@ 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.