Yankees baseball blog

No party hats yet

The last time the Yankees felt this good about themselves, they were reveling prematurely at Fenway Park. Eleven months ago, the Yankees were on the brink of both the World Series and extending The Curse to an 87th year. They led the ALCS 3-0 and they led Game 4 in the ninth inning. It turned out the Yanks were on the brink of the greatest collapse in sports history.

Now here they are, fully righted in 2005 after the dismay of 2004. The Yankees won for the 15th time in 18 games last night, defeating the Orioles 8-4. They have an MVP co-favorite in Alex Rodriguez, a Cy Young candidate in Mariano Rivera and possibly the Comeback Player of the Year in Jason Giambi, who hit a three-run, first-inning homer yesterday that set the tone and possibly is still in the air. They have a bunch of Cinderellas, notably Aaron Small, who with another strong 6Ò innings became the first pitcher to begin his Yankee career 10-0. Continue

'Cinderella' Small secures Yanks' lead

The clock hasn't struck midnight on Aaron Small's Cinderella story just yet. The right-hander's remarkable season continued on Thursday night, as Small improved to 10-0 with 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball to lead the Yankees to an 8-4 win over the Orioles.

The Yankees now head to Fenway Park on Friday with a one-game lead over the Red Sox for first place in the American League East, as they do battle with Boston for three games this weekend. "We have work to do," said manager Joe Torre. "Three games to go and we hold our future in our hands. We couldn't be going in under any better circumstances." Continue

A-Rod not sweating MVP race

Alex Rodriguez says he doesn't care about whether he wins the MVP, but he does have a sense of history. So while A-Rod shrugged off most of the talk about his impending showdown with David Ortiz this weekend, he seemed downright proud to be mentioned alongside a legend. Rodriguez's sixth-inning home run last night was his 47th of the season, setting a record for most by a Yankee righthanded hitter. He passed Joe DiMaggio, who hit 46 in 1937.

A-Rod said he had an opportunity to meet DiMaggio in 1997 at a country club near Miami, but was too nervous to approach the Yankee great. "I'm Joe D's biggest fan," he said. "I've read a lot about his history. I had a chance to meet him and I was too chicken to go up and bother him. To this day, it's one of my biggest regrets." Continue

Bullpen as easy as 1-2-3

There was no heavy metal greeting, not in a building that still technically remains a visitors' ballpark for the Yankees. No Metallica blaring from the public-address speakers. The Sandman would enter to no musical accompaniment, unless you consider the joyful hymns tumbling from the trembling lips of Yankees fans everywhere. Including the 15,000 or so inside Camden Yards.

This is the picture of complete Yankees contentment. This is the warm embrace of a sure thing, and if there's ever been a time when the Yankees have yearned for a sure thing, it is now, with the season soon to be measured in hours, not weeks. So Mariano Rivera got to work. On the first pitch Jay Gibbons saw, Rivera sawed his bat in half, inspiring a meek ground ball to Robinson Cano at second. On the fourth pitch B.J. Surhoff saw, there was an even gentler line drive that settled easily into Cano's glove. Continue

Yanks win, sit alone atop AL East

Less than 24 hours after watching his team implode against the Orioles, Joe Torre met with his players before Wednesday night's game at Camden Yards. His message had little to do with Tuesday's 17-9 loss; instead, he simply wanted to remind his troops that with just five games remaining in the season, there was no time to live in the past.

"He wanted everybody to realize that you can't dwell on one game," said Shawn Chacon, who took the mound trying to restore order for the Yankees. "It wasn't like a rally speech, it was almost a calming one. Continue

Slim pickings out of bullpen

Imagine this: It's the seventh inning on Saturday at Fenway Park and the game is tied at 2. Johnny Damon is on first base and David Ortiz is lumbering toward the plate. Joe Torre walks slowly to the mound and lifts his left hand toward the bullpen. The question is simple: Who comes jogging in?

The short answer is that with just five games left in their season, the Yankees still don't know. Torre was hoping to try out Al Leiter as a situational lefty, but he was forced into long relief yesterday and was erratic in 2-1/3 innings of work. He allowed three runs and two hits, including a home run to lefthanded hitter Jay Gibbons. Continue

Bernie tops Dimaggio on hit list

Lost in the ugliness of last night's 17-9 Yankee loss to the Orioles was the latest Bernie Williams milestone. His fourth-inning single moved him ahead of Joe DiMaggio into fourth place on the Yankees' all-time hit list with 2,215. Mickey Mantle is next at 2,415, and Williams isn't going to get there because this is likely his final season in pinstripes. Lou Gehrig is first with 2,721 and Babe Ruth second at 2,518. (NY Post)

Moose, bullpen have tough night

From the "glass half-full" department, the Yankees didn't lose any ground in the playoff race on Tuesday night. The half-empty portion of the glass, however, was New York's 17-9 loss at the hands of Baltimore, as the Orioles snapped a nine-game losing streak.

Mike Mussina was torched for five runs in 1 2/3 innings, and New York's bullpen was equally ineffective. Eight Yankees pitchers threw 224 pitches, as they allowed 14 hits -- including three home runs -- while tying a season high by issuing nine walks. "We just couldn't pitch," said manager Joe Torre. "We never picked the right guy coming out of the bullpen. Not one thing I did was worth a damn tonight." Continue

Small change: Jaret sits

Jaret Wright seemingly has come back from everything this season, but he finally got knocked out of the Yankees' rotation. Joe Torre announced yesterday that Aaron Small will start Thursday's series finale against the Orioles, taking what would have been Wright's final start of the regular season. Prior to last night's 11-3 drubbing of the O's, Torre said it was an easy decision because there's really only one factor at this point in the calendar: Which pitcher is hotter?

