Three Days of Smiles, and One of Them Came Before Rush Hour

Prior to reading this, let's set the mood. Please indulge me by pressing play.

Good thing this series didn't mean anything, right?

It was only this past Monday that the Yankees took their second-worst shutout loss in franchise history (16-0), and in the process left Detroit losing 3 of 4. As if that wasn't bad enough, Mike Mussina may have effectively sledge hammered the final nail in his professional coffin (more on him later); and oh yes, the Red Sox were coming!, the Red Sox were coming! And not only were they coming, they were coming in with an 8-game lead in the division and certainly looking to have some fun with their 3 best pitchers set to take the mound.

Naturally, Man Ram and his traveling circus were poised to affirm their gargantuan lead and make life that much more difficult for the Yankees and their playoff aspirations. Or maybe Boston just wouldn't care since their lead is so insurmountable and losing to the Yankees right now wouldn't be such a big deal. Yeah, sure it wouldn't. Regardless, it was more than likely that Boston would leave the Bronx with no less than a 7 game lead, right? Well, not exactly, and Man Ram only stuck around for 1/3 of the extravaganza.

Tuesday: Andy Pettitte out dueled Dice-K (who's given up 15 runs in 19.1 innings against the Yankees this year; I love this guy) and got a little help from Boston's former cro-magnon son...Johnny Damon. Plus Boston had the good fortune of being properly introduced to Joba Chamberlain, whom I may one day (dependent on further evaluation) have Baptize my children. Sprinkle a little Mariano in there and game one went to the Pinstripes.

Wednesday: Roger Clemens v. Josh Beckett - Ah yes, the Cy Young candidate against the living legend. Even I was a bit apprehensive. Little did Boston know The Rocket saved his best start of the season just for them, taking a no-hitter into the 6th (when Papi absolutely pulverized a baseball into "The Short Porch" (get it?). Anyway, Rocket finished 6 strong innings and despite Farnsworth doing his very best, yet again, to sabotage the Yankee lead, it was A-Rod's homer off of Beckett in the 7th (God it was great seeing the look on Josh's face) after his moment of stupidity (where he overran first and got thrown out) to seal the game for the Yanks. You have to give a lot of credit to Beckett though, the poor bastard was pelted for 13 hits and somehow managed to only allow 4 runs. Plus Coco Crisp, of whom Terry Francona, prior to start of the series, claimed was "the best center fielder he'd ever seen," (well said Skip) came about two feet short of a Matsui shot to the gap and left his faceprint in left centerfield. A little more Mariano iced the cake and gave the Yankees the first two games; but who really wants two when you can get three?

Thursday: Chien-Ming Wang was unbelievable as he got into the 7th with a no-hitter, and boy I know Boston could have a 50-game lead and still would've been devastated if the Yankees no-hit them. Unfortunately, it was indeed broken up, but had no effect on the end result: Sweep. And I'd be silly to forget mentioning the brilliance of Mr. Youkilis running outside the basepath (nice job by the umps getting the call right, that's what we pay 'em for folks).

Pitching, pitching, pitching. The Yankees only allowed 6 runs in the series and the bullpen held the leads in each game. And that mighty mighty mighty mighty mighty Boston pitching staff got out pitched the entire series. The only thing missing, and its absence left me feeling quite empty frankly, was the presence of Eric Gagne and his uncanny ability to give up runs in the late innings. Basically the series had almost everything I could ask for. And please let me not forget the efforts of J.D. Drew, who gracefully went 1 for 11 in the series with 3 strikeouts and no RBI, and whose slugging percentage is now a Ruth-esque .386. Absolutely brilliant.

Yes Boston, I know the lead is still five games and it's still relatively safe to assume the Yankees won't catch up...blah blah blah. You're right though, I definitely concede that. The Wild Card is the realistic goal, but I bet Boston felt a lot better on Monday than they do right now. And this was major for the Yankees, who now get to host the Devil Rays while Seattle goes to Toronto. Also, nobody thought that Boston would visit the Bronx and leave with 3 losses, not to mention Mr. Traveling Circus is having back spasms. No complaints here. Hopefully the next time these two teams meet they will be in closer proximity in the division, and maybe then I'll get my wish for Gagne, or my personal favorite: Wakefield. See you soon Beantown.

In Other News, Moose No Longer in My Five

Can't say I know for sure where this will be going. I know that with Mussina it's been "what have you done for me lately" for what seems like the last 3 years or so, but you gotta feel for the guy now that retirement may finally be staring him in the face; or maybe it's kicking him in the 'nads.

It's something that has to be done right now, though, and trying Ian Kennedy right now is a good alternative, even if it's only for one start.

