Thoughts On Griffey

Good morning Fackers. Late last June, as the Mariners came to the Bronx for the only 2009 series at Yankee Stadium, we ran this post as sort of our unofficial goodbye to Ken Griffey Jr. After a ten year absence, Junior had returned to Seattle, and it was assumed that 2009 would mark his victory lap and retirement tour around the American League.

Despite posting a .214/.324/.411 batting line and .323 wOBA, Griffey elected to return for a 22nd Major League season. I won't begrudge any player who wants to hang on as long as he can. And I could certainly imagine why Griffey would want to return to the M's, who were the surprise team of 2009 and made significant improvements in the off season.

Thus far though, 2010 has been an unmitigated disaster, both the for the Mariners and Griffey. The team is just 12-19, good for last in the weak AL West. While their pitching has been good and their defense has been characteristically outstanding, the offense has been downright abyssmal, ranking last in the league in virtually every meaningful category. Milton Bradley, the off-season acquisition brought it to bring some pop to the lineup, had his annual meltdown early this year and is on the restricted list. Eric Byrnes, picked up for the league minimum in hopes he could rediscover his mojo, played poorly, blew a suicide squeeze play, and then rode off on his bicycle to go play keg league softball in California. I'm not making that up.

As for Griffey, part two of the farewell tour is not faring well at all. He's hitting just .208/.265/.234 with a wOBA of .234. He's had just two extra base hits, both doubles. He's played at half win below replacement level. And it leaves the Mariners in quite a bind. They're desperately in need offense and they have a punchless designated hitter. As they look to salvage their season, there's a very real possibility that the process will entail putting a premature end to the career of a future Hall of Famer and quite possibly the greatest player in franchise history.

Yesterday, Larry LaRue of the Tacoma New-Tribune reported that Griffey will retire or be released by the end of the month. Even with all the Griffey-centric promotions Seattle has scheduled this year that news is sad, but isn't very surprising. What's both sad and surprising is the allegation in the story that Griffey wasn't available for a pinch hitting appearance last week because he was napping in the clubhouse.

Part of the justification for keeping Griffey around for another year was that he was a positive presence in the clubhouse, a good teammate, and a mentor to the younger players on the team. But if that story is true, it goes beyond Bobby Bonilla and Rickey Henderson playing cards as the 1999 NLCS wrapped up and it goes beyond Rey Sanchez getting a haircut during the late innings of a game. At least those players were awake.

Regardless of the napping allegation, the end is near for Junior, and it's sad. It's sad to see what was once the top player in the game taken out of the race before he could even limp across the finish line. It's sad the feel-good atmosphere of his 2009 return to Seattle seemingly has vanished in the wind. And it's sad that, true or not, the Ken Griffey Jr story is going to end with the suggestion that a mid-game nap was one of the final acts of his career. Griffey wore #24 because Rickey Henderson was his favorite player; Rickey wore it because Willie Mays was his. Mays' final season is remembered for him stumbling about center field in the 1973 World Series. Griffey's will be remembered for taking a snooze in the clubhouse.

As uncomfortable as it is to ask, and as unthinkable as it seems at present, I have to wonder: will the Yankees face a situation like this in the years to come? Not so much the nap part, but the uneasy situation where a living legend has outlived his usefulness. Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettitte will all be free agents at season's end. I can't possibly imagine any of them playing elsewhere in 2011. But they will 37, 41, and 39 years old, respectively, next year. Jorge Posada will be a 39 year old catcher in the final year of his contract. Alex Rodriguez will be 35 and will have seven years remaining on his monstrous deal.

While Pettitte and Mo may be content to go year-to-year from here forward, and while Posada may hang em up after 2011, Jeter and A-Rod aren't likely to be going anywhere in the near future. What happens if their skills abandon them early in their final season, or worse yet, with years remaining on their contracts? Would the Yankees dare cut ties with one of them if meant the difference between sinking or swimming in the pennant race? How would we as fans react if one of those players became a detriment on the field?

It's easy to say these guys wouldn't hang on when they are clearly done, but it happens all the time. World class athletes tend to be a very proud bunch. They also tend to be the last ones to realize it when their skills have left them. The club went through something similar with Bernie Williams, and even with Joe Torre's unending loyalty cushioning the blow, that didn't end well. I hope that's not a bridge we have to cross again in the coming years.

Game 31 Recap

1. What Alex Rodriguez lacks in range he can often make up for with his arm. However, it was a throw that cost him an error and the Yanks two runs in the first inning. After Magglio Ordonez rapped a two out single to right, Miguel Cabrera hit a sharp grounder to A-Rod at third. Alex managed to knock the ball down, keep it in front of him, hop to his feet, do a full turn and fire to first in what should have been enough to get Cabrera, but he short hopped the throw. The ball bounced over Mark Teixiera and into the stands, leaving the Tigers will runners on second and third, still with two outs.

Rookie outfielder Brennan Boesch made the Yanks pay as he hit a hot shot just past the diving try of Teixeira, scoring both Cabrera and Ordonez and giving the Tigers an early 2-0 lead.

2. The Tigers tacked on another run in the second inning, but Sergio Mitre didn't have his defense to blame this time. Mitre began the frame by walking Scott Sizemore and then allowed a single to Gerald Laird. A sacrifice by Adam Everett moved the runners up and Sizemore scored on a ground out to Derek Jeter at short. 3-0 Tigers.

3. As he did in the first inning, Nick Swisher worked a one out walk in the third. Mark Teixeira took two balls and then turned on a fastball down and in, ripped it down the right field line and just inside the foul pole to make it 3-2. A-Rod followed with a single but was erased when he attempted to steal second on Brad Thomas' first motion but was picked off. Cano then grounded out to end the inning.

4. Johnny Damon hit his second home run of the year off of Sergio Mitre in the fifth. The first pitch he saw was a sinker right down the middle of the plate and Damon put one of his signature wristy swings on the ball, and deposited a few rows back in the right field seats. That was Mitre's 69th and final pitch of the night and he left the game with the Yankees trailing 4-2.

5. Boone Logan started off the seventh inning with a walk to Johnny Damon but got Magglio Ordonez to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. Logan wasn't out of the woods quite yet, however, as he walked Miguel Cabrera and gave up a triple to Broesche that extended the Tigers' lead to 5-2.

6. The Yankees loaded the bases with no one out during the 8th inning on consecutive singles by A-Rod and Cano and a walk by Jorge Posada, all off of Zumaya. Marcus Thames pulled a soft grounder to short stop that allowed A-Rod to score and every to move up one base safely and made the score 5-3.

At that point Jim Leyland called on Phil Coke to face Brett Gardner. Brett drove in Cano on a grounder to second to bring the Yankees within one and Randy Winn to the plate. Winn took a bad swing at a 2-0 pitch, popped it to third and passed the buck to Derek Jeter.

