, Robbie grows.

Cashman, no trades, Joe Girardi, Boston fades.

(Chorus)

HGH, Crawford's pay, Andy Pettitte, perjury,

Christian Lopez, Minka Kelly, Montero, Hideki.

Granderson for MVP,  Nunez good, but not error free.

You symbiotic, patriotic, pinstriped look, right? Right.

It's the end of the season as we know it.
It's the end of the season as we know it.
It's the end of the season as we know it and the Yanks feel fine...

My next R.E.M. song tribute will be dedicated to the Boston Red Sox.  You may know it as "Everybody Hurts."

Reyes Pulled After Getting Hit To Preserve Batting Title Chances

Jose Reyes celebrated a lead-off bunt-single in the first inning-- lifting his batting average to a National League-leading .337  (technically, almost three points higher than Milwaukee's Ryan Braun's .335) in the New York Mets season finale this afternoon-- before Mets manager Terry Collins promptly removed his shortstop for a pinch-runner.

When Collins pulled Reyes, the home-crowd cheers at CitiField broke out into resounding boos.

While the manager's move almost guarantees Reyes the batting title, it didn't evoke any memories of Ted Williams's dignified pursuit of .400 when the Red Sox legend finished playing both games of a double-header after he already reached the milestone on the final day of the season 70 years ago.

Collins had hinted that he would lift his shortstop once Reyes had a higher average than his competition, but the move disappointed a lot of the fans who came to see their free-agent-to-be do it more legitimately.

Get the asterisks ready.

In what could be Reye's last at-bat in a Mets uniform, it was kind of an anti-climatic end to the player's amazing season and who was possibly the lone bright spot during the team's dismal year. 

Reyes admitted last week that he was striving to become the first Mets player to win a batting title and was routinely reminded about it.

He said he was being overwhelmed with text messages telling him what Braun did and what Braun was doing.

Braun must now go 3-for-4 in Wednesday night's game vs. Pittsburgh to pass Reyes for the title.

If Braun goes 3-for-4 and has another at-bat, do you think he'll be pulled from the game?

A.J. & Jeter Okey-Doke Stumbling Red Sox 6-2

A.J. Burnett picked the right time to beat the Red Sox for the first time while wearing pinstripes.  The much maligned pitcher threw a solid 7 2/3 innings and boosted his chances of getting No. 3 spot in the Yankees playoff rotation.

In the first game of Sunday's doubleheader, the Yankees beat the Red Sox 6-2 as Burnett (11-11) picked up his first win at Yankee Stadium since June 29.

The righthander fooled Boston's hitters with a good command of his curve ball and finally looked like the Red Sox slayer the Yankees hoped they acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Meanwhile Derek Jeter gave one more reason for Boston Red Sox fans to despise the Yankees shortstop.  The Yankees Captain continued to tease his division nemesis with his instinctive smart play by using his head-- or in this case-- his foot.

Jeter scored from second base on an Alex Rodriguez but, as he slid into home plate under the fumbled tag of catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, he didn't touch home plate.  Salty, more intent on seeing where A-Rod was, ignored Jeter who slipped behind the catcher and sneakily tapped home plate with his toe.

Jeter then jogged to the dugout with a huge grin on his face after giving the Yankees a 5-1 lead. He went 3-for-4 and scored two runs. 

The simple play epitomized the Red Sox ineptitude during their ongoing September collapse and highlighted how they are not making the little plays that add up to wins.

The fifth-inning play began with what may have been Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield's last knuckleball.  The 45 year-old pitcher is in the last year of his contract and Boston is heading dangerously close to being eliminated from playoff contention.  Where he'll be next year is anyone's guess.

 Burnett's only mistakes were the two home runs he gave up to Jacoby Ellsbury.  Other than those two dingers, Burnett was nearly flawless. He allowed only five hits and the two earned runs.

Even Burnett's 100th, and final, pitch-- before he was pulled in the eighth-- was a punch-out of Saltalamacchia.  It was his sixth K of the game and the first time Burnett has seen the seventh inning since July 29.

Dave Robertson relieved A.J. and the strikeout machine mowed down three of the final four outs.

