Yankees baseball blog

Yanks ride again

It's a battle of first vs. second - and for a change - the Yankees are the ones taking a back seat. So it's easy to see why, at first glance at least, the Mets would be the favorites in the latest edition of the Subway Series. When such a scenario was presented to Joe Torre, he smiled and said he would revel in the opportunity. Moments later, however, the manager offered a reality check.

"We still won't have the underdog (role)," he said. "Anytime the two teams play, the Yankees are fun to beat because we're supposed to win on reputation." Truth is, the Yanks don't really care whether they're supposed to win or not; they just need victories. While the Mets are sitting on a double-digit cushion in the race for the NL East, the Yanks are 4 games behind the Red Sox in their division chase. Continue

Yanks steal finale from Braves

Alex Rodriguez finally turned the Yankee Stadium boos into cheers. All it took was a walk-off home run. A-Rod drilled a two-run walk-off shot against Jorge Sosa in the bottom of the 12th inning, erasing a one-run deficit to lift the Yankees to a 4-3 win over the Braves on Wednesday afternoon.

"I needed that and the team needed that," Rodriguez said. "We were slugging along for 12 innings; it felt real good." "Every time he goes to the plate, I expect him to do something big -- and he did," said manager Joe Torre. "It's a feeling you have when you know what kind of ability he has. Eventually, something good is going to happen." Continue

Time to lean on Jeter more than ever

For the next two weeks, the ground balls hit toward second base at the Stadium, and other parks around the league, will be fielded, or not, by Miguel Cairo, professional part-timer. At the same time, the Yankees should discover how far they can travel in the wild-card neighborhood while they continue to add first-line names, like Robinson Cano, to the disabled list.

The Yankees who came out of Florida weren't supposed to have trouble scoring runs. But too many of their important bats have missed too much time. Last night, losing 5-2 to the last-place Braves, the Yankees didn't light up the scoreboard until the seventh inning. And when they did, it was a 40-watt bulb.

Listen, this is not the time to feel sorry for Joe Torre, not as long as he has Mariano Rivera finishing games and a bunch of other guys starting them. And Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon, and the chap on third base, Boo-Rod, who's on the way to more than 30 home runs and 100 RBI and the worst full season of his big league life. Continue

Yankees' bats held silent by Ramirez

The boo-birds were out again at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, and for the first time this season, it appears that Alex Rodriguez actually heard them. A-Rod could hardly take the brunt of the blame for New York's 5-2 loss to Atlanta, as his 0-for-4 performance was just one of several subpar performances by the Yankees.

The offense was shut down by Horacio Ramirez, the bullpen let the game get out of hand in the late innings and although the Yankees were not charged with any errors, the defense couldn't make the plays when it needed them the most. "It wasn't a good game," Joe Torre said. "The first six innings was an old-fashion battle at 1-0, but it got ugly." Continue

Cano likely headed to DL

Robinson Cano said his strained left hamstring felt a little better yesterday but it seems likely the Yankees will have to put their second baseman on the disabled list. GM Brian Cashman said Cano's progress kept the team from making a move last night, but admitted that, "I think it's more likely that we would (put him on the DL) than we wouldn't."

That's not good news for the Bombers, who have been riddled with injuries this season. Miguel Cairo started at second last night against the Braves and, if the Yanks do put Cano on the DL, it's likely infielder Nick Green will be recalled from Tripe-A Columbus. Cano got hurt running out a sixth-inning double in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader with the Marlins. He walked gingerly through the clubhouse yesterday with a bulky wrap on his leg and described the feeling as "like something grabbed me." Continue

Jeter celebrates cap-py birthday

The young shortstop who helped carry the Yankees to four championships turned 32 yesterday. "Can you tell everybody I'm 28?" Derek Jeter asked me, flashing his trademark smile. "It's hard to believe it's been that long," Jeter said, reflecting on his incredible Yankee journey.

"This is my 11th year, that's a long time. "And in New York, it's like dog years." Jeter is the lead dog and knows a lot is expected here. A lot has been delivered by No. 2, most importantly, those four rings. Jeter is the Yankees' glue and 100 years from now this will be known as the Jeter Era. Continue

Johnson spins gem to beat Braves

Randy Johnson wasn't sure what to expect when he took the mound at Yankee Stadium on Monday night. It had been seven days since the Big Unit last pitched, the result of a five-game suspension for throwing at Cleveland's Eduardo Perez on June 14.