Wright lasted just one-plus inning in his outing on Saturday at the Stadium and Small was not charged with an earned run in 6-2/3 innings after taking over for him. "I just told Jaret the same thing: 'He pitched better than you the last time out,'" Torre said. "We're trying to win games and you just hope you make the right decision." Continue

Advantage A-Rod

Alex Rodriguez's MVP candidacy is currently based on trying to weigh the value of an all-around star against the dramatic, dynamic — yet one-dimensional — wonder that is David Ortiz. A-Rod can sway votes this week, give those casting ballots another reason to bypass all of Ortiz's late magic with the ultimate late magic. Or he can slink his way out of another season, underperforming his great skills.

The Yankees and Red Sox were tied for the AL East lead going into last night and, for all intents and purposes, so were Rodriguez and Ortiz. Nine innings later, both the Yankees and Rodriguez nudged in front of the competition. While the Red Sox were being rained out in Boston, the Yanks capitalized on the dead team walking that is the Orioles, crushing them 11-3 to gain first place with six games left in their season. Continue

Yankees shower runs on O's in opener

he Yankees opened their final week of the regular season with a lengthy rain delay. But once the weather cleared up, the Bombers showered Camden Yards with an offensive explosion. New York pounded Baltimore, 11-3, to take the opener of the four-game series.

The victory moved the Yankees into sole possession of first place by a half-game over the Red Sox in the American League East, as the Boston-Toronto game was rained out at Fenway Park. "If the playoffs are four weeks, it's five weeks for us," said Alex Rodriguez, who drove in three runs. "The playoffs started tonight. We're looking at every game like a must-win." Continue

Bye, bye Bernie?

IT as quite the sendoff Yankee fans gave Bernie Williams yesterday. A standing ovation each at-bat. At least five one-man Roll Calls from the bleachers. A summons from the dugout. The most cathartic roar to ever accompany a fifth-inning infield single.

It was so startlingly big, so grandly heartfelt, what will they do for an encore the next time they say goodbye to Bernie, a week from today at a one-game playoff with the Red Sox, or in the ALCS or World Series, or at New York's absolutely, positively final opportunity, in the Canyon of Heroes? Continue

Cano can do: Rookie's blast lifts Yanks

Robinson Cano and Chien-Ming Wang helped the Yankees bid farewell to the Bronx with clutch performances, as the two rookies led New York to an 8-4 win over Toronto in the regular-season finale at Yankee Stadium. Then, they put on skirts. Wang and Cano were two of the three rookies in the Yankees' clubhouse (Mike Vento was the other) to don cheerleading outfits as part of the annual hazing that accompanies the team's final road trip.

Not that they minded, given the day they had where it counted -- on the field.Wang earned his eighth win with seven solid innings, while Cano's two-run homer in the seventh gave the Yankees a lead they wouldn't surrender. Continue

A-Rod no ordinary Joe

One of the greatest compliments you can pay Alex Rodriguez is that his name fits. It doesn't seem odd or out of place that Rodriguez now sits next to Joe DiMaggio on one of the Yankees' all-time lists. Rodriguez' first inning, two-run homer yesterday was his 46th of the season. In the history of the Yankees, only one other right-handed hitter has hit that many in one year — Joe D. in 1937.

"It's an incredible honor," Rodriguez said after the Yankees' 7-4 loss to the Blue Jays. "Wearing this uniform is something that, when I'm old and gray, is something that I will always remember. Me being such a big fan of Joe DiMaggio, it is just special." Continue

Small consolation for Aaron in relief

As Joe Torre strolled to the mound to a chorus of boos in the bottom of the eighth, one would have thought Alan Embree was on his way into the game. But as Torre reached the mound and asked for the ball, it suddenly became apparent why the boos were raining down. Torre was calling it a day for Aaron Small, and the 53,911 in attendance were not all that happy with the decision.

"It was kind of funny," said Small, who departed the game to a standing ovation, a rarity indeed for a middle relief pitcher. "It made me feel good that they wanted me to stay in the game." And why wouldn't they? All Small did was turn in a solid 6-2/3-inning stint, allowing four hits, no runs and no walks in relief of Jaret Wright, who brought nothing to the table in the Yankees' 7-4 loss to the Blue Jays yesterday at the Stadium. Continue

Sheff's getting back in OF mix

Gary Sheffield should return to right field by tomorrow. And if Sheffield feels great this morning, Joe Torre might start him in the Yankees' outfield today. "He'll play here in the next couple days," Torre said before yesterday's 7-4 loss to Toronto.

Sheffield strained his left thigh in the outfield on Sept. 7 and missed the next four games. He was the designated hitter in his 12th straight game yesterday and went 1-for-5. He had either been shagging flies or doing agility drills every day, and Torre was informed by coach Roy White that Sheffield is moving better laterally and backwards. Continue

Yankees not quite Wright in loss

Apparently, Jaret Wright has a bull's-eye on him that he doesn't know about. For the third time in five starts, Wright was hit by a foreign object on the mound, this time drilled by a batted ball in the chest. Unfortunately for the right-hander, it wasn't the low point of his day, as the Blue Jays hit him for seven runs in one-plus inning, handing the Yankees a 7-4 loss.

