Yankees baseball blog

A-Rod's designation: 40 HRs

Alex Rodriguez did not start at third base last night for the first time this season, serving as the designated hitter instead and he hit a Yankee milestone in the process. Joe Torre made the change because A-Rod is suffering from a strained right groin, an injury which could keep him from playing the field for "a day or two," according to the manager. Rodriguez, who said he "felt something pop" in his groin when he charged in to field a bunt on Monday night, did not appear too worried about the injury, though he admitted he had never dealt with anything similar in the past. Continue

Moose will miss Saturday start

The most durable piece of the Yankees' rotation finally broke down yesterday. Mike Mussina, who had been the only one of the Bombers' original five starters not to miss a turn this season, will be held out of his next start with mild inflammation in his right elbow. Neither Mussina nor Joe Torre seemed particularly concerned and both indicated that the righthander's absence would be limited to one start.

Mussina missed 36 games last season with an elbow injury that was first thought to be minor, but he quickly made it clear that this situation "is not last year." In that instance, Mussina hurt himself while batting and felt pain on the outside of his elbow. He wasn't even able to bend his arm and touch his own shoulder. Continue

Yankees suffer setback in Seattle

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. That was the case for Shawn Chacon on Tuesday, as the right-hander suffered his first poor outing since being acquired by the Yankees in late July. Chacon was hit for eight runs on eight hits and four walks in six innings, as the Yankees fell to the Mariners, 8-3, at Safeco Field.

All of the damage came in the second and third innings, as the Mariners jumped out to an 8-2 lead that the Yankees were unable to overcome. "I was behind all night," Chacon said. "Usually, I can throw my breaking balls for strikes, but tonight I couldn't. I didn't make pitches when I needed to, and that was the difference." Continue

Yanks to ring in bell

Mark Bellhorn helped the Red Sox upset the Yankees last fall. Now he'll be on the other side of the rivalry. The former Boston second baseman will clear release waivers today and is expected to join the Yanks here this afternoon. Bellhorn was choosing between the Yankees and A's, but ultimately picked the Bombers, providing a switch-hitting option off the bench as well giving him an experienced reserve infielder. "I'll do whatever they need me to do," Bellhorn told MLB.com. "I can play a lot of positions, I can pinch-run, pinch-hit - whatever they need from me." Continue

Jason takes a shot

Getting a cortisone shot in his left elbow last week helped restore the pop to Jason Giambi's swing and the Yankee slugger said yesterday that he'll probably need another injection in the area sometime this season. Giambi said he has had the shots twice this season - the other time was in May - and added that they typically keep inflammation down for 4-6 weeks; if the Yanks make the playoffs, Giambi might require another shot to keep the tendinitis in his elbow from flaring up at the wrong time. Continue

Giambi leads power surge in Seattle

Giambi homered twice for the second consecutive day, driving in four runs to lead the Yankees to a 7-4 win over the Mariners on Monday. His second blast, a three-run shot in the sixth off Matt Thornton, completed another comeback for the Yankees, who have now won eight games this season in which they trailed by four or more runs.

"We have to worry about winning," Giambi said. "I'm glad that tonight, I came up big. They came in big situations, which is what's most important." New York overcame an ineffective outing from Mike Mussina, who was hit for four runs in three-plus innings. Aaron Small picked up the slack, tossing four innings of one-hit relief, earning the victory to improve to 5-0. Continue

Jason's bat injects life into Stadium faithful

Jason Giambi entered the game yesterday a slumping anvil, a pinstriped weight around the ankles. Then he ripped two homers, knocked in seven runs, and he was once again an inspirational comeback tale, a bedtime story for the kiddies from all over the five boroughs.

It is a lesson for the ages: Never stop rounding the bases. You're always a good guy crossing home plate. Fair or not, this is Giambi's career from here on out at Yankee Stadium, until his unmentionable contract expires in 2008. The grandest jury of them all sits in the Bronx, down the hill from the county courthouse, with four million peers per season. Continue

Yankees continue to 'Grind it' down stretch

The journey has taken 129 games but as they head to Seattle and September, the Yankees are where they want to be - both emotionally and physically. That was evident in yesterday's 10-3 thrashing of the Royals, a team so pathetic they should be disbanded.

The Yankees did what they had to do, sweeping away a far-inferior opponent behind a monster day from Jason Giambi, who blasted two home runs and drove in seven runs. Riding the wave of a cortisone shot to relieve the pain in his left elbow, Giambi reached personal milestones of 1,500 hits and 1,000 RBIs as the Yankees pounded out 15 hits against four Royals pitchers at the Stadium. Continue

Tanyon's not grand, says Joe

Joe Torre wasn't thrilled by the Yankees' relief work yesterday. "I thought we got behind in the count too often," the Yankee manager said. Tanyon Sturtze, Alan Embree and Felix Rodriguez worked the final three innings of the 10-3 rout of Kansas City. Torre singled out Sturtze, who served up a two-run, eighth-inning homer to Mike Sweeney.

