If we finish this stand 2-3, it's almost out of our control. The run has to start tonight. And I mean a run. Let' go, Yanks!

Let's go Yan-kees!!!!

In my mind, I see the Yanks winning the next two games (and the Sox losing both) though I'm not counting on a strong performance from Wang...(wait, that sounds a bit iffy but you get the jist). I think it should get him a start or two to get back into his groove.

P.s. When the hell will Matsui break out of this slump? I know Sheff is hurt and that explains his falloff...but Hideki has been hit or miss for a while now (though he is still a very dangerous hitter with RISP). I wonder what's up.

Take him out!

If the Yankees can't beat these guys with an early lead, maybe they have to be behind to win.

Humans spring eternal on Hope's breast, or something like that..

I concede NOTHING until we are mathematically eliminated from the postseason. I know it's been one hell of a rollercoaster season but that's the main reason you gotta keep hope alive for these guys. You just need a couple guys to get hot...easier said than done, I'm sure...but hell, let's not bury the Yanks before they're truly dead.

This PSA has been brought to you by the 1996 Yankees.

Has anyone noticed that Waechter is pitching a perfect game? Because he is, through three innings. Yup, a perfect game. I wonder if he'll keep up this perfect game?

Let's see if Cy will keep this going. Honestly, if he flat out dominates the Yanks for the rest of the game, this will feel a lot like that combined no-hitter thrown against the Yanks a couple years ago...and if I recall correctly, that didn't feel too good.

'bout time, Mats-zilla!!!!

Now c'mon, Yanks! I get the feeling they're on the verge of breaking out against Waechter. They're hitting it hard, but not quite long enough.

P.s. I'm a Giant's fan too - they'll come around...but as for those Knicks - Lord, if Isiah has a plan there, I sure as hell don't see it. How many tweener guards can one guy really need on his team, almost all of who play no defense??? Still, this is a Yanks board...just felt like sounding off on that too.

I picked the right time to turn the game on!

Is this where Giambi gets mad and hits a three run shot?

Summnabatch! How many friggin' double plays have our boys grounded into this year, anyway!?!?

Last night I was in the kitchen with the game on and I swore I heard Tom Seaver's voice. It wasn't him, of course, but damn that would be a hell of a booth: Kitty, Singleton, and Seaver.

Sturtze worries me too, tocho, but at least he got out of this one, with some help.

Okay, no more bad luck, smash-line drive double plays. Time for a rally, boys. Let's go Lawton.

Not to be overly dramatic, but this could be the season.

Deep breaths, all around.

Ugh...

(Figure there might be some kids reading this.)

@(&#%)!#&%(#!$_!#$(!#%)@!%(@!($@!&$)&@
!%)(&!@#)&%@#!%{!@%%@!*%*(@!(*%@!%@%@!

Maybe that suicide squeeze wasn't such a bad idea.

Oh my shit hurts!

IT'S. OVER

Of course, those are the exact same words ESPN used to describe the ALCS after the Game 3 pounding...

Still, I'm a realist.

But it's still painful. Damn.

That it should come to this.

.257 .381 .372 .753

I simply tip my cap to them for getting it right.

Now this Devil Ray shit is another story

Matsui: 19 DPs out of 144 opportunities (13.5%)
Bernie: 17 out of 111 (15.3%)
Cano: 15 out of 100 (15%)
Jeter: 13 out of 96 (13.5%)
Sheff: 13 out of 131 (9.9%)
Tino: 11 out of 81 (13.6%)
A-Rod: 9 out of 127 (7.1%)
Giambi: 7 out of 106 (6.6%)
Womack: 7 out of 75 (9.3%)
Jorge: 6 out of 103 (5.8%)

Team total: 129 out of 1162 (11.1%)

Not quite as bad as I thought. (Data from Baseball Prospectus)

And thank you, A-rod, for getting on base.

In April, I said .290/.390/.490 for Giambi. Cliff said nice, but overly optimistic. God, with RJ, the pitching staff, Woemack, Posada and Bernie, it;s nice to have one pleasant surprise.

Wang has to be big tomorrow.

Fuck it, bring on Boston! ;)

Geez, everyone who left after the first will sure be surprised when they read this later.

ABSOLUTELY. Looked like ARod wanted to end it, but it was Jetes ball. ARod looked pissed.

I noticed too, but tivo'd it and it just looked like ARod back off at the last second. SS mentality at 3rd. He's looked serious but hasn't he as we've reach crunch time

Competition is good. (And TiVo really helps to break these things down.)

Meanwhile, anyone else see how excited Small and Chacon were walking out of the dugout with Giambi? Both smiling, Small clapping his hands together. Very nice.

Since then, even with some serious lows (mostly pitching meltdowns by Moose and RJ), the Yanks' pitching and general demeanor improved, and so did the overall level of play.