Wright, pitching just six days after being hit on the back of his elbow by a broken bat, wasn't completely at fault for the ugly loss, as crucial errors by Hideki Matsui and Robinson Cano led to four unearned runs. Continue

Pen isn't big thing to Small

Undefeated and undeterred, Aaron Small accepted his assignment to the bullpen the same way he has pitched in posting a 9-0 record since a midseason call-up by the Yankees - with quiet professionalism. "Two months ago I was in Columbus thinking about retiring," Small said before last night's series-opening blanking of Toronto. "I've said since I've been here, and I still feel the same way, any way to help this team, and in any role, that's what I'll do."

The 33-year-old Small, who was bumped from the rotation in favor of rookie Chien-Ming Wang, pointed to 148 relief appearances he made earlier in his career (mostly with Oakland and Arizona) as proof he should be able to handle pitching out of the bullpen "at least three times a week." Continue

Alex not satisfied with recent success

The Yankees having won 11 of their last 12 games and overtaken the AL East division lead from the Red Sox may seem like a significant thing to some, but not to Alex Rodriguez. "It hasn't been satisfying at all," Rodriguez said. "To say it's been satisfying would make it sound like we've accomplished something. We haven't. We're a long, long way from accomplishing anything." So the third baseman isn't all that interested in the Yankees' recent run of success or the fact that they hold a one-game lead in the division. Continue

Chacon, Yankees blank Blue Jays

The Yankees' quest for the postseason continued in the right direction on Friday night, as New York opened its three-game series against Toronto with a 5-0 win over the Blue Jays. Shawn Chacon threw eight shutout innings of three-hit ball, leading the Yankees to their fifth consecutive victory and 11th win in the last 12 games.

"Every game is huge for us," Chacon said. "Whether it's a 5-0 win or a 7-6 win, I don't think it matters, as long as we win ballgames." Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano homered to lead off the first inning, giving Chacon all the run support he would need. Just two Blue Jays got past first base -- both in the second inning -- against Chacon, who improved to 3-0 with a 0.78 ERA against Toronto this season. Continue

Posada powers Yanks' sweep

Through seven innings, the Yankees' battery held all the power against the Orioles. No one could have guessed the home team would need jumper cables to finish this one out. Making his first start in nearly a month, Mike Mussina gave the Yankees six solid innings and Jorge Posada cracked two home runs.

But it was an insurance homer by Gary Sheffield that proved to be the difference as three relievers melted a six-run lead down into one. The Yankees nevertheless escaped Thursday with a 7-6 victory and a series sweep of the Orioles. "This was probably the most shocked I've been of all the leads that disappeared," said manager Joe Torre. Continue

Vintage Unit comes up aces

The 119th pitch was a fastball, high and hard, a rumor that Bernie Castro heard more than he saw. Castro swung anyway, and he came up empty, and that was that for Randy Johnson, a full night's work, eight innings of three-hit ball, and he walked off the pitcher's mound drinking in his reward, a standing ovation from a most forgiving Yankee Stadium crowd.

Later, there would be another roar, this one even louder and even longer, arriving maybe 30 seconds after Mariano Rivera had recorded the final out of Yankees 2, Orioles 1, loud enough and long enough to even drown out Sinatra. For that's when the scoreboard would inform the departing crowd of 50,382 that Tampa had gone ahead of the Red Sox, that the Yankees were now three Devil Ray defensive outs away from first place. Continue

No longer down on the matt

DAVID Newhan pushed his back against the right-field fence, hoping to find a few feet of operating space that currently does not exist at Yankee Stadium. Newhan merely watched the culmination of one of the most surprising moments in what is a mounting list of pleasant Yankee surprises.

Matt Lawton, who until the second inning, had fallen some place between Tim Redding and Melky Cabrera in irrelevance this Yankee season, joined the swelling list of chorus members who have, of all things, helped the Yanks climb into first place in the AL East. The Yankees had one hit in 14 at-bats with men on base in last night's 2-1 triumph over the Orioles: Lawton's jolt to right with Hideki Matsui on first and two outs, his first homer at Yankee Stadium as a Yankee. "It was good to finally contribute to a win," Lawton said. Continue

Unit dominates O's in Yankees win

With 11 games left in the season, the Yankees finally have a magic number. That's right, the Yankees have a magic number of 11 to clinch their eighth consecutive American League East title, as they surpassed the Red Sox for first place in the division on Wednesday night.

Randy Johnson, pitching for the first time since his untimely ejection last Friday in Toronto, tossed eight dominant innings of one-run ball, leading the Bombers to a 2-1 win over the Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Boston blew an eighth-inning lead against Tampa Bay, as the Devil Rays rallied for a 7-4 victory over the Sox. That loss vaulted the Yankees into the AL East penthouse for just the third time this season, the first since July 18. Continue

Joe to Unit: Stay nasty

Randy Johnson's arm should be well-rested when he takes the mound tonight. His mouth, as everyone knows, did more damage last time out. So you wonder whether the Big Unit could be too amped up for this start against the Orioles: either physically, since he went only 1-2/3 innings on Friday, or emotionally, because of his controversial ejection.