Jorge Posada increased his chances of making the playoff roster.  The Yankee DH, batting cleanup, was 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and tipped his hat to the appreciative crowd.

Besides getting a long-awaited victory at home, Burnett got his own standing ovation from the fans when he exited the diamond.  It's been a while since this brand of A.J. had shown up in the Bronx, and it's been an even longer time since the under-performing pitcher heard cheers like that from Yankees fans. They couldn't have come at a more opportune time. 

The next sound A.J. may want to hear is manager Joe Girardi telling him that he is the No. 3 starter next Monday night.

A.J. Burnett Will Get Third Spot In Yankees Rotation By Default

It's a good bet A.J. Burnett will be the New York Yankees' No. 3 starter in the playoffs, unless he totally gets blown out of the water in tomorrow's start against the Boston Red Sox.

After CC Sabathia and rookie Ivan Nova, the Yankees will have no other choice but to give the job to Burnett due to old injuries and older age to the other starters.  The pivotal spot won't be awarded to Burnett based on his performance, as much as by default.  

It's more like a Two-and-a-Half Men rotation with Burnett being as welcome as Charlie Sheen on that show's set-- with a paycheck to match.

Only difference, Winning is definitely not in Burnett's vocabulary.

Everything was looking pretty rosy for the Yankees and their six-man rotation up until only a few days ago.

Leading up to the playoffs, Phil Hughes had thrown three strong games and was ready to take over the No. 3 spot until an MRI showed that the back spasms which forced him from pitching on Wednesday were an old spine injury flaring up again.

Up until then, Hughes (5-5, 6.00 ERA) had been the most consistent starter after Sabathia and Nova and appeared to be the logical No. 3.  Now, a herniated disc injury from seven years ago has reared its burning head and has to be a concern to the team regarding Hughes' long-term prognosis.

The Yankees are confident he can make one more start in a meaningless game before the playoffs, but they need a fully healthy Hughes on the mound and probably won't take a chance on the disc flaring up during a pivotal playoff game, so it looks like the bullpen for the 25 year-old.

That leaves Burnett, Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia looking for on spot behind Sabathia and Nova; and none of them have been spanking any teams over the past few weeks. 

It looks like Colon and Garcia have just plain run out of steam.  The two veteran pitchers played beyond any one's expectations and carried the Yankees for a good portion of the season but it looks like Father Time has come a calling.

Colon's chances of making the New York Yankees playoff rotation took a big hit last night when he was pounded by the Tampa Bay Rays for seven runs (five earned) in three innings.

The one-time No. 3 front-runner, Colon (8-10), is winless in his last nine starts and has an ERA of 5.09 since the All-Star break.

Manager Joe Girardi has already hinted at being unsure about Colon's future and it looks like the pitcher's stock has fallen off the chart.

The 38 year-old Colon was, at times, brilliant this season and the Yankees off-season pick-up exceeded all expectations.  The beefy hurler came back after almost two years of inactivity and hasn't pitched a full season since 2006 due to injuries. 

Garcia is more of a mystery.  The other bargain basement pick-up was consistent up until a few weeks ago.  The 35 year-old was always hittable but seemed to pitch himself out of any jams until recently.  Now, opposing players are using him like a batting tee and that won't do in the third game of a playoff series.

Over his last two starts, Garcia has been rocked for 11 earned runs in seven innings.  Not good enough for a short-- or long-- series.

Which leads us to Burnett.  What hasn't been said about the $82 million dollar enigma that wasn't a headline on the back page?  From funny haircuts, cussing out the manager and mound meltdowns, the tattooed Burnett has done it all-- and badly.

The inconsistent pitcher has been given a second life by Girardi, oh...  about half a dozen times.  Two weeks ago it looked like the bullpen for the cantankerous righthander but, like some pinstriped vampire, he keeps arising and sucking the life from the team. 

Over his last 10 starts, Burnett has been lit up like a Times Square billboard.  He has allowed 46 earned runs over 52 innings and it would have been more if Girardi didn't yank him in the fifth the other night.

Through it all, Girardi has come to bat for Burnett too many times to let his whipping boy stew in the bullpen.  After all, the Yankees are already loaded in that department.

So it comes down to attrition after the big gun Sabathia (19-8) and the white-hot Nova (16-4).  

