Youngsters take the hill on Old Timer's Day

Starting this afternoon, dozens of former Yankees will make their way to the new stadium to partake in the Yankees' annual Old Timer's day. While this game is not really my cup of tea, I can certainly see the value of it to other fans, especially older ones. Among those scheduled to attend are Yogi Berra, Goose Gossage, Don Larsen, Mickey Rivers, Whitey Ford, and even Mike Mussina. The problem? Other Old Timers include Aaron Small, Homer Bush, and Mike Easler. Oh, well, either way it'll make interesting water cooler conversation for a day or so.

Sunday: Edwin Jackson @ Joba Chamberlain

Edwin Jackson too a very good 2008 and has turned it into an even better 2009. In the first half, Jackson posted a 2.52 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP in 18 starts. He finished particularly well, not allowing more than 3 ER in his 12 most recent starts and pitching fewer than 6 IP only once. He had faced the Yanks once already this year, tossing 6 shutout innings back on April 28. His career line against New York isn't quite as good, though, as he owns a 5.11 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP in 14 career games (10 starts). More that half of the Yankee lineup pounds Jackson, including Derek Jeter (.407), Hideki Matsui (.318), Alex Rodriguez (.368), Melky Cabrera (.353), and Nick Swisher (.333). For the Bombers, Joba Chamberlain (owner of a 4.25 ERA and a bloated 1.56 WHIP) is looking to reverse some recent bad luck. In 8 IP between his last 2 starts, Joba has allowed 13 runs (7 ER) while giving up 18 hits and 2 BB. Luckily, his only outing against Detroit this year was one of his better ones of the year (1 ER, 7 IP on April 29) and that, combined with 4 previous scoreless innings, gives him a 0.82 ERA and a 0.64 WHIP in his career against Detroit. No Tiger has more than 5 ABs against Joba, and none has more than 1 hit, either.

Welcome back, me!

So now that my vacation is over, I can look back and see exactly what I missed. It turns out, not really a whole lot.

The first half ended with a fizzle for the Yankees, after Alfredo Aceves made his first start of the year and the Yankees won in a game that saw Mark Teixeira break a long HR drought. The Red Sox lost that day to fall into a first place tie with the Yanks.

But that didn't last too long, as the Yankees next headed to Los Angeles to take on the Angels. They lost the first two games in the middle innings after taking early leads both times. On Friday, Joba Chamberlain lost it in the fifth after giving up 1 ER in his first 4 IP. On Saturday, it was Pettitte who fell apart in the fifth after also giving up 1 ER in 4 IP. The Yankees managed 8 runs that day, but everyone the Yankees put on the hill that day seemed to struggle and they lost 14-8 as the Halos scored in every inning following the fourth. Sunday's first-finale wasn't as eventful, as John Lackey pitched 7 strong innings while CC Sabathia had a rough fourth that did him in. The Yankees lost 5-4, a pair of late innings rallies falling just short. The sweep wasn't for lack of trying by A-Rod, though, as the third baseman went 5 for 13 (.385) and hit 3 HR in the series. Unfortunately, though, the sweep came while the Bosox swept the Royals and the Yanks ended the first half back by 3 games.

Then came the All-Star Break. Prince Fielder won the Home Run Derby, and the AL won yet another All-Star Game, earning home field advantage in the World Series. Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira were the lone position player representatives for the Yanks, and they didn't do a whole lot. They combined to go 0 for 5 in the midsummer classic, although Jeter did score two runs. But, down by one run, Joe Mauer doubled in Jeter to tie it in the fifth and Curtis Granderson scored on a sac fly after tripling to give the AL a lead. Mariano Rivera, the third and final Yankee on the AL squad, pitched a perfect ninth to earn his 4th All Star save.

After two days off, the Yankees came home to face the Tigers. Much was said about the Yankees record against first place teams at that time (5-15), but that didn't stop them from taking the first two. The first game was determined in the late inning when Mark Teixeira hit a 3-run homer off of the DL-destined Joel Zumaya. Yesterday, CC Sabathia bested Justin Verlander in a pitcher's duel as A-Rod's gift home run (it barely made it over the right field wall) broke a 0-0 tie in the 7th of what became a 2-1 Yankee win.