Joe Torre has no idea. "Your guess is as good as mine," the Yankees manager said. "He's going to get that game face on, which was part of the reason that he ended up getting thumbed the other day." But as Johnson makes his first outing since getting tossed in the middle of a pennant race, Torre said he wants the lefty to maintain that nasty edge. Continue

Moose to get call tomorrow

Mike Mussina felt good yesterday after throwing a bullpen session on Monday and is set to make his first start since Aug. 29 tomorrow. The righthander, who was suffering from a sore elbow, is excited about returning to the Yankees' rotation but has no idea what to expect once he takes the mound.

"When you come back and you haven't pitched in a while, you're not sure how it's going to go," he said. "I'm going from not throwing at all to pitching.... There's no way to know until it happens." Even Mussina admits there's some risk for the Yankees in doing that, but Joe Torre is committed to getting Mussina back. How his return affects the rest of the rotation is still to be determined, however. Continue

Mo needs more rest

It is Mariano Rivera who needs a save these days. It is the greatest reliever of them all who needs some relief. For the second time in five days, the Yankees lost control of a blowout because of the horror show that is their middle relief. They won both games, but you have to wonder what they lost, especially when it comes to Rivera and Tom Gordon.

The Yankees led 11-3 last Friday night in Toronto, but Rivera was needed to pitch a scoreless ninth to preserve an 11-10 triumph. Last night, the Yankees broke to a 9-3 lead, but Scott Proctor's ineffectiveness forced Gordon into the game. The Yankees then opened to 12-7 with two runs in the eighth, one on an opposite-field, upper-deck homer by Alex Rodriguez. Continue

Yankees slam way past Orioles

The pitching was inefficient, several plays weren't pretty and one was downright ugly. Few 12-9 games are ever considered works of art, after all. But when the dust cleared and this three-hour, 29-minute marathon was history, all that mattered to the Yankees was having another 'W' to scratch onto the season ledger.

Gary Sheffield hit a grand slam and drove in six runs, Jorge Posada blasted a three-run homer and Alex Rodriguez tacked on a solo long ball for insurance, as the Yankees outblasted, then outlasted, the Orioles on Tuesday. Continue

Moment to savor in Bronx

In a pennant race out of the past, in a baseball September out of the past, it was the night of Bubba Crosby's baseball life at Yankee Stadium, at around 10 minutes after 10. The ball that Eric DuBose had thrown was gone over the wall in right-center field and Crosby had run around the bases so fast it was as if he were chasing the Boston Red Sox all by himself. Yankees 3, Orioles 2. All the Yankees come hard on the Red Sox now, as hard as they have all season. Crosby somehow made it through the rest of the Yankees and into the dugout. Then he was coming hard up those dugout steps and into his Yankee Stadium curtain call, which must have sounded like all the other ones that the kid called Bubba had ever heard, for all of his more famous teammates, on the most famous team in the world. Continue

Cano showing he can handle pennant chase

Robinson Cano just doesn't get it. He doesn't understand that in the Bronx, especially at this time of year with a postseason berth still to be won, 22-year-olds are not supposed to be flourishing. But Cano apparently never received that memo, and if the Yankees do manage to secure their 11th straight postseason bid, Cano figures to be right in the middle of it all. "I'm just trying to have fun and play the game," Cano said before last night's series opener with the Orioles. "I just try to forget what people say, what they think. Just go out there and do my job."

There were some who thought, as August came to a close, that perhaps Cano had hit the wall. The paltry numbers he posted during the month lent some credence to the notion as a struggling Cano hit just .207 with one homer and six RBI for the month after posting averages of .310 and .319, respectively, in June and July. Continue

Wang still has the right stuff

Yankee starter Chien-Ming Wang pegs to first for one of his nine assists last night — just two shy of the club and major-league records for a pitcher. He got no-decision in eight solid innings. After Chien-Ming Wang returned from a two-month stint on the disabled list, the Yankees wondered whether he'd be the same pitcher he was before his shoulder injury.

The rookie pitcher answered those questions again last night with eight confounding innings in a 3-2 win over Baltimore. In by far the best of his three starts since coming off the DL, Wang scattered seven hits and two runs in a season-long outing. He clipped the Orioles' wings, grounding them with a sinker that had them driving ball after ball into the dirt. Continue

Bubba's walk-off blast lifts Yankees

When Bubba Crosby stepped to the plate to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning, everyone on the Yankees' bench was hoping for the young outfielder to work his way on base, giving the big bats a chance to drive home the game-winner.

"I thought a lot about bunting -- trying to get on base and letting the big guys do their thing," Crosby said. Two pitches later, the "big guys" were waiting at home plate for Crosby, who lifted the Yankees to a 3-2 victory over the Orioles on Monday night with an unlikely walk-off home run. Continue

Testy Captain stops short of owning up

If it seems that Derek Jeter hasn't been as clutch as expected this season, well, the numbers say it's true. If it seems like he's made the last out in close games too many times this season, well, your eyes aren't lying.

Jeter's reputation for delivering when it counts most is such that he's still the guy you'd take at the plate with the game on the line. But when he took a called strike three yesterday to end a 6-5 loss to the Blue Jays, with Robinson Cano on second, it was the eighth time this season he'd made the last out of a game with the tying run on base. Continue

Sheff to DH rest of way

Gary Sheffield says his days as a right fielder this year are over. "I am done doing that," said Sheffield, who has been limited to DH duty for the past six games due to a strained left thigh. "I don't see it getting any better." Sheffield suffered the injury Sept. 7 chasing a fly ball at Yankee Stadium and believed it would be healed by now. "I thought we would go to Tampa [Bay] and I would DH one day and then be able to play the outfield," Sheffield said.