"We're just trying to get him back in rhythm a little bit," Torre said. "But he's all over the joint right now. It's like he's overthrowing and he's reaching back. He just needs to smooth it out. "He's throwing the ball good, just smooth it out." About a week ago, Torre said of Sturtze, "He is beat up a bit, but you have to be lucky for him to talk about it." Continue

Giambi's career day lifts Yanks to win

After Jason Giambi hit the first of his two home runs on Sunday, he was greeted in the dugout by manager Joe Torre, accepting congratulations on something that seemed deeper than a three-run jack. "For what?" Giambi asked Torre. "I know I haven't had a hit in a while, but ..."

Giambi broke out of a 4-for-38 slump at the plate with the two home runs and tied a career high with seven RBIs on Sunday, helping the Yankees complete a series sweep of the Kansas City Royals with a 10-3 victory. Continue

Jaret takes 5th, outing in stride

While the Yankees were completing their five-run ninth-inning comeback in yesterday's 8-7 win at the Stadium, starter Jaret Wright was in the clubhouse "doing everything I could to help get those runs across." Whatever Wright contributed from the clubhouse was much more effective than anything he did on the mound. The righthander - making his third start since returning from the disabled list on Aug. 15 - gave up five runs on five hits in the fifth inning to put the Bombers in a 5-3 hole.

"I know Jaret was disappointed," Joe Torre said. "He struggled in the first like last time and then he got out of it. Then the roof caved in." Wright - making his seventh start of the year - said he was drained after a 28-pitch first inning. Continue

Gordon beats bacteria; now battlin' dead arm

Tom Gordon has recovered from a recent intestinal illness, but he's still fighting to overcome a dead arm. Gordon warmed up twice during the Yankees' 5-1 victory over the Royals on Friday night. It takes more time for the setup man to get warmed up than it did earlier this season, and Gordon was unable to get loose for the ninth inning.

In the home half of the eighth, Bernie Williams hit a two-run blast that turned it into a non-save situation, but Mariano Rivera came in rather than Gordon. "We told him, 'Don't force it,' " Joe Torre said before yesterday's 8-7 victory over the Royals. If there's any silver lining from the illness, it's that Gordon got a chance to rest his arm. He's only pitched once in the Yankees' last eight games. Continue

Lawton delivers in debut

For Matt Lawton, being traded from Pittsburgh to the wild card-contending Cubs was almost like being pardoned out of hell. But coming to the Yankees in the middle of a pennant race? Getting a key hit in their five-run, ninth-inning rally for a thrilling 8-7 win? Heaven must be pinstriped.

"They were really confident. I looked around and [Jorge Posada] said 'Let's score four runs and get this thing over with.' I'm looking at him like 'Man, he definitely believes it.' Watching it all unfold was amazing," Lawton said. "I've watched these guys do that several times. That magic, they definitely have it, and it's great to be a part of it." Continue

Five-run ninth lifts Yanks past Royals

Just when all hope seemed lost, the Yankees pulled another rabbit out of their hat. After putting together just four hits in the first eight innings, New York had five in the ninth, mounting a five-run rally to stun the Royals with an 8-7 victory on Saturday.

Gary Sheffield tied the game with an RBI double in the ninth, setting up Alex Rodriguez's game-winning, walk-off RBI single. It marked the seventh time this season that the Yankees won a game in which they trailed by four or more runs. The Bombers have won five of their last six and seven of their last nine, moving a season-high 16 games over .500. Continue

Yanks deal for ex-Met Lawton

With an outfielder their most pressing need as they try to claw out a playoff berth, the Yankees last night acquired ex-Met Matt Lawton from the Cubs for an A-ball minor league pitching prospect. Lawton, who hit .268 with 11 homers and 49 RBI in 120 games with Chicago and Pittsburgh this season, likely will be plugged into left field with Hideki Matsui moving to center on regular occasions as the Yankees address what has been a problem for them all season long.

According to sources, the deal came down in the middle of last night's 5-1 Yankee win over the Royals, after it had been learned earlier in the day that Lawton had cleared waivers. In all likelihood, this will mean Bernie Williams' primary duties from here on out will be as a designated hitter. "I've watched the World Series in Yankee Stadium. Now I hope to play in one," Lawton said by phone yesterday from Chicago. Continue

Williams back in old form

The Bernie Williams of a month or so ago didn't look too good. His bat had slowed, he seemed to be running in mud in the outfield, and his arm was shot. But now it's getting late in the season and the Yankees' place in the postseason is anything but assured, even as they close in on the Red Sox for the AL East lead and battle to reach the top of the wild-card standings. Continue

Bernie, Big Unit lead Yanks past KC

Randy Johnson has been victimized by one bad pitch (Eduardo Perez's home run) and one really bad inning (four White Sox homers) in his last two starts, resulting in tremendous frustration for the five-time Cy Young winner. Friday night, Johnson made the Royals his victims, dominating Kansas City over eight innings in a 5-1 Yankees victory.