Meanwhile, outside of the games the Yanks have seen some activity while I was out of the country. Before the start of the Angels series, the Yankees demoted Jonathan Albaladejo and promoted Mark Melancon. He's only pitched in one day since, on Saturday, in relief of Andy Pettitte, and he gave up 3 runs (2 ER) in 2.1 IP. Also, Damaso Marte began a rehab assignment, tossing 1 scoreless inning for the GCL Yankees yesterday. Finally, one of the Yankees international signings fell through as self-proclaimed 16-year-old Dominican shortstop Damian Arredondo was revealing to not by 16 years old or named Damian Arredondo. Even if the Yankees wanted to sign him anyway, MLB rules stipulate that Arredondo is not allowed to sign with a team for a year.

As a quick ending note, Jesus Montero hit a grand slam yesterday for the Trenton Thunder to tie the game at 4 in the seventh. Montero, not yet 20 years old, is hitting .296/.367/.496 with 6 HR and 21 RBI in 31 games with AA Trenton. He seems on the fast track for the bigs, but the Yanks will probably give him plenty of time in the minors as he's only 19 and the Yankees already have talented catcher signed for a few more years.

Vacation calls!

Unfortunately, I will not be able to update my blog for the next week or so. But fortunately for me, it is because I'll be vacationing in Guatemala. While I'm bummed to be missing baseball, the good news is that, thanks to the All-Star Game, I'll be missing four off days while I'm gone. As fun as the All Star-Game can be, I'd rather miss that then baseball that actually counts. So enjoy the games in Los Angeles, and the All-Star Game in St. Louis, and I'll be back before you know it.

Thanks, Cervelli, hope to see you soon

With Jose Molina coming back, Francisco Cervelli is going back down to the minors, probably AAA. Cervelli, the Yankees' third best catching prospect at best, was not bad in the majors. He posted a line of .269/.284/.346, which was exceptional considering he was batting .190 down in Trenton before the call. Jose Molina hit .250/.400/.500 with AAA Scranton while rehabbing. Girardi said he was hoping to get Molina to start a game in the Yankees' next series in Anahaim.

Burnett toes the line and Yanks eke out 4-3 win

A.J. Burnett may not have been as fantastic as he's been over the last few weeks, but he pitched like an ace today, surrendering only 2 runs despite not quite having ace-like stuff. He did not manage a 1-2-3 inning, instead he gave up a hit in every inning that he appeared in, surrendering 2 runs in the third inning on a wild pitch and an RBI double by Joe Mauer. It got particularly dicey in the fifth, when two walks (one of which led off the inning) and a single to load the bases with two outs, but managed to wiggle free. He played the same game in the sixth, putting two on with one out but, again, managing to escape. His final line: 6.1 IP, 7 hits, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K. 59 of his 100 pitches (59%, obviously) were strikes.

On the other side, the Yankees managed to be just a bit better. In the second, three straight one-out singles loaded the bases for Nick Swisher, who knocked in the game's first run with an RBI groundout. Brett Gardner followed with something a little more resounding, singling in a pair of runs to make it 3-0. The Yankees fourth run came in the fifth, with the Bombers up by only one run. Derek Jeter began the inning with a double, and two batters later, A-Rod singled him in.

But that was pretty much it for the Yankees. Bob Keppel, who relieved Twins starter Anthony Swarzak immediately after A-Rod's single, was very good. He gave up only 2 hits in his 3.2 IP, one of which was a hard single by Nick Swisher that saw him get thrown out by trying to stretch it into a double. But that would be it, and luckily the Yankees made it stand up.

Phil Coke relieved Burnett in the seventh to face Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, two lefties. He gave up a solo home run to Mauer to make it 4-3, but struck out Morneau before ceding to Phil Hughes. Hughes ended the frame, then gave up a 2-out single in the eighth before it was Mariano time. Rivera then did what he does, ending the eighth and pitching a 1-2-3 ninth for his 22nd save of the year.

