This team is scrapping. We are finding ways to win at the plate. If we could find any kind of consistent pitching we'd be unstoppable.

go, melky, go! go!

Props on the headline. I love your (and Cliff's) recaps and headlines - that's why this site is the first of the day for me.

As far as the game goes - Jeter is the man (obviously). We're hanging in there.

Don't think the game TV today - uggh. Rainy day here north of Boston with the wife away with friends and me with my 2 boys (3 1/2 and 1 1/2) Is there a better time for a game on the tube ? Oh well -

Go Yanks !

Oh, and though the Yankees' pitching hasn't always been steady this year, man, they are second in the AL in ERA, ahead of the famed White Sox hurlers. Not bad, eh?

The facts support the stellar pitching, because you have Randy Johnson with a 5+ ERA and the team is still second in the AL in that stat. That's nuts. If you had a half decent Unit, we'd be #1.

Maybe I'm just too nervous, but my bones tell me we need a better #3 option on this team to win it all. What do you think?

charlie
buffalo, ny

Wasn't Roberts the one who had his elbow dislocated when he put it between Bubba Crosby and first base last year? I don't blame him for being a bit tentative with a runner bearing down on him.

The starting pitching is shaky, the days of RJ throwing stretches of dominant games is over. These guys just don't seem consistent (outside of Moose); one week it's 7 innings of 2 run ball, and then next week it's 4 innings and gone. The bullpen has been shaky too, but it's only june and they have until August to get their acts in gear.

Here's to June baseball.

I am still perplexed by that ruling on the CS. I know why they ruled that way- but on a bang/bang play the slide catch and tag are all part of the whole. If Roberts had been waiting there with the ball it would be different. With that logic- Jeter's 2000 squib should have been an error Not a hit. But again- bang/bang

13 Melky "holding his own". no - he is straight succeeding at the ML level. when sheff and matsui are both back (will that even happen this year?) i think melky should start in RF and sheff should DH.

what good would it do him to go back to columbus? what kind of message is that sending to the rest of the farm system? if i were a player about to be drafted out of high school or college, despite my being a life-long fan, the yankees would be at the bottom of the list of teams i'd hoped to be signed by.

Just like the Isrealites if we can get a little pitching we'll get out of this mess.

Duque walks Bonds* on full count...

Johnny Damon CF
Melky Cabrera LF
Derek Jeter SS
Jason Giambi DH
Jorge Posada C
Bernie Williams RF
Andy Phillips 1B
Robinson Canó 2B
Miguel Cairo 3B

Do you it's possible Rasner isn't really injured? That they just wanted Matt Smith instead? Would they do such a thing?

Johnny Damon CF
Melky Cabrera LF
Derek Jeter SS
Jorge Posada C
Bernie Williams DH
Andy Phillips 1B
Robinson Canó 2B
Miguel Cairo 3B
Kevin Thompson RF

Giambi's sick. Probably got A-Rod's germs.

I read yesterday that A-Rod was sitting in the dugout until the sixth inning, when Torre sent him to the hotel because he was looking so bad.

I couldn't believe they didn't send him to the hotel immediately. That kind of stomach virus can spread like crazy. Remember all those cruise ships?

And another glorious day of no game because of Fox. Somehow its a national broadcast, yet I don't get to see it on tv or on mlb.tv. Doesn't really seem "national" then. Damn Fox, oh well, I will just have to imagine Thompson...

And still no T-ball. That's a good sign.

But given our track record this year, I'm half expecting the rest of the team to go down with this stomach bug eventually. :-P

I would have assumed we were in dead last and had given up or something. Not that I really mind, but still, that is a strange site, is it not?

I have a house full of guests so I'll try to help my pals in NY up to date who can't watch when I can sneak away. Company and a day game - a deadly mix.

The lead is hardly insurmountable. C'mon, offense!

Anyone catch Jaret Weaver last night? This kid could be for real.

NO! NO, without a solid RJ, how can we expect to compete with the Sox and Sox?

Kay just said Rodriguez and Giambi are going to be quarantined.

i am guessing he still might pitch better than the Big Obit.

The Orioles pitcher is fresh from the the minors. This is his first major league game.

>> Loewen, the fourth overall pick in the 2002 amateur draft, pitched for Canada in the World Baseball Classic and held the United States scoreless over 3 2-3 innings.

Loewen, who is replacing the injured Daniel Cabrera, got the starting nod start over veteran John Halama.

''The likely choice was John, but at the same time Adam is one of our top prospects,'' manager Sam Perlozzo said. ''He needs to pitch.''<<

So that's, what, 11 outs right there?

The Toaster seems to be having some problems.