Leyland made another pitching change, this time calling on Ryan Perry to get the Tigers out of the jam. Jeter worked the count full before slicing a ball down the right field line that Magglio Ordonez made a nice sliding catch on, ending the inning and leaving the Yankees down 5-4. Since the count was full and there were two outs, Brett Gardner was going on contact, meaning that he almost certainly would have scored had Ordonez not made the play.

Jose Valverde came on to close out the game for the Tigers and struck out the side in the 9th. Game over as the Yanks dropped their second in a row after winning six straight.

IFs, ANDs & BUTs

• Sergio Mitre didn't pitch that poorly, all things considered. One of the four runs that he gave up was unearned (could have been two) and at one point he retired eight straight Tigers. On the other hand, he only threw 37 of his 69 pitches for strikes and allowed seven runners to reach base. David Robertson, Boone Logan and Joba Chamberlain combined for 3 2/3 innings of one run ball so almost all of the damage came on Mitre's watch. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it wasn't all that surprising.
  
  
• Brad Thomas did roughly as well Mitre; he lasted three innings and gave up two runs. It was right about what you would expect from two relievers making spot starts. It was a battle of the bullpens from there on out and the Tigers had been spotted two runs.
  
  
• The Yanks went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base. In the second inning they put two men on with no one out but failed to drive in either of them. In the sixth, they had A-Rod on third with one out and left the bases loaded without him scoring. In a game that you lose by one run, these are the things that you tend to point to after the fact.
  
  
• Eddie Bonine, who replaced Thomas, struck out Derek Jeter on a knuckleball for the first out of the fifth inning. PitchFX had it as a change up, but the YES cameras clearly showed a knuckleball grip and almost no rotation on the ball. It looked like he threw a few more of them during his 2 1/3 innings of work but that was the only one YES made a point of highlighting.
  
  
• With two outs in the 5th, Brett Gardner lost a high fly ball from Miguel Cabrera in the lights that should have ended the inning but instead went for a double. There was no blood in the inning and no error charged. It just looked like he lost it in the twilight and/or wind.
  
  
• There was a pregame ceremony to honor Ernie Harwell. Over 11,000 people filed by his body inside the gates of the park and several former Tigers including Al Kaline and Willie Horton were on hand to raise a flag sporting his initials that flew below the American flag in center field. The Tigers will wear a patch with a similar design for the rest of the season, much like the Phillies did in honor of Harry Kalas last year.
  
  
• It was brutally cold and windy in Detroit for a game in May. The game time temperature was 54 degrees and got colder as it progressed. The wind was gusting in from center, making the already cavernous dimensions of the park seem even deeper.
  
  
• Either the radar gun at Comerica was hot or the wind was helping out in during the later innings. Joel Zumaya was living in the triple digits with his fastball and Joba Chamberlain was in the upper 90's. Both those guys throw hard, but I doubt they were brining that kind of heat given how chilly it was.
  
  
• According to WPA, the Yanks never had greater than a 50% chance of winning the game but it really felt like they were going to take the lead in the eighth inning. The ball that Jeter hit looked to be ticketed for extra bases but the typically poor-fielding Ordonez made a great play. Thems are da breaks, I suppose.
  
  
• Jose Valverde was doing some odd shit after every strikeout he recorded. He'd walk over to the side of the mound, kneel down and take his hat off. When he got A-Rod swinging for the final out of the game, he did a couple of jumping fist pumps that would make the 2007 version of Joba Chamberlain blush. Not sure if this is par for the course for him, but it was pretty annoying to watch after how close the Yanks came to stealing this one back.
  
  
• Not about this game but conveyed on the broadcast: According to Kim Jones, an uncomfortable bed in Boston forced Alfredo Aceves to sleep on the floor. That likely contributed to the stiff back that forced him from Saturday's game. Fortunately, he's back on the mattress in Detroit. Hey, Alf, why don't you keep it on the bed from now on, okay?

Same time, same place tomorrow night. If the Yanks want to win this series and make it 10 out of their first 11, they are going to have to sweep the final three.

Game 31: Jackson

Hey Fans! Guess which storyline is going to be beaten into your head by a certain large craniumed play-by-play man over the next four games. Did you know that Yankees center fielder Curtis Granderson is currently on the DL? Did you know that Yankees number two hitter Nick Johnson is perpetually injured and will be out for several weeks? Of course you did.

But as the Yankees begin a four game series in Detroit, did you know that Tigers center fielder Austin Jackson is a former Yankee prospect and was the centerpiece of the trade that brought Granderson to New York? And did you further know that Tigers left fielder Johnny Damon was the Yankees number two hitter last year, and that he so desperately wanted to return to New York for a handsome salary?

And did you know that while Granderson and Johnson, both of whom slumped in their limited playing time thus far, languish on the DL, Jackson is hitting .371/.420/.508 and Damon is hitting .294/.409/.431? Well if you didn't know by now, you will by the time this series is over, because it's the single easiest storyline around which to frame this series.

But there's another storyline that will come into play, at least over the first two games, and it's far more important to the Yankees right now. Mother Nature and Father Time have conspired to leave the Yankee pitching staff in a bit of bind. Saturday's rain delay ended CC Sabathia's outing after just four and two thirds. Alfredo Aceves' sitff back and Joe Girardi's match ups forced the Yankees to run through five relievers to finish that contest. Elder statesman Andy Pettitte's stiff elbow leaves the pitching staff a man short. Romulo Sanchez did yeoman's work in his 3.2 IP of shutout relief last night, saving the rest of the pen, and thanks to today's roster move, the Yankees aren't short a long man tonight. But with Sergio Mitre spot starting tonight and limited to about 75 pitches, and Javier Vazquez, who has not yet completed the sixth inning this year, starting tomorrow, the Yankee bullpen may be further taxed over the next two games.

But hey, Austin Jackson has a magical .511 BABIP (despite a 28.0% K rate) and Johnny Damon, according to his agent at least, has magical DNA. So it's much easier to ignore more pressing issues and just declare Brian Cashman's off-season moves a bust a mere five weeks into the season. Because if 2009 taught us anything, it's that the way things are on May 10th, is exactly how they will be at season's end.

This will be Sergio Mitre's first start of 2010 and his first career appearance against the Tigers. Mitre has pitched well enough in limited relief/mop-up duty this year. In nine starts in 2009, he posted a 7.16 ERA and 1.75 WHIP over 44 IP. He'll was slated to oppose his former Florida Marlins teammate, Dontrelle Willis, but Willis is a late scratch with 102 degree fever. If the Tigers were the Royals, Willis would be pitching.

In Willis' stead, long reliever Brad Thomas will get the start. Alright, spot starts all around! Thomas is an Australian southpaw who, despite making his Major League debut just short of nine years ago, has logged only 40.1 IP in his career. Before surfacing with Detroit this season he hadn't pitched in the Majors since a three game cup of coffee with the Twins in 2004. In fact, he's only pitched one season in the states since then, spending 34 games at Seattle's AAA affiliate in 2007. His seven appearances this year have already set a new career high. This will mark the second time this year Thomas makes an emergency spot start for Willis. The results were not pretty the first time.