Box Score

(Photo by Jim Mone/AP)

The revolving door that is tomorrow's pitching matchup

Apparently, Glen Perkins is feeling ill today, so Anthony Swarzak will be starting tonight. Instead, we get to see former-phenom Francisco Liriano start tomorrow night.

Thursday: Alfredo Aceves @ Francisco Liriano

Francisco Liriano will get tomorrows start, and his 2009 hasn't been great. After 17 starts, the lefty has a 5.49 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP. He's been a bit better of late, though, with a 3.79 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP in his last 6 starts. Liriano hasn't seen the Yankees often in his young career, but in 2 career games (1 start, which came earlier this year), he has a 1.17 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. Although that is in only 7.2 IP. Nick Swisher is 3 for 6 lifetime against Liriano. Meanwhile, Alfredo Aceves is officially starting on Thursday, an honor he earned by posting a 2.03 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP in 40 IP, all coming in relief. Aceves has been particularly untouchable of late, with a 0.96 ERA in his late 11 games (18.2 IP). While Ace hasn't started any big league games this season, he did start 4 of them last September, and posted a 2.74 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP in them. Aceves has pitched a grand total of 2 career innings against Minnesota, both coming earlier this year. He didn't allow any baserunners, so while not indicative of much it can't be a bad thing.

Angel's not in the outfield. Or in the infield. Or even in the organization.

The Yankees released Angel Berroa today, finally realizing just how much value he had as a member of the Yankees. Chances are Berroa will catch on somewhere else with a minor league deal, and I wish him well, as he didn't do anything that was particularly aggravating. It was just that he wasn't really worth the roster spot on a championship-calibur team like the Yankees. But all's well that ends well. Good luck, Angel.

And so it was written: Aceves to start on Thursday

Thursday: Alfredo Aceves @ Anthony Swarzak

Rookie Anthony Swarzak has started only 5 games so far in his rookie season, but his numbers aren't too bad. He currently holds a 3.90 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. In his last 2 starts, however, he's posted a 2.53 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. Obviously, he's never faced the Yankees or any of their hitters before. Meanwhile, Alfredo Aceves is officially starting on Thursday, an honor he earned by posting a 2.03 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP in 40 IP, all coming in relief. Aceves has been particularly untouchable of late, with a 0.96 ERA in his late 11 games (18.2 IP). While Ace hasn't started any big league games this season, he did start 4 of them last September, and posted a 2.74 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP in them. Aceves has pitched a grand total of 2 career innings against Minnesota, both coming earlier this year. He didn't allow any baserunners, so while not indicative of much it can't be a bad thing.

Despite Gomez's defensive heroics, Yankees dominate Twins

The Yankees scored runs early and scored them often while CC Sabathia returned to form, shutting down the Twins bats. In fact, CC Sabathia tossed seven innings, allowing one run on a second inning Michael Cuddyer home run, but only two infield hits and a walk otherwise. He was simply fantastic, and he was given plenty of run support to make his excellent outing stand up.

The Yanks managed one run in the first inning, when Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, and Hideki Matsui each singled, sandwiching outs. Matsui's single drove in Jeter to make it 1-0. The second inning was more of the same. Robinson Cano began it with a double, and after Brett Gardner singled off of the pitcher to put runners on the corners, Francisco Cervelli hit one to the wall to drive in Cano with a sac fly. Two batters later, Mark Teixeira's second single made it 3-0.

Things got really interesting in the fourth when Twins starter Scott Baker gave up a single and two walks to begin the frame. Up came A-Rod, who launched a shot deep into center field. Carlos Gomez kept going back, settling against the wall and looking up. Then he leapt, snagging A-Rod's hit about two feet above the wall and robbing him of a grand slam. Instead, he had to settle for a sac fly, making it 4-1. To add insult to injury, Brian Duensing, who relieved Baker, then proceeded to walk Hideki Matsui to reload the bases, and then walk Nick Swisher to force in a run. The game seemed very much in Yankee control.