Sheffield, whose right knee is also barking, is down about not being able to play the field. And he explained the thigh is bothering him at the plate where he is 9-for-23 (.391) since the injury. All the hits have been singles. "I like to make a difference in both places," Sheffield said. "We are a stronger team if I am on the field. I would like to let the guys who are used to be the DH, be the DH." Sheffield said the thigh problem is robbing him of his power at the plate. Continue

Moose's bad bull session

Mike Mussina didn't label yesterday's bullpen session a setback but he was disappointed his command wasn't better. "I couldn't throw the ball where I wanted," he said of the 50-pitch effort that came two days after a 122-pitch exercise and was Mussina's third bullpen session in his trip back from an inflamed right elbow. "I was frustrated. It's been a long time since I pitched and your body gets out of shape." As for the elbow, Mussina said, "It's OK."

Mussina will throw another light bullpen today and if everything is good he will start Thursday against the Orioles. Since Mussina hasn't pitched since Aug. 29, Joe Torre was asked if there was a risk in pitching Mussina in a pennant race where there is very little room for error.Continue

Yankees fall just short in Toronto

The Yankees' hopes for an undefeated road trip came to an end on its final day, as Toronto sent New York home on a down note, taking a 6-5 win at the Rogers Centre. Jaret Wright took the loss, allowing four runs in 2 1/3 innings before being removed from the game with an elbow injury after being hit by a broken bat.

The Yankees missed out on an opportunity to gain ground on the Red Sox, who were beaten soundly by the A's at Fenway Park on Sunday. New York remains 1 1/2 games behind Boston with 14 games to play. Cleveland's win over Kansas City also dropped the Yanks back a game in the Wild Card standings, as they now trail the Tribe by 1 1/2 games. Continue

The great divide

When Jaret Wright walked through the door of the Yankees' minor league complex here in late April, he was greeted like royalty. Well, not quite. Billy Connors, the Yanks' vice president of player personnel and pitching guru, wanted to lighten the mood with Wright immediately so he laid a trail of white towels leading from the clubhouse entrance to Wright's locker. "You know, our version of the red carpet treatment," Connors says with a toothy grin. "I just wanted to get a smile from him, that's all."

Wright, who was depressed after hurting his shoulder just a month into his first season in the Bronx, remembers appreciating the gesture and taking to Connors right away. Over the next few months, he worked closely with Connors and - contrary to many who thought he was done for the year - returned to become a critical part of the Yankee rotation late this season. He hasn't lost since rejoining the Yanks on Aug. 15 and will start this afternoon against the Blue Jays as the Bombers continue their playoff chase. Continue

Moose may bump Chacon

Considering how well he pitched yesterday, it's hard to imagine Shawn Chacon getting bumped from the rotation, but the Yankees are planning for Mike Mussina to return to the mound on Thursday against the Orioles, which would be Chacon's day to pitch.

Joe Torre said he doesn't know yet how the Yankees will lay out their rotation once Mussina, who hasn't started since Aug.29 because of a sore elbow, is back. One option is pushing Chacon back and moving Chien-Ming Wang to the bullpen, but nothing has been decided. "We've certainly got some choices," Torre said. (Daily News)

Unit apologizes for his ejection

Randy Johnson has the apology act down pat, which only means he has experience saying he is sorry for boorish behavior that surfaced on Lexington Avenue in January during an altercation with a television cameraman. Johnson was in full-force apology mode yesterday at Rogers Centre less than 24 hours after getting ejected by plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth in the second inning of a key game in which the Yankees were trailing but eventually won.

"It was deeply regretful," Johnson said. "I put the team in a situation whether it's April or in the postseason run we are on. I pitch with emotion and I have lacked that most of the year. I feel like it got the best of me. I need to channel it more toward throwing balls and strikes and letting that take care of itself. It's the first time in 17 years I was ejected for it. Continue

Chacon deals as Yanks blank Jays

On Friday night, the Yankees offense picked up the pitching staff by scoring 11 runs against the Blue Jays. On Saturday, Shawn Chacon returned the favor. Chacon tossed eight shutout innings against Toronto, leading New York to a 1-0 win. He received stellar support from his defense, as the Yankees came up with one impressive play after another.

None was more crucial than a game-ending double play started by Alex Rodriguez, who made a diving stop on Shea Hillenbrand's grounder, turning a 5-4-3 twin-killing to preserve the one-run victory. "To me, that's like hitting a walk-off grand slam," A-Rod said. "I love it. That's the kind of baseball game we need to win. That's probably the best game we've been involved in this year." Continue

Yankees question fast toss of unit

It happened so quickly. That is what unsettled the Yankees so much about Randy Johnson's ejection in the second inning of last night's 11-10 victory over the Blue Jays. Johnson disputed a 2-2 pitch to Frank Menechino with two out in the second. Home plate umpire Fieldin Culbreth stepped out from behind the plate, removed his facemask, and stepped toward the mound. When Johnson did not desist, Culbreth swung his thumb signifying an ejection.