Expect Girardi to go to Sabathia in a game 4 on short rest--  even if the ace of the staff has not been a sure thing over the past month.

Garcia will get one more shot against a reeling Red Sox tonight in a desperate bid to win the No. 3 spot.  Unless he throws a perfect game, expect to see old A.J. warming up for Game 3 in two weeks.

Funny, the Yankees started the season worrying about their starting pitching and head into the playoffs with the same concerns.  How did they manage to win in between?

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?

Surprised Kid Catches Game-Tying Home Run As Yankees Clinch Playoff Berth

A slightly apprehensive, but persistent kid, who caught Eduardo Nunez's game-tying home run at Yankee Stadium this afternoon looked totally shocked that the ball even landed in his glove.

The Tampa Bay Rays were leading the New York Yankees, 2-1,  and Rays starter James Shields was cruising along through eight innings until Nunez smacked the ball into the left field seats.

The solo shot sailed over the wall and through the outstretched hands of other fans into the possession of the closed eyes and open mitt of the youngster to tie the game.  Little did he know the homer would help the Yankees clinch a playoff spot.

Later in the same inning, the Yankees Robinson Cano doubled in Brett Gardner and Derek Jeter to give New York a 4-2 lead.

The Yankees used seven pitchers before Mariano Rivera came in to close the ninth and get save No. 603.

The win helped the Yankees clinch at least a playoff berth and the demoralizing loss hurts the Rays chances to catch the Boston Red Sox.

Yankees Fan Serves Court Papers To Red Sox Pitcher Before Key Game

A New York Yankees fan served court papers to Boston Red Sox pitcher Erik Bedard just hours before the pitcher was set to take the mound in a key game against the Baltimore Orioles yesterday at Fenway Park.

The life-long Yankees fan, Tom Cabral, served the papers while proudly wearing a Yankees shirt.

Cabral, who didn't hide his team's allegiance, served Bedard on behalf of the pitcher's ex-girlfriend, Courtney Roberts, who is suing the lefthander for child support.

It was a chore lots of Yankees fans would have gleefully done for free.  Cabral had the dubious honor, but was only doing his job.

"When I walked in, I was like, I'm a Yankees fan, but I'm not trying to [give you a hard time]," Cabral recalled.  "I told him that and said, 'Sorry, I've got to do this.'  But he said it was no problem.  I handed him the copies of all the documents and he signed them."

Even with the Yankees attire, Cabral walked away from the incident unscathed.

Red Sox management even kidded Cabral about his timing.

"[The Red Sox] legal department was joking with me about it.  They were saying, 'That's why you're so adamant about doing it today-- you're a Yankees fan."

Slapping Bedard with the legal papers from Massachusetts Probate and Family Court right before the reeling Red Sox were set to play an important game was not Cabral's idea.

"The Red Sox were very cooperative," Cabral said.  "They asked if I could serve these tomorrow because he was starting tonight.  My position was, 'My client wants it served today, and that's what I have to do."

Sounds like Bedard's ex-girlfriend isn't a Sox fan anymore.

Bedard didn't make it through the third inning and the Orioles beat the Red Sox, 7-5.

Teixeira Gets Hit By Pitch; Sounds Worse Than It Is...Hopefully

Mark Teixeira suffered a bruised right knee, during the New York Yankees 4-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox, when the New York Yankees first baseman was hit by Red Sox reliever Alfredo Aceves in the top of the seventh inning on Thursday night.

Teixeira initially stayed in the game to run bases and play his position, but was forced to leave before the bottom of the inning after his knee stiffened up.

If you listen to the audio of the errant pitch, it sounds like a ball hitting a bat followed by an alley cat's "yeowwww" by Teixeira.  Nasty.

Following the inning, Yankees assistant trainer Steve Donahue told "Tex" he wouldn't be able to play the whole game.

"You're not going back out there," he told the hobbled Teixeira.

Now it looks like the slugger will be missing some games this weekend. 

Teixeira was drilled in the back of his knee by an 83 mph cutter by the former Yankee.  While Teixeira was lucky it wasn't a fastball, the ball hitting the back of his knee still sounded pretty bad and he went down hard.