Two innings later, the Yankees removed all doubt. Teixeira singled and A-Rod and Matsui walked, loading the bases with one two outs for (who else?) Robinson Cano, who has recently received a ton of flak for his ostensible inability to hit with runners on. But that wasn't the case today, as Cano lined a broken bat, 2-run singled to make it 7-1. Gone was Duensing and in came R.A. Dickey to help stop the bleeding. But he didn't Brett Gardner greeted Dickey with a 2-run triple, making it 9-1, and Francisco Cervelli followed with an RBI double to give the Yankees their tenth run. Dickey managed to shut down the Yankees for the game's final three innings, but 10 runs was more than enough for CC Sabathia, and the Yankees walked away with their 11th win in 13 games, and their fifth straight victory against Minnesota.

Box Score

(Photo by Jim Mone/AP)

Yankees head to Minnesota to attempt season sweep of Twins

Tuesday: CC Sabathia @ Scott Baker

After a good 2008 by Scott Baker, the Twins had high hopes for him. Unfortunately for them, he currently has the highest ERA he's had since 2006. After 15 starts, Baker holds a 4.99 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. He does, however, have a 3.20 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP in his last 6 starts. Baker's only made 2 career starts against the Yanks, but they've been good as he's posted a 1.50 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP against them (although he managed to miss New York earlier this year). No Yankee has faced Baker a ton, but Johnny Damon is 2 for 6 (.333) and Mark Teixeira is 2 for 5 (.400) against him. For the Yankees, CC Sabathia will be trying to bounce back from his worst start since the season opener. He gave up 6 ER on 10 hits in 5.2 IP, raising his ERA to 3.85 and his WHIP to 1.15. Sabathia hasn't faced the Twins yet this season, but he does have a 3.12 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP against them in 27 career starts. Every Twin except backup catcher Mike Redmond (.500) seems to struggle against CC, as the second highest BA against him is .250.

Wednesday: A.J. Burnett @ Glen Perkins

Glen Perkins, not unlike other Twins starters, has put together a solid-but-unspectacular year. After 12 starts, the lefty has a 4.38 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. Ever since returning from the DL after the Yankees shellacked him on May 18 (6 ER, 0.2 IP), he's been excellent, posting a 2.67 ERA while walking only 2 batters in 4 starts. Nevertheless, the Yanks seem to have his number, as his career ERA against them in 4 starts is 7.71 with a 1.88 WHIP. The Yankees are probably excited to see him, as Alex Rodriguez and Melky Cabrera are each 5 for 9 (.556) against him, while Robinson Cano is 5 for 8 (.625). After a rocky couple of months, A.J. Burnett has become the Yankees' best starter over the past few games. He currently sports a 3.83 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP, but in his last 4 starts he's posted a 0.99 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. He's faced the Twins once before the year, going 6.2 IP and giving up only 2 ER. He also has a 3.90 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP against them in 5 career starts. Justin Morneau (.333), Joe Maur (.300), and Delmon Young (.300) all have had success against Burnett in the past.

Thursday: TBA @ Anthony Swarzak

Rookie Anthony Swarzak has started only 5 games so far in his rookie season, but his numbers aren't too bad. He currently holds a 3.90 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. In his last 2 starts, however, he's posted a 2.53 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. Obviously, he's never faced the Yankees or any of their hitters before. Meanwhile, the Yankees are still searching for a starter for Thursday's game. I'll post it as soon as it is announced.

It turns out, Jeter had a point

Some players are the fiery types. They're the ones that always seem to get in a ump's face when the call doesn't go their way. Derek Jeter, however, just isn't like that. I can't seem to ever remember him getting worked up over a bad call, with the largest reaction being his asking the ump where a questionable strike might've been. But today, Jeter had a problem. In the first inning, Jeter took off for third base off of the Blue Jays' starting pitcher Ricky Romero. Rod Barajas's throw did bead Jeter, but as Scott Rolen attempted to place the tag on Jeter's left arm, Jeter pulled it back and went in with his right. In an admittedly close play, Jeter was safe with his fancy sliding.

