Johnny Damon and Jorge Posada are both absent from tonight's Yankee lineup. Melky Cabrera will bat leadoff for the Bombers tonight in Damon's place, and Kelly Stinnett will handle the catching duties.

Here's the Yankees lineup:

1. Melky Cabrera, RF
2. Derek Jeter, SS
3. Gary Sheffield, DH
4. Jason Giambi, 1B
5. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
6. Robinson Cano, 2B
7. Bernie Williams, CF
8. Terrence Long, LF
9. Kelly Stinnett, C
-- Randy Johnson, SP

I'm expecting a slugfest tonight. Don't know about in Boston itself, but dark storm clouds have rolled in here in Metrowest.

(shaking fist at the gods)

Well, the only way that move will make me less than miserable is if Duque does to the Red Sawx in the Serious this year in a Mets uni what he did to them in the division playoff game 3 last year in a White Sox uni.

Meanwhile, I hope he pitches against the Yanks when the Mets come to the Bronx. I love watching Duque pitch, even when he's getting shelled.

and what happens if El Duque breaks down?? Now u r one 'pen guy down and NO chance of moving Heilman and 4 & % spots open..

Brilliant.. "Other" team one ups itself again

Melky Cabrera, RF.
Terrence Long (Magellan), CF.
Bernie Williams, LF.

And starting pitcher is flyballer Randy Johnson.

I will admit it, I am scared that it will turn incredibly ugly pretty soon. Just hoping Yankees give back as good as they get.

I wish El Duque all the best in Queens.

let me remind you that its:

Let's go Yan-kees!!!!!

Melky was incredibly robbed! No Orel, it was NOT close.

U mean Cabrera out was a botched call??

Gotta love how Melky handled that at-bat. He displayed the same patience he's been at the bottom of the order.

Tonight's announcers are definitely better than last night. But Orel should have just come out and said "bad call", rather than "oooh, that was close, I don't know."

PS, I wound up watching the NESN feed last night. Sure those guys are fans of the Red Sox, but they were way better than the ESPN crew.

Incoming! Here we go! Ortoz HR, Manny double?

Fuck you Randy, grow some balls already.

Get the pen up!

Fucking idiots.

As for Randy, he's finished, washed up, caput, a bullpen guy at best. Actually he cant get leftys out either. Trade him for Reggie Sanders and eat the salary. What a piece of garbage. He looks scared, intimidated, fearful of the bat. What good can he ever be at this rate?

Oh yea Randy, you'll get the close calls pitching the way you are. Get fired up and tossed, at least then Ill know you give a shit.

Because he's a big fat pussy, and a set up man, at best! You demand an extesion, well I demand you try and learn how to pitch again! I aint cutting him any slack anymore, he's absolute junk. Scott Erickson could post an ERA as good as Randy's for crying out loud.

He needs to go to the minors and either work out his shit or retire.
He is not even near replacement level.
34 I hope this is the last (doubtful).

He got out of there in a hurry.

I fully expect RJ to shut the door the rest of the way. You don't go from dominant to washed up in a month.

Nope, you go from dominant to washed up when you are afraid to pitch for NY!

Bernie just hit a laser off Matt Clement. Don't stand next to Matt Clement or Jaret Wright anywhere near a baseball diamond.

I have tried and tried and tried to be optimistic re: Johnson. My heart tells me I should be, but my brain tells me that there is no point. I think I gave up during the away game in Chicago late last summer.

WE SHOWED HIM!

It doesn't hurt them that there is more water on the dirt that at a mud bog race in Louisiana.

Outside corner my ass!

"I feel a primate emerging, and it has wings!"

Basehit Melky! Got Melky?

good kid.. good mind.. Cano 06

Way to go Cap!

Most hits since 1996. Second Most runs since 1996. Most overrated, umm ok. Hey at least MLB players get jealous of talented good looking guys just like in High School.

He couldn't get ALEX FUCKING GONZALEZ out.

So it seems to me that he's hardly a lock.

Is it too much to ask for Randy Johnson to just hold ONE out of three leads given to him? Geez.

