600 And Counting

Yes, the numbers can be misleading. But for the 600th straight home game, the Sox had a sellout.

The streak began on May 15, 2003, and has since surpassed the previous MLB record of 455, set by the Indians between 1995-2001.

...

The longest recorded regular-season sellout streak in American professional sports is owned by the Portland Trail Blazers, who had 744 consecutive sellouts from 1977-95.

Of course, this is partially the product of having fewer than 40,000 seats in a baseball-mad region. Still, better this than the sight of a place like Tampa. How fans can barely half-fill the stadium for a competitive team like that...they should be embarrassed. Or the Rays should be moved to a city that would actually appreciate them.

Catching Some Rays

Where are the doomsayers? Where are the complaining and prostate pink hats? Where are all the voices that were telling us that Boston's season was over before we even had a chance to grill some burgers on Memorial Day?

In Case You Missed It ...

We made our Internet radio debut last night on This Call To The Bullpen hosted by Steve Keane of the Ed Kranepool Society blog.

You can hear the interview in its entirety here.

Radio Nowhere

Video may have killed the radio star, but talk radio is alive and well, especially on the Internet.

Tonight, we will be making our radio debut at 10 p.m. when we join The Ed Kranepool Society's Steve Keane on his Blog Talk Radio show "This Call To The Bullpen."

We will be discussing the Yankees, Red Sox, their upcoming series this weekend and the AL East race.

Be sure to check it out.

Burnett Makes It A Solid First Week

As Yankees fans, we know not to make too big of a deal about what happens in April, especially the first week.

We've seen this team get out of the gates slowly, yet still make the playoffs. Heck, last year the Yankees started 13-15 and still won 103 regular season games and their 27th World Championship.

Still it's nice to get off to a good start, and taking each of the first two series against the Red Sox and Rays -- the two teams the Yankees figure to be battling for the AL East and/or the wild card -- makes this a particularly good first week.

Girardi Was Ready With The Right Call

The decision had been made.

No matter what Kelly Shoppach did, CC Sabathia wasn't going to face another hitter. Forget about the no-hitter, Joe Girardi had a season to consider.

Built For The Grind...And Beating The Yankees

The 2009 Boston Red Sox season was one that ended in disappointment. Not only did they lose to an Anaheim Angels team that many people thought they should have been able to beat in the ALDS, but the hated Yankees added another championship to their name. Not exactly the way we fans wanted things to end.

That will change this year.

Rather than over-react to what happened and pursue every big bat and big name in the free agent market, Theo Epstein and company went out with a plan. The first part was to bolster the pitching rotation, which was decimated by injuries last year. Adding John Lackey to the rotation not only gave Boston the best front three in the game today, but it also weakened a potential post-season rival. Never mind that now the Sox don't have to face him any more...Lackey was a pain in the ass.

The nay-sayers will point out that Lackey hasn't pitched 200+ innings or started 30+ games in the last two years. Both points are true, but Lackey isn't being asked to lead the rotation now. He's also only 30 years old and in his prime. Is there a better #3 pitcher in the game today? No.

The front three of Beckett, Lester and Lackey more than matches up with New York's trio of Sabathia, Burnett and Pettitte*. The real question comes at the back end. I'd give Buchholz the edge over Hughes right now only because Buchholz has more experience as a starter and proved himself finally capable of starting in 2009. The real question is whether Wakefield/Matsuzaka or Vazquez will do more for their team in 2010.

Vazquez pitched well with the White Sox in 2007-08 and with the Braves in 2008-09. And although he is atrocious lifetime against the Red Sox (2-7, 4.23 ERA, 1.394 WHIP, 11 G), he can pitch in the AL. Wakefield was one of the best pitchers in the AL over the first half of 2009. He's also been one of the most steady in recent memory, winning 10+ games in six of the last seven years. But he has broken down in the second half of the season the last two years. Matsuzaka seemed to regain his skills over the final few games of 2009 but every game he pitches is an adventure in walks and run prevention. How these pitchers perform for their teams will go a long way to determining how the season goes for the Yankees and Sox respectively.

The Sox bullpen, annually one of the best in the game, will continue to be so...with one large question. Boston strengthened their pen with last-minute addition Scott Schoeneweis and stole a march on the rest of the MLB with getting Scott Atchison into camp early and onto the roster. The reliable Hideki Okajima returns along with promising youngster Daniel Bard. Hot-and-cold Manny Delcarmen will look to become more consistent and finally grow into his considerable natural talent.

And then there is Paps.

Yes, he had 38 saves. He had a 1.85 ERA. But he also imploded in the post-season and looked shaky in the regular season. His final numbers masked what was a very uneven season for Papelbon. Frankly, Papelbon was a little lucky in the regular season and his luck finally ran out in the ALDS. If he can return to his historic dominant self, all the better for Boston. If not, then the Sox will have trouble getting through the post-season once again.

On the field, the Sox have assembled a group that will be one of the best defensive teams in Boston's history. They have Gold Gloves at first (Youk), second (Pedroia) and third (Beltre) along with Mike Cameron in center. Moving Ellsbury to left cuts down the amount of ground he has to cover and maximizes his prodigious speed. Marco Scutaro at short (while I still question his ability to hit like he did in 2009) brings a top-notch glove to the position. This team is very much built for run-prevention.

And that was the right call.

Many people (Aviv among them) have said that Boston's big problem is that they don't have enough power. They won't be able to produce enough with their lineup. That they will be overwhelmed by New York's hitting.

Ummm...no. First off, to try and compete with New York based on their strength would have been suicide. There is no way, even if Boston had kept Bay and added another bat, that the Sox would have been able to out-slug the Yankees. New York is a power team built for a park that rewards that power.

That is also their weakness. If you can neutralize their run-production, they become a much easier team to beat..."easier" being a relative term when it comes to New York. But last year, when held to four runs or less, New York went 25-44. Once they hit that five run mark, the Yankees became near unstoppable. So to try and outslug the Yankees is madness. The trick is to hold them down. And that is what Boston's team is built to do. Last year's problem wasn't run-production, it was defense.

Second, the idea that Boston is "power-challenged" in their lineup is a bit of a myth. True, they aren't stacked with guys that crack 40+ homers each and every year. But they do have six batters capable of hitting 20+ homers. And run-production as a sign of a team's ability to win is somewhat inaccurate. Boston's 2007 championship team scored fewer runs than the 2009 version. New York's 2007 team produced 53 more runs that their title-winning team last year.

The time-worn phrase we hear in relation to football is "Offense sells tickets; Defense wins championships." Well, I believe that by-and-large applies to baseball as well.Yes, you do need offense; Toronto has one of the best fielding teams over the last two years and they haven't won squat. But combine an offense that can generate at least 850 runs with a defense that doesn't give away runs to their opponents and you have the makings for a team that can make a run at the title. Boston will have both those elements this year.

Of course, the Yankees will be the big obstacle for Boston this year. And while they got stronger on paper in their rotation (Vazquez), lineup (Nick Johnson) and in the field (Granderson), their path to a repeat isn't easy. It's hard as hell to be a repeat champion in baseball, probably more than any other game. You can have all the talent in the world, but without lucky breaks along the way you won't win. And there is another reason.