Nevertheless, third base umpire Marty Foster called Jeter out. Jeter questioned the call, appearing more incredulous than angry, and Joe Girardi came out to argue as Jeter returned to the dugout. Girardi, a member of the aforementioned fiery bunch, was tossed from the game. When later asked about the play, Jeter clarified the situation. He was not upset about the call as much as Foster's explanation. It would seem that Foster's justification for calling Jeter out was because the throw beat Jeter, which it clearly did. The problem with that, though, is that Jeter was stealing the base, and not forced there, meaning the throw could've beaten Jeter by 50 feet, but it would be irrelevant if Scott Rolen didn't make the tag (which he didn't). After the game, Jeter, still seeming more incredulous than anything, had this to say: "I was unaware they had changed the rules."

Crew chief John Hirschbeck, who spoke on behalf of Foster after the game, seemed to admit that Foster has messed up. He said,

“It would make [Jeter’s] actions seem appropriate if that’s what he was told . . . It used to be if the ball beat you, you were out, but it isn’t that way anymore. It’s not a reason to call someone out. You have to make a good tag.”

Well that seems to make sense, although I wonder how long ago the day was that a runner stealing a base could be forced out. Nevertheless, Hirschbeck also added that Jeter's one of the classiest players around, and seemed willing to speak to Foster about the issue. At least the umps aren't so proud as to refuse to admit a mistake, but it'd still be nice to have had that extra run today.

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Pettitte struggles, as do bats, and Yankees fail to sweep

Looking back at today's game, there seem to be many, many points that could've changed the outcome. The first came in the top of the first when Derek Jeter, on second base courtesy of a walk and a balk, inexplicably tried to steal third base with no outs and was thrown out. Joe Girardi argued and was tossed, but the question remained: why try to steal there? With an out not yet recorded in the game, were the Yankees really so desperate for a run that they thought they needed to steal third base, thus violating the axiom, "Never make the first or third out at third base"? That out seemed to relieve Blue Jays starter Ricky Romero of some anxiety, for after Nick Swisher (who was at the plate when Jeter went) singled, he then gave up only 4 hits and a walk in the next 4.2 innings, allowing only one run on a solo home run to new (but not that new) Yankee Eric Hinske in his first game in pinstripes.

For the Yankees, Andy Pettitte labored after a breezy first inning. He gave up a walk and two singles in the second to give up the first run of the game, and then surrendered three more when Alex Rios homered with Vernon Wells and Aaron Hill on base in the third. After that, Pettitte continued to battle, albeit with better results. He did managed back-to-back 1-2-3 innings in the fourth and fifth, but walked two batters in the sixth before ending the frame without allowing another run. After six, it was 4-1 Blue Jays and Pettitte went out for the seventh. He allowed a homer to John McDonald to begin the seventh, making it 5-1, and a walk to Marco Scutaro before ceding to Brian Bruney. Of course, Bruney didn't have it either, giving up a pair of one-out doubled to give the Blue Jays a 7-1 lead. He couldn't escape the seventh either, and Dave Robertson (who pitched a scoreless eighth as well) was needed to finally end the frame. With Bruney's struggles, Pettitte ended up allowing 6 ER in 6 IP on 5 hits and 5 BB.

Bruney's failure to close out the seventh ended up being very pivotal as the Yankees tried to rally, for the thing about the Yankee hitters is that they never say die. Down by six, the bats sprang to life against a tiring Ricky Romero. Romero loaded the bases with two singles (one to Hinske for his second hit in pinstripes) and a walk, setting the table for Nick Swisher, who was already 2 for 2 on the day. Romero was pulled in favor of Brandon League, who immediately surrendered a 2-run single to Nick Swisher. Yet another big moment was upon the Yankees as, down by three, their three and four hitters with both up. But League suddenly was sharp, striking out Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez back-to-back on six pitches to escape the jam.

The Yanks weren't done, though. Jeremy Accardo began the eighth and following a Robinson Cano double, he plunked two straight batters to load the bases with two outs. Derek Jeter managed to work a walk, pushing in another run, and brining up Nick Swisher, the day's hero so far. Here was yet another potential turning point. Unfortunately, Swish uncharacteristic hacked at the first pitch, flying out to Vernon Wells to leave the bases loaded.