Derek Jeter suffered the same kind of bruise last weekend and it cost him a couple of games.  Jeter's bruise was on the front of his knee.

Teixeira did not get an X-ray and wore a wrap on the sore knee after the game. He must be getting used to being used as a target-- it's the 11th time Tex has been hit this season.

"It got just real stiff.  I couldn't move," he said after the game.  "It's real stiff right now."

The switch-hitter's absence could be a problem against Toronto this weekend.  The Yankees will miss his big bat especially since Alex Rodriguez is already recuperating from a sore thumb. Teixeira has 35 home runs and has knocked in 100 runs this season and the Gold Glover's fielding is a pitcher's best friend.

If Teixeira misses any games, the void will probably be filled by the capable Nick Swisher.  Andruw Jones would take Swisher's place in right field.

There is still no word on the severity of the bruise or how long Teixeira will be out.

Moth Blamed For Phil Hughes' Walk To Red Sox Batter

Joe Girardi must be buggin' out when it comes to figuring out his starting rotation.  After last night's 9-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees manager blamed the game's turning point on a moth which flew into starting pitcher Phil Hughes' eye.

Hughes (4-5) delivered a 3-2 pitch to Josh Reddick-- a ball-- setting up Jason Varitek's double where Reddick scored the tying run.

The Yankees had finally showed some measure of success against Red Sox starter Josh Beckett and were leading 5-4 when the moth ball incident occurred.  Hughes was even up 0-2 against Reddick before walking him.

If you look closely at the video, you can see a lone moth buzzing around Hughes' head before the fatal toss and the pitcher wiping something from his eye as Reddick jogs towards first base.

Yankees fans might recall Joba Chamberlain and the "midge" attack in Cleveland in 2007.  Those little buggers swarmed the sweaty pitcher and were blamed for the Yankees loss to the Indians and early playoff exit.  At least you could see the bugs covering Chamberlain that night.

"From what I heard a moth flew into his [Hughes] eye when he made the 3-2 pitch," said Girardi.  "You can't stop it and can't get a redo."

Call it The Mothman Prophecies  because it may be a prediction of things to come.

Hughes showed signs of improvement last night but his fastball, which started out at a crisp 95 mph, wilted to 91 mph before he was pulled in the sixth.  It still looks like he runs out of steam.

The struggling Hughes may have just pitched his way out of the starting rotation-- and not because of the moth.


"I really didn't want to tell you guys that, but, yeah, a moth flew in," said Hughes.  "That's when I yanked it."

The Yankees might want to invest in some bug spray tonight when A.J. Burnett pitches because there's sure to be a lot of flies-- some of them over the Green Monster, as well as,  that other little pest called Dustin Pedroia.

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.

Nova Will Get Start Over Hughes When Angels Come To Yankee Stadium

It's official, but not really a shock.  Phil Hughes' 13-pitch relief appearance against the Boston Red Sox, when he gave up the winning run in the tenth inning,  cost the pitcher a start against the Los Angeles Angels this week.  Hughes' spot will be filled by Ivan Nova.

Manager Joe Girardi tweaked the starting rotation for the upcoming three-game home series because of Hughes short stint in Sunday night's game.  Hughes came in, after Mariano Rivera blew his fifth game of the season, and gave up two hits and Boston's walk-off score.

Hughes was set to open the series on Tuesday but struggling A.J. Burnett will be moved up one day.  The ineffective Burnett will try and rebound from a disastrous outing against the Chicago White Sox, when the Yankees batters staked him to a 12-run lead, that he almost couldn't hold on to.  Burnett gave back seven earned runs and was yanked before he could go five innings to qualify for a win.  He will square-off against Dan Haren.

Nova will start Wednesday and is coming off an impressive 10-strikeout, six-hit and  one earned run performance against the same White Sox team.  Nova has won six of his last seven starts.

Bartolo Colon will close out the series on Thursday after a shaky outing (six-hits and two earned runs) against the Red Sox.  He was pulled in the fifth after loading the bases and the bull pen took over.  The Yankees won that game, 3-2.

Girardi's biggest concern had to be giving CC Sabathia an additional day off.  Sabathia, who is notoriously fickle about throwing with extra rest,  will now open the series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.  Girardi thinks the rest is good for his ace after being banged up by the Red Sox on Saturday.