Sooner or later, age has to start telling with some of their players. Posada is 38. Jeter will be 36 mid-season. A-Rod will be 35 in July. Pettitte will be 38. Mo Rivera is around 142 but apparently he was born on Krypton because his age doesn't matter. But these are key players who have excelled year-after-year but are approaching ages where their production should start to fade. New York has to hope that doesn't happen if they want to even come close to competing for the title again in 2010.

So who will win the AL East? Either New York or Boston, with the other team as the wild-card. Tampa has too many questions in their bullpen even with a new closer. Toronto and Baltimore are still years away from competing, although Baltimore could be interesting.

As for a title...history would dictate it won't be the Yankees. And the Sox are built for a 162-game grind, to win the close games and neutralize the power other teams will bring against them. Bats can slump, while gloves don't...unless your name is Chuck Knoblauch**.

Get ready for your third title in seven years, Sox fans.

------------------------

* Look for Lester to be a dark horse Cy candidate this year. He should have gotten a couple of votes last year.

** Too soon?

The Quest Begins Anew

The toughest thing in sports just may be to repeat a championship.

The last time it happened in baseball, the 1998-2000 Yankees. Before that? The 1992-93 Blue Jays. And before that? The 1977-78 Yankees.

That's because unless you're the UConn women's basketball team, you not only have to be very good, you also have to catch enough breaks and avoid injury. In other words: You need to be a little bit lucky.

You also need to avoid that plague known as complacency.

So can the Yankees repeat in 2010?

Count on it.

There is a reason the Yankees have won 27 World Championships in their illustrious history: They expect to win -- every year. And a title doesn't change that expectation. Not for the Steinbrenner family. Not for Brian Cashman. Not for Joe Girardi. And certainly not for Derek Jeter and the rest of the players.

The Yankees enter this season younger, more athletic, deeper and with fewer questions than they had at any point last season, including Game 6 of the World Series.

Cashman, while staying off a weak free agent market, nonetheless had a very busy winter reconstructing and improving the roster.

Gone as free agents are Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui, who played key roles in winning last season's titles, but whose age and injury troubles were starting to make them liabilities.

Could Damon and and Matsui have helped this year? If they stayed healthy, yes. But that's a big if. And in the long run, its the right move. There's an axiom in baseball that it's better to get rid of a player a year too early, than a year too late. This was the right time to move on.

To replace them, the Cashman brought in Curtis Granderson and Nick Johnson, two players who will come close to replacing Damon's and Matsui's offense, while Granderson will significantly upgrade the outfield defense. No longer do we have to be concerned about Damon's pop-gun arm and declining ability to chase down fly balls.

And even though the Yankees will be starting light-hitting Brett Gardner in left, they have more than enough firepower to cover for that deficiency. Remember, the Yankees actually won a championship with Chad Curtis in left.

Cashman also found some much needed depth for the starting rotation. Throughout the playoffs, the Yankees went with three starters, CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte, and survived, thanks in part to an ALCS schedule that provided an extra day off between Games 4 and 5 and weather that threatened to rain out several games, but held off.

The reality is Girardi had no choice. Joba Chamberlain was never going to available to start in the playoffs, no matter how foolishly the Yankees tried. And the Yankees didn't give Chad Gaudin consistent enough work to make him a viable starting option.

But the Yankees shouldn't have to worry about that now. Cashman gave up Melky Cabera -- a solid and clutch contributor -- to bring in Javier Vazquez, who has pitched more than 200 innings in nine of the last 10 season, falling just short in his previous stint with the Yankees in 1994, when a sore pitching arm hampered him in the second half and playoffs.

Dave and other Sox fans can point to Vazquez's 2-7 career record with a 4.23 ERA against the Sox and snicker, but if last year taught us anything, it's not to get too hung up on past performance.

Remember, Sabathia couldn't beat the Sox or win in the postseason. Burnett also was supposed to be a Red Sox killer. Neither was the case last season.

Vazquez gives the Yankees another veteran arm and strikeout pitcher, who will give the team a strong chance to win every fifth day against every opponent.

Meanwhile, the Yankees' biggest weakness at the start of last season has become one of its biggest strengths. The bullpen is deep, defined and balanced with Mariano Rivera, of course, anchoring the closer role and Joba Chamberlain set to reprise the eighth-inning role that made him a rock star when he burst onto the scene in 2007. In addition, David Robertson has become a reliable and versatile middle reliever with Alfredo Aceves a weapon as a long reliever. Damaso Marte showed what he can as the left-handed specialist during the playoffs.

That leaves the Yankees with just two questions: Can they avoid injuries and will they catch enough breaks?

The reality is every team -- no matter how young the roster -- faces those questions and no one can answer them. The season just has to play out.

But we know this, the Yankees' rivals have many more questions to answer this season. Unlike the Yankees, the Red Sox have to be wondering if they have enough offense and power after an offseason devoted to improving their pitching and defense, while allowing arguably their best power hitter in Jason Bay to leave via free agency.

And the Rays, while young, athletic, talented and hungry after missing out on the playoffs last season, still have questions to answer about their bullpen, albeit improved, and a rotation that lacks a proven ace.

So as we sit here at the start of a new season, I predict the Yankees will once again win the AL East and capture World Championship No. 28. And really? Is that any sort of a surprise? I think not.

Here's the surprise, the Rays will win the wild card and reach the ALCS (I picked the Sox to take the wild card last year). The Red Sox's lack of power will prove too be a bigger problem than Theo Epstein, Terry Francona and Co. are expecting. And any deadline deal will prove to be too little, too late.

Now let's play ball.

A-Rod Provides Quite A Capper

Now that's how you finish off a season.

Alex Rodriguez blasted two homers and drove in an AL-record seven runs in a 10-run sixth inning and the Yankees delivered one last embarrassment this season to the Rays with a 10-2 victory Sunday in Tampa.

The Yankees finish the season with the best record in baseball at 103-59 and a team-record 244 homers. Now they await Tuesday's playoff game in Minneapolis between the Tigers and Twins to learn whom they will playing in the ALDS, starting on Wednesday.

But for A-Rod, it was a special ending to a gratifying season.

The year started poorly with the admission that he had used steroids during his three years in Texas. It got worse when he was forced to have hip surgery and miss the first five weeks of the season.

Who would have imagined at that point that A-Rod would wind up having season like this?

Once he got back on the field, he started with a bang, hitting the first pitch he saw in Baltimore on May 8 for a two-run homer.

He capped it with an amazing sixth inning Sunday, ending his regular season with a grand slam.

In between the Yankees went 90-44 and A-Rod somehow ended up hitting .286 with 30 homers and 100 RBI, the 13th year A-Rod had at least 30 homers and 100 RBI and 12th in a row.

That's a great season for any player. It's even better when you consider that A-Rod ended up playing only 124 games with just 444 at-bats.

Amazing. Simply amazing.

The Yankees started the sixth trailing 2-0, but Johnny Damon led off with a double before the Rays pitched around Mark Teixeira to prevent him from taking the home run crown outright and issued a walk.

A-Rod then stepped up to the plate and demolished a 91 mph fastball from Rays starter Wade Davis and deposited it into the stands in left to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead and break the franchise single-season home run record of 242 set in 2004.

