Derek, Lou, And The Other Guys Too

The Yankees completed a four game sweep of the Rays tonight, using yet another comeback win to continue their dominant run through the season's second half and further crush the Rays now nearly non-existent post-season hopes. That wasn't the story of the game.

Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Jorge Posada came to the plate as a pinch hitter with one out and runners on the corners. He worked a full count, then blasted a go-ahead three run homer to right, giving the Yankees the only lead they would need all night. That wasn't the story of the game.

Derek Jeter, as you may have heard, came into this homestand needing just three hits to tie Lou Gehrig atop the Yankees' all time leaderboard. In the three games since, Jeter has gone 0 for 12, allowing that story to linger. And that was the story of tonight's game.

Jeter led off the bottom of the first. With Evan Longoria playing back, Jeter resorted to an old slump buster, dropping the first pitch down the third baseline for a bunt single. After grounding out in the third, Jeter came up again in the fifth, driving a 2-2 slider to deep center field for a ground rule double and bringing him within one of the Iron Horse.

In the seventh, Jeter came up with two outs, no one on, and the Yankees trailing 2-0. For the fourth time on the night, Rays starter Jeff Niemann threw Jeter a first pitch fastball. Jeter pounced on it, with his familiar inside-out swing, and punched a basehit through the right side. The ballpark and both dugouts erupted with a standing ovation. In a subtle, but poignant moment, YES showed Yankees Head Athletic Trainer Gene Monahan, in the Yankees organization since 1962 and in his current position since 1973, standing at the top of the dugout steps, applauding with the rest of the team.

Johnny Damon followed with a single of his own, making it appear that Jeter's historic hit might also be the start of a rally. But Mark Teixeira fanned to end the threat.

Aside from giving the Yankees the lead, Posada's one out homer in the eighth ensured that Jeter would get another plate appearance on the night. Jeter stepped in for his fifth plate appearance of the night with no one on and two outs. Jeter worked a seven pitch walk, much to the chagrin of the crowd and more the disappointment of Yankees' play-by-play man Michael Kay who has been painfully wringing ever last possible ounce of drama out of this chase. Hyperbolic even by his lofty standards, Kay called it "the most underrated walk in the history of baseball". Sure it is.

As for the rest of the game, Joba Chamberlain turned in a start that was rather representative of his 2009 season. He needed 32 pitches to get through the first inning, surrendering a leadoff home run to Jason Bartlett, two singles, a walk, a wild pitch, three strikeouts and leaving the Yanks in a two run hole before they even picked up a bat. Appropriately, a mound visit midway through the first from the man of evening seemed to change Joba's approach. Chamberlain settled down from there, throwing a perfect second and third inning and retiring the last eight batters he faced after the Captain's visit. With his pitch count at 55 through three, Joba's night was over, marking his third consecutive start of just three innings.

Alfredo Aceves followed and turned in an outstanding performance, going three shutout, hitless innings in which he allowed just a walk and K'd three. The Yankees still dormant bats prevented Alf from getting his 11th relief victory of the year. Jonathan Albaladejo then tossed two perfect frames to pick up the win, and Brian Bruney and Phil Coke combined to close out the ninth.

Derek Jeter is deservedly the man of the hour with his historic achievement coming tonight. However, this game, like so many other this year, was an impressive team effort in which several players - Jeter, Posada, Alf, Albaladejo, A-Rod, Hideki Matsui - all made important contributions to another Yankee victory.

Jeter will take his swings at the record on Friday night. Rest assured that tomorrow's off day will be flooded with talk about the impending accomplishment. We'll be here for you to discuss that and more. See you in the morning.

Game 141: Four Until Late

The Yankees go for a four game sweep of the Rays tonight in what looks to be the toughest pitching match up on paper of the series.

Joba Chamberlain takes the mound for his third start under the latest version of the Joba Rules. He pitched three innings and gave up two earned runs in the last two, however in his more recent outing, he needed 59 pitches as opposed to just 35 the first time around. Since the Yanks are attempting to stretch him out for the playoffs, he figures to have a higher pitch/inning limit, something in the neighborhood of 70 pitches and 4IP, perhaps.

Joba has been headed in the wrong direction for a while now, putting up exactly zero quality starts in his last 6 and his two capped outings didn't project to end up that way either. In 26 innings over that span he's given up 23 ER, 37 H and has a K/BB of only 20/17.

Surprisingly, Jeff Niemann has the lowest ERA and best record of any Rays starter this year. He's thrown 38 fewer innings than James Sheilds and has struck out 61 fewer batters than Matt Garza, but his record is 12-5 and his ERA 3.67.

Niemann is a Houston native, but not your typical Texas fireballer. His fastball sits around 92 and he works in a curve, slider and a change. He was drafted fourth overall by the Rays in 2005 and due in part to injuries, he didn't have the meteoric rise through the minors like his opponent tonight and his teammate who started last night, David Price did. In his last two years in AAA he pitched 260 innings but had a marginal 3.78 ERA. Somehow, he's been better than that in the Big Leagues this year and even better in his last 7 starts, going 3-0 with a 3.38 ERA.

He's a big boy, at 6'9", 280 so expect that to be noted breathlessly during the broadcast tonight as if a pitcher's height is an important statistic.

The Yanks are at a season-high 40 games over .500 and have the chance to pull off the always difficult four game sweep of the Rays, thereby pushing them even further out of playoff contention. Blues legend Robert Johnson can relate to their predicament. So as the tykes from Tampa leave town for the last time this year, let's hope the Yanks bid them a fare, farewell.

When I leave this town, I'm gon' bid you fare, farewell.
And when I return again, you'll have a great long story to tell.

Game 28: Tomorrow Is A Long Time

If today was not an endless highway,
If tonight was not a crooked trail,
If tomorrow wasn't such a long time,
Then lonesome would mean nothing to you at all.

[We are gong with the blues until this losing streak is over]

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It's official. A-Rod is coming back tomorrow. However, the Yanks need a win tonight. There is going to be enough pressure and media attention on the team because of his return, and it would be really nice if that didn't coincide with a five game losing streak.

They are now 3-9 in their division and 2-7 against the Rays and Sox. It's May, but these games count just as much as the ones in September when it comes to the standings. The Yanks are digging themselves a deeper and deeper hole against the teams who they are likely to be competing for a playoff spot against. 

The pitching match-up favors the home team, with Andy Pettitte making the start. Andy is coming off his worst performance of the year in which he gave up 5 runs in 5 2/3 innings, but his ERA is still a staff leading 3.82. His career numbers against the Rays are top notch, but those were mostly collected when TB was a laughingstock. The guy who hit the game winning home run last night off ot lefty Phil Coke also seems to have Pettitte's number. Carlos Pena is 10-30 off of Pettitte with three homers and two triples. 

His opponent is a 26 year old right hander by the name of Jeff Niemann, making his 8th career start in the majors. He is currently holding down the number 5 spot in the Tampa Bay rotation and in five starts this year, he has averaged just over 5IP and accrued an ERA of 5.68. 

The Yankees need to stop the slide, and Niemann needs to get knocked around. Good teams beat up on bad pitchers. Let's do this.