With the 8th inning of this game looking like 3 up and 3 down, I was getting ready to write off the division and the wild card, and write off the turning point as false hope. But thank goodness for another HUGE win, as big as any this season. And again, the MVP and the comeback player do the job.

Man talk about taking the small local road instead of the large and fast Toll Road.

I think Wright was one of the big heroes of the night, he was really great after the first inning. Sturtze should be used every third day from now on, when he's rested he's a fair relief pitcher. I'm glad they didn't use Gordon tonight and the last thing I think the Mariano annual funk is over (we need him this weekend vs. the "we got his number" BoSox).

I think Wright and Embree should have a chaw off to see who could chew more chaw

I saw it too, on MLB.TV so I got a longer shot. I hate to say it but, he gave him a "who the hell are you tapping me on the head" look and brush, which upset me quite a bit. Kind of the same look Joe Paterno gave Steve Spurrier when he tapped him on the head after beating him in a Bowl game. Only in that instance, it was the right person giving the look!

I also saw Jeter's eyes when Giambi went deep and he was clapping his hands, I'm not a psychologist but I do pay attention in life, not to mention spent enough time working with people closely, and he looked to me like he was very happy but knew he had blown it, that more was expected of him--perhaps unfairly to be sure--and he was a little lost inside.

It's been this way all year, well not to the point where I actually felt for him, really got an emotional reaction to his reaction. This sort of tension that has been present for a while between Jeter on one side and Sheff and AROD on the other. AROD can't help but feel a little odd when fans cheer louder for Jeet than him most of the time. He even said, I think last week: "I couldn't care less what the fans think . . . I know my family loves me . . . I couldn't care less about the fans."

It must nean something. Maybe he feels underapreciated, maybe Sheff has infiltrated him with his own special brand of "the world is out to get me" ora. Maybe he knows as I do that he is doing just about everything right and Jeet still gets the headlines, maybe he's just immature and selfish?

Joe lost his ability to quell distractions and petty differences?

It's been bothering me for a while and I finally saw a public manifestation of what I was feeling all along tonight. Derek and Tino, and Paulie, and Mo, and Andy, and Cone, and Roger, and Scotty, and even Boggsy, we add a y or a knickname at the end when they give us something, something special, and AROD hasn't given us that yet, or been involved in it happening.

Maybe AROD and Sheff and maybe others don't quite get it. Remember they look at the game from their own perspective, a perspective of not winning, playing for numbers, not competing for the big one, not having it truly be a failure when that doesn't happen.

He raves about Tino, who also gets louder cheers than he does, but doesn't brush him off.

Maybe it's as simple as a testoterone driven power struggle?

Whatever it is, it's unacepptable. It's unacceptable behavior for a Yankee. Paulie or Tino never would have displayed that garbage!

The bottom line is if you want to lead Arod, then lead, do it! Don't do that to Jeter while we are barely in the playoffs. You're approach working better than his? Results better? It's almost like he's saying, here, here you go Jeet, take it and do it yourself, you're so great, lets see how you like it. It's childish at best.

Bottom line, if Jeter hurts, I actually get upset, sick as that sounds. He, and others of course gave me some of the best and happiest moments in my life the past few years and it should not stand. If there is nothing to it, I'd be a lot happier, but I can't disagree with a feeling I've had all year, even going back last year.

If I were Joe and knew that was happening, I would literally sit AROD and Sheff the remainder of the year and ban them from the clubhouse. If what is happening is actually happening, I think even George would understand, he knows what Jeet has done for him and his team. It might even drive the rest of the team closer, together, and they might even play better. We won every one of those championships with less talent than what would be left in their absence.

It will not, and never will change Yankee fan's feelings for Derek Jeter, not this one for sure.

Don't do this guys, you're Yankees, act like it. Don't alienate the finest Yankee since Donny, don't do it!

A's--holy comeback, Tribe and Sox all win. And so do the Yanks. Plus, no Michael Kay all night and it's cool, with gorgeous sleeping weather here in the city...? Yipee. Sweet dreams y'all. See ya in the a.m.

But I can't believe A-Rod would be anything but professional, at least in front of the fans - and the cameras. They do that "pat each other on the head" thing all the time, so I can't see either of them getting upset about it.

http://makeashorterlink.com/?U228531CB

http://makeashorterlink.com/?R148261CB

A lot of people worried that A-Rod would be one too many superstar egos in the clubhouse, but in public, at least, he's been a team player. Many were predicting that he'd push Jeter out of SS, but it hasn't happened, and I haven't seen any evidence that he's even trying.

3rd base was the big hole before A-Rod. He's become a great 3rd baseman. I don't think Jeter (or anyone else we're likely to get ahold of) would play 3rd as well, so I don't see any point is moving them.

The Yankees need to find some young talent for the outfield, not yet another aging veteran.