The blast seemed to jump start the offense. Hideki Matsui followed with a single and pinch runner Freddy Guzman then stole second. It's looking more and more likely that Guzman will in fact be on the ALDS roster to provide some late-inning speed. It's a good move that allows the Yankees to start Brett Gardner in a game if the matchup warrants.

Nick Swisher followed with a walk before Andy Sonnanstine relieved Davis and Robinson Cano flied out to center. Melky Cabrera, however, loaded the bases, beating out a slow tapper back to the mound.

Sonnanstine followed by giving the Yankees a gift, failing to field a ground from Jose Molina and allowing Guzman to score.

Derek Jeter then struck out, but Damon picked him up with his second double of the inning to drive in two and make it 6-2.

With first base open and two outs, Joe Maddon elected to intentionally walk Teixeira. Normally that would be a strange move. Why would anyone walk Teixeira to get to A-Rod, especially when A-Rod had just homer earlier in the inning?

But Maddon wanted to make sure injured first baseman Carlos Pena would wind up sharing the AL lead in homers with Teixeira at 39. It worked because Joe Girardi elected to pinch run for Teixeira at that point.

But it also backfired as A-Rod pounded an 0-and-1, 87-mph cutter into the stands in right-center for a grand slam to cap the inning. It was career homer 583 for A-Rod, tying him with Mark McGwire.

Two homers, seven RBI, an some inning.

But it was also clear the Rays weren't playing to actually win this game.

Still Rodriguez's beautiful outburst made a winner of A.J. Burnett, who earned his 100th career victory.

Burnett (13-9, 4.04 ERA) posted his fourth consecutive strong outing. He allowed two runs, one earned, on seven hits and one walk in five innings. He struck out three and threw 55 of 84 pitches for strikes.

He allowed just a first-inning homer to Evan Longoria, who also scored in the fifth on Molina's passed ball.

In between, Burnett was efficient and had a good rhythm. He sure looks ready for the playoffs, and that has every Yankee fan breathing a little easier.

The Yankees then made sure the bullpen stayed sharp, using five relievers to pitch four perfect innings, including Joba Chamberlain, who threw just seven pitches, hit 95 mph with his fastball and struck out one in a dominant seventh inning.

The good news is that despite all the messing the Yankees did with his head, Joba still appears to have that bullpen magic he had when he first burst into the majors.

The bad news is that the Yankees put him through hell for no good reason. It is clear that by first staggering Joba's starts and then limiting him to three innings an outing, the Yankees ultimately hurt his development. August and September were a total waste for the 24-year-old righthander ... and it's a shame because he had started to fulfill his potential in July.

But that's now an issue to be dealt with in the offseason.

It's playoff time!

The quest for 27 is on.

Runners In Scoring Position
Sunday
5-for-14 (.375)
Season
419-for-1,543 (.272)
First Half
217-for-819 (.265)
Second Half
202-for-724 (.279)
Since A-Rod's Return May 8
354-for-1,270 (.279)
Vs. Red Sox
45-for-204 (.221)

Up Next
ALDS, Wednesday vs. Twins or Tigers, 6:07 p.m., TBS
TBA vs. CC Sabathia (19-8, 3.37)

There's Some Bad Blood A-Brewin'

The Rays have resumed their bush-league antics, and while the Yankees can't retaliate right now, they certainly won't forget.

An errant throw by Alfredo Aceves on an double steal in the fifth inning allowed two runs to score and the Rays beat the Yankees 5-3 in Tampa on Saturday.

But the real story is that the Rays plunked Jerry Hairston Jr. -- twice. That coming a night after David Price hit Mark Teixeira with a pitch with some on the Yankees wondering about the rookie lefthander's intentions.

But I'm not going be indirect here. The intent is clear. The Rays are trying to send a message, and it's a message both the Yankees and Red Sox have heard before.

After winning the AL pennant last season, the Rays, thanks in large part to injuries, have taken a step back, failing to even be playoff threat this last month of the season.

They intend to be back next season and wanted to send the Yankees and the rest of the league a message.

Just as they did in the spring of 2008.

Remember what happened then?

In a spring training game, Elliot Johnson ran over then-unknown minor leaguer Francisco Cervelli on a play at the plate, breaking Cervelli's wrist and costing him most of the season.

It was just a spring training game, but the Rays were sending a message. They were going to play the game hard and aggressively and they weren't afraid to go toe-to-toe with the "bullies" in the AL East.

And just to make sure the Red Sox got the message, James Shields plunked Coco Crisp on the hip, sparking a benches-clearing brawl on June 5.

This is how the Rays do business.

And before you neophyte baseball fans who support the Rays but didn't even know there was team in Tampa before last October start bitching and moaning about CC Sabathia breaking Carlos Pena's hand with a pitch in September, know this: there was no intent to hit Pena with that pitch.

Anyone who was paying attention during that game understands that.

The fact of the matter is that the pitch started out over the plate enough for Pena to start his swing, and when he tried to hold up as the pitch bore in too far, he couldn't, resulting in a strike.

When a pitcher wants to hit a batter intentionally, he goes throws right at the hitter. That's not what CC did.

Shove that in your cowbell and bang on it.

Yet, there was Price on Friday, firing a pitch shoulder-high and tight that hit Teixeira in the hand in the first inning. Teixeira wasn't happy and the Yankees took notice. When a player doesn't believe a pitcher hit him on purpose, he says so. That's not what Teixeira did, answering reporters' question with short, terse answers.

And that brings us to Saturday.

The last series of the season means little to the Yankees. They want to keep their core players sharp and healthy, while evaluating some others for the last few spots on the postseason lineup. That Andy Pettitte allowed five runs, three earned, on six hits and four walks in 4-1/3 innings is not a big deal, so long as his left shoulder and elbow are healthy and strong.

But the Rays have a different agenda. They want the Yankees to know that they'll be right there in 2010, competing for another division title.

In the third, rookie Jeff Neimann hit Hairston and then he did it again in the fifth.

And as we saw last year, this is how the Rays send their messages -- it's old-school.

If that had happened in July or August, you could have counted on the Yankees retaliating by hitting, say, Akinori Iwamura or Jason Bartlett. In early September, the Yanks could have let Shelley Duncan become baseball's version of the NHL's enforcer.

But the Yankees have too much riding right now. The last thing they want is for someone to be suspended, or worse, injured in a brawl.

So instead, they'll tuck the Rays' transgressions into their memory banks.

Count on the Yankees finding some baseball justice at some point next season.

Joba Out Of The Pen Today
Joba Chamberlain is going to pitch out of the bullpen today, possibly to two batters, maybe for an inning, so that the Yankees can figure out if the young righthander can help them in that role in the postseason.

Which leads me to wonder: What the heck was the last two months about? Weren't the Yankees' insane plans to limit Joba's innings also about having him available as a starter in the postseason?

So that means the Yankees messed with the kid's head just so that he could wind up in the bullpen anyway? Brilliant. Just Brilliant.

Nice job Brian Cashman, Joe Girardi and Dave Eiland. Helluva job.

Your handling of Joba made so much more sense than, oh, I don't know, letting Joba pitch every fifth day and throwing 100 pitches an outing until he hits 145-150 inning and then moving him to the bullpen to finish out the year.

At least learn from this episode so that you don't repeat it with Phil Hughes next season.