I can't believe he wasn't a starter earlier.

tough inning, RJ had looked very well. the slider was sliding and the fastball was pretty consistent.

he should continue this approach of throwing strikes regardless of the outcome

He should get 3000. I however am in denial that he is already in his 30's.

Well, except that K-Zone clearly showed it was a strike, yea, you'd be right.

Thanks. Some folks just "want" those pitches to be something they are not when Arod stares at them.

Why is Terrence Long on this team? SERIOUSLY. He makes me angry. Pathetic. Stubborn. Use a AAA player. At least he'll learn and not look like a doofus.

Bubba in right, Bernie in left, Sheffield DH. That has to make more sense to Joe than Long anywhere.

That is probably far fetched, but fun to think about. Rose was still collecting 200 hits/season at age 38, after which he added another 900+ hits. If Jeter plays until he's 42 (about ten years) and averages only 120 hits/year, he'll be in the ballpark.

One data point for you. Get back to me when you have a few more.

Let's crack open that checkbook for Roger Clemens and hope that 42 year old doesn't fall apart also.

Was he? Oh happy day. Get hughes up here and we're golden.

Smith's up BTW. He was called up and Kevin Reese was sent down. Why Reese isn't playing and Long is, I can't explain that.

I am all for DLing Johnson for whatever reason and calling up Rasner. At least I won't have a coniption fit every time the Yankees get the lead and the opposing team's bottom 3rd is due up.

It hurts the offense as well. You dont think these guys know they may have to score 10 to win and make every defensive play to win when he's out there?

Its 5-4 red sox in the 3rd. inning! Cut RJ some slack, he's going through a rough patch, at least today he's throwing strikes, getting a few K's, Manny has been on a tear these last few games and he's basically responsible for 3 runs (pretty much unstoppable).

see you...

Erickson, Long, Villone, maybe Cashman is working a deal to sign Ricky Henderson.

Then Johnson strikes out the side. Go figure.

I don't want to see Terrence Long, Scott Erickson or Kelly Stinnett.

Bill,

The Mets worked a trade for Duque?

Did I miss something in the off-season? If you are going to go with Stinnett, why not just bring Flaherty back for one more year. Didn't Joe call him "the best back-up catcher since Joe Girardi?"

Damn.

Though the increased number of ads in Yankees games adds to the length, too.

Now GOB has to come through, because insta-outs Long and Stinnett are next.

Hey, it worked for Stormer Sports...

Accentuate the positive.

Why do we keep complaining when we take strike 3, when it's obviously a strike. Have we become Rasheed Wallace?

If not that, then we need more cats.

Lead off walk to Manny is not a bad idea.

I want Melky in RF and Bubba in LF.

Good thing he succeeded.

Melky rocks!!!

And that was one ugly swing by A-rod.

What the heck was that?

The "clutch" Papi strikes out.

And nice idea by Farnsi, make manny hit with no runners on in 9th ining.. smart huh.. LOL

Can you imagine ARod striking out in that situation. He'd be front page AND back page.

Vs Yanks this series

2/13 (0.153) avg 1HR 3 RBI 1 walk

Blindin..

He's been playing through it. He says he can run, he just can't stop.

Maybe when Bubba comes back they can let Damon rest.

BP

Whoda thunk a Yankee series win here. Kudos to this team. They're coming up big this year.

Was it just me, or does it look like the problem is that he's not confident against righties anymore? He was dominating some batters, but getting crushed by others.

http://www.disgalaxy.addr.com/Muppets/sam.jpg

And even Terrence Long contributed tonight.

After Schilling saying how the Yankees were "decimated" and that the Sox "needed to take advantage", I love coming back and winning the next two games. Just love it.

Great. This was great.

How the heck am I gonna sleep tonight?

BP

And the Yanks pull within 1/2 game despite all the injuries and RJ's problems.

BUT IT'S NOT, SO GET READY FOR A SWEEP!

This indeed was a sweet one. Now we can't let down against KC, 'cause it's onto a tough series in Motown after that. But I'll be enjoying tonight's W for sure...

http://tinyurl.com/rzaq5

It's a sweet feeling. Gives me hope for when the Yankees return to full strength (however that will play out this year).

Say what you want about the '06 Yankees, but they've got moxie.

BP