The Yankees tried this formula at the beginning of the season with DeSalvo and Karstens...and it failed miserably. As much as Cashman did not want to bring up Phil Hughes, he's bringing up the "children of the farm" like it's going out of style. And he has reason: It's working. They say Ian is a like Mussina in that he's more of a pitcher; not really a hard thrower, has a lot of breaking pitches, etc. The essence of Kennedy's game is control. And we all know what happens when a pitcher has control issues. If Kennedy looks terrible, we'll know he's not ready and Moose will more than likely make the next start he can be penciled in for. If Kennedy comes on and looks sharp, well, then Moose better pack a toothbrush...cause he'll be somewhere sitting down for a long time.

@ Detroit      W(7-2)      72-57     6.5GB     2GB Wild Card

Only 33 games left in the regular season ladies and gentlemen.

Wang won his second straight start against the Tigers tonight, going 8 innings and only giving up 5 hits, 2 earned, and 2 BB, while striking out 6.  He was sharp tonight and kept himself out of trouble most of the game. This is the Wang you hope for every single start; he kept himself under control, never lost his composure after a hit or walk, and protected the lead his teammates gave him. He did have a moment in the 5th where he threw a wild pitch that Inge scored on though. Sometimes that sinker gets the better of him, I've seen that happen several times this year. He'll get in a little trouble, maybe bothered by a baserunner, and suddenly the sinker is only 57 feet. But normally with Wang you get that stoic composure, and that's what makes him such a reliable pitcher.

Matsui doubled in the first two runs of the game, Johnny Damon then managed a 412-foot bomb in the 3rd (and believe me, a 412-foot homer for Damon is a bomb), and Melky sealed it with a base-clearing triple in the 6th, which Damon followed with a triple of his own to make it 7. They really took it to Bonderman, who was pretty efficient for the most part tonight, until the Yanks got him for 4 in the 6th. The lead was apparently so comfortable that Brian Bruney didn't even walk anyone when he pitched the 9th.  For a guy that has walked 30 batters in 43 innings, he must have felt REALLY comfortable.

It was a good way to bounce back after last night's loss, where Sean Henn gave up a game-winning hit in an extra-inning game for the second time in 4 games. This guy just can't catch a break; he gets the first out, gives up hit, catches the guy in a rundown, then gives up a hit to Sean Casey, then a half-swing bloop hit to Ordonez, and then a 3-run golfshot homer to Carlos Guillen. What can I say? They managed to rebound and looked strong tonight in the process.They need to push hard these next two games so they're focused next week when ManRam and his traveling circus come to the Bronx.

Outlook for the Home Stretch

This is going to be one difficult month of baseball. I know the schedule gets easier and everything, but there are several reasons why a perfect storm of focus and luck is paramount if the Yankees hope to be playing in October. I know we Purveyors of Pinstripolous would give an arm, leg, small child, plasma tv, car, house, life insurance policy, or even wife for the Yankees to catch Boston in the division. I know this. But we have to acknowledge how much more important making the playoffs is than simply catching Beantown. The Yankees need to get in, period, and something is happening right now that Yankee fans aren't used to.

Other teams really want to make it too. The Mariners are playing the best baseball I've seen them play in a long time. Mind you I have no idea how the hell they are doing it. All of a sudden, they're an offensive behemoth, and are currently the only foe standing between the Yankees and the Wild Card. Their stellar play even has them threatening the Angels, and if you combine the AL West race with the AL Central race, any one of the top 2 teams in those divisions could be the winner, and thus, any could be the Wild Card. Plus with Boston, their pitching is literally the glue that has kept them from losing streaks (which are what the Yankees need most from them). The Yankees have all that to compete with, which makes the gruesome April and May efforts more haunting. Think about it this way:  If the Yankees won only 2 more games in April and 2 more games in May, they would be 76-53 and only 2.5 behind Boston right now.

And even though the Yankees are playing good baseball right now, and they truly are, other teams are playing up to par as well. It will be extremely interesting to see who can keep it together in September.

You wonder if Mike Mussina is going to show that he can still pitch in the Majors. He's showing that age more now than ever, and if he doesn't figure it out quickly, he might lose his job. I know you can't assume that he'll be thrown in the bullpen or sent to the minors, the guy is a veteran, but if he keeps getting bombed or near-bombed every single game, he'll force somebody's hand.

I feel confident right now because they're in every game, every night, and they're making things happen to put themselves in position to win. if it's not a timely hit, it's a guy advancing to third on a grounder. Or it's a two-out single to score a guy from second, or a 3-run bomb to tie the game. And the pitchers are holding their own for the most part as well. You can't ask for guys to throw gems every night, they just have to give you a shot to win. That's all you can ask for. This is all as distant from April and May as possible, they're playing like they're supposed to.