The ninth inning again saw the Yankees rally. A-Rod and Teixeira quickly went down for their last at-bats of the day (combined, they went 1 for 9). But Jorge Posada singled and Cano doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Pinch hitter Hideki Matsui came in and looped a single into centerfield to make it a one-run game. Suddenly, Eric Hinske, already with two hits on the day, came to the plate as the go-ahead run. Here was a turning point if there ever was one. But Hinske seemed a bit over eager, fouling off a low 3-1 pitch before swinging and missing at a high and away (hanging) curveball to end the game. It probably would've been a more frustrating game had the Yanks not already won the first three, but the Yanks have been doing well of late, and they can't win them all. Instead, they'll go to Minnesota next, where they face a team against whom they're 4-0.

Box Score

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Who should start on Thursday?

With Wang on the DL again and Girardi unwilling to put Hughes in the rotation, the Yankees find themselves in a perdicament. Who should start on Thursday in Minnesota? There seem to be three options here, so I'll go through them one by one.

Option One: Start Alfredo Aceves

To me, this seems like the most logical choice. Why? Alfredo Aceves already has thrown 40 brilliant innings the the bigs, with a 2.02 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP, proving he's not only capable of succeeding, but dominating in the majors. Also, his relief appearance yesterday was a lengthy one, where he threw 4 innings and 43 pitches. It's not enought to sufficiently stretch him out, but he could probably go between 60 and 70 pitches. Although starting Thursday would mean that he'd start on three day's rest, but Ace has proven he can do whatever is asked of him and do it well.

Option Two: Call up and start Sergio Mitre

For whatever reason, Sergio Mitre seems to be the minor leaguer that the Yanks are eying for Thursday's game. He does have a 3.26 ERA and a 1.05 ERA in 5 starts with AAA Scranton. Mitre, a 28-year-old veteran with a 5.36 career ERA, was with the Yankees while simultaneously rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and serving a 50-game suspension for testing positive for androstenedione last August. I can't say I'd be particularly excited about the prospect of Mitre starting if he was tabbed, but for one game it's hard to be too upset about it, especially considering his success so far in Scranton.

Option Three: Someone else

Looking at AAA Scranton, it is easy to see why Mitre is the favorite to be called up. The Scranton rotation isn't looking too hot right right, with George Kontos destined for Tommy John surgery, Eric Hacker and Josh Towers sporting 4.55 and 4.45 ERAs respectively, and the other starter being Kei Igawa. But those guys are technically there, and Mitre's numbers are only after five starts, so it isn't a total foregone conclusion.

Three Yankees head to All-Star Game

The All-Star rosters were announced today, and three Yankees made the final cut. Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira were each voted into the starting line up thanks to winning the fan votes at their respective positions, and Mariano Rivera was selected by the players as the presumable closer for the AL bullpen. Meanwhile, most of the other positions were rightfully filled, notably Joe Mauer (of the Twins) behind the plate, Evan Longoria (of the Rays) at third base, and Ichiro Suzuki (of the Mariners) and Jason Bay (of the Red Sox) in the outfield.

However, there were, as usual, a few questionable selections. Dustin Pedroia made the cut as the starting second baseman despite the fact that Aaron Hill of the Blue Jays has a higher batting average (.299 to .290), a better slugging percentage (.503 to .393), way more homers (2o to 3) and RBI (53 to 36), as well as significantly more total bases (180 to 126). Unfortunately, Hill plays in Toronto and Pedroia plays in Toronto so it wasn't so. There also seems to be a myriad of better options for the third outfield than the currently-injured Josh Hamilton, including the AL stolen base leader Carl Crawford (he has 40) as well as Torii Hunter (hitting .304/.381/.565), Nick Markakis (.293/.349/.448), Adam Jones (.308/.364/.502), or even arguably Johnny Damon (.284/.366/.530). Yet, fans seem to remember Hamilton's impressive showing at the home run derby seems to have stuck in baseball fans' memories, so he's in.

There'll be more to come about the All Star Game, probably some commentary about the pitching staff (which is Yankee-less aside from Rivera), but this will do it for now.