"This is what he's done most of his career," said Yankees manager Joe Torre. "He's still intimidating as far as I'm concerned, and even though the results haven't been what he expected them to be, we know it's still there." Continue

Torre still big on Unit

The faith is still there. Despite the fact he has not won in nearly a month, suffering some glaring flameouts in the process, and that the whispers of doubt have turned into a chorus, Randy Johnson is still surrounded by optimism; there is the belief that the Big Unit will be there when the Yankees need him. "Still believe in my heart of hearts that the big guy is gonna be dynamite down the stretch, Joe Torre said. "It's just that I have a sense that he is very close right now."

He has been tantalizingly close before. In the first three innings against the White Sox on Sunday, Johnson looked like he was on his way back to being his dominating self. He had overcome a balky back and constant tweaking with his mechanics this season. And, until Johnson gave up four home runs in one inning, including three in row, Torre might have been cautiously hoping his ace was back. Continue

Sheff won't lose focus

When Dwight Gooden became a fugitive Monday, Gary Sheffield's life became more complicated again. Nobody would've faulted Sheffield if he left New York to track down his troubled uncle, or even asked for a day off to clear his head. That's unlikely, Joe Torre said yesterday. "He's very proud of his ability to be here for his teammates," the Yankees manager said of Sheffield.

The right fielder snapped an 0-for-11 skid with a three-run, first-inning homer off Toronto lefty Gustavo Chacin yesterday. His shot into the left-field seats washed away the horrible aftertaste of Wednesday night's defeat and sparked a 6-2 victory over Toronto. Continue

Chacon shines again on Big Apple stage

New York seems to be Shawn Chacon's kind of town. The right-hander, who had just one win in 12 starts with the Rockies this season, earned his third win in six starts since joining the Yankees, leading New York to a 6-2 win over the Blue Jays on Thursday afternoon. "This was a grind; I didn't really feel like I had anything today, as far as command of my pitches," Chacon said. "I made a few good pitches when I needed to, but overall, I wouldn't say I had my good stuff today." Chacon allowed two runs on six hits, striking out six in the victory. He survived four walks, two hit batsmen and two bases-loaded jams, improving to 3-1 with the Yankees. Continue

Joe wild about divisional race

When Joe Torre suggested in August of 1997 that the Yankees should focus on trying to win the wild card instead of catching the pulling-away Orioles in the AL East, he was harshly criticized by George Steinbrenner for conceding the division too early.

So the manager was understandably diplomatic in discussing the wild-card chase yesterday. With the Red Sox 3-1/2 games up on the Yanks entering last night and the Bombers holding a percentage-points lead for the wild card (they later fell into a virtual three-way tie), Torre was asked if he would take the wild-card spot right now. Continue

Fifth inning dooms Mussina

Mike Mussina had been the rock of the Yankees' rotation over the past three months, throwing at least six innings in 14 of his past 15 starts. Wednesday night, the Blue Jays picked up that rock and threw it around Yankee Stadium.

Toronto used a nine-run fifth inning -- the biggest frame by a Yankees opponent this season -- to win its first game of the series, taking a 9-5 decision from New York. "You have to find ways to prevent the big innings and minimize damage," Mussina said. "I didn't do that today." Continue

Former Unit coach hired by Bombers

For almost 30 minutes yesterday, Randy Johnson spoke with pitching expert Joe Kerrigan at his locker. Kerrigan, the former Boston pitching coach and manager recently hired by the Yankees, was Johnson's Double A and Triple A pitching coach in the Montreal organization in the late 1980s. GM Brian Cashman said yesterday that Kerrigan was hired to "tighten up" the team's advance scouting, but Kerrigan doesn't have a title.

Speculation has already begun that Kerrigan will replace Mel Stottlemyre as pitching coach next season, since Stottlemyre has once again said he'll retire after this year. After a Sunday start in which he served up four homers in one inning, Johnson has been searching for answers. "I think that was just an aberration," Kerrigan said before last night's 5-4 victory over Toronto. "I know it's not supposed to happen for somebody as great as Randy Johnson. It can happen to anybody in this game of baseball. And I'm sure him and Mel will figure it out. Mel's a great pitching coach. Continue

Mariano shakes off blown save

Mariano Rivera wasn't happy with the way the top of the ninth inning finished last night, but after allowing a run for the fourth time in his last seven appearances, the Yankee closer wasn't particularly shaken, either.

That was mostly because the Blue Jays didn't exactly knock him around. An infield hit, a swinging bunt and a single to shallow left gave the Jays a short-lived 4-3 lead before the Bombers rallied in the bottom of the inning, leaving Rivera to simply shrug his shoulders. "You make pitches and sometimes they hit them," he said. "The ball didn't leave the infield, hardly.... That's the game. You can't tell what's going to happen." Continue

Matsui, Escalona lift Yanks past Jays

Standing at Felix Escalona's locker in the Yankees' clubhouse, there's something not quite right. His jersey is hanging in the correct place, his spikes are where they should be, even his glove sits neatly on the shelf. But the name plate, it just isn't right. It reads: "ESCOLONA"

Spell it any way you want, the only letter that mattered to the utility infielder on Tuesday night was "W," as he lifted the Yankees to a 5-4 win over the Blue Jays with a bases-loaded walk-off single. "It's amazing, man," said Escalona, whose 200th big-league at-bat can surely be called his most memorable. "I can't explain it. It's just great, especially doing it for the first time with the Yankees." Continue

Getting wild at last

  A funny thing will happen this morning when the Yankees sleepily greet the day and snap open their morning newspapers. It might even surprise them, since their ears are still ringing from the full-bore Randy Johnson Panic, and still burning from the Torre Tirade following the Tampa Tumult. But there it will be: the American League standings.