The manager said there wasn't anything in particular that presented itself to be a problem with Sabathia, but it seemed like a good time to give him a break.

Hughes, on the other hand, has to be wondering if the thirteen pitches he threw on Sunday are a bad omen.  In his previous start, he gave up three hits and no runs in six sparkling innings and his ERA has dropped to 7.11 from a dismal 13.94 when he came off the DL.

"It's always disappointing if you're no starting," said Hughes.  "I feel like I made some good progress in my last start, so if I have to wait around, it won't be something that's fun to deal with, but again, I don't make these calls or anything like that."

Yankees Still Have Questions About Hughes, Soriano and Posada After Red Sox Series

Things looked pretty good for the Yankees after Brett Gardner slammed a seventh-inning pitch over the centerfield wall in Fenway Park on Friday Night.  The hit gave New York a come-from-behind win over the Boston Red Sox and manager Joe Girardi looked like a genius for his bullpen moves.  The Bombers were riding an eight-game win streak and their best pitcher, CC Sabathia, was scheduled for the next afternoon.

Girardi looked like he had all the answers that night.  He made all the right moves by pulling Bartolo Colon with the bases loaded  and using his bullpen to almost perfection.  The Yankees were in first place for the first time since July 6.  Everything looked sweet for the men in pinstripes.

Two nights later, by the end of Sunday night's typical Yanks/Sox marathon, there were more questions than answers after the Yankees dropped the final two games of the series and got knocked back into second place.

Neither of those losses were pretty and now Girardi is facing big questions regarding the starting rotation, the bullpen and the DH roles.  How fast things change.

If Girardi thinks he had a bad weekend, think about old Jorge Posada.  The veteran catcher could only watch from the bench Sunday after he was replaced by off-season acquisition, Eric Chavez.  The newly-appointed right-handed DH went 0-for-4.  Chavez is deserving and batting .304 so far this season

Posada didn't take the news as badly as he did when he was benched in May.  After the first benching, he actually followed his temper-tantrum by hitting .326 with three home-runs and 12 RBI's over the next 32 games.  Since the beginning of July, Posada has slumped and is hitting .205 with no home-runs and four RBI's in 26 games.  He might not get a second chance this time.

Girardi's benching can't be going over good with the one-time power-hitter, who is slowly being forced off the roster.  Reality struck hard yesterday, after the manager told the 38 year-old Posada his services as DH would no longer be needed.  Girardi hasn't exactly been subtle when sending his message. In both instances, the Core-Four member was demoted to the bench before nationally-televised games against the Yankees bitter rivals, the Red Sox.  That's gotta hurt.

"We're going to see how this works," said Girardi.  "We're going to try some different things.  We'll see how this works, and I told Jorge, 'You're still going to be a big part of this, and we're going to need you.' We're just going to do some different things."

And the check is in the mail.  It sounds reassuring until Posada realizes that Triple-A slugger Jesus Montero is breathing down his neck.

The relationship between Girardi and Posada should be interesting the rest of the season.  And the final chapter doesn't look good for the ex-catcher who first lost his backstop gig in spring training.

The bullpen's performance in last night's game opens up a slew of analytic equations.

Mariano Rivera blew his fifth save of the year--and at a most inopportune time.  Marco Scutaro laced a lead-off double against the Sandman which led to the game-tying run.  Getting to Rivera was instrumental in the Red Sox win.  It was a moral victory as well.  Sox manager Terry Francona put it bluntly," Getting that hit off Mo was big."

A situation which leads to the appearance of Phil Hughes in the 10th inning.  Girardi made it clear his righty would be available from the bullpen all weekend, if that what it took to beat the Red Sox.  After last night's game goes into extra innings, it gave Girardi the excuse he needed to use Hughes. The move ultimately takes Hughes out of this week's rotation, giving Ivan Nova one more chance to prove himself as a starter again this week.

Hughes showed nothing last night.  He followed his best start of the season by giving up a confidence-breaking game winner in the rubber-game for first place.  That 1/3 of an inning cost Hughes a shot at starting on Tuesday and possibly in the future.

Now Girardi has to decide what to with Hughes and Nova...again.