Joba struggles, but bats don't as Posada, Matsui, & Jeter carry Bombers to victory

Joba Chamberlain was far from sharp today, but with the run support he got it didn't matter. He put up scoreless frames in the first and second before the walls closed in on him. Up by 4, Chamberlain gave up an RBI single to Aaron Hill followed by a 2-run homer to Adam Lind in the third. The fourth was even worse, as a Cody Ransom error gave the Jays an extra out and they made him pay. Raul Chavez, the nine hitter and the Jays' backup catcher, hit and RBI double, Marco Scutaro hit a 2-run single, and Aaron Hill followed with a huge 2-run home to turn was had been a 1-run lead into a 4-run deficit. After another single, Joba Chamberlain was pulled and the freshly-recalled Jonathan Albaladejo finished the frame without giving up a run. Chamberlain's final line was pretty bad: 3.2 IP, 9 hits, 8 runs, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K.

But the offense was hard at work to back up their struggling young righty. Nick Swisher hit a 2-run single in the first inning and Jorge Posada hit another 2-run single in the second. After Joba gave it all back, the offense could've given up, but instead it sprang to action. With one out in the fourth and down by four, Hideki Matsui hit a 3-run home run to bring the Yankees within one. They didn't let up in the fifth against former closer B.J. Ryan. With one out, Derek Jeter hit a go-ahead, 2-run homer and three batters later, Jorge Posada drove in his third run of the day with an RBI double. After Hideki Matsui singled, Posada was thrown out at home, and the game was left to the bullpens.

For the Blue Jays, a game left to the bullpen meant an assortment of relievers. Dirk Hayhurst, Jesse Carlson, Brandon League, and Jason Frasor combined for 3.2 IP following Ryan's departure. They did allow five baserunners via four hits and a walk, but the Yankees did not threaten another run in the game, thanks in part to a one-out double play with two on by Jorge Posada.

For the Yankees, a game left to the bullpen meant all Alfredo Aceves. He pitched the last four innings of the game and allowed only a single baserunner while managing five strikeouts. While Albaladejo may have earned the win, it probably was more deserved by Aceves, as his appearance today was nothing short of awesome.

Box Score

(Photo by Bill Kostroun/AP)

Albie comes up

To replaced Chien-Ming Wang, who was officially DL'd today, the Yankees called up Jonathan Albaladejo. Albaladejo, who had posted a 6.00 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP in 21 IP before his demotion, thrived in Scranton. In 17 IP, Albaladejo put up a 1.59 ERA and a 0.65 WHIP with the Yankees' AAA affiliate. With any luck, this second stint in the bigs will be better than the first.

Blue Jays redo today's matchup

Scott Richmond, the scheduled starter for tomorrow's game, was scratched due to a sore shoulder, so instead rookie left-handed Brett Cecil will be the call to start.

Sunday: Brett Cecil @ Joba Chamberlain

Brett Cecil, in his rookie season, has a 5.09 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP in 7 games (6 starts). His most recent big league appearance was a 2-out relief appearance against Tampa on June 30, but he'd posted a 9.82 ERA and a 2.32 WHIP in his last 3 starts before being removed from the rotation. Obviously, Cecil has never faced the Yankees or any Yankee hitters before. Joba Chamberlain, with a 3.89 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP in 15 starts, is looking for a gem. After going 8 IP in Cleveland on June 1, Joba has posted a 4.23 ERA in 5 starts since, which wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't averaging less than 5.2 IP per start or posting a 4.23 BB/9 in that span. Joba does, however, own a 1.83 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP in 9 career games (2 starts) against Toronto. Alex Rios hit Joba at .333, and each of Lyle Overbay, Adam Lind, and Scott Rolen hits him at a .400 clip. Remember, no Jay has more than 6 ABs against Joba, though.

