YANKS BOMB WORLD CHAMPS

Since I get up at six a.m. during the week, there is no way I'm going to catch any of the Yankees-Angels series. I can't just catch the first few innings, because no matter what's happening, I'll get too worked up to fall asleep. Traditionally, west coast swings have been murder for the Bronx Bombers, so I have no qualms about holding out until the morning, and discovering the results on the backpage of the tabloids on my way to the subway.

Having said that, you can imagine the spring in my step this morning when I read that the Yanks rolled over the World Champs, 8-3 last night in California. Last week, a reporter asked Joe Torre if he looked at this series as a rematch of last year's playoffs. Torre said, "Let me ask you a question: If we sweep them, do we get their World Series rings?"

Still, the Yankees manager admitted:

"It's not just another series," Torre said. "You're playing the world champions. These guys manhandled us."

Bernie Williams had two hits and two RBI, "the freak" Soriano had two hits again (and so did Giambi), and Jorge Posada added a home run to keep the conga-line moving along. Jeff Weaver wasn't sharp, but he pitched well enough to earn the victory. Yankee starters are now 15-0.

Antonio Osuna left the game in the 8th inning with a leg injury. The morning papers didn't know the seriousness of the injury. In related news, the Times reports:

Reliever Steve Karsay, who cut short a bullpen session on Monday, saw Dr. James Andrews on Tuesday in Birmingham, Ala., and received two cortisone shots in his right shoulder. Andrews found no damage to the rotator cuff, and Karsay will resume his throwing program after resting for five days. "You couldn't ask for better news, considering how long we've gone with this thing," Manager Joe Torre said. "It was worrisome."

I will put in a call to the injury guru Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus and see what he makes of the latest news on Karsay.