If Hughes allowed two hits and can't get three outs in relief, what does Girardi do now? The starting rotation and bullpen are both overstocked as it is and Hughes can't be feeling too secure.  It appears to be a situation Hughes couldn't win.  If he does well, he heads to the pen but that one out cost him a start.

This leads to the question of Rafael Soriano.  After a disappointing and injury-plagued first half of a season in New York, is the $35 million man finally showing his true talent?  Two perfect relief appearances in important games this weekend say 'I want a more prominent role.'

Since returning from the DL last week, the temperamental Soriano has retired all batters he has faced--including the 2-3-4 batters in the seventh last night.

The question surrounding Soriano is how long before the former closer mopes about his role on the team.  Last year's 45-save pitcher for the Rays has been demoted from that esteemed spot to set-up man and now middle relief.  After his fine performances this weekend, does Girardi move him up the pecking order to replace the All-Star Dave Robertson at times or even--this is blasphemy to Yankees fans--sometimes use him as an occasional closer?  He would have fared better than Hughes in the tenth last night.

Soriano has a history of erratic behavior, beginning with his days in Tampa Bay, when he refused to shag flies or take batting practice on Sundays, leading up to his slipping away from the New York media, because he refused to answer questions about a bad outing in April.

How long until Soriano's well-known frustration boils over into wanting more?  Girardi has to face the fact that Soriano could be a valuable weapon if the pitcher keeps his head.

Here's some extra credit questions for Girardi.  Will CC Sabathia ever beat the Red Sox this season?  The hottest pitcher in the American League--and the Yankees ace-- turns ice-cold against Boston.  The big man is 0-and-4 vs. the Red Sox this season and it's no secret how he dominates the rest of the league, as his 16-2 record will attest. 

Finally, where were all the fireworks between these two sworn enemies?  Fans want Charlie Sheen-Chuck Lorre acrimony, not Alec Baldwin-John Krasinski cuteness.

This Yankees/Red Sox series had it's share of intensity-- especially in games one and three-- but something was missing. There was too much mutual admiration. Sure, the teams were only playing for first place in the beginning of August and it looks pretty much like both teams are headed to the playoffs, but where was the nastiness... the Pedro Martinez knocking down Don Zimmer hatred? 

Oh, he was on the DL and his name is Alex Rodriguez.  This rivalry needs A-Rod like Obama needs McCain or Osi needs the Giants.  Every one's whipping boy is expected off the DL by August 15.  The next meeting between the two teams is August 30 at Fenway Park.

Hope the Yankees have answered a few questions by then.

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.

Phil Hughes Headed to Yankees Bullpen This Weekend

New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi said today that Phil Hughes will be used out of the bullpen, if necessary, in this weekend's series against the Boston Red Sox.  Hughes, who is thick in the mix of the Yankees six-man starting rotation drama,  will be available from the bullpen for the next three days as insurance,  the manager told the YES Network.

According to the YES, Hughes is tentatively scheduled to start  Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels, but all that could change if he throws this weekend.

Meanwhile, Ivan Nova, who had a spectacular 10-strikeout performance against the Chicago White Sox last night, will be kept with the team and may start Thursday.  The team is 13-5 in Nova's starts.

The six-man soap opera just keeps getting better and better every day.

One thing was made clear by Girardi; the the team's least effective starter, A.J. Burnett, will not be going to the bullpen.

In his last start on Tuesday, Burnett had a chance to pick up his first win since June 29 after the Yankees staked him to a 12 run lead, but the struggling hurler didn't last five innings. He is scheduled to pitch on Wednesday.

"We are not going to jump to conclusions due to one good start or one bad start," said Girardi.

Meanwhile, it's hard to figure out why the manager would make Hughes available from the bullpen during a mid-season series, other than that's where the pitcher started his Yankees career.  The Yankees already have seven pitchers in the bullpen and Hughes threw a three-hit, six-inning gem in his last outing.

Girardi doesn't want anyone to start putting too much thought into which pitcher is the odd man out with these moves-- especially Hughes.

"I would love to get distance out of starters and not use him [this weekend]," said Girardi of Hughes.  "But as I said these series get a little crazy at times and you've got to protect yourself."