Specifically, the American League wild-card standings. And there they will be: in a flat-footed tie with the Athletics atop the list, a couple of percentage points ahead of the Indians. With more than a month of baseball left, the Yankees are Right There, despite all the horrors, all the terrors, all the spasms of haplessness. Continue

Yankees open series the Wright way

Maybe Jaret Wright was just sick of palm trees. Between Spring Training and a lengthy rehab assignment in Tampa, followed by last week's first start after returning from the disabled list at Tropicana Field, the majority of the 29-year-old's season has been spent in the state of Florida. Wright celebrated his return to skyscrapers, gridlock and Yankee Stadium in style, cruising through seven scoreless innings Monday as the Yankees opened their homestand with a 7-0 shutout of the Blue Jays. Continue

No answers for unit

This was a day when Randy Johnson could have made all of New York believe again. With a dominant, Big Unit-like start, the Yankees could have swept the White Sox with their best pitching series of the season, and suddenly the idea of an October without baseball in the Bronx would not seem like such a real possibility.

Instead, here was Johnson, sitting in the visitors' clubhouse yesterday, shaking his head in disbelief over the four home runs the White Sox hit off him in the fourth inning. Seven shutout innings had been rendered irrelevant by six runs in the fourth inning, and Johnson was trying to make sense of it. "Have you guys ever seen anything like it?" he asked reporters in something of a hopeful tone after the 6-2 loss to the White Sox. Continue

Torre catches A-Rod's back

Alex Rodriguez rubs a lot of people the wrong way, and the most recent group to take issue with him is the White Sox. A-Rod was at the center of some testiness between the Yanks and Chisox during Saturday's game, and Joe Torre defended his star before yesterday's series finale.

"A-Rod (ticks) everybody off, because there's a lot of jealously involved," Torre said. "He makes the game look so easy, he plays very hard, and it's something he has to live with. I don't think he sticks it in anybody's face, because that's not his personality. It's just something that's going to follow him around." Continue

Giambi's strength coach splits

Jason Giambi had a tough weekend. His hitting slump stretched to 0-for-20, he fouled a ball off his right calf and his strength and conditioning coach split. Bobby Alejo, who has helped train Giambi since they met in 1993, left Jason yesterday to become the strength and conditioning coach at Cal-Santa Barbara. He starts Sept. 1. "I am going to miss him because I had a routine with him. Then when I came here I had to change the routine," said Giambi, who was told by the Yankees following the 2002 season that Alejo wouldn't be allowed in the clubhouse, weight room or batting cages. "He has been around a long time. I talk about a lot of things with him, about hitting and the game. He is one of my best friends and it will be difficult, but I have to finish the season." Continue

Big Unit makes history in loss

For three innings, it looked like Randy Johnson was on his way to his finest outing of the season. One inning later, he was Bill Fulton. For those of you who may not know who Fulton is, he pitched three games for the Yankees in 1987. In one of those games, he allowed back-to-back-to-back home runs against the Blue Jays. No Yankees pitcher had matched that dubious feat since then. Until Sunday, that is.

Johnson allowed three consecutive solo home runs in the fourth inning, then a three-run shot just three batters later, as the White Sox salvaged the finale of the three-game series with a 6-2 victory over the Yankees. Continue

Picking Yanks apart

I wish I could say I had the courage in April to predict that the Yankees might miss the playoffs. I can say I interviewed someone who did, but that's about it. "I have them at 87 wins," said Joe Sheehan of Baseball Prospectus.

That was on April 4, when few had the foresight or nerve to suggest that George Steinbrenner, the pinstriped emperor, might not have any clothes. But unlike fans and much of the mainstream media, sabermetricians aren't blinded by loyalty or history. They see the numbers. So what do they see now? Close your eyes, Yankees fans. "I see the Yankees missing out by maybe a game or two," said Will Carroll of BP. Continue

A-Rod bat the answer

So now we know it's not only the Red Sox who don't care for Alex Rodriguez. Yesterday the White Sox made it clear they feel the same way, as none other than El Duque Hernandez threw what looked like a purpose pitch behind A-Rod's back in his first at-bat, prompting an umpire's warning to both teams. It could make for great October intrigue, if these teams meet in the playoffs.

Or it could make for great intrigue when these teams meet in the series finale today. After the White Sox lost to the Yankees for the second straight day and then got blasted by manager Ozzie Guillen, Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski hinted at the possibility of fireworks. "We have no fight right now," Pierzynski said after the 5-0 loss. "Maybe we need to get in a fight or something. Do something to get us going." Continue

Slumping Giambi out with bruise

Extending his slump to 0-for-20 wasn't the worst part of Jason Giambi's day. After striking out looking and getting into a rare beef with home plate umpire Larry Vanover, Giambi left the Yankees' 5-0 win over the White Sox yesterday with a bruised right calf that likely will keep him out of today's tilt. "The way he was limping after the game I would say he is doubtful for [today]," manager Joe Torre said of Giambi. "Tony [Womack] will play and I will DH [Gary Sheffield]."