Johnson, unsure how his body would react to the extra two days of rest, didn't seem to have any trouble at all, dominating the Braves over seven shutout innings to lead the Yankees to a 5-2 victory. "I was pleasantly surprised," Johnson said. "I was a little worried that having a week off since the last time I faced hitters, that I wouldn't be that sharp or would be fighting myself." Continue

Moose can, Chacon can't

After Mike Mussina outdueled Dontrelle Willis in a Game 1 so good the baseball gods finally stopped the rain to watch, here was the question for the nightcap: Would the Yankees go through more relievers than there were persons in the stands?

The place was even emptier than Randy Keisler's head. We swear, it was 1972 and Ralph Houk was hoping Steve Kline could get the game to Sparky Lyle, not Joe Torre telling Shawn Chacon, who worked the only inning of Saturday's postponement, to show up at 6, ready or not. Continue

Sheff's eager for a big return

In two to four weeks, Gary Sheffield will have the cast on his left arm removed. And the Yankees' fearsome slugger is still hopeful he can return by September and propel his club into the playoffs. Sheffield was in great spirits yesterday as he brought two of his sons to the Old Timers' Day festivities and spoke at length for the first time since his June 13 surgery to repair a torn ligament and dislocated tendon in his left wrist. Continue

Bronx forecast calls for a day-night DH

Joe Torre was, understandably, a little confused about the sequence of events that led up to yesterday's game between the Yankees and Marlins at the Stadium being postponed. "They decided not to play (and) it wasn't raining, then they decided to play (and) it did rain," the manager said. "Then they covered the field (and) it wasn't raining. I can't figure that out. It's never an easy decision, I know. Sometimes the more information we get the worse we are. Somebody has to make a decision."

And finally, after waiting for an hour and 27minutes before first pitch, then 77 more minutes after the top of the first, the umpires called the game for good shortly before 7 last night. The teams had played just half an inning and the Marlins were leading, 1-0. Continue

Alex hears cheers

In his first 2-1/2 seasons with the Yankees but especially this season, Alex Rodriguez has been heavily criticized - and loudly booed - for his lack of production while hitting with runners in scoring position. So imagine how A-Rod must have felt when, with Derek Jeter on second base and two outs in the second inning last night, he lined a single to left field. Now imagine the feeling when Rodriguez rounded first and looked across the diamond to see Jeter standing on third.

No RBI. No wild cheers from 54,025 fans at the Stadium. Actually, all of that was no problem for A-Rod, who actually hit the ball too hard for Jeter to even think about heading home. "With the way the hits have been coming this year, I'm not complaining about any hits," Rodriguez said. Continue

Doc shuts down Dotel

The Yankees might add some bullpen help before the July 31 trade deadline, but it might not come from Octavio Dotel. The rehabbing reliever was told by Dr.James Andrews not to pitch for the next 10 days, and Joe Torre said that likely pushes back Dotel's return to the majors until "the end of July." Dotel said Andrews' diagnosis was "just some tendinitis," but the Yankees officially called it "inflammation."

"The way I was feeling, I thought I was going to be here already," Dotel said before last night's series opener against Florida. "But look at what happened. I wish I could say I'll be here in two weeks, but I don't know." Dotel, who is coming back from Tommy John elbow surgery, also received a cortisone shot while visiting Andrews in Alabama. He'll probably report to the team's Tampa complex Monday to play catch. The one-time Met will not be allowed to resume his throwing program off a mound until at least next Sunday. And then the clock will restart in terms of another minor-league rehabilitation. Continue

Wang bounces back against Fish

When Yankees pitching coach Ron Guidry told starter Chien Ming-Wang that he was done after seven innings, the soft-spoken Wang protested a bit. He said he'd thrown only 85 pitches. That meant he had 15 more left.