After a long off-season of negotiating, Johnny got his cash and Austin Jackson is playing hotter than a pepper sprout. As former Yankee products, I wish them both the best of luck over the course of the season, except of course when they're playing the Yankees. Depleted or not, Yankee pitching will spend the next four games looking to put their fire out.

We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout
We've been talking 'bout Jackson, ever since the fire went out
I'm going to Jackson, I'm gonna mess around
Yeah I'm going to Jackson, look out Jackson town

[Song Notes: Little known fact - Johnny Cash absolutely did not want to wear the shirt he's sporting in this performance. But, the previous night he had gone to dinner with some friends, and his buddy's new girlfriend, a bit of a low-talker, muttered something unintelligible. Trying to be polite, the Man in Black just nodded in agreement. Little did he know he'd agreed to wear a puffy shirt on national TV]

-Lineups-

Yankees:
Jorge Posada is behind the dish for the first time in a week. With a lefty on the mound, Marcus Thames is in the lineup, though after his misadventures in left field last night, he's mercifully the DH.

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada C
Marcus Thames DH
Brett Gardner CF
Randy Winn LF

Tigers:

Austin Jackson CF
Johnny Damon DH
Magglio Ordonez RF
Miguel Cabrera 1B
Brennan Boesch LF
Brandon Inge 3B
Scott Sizemore 2B
Gerald Laird C
Adam Everett SS

Super Nova

According to Donnie Collins of the Times-Tribune in Scranton, Ivan Nova has been recalled by the Yankees. No official word yet on the corresponding move, but it's about 99.99% certain that Romulo Sanchez is heading back down.

Sanchez pitched well in his 3.2 shutout innings of relief last night. Perhaps of greater value is that he was the lone pitcher to come out of the Yankee bullpen following A.J. Burnett's four and a third inning start. Sanchez' effort saved the bullpen a day after a rain delay, Alfredo Aceves' back, and Joe Girardi's match ups forced the Yankees to burn through five relievers.

Still, the staff is a bit short with Andy Pettitte still out of play, Aceves likely needing another day off, and Sanchez needing two or three days of rest after his 52 pitch outing last night. And with Sergio Mitre limited to about 75 pitches in spot start duty tonight, and Javy Vazquez, who hasn't completed the sixth inning yet this year, starting tomorrow, the Yankees were in need of another long man.

Joe Pawlikowski at RAB astutely pointed out earlier today that this move was likely. Nova was scheduled to start for Scranton yesterday, but was flipped with Zach McAllister, indicating such a move was possible. Nova's recall leaves Scranton without a starter for tonight, the second time in four days the Yankees have left their AAA affiliate in that situation. Dustin Moseley may start on three days rest, or they may just piece this one together as a bullpen game.

An international free agent signing in 2004, Nova was selected by the Padres in the Rule 5 draft following the 2008 season, but was unable to stick on the Big League roster. Returned to the Yankees, he had a breakout 2009, making 24 starts equally split between AA and AAA and posting a 3.68 ERA. It's worth noting that he fared remarkably better in AA, where the competition is poorer and where Trenton's Waterfront Park offers a pitcher's paradise.

He was added to the Yankees' 40 man roster following last season, and is 2-0 with a 2.43 ERA through his first six starts in 2010. Nova is considered a groundball inducing pitcher, and his GB% for this year sits above 50%, just as it has throughout his career. But it's worth noting that his K rate this year is at a career high and his BB rate has dropped back to its career average after taking a jump up last season.

Here are prospect profiles on Nova from RAB and Pending Pinstripes.

Unsolicited Opinions On The Yankees' At Bat Music

On Friday, Mark Feinsand of the Daily News talk to scoreboard operator Mike Bonner and wrote a post about the at bat music that each Yankee comes out to. Given how much we use music to enhance and bring life to our coverage of the team, it's only appropriate that we at least touch on it here.

I'm going to reproduce Feinsand's whole list but to add some value, I've linked up each of the songs to a YouTube video and made some snarky comments.

Position Players

Derek Jeter: “Candy” - Cameo

If you only watch one of these videos, make it this one. It looks like a spoof made by Chappelle's Show.

Nick Johnson: “Party in the U.S.A.” - Miley Cyrus

By now, you know that Johnson picked the song because his daughter likes it (and she has shitty taste in music).

Mark Teixeira: “I Wanna Rock” - Twisted Sister

A solid, straight forward classic rock tune. Fits Teixeira to a "T".

Alex Rodriguez: “On to the Next One” - Jay-Z

We used this one for a preview earlier this year mostly because I was stuck for ideas and the video is in black and white. It's alright, but I really don't enjoy what Jay-Z's style has devolved into. It seems like he now ends every line with a forced inflection. He's more about rhyming sounds as opposed to earlier in his career when he had more masterful wordplay and a steady, even-keeled delivery.

Robinson Cano: “Run this Town” - Jay-Z

This one also features Rhianna, Kanye West and some real distorted electric guitar. Better tune than the one A-Rod uses but not something I'm going to put on by choice.

Curtis Granderson: “Lookin’ for the Perfect Beat” - Africa Bambaataa

An old school rap song with a video almost as unintentionally hilarious as the one Jeter uses.

Nick Swisher: “Beat Street” - Grand Master Flash

It's got that typical, choppy, Grandmaster Flash "flow" to it. I would expect Swish to have picked something like Creed or Three Doors Down based on his brotasticness, so he gets bonus points for this choice.

[Update: It has been brought to my attention by Joe from River Ave. Blues that Gardner comes up to Run Like Hell and not On The Run as Feinsand said in his post.]

Brett Gardner: “Run Like Hell” - Pink Floyd

Easily my favorite choice out of all of these. Completely appropriate given Gardner's skill set and coming out to any Pink Floyd song is good by me, even if it is off of The Wall.

Randy Winn: “Just Chill” - Jon Young

Jon Young and J. Cash are apparently the highest selling hip hop act in Central Florida!

Marcus Thames: “You’re a Jerk” - New Boyz

Yeah, Marcus? Well you're a DH.

*Posada and Francisco Cervelli both supplied songs via CD (that are latin-flavored, if I recall correctly) and neither Bonner nor Feinsand were sure what they were called.

Starting Pitchers

CC Sabathia: “Big Poppa” - Notorious B.I.G.

Most obvious choice ever?

A.J. Burnett: “I’m a Man” - Black Strobe

Yes you are, sir. And so is Mike Gundy.

Javier Vazquez: “Until the Whole World Hears” - Casting Crowns

Christian rock. Whatever floats your boat, Javy, just pitch better after it plays.

Andy Pettitte: “La Grange” - ZZ Top

Like Teixeira's choice, this one is a staple of classic rock stations nation wide. Can't really go wrong but it's not exactly original.