Giambi, who wasn't taken for tests, wasn't available after the game, but Torre sensed a level of frustration because the DH never argues with umpires. "He is frustrated," Torre said of Giambi, who pointed his finger at Vanover. "He thought he was called out on a bad ball and he hasn't gotten many hits lately."  Continue

Chacon, Yankees shut out White Sox

About an hour before Saturday's game against the White Sox, Shawn Chacon sat at a table in the Yankees' clubhouse at U.S. Cellular Field and chatted with Mike Mussina. Mussina, who tossed seven solid innings against Chicago on Friday night, was doing his best to educate Chacon on the hitters he would be facing, giving him his insight on each player's strengths and weaknesses.

"We went over what we did last time and what happened [Friday]," Mussina said, referring to the series in New York earlier this month. "They sent the same nine guys up there as they did [Friday], so it was just a quick review." Continue

Bombers: It's on us, not Joe

The best way for the Yankee players to support Joe Torre is to play better. Rip off 15 wins in 20 games, and Torre's job security won't be back-page news. Until then, the issue lingers in the Yankees' universe like a dense smog. And since George Steinbrenner, who started the speculation by second-guessing Torre's decisions, has been mum when asked about Torre's security, it now has legs.

Everywhere but inside the Yankees' clubhouse, that is. Informed the issue was dominating the news at home, the players were surprised and rushed to Torre's defense. Continue

Smoking Joe rips Bombers

Joe Torre has a reputation for being unflappable, unemotional and perpetually calm. Most of the time, those characterizations are true. But not always. After the Yankees lost their second straight game to the Devil Rays Wednesday night, Torre erupted.

The manager held yet another closed-door meeting with his players and angrily shed his public persona, according to several people present, loudly taking his players to task for about five minutes. It was, in the words of one person with knowledge of the meeting, "as hot as he's been. He was not messing around." Continue

Moose devours White Sox

With the pennant races quickly sprinting toward September and rumors swirling about Joe Torre's job security, the Yankees found themselves at U.S. Cellular Field on Friday night, playing the first of three games against the White Sox, who boast the best record in the American League. New York responded with a solid effort, getting a stellar outing from Mike Mussina and a gritty performance from the lineup against Cy Young candidate Jon Garland. All of that translated into a 3-1 win over the White Sox, as the Yankees snapped a two-game losing streak. Continue

Joe vs. the volcano

EVENTUALLY, all these things come home to roost. Maybe Joe Torre believed he was going to be granted immunity from the insanity. Maybe he figured the high times would be endless, the championships boundless, and therefore he would be able to bludgeon all of George Steinbrenner's ghosts with boxes of World Series rings.

For a while there, after all, it looked as if he just might do that. "Look, we all have bosses, I understand that. They're allowed to know and do and ask whatever they want. I can't be concerned until something happens I think isn't right. But I'm not looking for potholes." Continue

Leiter no lock for next start

Late Wednesday night, Joe Torre was asked if Al Leiter was going to start Tuesday against the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. "I am not sure, Mel [Stottlemyre] did the next series, but that's the way they line up," Torre said of Leiter, who went 51/3 innings, allowed three runs, two hits and five walks Wednesday night. He is 3-3 as a Yankee.

"I am not sure, I haven't talked to [Torre and Stottlemyre]," GM Brian Cashman said yesterday when asked if Leiter was starting Tuesday. After Wednesday's crushing 7-6 loss to the Devil Rays, Stottlemyre said Randy Johnson will start Sunday against the White Sox and Jaret Wright will go Monday against the Blue Jays, but the Yankees pitching coach didn't say whether Leiter would start Tuesday. Continue

Yanks need relief

Mariano Rivera, who has blown two saves in the last five days, met with Joe Torre and Mel Stottlemyre and asked to be used again last night if a save situation arose against the Devil Rays. But others in the bullpen might not be feeling as fine, though the pitchers are reluctant to admit it. Torre said Tanyon Sturtze and Tom Gordon were both feeling tired.

"I'm not sure he's fine," Torre said of Sturtze. Gordon did not pitch last night and Torre said Sturtze was "muscling it, trying to generate a little more velocity. He's been a little bit achy, like pitchers are this time of year. We've had this before and they've pitched through it. Continue

Yanks are tossing chances away

Yankee players watched in the afternoon as the Tigers defeated the Red Sox and rejoiced as the Orioles completed a sweep of the A's. They left the clubhouse stoking each other about opportunity and spent last night giving it away. The AL East and wild card are there for the Yankees, but so are all of their problems. They cannot hold on to leads. They cannot beat the Devil Rays. They have an untrustworthy bullpen. They have a second baseman who too often puts style over substance.