Manager Joe Torre laughed about his second-year starter's resolve after the game. Just five days removed from being shocked by a walk-off homer in the ninth inning against Ryan Zimmerman and the Nationals on Sunday, Wang still wanted the ball down the stretch. Even more impressively, he pitched like the last game never happened, leading the Yankees to a 6-5 victory on Friday night. And it's that steadiness that has made the 26-year-old one of the Yankees' most dependable arms in the rotation. Continue

Short but sweet

As long as hotels don't have 13th floors, Joe Torre has a vision of baseball games without sixth innings. "Right now Jaret Wright and [Shawn] Chacon are only giving us five, and that's a problem," the Yankee manager had said Tuesday. "There really is no [pitching] plan for the sixth. You plan for the seventh and eighth. [The sixth] drains your bullpen. I'm not saying with overexposure, but overuse. "We have quality down there. But if you keep going to the well, eventually you are going to run dry.'' Continue

Wright, Yankees blank Phillies in finale

Hitters' ballpark? What hitters' ballpark? Jaret Wright didn't give the Yankees a lengthy outing, but he provided five scoreless innings, combining with four relievers on a three-hit shutout. New York took the rubber match against Philadelphia with a 5-0 win, finishing its six-game Interleague road trip with a 3-3 record.

"He pitched his tail off," manager Joe Torre said. "Whatever he gives us, he goes as hard as he can for as long as he can." Wright (4-4) allowed three hits and walked four, striking out a season-high six hitters in his five frames to earn his first win since May 28. Wright even knocked in a run, giving his team all the run support it would need. Continue

Yanks' eye on Jacque

It's no secret the Yankees have several glaring needs, but they are finding it increasingly difficult to fill them on the trade market. One source said GM Brian Cashman is running into the same wall on almost every call he makes, as other teams respond to his overtures for outfield or pitching help by immediately asking for either Robinson Cano, Chien-Ming Wang, or top prospect Phil Hughes.

While Kansas City's Reggie Sanders seems to keep coming up as someone that would be a good fit with the Yankees - Melky Cabrera's recent struggles have made the outfield issue more pressing - the Bombers actually have had recent internal discussions about the Cubs' Jacque Jones, according to sources. Those talks came at the behest of George Steinbrenner, who apparently was told about Jones by one of his cronies and then asked his staff to look into what it might take to acquire the right fielder. Continue

Jeter's knee & foot hurtin'

Derek Jeter limped out of Citizens Bank Park last night with a compression wrap on his bruised left knee and a problem with his right foot he didn't want to discuss. And, yes, Jeter said he will be in the lineup tonight against the Phillies.

Jeter was hit by a pitch in the seventh inning of last night's 9-7 win. By the time he reached second base, Joe Torre and trainer Gene Monahan visited. "I got hit on the inside [of the knee]," Jeter said. Asked about an ankle problem Torre talked about after the game, Jeter said, "It's good." Pressed on it, Jeter said, "It's nothing." Continue

Damon, Yanks rally to upend Phillies

It appeared as though the Yankees had run out of chances on Tuesday after Ryan Howard's seventh RBI of the night gave the Phillies a two-run lead in the seventh inning. Enter Arthur Rhodes.

Rhodes, who has had some of the worst moments of his 16-year career against the Yankees, added another to the list. Rhodes allowed four runs without recording an out in the eighth inning, giving New York a 9-7 win over Philadelphia. "It was a great win for us, especially having failed at so many things we tried to do," said Joe Torre. "Great at-bats by everybody in the eighth inning; it was a great finish for us." Continue

Joe expects call

Joe Torre hasn't heard from former Sen. George Mitchell about the MLB steroids investigation, but the Yankee manager expects that he will. "I would imagine it will happen," Torre said last night. "If he's contacting the other guys, I'm sure I will hear from him at some point."

Mitchell and his team of investigators reportedly have been in contact with numerous teams and are said to be particularly interested in interviewing anyone with ties to Jason Grimsley, the ex-Diamondbacks pitcher who was recently nabbed by federal agents with two kits of human growth hormone at his home. Continue

Unit's effort not enough against Phils

It's been the same old story for the Yankees this season when things are going bad. When the hitting is going well, the pitching goes cold. When the pitchers bounce back, the bats disappear. New York has waited for Randy Johnson to overcome his inconsistent start, looking for the Big Unit to reestablish himself as the ace that the Yankees signed him to be.

Johnson has answered the call over the past three weeks, but all he has to show for his last five starts are two wins. Monday, Johnson gave the Yankees another quality start, but Brett Myers outpitched the five-time Cy Young Award winner, leading the Phillies to a 4-2 win. Continue

A-Rod taking 'little steps'

Alex Rodriguez doesn't want to rush things. Yes, he hit a monstrous home run on Saturday and yes, he had two hits, including what he thought would be the game-winning RBI double yesterday. But Rodriguez does not want to say he's his old self yet. His slump was too long for that.