Phil Hughes: “King Nothing” - Metallica

Because of Metallica's dickish views on copyright law you have to sit through a 30 second commercial to watch this one. Feel like doing that? I didn't think so.

I've often thought about what my at bat or warm up music would be and the decision becomes infinitely more complicated by the fact that, as Morgan Ensberg pointed out a while back, hitters are limited to 8 seconds. That's nothing. So the question becomes not "What song is going to get you fired up?" but "What 8 second snippet from a song are you not going to get totally sick of by the end of the first homestand?". That really cuts down on the options.

To make it slightly less impossible and pointless, let's assume that you are a pitcher and you get to choose a song or portion of a song to warm up to, but it can't be longer than 5 minutes. Here's a short list of ones that I would have to try extremely hard to decide between and truncate to the appropriate length:

• The version of Soul Serenade the Allman Brothers played in honor of King Curtis back in 1971.

• Derek Trucks' solo during Desdemona at the Beacon in '03.
  
  
• The Fire Inside by Bob Seger because the simple melody in it, and the relentless bass line underneath never fail to stir me up.
  
  
• A Phish song. Punch You in the Eye? Julius?

• This Atmopshere tune because I'm a sucker for hip hop with piano and the outro is awesome.
  
  
• Feel It by Sam Cooke from the famous Live at the Harlem Square Club show.

• Or pretty much any section of this version of Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad that Derek and the Dominoes played at the Filmore East during a two night stand they did there in October of 1970:

Yours in the comments if you so choose.

Wrapping Up The Weekend

Good morning, Fackers. I hope your weekend was more exciting than the one that the Yankees and Red Sox had on the field.

It feels like there is almost always at least one tightly contested game between the Yanks and Sox in every series they play. In the first series of the season, each of the games were decided by two runs. Even last year, when every time the two teams met, except for one, the result was a sweep, there was usually at least one game that was engaging. This weekend, the losing team scored three runs each time out while the winners plated nine or more. Games decided by six or more runs are rarely exciting and these were no exception.

Watching your guys pile it on in a blowout win can be enjoyable, but it's not all that interesting to see two teams playing out the string when the game has basically already been decided. There are mop-up guys on the mound and replacements in the field. On Saturday, there was even a replacement fielder doing the mop-up work. Friday's game was over in the 6th inning, Saturday's dragged out by a rain delay and decided by the seventh and you could have turned off last night's in the third and been 95% certain of who was going to win, at least according to WPA.

I don't want this to come across as whiny or anything; that's what we sign up for as baseball fans. You take the exciting along with the boring. One of the many things that makes the sport rewarding to follow is that it's rare that it lives up to its billing. A great game could break out between teams that have no natural rivalry and something unforgettable could go down when you least expect it. And that's exactly what happened yesterday in front of 12,228 fans in Oakland.

There have been 19 perfect games in the history of baseball, and now one of them belongs to Dallas Braden. If it wasn't for Braden's spat with A-Rod, his performance against the Rays would have probably been an even better story. His mother died of melanoma when he was a senior in high school and it would be hard to pick a more symbolically significant day for him to pitch the game of his life. It happened for him in front of his hometown fans not far from where he grew up and his grandmother, who he is very close with, was in attendance (although she, unlike A-Rod, took the low road).

More relevant to the baseball side of the story, as Joe Posnanski pointed out yesterday, Braden was never really a prospect and has the type of velocity and skills that make him seem like an unlikely candidate to be wearing a Major League uniform, let alone go 27 up and 27 down against the team with the best record in baseball. On a certain level, you have to respect that.

Interestingly, as Kevin Kaduk pointed out, the third baseman on the Rays broke an unwritten rule along the way. With no one out in the 5th inning, Evan Longoria attempted to lay a drag bunt down and was lustily booed as a result. At Big League Stew just this week, Jason Turnbow named trying to bunt for a hit when the pitcher has a no hitter of a perfect game going as one of the 10 unwritten rules you might not know about. Being aware of the value Braden places on that kind of stuff, perhaps Longoria and manager Joe Maddon thought they could get under his skin by squaring up and trying to get on base on the cheap. The bunt rolled foul and Longoria ended up striking out, so if Braden did take offense to the attempt, unlike the A-Rod situation, he didn't let it bother him too much.

It was because of that pointless dust up with Rodriguez that my first reaction to hearing that Braden had pulled off a perfecto was one of disgust. Really? That fucking guy? Since then, though, I've come around on it. Good for him. Hopefully people will stop asking him about crossing the pitcher's mound and maybe this will mellow him out enough to not do something stupid the next time the Yankees play the A's. I'm with Craig, if Braden's accomplishment yesterday means that we can leave the drama with A-Rod behind, then we should all be happy about it.

Game 30 Recap

1. Marcus Thames' defense cost the Yankees once again in the second inning - although this time Javy Vazquez wasn't the recipient of it. J.D. Drew singled to lead off the frame and moved up to second on a curveball in the dirt that got past Francisco Cervelli. Burnett retired David Ortiz on a high fly ball, struck out Adrian Beltre on a nasty hook and was one out away from stranding Drew. However, Jeremy Hermida lined a ball to left field that Thames got to in time, but the ball caromed off of his glove and Drew, who was running on contact, scored easily to put the Red Sox up 1-0.

2. Burnett walked Marco Scutaro on five fastballs to begin the third. The next batter, Dustin Pedroia, ripped a ball right down the third baseline that ricocheted off the part of the wall that faces the plate and back out into left field. When he fielded it, Thames briefly looked towards third base at Marco Scutaro but that moment of hesitation allowed Pedroia to dig for second.

That ended up being just a drop in the bucket. Burnett walked Youk and Drew followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. Burnett got ahead of the ghost of David Ortiz 0-2 but threw him three straight balls to fill up the count. Ortiz fouled one off and then sliced a ball down the right field line that bounced into the stands for a ground rule double, scoring Pedroia but holding Youk at third. Someone named "Adrian bel-TRAY" then rapped a two run double to left which was followed by a RBI single by Jeremy Hermida. When the dust settled, the Sox were ahead 6-0.

3. The Yankees got on the board in the top of the fourth inning with a massive home run of the Sports Authority sign on top of the Green Monstah. Two batters later, A-Rod followed with a tater of his own atop the Monster, albeit less convincing, landing just one row deep. Sawx 6, Yanks 2. The pitch was actually a pretty good one,

4. Lil' Dusty worked a one out walk in the fourth and was doubled in by Youk to make it 7-2 Boston.

5. Hermida homered on 1-0 fastball from A.J. Burnett in the 5th, putting the Sawx up 9-2 and chasing Burnett from the game.

6. Ramiro Pena replaced Derek Jeter at shortstop and led off the 8th inning with a single. Robinson Cano drove him in with a base knock of his own with two outs to cut the Yanks' deficit to 6, but that was as close as they would come. Final score, 9-3 Red Sox.