With 33 games left, there's still a pretty big mountain staring them in the face. But, there's 6 games against Boston and 3 more against Seatlle. It can be done.  If they can catch Boston, fantastic, if not, let's get the Wild Card. Either way, it's a shot in the dance, a ball in the lottery. It's all about getting in...that's what she said.  But seriously, the fact that there is an actual playoff race of this magnitude in the AL is pretty exciting, and should make for one heck of a September.

Vick Going for Two-Count Conversion

With Michael Vick's pending decision as to whether he will fight for his innocence in a courtroom or get sacked for a loss of at least 365 days, his ever-shrinking fan club has to be feeling like a frightened turtle. We all know it's "innocent until proven guilty" right? Problem for Vick is that he's dealing with 4th down and long while the opposition has too many prosecutors, witnesses, federal laws and statutes on the field. They've got him by the "collar" ladies and gentlemen. He once outran the Packers, but boy those cops always seem to have the angle don't they?

Whether you're a dog lover and you hate him, support him as a fan, feel as though he's being targeted racially, or now have a more legitimate reason to hate him than before, we all need to agree on one thing: This guy is an idiot.

How does a man put himself in this situation? Let's say he's innocent, even if only for this blog, just to analyze some of the most spectacular moronic behavior I've witnessed since....well....Pacman Jones. And we thought he was dumb! Vick makes Pacman look like Stephen Hawking without the wheelchair. By simply putting himself in this situation, even if he's innocent, is a dog-gone shame. Seriously. For those of us familiar with athletes who just wanted a chance at the Pros and never got the opportunity, to see a guy with a winning lotto ticket and a lifetime of income just screw the pooch like this, what a buffoon. Sure he couldn't hit the ocean with a golfball, but the man could RUN! He once was a lock to do something amazing on any given Sunday, but now he's plagued by dog day afternoons. Life's a b!tch ain't it Mike?

But before we put Vick in the doghouse maybe we should give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, they don't have any witne...oh yeah, they have enough witnesses to fill the Georgia Dome. But all their testimonies will be dismissed because they just want a lesser sent...oh yeah, Vick's name is on almost every single document relating to the dogfighting operation. Not to mention the parade of witnesses at the ready whom were present at actual dogfights and can place Vick at them, and testimony that he actually, this past April, helped hang dogs and drown the survivors in buckets of water. Vick's defense might as well be a fire hydrant right now; the Feds are going to urinate all over it. The only thing missing is the "Idiot's Guide to Starting Your Own Dogfighting Operation," which he likely misplaced while he was (allegedly) hanging dogs for "underperforming." Domesticated animals are funny that way, they don't really like to fight to the death.

Now, what would be a fair punishment for him if he's guilty? Here's a few:

1) Line him up at the 50, with no offensive line, on the other side of 11 pit bulls that haven't eaten in 24 hours, and see if he can get to the endzone.

2) Lock him in a room with PETA and let him "explain himself."

3) Make him spend 18 months in jail, serve 7 or 8, and then get signed by some team in desperate need of a quarterback.

The first one just seems like more fun than jail time, doesn't it?

Taking a Bite Out of Crime

Yes Michael, it is a dog-eat-dog world and you may soon find yourself in the "people kennel." They say there is a dogfighting subculture in our country, and many people view this sort of thing as the norm; conceding that "they're just dogs." Accordingly, maybe this was Vick's dogma; I would contend that it was a way for him to cope with constantly missing his retrievers on the field. Yet today he finds himself begging his attorneys to throw him a friggin bone, only they are urging him to accept the plea bargain. He's in some serious shih-tzu, and he's got less lead blocks right now than Ronnie Brown.

The situation is truly unfortunate and I, as many of us once did, loved Michael Vick when he was in college and leapt out of my seat whenever he would run past the line of scrimmage. He was the guy you had to outlaw people from using in Madden and an absolute terror on the field. But I was robbed, as all of us were, because he was doing it doggystyle the entire time. You have to feel remorse for Bobby Petrino as well; he could have traded this guy away long ago, but he traded Matt Schaub instead, and is left with Joey Harrington, and his first NFL season has already gone to the dogs.

So what will come of all this? We know Clinton Portis is still extracating his foot from his mouth after his comments about dogfighting. Maybe this garbage will start disappearing. I'll say this about Vick, all jokes aside: If he's guilty of the killings, not simply funding the operation, I hope he gets what he deserves. There is no excuse for that sort of behavior from a human being. I know the things that go on in animal factories are far more atrocious, and our vehement stances for the rights of the one's we deem as "pets" may seem hypocritical at times, but that doesn't erase this issue. My hope is that justice is done for all those dogs that were so senselessly sacrificed. To some they may "just be dogs," but they did nothing to deserve the fate they received, and the sun will shine on a dog's ass before the guilty get away with murder. They may have seen those dogs as losers, but those dogs have already won.