Runners In Scoring Position
Saturday
3-for-11 (.273)
Season
414-for-1,529 (.271)
First Half
217-for-819 (.265)
Second Half
197-for-710 (.277)
Since A-Rod's Return May 8
349-for-1,256 (.278)
Vs. Red Sox
45-for-204 (.221)

Up Next
Sunday at Rays, 1:38 p.m., YES
A.J. Burnett (12-9, 4.10 ERA) vs. Wade Davis (2-1, 3.45)

Burnett has been streaky this season, so he'll be looking to continue the roll he's on ... and maybe get his 100th career victory to boot. Davis is rookie closing out the season for the Rays as they prepare for an offseason on the golf course.

It's All About 27, Not 20

It would have been nice if CC Sabathia could have won 20 games, but in the scheme of things, it's really not all that important.

Afterall Mike Mussina won 20 games last season, and where did the Yankees end up? That's right, on the golf course in October.

This year, it's all about a championship.

So let's not blow this loss out of proportion.

Sabathia allowed nine runs -- five earned -- on eight hits and five walks in an ugly 13-4 loss at Tampa on Friday. Sabathia had gone 9-0 in his previous 11 starts with the Yankees winning all 11. The last time he lost was July 27 in Tampa.

Offensively the Yankees had little going against talented rookie David Price, who allowed one run on two hits in seven innings. Juan Miranda hit his first career home run, a two-run shot in the eighth, giving the team 242 on the season to tie the franchise record set in 2004.

Sabathia was nothing short of awful. He had no command of his fastball and was in trouble for the start. He loaded the bases in the first with no outs, but after getting two outs, failed to escape the jam when he walked Gabe Kapler before B.J. Upton tripled to clear the bases and make it 4-0.

It only got worse from there, highlighted by Upton's cycle, the first in the short history of the Tampa franchise.

But before anyone starts panicking about CC in the postseason, I have some advice: don't.

CC will be entering the playoffs with the benefit of not having to carry the Yankees down the stretch or burdened with an overly heavy workload.

He has thrown 230 innings, which is far less than the 253 he threw in carrying the Brewers to the playoffs last year and fewer than the 241 in 2007 with the Indians. He is mentally fresh, physically strong and his confidence will not take a hit from this outing.

If A.J. Burnett gets hammered Sunday, I'd be more concerned simply because he's shown himself to be very streaky. CC (19-8, 3.37 ERA) has been remarkably consistent, and I don't think this is anything more than a hiccup.

Heck, in 2000, Andy Pettitte allowed nine runs in 1-1/3 inning in his final start of the season, but went on to win his first start in the ALDS and go 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA in five postseason starts as the Yanks won the World Series.

So Sabathia didn't get 20 wins this year. So what?

Since 2003, all Yankees fans have had to celebrate has been individual accomplishments.

I say enough of that.

The mission is World Series title No. 27. A 20-game winner merely would have been a cherry on top.

Runners In Scoring Position
Friday
2-for-5 (.400)
Season
411-for-1,518 (.271)
First Half
217-for-819 (.265)
Second Half
194-for-699 (.278)
Since A-Rod's Return May 8
346-for-1,245 (.278)
Vs. Red Sox
45-for-204 (.221)

Up Next
Saturday at Rays, 7:08 p.m., YES
Pettitte (14-7, 4.11) vs. Jeff Niemann (12-6, 3.94)

The only thing Pettitte has to do is show that his shoulder is fine and that he is healthy. The Yankees had Sabathia on a pitch count of no more than 90, expect a similar count for Pettitte.

Coming Through For The Captain

For a while, it looked as if Derek Jeter would tie Lou Gehrig for first on the franchise career hits list, but the Yankees would lose the game.

Talk about blasphemy! Jeter -- the quintessential team player -- couldn't actually reach a milestone in a loss, could he?

Jorge Posada, however, made sure that wouldn't be the case.

Jeter went 3-for-4 with a walk to tie Gehrig at 2,721 hits and Posada launched a three-run, pinch homer in the eighth inning to rally the Yankees to a 4-2 victory over the Rays at Yankee Stadium Wednesday. The Yankees (91-50) remained nine games ahead of the Red Sox in the AL East, their magic number reduced to 14.

Posada's heroics aside, the night belonged to the Captain.

It's as if Jeter is the rightful heir to this record. Alex Rodriguez can post power numbers that rival Gehrig, but only Jeter can match the Iron Horse's class and will to win.

Yet I find it ironic that in Jeter's pursuit of this record, so much attention was being heaped on the individual accomplishment of a player who is so lauded for his desire to put his team first and sacrifice individual glory in order to win.

That's not to say the attention has not been warranted. Even Dave, who despises Jeter with a passion, respects the player and will acknowledge the significance of this accomplishment ... while pointing out that Carl Yastrzemksi is Boston's leader at 3,419.

But it was interesting watching fans cheer and focus on Jeter even as the Yankees trailed 2-0 into the eighth. In fairness, though, what else were the fans supposed to do? It's not everyday a record like this is set to fall and it's not everyday fans can show a player that kind of love and appreciation.

The game started ominously as Joba Chamberlain got off to an awful start, allowing a leadoff homer to Jason Bartlett. Carl Crawford followed with single and advanced to second on a wild pitch as Evan Longoria struck.

Crawford then stole third before Ben Zobrist walked. Pat Burrell then gave the Rays a 2-0 lead with a single and Joba appeared to be on the ropes. But after a visit from pitching coach Dave Eiland, something seemed to click in with Joba, who then struck out Chris Richard and Gabe Gross before retiring the side in order in the next two innings.

The line is bad: two runs on three hits and one walk in three innings. But I think in this case you also have to look beyond the numbers and take a loot at how Joba finished this abbreviated start -- with eight straight outs.

The hope is that Joba rediscovered something that he can carry into his next start, but we'll see. Right now there just is no reason to trust the kid -- and he is still a kid.

Jeter, meanwhile, jump-started his march to the record right off the bat, bunting for a base hit in the first to snap and 0-for-12 skid. He then proceeded to swipe second for his 300th career steal.

Jeter got hit No. 2,720 with a one-out, ground-rule double to center in the fifth and delivered the tying hit with a Jeterian single to right in the seventh, after which the crowd saluted the Captain with a well-deserved, five-minute ovation.

But to that point, the Yankees hadn't plated a run as rookie Jeff Niemann kept them off balance.

Neimann ended up allowing one run on eight hits and one walk in 7+ innings. He struck out eight, threw 68 of 110 pitches for strikes and made big pitches throughout to keep the Yankees off the board. The Yankees went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position against Neimann.

But the Yankees weren't going to be denied. We have seen this team rally time after time and with their Captain having reach a significant milestone, they weren't about to let him remember the moment with a loss.

A-Rod led off against Neimann with a single to center and went to third on Hideki Matsui's single off reliever Lance Cormier. Nick Swisher then followed with a grounder to first that Richard threw into left while attempt to force pinch runner Jerry Hairston Jr., allowing A-Rod to score the Yankees' first run and keep runners on the corner.

Robinson Cano then struck out against lefty Brian Shouse before Joe Girardi sent up Posada to pinch hit.

Rays manager Joe Maddon then did something strange -- he brought in right-handed reliever Grant Balfour, allowing Posada to hit left-handed and take advantage of the short porch.