Yankees manager Joe Torre spoke for the team in saying that he wished Culbreth had used more discretion regarding the time of year, the importance of the game and the volatile nature of the pitcher before acting so rashly. Continue

No loss, but he's a loser

Randy Johnson followed his finest moment as a Yankee with his worst. On the cusp of restoring his image as the Big Unit, Johnson reverted to the Big Baby. He blanked the Red Sox and bleeped Fieldin Culbreth. Did Culbreth, the home-plate umpire last night at Rogers Centre, overreact in ejecting Johnson in the second inning? Yes. But Johnson positioned himself for such a damaging occurrence, and that is just unpardonable. So in five days, he navigated from ace to ass.

He left a game full of outs for an untrustworthy bullpen, and the Yankees nearly blew an eight-run lead, holding on to beat Toronto 11-10. In their current postseason fight, the Yanks will take wins, but this was damaging. A wearying Mariano Rivera had to be used, and Johnson's petulance was a direct cause. Continue

A-Rod: Plunking 'hurt a lot'

Alex Rodriguez got hit by a pitch for the second straight night, and this time it left a mark. A-Rod, who got plunked in the back and then hit a homer in his next at-bat on Thursday against Tampa Bay, got drilled in the left forearm by Blue Jays reliever Dustin McGowan in the seventh inning last night and was wearing a bulky wrap on the area after the game. "If it's not broken, I'll be in there," he said, but it was clear he was in pain. Joe Torre said he wasn't sure how badly Rodriguez was hurt and would have to wait until today to determine his status. Continue

Yankees survive scare in Toronto

Randy Johnson took the mound on Friday night looking to build on his last four stellar starts. Unfortunately for Johnson and the Yankees, his night was over after just five outs. The Big Unit was ejected in the second inning for arguing balls and strikes, so the offense picked up the slack for the Yankees, who took an 11-10 win over the Blue Jays in the opener of a three-game series at Rogers Centre.

"A month or six weeks ago, this would have affected us in a different way," said manager Joe Torre. "You get deflated when Randy gets knocked out of a game or has to leave a game. Tonight was just the opposite, which certainly makes me proud." Continue

Pride and poise from the ashes

A crystal ball that in early May would have told Joe Torre that Randy Johnson's ERA in September would be 3.91, that Carl Pavano and Kevin Brown would not last into August, that Jaret Wright would miss almost four months?

Jason Giambi might have dropped it. Robinson Cano might have thrown it away. And even if that ball survived what seemed like a shattering 11-19 start and an even more discouraging 3-11 backslide, Torre would have put that thing on a shelf next to almost $38 million worth of broken-down veteran pitching and covered it up. Until now, when despite it all, the Yankees are even in the loss column for the last playoff spot with 16 games to go. Continue

George set to chop Stick

It may be all moot anyway, but if the Yankees finally do live up to their $200 million pedigree and make it into the playoffs, Gene Michael will have zero input in the organizational scouting operation for the first time since they began this remarkable 10-year run of division titles and world championships.

In what can only be viewed as more self-defeating organizational genocide on the part of Yankee owner George Steinbrenner, the Tampa inmates - in this case VP of scouting Damon Oppenheimer and VP of major league scouting Bill Emslie - finally have succeeded in taking over the asylum. The Daily News has learned that Steinbrenner has turned over all the postseason scouting to Emslie and Oppenheimer while Michael, despite being acknowledged throughout baseball as one of the most astute talent evaluators in the game, is sitting on the sidelines, presumably attending to his real-estate interests in Tampa. Continue

Yankees slam way to sweep

Mission accomplished. The Yankees knew all about their struggles against the Devil Rays entering this week, but they brushed them aside and completed a three-game sweep of Tampa Bay, taking the finale, 9-5, at Tropicana Field on Thursday.

New York came back to win a game it trailed by at least four runs for the 10th time this season, the most in franchise history. "It's very satisfying, and even more satisfying coming back in a place that we certainly haven't been comfortable playing all year," said manager Joe Torre. "It tells you a lot about the players you have and the team you have." Continue

Sheffield slow coming back

Gary Sheffield, even slower on the bases these days than George Steinbrenner is to remember Joe Torre won four World Series, says it makes sense for him to drop from the No. 3 spot he has held "all my life" to cleanup in the Yankee order. "You don't want to put me in the three-hole where Jason [Giambi] hits the ball in the gap and I have to score," he said. "Four spot, OK. You don't want to clog up the bases." And Hideki Matsui, remember him, five-hole hitter with 109 RBIs, 30 more than Giambi? He must be chopped liver. Continue

No new deal for Cashman yet

At 4 p.m. Tuesday, George Steinbrenner called Brian Cashman in The Bronx from Tampa and informed his GM to join the Yankees for last night's 6-5 win over the Devil Rays at Tropicana Field. What The Boss expected Cashman to do for the Yankees wasn't clear, since there are no deals to make at this time of the year and Cashman leaves the clubhouse to Joe Torre.

And, no, Cashman didn't come to Florida to talk about a contract extension, something that is unlikely to happen. "I don't plan to," Cashman said when asked if he was going to talk about a deal with Steinbrenner. "Our focus is to get it right. All the players, coaches, scouts and GM stuff is for another day." Continue

Yankees finally get better of Devil Rays

It took six attempts, but the Yankees finally found a way to win a series from the Devil Rays. It couldn't have happened at a better time for New York, which took the second game of the three-game series, 6-5, giving the Yankees a chance to complete the sweep on Thursday. Derek Jeter's bases-loaded single snapped a 4-4 tie in the seventh, lifting the Yankees to their third consecutive win and their seventh in the last 10 games.