Go Derek!

and i love him more if he hits Righties

I don't hate Bernie from the left, right, or center.

The Baby Bombers are not only holding their own, they're doing great.

And I don't think anyone who said bernie shouldn't play also said that we should trade Posada or the rest. I destinctly remember the Phillips bashers (Stormer, I believe you are one) supporting Bernie as a better option

Sure, but baseball is more than that, and it sickens me to hear that kind of talk about Bernie. Informend criticism sure, but this GOB and random insults is disgusting. Without Bernie in the late 90's, we're the freakin Atlanta BRAVES!!!!!

Offense ain't our problem...

I wasnt a Phillpis "basher" I just wasn't looking to him to do more than a substiantially less he was doing in the minors, maybe .260-.270 with no real power and an above average glove. Sme folks were talking about him as if he was the next Don Mattingly. Melky on the other hand, has the potential to be an all star, I stick by my analysis on Phillips, I like him, but he's not ever going to put forth all star play, bank on it.

Unless someone can give me a name of someone who came up at 30 years of age and was more than average.

we like Bernie the person.. but in baseball where for instance last yr was decided by team head-head records.. any identifiable weakness shud be addressed..

bernie has great value as PH or random OF starter .. not everyday..

and when situation requires.. like now.. he can b used more frequently

i think everyone was arguing for a redn in playing time.. specifically in the field..

we will like him always

And I highly doubt Melky will be an all star...he has no power, and his patience is a newfound virtue. He may be a good outfileder, but for a corner outfielder, he will never put up production worthy of beating out the Mannys, Shefs, Vlads, and the rest...

Isn't that Bernie is now? Only without the glove?

funny words..

KT first hit.. good job..

Well, except for the playoff experience, clutch hitting, and the fact that he has earned the right to play over some kid with the same numbers. It's not Phillips fault, he could be batting .270 for the Baltimore Orioles I suppose. He is a Yankee, and that's the way it goes. Maybe we should have dumped Mattingly in '94, just kicked him to the curb, and bashed him.

Randy hasn't earned a damn thing yet. How hard would it be to find a pitcher who will post a 4.5-6.0 era?

We didn't get rid of Mattingly because he was far mor productive than Bernie is now.

Mo is not available today. They said maybe Monday. Mo's feeling a lot better, but they want to play it safe.

Maybe we'll see Proctor closing...

Although it is hard to figure, Joe did yank Villone for Farny, when all that Villone did was retire every righty and lefty he faced through 2 innings lowering his era below 1.5!

If he doesn't pitch today, it will be because he's pitched so much the last two days.

Clearly it isnt that hard, as every other team in the AL has a better RF than Bernie

130 Based on this "logic," we should give O'Neill a call to see if he wants to platoon in right. I wonder if Chad Curtis is available.

So do we, I think his name is Gary Sheffield.

Dude, come on. Joe never intended Bernie to be in the outfield this much. What should we do with Sheffield, Bubba and Mats all down?

Honestly, I'm not sure we'd have won as many games if Sheff and Godzilla hadn't been injured. We're now a great balance of contact and power.

Get rid of T-Ball, and I'll be perfectly happy with this team.

I'm with you. This team (With Arod, but without Sheff) reminds me a lot more of the 1996-2000 teams than the fully healthy team does. That team reminded me more of the 2001-2005 variety. Although we havent come close to the pitching we had during the run, that's for sure.

=====

REHAB-BING CROSBY: Bubba Crosby (pulled hamstring) did outfield drills and ran the bases yesterday in Tampa, and the Yanks hope he will be able to rejoin them by next weekend.

=====

Are you kidding me, have you been watching? It's Proctor 8, Farny blows it in the 9th, instead of the reverse, which is what it should be. 6 Mil. doesn't earn you the right to close, when you have more walks than innings pitched!

I let Randy finish the 8th, Proctor in the 9th. Letting Proctor close will do more for Proctor's confidence, than it would for Farny who clearly has none, but then again, how could confidence fit in that cavernous head of Kyle "Mark Wholers" Farnsworth.

Bubba is now scheduled to play rehab games midweek. Could be moved up or back, depending on how he does.

Dude, the last place Soriano should be seen on a baseball diamond, is at second base. Well, unless you like soccer more than baseball.

I suppose if you call that pitching.

Proctor's coming in to get five outs.

Well, I live in LA now, and Gagne is about the only thing that makes the games bearable to watch.

This has probably been touched on, but why is it A-Rod and Giambi getting sick and not T-Long and Erickson?

Mats is VERY solid... and clutch. I'm just saying considering Sori's speed and possible better 'D', that he has a value as an OF'er close or equal to Mats.