It was big mistake by Maddon because Posada turned on a full-count, 94 mph fastball and deposited it into the stands to give the Yankees the 4-2 lead.

And when Brian Bruney and Phil Coke combined to finish off the ninth, the Yankees had ensured Jeter had a perfect, record-tying night.

Runners In Scoring Position
Wednesday
1-for-12 (.083)
Season
363-for-1,333 (.272)
First Half
217-for-819 (.265)
Second Half
146-for-514 (.284)
Since A-Rod's Return May 8
298-for-1,060 (.281)
Vs. Red Sox
36-for-163 (.221)

Up Next
Friday vs. Orioles, 7:05 p.m., YES
Chris Tillman (1-3, 4.66 ERA) vs. Andy Pettitte (13-6, 4.10)

The Yankees have Pettitte, A.J. Burnett and CC Sabathia lined up in this series against the last-place team in the division. This should be an easy sweep.

Swish-alicious!

My wife called it.

We were watching the Yankees game Tuesday night when Nick Swisher stepped up to the plate in the ninth inning and Amy said, "Swisher wants some pie tonight."

And even before I could even I could tell her how Swisher's homer in the second had been only his fourth at Yankee Stadium all season and that his last homer at the stadium before that was on June 8, there was Swisher, rounding the bases after lining a shot just over the right field wall to give the Yankees a 3-2 victory over the Rays, slicing New York's magic number to 15 and keeping the Bombers (90-50) nine games ahead of the Red Sox in the AL East.

The lesson: Never argue with your wife. There's no way you can win.

Anyway, Swisher's homers were his 25 and 26th of the season and Tuesday marked the third time this season he's homered from both sides of the plate in a game.

Most of Swisher's damage has been done on the road, where he's hitting .281 with 21 homers and 55 RBI.

At home Swisher is hitting just .213 with five homers and 22 RBI. We can only hope that Tuesday was the start of a turnaround at the Stadium.

But what might have been most encouraging from this game was the start turned in by Chad Gaudin. The righthander, who was making just his third start for the Yankees, allowed just one run -- an Evan Longoria homer in the seventh -- on six hits and two walks in 6+ innings. He struck out six and threw 51 of 76 pitches for strikes.

Gaudin has pitched pretty well in his three Yankee starts and when he left this game, it looked as if he'd get a well deserved win, especially after Brian Bruney got some nice defensive support from Alex Rodriguez before Phil Coke got Akinori Iwamura to ground out with the bases loaded to preserve a 2-1 lead.

But then the unthinkable happened -- Phil Hughes allowed a run. Jason Barlett led off the eighth by smoking a shot deep into the left field stands to tie at 2.

It was stunning. Since joining the bullpen, Hughes has been about as automatic as, well, Mariano Rivera. Hughes entered the game having not allowed a run in his last 12-1/3 innings. In 34 games covering 42-2/3 innings out of the bullpen, Hughes is 3-1 with three saves, a 1.27 ERA, a 0.82 WHIP and 54 strikeouts.

No one is perfect ... not even the great Mariano (2-2, 1.72 ERA), who pitched a perfect ninth for the victory. Hughes is going to give up a run and the lead on occasion. Let's just hope Highes gets those hiccups out of his system in the regular season.

Derek Jeter, meanwhile, went hitless for a third straight game, going 0-for-4 to remain at 2,718 career hits. He is now hitless in his last 12 at-bats. We're so used to Jeter being able to handle pressure without flinching that it is almost stunning that he's struggling as he approaches Lou Gehrig's team career record of 2,721 hits.

In a strange way, Jeter's pursuit of this team record has almost superseded the result of the game. Fans are eager to laud him and celebrate this accomplishment. For a player that is completely about the team, all this individual attention has to be a tad overwhelming for Jeter.

However, he is fortunate to have A-Rod and Mariano on the team. Those two have experienced what it is like to pursue career milestones and surely if Jeter wants it, they can offer plenty of advice.

In the meantime, Jeter will be more than happy to celebrate walkoff victories such as the one Swisher delivered.

Of Note
A-Rod drove in Johnny Damon with a single in the sixth to make it 2-0 and give Damon 100 runs scored in a season for the 10th time in his career. ... Swisher's walkoff homer gave the Yankees seven this season. ... The Yankees have 13 walkoff wins this season. ... The Yankees have seven of their last eight against the defending American League champion Rays.

Runners In Scoring Position
Tuesday
1-for-5 (.200)
Season
362-for-1,321 (.274)
First Half
217-for-819 (.265)
Second Half
145-for-502 (.289)
Since A-Rod's Return May 8
297-for-1,048 (.283)
Vs. Red Sox
36-for-163 (.221)

Up Next
Wednesday vs. Rays, 7:05 p.m., YES
Jeff Niemann (12-5, 3.67 ERA) vs. Joba Chamberlain (8-5, 4.41)

Another joke of an abbreviated start for Joba. I just hope his three or four innings will be scoreless for a change before Alfredo Aceves comes in for his 2+ inning stint.

Twice As Nice

It's never easy to sweep a doubleheader, but when you can throw CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett on the mound, the odds tilt greatly in your favor.

Sabathia struck out 10, allowing one run on three hits in seven innings in the opener and Burnett shook off his recent slump and allowed one run in six innings as the Yankees took a Labor Day doubleheader from the Rays 4-1 and 11-1 on Monday at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees this morning stand nine games ahead of the Red Sox in the AL East and their magic number is down to 16. The Yankees' magic number for clinching home-field advantage in the playoffs is 19.

While Rogue Nation continues to cling to hope that they'll be able to overtake the Yankees, the reality is that it's just a matter of time before the Bombers lock up the division. After sweeping these two from the Rays, that reality has to setting in on Red Sox fans. The tough games remaining on the Yankees' schedule are simply becoming fewer and fewer.

Here's my prediction: The Yankees clinch the division Sept. 22 at the Angels, and clinch home field four days later at home against the Red Sox.

But that's still a couple of weeks away. Let's deal with yesterday first.

The only down note out of the two games was that Derek Jeter went 0-for-8 combined, leaving him four hits shy of passing Lou Gehrig for the Yankees career hits lead. But don't worry, Jeter will get there and it will happen on this homestand.

Sabathia didn't get the victory in the opener, but he was simply brilliant, allowing just an Evan Longoria homer in the second and then going toe-to-toe with Matt Garza. He walked four, threw 71 of 118 pitches for strikes and lowered his ERA to 3.40. He deserved the win, but did nothing to hurt his chance for a second Cy Young Award.

The offense finally broke through in the eighth against Lance Cormier. With the score tied at 1, Nick Swisher walked, Mark Teixeira singled to send Swish to third before advancing on a throwing error, and Alex Rodriguez was walked intentionally to load the bases.

Robinson Cano then delivered in the key at-bat in the game. He fell behind Cormier 0-and-2, stayed disciplined and didn't chase a pitch out of the zone and then lofted the next pitch to center for a sacrifice fly to give the Yanks the lead.

With Mariano Rivera back and ready in the bullpen, that's all the Yankees really would need. But this offense is relentless and continued to pound away. Jorge Posada, who threw out Carl Crawford trying to steal in the top half of the inning, followed with a single off Chad Bradford to bring in Teixeira and Eric Hinske then lofted a sacrifice fly to right to score A-Rod and make it 4-1.