It's not really the DaVinci Code, if you believe Girardi, it's about beating the Red Sox.

Nova is still hanging around on pins and needles about being called into Girardi's office.


"It's hard, especially in a moment like what if they call you into the office," said Nova.  "I hope they don't call me today or the rest of the month because September is almost here."

If anyone thought last week's pitching performances by Hughes, Burnett and Nova against the White Sox cleared anything up, they were wrong.

Stay tuned for for more of the Yankees six-man drama for at least another week.

Yankees To Go Old School On Red Sox With Colon and Garcia

Everything is just like it was scripted.  The New York Yankees roll into Fenway Park to battle the Boston Red Sox for first place.  Sporting the same records (68-42), both teams are on sizzling hot streaks headed for a collision course to claim supremacy in the AL East.  In the Sox corner: Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and John Lackey.  For the Yankees:  CC Sabathia, Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon...huh?

Many people rolled their eyes when the two aging hurlers were picked up in the offseason for a song and slow dance and now, the two veterans figure mightily into the Yankees playoff hopes.

The 38 year-old Colon, who hadn't even pitched in the majors since 2009 while he was rehabbing his repaired his shoulder and elbow in the Dominican Republic, has been the Yankees real No. 2 starter this season after undergoing some kind of mysterious treatment for the injuries.

Garcia, 34, almost didn't make the team after spring training.

Now, the two elder statesmen are being called the adhesive which kept the shaky Yankees rotation from collapsing this season.  Funny, at the beginning of the season, skeptics talked like Colon and Garcia were ready for the glue factory. They were right.

Colon and Garcia wouldn't have been the first names mentioned, as the pitchers picking up the slack when Phil Hughes went down with dead arm for most of the season and the inconsistent A.J. Burnett went into his annual June/July funk-- but they were.



For a couple of guys picked up as consolation prizes after the Yankees inability to land Mr. America, Cliff Lee,  the old guys are the keys to the Yankees season.

Most experts wondered if the rotund Colon (8-6, 3.30 ERA) and the undervalued Garcia (10-7, 3.22) could make it through a whole season and-- two-thirds through-- they are actually getting better.

Colon opens the three-games series tonight against a 27 year-old toddler, Jon Lester (11-4, 3.17 ERA) and sandwiched around Sabathia is Garcia, who will square off against that "tweener," Josh Beckett.

Lester is a Yankee-killer.  He boasts a 8-1 lifetime record against his division rival but Colon comes into tonight's game with a 2-1 record with a 2.45 ERA over his last three starts.

Garcia has won three in a row but has two losses this season against the Sox.  He faces Beckett on Sunday night.  The last time the Yankees saw Beckett, he was spectacular.  He struck out 10 and allowed two runs in eight innings in an ESPN Sunday night game in April.

Both Yankees hurlers will have their hands full.

Don't let Boston's 8-1 series lead over New York this season fool you.   In 2009, the Sox won the first eight games between the two bitter rivals, then dropped eight of the final nine meetings. 

The Red Sox have their problems right now.  Lackey has been inconsistent.  He lost Monday after giving up five runs and eight hits against the Cleveland Indians.  Now, Boston's last minute trade-deadline deal to snag a reputable starter, Erik Bedard, doesn't look as good as advertised last week.

Last night, Bedard posted a no-decision after allowing three runs and seven hits in five innings during his Red Sox debut.  It threw cold water on a Boston eight-game win streak.

The Yankees come into Fenway sporting a seven game win streak themselves-- with lots of offense to boot.  The Bombers scored 63 runs during that run.

It looks like the Red Sox and Yankees will be seeing a lot more of each other this season.  They play three more series this year and it looks like both are headed to the playoffs.  So count this series as a preliminary round.

As for Colon and Garcia's success so far.  Yankees GM Brian Cashman deserves a lot of credit for taking chances on them.  He heard the snickers and AARP jokes, then watched as Boston loaded up their line-up with the acquisitions of young talent like Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford.  Cashman stayed patient while fans screamed for the big names.

Cashman has been through this before.  He knows when it comes to the Yankees/Red Sox rivalry, it's pitching that matters most.

Maybe that's why the Yankees GM also stayed pat at the trade deadline.  He went against public opinion and refused to give up  prospects for the suspect Ubaldo Jimenez and stuck with Ivan Nova.  Looks like a brilliant move right now.