IFs, ANDs & BUTs

• A.J. Burnett's struggles at Fenway Park continued. He allowed nine runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings, walked three and struck out four. He command wasn't great and it was one of those nights when every hard hit ball (and a few softer ones) found a place to fall.
  
  
• Lester was on point, throwing seven innings of two run ball, allowing six baserunners and striking out seven. He threw 103 pitches and might have been able to at least begin the 8th inning but with a seven run lead, he called it a night.
  
  
• Joe Girardi got tossed in the fourth inning. Thames struck out looking on a curveball that was well outside stuck around to jaw at Tim McClelland, whose strikezone had been erratic (to put it kindly) all night. Girardi came out and separated the two and after they exchanged words and Girardi started walking back towards the dugout and got bounced. He got his money's worth after that, apparently complaining about some low strikes that were being called.
  
  
• A-Rod's homer was his 586th, tying him with Frank Robinson on the all-time list.
  
  
• Romulo Sanchez made his Yankee debut when he replaced Burnett in the 5th. He touched 97 on the ESPN gun but has a wild motion, falling off the mound to left, seemingly off balance and out of control. For whatever reason the RomBomb (just made that up) pitched the final 3 2/3 innings despite the fact that the Yankees have a 13 man bullpen. He was effective though,
  
  
• As proven tonight, ESPN's K Zone is horseshit. Since it always aligns perfectly with the centerfield camera, you can tell it's not based on PitchFX and is just done by some guy in the production booth who decides where to place the strikezone can mark where he thinks the pitch crosses the zone. It's just someone's opinion but the ESPN crew acts like it's some sort of official measure. It's not.
  
  
• For some reason, the ESPN production crew was showing shots from behind the plate when batters were leading off innings early in the game. It was pretty disorienting as it made a flyball by Marcus Thames in the third inning look like a home run.
  
  
• Jon Miller claimed that Kevin Russo made his Major Leauge debut tonight when in fact it was yesterday. When he corrected himself he said that it was his first appearance on Sunday Night Baseball "the only game we really care about". It was the most accurate thing anyone said in the booth all night.

This game was pretty miserable but like we said in the preview, the Yanks were playing with house money. They will see the Sox again for a quick two game set in the Bronx starting on May 17th but won't be back at Fenway until the last series of the season. For now, they head out to Detroit and begin a four game set tomorrow night at 7.

Game 30: Easy Goin' Evening (My Mama's Call)

Despite weathering what seems like an interminable and unwaivering onslaught of injuries, the Yankees find themselves carrying a six game winning into the series finale at Fenway tonight.

Since Curtis Granderson went down last Saturday during a losing effort to the White Sox, the Yanks haven't lost again and are averaging almost nine runs per game. The real key to their success, though, has been in holding the opposition to just 16 runs over that time, and allowing them to score more than three runs just once (and in that game, four of the five runs came in the 8th and 9th innings when the Orioles had little chance of coming back).

Smack dab in the middle of that streak was a 7 1/3 inning, one run gem tossed by A.J. Burnett in the Bronx. With Francisco Cervelli behind the plate, Burnett finally discovered his long lost Uncle Charlie and fanned eight Orioles in the process. While he continued to feed the birds a steady diet of two and four-seam fastballs and induced 10 groundballs, it was his curve that allowed him to set a season high in K's.

Burnett only dropped 8 of his 19 hooks in for strikes but five of those were the all-important strike three. Perhaps the comfort of knowing that Cervelli would be able block the wilder curves (something he likely doesn't have with Jorge Posada) gave Burnett the confidence to finally attempt to harness it in game action. We'll see if he goes back to it this evening as the battery will be united again as Posada is still not ready to put on the catcher's gear yet.

For the Sawx, it's Jawwny Lestah. After three poor starts to begin the year - including a five run, four inning effort against the Yankees - the lefty has really found his stride. He's given up just one run in his past three starts, spanning 20 2/3 innings. Over that time he's allowed just 18 baserunners (10 hits, 8 walks) and struck out 23. He's thrown over 110 pitches each of those times out - including the 5 2/3 innings against the Orioles - but that's not a big deal for Lester; he did it in 12 of his 32 starts last year.

Coming into this series, given all of the attrition to the Yanks' roster, taking two out of three would have been terrific. Thanks to some solid pitching and two offensive explosions, they've already guaranteed themselves that much. A sweep would be tremendous, putting the Sox two games under .500 and eight games back in the standings, but the Yanks are playing with the house's money tonight. Whichever way it goes, it will be difficult to complain with the results of the series and that should make for some pleasant viewing if it weren't for the overenunciations of Jon Miller and the inane ramblings of Joe Morgan. Do your best to tune them out and enjoy the game.

[Song Notes: This one is an instrumental so any purported significance has to be derived from the title. The reason for picking this one should be pretty self-explanatory. I'm not going to get all sentimental like last year but I wanted to take a moment to wish my mom a happy Mother's Day. She reads the blog on a pretty regular basis and has started watching more baseball in an effort to better understand what we are talking about. She's probably more proactive about telling other people about the site than I am and actually seems fairly proud of what we do despite the fact that I don't always use G-rated language and all this writing probably keeps me from doing more productive things with my life. Thanks Ma.]

-Lineups-

Yankees:
At long last, Jorge Posada returns to the lineup for the first time since Monday. He won't be behind the plate, but will DH tonight. Francisco Cervelli gets his fifth straight start behind the dish. Robinson Cano returns to second base, but for the moment at least, it appears Kevin Russo will stick around for another night. With Posada's bat back in the middle of the order, Nick Swisher's power isn't quite so needed in the heart of the line up. He moves up to the two spot, pushing Brett Gardner back to the bottom of the order. Lastly, with a lefty on the mound, Marcus Thames gets the nod in left. Thanks to the big green wall, he doesn't have too much ground to cover.

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada DH
Marcus Thames LF
Francisco Cervelli C
Brett Gardner CF

Red Sox:

Marco Scutaro SS
Dustin Pedroia 2B
Victor Martinez C
Kevin Youkilis 1B
J.D. Drew RF
David Ortiz DH
Adrian Beltre 3B
Jeremy Hermida LF
Darnell McDonald CF

Mother's Day News And Notes

Though I'm sure they would frown upon some of the language used here from time to time, we'd like to extend our Mother's Day wishes to all the moms out there. Happy Mother's Day to you all.

On to today's news and notes:

Another day, another injury for the Yankees. As Jason noted in the recap, Alfred Aceves had to exit yesterday's game with two outs in the sixth inning. Alf's lower back seized up on him; he's out for the next two or three days, further shortening the roster.

I was forced to listen on the radio for most the game yesterday. After the Aceves injury all Sterling and Waldman could muster up was "Isn't amazing?" parroting each other and using the phrase for about the five hundredth time on the afternoon. No, it's not amazing you idiots. It's horseshit luck. How do these two still have jobs?