Rivera then came on an struck out two and recorded his 39th save of the season and 35th straight. Rivera is tied with the Angels' Brian Fuentes for the AL saves lead and Rivera's next save will give him 40 for the seventh time in his illustrious career.

Still, heading into the nightcap, there was reason for concern. Burnett hadn't earned a victory since July 27 and had going 0-4 with a 6.54 ERA in his last seven.

And when the Rays scored on consecutive doubles by Gabe Gross and Longoria to take a 1-0 lead in the first, things did not look good.

But Burnett settled down in the second and then was able to relax thanks to an eight-run third, highlight by a three-run homer to center by Teixeira, the first of his two in the game. Melky Cabrera, Jerry Hairston Jr. and Jose Molina also had RBI singles in the inning.

Teixeira's leadoff homer to right-center in the sixth sparked a three-run inning and gave him 35 homers and 106 RBI on the season. That's not too bad for his first season in the Bronx. Imagine what this guy will do once he gets comfortable in New York.

Burnett ended up allowing four hits and three walks. He struck out eight and threw 64 of 99 pitches for strikes.

Most importantly, after five rough weeks, he finally looked like the guy who was dominant in July and we can only hope that will continue through the rest of the month and the playoffs.

And if Burnett and Sabathia pitch like they did Monday, the Yankees will have few worries in the postseason.

Runners In Scoring Position
Monday
Game 1
1-for-7 (.143)
Game 2
9-for-19 (.474)
Season
361-for-1,316 (.274)
First Half
217-for-819 (.265)
Second Half
144-for-497 (.290)
Since A-Rod's Return May 8
296-for-1,043 (.284)
Vs. Red Sox
36-for-163 (.221)

Up Next
Tuesday vs. Rays, 7:05 p.m., Local TV (Check your listings)
David Price (7-7, 4.75 ERA) vs. Chad Gaudin (5-10, 4.98)

Price is prone to bouts with inefficiency and the Yankees are one of the most patient teams in the league. If they can be patient and work the count against the talented, but young lefthander, the Yankees should be able to force him out of the game by the sixth and then go to work against the Rays weak bullpen. Gaudin, meanwhile, should be able to go deeper into the game than the 3-2/3 innings he did last time out in Toronto on Thursday. Gaudin has been used sporadically since joining the Yankees and is making just his third start.

The Great Joba Debate Is DEAD

Starter or Reliever? There can be no doubt anymore, and I'm declaring the Joba debate over.

Not only is Joba Chamberlain a starter, he is as dominant and dynamic as he was as a reliever.

And anyone watching Joba's last three starts would have a hard time arguing otherwise.

Joba allowed three hits in eight, shutout innings Wednesday and the Yankees beat the Rays 6-2 in Tampa to move 3-1/2 games ahead of the Red Sox in the AL East and put a nail in the coffin of the defending AL champion Rays, who are 7-1/2 games back and fading.

The Yankees are 62-39 for the season, tied with Joe Torre's Dodgers for the best record in the majors. They've gone 18-7 in July.

So Dave, with the Yankees' bullpen also having solidified into a formidable unit with the development of Phil Hughes, it is time for to say five little words:

"I was wrong about Joba."

In his three starts since the All-Star break, Joba is 3-0 with a 0.83 ERA and 0.74 WHIP. He has struck out 19 and is averaging 7.2 innings a start.

And this isn't just about a good stretch for the kid. Something has clicked with this 23-year-old fireballer and as a result he has taken a giant leap in his development.

He's working faster, challenging hitters with his fastball, showing impeccable control with all his pitches and showing his emotions.

"It's just having confidence again, going out and being yourself," Chamberlain said. "You always need a little reminder once in a while, but it's just going back to having fun and being aggressive."

And Wednesday he was nearly unhittable. He walked two, struck out five and threw 65 of 101 pitches for strikes.

You read right: He threw just 101 pitches in eight innings. Pitchers don't get much more efficient than that.

Joba retired all eight leadoff batters he faced and retired the side in order four times. The only trouble he ran into came in the fifth when he issued one-out and two-out walks.

"In my eyes," said Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon, "that's probably the best I've seen him."

The only troublesome note for Joba was that he nearly started a beanball war. With two outs in the fourth, he threw a pitch around the head of Evan Longoria. Rays starter Matt Garza responded in the fifth by hitting Mark Teixeira, something he admitted to doing on purpose.

I won't get on Garza. He has to protect his players. This is Joba's fault. I have no problem with him pitching in or coming up-and-in to intimidate batters, but he has to keep the ball away from batters' heads. That's basic and that's something he has to learn very soon.

In any case, Joba (7-2, 3.58 ERA) was so dominant that it made it easy for the offense to pick apart Garza, who allowed just three runs on eight hits in seven innings.

Derek Jeter led off the game with a triple and scored on Teixeira's one-out single to get the Yankees off to a fast start.

The Yankees pushed across another run in the fourth when Alex Rodriguez led off with a single and went to third on Hideki Matsui's double. After Jorge Posada popped out, Robinson Cano brought in A-Rod with a groundout to second.

Joba received a little more breathing room in the sixth when Robinson Cano crushed a two-out homer to right, and the Yankees made it 4-0 in the eighth, when Jorge Posada singled in Matsui, who had reached on an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error.

The Yankees poured it on in the ninth when Melky Cabrera led off with a homer to right and Teixeira hit a two-out homer to center.

The only down note of the night came in the night when Brian Bruney took a step back in his battle to regain his form. Bruney allowed a leadoff triple to Carl Crawford, a two run-homer to Longoria to left and a one-out double to Carlos Pena before being remove. Mariano Rivera walked one and struck out two to finish off the game.

But no one cares about that.

Joba has set this team abuzz.

Runners In Scoring Position
Wednesday
2-for-10 (.200)
Season
247-for-940 (.263)
First Half
217-for-819 (.265)
Second Half
31-for-121 (.256)
Since A-Rod's Return May 8
182-for-668 (.272)
Vs. Red Sox
11-for-82 (.134)

Up Next
Thursday at White Sox, 8:11 p.m., YES
Andy Pettitte (8-6, 4.67) vs. Gavin Floyd (8-6, 4.24)

Pettitte pitched six brilliant innings before coming apart against the A's in his last start Saturday and is desperate for a victory. He has not earned a W since July 1, though he pitched brilliantly in his first start after the break in a no-decision.

A Bad Day All Around

Tuesday started poorly and just got worse from there.

The Yankees played their worst game since before the All-Star break in a 6-2 loss to the Rays in Tampa, revealed Alfredo Aceves has a tired arm and learned Chien-Ming Wang need surgery and likely won't be able to pitch until late next year.

Talk about a trifecta of bad news.

About the only thing that went right was that the Red Sox blew a lead in the ninth and lost to the A's 9-8 to remain 2-1/2 games back of the Yankees in the AL East. Otherwise it was a day to forget.

Wang's news is not surprising -- visits to Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., rarely result in good news -- but it was nonetheless disappointing. The Yankees entered the year counting on Wang to give them a solid 1-2-3 combination at the top of the rotation with CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. The Yankees believed they had the foundation for a strong rotation for years to come.

