Johnson hit the first pitch after Wells got 2 outs on 3 pitches. Hope somebody talked to him about that. A 4 pitch inning is a great way to give the enemy pitcher confidence.

9:51 p.m.: WW: Yes, you heard that right. Red Sox down in order for the first time this SERIES.

You can't win that way. It's amazing we won the one.

On a positive note, Wang looked really good last night. The Yankees better not trade this guy. Despite his low strike rates, he is a solid bottom of the rotation pitcher.

I know Bernie's D sucks, but I have been saying that overall, Bernie in LF (and batting 2nd?) is a better choice than Womack.
In today's "Pinstripe Blog", Steve finally admits (Steve HATES Bernie in the OF):

"The Yankees really need to readdress the rationale for benching Bernie Williams, which right now is actually benching him for Womack or Cano. Even in his diminished state, he could out-produce either one. The defensive hit might be worth it at that point.". And putting Bernie in LF as opposed to CF makes it a tiny bit easier. This also keeps Matsui in CF all the time.

I'd love to see a vote here. If you would rather have WOMACK in LF (and the lineup) instead of Bernie, please raise your hand.

And here's something REALLY insane. With Bernie in LF, Giambi is our DH against righties. Even in his current pathetic state, his OBP is .377..... which I believe would hit .400 if he played regularly. As slow as he is, what would happen if he batted 2nd? Might he see himself as more of a contact guy? It's a little nuts, but I'd like to see it for 2 weeks.

Here's my everyday lineup:
Jetes, Cano, Sheff, ARod, Matsui, Posada, Tino, Giambi, Bernie.

Rest Bernie with Womack.
Rest Tino with Johnson
Sierra DH against lefties.
Sometimes Sanchez instead of Cano against lefties (just so he doesn't rust)
Womack pinch runs late in the game if needed and can be a defensive replacement (is he really better on D in LF then Bernie) for Bernie late in the game/for blowouts.
Bernie/Cano can swap 2nd/9th in the order against lefties.

And would it be better for our future to can Sanchez and bring up Phillips?

I think there is no doubt that Cano is our 2nd baseman. Womack must be put where he belongs... on the bench and pinch running. I don't know what Giambi and Bernie have left... but these guys have been regulars their ENTIRE careers. Now, EVERY DAY, they have to wonder if they are playing. This can't be good for their moral, and it is not good for our team.

Until Giambi is released, he must play REGULARLY. Use him or release him... he is no good to us as he is. Either put Bernie in LF or bench him... but moving Matsui around the outfield is stupid. The fact is, we have Bernie and Giambi. The only way to get their BEST is to play them and cross our fingers. If they suck, get somebody else.

This 'musicial chairs' lineup does NOT work for these guys and frankly, is making me sick.

There are plenty of things we need to address. Our baserunning has been poor.
Our scouting has been poor.
We have been making unexcusable errors.
Yesterday, it looked liked we had Wells on the ropes, and then we started swinging at first and second pitches instead of making him work. He only threw FOUR pitches in the 2nd inning and 9 in the 33rd inning. BAD BASEBALL! The key to our team has ALWAYS been patience, intelligence and making starters work. This is how we beat Pedro, and this is how we beat anybody.

As Goldman points out, this is one of the 'hidden' reasons we lost the playoffs last year. In games 4 and up, we got antsy, lost our patience, made fast outs, and gave our opponents confidence and fast innings.

The key is not screwing around with Bernie and Giambi. Our key has ALWAYS been SMART baseball. Wearing starting pitchers out. Frustrating them with walks.

Even with RJ, like last year, our pitching is, and will probably continue, to be shaky. Our key will be offense, patience and intelligence. These are more in our control, and things we can improve.

As for your suggested lineup, that makes sense too. I'm still not ready to say that the Yankees are a better team with Bernie Williams on the bench.

One thing about the pitching, though. Much has been made about the recent success of the rotation, so I don't think it's time to panic after a poor series. What I think we might have to accept is that this Boston team is one of the best hitting clubs in recent memory. Honestly, aren't you surprized whenever David Ortíz DOESN'T hit a home run? I realize that the Yanks will have to get them out at some point, but the fact that they weren't able to do it this weekend doesn't mean that they can't win the division or even that they won't be able to beat Boston in the LCS.

Remember where this team was three weeks ago. Three weeks from now, they will certainly have passed Baltimore, and they could very well be ahead of the Sox as well.

Especially when two guys were nailed at the plate.

We have a good staff, but not great or dominant. We won't talk about our D. If we get to the post season or further, it will be on the backs of our offense.

El Duque was pretty cheap. I don't know why we let him go. He was VERY smart and professional the way he pitched, especially after being out one year. While our staff may be better then last years, it is still up in the air. And there is always the chance that the Yanks will put Wrong Wright back in the rotation.

Though Torre is lauded for his loyalty to players, I agree that he's doing Bernie a disservice. If Bernie's healthy enough to play CF once in a while, he should be playing LF on a regular basis. What you'd be gaining offensively with him as your LF, as opposed to Womack, far outweighs his defensive shortcomings. In fact, the two of them are probably a wash defensively.