Aceves' back gave him problems last year and during Spring Training this year. Back problems tend to be chronic, so there's a good chance this will flare up again before the season is out. I'll be interested to see if all those who are so quick to condemn signing of the perpetually injury prone Nick Johnson as a bust afford the same level of impatience to Aceves.

Of course with all the Yankee injuries, trainer Steve Donahue is keeping awfully busy these days. Sadly, the Yankees are still without longtime trainer Gene Monahan as he continues his recovery from throat cancer. He's targeting a June 1st return. The Daily News has a great profile on Geno today. Give it a read, and as always, we extend our get well wishes to Monahan.

In the minor league injury department, Juan Miranda returned to Scranton's line up yesterday, following a two game absence resulting from a hit by pitch on the elbow. Chances are we'll see Miranda recalled in the near future, and that he'll be part of DH platoon with Marcus Thames in Johnson's absence.

Kevin Russo, who made his Major League debut yesterday, is the likely candidate to be demoted for Miranda. Once Robinson Cano can return to the field, Russo will no longer be necessary. However, he is also currently doubling as the fifth outfielder, Greg Golson having been demoted Friday in favor of a thirteenth pitcher.

That thirteenth pitcher, as we've mentioned, is Romulo Sanchez. Apparently a nine run lead wasn't safe enough for Sanchez to mop up the final two innings yesterday, which begs the question: why is he even on the roster at all? Of course with Sergio Mitre pulling spot start duty tomorrow night and Alf and Andy out of action for a few days, Sanchez and the thirteen man staff are a likely bet to stick around for awhile longer.

Instead of Sanchez pitching yesterday, Joba Chamberlain, after coming on it a bit of a jam in the seventh, started the eighth. With two outs and a lefty due, Girardi went to Damaso Marte. Nothing like matching up in a nine run game.

More minor league news: Jesus Montero was pulled from Scranton's game Friday night. The initial fear was a leg injury suffered while trotting out a ground ball, but he did manage to catch another inning before getting pulled. However, later on in the game Montero was warming up pitcher's in the bullpen, leading to speculation that his removal was more disciplinary than precautionary, leading to everyone's favorite Yankee blogosphere doomsayer to proclaim Montero the new Jose Tabata. Nothing like jumping to conclusions. For what it's worth, Montero was held out of yesterday's game as well. Still no official word as to what transpired.

With Russo recalled to the Big Club, Scranton poached utility guy Justin Snyder from the Trenton roster. To take Snyder's spot, the organization signed former prospect Justin Christian from the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the independent Atlantic League.

In honor of Mother's Day, MLB will once again be partnering with Susan G. Komen for the Cure today. Former Yankee Dave Winfield, who lost his mother to breast cancer more than twenty years ago, is taking an active role in the initiative this year.

Lastly, check this piece of lazy journalism from the NYT. Yes, I'm sure Red Sox fans are much much more comfortable losing. Those World Series titles get old after awhile.

Now go spend time with your mom. We'll be back with the preview.

Game 29 Recap

Hi Everyone. I am Jason from The Heartland writing a guest wrap for yesterday's 14-3 thrashing in Fenway. My apologies for the late post, but I had a heck of a time trying to write this last night, between Blogger's not saving my lengthy post, then not allowing me to log in when I already was logged in. Very frustrating. Anyhoo, thanks to Jay and Matt for the chance to pinch-hit. I have a little different style of game recaps than the Fack Youk authors, brought from my time formerly blogging at Heartland Pinstripes. Away we go with a wrap on a very long yet thoroughly enjoyable game.

The Yanks had an early opportunity to score runs, putting Jeter and Brett the Jet aboard in the first with infield singles and no out. Yet Pedroia made a wise move on Gardner's bunt single made the difference between a run and the eventual DP, for he backed up first on Martinez's poor throw. This kept Jeter and Gardner at first and second and, more importantly, the DP in order instead of giving them second and third, for Teixeira's grounder to second, which would have otherwise plated Jeter from third, instead resulted in a 4-6-3 DP. CC pitched out of initial trouble in the second for, after Youkilis and Lowell singled to open the inning, The Big Guy whiffed Drew on a nasty 2-2 slider, then induced Beltre to ground into an inning-ending 6-4-3 DP.

The Yanks got two in the third when Pena led off with a double, Jeter walked, Gardner bunted them over, Teixeira singled in Pena, and A-Rod singled in The Captain before Cano's own inning-ending DP pruned what portended to be a big rally. The Big Guy fanned Hall with a slider before allowing Darnell McDonald to homer over the monster on what appeared to me to be an unusually long home run trot, 2-1. After retiring Scutaro, C.C. then did the right thing, reared back, and brought his very best 98-mph fastball and spotted it right on Pedroia's left ass cheek, to me unquestionably in response for Beckett's wildness the night before. Initially, it cost the Yanks, for it extended the inning and Martinez subsequently homered to briefly give Boston a 3-2 lead. Yet I had absolutely no problem whatsoever with The Big Guy's action. Good.

The Yanks tied it in the top of the fourth when Swish walked and Beltre, as part of a miserable day in the field, threw away what should have been a 5-4-3 DP on Winn's grounder, giving them second and third. Frankie C. laced a single, but Winn was thrown out at home after Swish scored, with Frankie C. The RBI Machine taking second. Although he went to third on a wild pitch with one out, neither Pena nor Jeter plated him. Not to worry; the floodgate of runs blew wide open soon enough.

After C.C. worked a quick 1-2-3 fourth, including getting Hall looking on a vicious 97-mph heater, the Yanks commenced the ass whipping in the fifth. Teixeira ripped a one-out homer way deep in right center, 4-3 Yanks. A-Rod walked, Cano laced a single to center, Swish was caught looking on a slider that painted the outside black, Winn walked the bases loaded, and again, Frankie C. smoked a single to center to plate both A-Rod and Cano, with Winn, to me, unnecessarily getting caught in a rundown between second and third to allow Cano to score. I was initially bothered because it seemed that Cano would have no problem scoring, and Winn's self-sacrifice ended a good rally. Yet it ultimately didn't hurt, for C.C. and the bullpen allowed nothing more the rest of the way.

Their work, however, had to wait until after a rain delay of just over an hour, which occurred with Martinez facing a 2-2 count and two outs. This too irked me, for it had just begun to rain--and it started to rain hard--when I saw McClelland's hands go up to halt the action. I had hoped he would at least give C.C. the chance to get Martinez and therefore have a chance at the decision, but it seemed McClelland wanted an early crack at the post-game buffet. If nothing else, this gave me a chance to rip into the delicious roast turkey and stuffing we enjoyed last night. When the game resumed, Aceves entered and finished off Martinez. After Aceves exited with a stiff back and Logan came on, whiffing Hermida on a nasty slider, the Yankees finished off Boston with eight late runs to chase most of the "Fenway faithful" before a laughingly lackluster version of "Sweet Caroline."