I'll be brief in this tribute, but it's composition was absolutely necessary. I'd like to personally thank Eric Gagne, our Canadian neighbor, who so graciously waived his no-trade clause just so that he could sabotage the Boston Red Sox in the late innings of ball games. Rarely can one find in another human being the courage and heroic determination that has driven Gagne to allow 7 earned in 4 innings and blow a 4-run lead and a 2-run lead in the 8th inning twice in 3 days; which comprise two of only 3 times this season that Boston has blown a lead after the 7th.  My hero. And I will assure you that despite the funny glasses, Eric is no comedian, and he takes pride in his late-inning collapses, as do I.

Thank you Eric, you personally shaved 2 games off of the Boston division lead and have helped the Yankees creep within  4 games. I bow my head in your honor, or honour as Canadians would say, for you have truly shown us you were not worth Joba Chamberlain and/or Melky Cabrera. As if your feats as a Red Sox reliever weren't imrobable enough, you have also made Brian Cashman look wise, an achievement previously viewed as unattainable by scholars and scientists alike. Please keep up the good work Eric, think not of yourself as a saboteur but as a nonconformist. For why should one be confined to holding a lead when everyone knows chicks dig the long ball?

Note:  It's probably safe to say that Gagne will figure it out sooner or later, but watching the supposed genius move from Epstein crumble begs to be poked fun at, doesn't it?  Or, dare I say, that maybe he's actually playing for the Yankees in secret? You still have a 4 game lead Boston, and Tampa comes to town tomorrow, so don't be too hard on my newfound hero.

@ Cleveland     W(6-1)     64-51     5GB      Tied for Wild Card

Phil Hughes can pitch, make no mistake about it. He's not ready to win 20 games yet, or a Cy Young for that matter, but this kid had the biggest game of his life tonight (next to his debut) against a 13-game winner and won. And, by the way, he didn't just slip past them.

Hughes went 6 innings and allowed 4 hits and 1 walk while striking out 6 and allowing just 1 run which came on a seldom homer from Josh Barfield. He was baffling a very good lineup, which was without Travis Hafner, but was still quite potent nonetheless. The movement on his breaking balls was superb, and the kid isn't afraid to go to them when he's behind in the count. Tonight the Indians often knew what was coming, and were still unable to hit it. Coming in, I wondered how he would fair against a good team on the road with that sort of lineup, but the young man was very impressive. He really bounced back from his last start against the Royals.

The question after Hughes' exit, then, was whether the Yankees could hold their lead; enter Joba Chamberlain. I was a big advocate for the keeping of Joba and Melky rather than pursuing Eric Gagne at the trade deadline.  Gagne, by the way, blew a 4-run lead on his own in 1/3 of an inning tonight, costing Boston the game (thanks, Baltimore).  Anyway, Chamberlain entered in the 7th and was throwing smoke. The guy paints corners with high 90s fastballs and sets up a ridiculous change, not to mention a curveball that, as do all his breaking pitches, has late movement. Plus his slider moves in the high 80s, which is just plain unfair to the rest of the world. The Yankees added 2 more insurance runs in the 8th and Torre sent out Joba for another inning, and the young reliever went Emeril and "kicked it up a notch" by striking out the side. The kid is just as advertised.

To recap, a 21 year old starter went 6 innings and a 21 year old reliever bridged the 2 inning gap to get to Mariano Rivera, and no that's not a typo. Sure the kids have very little experience and nothing can be certain, but if they are to become what the Yankees envision, they are off to the right start. It's been a long time since the Yankees got contributions such as these from their farmhands in the middle of the season. Considering what has happened to the pitching staff since 2003, the performances thus far from Phil and Joba are an absolute Godsend.

Fausto Carmona took the mound for the Tribe tonight and he's another young guy that can pitch, but it simply wasn't his night. After A-Rod hit HR number 37 it seemed as thought the Yankees took control. While Carmona wasn't terrible tongiht, the pitching from Hughes really kept the Indians lineup under control.

Along with the team effort tonight, the baseball gods helped the Yankees as well. The Tigers, Mariners, and Red Sox all lost and placed the Yanks in a tie for the Wild Card with Seattle and tied with the Mets for the 6th best record in the Majors. They come a long way to reach this point and while there's still plenty of baseball to play, they are smack in the middle of playoff contention. This tough August stretch may likely be the key to the Yankee season and if Hughes can remain a solid 5th starter and Chamberlain can stay effective out of the bullpen, the Pinstripes might just have all they need to make the playoff push. But none of us can hit the fast forward button, so we've gotta wait. And wait. And wait. And keep on watching.