Rather than move one-half game behind in the wild-card race and draw within 31/2 of the Red Sox, the Yankees again suffered an unforgivable loss, this one 7-6 with the disapproving George Steinbrenner in attendance. They followed up an encouraging four-game sweep of the Rangers by losing two of three to the last-place Devil Rays. The Yanks are now 4-9 against Tampa. If they were 9-4, the Yanks would be in first place. Continue

Leiter solid, but Yanks drop series

For a second consecutive night, the Yankees had a win over the Devil Rays well within their grasp. And for a second consecutive night, New York watched its bullpen give it away in the late innings. On Tuesday, it was Mariano Rivera. On Wednesday, it was Tanyon Sturtze who allowed Tampa Bay to rally late, as the Rays took a 7-6 decision from the Yankees, winning the rubber match of the three-game series.

This loss was even more damaging, as the Yankees took the field knowing that the American League East-leading Red Sox and Wild Card-leading A's had already lost, giving the Bombers a chance to pick up a game in both races. Continue

Unit happy back is no longer sore

The Yankees were blue over their loss to Tampa Bay last night, but one development was cause for cheer in their clubhouse - Randy Johnson's back did not bother him during his seven-inning stint. "Healthwise, I think he was pretty excited about the way he felt," Joe Torre said. Johnson had not pitched since Aug. 6 because of his bothersome back, but when asked if he thought he was over any problems, Johnson said, "I'd like to think so."

He allowed five hits and two runs in seven innings. He struck out seven and walked two, throwing 96 pitches (67 strikes). The Rays loaded the bases in the first inning, but Johnson got a double-play grounder to end the threat. He seemed to get better until tiring in the sixth. Continue

Weary Mariano needs more help from teamates

THE bases were loaded, no one was out, the Yankees had their 2-3-4 hitters due up and a three-run lead already, and the Devil Rays were warming up Tim Corcoran. This is not where the Yankees put away last night's game at Tropicana Field. "That is where we lost it," Alex Rodriguez said. In a season of too many intolerable defeats — so many they might keep the Yankees out of the playoffs — put last night's 4-3, 11-inning crippler right near the top. "This one hurt," A-Rod conceded. Continue

Yanks pounce first, can't hold on

After a long season, the Yankees rotation appears to be working itself back into shape just in time for the stretch run. Now, if they can just get the bullpen back in order, things would be perfect for the Bombers. One night after watching Jaret Wright make a successful return from the disabled list, the Yankees saw Randy Johnson shake off a bad back to throw seven solid innings of two-run ball against the Devil Rays.

But Mariano Rivera blew his second save in his last three opportunities, then Alan Embree and Scott Proctor combined to give up the game-winning run in the 11th as Proctor walked Jonny Gomes with the bases loaded to give Tampa Bay a 4-3 win in 11 innings over New York. Continue

Pavano sore over lost season

A glum Carl Pavano said yesterday he was trying to move past the disappointment of his ruined season as he visited with Joe Torre and the Yankees for the first time since the Yanks said Pavano likely would not pitch again this season. Pavano has been resting and rehabbing his injured right shoulder, which is bothered by tendinitis, and he said he hoped he could pitch again this year. But he didn't sound like someone who expected that to happen and the Yankees don't expect it, either. Continue

A-Rod's leader of the pack

Alex Rodriguez learned last year the devilish exchange of being a Yankee in this era. There are riches and fame, but also a level of expectation that can overwhelm even one of the greatest players ever.

Rather than a championship and a parade, A-Rod's inaugural Yankee season will be best remembered for slaps — the one he took at Bronson Arroyo, and all of those the Red Sox took at him. He was central to the Yanks' historic ALCS collapse against Boston, and by the magnitude of his contract and the messy way in which he arrived in The Bronx — leaving disappointment in Texas and New England — Rodriguez became the face of failure. Continue

Yankees all Wright against Rays

When Jaret Wright walked off the mound in the sixth inning on April 23 at Yankee Stadium, he knew only one thing for sure: His shoulder wasn't right. Wright didn't know what exactly was wrong with his arm, and he certainly didn't know when -- or if -- he would take the mound again in a Major League game. What he did know was that he would work as hard as he could, and wherever that took him, he could live with that.

"I thought my downfall might be that I'd throw until my arm falls off," said Wright, who was placed on the disabled list with inflammation and torn scar tissue in his shoulder. "Coming out of that game was a definite low point. I didn't know if I'd be able to throw again or how it would play out." Continue

Bombers need to have the Wright stuff

He was called The Kid back then, and while his birth certificate confirmed his youth, Jaret Wright possessed a cobra's demeanor and a javelin thrower's arm. He was all spitfire and gristle, a rookie pitcher for Cleveland who snapped off fastballs in the high 90s and twice beat the Yankees in the 1997 playoffs. It was Wright's firm belief that the inside of the plate belonged to him, and woe to the batter who crowded too close. His mound mannerisms - spiteful glares, cocky dares - were nearly as nasty as the pitches that sailed high and inside, buzzing foreheads and creating enemies. Continue

Yanks don't need Randy's relief in blowout

Fans were treated to an unusual sight in the eighth inning of yesterday's game - Randy Johnson warming up in the bullpen. According to Joe Torre, it was more than just Johnson throwing a side session in preparation for his start tomorrow. Yes, the Big Unit was the Yankees' closer yesterday. "We weren't thinking about it," Torre said, "but he came in (Saturday) and planted the seed. I seem to remember him sneaking out of the pen in a Game 7 (in the 2001 World Series) to put the finishing touches on us." Continue

Eight is enough

Shawn Chacon did something yesterday he hadn't done since the first month of the season: He won a game. Chacon earned his first victory as a Yankee yesterday in a rain-delayed 10-3 marathon at the Stadium, snapping a personal eight-game losing streak.