Instead, Wang struggled from the start, clearly not fully recovered from his Lisfranc injury from the year before. He rehabbed and came back before going back on the DL with a shoulder strain. Is it possible the shoulder injury is the result of compensating for the foot injury? Very possible.

But the loss of Wang means the Yankees are almost assuredly going to try to acquire another pitcher, likely a starter -- though not Roy Halladay. Jarrod Washburn and Bronson Arroyo have been mention as targets and the Westchester Journal News' Peter Abraham suggested Jon Garland on his blog. All would work, but GM Brian Cashman is pretty good at working steathly, so don't be surprised if he comes up with a deal for someone no has even considered.

Meanwhile, Aceves revealed he has a tired arm. He said he's not feeling pain or discomfort, just tired. If that is accurate, it's not terrible news. Aceves has emerged as a valuable and versatile member of the bullpen, but the Yankees can give him a week so that he can regain his strength. But any time a pitcher says anything is wrong with his arm, no matter how minor, there is cause for concern. Time will tell how serious this is.

And then there was the game. With a chance to stick the defending AL Champion Rays in the coffin, the Yankees allowed them to remain on life support.

It was a miserable game, filled with errors and poor defense, ineffective hitting, bad baserunning and a poor starting performance by Sabathia. Heck the Yankees even let a six-inning pitcher in Scott Kazmir pitch into the eighth.

Sabathia (10-7, 3.83) was hurt by errors by Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter, misplays in right by Nick Swisher and his own failure to cover first on an infield hit, but he also struggled with his fastball command again and couldn't put away hitters when he got to 0-and-2 and 1-and-2 on them.

The Yankees are 11-11 are in Sabathia's starts and the big lefthander, who was the Yankees' big offseason free-agent prize, knows that isn't cutting it.

“It is annoying. No matter whether I get the win or not, you want to go out and try to help the team any way you can and it’s pretty frustrating that I’ve been
going out there and not helping us,” he said.

The Rays grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second when Dioner Navarro's sacrifice fly to center brought in Ben Zobrist after a single and two walks loaded the bases. They pushed across two more in the third when B.J. Upton singled to lead off and scoring on Carl Crawford's triple. Even Longoria brought in Crawford when A-Rod made a bad throw to first.

The Yankees, meanwhile, couldn't get to Scott Kazmir, who benefited from several nice defensive plays, but was efficient and effective.

Kazmir allowed one run on five hits and one walk in 7+ innings. He threw 72 of 113 pitches for strikes.

The only serious trouble he faced came in the fourth when Mark Teixeira led off with a double and scored on Hideki Matsui's one-out single to make it 3-1. However, Matsui was thrown out on the play after making too wide of a turn around first.

Sabathia, meanwhile, just couldn't settle down. In his recent starts he's been able to limit any damage and give the Yankees a chance to win. Tuesday he couldn't do that.

In the fifth inning, Longoria hit a two-out homer to make a 4-1. Sabathia the came apart in the sixth.

With one out, Gabe Kapler doubled and went to third on a ground out. Jason Bartlett then hit a routine grounder to first, but Sabathia failed to cover and Bartlett beat Teixeira to the bag for hit and RBI. Upton then crushed a double to bring in Bartlett to make it 6-1 and Sabathia's day was done.

Sabathia allowed six runs -- five earned -- on nine hits and two walked in 5-2/3 innings. He struck out six and threw 69 of 109 pitches for strikes.

Mark Melancon, getting into a game for the first time since the All-Star break, was the long bright spot, escaped the jam in the sixth and allowing just one hit over the next two innings. He struck out two.

The Yankees scored a meaningless run in the ninth when A-Rod singled with two outs, went to second in defensive indifference and scored on Matsui's double.

It was a day the Yankees need to forget about quickly.

Runners In Scoring Position
Tuesday
2-for-7 (.286)
Season
245-for-930 (.263)
First Half
217-for-819 (.265)
Second Half
29-for-111 (.261)
Since A-Rod's Return May 8
180-for-658 (.274)
Vs. Red Sox
11-for-82 (.134)

Up Next
Wednesday at Rays, 7:08 p.m., YES
Joba Chamberlain (6-2, 3.86) vs. Matt Garza (7-7, 3.68)

Joba has been on fire coming out of the break and the Yankees need him to come up big again. This is a big game. A win by the Yankees would put the Rays 7-1/2 games back in the East and deal a blow to their playoff homes. A Yankees loss could get the Rays back in the race.

Applying The Pressure

The Yankees took care of business on their recent homestand. Monday they began process of putting the pressure on the other American League playoff contenders.

A.J. Burnett allowed one unearned run and two hits in seven dominant innings, and Nick Swisher powered a relentless attack with two homers to lead the Yankees to an 11-4 victory over the Rays in Tampa, Fla. It was the Yankees' 10th win in 11 games, keeping them 2-1/2 games ahead of the Red Sox in the AL East and dropping the defending AL champion Rays 7-1/2 games back.

The Yankees went 9-1 on their recent homestand, beating up on the last-place Orioles and A's, though they did sweep the first three games against the AL Central leading Tigers, beating All-Stars Justin Verlander and Edwin Jackson along the way.

Monday they began a nine-game trip, part of a 19 of 26 on the road that will feature games against contenders such as the Rays, White Sox and Red Sox, and includes a seven-game trip to Oakland and Seattle. It's clearly a tough stretch for the team that also provides it the opportunity to create a little separation from the pack.

"We left home after a good homestand and we're in a good spot right now," Burnett said. "But you can tell from these guys that we're not content. We want to keep going and keep winning and see how far we can go."

Burnett (10-4, 3.53 ERA) got the trip off on the right foot, continuing his recent stretch of outstanding starts. He walked two, struck out five and threw 69 of 114 pitches for strikes.

More importantly, Tampa couldn't touch him. Burnett retired all seven leadoff hitters he faced and once he got to two strikes on batters, he got them out 81 percent of the time. It was as if once a batter got to two strikes, he could just turn around and head to the dugout.

Burnett won his fifth straight decision and is unbeaten in six straight starts. Since losing to Boston on June 9, he is 6-1 with a 1.84 ERA and he now won at least 10 games in a season for five straight years.

The only threat Burnett had to face all night was in the sixth when B.J. Upton reached on a passed ball after striking out to lead off, went to third on Carl Crawford's single and scored when Even Longoria hit into a double play to make it 5-1.

And by that point, the offense was just getting cranked up.

The Yankees jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second when Hideki Matsui led off with a single to right and actually scored on Jorge Posada's double. Robinson Cano followed with a triple, marking the second consecutive game he's had a big hit with runner in scoring position early in a game. He scored on Swisher's groundout.

Cano and Swisher made it 5-0 in the sixth, hitting back-to-back homers to start the innings. The Yankees just poured it on from there.

"We wanted to make sure we took the first one," Swisher said. "After the break, I think the one thing we stressed was come out of the gate good, and that's what we're doing. We feel confident, and I'll tell you what, if we keep playing like this, it's going to be a really, really, fun season."

The Yankees made it 7-1 in the eighth on Alex Rodriguez's two-out, two-run double, allowing the Yankees to rest the key members of the bullpen. Jonathan Albaladejo struggled in the bottom half, allowing two runs on two hits and one walk, but David Robertson got out a two-out jam, and allowed just Pat Burrell's homer in the ninth to pick up the save.