"It's a good feeling to come in here and play the first two games well," said Tom Gordon. "This team has played us very well and given us a battle each and every night. Right now, it's the stretch run, so we need to play every game as hard as we can, leave it all out on the field and have fun out there." Continue

Joe's rallying cry results in laugher

The Yankees were smiling again, laughing and throwing around compliments as if they were dirty sweat socks. And when Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez intercepted Bernie Williams on his way to the visitors' side of the turf last night, that's when it became clear life as they know it had settled back into a familiar groove.

A-Rod reached for Bernie, to slap him on the back. Jeter mimicked Bernie's smooth glove, so quick for such a geezer. The fifth inning had just ended with aplomb, with Williams making a nimble, sliding stab to rob Jorge Cantu of what appeared to be a sure hit. As Williams sprinted off Tropicana Field, Jeter had to yell over the screams that were rippling from the dugout and up into the stands. Continue

Sheffield battling soreness

Gary Sheffield couldn't run. That much was clear in the first inning, when he ripped a line drive that bounced off the wall in the left field corner - a sure double for most - and stopped at first base. But Joe Torre isn't concerned that Sheffield will do any more damage to his strained left thigh muscle, so he's willing to trade Sheffield's mobility on the basepaths for his presence at the plate.

"In the lineup," the manager said, "he makes us whole." Sheffield, who went 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored, had missed the past four games and was wearing what he described as a "cast" on his thigh but was determined to play anyway. Several teammates noted his presence and said it was inspiring. Continue

Mussina's lukewarm on elbow

Talking through a team spokesman before the game, Mike Mussina's words weren't as encouraging as the ones that flowed from his lips after last night's easy Yankee win over the Devil Rays. Following his first bullpen session since being shut down with an inflamed right elbow, Mussina didn't sound encouraged. "It was OK," Mussina said of the 43-pitch exercise that was supervised by pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre. "It wasn't 100 percent, but it wasn't bad."

Four hours later Mussina was encouraged by how the hinge felt. "I was a little rusty, it wasn't my best bullpen but [the elbow] is a lot better than it was," Mussina said. "If it keeps improving I don't see any problem." Mussina, who hasn't pitched since Aug. 29, played catch Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Yankee Stadium. Continue

Yankees bats go wild in rout of Rays

The Yankees have had trouble beating the Devil Rays this season, but when they have been able to defeat Tampa Bay, they've done it in spectacular style. That was the case once again on Tuesday, as New York exploded for 10 runs in the first two innings, then capped the game off with a seven-run sixth, handing Tampa Bay a 17-3 loss in the series opener at Tropicana Field.

The Yankees are now 6-11 against the Devil Rays this season, winning those six games by a combined score of 72-30 -- an average of 12 runs per victory. The win, combined with Toronto's win over Boston, brought the Yankees within just 2 1/2 games of the Red Sox in the American League East. Cleveland defeated Oakland, leaving New York a game out in the Wild Card race. Continue

Torre has chance to cement his legacy

Joe Torre has absorbed so many slings and so many arrows from so many people across these many baseball months. Some of the heat has been applied from the usual suspects: impatient fans, irascible sportswriters, implacable Boss. Some emanates from more loathsome sources: the warring political operatives who forever joust for position under the Yankees' corporate umbrella, always searching for an easy portal into George Steinbrenner's fickle favor.

Through all of that, with three weeks and 20 games remaining in this most uncharacteristic thrill ride of a Yankees season, Torre's team remains in play, still lurking in the AL East, still battling with three other teams for the wild card, still alive in a quest to qualify for the playoffs for an 11th consecutive season. Continue

Sheff still a question mark

f the Yankees are to make a postseason push, they need Gary Sheffield in the middle of a lineup that has been inconsistent. Yet, as of yesterday GM Brian Cashman didn't know when his No. 3 hitter would return from a strained left thigh injury. "The off day came at a good time for us," Cashman said of yesterday's dark date. "When he is ready, he will be out there. No one is tougher than Sheff."

Sheffield missed three games against the Red Sox and the previous tilt against the Devil Rays. Joe Torre said the first step would be to use Sheffield as a pinch-hitter. That could happen tonight in St. Petersburg, but there is no guarantee. After he pinch hits, Sheffield will be used as a DH before returning to right field. Since the Yankees are in Toronto for the weekend and playing on the unforgiving turf, Torre may opt to DH Sheffield in Canada even if he is ready to play the field. Continue

Yankees face Rays of nope

Yankee general manager Brian Cashman isn't usually given to the type of rhetoric that marks George Steinbrenner's rah-rah, just-do-it statements, but the Yankees series that begins tonight in St. Petersburg isn't the typical set of games against the lowly Devil Rays. The Rays have pounded the Yankees this year and the Yanks are in the unusual spot of desperately scratching for a playoff berth.