"Today was a perfect day for the offense to pick me up," Chacon said. "I know I've been pitching well, but I think today felt better because I didn't really have great stuff today and kind of had to battle my way through it. The offense picked me up big-time today." Continue

Yankees sweep Rangers from Bronx

Hideki Matsui twisted his body, angling his neck and trying to coax his drive around the right-field foul pole. The question wasn't the distance, it was simply a matter of fair or foul. "I thought it was going foul," Matsui said.

But it wasn't, and as the fair ball landed in the upper deck -- cashing a three-run home run for Matsui -- raindrops seemed to instantly shower the outfielder's helmet, setting the tone for the rest of the afternoon. Matsui's fifth-inning drive off sidearming reliever Brian Shouse gave the Yankees the lead, while Alex Rodriguez also homered in an 10-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Sunday. Continue

A-Rod blasts past DiMaggio

The Yankees don't usually measure their home runs. But this was no ordinary one. Yesterday, Alex Rodriguez hit a third-inning homer that traveled an estimated 485 feet, soaring beyond the Rangers' bullpen and into the emergency runway between the bleachers and the left-field stands. It was among the longest home runs at Yankee Stadium in recent memory, long enough for the Yankees to dust the cobwebs off their rulers. It was perhaps the most impressive of the slugger's career.

"Probably the best ball I ever hit," said Rodriguez, who now has 415 lifetime round-trippers, 38th on the all-time list. "One of those balls where you hit it like that every five years." Continue

Moose out fast after long day

Mike Mussina threw 104 pitches on a day the temperature on the field at Yankee Stadium felt about that high and he appeared out of gas in the eighth inning when he gave up a two-run home run to Kevin Mench that helped the Rangers force the Yankees into extra innings.

But Mussina was nowhere to be found after the Yankees' 7-5, 11-inning win, darting to the parking lot before addressing the media following a no-decision start. Mussina left the game after Mench sent his 0-0 pitch over the right-field wall. Tom Gordon got the Yanks out of the eighth, but Mariano Rivera allowed Texas to tie it in the top of the ninth. Aaron Small (4-0) pitched the 11th and was credited with the win. Continue

Small the 'Wild card' in Joe's deck

Aaron Small didn't throw his normal side session yesterday, following the path Shawn Chacon blazed on Friday night. Small, who will start on Tuesday if Randy Johnson is unable to pitch, instead worked the final frame of the Yankees' 7-5, 11th-inning victory over Texas. The 33-year-old righty, whom manager Joe Torre now deems the team's pitching "wild card," worked a scoreless 11th, but will able to go on Tuesday in St. Petersburg against the Devil Rays if Johnson's back acts up. Continue

Bernie's blast propels Yanks

Bernie Williams' morning started with a flat tire but rapidly improved, finally ending with a game-winning, extra-inning home run. After being held up on his way to Yankee Stadium by an automobile mishap, Williams atoned for the delay by getting his teammates out of the stadium as quickly as possible.

Williams blasted the first pitch he saw from reliever Kameron Loe for a two-run homer in the bottom of the 11th inning Saturday, lifting the Yankees to a 7-5 victory over the Texas Rangers. Williams' ninth home run of the season also bailed out closer Mariano Rivera, who blew a two-run lead in the ninth inning -- the first time Rivera was unable to close out a game in 31 opportunities since April 6. Continue

For Boss, no letup on Torre

George Steinbrenner sank his teeth into Joe Torre on Tuesday, criticizing the manager's maneuvers in the Yankees' loss to the White Sox. Now it seems he has no intention of letting go. Steinbrenner made it obvious yesterday that Torre still is very much in his crosshairs.

On arriving at the Stadium for last night's game against Texas, he was asked about the possibility of acquiring another pitcher. He quickly turned the topic to Torre and his high-priced contract. "How many pitchers can I keep getting?" Steinbrenner said as he walked into the ballpark. "I'm paying my manager $6 million a year to handle it. "He'll handle it." Continue

Unit back on track

As Randy Turns took another twist yesterday. Roughly 60 minutes after Joe Torre said Randy Johnson "probably wouldn't pitch Tuesday," the manager said the result of a discussion with Johnson had put the left-hander on track to do exactly that. "He said he will prepare as if he pitched [Thursday]," Torre said of Johnson, who is nursing an inflamed lumbar spine. "Which means Tuesday. If something comes up, we have alternatives." That would be Aaron Small, whose spot in the rotation is being taken by Jaret Wright Monday night in St. Petersburg. Continue

Leiter, Yanks get hard-earned win

After three innings of Friday night's three-and-a-half hour marathon between the Yankees and Rangers, each starting pitcher had allowed five runs, and it seemed like the two teams would be at Yankee Stadium all night. But the Yankees' bullpen -- operating without the services of Mariano Rivera and Tom Gordon -- produced four solid innings in relief of Al Leiter, helping New York to a 6-5 win over Texas.