NO REASON to pull Johnson. NONE.

Dunno about Matt Smith. They weren't sure if he could get to the park in time. Wouldn't really be fair to throw him in there when he's fresh off the train from Columbus.

Yay finally turned the corner!

=====

New York Yankees reliever Octavio Dotel is expected to join Class A Tampa on Thursday.

Dotel worked a scoreless inning Saturday to complete his first consecutive-day outing in an extended spring training game against Tampa Bay minor leaguers. He had elbow ligament replacement surgery a year ago, and is expected to join the Yankees around June 15.

====

You're in LA?

Oh well you're playing with house money today anyway

Why is Wang throwing in the pen? Will he come in on his throw day to close and carry the game into extra innings after his short performance the other day?

257 I was thinking the same thing. A pitcher with a history of shoulder problems...but he would probably be throwing today anyway.

I hate this, two days in a row of crappy BP management!

Isn't Mike Myers in the bullpen? Or anyone other than Scott Proctor?

Why do the Yanks not have a lefty even warming up? HELLLLOOOOOOOO, JOE. Wake up.

Then why the hell isnt he in there!

They sent Smith down because they needed a catcher, and then couldn't call him up again because of the 10-day rule. That's why they called up Rasner instead of Smith.

Now let Villone close it. I implore you Joe do not bring Wang into a pressure situation!

I don't mind Erickson, really. He's fine for what he is. He's supposed to be Tanyon Sturtze's replacement. The guy they put in to eat innings when the starter is yanked early. On a daily basis, if necessary. Not what you want a prospect like Smith to be doing.

No, you're right. I want Smith setting up Mo and Villone eating innings. Not one-hit-one-walk-two-runs Erickson.

http://www.firejoetorre.com/

Apparently, it was news to Proctor that his day was done.

C'mon, Tiger. One more nice grounder like that...

Good game to win, bad way to win it, imo.

WE WIN!

Though I think this game shows we need pitching more than outfielders. Aside from Wang and Chacon, our pitching staff is geriatric. Hopefully Smith and Dotel will help patch the holes.

While it's an overused word, maybe the walking wounded situation has created some kind of 'chemistry' that we haven't had for a while. Whatever it is, if it keeps going this promises to be a memorable season — winning in a way absolutely no one expected.

Let's go Baby Bombers!

I agree. Very cool.

Yikes, it's a long season though everyone. How Long (pun intended)can all this last?

Please let's somehow survive the Sox series this week and then get healthy !

That would be a "yes." It was his throw day, and they intentionally kept him from throwing today. Just in case.

YES interviewed Posada in the postgame show, and he said it's great playing with all the kids. They have so much enthusiasm and they never quit. They're having so much fun, and he says that energizes the veterans.

And Detroit's up 3-1 on the Bosox...

The YES postgame interviews also revealed that Andy Phillips' nickname is "Philly." :-D

Go Tigers. And go Tiger.

I'm happy that Johnson pitched well, but I'm equally happy he didn't get the win. I would hate for him to get an 8th win while Mussina has 7 and pitched significantly better than him all season.

Ok, ready to be crucified. lol.

Also, what is the deal with the relationship between Moose and Kay? I know Moose does not suffer fools lightly when it comes to the media, but I've heard of some friction between the two. Can anyone elaborate?

Tigers up 6-2.

He must've hit the tar out of that one to line it out of left-center in Comerica.

BTW: I just realized that that game was September 2, 2001. Back when we were all younger and so much more innocent.

First place Yan-kees!

Fernando Rodney = Good

Also, apparently on his radio show the day after Moose pitched against the Tigers people were calling up saying he "showed up Torre" (I only heard about 2 minutes of Kay talking afterwards) and Kay said "I am in a rare situation where I have to defend Mussina."

Oh, and he has said on his radio show that if Jeter, Posada, and Mussina were all in an elevator that he was about to enter, he would say "hi Derek, hi Jorge" and then nothing.

I think he is actually 12, and bitter that he didn't get answers from Mussina that he wanted.

Boy is it great to see the team come together like this. With half the lineup in the trainer's room or anywhere but the field and despite the bullpen criticism, I'm not sure that anyone can reasonable say Mr. Torre isn't doing a great job. If he pulls this off by keeping the team together and making the post season (other than '98) this will have to be his best job as Yankee manager.

Speaking of that near perfecto I still can't look at Carl is Coo-coo for Coa-coa Puffs Evert without wanting to puke. Boy was that a sour feeling after the game. I don't think I would have been particularly happy about answering the same inane question for half an hour either.

when i looked and saw
the yankees alone in first
how i danced with joy