"I don't think I'm quite back to where I want to be or need to be," he said. "But I'm definitely getting comfortable." While A-Rod's tiebreaking hit in the eighth inning yesterday ended up as a footnote when Chien-Ming Wang gave up a game-winning two-run homer to Ryan Zimmerman in the ninth, the Yankees were still encouraged by what they saw from Rodriguez over the final two games of this series. Continue

Wang, Yanks fall on walk-off

The Yankees needed Chien-Ming Wang to provide them with a lengthy outing on Sunday. As it turned out, they left him in one batter too long. Ryan Zimmerman stunned the Yankees with a two-run walk-off home run, spoiling what would have been Wang's first career complete-game victory, as the Nationals took the rubber match by a 3-2 final.

"I thought he was very courageous," Joe Torre said. "It's too bad he came out on the short end. He saved our life, and I'm sorry we couldn't help him win this ballgame. ... This kid pitched his heart out, and I feel bad for him; worse than I do for us." "It's a tough way to lose," Johnny Damon said. "It was so quick and so unexpected." Continue

Bombers cut Small, Beam up rook

Aaron Small appeared from nowhere last summer to help save the Yankees' season. Yesterday, he quietly faded away. With Kyle Farnsworth likely sidelined for at least the weekend with back spasms, the Yanks needed to strengthen the back of their bullpen and called up T.J. Beam from Triple-A Columbus. Instead of optioning Matt Smith or Kevin Thompson back to the minors, however, the Bombers chose to designate Small for assignment.

The righthander, who went 10-0 for the Yanks a year ago after being called up to patch one of many holes in the rotation, has struggled this season. Small missed the first month with a strained hamstring and couldn't rediscover the magic of 2005, going 0-3 with an 8.46 ERA in 11 games (three starts). Continue

Yanks shocked by Nats

It had to catch up to them sooner or later. The Yankees' bullpen, beaten and battered by injuries and overuse, fell apart on Saturday afternoon, as New York squandered a seven-run lead, falling to Washington, 11-9.

New York used a seven-run fifth inning to take what seemed to be a commanding 9-2 lead, but Shawn Chacon gave back four runs in the bottom of the inning and the Nationals battled back for five more runs against the bullpen in the seventh and eighth, eventually tagging Mariano Rivera for the winning runs. "That's as bad as it can get," said manager Joe Torre. "The bullpen is as good as the starters allow it to be. We just couldn't shut them down." Continue

Slumping Alex only hitting self

Alex Rodriguez, who earns more money than your average superstar, has spent the last few weeks making the wrong kind of headlines. When last year's MVP, and last month's player of the month, swings at nothing but air, nobody remembers last year's trophy, last month's numbers.

Mike Mussina, the loser, pitched his worst game of the season. The middle of the batting order, 3-4-5-6, had one hit in 15 at-bats. Nothing went right for the Yankees and it lasted an agonizing three hours and 30 minutes. If they win most of their next six, against teams from the other league, we'll probably forget yesterday's stinker, which ended Cleveland 8, Yankees 4. And was followed by A-Rod standing in front of a media crowd and beating himself over the head with his locker. (He could have used his bat but he probably would have missed.) Continue

MLB hits Big Unit with 5-game ban

A day after Randy Johnson served up some old-school baseball justice, Major League Baseball dealt out its own. Johnson received a five-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for intentionally throwing at the Indians' Eduardo Perez in Wednesday night's 6-1 Yankees victory over Cleveland. Joe Torre also received a one-game ban, which he will serve tonight in Washington. Bench coach Lee Mazzilli will serve as manager.

"It's what we expected," Torre said after the Bombers lost, 8-4, to the Indians yesterday. "(But) I think Randy will appeal. He'll pitch Monday (at Philadelphia). Maz will take over the club (tonight). I'll be there though." Conitnue

Bernie's big day lifts Yanks

Just when it looked like three former Yankees would help Washington defeat New York, the man with the longest current tenure in pinstripes made sure that wouldn't be the case. Bernie Williams hit a game-winning home run in the ninth inning against Chad Cordero, lifting the Yankees to a 7-5 win over the Nationals at RFK Stadium on Friday night in New York's first game in Washington since 1971.