Teixeira ripped a homer around Pesky's Pole to begin the seventh, 7-3 Yanks. A-Rod then singled and stole second and, after Cano whiffed, Swish singled to right, 8-3 Yanks. The rout was on in full force in the eighth with a magnificent, leave-no-doubt two-out rally. Gardner singled with one out and, after Teixeira was robbed of a hit on a nice diving grab by McDonald, A-Rod and Cano walked before Bard relieved Schoenweis and promptly allowed a single to Swish that plated Gardner and A-Rod, 10-3 Yanks. After Winn walked to re-load the bases, The RBI Machine that is Francisco Cervelli smoked yet another RBI single to center to sore Cano and Swish, 12-3 Yankees. On a personal note, even though he's well regarded and throws 100 mph, I just am not that impressed by Daniel Bard. The Yanks appear completely unfazed by him and, as they worked him over last night, all I could think of was JD and Teixeira hitting back-to-back homers off him last August 9th to cap the great four-game sweep in the Bronx. Sorry, kid. Try again next time.

With outfielder Jonathan Van Every in for the 9th to rest the rest of the beleaguered Boston bullpen, Jeter ripped a double to center and Teixeira absolutely destroyed a pitch off the middle of a light tower above the monster that was destined for Lansdowne, capping the scoring at a football-like 14-3.

What a job Frankie C. has done --5 RBI yesterday, batting .429. Three out of every seven at-bats Cervelli has had thus far this season have been hits. Plus, the guy has 12 RBI in just 42 at-bats; amazing job to let the Yanks not miss a beat as Jorge continues to rest. Teixeira broke out in a massive way, homering thrice and also driving in five to finally breach the Mendoza line. Jeter and Brett the Jet were each 2-5 and, combined with A-Rod's 2-2, three-walk day, the 1-4 spots (including Kevin Russo, who subbed in for A-Rod late) combined to go 10-19 with 9 runs and 6 RBI. Swish was 2-4 with 3 RBI, giving him 23 for the year to lead the team, and a .298 average. Swish to a certain degree has been overlooked, for the second straight year getting off to a strong start if not outright carrying the offense as he did last April. He's batted in several spots in the order--second, clean-up, sixth, seventh, and eighth--has played a good right field, and avoided streaky play with consistent productivity. Thank you again, Kenny Williams, for taking that steaming pile Wilson Betemit in exchange for Swish. Thank you too, Ozzie Guillen, for being an asshead and inspiring Swish to exact revenge on you.

C.C. had one rocky inning in an otherwise good start, failing to get the decision due to the rain delay and Girardi's understandable unwillingness to send him back out afterward. The bullpen allowed no runs in 4 1/3 innings of relief, with even Robertson not allowing any despite surrendering two singles.

Although Girardi said he wouldn't use him as his regular DH in Johnson's absence, I advocate Cervelli catching more often to allow Jorge to DH. Cervelli obviously does a strong job behind the dish and, with his hot bat, allowing him to keep the bottom of the lineup strong as Jorge returns should let the offense click even better.

With Tampa losing to the A's, the Yanks pulled within a half-game of first with their sixth consecutive win. Outscoring Boston 24-6 thus far this series, the Yanks go for the sweep tonight, with Burnett (4-0, 1.99 ERA) facing Lester (2-2, 3.93 ERA) on ESPN.

Despite a slew of injuries, the Yankees are hitting their stride, going 21-8 out of the gate backed by strong pitching (second-best team and starters' ERA in the AL) and, despite Teixeira, Johnson, and to a degree A-Rod's struggles, an offense starting to erupt. 24 runs the last two games has vaulted the offense to the top of the AL in runs with 175 (6.03/game). Not too shabby for the 2-3-4 spots starting more slowly than we might like.

Get the sweep tonight, Yankees. Happy Mother's Day to all the great moms out there!

Game 29 Win Expectancy Chart

Game 29: Been Caught Stealing

In the very first game of the 2008 season, Jorge Posada injured his shoulder when he slipped on a slick home plate while making a throw. It kept him out of the lineup for a few days, but he eventually returned and attempted to play through it. He landed on the DL from late April through early June, returned, then eventually underwent season ending surgery in mid-July.

While Posada was still trying to grind it out, the Yankees played an early season series at Fenway. In the series finale, the same game in which Phil Hughes turned in the poor start we referenced in yesterday's preview, Posada got the start as the DH. But as the Yankees found themselves trailing in the eighth inning and with an opportunity for a rally at hand, Joe Girardi pinch ran for Jose Molina. When the bottom half of the frame came around, Posada was forced behind the plate for the first time in five days. He was under strict orders not to throw.

It's doubtful that the Red Sox knew that, but it's obvious that they knew that Posada - never blessed with great run-stopping abilities in the first place - was nursing a shoulder issue. Coco Crisp led off with a single, and despite two throws to first, promptly stole second on the first pitch. Later in the inning Dustin Pedroia singled. He too successfully took off for second on the very first pitch. The Sox ran in every opportunity they had in Posada's one inning behind the plate. It was painful to watch.

Last year the Sox continued to run on the Yankees going 16 for 21 in stolen base attempts, including a curtain call inducing swipe of home by Jacoby Ellsbury on April 26th.

The Red Sox have had their own problems controlling the running game in recent years. They've allowed the most steals in the AL this year with 42, 55% more than the second place team, and are next to last in CS%. In 2009 they allowed the most stolen bases in the league, and were dead last again in CS%. The second to last place team was closer to fourth place, percentage wise, than they were to the Red Sox.

Just like the Sox weren't shy about exploiting Posada's weakness to years ago, the Yankees have taken advantage of their opportunities to run on the Sox of late. In the season's opening series they went four for five in stolen base attempts, including a steal of home by Brett Gardner. Last year, they were successful in 19 of 21 attempts against Boston, including a merciless seven for seven against Jason Varitek in a late September game.

The tide of The Series That Shall Not Be Named turned on a stolen base, and in the years since the two clubs have taken virtually every opportunity to run on each other. Why should they, when virtually no one is caught stealing?

Taking the mound today for the Sox is a guy who has been caught stealing, but not on the base paths. Clay Buchholz was notoriously arrested in 2004 for swiping and selling 29 laptops from his town's middle school. After bouncing up and down for parts of three seasons, Buchholz finally established himself in the Sox rotation during the second half of last year. He's pitched well through his first five starts, sporting a 2.97 ERA but his high WHIP (1.42) as well as his FIP (3.11) and xFIP (4.03) suggest he's gotten a bit lucky. His strand rate and BABIP are not out of the ordinary, but his HR/FB of just 3.3% is not something that will hold up over time. Buchholz has made three previous starts against the Yanks, two in 2008 and one last year, and they've touched him up the tune of 18 hits, 2 homers, 9 walks, and 10 runs in 15.2 innings.

