It's Only One....LUCKY GET IN HERE!

When your starting pitcher gets in trouble early in the first game of the playoffs what do you do? Do you take him out risking over using your bullpen in what could be a long series? Or do you keep him in knowing that its only one game and maybe the offense can make up the difference? If you answered C, its a combination of both you answered correctly. I think Torre left Wang in a little too long last night. He just couldn't find his stuff. Then again fast forward to game three and you get a Roger Clemens who will be starting with a HUGE question mark over his head. So maybe that is what Torre was thinking? Save the boys for game three in case Clemens arm falls off or his hamstring rips to shreds. Either way the Yankees shouldn't have been beat up as badly as they were last night. The offense seemed dormant, and the pitching...well I have already covered that.

I admit that I thought Cleveland would pretty much roll over and die in the face of the Yankees. You have to give CC Sabathia credit though. He pitched a solid 5 innings and set the momentum for the tribe for the entire game.

A-Rod oh A-Rod

It's the post season so that means everyone will be staring at A-Rod with x-ray eyes. The question is if Alex doesn't preform in the post season was his MVP year all for nothing? Of course not. It is well documented that I have a love hate relationship with the man, but the fact is that the Yankees wouldn't be in the playoffs in the first place if it weren't for his superhuman contributions this year. Critics are going to say that even though he walked twice last night he didn't contribute all that much to the game. Honestly neither did the rest of the offense. One more game with no hit and I'm sure there will be a story on ESPN.

Pettitte starts his 35th post season game today. Let's get this thing going Andy. What a disappointment it would be to come all this way and not even get out of the ALDS. It is by no means time to panic...yet...but I'm calling in Lucky just to make sure.

Sigh

Well, we can pretty much kiss the division dreams goodbye but I am really fine with that. What we need to do is clinch our position in the playoffs!!! Giving up a grandslam home runs is not what we should be doing right now. I hate to overwork the poor guy but I am sending in Lucky yet again. Simply put we just need to do this thing.

Come on Moose

I'm going to live blog for as long as I can today, but I have to go play poker soon so unfortunately I can't do it for the entire game.


Top of the second vs Toronto and Moose has given up three runs. That worries me, whenever he gets behind early he has a really hard time getting settled back in. Come on Mike, we need you, we want you to be here, but you have to figure this out now otherwise you can kiss your post season start goodbye. Detroit is winning by the way, I'm not scared yet but we can't come this far only to let it slip away.

I'm sending Lucky in for relief!

Bottom of the 2nd....MR. DEREK JETER!!!!! Bobby Abreu ends the inning. Red Sox are losing to Tampa bay 2-0. Detroit is up by 5.

(Damn I love that Squirrel)

Yanks Up Three Games

I've always been up and down when it comes to A-Rod. There is no question that he is an incredible player, and this years AL MVP, but his attitude and cheap tricks tend to rub me the wrong way most of the time. Last night though A-Rod really stepped it up, possibly after being inspired by our lucky little squirrel. Despite going for a pre-game MRI that showed his ankle was only at 60% he looked Torre in the eyes and told him that he wanted to play, subsequently slamming two home runs putting the Yankees up three games in the wild card race. Love him or hate him, you have to respect him for what he did last night.

Phil Hughes made a slight readjustment last night which seemed to help. The kid is his own worst enemy and really gets down on himself when he losses. That is to be expect when you are 21 and playing for the most successful franchise in North American history, but relax Phil, we have confidence in you. Speaking of youngsters, Joba Chamberlin continues to impress us all. He was so worked up from his two game suspension (which I think was ridiculous) that he went and asked Torre if he was still on the roster. Of course he was and went on to earn his first win in the Majors (he didn't realize it until Rivera told him, but still.)

This weekend we match up against Kansas City who the Yankees have beat six times in the past seven meetings. I would like to say that I'm not worried, but considering the Yankees problems with the AL cellar I can't say it is a sure thing. One prediction that I will make though, Detroit takes the series over Seattle. Seattle is falling apart faster than the Bush administration. That worries me a bit, Detroit is certainly a tougher team to slug it out with for the wild card, but assuming we can play top ball over the coming week the Yankees should be able to cushion themselves enough make it to post season play. But until then we definitely need more squirrel.