Update on Wang's injury

Chien-Ming Wang is headed to the DL for the second time this season after being pulled in the sixth inning of yesterday's matinee against Toronto. His injury is being described as a shoulder strain with bursitis according to Pete Abe, but it seems like most people agree that Wang shouldn't miss more than a month. While neither Phil Hughes or Alfredo Aceves will be available to fill the role when they need it next (on Thursday) because neither is sufficiently stretched out, it isn't too much of an issue because that start is the only time that spot in the rotation will come up before the All Star Break. It remains to be seen just how that spot will be filled.

On 70th anniversary of his famous speech, MLB remembers Gehrig

Today, the Yankees and the rest of baseball recognized the 70th anniversary of Lou Gehrig's famous, "Luckiest man on the face of the Earth" speech. The game was preceded by a video of various Yankees reciting lines from the speech, as well as a ceremonial first pitch by Michael Goldsmith, the petitioner who incited today's ceremonies as well as a victim of ALS. Each player wore a patch that said "4ALS," referring to Gehrig's number as well as the name of the disease he was known for. "4ALS" was also written on first base, Gehrig's position, and the Yankees donated $25,000 to the ALS Association of Greater New York. All in all, it seemed like a great tribute to a great man for a great cause.

(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Posada's single in 12th gives Yanks the win

A Yankee game that had the potential to be very frustrating turned into one of the better wins of the season. It began with Chien-Ming Wang, who gave up 2 runs after being given a 1-run lead, but pitched otherwise quite well through five innings. He'd allowed 2 ER (both on an Alex Rios 2-RBI single) on 4 hits before the start of the six, but then it quickly fell apart. Marco Scutaro doubled and, one out later, Adam Lind hit a 2-run homer to give the Blue Jays their second lead of the game. Wang was then abruptly pulled from the game when Posada came to the mound quickly. He had a shoulder strain and is headed to the DL.

David Robertson relieved Wang, and immediately struggled with his control. He walked Scott Rolen and Lyle Overbay before serving up an RBI single to Alex Rios to give the Blue Jays a 2-run lead. But, after a rough seventh when Brian Bruney wiggled out of a 1-out, bases loaded jam, the bullpen was great. Phil Hughes, given a tie game, pitched a perfect eighth. Mariano Rivera threw a scoreless ninth. In extra innings, Phil Coke allowed only a single walk in two scoreless innings and Brett Tomko pitched a 1-2-3 twelfth. They were cruising.

Meanwhile, the offense helped out just when it counted. Johnny Damon walked with one out in the first and one batter later, Alex Rodriguez singled him in to give the Yankees the lead. Hideki Matsui's one-out solo home run in the second tied the game at 2, and in the fourth Jorge Posada broke that tie with a solo home run of his own. Then, down by two in the seventh inning, Johnny Damon took advantage of the short right field porch, knocking one over the wall with a runner on first to tie the game again. Those two runs were the fourth and fifth runs the Yankees managed off of Roy Halladay, an ace who typically owns the Yanks. His final line wasn't very good: 7 IP, 9 hits, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K. The Yankees must be ecstatic about that line, as the Yankees haven't managed 5 ER off of Roy Halladay since April 15, 2003.

So the game went to the bullpens. As previously described, the Yankees bullpen was excellent but after Halladay left, the Jays' relievers matched the zeroes of the Yankees in each inning. Brandon League pitched the eighth and, despite allowing a ground-rule double to Hideki Matsui, didn't allow a run. Jeremy Accardo pitched the ninth and walked two, with one of those being an intentional pass to A-Rod to bring up Cano, who ultimated went 0 for 6 and stranded ten. He ended the inning with a groundout off of Jesse Carlson.

The Yankees went down in order in the tenth and the eleventh, but the twelfth looked good as Mark Teixeira began it with a double, his third hit of the game. After another intentional walk to A-Rod (his third walk of the game), Robinson Cano was again up in an important spot. After working a 3-0 count, he apparently missed a sign and bunted the pitch. The ball went about five feet in front of the plate, and A-Rod was thrown out easily at third base. Cano would've likely been the goat of the game if not for what Posada did next. Facing Shawn Camp, who had been pitching since the start of the tenth, Posada lined a 1-1 changeup into center field to plate A-Rod and win the game. Despite his efforts, Posada also took a pie in the face afterwards.

Box Score

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