CC Sabathia takes the hill for the Yankees. He has no known history of thievery, but he was a pretty angry guy yesterday. First, he lashed out at his fellow "209" resident Dallas Braden, calling him a clown and saying his argument was tired. Then, as Josh Beckett buzzed batter after batter in the sixth, CC got on the top step of the dugout to make his displeasure known. Sabathia has been excellent through his first six starts, with his only poor outing of the season coming when he allowed five runs through five and a third on Opening Night in Fenway. He's been masterful since then, with a 1.93 ERA over his last 37.1 IP. If there's any blemish on the Big Fella's record so far it's that both his walk and strikeout rates are as poor as they've been since 2003. In his first season as a Yankee, Sabathia posted a 2.22 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, and 31:6 K;BB ratio in 28.1 IP against Boston.

The weather was pretty nasty in Boston earlier today. The tarp came off the field, then was placed back on, but word is the game will start on time as it appears things will be nice enough come game time. What started as miserable morning here in CT has turned into a beautiful afternoon, so perhaps Beantown will have similar luck.

Today's game is on FOX with our friends Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. Perhaps we'll get lucky and someone will steal their microphones. Lastly, in the event this game runs late, Joe West wanted me to tell you all that coverage will switch to FX at 7:30 due to FOX's NASCAR commitment. This happened during that April series two years ago and FOX made the switch without any advanced notice. I was none too pleased about that.

I've been caught stealing once when I was five
I enjoy stealing, it's just as simple as that
Well, it's just a simple fact
When I want something I don't want to pay for it

I walk right through the door
Walk right through the door
Hey all right, if I get by, it's mine.
Mine all mine!

-Lineups-

Yankees:
Where to begin? As speculated this morning, Nick Johnson has been placed on the DL and Kevin Russo has been recalled. Jorge Posada is not in the lineup for the fourth straight day, and the sixth time in the last nine games. Word is he would have played today if not for the potential for a slick field. He's supposed to return tomorrow, but we've been hearing that for a few days now.

Robinson Cano was not in the initial line up, but after taking BP and the team decided he can give it a go. The order is looking pretty weak, so getting Cano back in there is an added bonus. Given his knee he'll DH in place of Marcus Thames, and Ramiro Pena will stay at second base. In Nick Johnson's absence it's Brett Gardner, not Nick Swisher, moving up to the two spot. Part of that is because the order needs Swish's pop in the middle with Posada and Granderson out. Most of it is because of all the stolen base stuff we talked about above. With the lineup a bit weaker than usual today, I expect the Yankees to try to use their legs to make up for some of the missing offense.

Johnson's MRI revealed an inflamed tendon in his wrist. He received a cortisone shot and will be out "several weeks". Commence gnashing of teeth and start the "Bring Up Montero" campaign.

Derek Jeter SS
Brett Gardner CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano DH
Nick Swisher RF
Randy Winn LF
Francisco Cervelli C
Ramiro Pena 2B

Red Sox:
This isn't exactly the "A" lineup for the Sox either. With a lefty on the mound, the Artist Formerly Known as Big Papi hits the bench in favor of Mike Lowell. Ditto for Jeremy Hermida, who gives way to Bill Hall in left field.

Marco Scutaro SS
Dustin Pedroia 2B
Victor Martinez C
Fack Youkilis 1B
Mike Lowell DH
J.D. Drew RF
Adrian Beltre 3B
Bill Hall LF
Darnell McDonald CF

Morning M*A*S*H Report

A special Saturday good morning Fackers. How you feeling today? Shaking out the cobwebs from a rough Friday? If you are, you're in good company. Not with me of course, but with the Yankees. Except they're not hungover (not to my knowledge at least); it's more like death by a thousand paper cuts for them. Two more injuries last night to add to the ever-growing list of the walking wounded. Let's get you caught up on the comings and goings.

Firstly, before the game, the club made it official: Andy Pettitte will be skipped on his next turn through the rotation. Pettitte wasn't happy about it, and that's understandable. But at nearly 38 years old and with a history of arm problems, there's no need to tempt fate in May. When Pettitte got a little ornery about being skipped due to injury last year, we speculated that it might have something to do with the innings and roster incentives in his contract. His contract has no such clauses this year, so there's question about the lefty's motives this time around.

As expected, Sergio Mitre will make a spot start in Pettitte's stead. However, Mitre will start Monday, pushing Javier Vazquez into Pettitte's slot on Tuesday. The off day on Thursday ensures that Mitre, who threw 29 pitches in 2.1 innings of relief on Wednesday, will make hist start on a full four days of rest. Pushing Vazquez back lines him up to start the first interleague game at Citi Field on May 21st. Vazquez is the most experienced hitter amongst the Yankees' starters, and he's posted fair batting numbers over his career.

As we mentioned in yesterday's preview, Mitre's spot start has left the bullpen a man short. As such, outfielder Greg Golson was optioned out before yesterday's game, replaced by Romulo Sanchez. The big righty has been knocked around through five starts in Scranton this year. He was Scranton's scheduled starter last night; Kei Igawa got the spot start in his stead.

I understand the desire to have a full bullpen for a series at Fenway. However, even before last night's injuries, the Yankees had a short roster with the injuries to Pettitte and Jorge Posada. They also have their three best starters lined up for the series. Is sending out yet another position player in exchange for thirteenth pitcher really the best use of the roster spot?

That question becomes all the more pressing in light of the injuries the Yankees suffered during last night's game. In the fifth inning, Marcus Thames pinch hit for designated hitter Nick Johnson. Not because the Sox brought a lefty into the game, they hadn't. But because Johnson has been battling a sore wrist for sometime and felt that he had no strength in it. As Jay pointed out in the recap, given Johnson's injury history - including missing much of 2008 with a wrist injury - many fans are already calling the Johnson signing a bust. Let's wait at least until his MRI results come in until we start jumping to conclusions.

In the sixth inning, as Josh Beckett's control abandoned him, Robinson Cano took a nasty HBP on the inside of his left knee. He hobbled down the line to take his base, but lasted just a single pinch before he signaled for a pinch runner.

Johnson will be DL'd today. But with Cano likely unavailable, the club will recall another infielder rather than someone to replace Johnson as DH. Scranton infielders Kevin Russo, Reegie Corona, and Eduardo Nunez are all on the 40 man roster. Speculation is that Russo will get the nod and I think that's the right move. Not only has Russo been on fire of late (.357/.400/.548 over his last ten games), he's made appearances in center field and right field over the last week. He's likely the best offensive option of the three infielders at AAA, and with the Yankee outfield still being short in the wake of the Granderson injury and Golson demotion, Russo's versatility could be of value at this point as well.

Once Cano is back to full strength, the extra infielder will likely be sent down in favor of a better bat. That bat will most likely be Juan Miranda, who's hitting .267/.369/.465 at Scranton. However, Miranda has missed the last two games after taking an HBP on the elbow Tuesday. Apparently the injury bug has made it's way to Scranton as well.

I'm sure the picture will be a bit clearer closer to game time. We'll have further updates in the preview.