"Our two best relievers weren't pitching today, so everybody wanted to step up and do their job," said Shawn Chacon, who threw a scoreless eighth inning despite being Sunday's starting pitcher. "We knew it was going to be up to the bullpen to come in and salvage everything. We got it done, which was huge." Continue

Time for boss to pipe down

THE moment Alan Embree al lowed hits to the first two batters he faced after relieving Scott Proctor in the sixth inning last night, you began looking for the hook. Not the one from Joe Torre on the left-hander, whose work has been erratic at best and insufficient at worst in his two weeks in The Bronx after being cut loose by the Red Sox.

Not that hook. But rather the one on Torre himself from George Steinbrenner, who made it perfectly clear immediately following Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the White Sox — to which Embree contributed a ninth-inning insurance home run that — as owner and all, he has no qualms whatsoever about publicly second-guessing his manager. That hook. Continue

Old guard gets it done for Yanks

David Dellucci crushed the Yankees all night -- until he came up against Mariano Rivera, that is. Rivera, pitching one night after taking the loss against the White Sox, recorded a four-out save to give the Yankees a 9-8 win over the Rangers on Thursday.

The closer's biggest out came in the eighth, when he got Dellucci -- who was 4-for-4 with two homers to that point -- to pop out to Jorge Posada in foul territory with the bases loaded, preserving the one-run lead. "Mariano will bring a few people back to earth," said manager Joe Torre. "We needed to win this game," Rivera said. "If you score nine runs, you should win." Continue

Pavano's likely done for season

First he was out for one start. Then he was out for about a month. And then he was out indefinitely. Now it appears Carl Pavano is out for the rest of the season. The Yankees announced yesterday that the righthander with the ailing shoulder would need "a minimum of six weeks" before he could return. Two days of tests by noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews of Birmingham, Ala., revealed that Pavano has rotator cuff tendinitis and associated arm pain. Continue

Big Unit could miss more than one start

Randy Johnson's back hadn't caused him to miss a start this season until earlier this week. Now it appears it will cost him two. GM Brian Cashman said yesterday the Big Unit will probably need an extra day or two of rest to get over the inflammation in his spine that is keeping him out of today's outing against the Rangers. Although Johnson is slated to pitch next on Tuesday in Tampa, Cashman said, "my gut is (he'll pitch) sometime past next Tuesday. We want to do it right and get it right." Continue

Amazon Aaron now reduced to small role

IF, after only eight runs and 22 hits over 27 innings, the pitching-desperate Yankees aren't quite convinced Aaron Small is for real, we suggest they pitch him next week in St. Petersburg, then six days later and another six days after that, just to see if they wake up in playoff position.

"Small is the most flexible to do things with," said Joe Torre after announcing Jaret Wright would return Monday. Randy Johnson, back permitting, would pitch Tuesday. Small might prove valuable to the team in relief, presumably the long kind in relief of Wright. "Look at [Ramiro] Mendoza, how much he meant to our ballclub after we got [Hideki] Irabu," said Torre. Continue

Calm Torre sidesteps boss blast

Joe Torre is picking his battles, and he chose not to go toe-to-toe with George Steinbrenner over Tuesday night's 2-1 loss to the White Sox. But just wait until the season ends. "I'm not pleased with the manager," Steinbrenner said late Tuesday.

"The reason I'm not going to address what Mr. Steinbrenner said is because I'm going to address it at the end of the season," Torre responded yesterday morning. "So keep a list of the things you want to ask me, and at the end of the season I'll come up with answers." After the Yankees lost 2-1 Tuesday, The Boss questioned Torre's decision to allow lefty Alan Embree to face Paul Konerko in the ninth inning. Continue

Yankees drop finale in 10

Given the Yankees' pitching problems over the past few weeks, it's safe to assume that New York would have been very happy to hold the White Sox to six runs over three games. Of course, the Bombers probably didn't expect to score just five runs themselves, dropping two of those three games.

But that's precisely what happened, as Chicago handed New York a second consecutive 2-1 loss on Wednesday afternoon, this time in 10 innings. "Normally, good pitching will stop good hitting," said manager Joe Torre. "We saw that in this series on both sides, a 3-2 and a couple of 2-1 games. Nobody tore the cover off the balls." Continue

Yanks turn to Proctor for Big start

If it were October, you can bet that Joe Torre would be sending Randy Johnson out for his scheduled start tomorrow. But Torre knows that to get his team to October for an 11th straight season, he needs more than one big start from his Big Unit. So the Yankees manager decided yesterday to skip Johnson in the rotation and give his troublesome back an extra five days to heal. The Yankees will start Scott Proctor in tomorrow's series against the Texas Rangers. "I just thought it was best to be safe," Torre said. "If it's October we give him the ball and he pitches. . . . To try to get him as comfortable as he can be is probably the safest thing." Continue