"It was great for all of us to see what Bernie did," said Mariano Rivera, who earned the win with 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief. "He reminded everybody what he means to this team." Continue

A-Rod, Yankees fall short in finale

There were runners on second and third with the Yankees down two runs in the bottom of the eighth. And guess who stepped to the plate. Alex Rodriguez. He had earlier hit a monster solo home run, but that was inconsequential. This was the perfect opportunity to, at least for one day, silence the boundless number of critics who say Rodriguez is good but can't hit in the clutch.

It was one chance to break out of a horrid slump that has enveloped one of the game's biggest superstars. Then came the strike-three whiff. At the end of Thursday's game, it was an 8-4 loss in the series finale for the Yankees, not just for Rodriguez. Continue

Robinson is Yankees' rock

Robinson Cano made the sign of the cross and looked toward the sky when it was mentioned to him that he's been the only everyday player on the Yankees not to miss any games this season due to illness or injury. The sophomore second baseman has been among those players holding the Yanks together amid the ongoing injury crisis, with his solo homer in Tuesday's 1-0 victory over Cleveland and his 3-for-4, RBI outing last night serving as the latest examples.

"I have to stay healthy for the rest of the season because the team needs me to. Pretty much everybody has been hurt for some games, and that has hurt the team a lot," Cano said before last night's 6-1 win over the Indians. "Missing (Gary) Sheffield and (Hideki) Matsui for a long time is tough, and pretty much everybody else, too, was out. But thank God we got some bench guys and some young guys, like (Miguel) Cairo, Melky (Cabrera), who have done the job to help out." Continue

Hardball ... At last!

It was about time. It was about time a Yankee pitcher protected his buds in the metaphorical foxhole. It was about time the Yankees got tired of having their hitters serve as standing targets in the box. It was about time the Yankees started taking care of their own, because if not them, who?

It was Randy Johnson who stood even taller than 6-foot-10 at the Stadium last night, Randy Johnson who did the right thing by retaliating in the seventh inning of a 6-1 victory over the Indians after Derek Jeter had been buzzed up and in off the plate in the fifth and Jorge Posada had been hit on the right elbow by a pitch in the sixth by Cleveland starter Jason Johnson. Continue

Unit rebounds, Yanks win two in a row

Randy Johnson's last start left many wondering whether the Big Unit had anything left in the tank. The 42-year-old answered that question with a resounding "yes" on Wednesday. Johnson held Cleveland's high-powered offense to one run on four hits over 6 1/3 innings, leading New York to a 6-1 victory.

"It was a better pitched game today then [I've had] in a while," Johnson said. "I think the biggest improvement was that I got ahead of hitters and didn't walk anybody." "It looked like he felt he had good enough stuff to say, 'Go ahead and hit it,'" manager Joe Torre said. "This could be a great turnaround for him." Continue

Boo birds flock to A-Rod

After a terrible night at the plate was made worse by terrible booing from the stands, Joe Torre said Alex Rodriguez is fighting himself. But after the venom the 50,365 on hand at the Stadium spewed at the third baseman in a 1-0 win, one has to wonder if A-Rod is fighting his own fans as well.

Rodriguez went 0-for-4 with a hat trick of strikeouts last night. Considering there were runners on base in his first three at-bats in a game where runs were precious, the fans weren't likely to be kind. Throw in his $25 million price tag and perceived penchant for coming up small in big spots, and last night they were downright mean. Continue

Cano, Wang help Yankees end slide

Chien-Ming Wang and Robinson Cano helped the Yankees break out of their funk last season, energizing the ballclub with superb rookie seasons. The pair was back at it on Tuesday. Wang pitched 7 1/3 shutout innings, while Cano provided the only run of the game with a sixth-inning home run, as the Yankees defeated the Indians, 1-0, to snap their four-game losing streak.