Fresh from taking two of three from the Red Sox, the Yankees believe their hopes for an eighth consecutive American League East title are alive. They're 31/2 games behind as the Red Sox bounced back last night with an 11-inning win in Toronto. If the Yankees can't catch their archrivals, then they are hoping for the wild card so they won't be known as the most expensive flop in sports history. They trail the Indians by one game after Cleveland's loss to Oakland last night. Continue

Giambi's one for money

The ball came out of Tim Wakefield's hand and Jason Giambi knew he had been given, as he put it, "a gift." It was only the first inning, so no one knew yet how devastating Wakefield's trademark knuckleball was going to be, but Giambi felt fortunate to be seeing what he thought was a breaking ball. Giambi leaned forward a little and slammed the ball down the right field line. "I knew I got it enough, there was just the question of whether I kept it fair or not," Giambi said. "I knew it was going to be close." Continue

Boss keeps mum

George Steinbrenner appeared to be in a good mood as he strolled out of Yankee Stadium yesterday, although, as usual, he didn't have much to say. In fact, the number of words he uttered was exactly equivalent to the total number of baserunners Boston mustered against mighty Randy Johnson: three. But those words count. Asked whether the Yankees still have a shot at the AL East title, the Boss said, "Sure we have." Continue

Finally, the big Unit shows up at stadium

THIS was what it used to look like all those times when the Yankees were on the other side of Randy Johnson. This was Game 3 and Game 5 of the 1995 AL Division Series, when the mere sight of him nearly caused the Kingdome roof to pop. This was Game 2 and Game 6 and Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, when he beat the Yankees three times, when he all but single-handedly returned order to a series the Yanks had already emotionally won. This was the Invincible Unit, the Unhittable Unit, the Impenetrable Unit, the Ageless Unit. The Untouchable Unit. Continue

Unit shuts down Red Sox in big win

If the Yankees had any hopes of catching the Red Sox in the American League East, then Sunday's rubber match was a must-win game for the Bronx Bombers. Randy Johnson came up big when the Yankees needed him the most, as the five-time Cy Young winner held the Red Sox to one hit over seven innings, leading New York to a 1-0 win over Boston.

Johnson struck out eight while walking two, as the left-hander faced just two batters over the minimum during his outing. Jason Giambi provided the only run of the game, hitting a solo homer against Tim Wakefield in the first inning. Continue

Big Unit in latest big spot

Yesterday was Randy Johnson's 42nd birthday. Today is his latest day of reckoning. Can he come through in a big spot? Will he deliver a much-needed series victory over the Red Sox? Might the 42-year-old Big Unit fare better than version 41? Or will questions linger about Johnson, who to date has not been the sure thing Yankees fans anticipated? "I feel good about the fact we have Randy Johnson pitching for us," Joe Torre said.

The Yankees feel good because Johnson has looked good lately. He has allowed four runs over his last three starts. He was dominating two starts ago against the Mariners. But this isn't Seattle. This is the biggest game of the season for the Yankees, who will either trail Boston by a manageable three games with 20 remaining or a far less do-able five. Continue

These Yanks can forget division

In giving Shawn Chacon, the Yankees' Rocky Mountain godsend, a belated welcome to the American League yesterday, you'd have to think the Red Sox of Curt Schilling, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz & Co. sufficiently quelled any lingering angst in New England about some sort of '78-like comeback by the Evil Empire.

This year's race for the American League East championship, the one George Steinbrenner made a mandatory achievement for his $200 million juggernaut of superstars, is over. For it to have had any sort of real life support, the Yankees needed a sweep of the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium over the weekend, punctuated by a statement victory over Schilling. Continue

Boss says 'Leave me alone'

An agitated George Steinbrenner moved briskly past reporters yesterday after his Yankees were thrashed 9-2 by the Red Sox. Being ushered to his waiting blue Town car, Steinbrenner, 75, walked with the speed of a man half his age. When a reporter asked if Steinbrenner were worried about his team, the Boss was more defensive than the Yankees were in the decisive fourth inning yesterday.

"Get out of here, guys," Steinbrenner said. "Leave me alone." If only the Red Sox would. With the loss, the Yankees dropped four games behind Boston in the AL East. Plus, the Yankees are staring up at the Indians in the AL wild-card race. With these bits of information, Steinbrenner understandably was upset. Five hours before he stormed away, Steinbrenner arrived in good spirits. Continue

Stadium now Boston colony

THE BALL looked like it had a shot when it left Derek Jeter's bat, but somewhere high above Yankee Stadium it lost a few feet, began to die, began to tumble back to earth, where Trot Nixon was waiting. Nixon stood a step in front of the right-field wall, a step to the right of the yellow W.B. Mason sign, finally squeezed it. Ballgame. Red Sox 9, Yankees 2.

Which is when a strange thing happened: You couldn't hear the first few notes of "New York, New York" (the Liza version, the one they reserve especially for seven-run losses to the Red Sox). You couldn't hear them because there was a deafening spasm of noise spreading through the grandstand now, and just about everywhere you looked inside Yankee Stadium you could see row after row of red shirts, hear chorus after chorus of satisfied cheering. Continue

Chacon off his game in loss to Sox

You've heard it a million times; momentum is as good as a team's starting pitcher. That was bad news for the Yankees on Saturday, as Shawn Chacon had his shortest outing in pinstripes, while Curt Schilling made his finest start of the season for the Red Sox. The final result was a lopsided 9-2 loss for New York, which fell four games behind first-place Boston in the American League East.

Chacon, making his first appearance in the Yanks-Sox rivalry, allowed five runs on six hits and three walks in three-plus innings. "It wasn't overwhelming at all," Chacon said. "I felt comfortable, I felt relaxed. It was just one of those days when I didn't have good command or good stuff. It was a bad day to have a bad day." Continue