The Yankees finished off the Rays in the ninth when Swisher hit his second homer, a shot to left, before Johnny Damon crushed a three-run shot, the 200th of his career.

Were the Yankees sending Tampa a message with those tack-on runs?

"We worry about winning series. We don't worry about sending messages," manager Joe Girardi said. "For us, we wanted to get this road trip, it's a long road trip, off
on the right start and we did."

They might not have been sending a message, but they certainly were applying the pressure.

Trade Talk
The Yankees' latest possible trade target is quite familiar to Yankees fans. SI's Jon Heyman reported the Yankees have once again inquired about acquiring Jarrod Washburn. Heyman also reported the Yankees also could go after the Reds' Bronson Arroyo.

The Yankees discussed a trade for Washburn at the deadline, but talks fell apart because the Mariners were asking for the Yankees' top prospect for a pitcher who was struggling and had 1-1/2 years left on a back-loaded contract.

Washburn, a lefty, will be a free agent will in the offseason and it will be interesting to see what the Mariners ask for this time. It should be noted that they changed GMs during the offseason. If the price is right, the Yanks would love to get their hands on another left with World Series experience.

Runners In Scoring Position
Monday
3-for-12 (.250)
Season
243-for-923 (.263)
First Half
217-for-819 (.265)
Second Half
27-for-104 (.260)
Since A-Rod's Return May 8
178-for-651 (.273)
Vs. Red Sox
11-for-82 (.134)

Up Next
Tuesday at Rays, 7:08 p.m., Local TV (check your listings)
CC Sabathia (10-6, 3.67) vs. Scott Kazmir (4-6, 6.69)

Let's see Sabathia come out a give a dominant effort against a lefty in Kazmir who is having a rough season, but is capable of shutting down the Yankees.

The Hughes Dilemma

Phil Hughes didn't want to come out of the game.

He was angry. He had every right to be. He pitched a whale of a game. He even refused to shake Joe Girardi's hand. I love that competitiveness, that fight.

But at the same time, we saw exactly why the Yankees are being so careful with their 22-year-old righthander, trying to avoid the same fate that has fallen so other young phenoms, such as Kerry Wood and Mark Prior.

Hughes allowed three hits over eight shutout innings and Alex Rodriguez went 5-for-5 to lead a 19-hit attack as the Yankees blasted the Rangers 11-1 at Arlington, Texas, Monday. In the process, Hughes is forcing the Yankees to make a tough decision -- a situation they were hoping to find themselves in when they called up Hughes.

Hughes was coming off a much improved outing in which he struck out nine, but allowed three runs on two homers over five innings.

Monday was a major step forward.

He commanded his lively fastball, topping out at 93 mph, and effectively mixed in his big curveball, slider and cutter. He threw 65 of 101 pitches for strikes, walking one and striking out six.

And we watched him grow up before our eyes in the second inning -- and he did it against one of the top offenses in the game.

The Yankees had a 2-0 lead, when Hughes found himself in a jam.

Nelson Cruz led off with a double, Hank Blalock was hit by a pitch, Hughes fell behind Marlon Byrd 3-and-0 and game was at a crossroads. One mistake and the Rangers would seize control.

But after a visit from pitching coach Dave Eiland, Hughes went to work, overpowering Byrd with a cutter and two fastballs for a strikeout. Chris Davis and Taylor Teagarden also followed with strikeouts and just like that, Hughes was in command.

The Rangers got only three more men on base against Hughes the rest of the way and never threatened. Meanwhile the Yankees' offense poured it on, allowing Hughes to attack hitters and cruise.

Rodriguez led an onslaught that did not launch a homer, but was nonetheless devastating. The Yankees went 9-for-20 with runners in scoring position, stranding 10. A-Rod had two doubles, four RBI and raised his average to .259.

Mark Teixeira went 2-for-3 with two RBI and has his average up to .273 and the slumping Nick Swisher went 1-for-4, but had three RBI.

It was a great way to open a seven-game trip, but now the Yankees have to figure out what to do with their rotation. Hughes is maturing and developing as a major league pitcher, but Chien-Ming Wang is back and is expected to start Friday.

Meanwhile, the Yankees placed Brian Bruney back on the DL because of his elbow and are sending him to see Dr. James Andrews. They called up David Robertson to take Bruney's spot on the roster.

That leaves the Yankees with six starters and a bullpen that is once again suspect. So what should the Yankees do?

After his last start, I thought Hughes should stay in the majors and pitch out of the bullpen, but after what I saw Monday, I think Hughes needs to stay in the rotation. One game does not make a season or a career, but Hughes deserves a longer shot to prove he can pitch like this consistently.

Wang, however, has improved from his disastrous start to the season, but is not quite all the way back. He is healthier and throwing with more velocity, but his release point is still off and his pitches aren't diving consistently.

I think the plan -- for now -- should be for Wang to work out of the bullpen as the long man. Get him straighten out in this role before committing to trotting him out every fifth-day. Eventually, both Joba Chamberlain and Hughes are going to run up against their innings limits and Wang will regain his spot in the rotation, but in the meantime, there is no need to force him in there.

As for the bullpen, the seventh- and eighth-inning roles should be split between Phil Coke and Alfredo Aceves. Both are young and inexperienced, but aside from Bruney, they have been the most effective guys leading up to Mariano Rivera. Jose Veras has been better of late, but it's impossible to trust him.

It's a tough decision Brian Cashman and Girardi are facing, but at least there are options and hope that the Yankees will be able to cover up that sizable hole in the bullpen for the short-term.

In Case You Haven't Noticed...
The AL East is shaping up to be a two-team race: Yankees and Red Sox ... again. The Blue Jays have come crashing back to earth and are now in third, a half-game behind the Yankees and 1-1/2 behind the Sox. Expect that freefall to continue. They just aren't that good.

Meanwhile, the Rays are being decimated by the injuries they managed to avoid last season.

Akinori Iwamura, Scott Kazmir and Troy Percival are all on the DL. The Rays called up top prospect David Price to replace Kazmir. He made his season debut Monday, allowing two runs on four hits and five walks in 3-1/3 innings. He struck out six, but threw 100 pitches. The question that Rays are facing is whether they are better off having Price replace Percival instead of Kazmir.

The Rays had built a 10-0 lead against the Indians, but lost 11-10, allowing seven runs in the ninth. Their suspect bullpen is in worse shape than the Yankees'. They have Jason Insringhausen, but it does not appear he has closer stuff anymore. Price, however, was impressive coming out of the bullpen last year in the playoffs, closing out several games.

It's a question the Rays are going to have to figure out quickly before their season goes up in flames.

Runners In Scoring Position
Monday
9-for-20 (.450)
Season
113-for-404 (.280)

Up Next
Tuesday at Rangers, 8:05 p.m., Local TV (check your listings)
Chamberlain (2-1, 3.70 ERA) vs. Kevin Millwood (4-4, 3.12)

Joba is coming off an abbreviated outing, leaving after two-thirds of an inning after being struck on the knee with a shot back through the box. The first concern is that Joba is 100 percent healthy. Then the focus is on delivering a strong outing of at least seven innings.