The Yankees had chances in each of the first three innings, leaving six men on base, including three in scoring position. Alex Rodriguez (0-for-4, three strikeouts) and Cano each had two chances in those innings, but Paul Byrd retired them both times. Continue

Earning his pay

Injuries and the failure of Randy Johnson have made Yankees GM Brian Cashman's job much more difficult this season. N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg What Brian Cashman does between today and July 31 will play a colossal role in the success or failure of the 2006 Yankees. It's not a reach the GM is the Most Vital Person within the organization; he wrestled power from George Steinbrenner's Inner Circle of second-guessers. Continue

Time to face facts: A-Rod doesn't hve 'It'

Tom Brady and Adam Vinatieri have IT. Peyton Manning and Mike Vanderjagt don't. You don't have to be one of the greatest players to have IT. Sam Cassell, for example, has IT and so does Robert Horry. Meanwhile, Patrick Ewing most definitely did not, and Stephon Marbury would not know IT if IT hit him upside the skull.

David Ortiz, as if he needed to prove the point any more, showed again yesterday at Fenway Park that he is a master of IT with a two-out, three-run, ninth-inning walkoff homer to lift Boston to a 5-4 victory. Meanwhile, 200 miles away, Alex Rodriguez once more was the Big un-It. Continue

Giambi and Jeter get break

Jason Giambi and Derek Jeter will be at Yankee Stadium for treatment this morning, and both hope the much-needed break in the schedule will increase their availability for tomorrow's series opener against Cleveland. Giambi was unavailable in yesterday's 6-5 loss to Oakland after getting plunked on the left hand by a pitch Saturday, but said he might play tomorrow "if I can hold a bat." "I'm pretty worthless if I can't do that," he said.

Jeter, who went 1-for-4 yesterday to complete a 1-for-12 series as the DH, also is "hopeful" he'll return to shortstop tomorrow for the first time since he sustained a bruised right thumb when struck by a pitch eight days ago in Baltimore. Continue

Yanks swept by Athletics

None of the Yankees wanted to reveal either the topic or the tone of a pregame team meeting that was held in the trainer's room in the home clubhouse at Yankee Stadium on Sunday. There were hints that manager Joe Torre wanted to be certain everyone in pinstripes was on the same page.

Center fielder Johnny Damon had been critical of the Yankees after the team dropped a three-run decision to the A's on Saturday. He called the loss embarrassing and called for all the Yankees to bear down. Continue

Bombers have wounded players & a wounded psyche

With Derek Jeter forever putting up a wall to outsiders, the Yankees rarely let you see or hear their frustration at times like these, when a three-game losing streak, sandwiched around a Randy Johnson meltdown, is reason enough to make them feel vulnerable. But Johnny Damon knows no other way. He's the same now as he was wearing a Red Sox uniform, which means he says what he thinks, in good times and bad.

Yesterday he hated himself the way baseball players do after going hitless against a finesse pitcher such as Kirk Saarloos. And he said so. "I couldn't catch up to 85 (mph) today," Damon said sarcastically. "It's embarrassing. We've got to go out there with a chip on our shoulder or something. I'm embarrassed about losing." If other Yankees feel this way, they never say it. So now it is going to be intriguing to see how this team responds after yesterday's 5-2 loss to the A's, and perhaps a test of their toughness. Continue

Mussina, Yanks topped by A's

When Jason Giambi finally emerged from the trainer's room more than an hour after Saturday's game, the Yankees first baseman had a large elastic bandage wrap covering his left hand and wrist. The slugger's forefinger resembled a corn dog as it stuck out from the rest of his fingers with a heavy wrap.

Giambi joined the ever growing ranks of wounded Yankees on Saturday. He took a pitch to the forefinger of his left hand in the bottom of the eighth inning after he was smacked on the inside of his left wrist by a hard hopper in the top of the same inning of his team's 5-2 loss to the Oakland A's at Yankee Stadium. Continue

Johnson, Yanks fall to A's

The Yankees got a boost to their lineup with the return of Derek Jeter and came through with a seventh-inning rally following a long rain delay, but it wasn't enough to overcome another disappointing outing from veteran left-hander Randy Johnson.

The Big Unit gave up six runs (five earned) over just four innings of work on Friday night as the Yankees took a 6-5 loss to the A's at Yankee Stadium. Johnson allowed a season-high three home runs among his six hits given up, and he walked five, tying a season high. Continue

Cap'n down again

Don't look for Derek Jeter tonight at Yankee Stadium when the A's visit to open a three-game series. "We're looking toward Saturday right now," Joe Torre said of his shortstop's return from a bruised right thumb that has kept him idle since Sunday.