Cashman knows it's all about the arms-- sometimes they just happen to be a little older.

Could Ivan Nova Knock A.J. Burnett From Yankees Rotation?

If Ivan Nova is super tonight, does the young right-hander deserve a spot in the New York Yankees rotation?  After A.J. Burnett's implosion last night, it might be a credible thought; although Yankees manager Joe Girardi confirmed Burnett would make his next scheduled start Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels.

When last seen last night, Burnett was headed to the locker room, popping buttons all over the dugout as he ripped off his Yankees jersey.

Burnett's seven-run debacle against the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field had to concern Girardi. 

The Yankees pounded out 23 hits--five players had at least  three apiece-- and handed the struggling Burnett a 12-run lead and he still couldn't get a win.  It would have been his first W since June 29.



The Yankees were ahead, 13-1, and Burnett allowed five runs in the fourth-inning.  In the fifth, Girardi made the decision to yank his inefficient starter with two men on the corners.  He gave up seven earned runs in all.

Girardi did the exact thing with Phil Hughes a couple of weeks ago when the Oakland A's started to chip away at a big Yankee lead.

This four-game series against the White Sox was originally an audition for the No. 5 slot in the rotation between Hughes and Nova but now, with Burnett's flame-out, it could now be a rotation casting call.

Hughes passed his screen test with flying colors.  His six-inning, three-hit, no runs, rain-shortened gem probably secured the slot for Hughes handily. 

Tonight is Nova's turn to be seen.  In what was essentially a go-see could possibly turn into something more important-- a spot on the roster.

Nova is making his second appearance after being sent down to Triple-A to make room on the roster for Hughes.  He has won his past five decisions by sporting a 3.26 ERA, with 28 strikeouts and 12 walks in 38 2/3 innings.  Nova has been the beneficiary of a robust Yankees offense.  The team has averaged nine runs during those starts while Nova has given up six home-runs and 34 hits during that span.  Amazingly, the 9-4 pitcher is fighting a demotion back to Triple-A.

Burnett is going in the opposite direction.  His ERA has steadily climbed every month since April and his 4-0 start.  He was 0-4 with a 7.80 ERA in July and is now 8-9 with a 4.56 ERA for the season.

A couple of things keep Burnett in the rotation .  One, his huge contract ($16.5 mil-a year with two more to go) and two, the underlying hope (and capability) that the Sybil-like righty can throw a brilliant game.  Still, Burnett is untradeable and will never see the bullpen for that price.

When Burnett is on, he is great but when he is alternately off, he is horrible.  It's not uncommon for Burnett to strike out a side one inning then, in the next, throw a wild pitch, hit a batter and walk in a run.  I'm not sure, but it wouldn't surprise me if he's done all three at the same time.  Baseball's first Triple-Bobble.

Girardi has said all the right things regarding his overstocked starting rotation.  He didn't pass judgement on Hughes until Tuesday night and it looks like the manager's support paid off.  He's showing the same respect for Burnett.

"His day will be on Wednesday," said Girardi, putting the kibosh on any talk that Burnett's position is in jeopardy. "His numbers aren't that bad.  We look at the whole year, and A.J.'s been decent for us.  He's starting on Wednesday."

Girardi had that same 'look at the past' outlook with Hughes the past few weeks until Hughes came through.  The Yankees are winning, even with the rotation distraction, and are only one game behind the division leading Boston Red Sox and have an eight game lead in the wild card race.  So Girardi doesn't want to rock the boat.

As for last night's benching, Burnett was already off the mound when Girardi came out to relieve him.  The embarrassed pitcher slapped the ball into his manager's hand and stormed off-- only two outs from a win.  Girardi didn't take it personally but, didn't take chances either.

"I'm frustrated for him," said Girardi.  "Because that's a night that he should be able to go out and get a win."

Burnett meanwhile, knew what was coming.

"I was a little upset, but then again, you got to look at how I'm pitching too," said Burnett.  "I wasn't exactly doing anything out there.  You've got to stop the bleeding somehow."

If Nova picks up his 10th win tonight, he may be the tourniquet the Yankees need.