Jeter didn't take batting practice indoors and since the tarp was on the field before the game, he didn't throw, either. It was the second straight day Jeter didn't do anything physical other than receive treatment. "He feels better," Joe Torre said of his captain. "As long as it's going in the right direction. As long as it gets better, he could get back in short order." Continue

Boos, no 'E' for A-Rod

Alex Rodriguez sat in front of his locker, sipping on a shake, and waiting for the question he knew was coming following last night's 9-3 loss to the Red Sox last night: Should he have made the play on Alex Gonzalez's hot shot in the sixth inning? Rodriguez handled the query better than the ball hit down the line. "It was do or die," Rodriguez said. "I could probably field it cleanly three or four times out of 10. If it was hit harder it's a lot easier."

That was the problem for Rodriguez on the play. He thought the ball was coming at him much faster than it appeared, and instead of getting the true hop he expected, he got crossed up when it came at him with top spin. It shot over his glove and by him down the left-field line, scoring Jason Varitek to give the Red Sox the lead for good and Boston never looked back. Continue

Yanks can't brush aside Sox

The Yankees and Red Sox won't meet again until Aug. 18, but Boston left a lasting impression on New York, taking a 9-3 victory on Thursday night at Yankee Stadium. The Red Sox scored eight times in the sixth and seventh, taking control of the game to avert the three-game sweep.

Curt Schilling allowed three runs on four hits -- three of which were solo home runs -- over eight innings, becoming the American League's first nine-game winner. Despite the loss, New York still sits in first place in the AL East, holding a half-game lead over Boston. The two teams play nine times between Aug. 18 and Sept. 17. Continue

Sheffield likely out until September

With Hideki Matsui out until September with a fractured wrist, the Yankees were hopeful that therapy would be enough to get Gary Sheffield and his ailing wrist back on the field before too long. That won't be the case.

Sheffield will undergo surgery to repair the torn ligament and dislocating tendon in his left wrist on Tuesday, and the outfielder isn't expected to return to the Yankees until September. "This is the quickest way -- probably the only way -- to get him back playing before the season is over," said general manager Brian Cashman. Continue

Johnny: Checkup is 'a waste of time'

Johnny Damon's visit to the doctor yesterday went about as well as expected. The Yankees center fielder, who is playing with a cracked bone in his right foot, said he was told that "nothing's getting worse" and added that he feels like he's currently playing "at about 90%." Damon, who visited specialist Dr. William Hamilton, said he would prefer not to know anything about his foot because anything that doctors find won't keep him out of the lineup anyway.

When Damon was asked if he planned to have checkups done every month or so, he shook his head. "I hope not," he said. "I felt like it was a waste of time today. If it starts hurting and feels like it's getting worse, OK...but I don't want to know anything because if they find something worse it isn't going to keep me from taking the field." Continue

Super snare one for ages

Consider that Melky Cabrera was being replaced for defense about three weeks ago. And consider he told Joe Torre he was more comfortable in right field than in left. Now take another moment and reflect on the magnificent catch he made on Tuesday night.

Cabrera not only snared a sure homer by Manny Ramirez in the eighth inning of a 2-1 game, but he caught the eyes of the baseball world with his fence-climbing robbery. The day after - with the Yankees' game with Boston rained out - his team was still buzzing about it. Continue

Yankees walk to win over Sox

Another night, another wacky win for the Yankees. New York won for the ninth time in its last 11 games, edging Boston, 2-1, on Tuesday in one of the best regular-season games in recent memory between the two rivals. And that's saying something.

Chien-Ming Wang needed 48 pitches to get through the first two innings, but he settled in and found a way to get through the seventh. Jason Giambi brought home the winning run with a bases-loaded walk. With the Red Sox down to their final four outs, Melky Cabrera made a leaping catch in the eighth, robbing Manny Ramirez of a game-tying home run. Continue

Spotlight finding Phillips

Andy Phillips was caught off guard twice last night. When he came to the plate in the seventh inning, five innings after he had blasted a three-run homer off Josh Beckett, he wondered if his ears were deceiving him. The fans at the Stadium were chanting his name. "So much goes on in these series," said Phillips. "People are screaming, sometimes there's a fight in the stands. I didn't know what they were saying." They were saying "Andy Phillips!"

In the Yankees' clubhouse after a 13-5 pummeling of the Red Sox, it was Phillips' eyes that seemed to deceive him. Surrounding his locker, next to Jason Giambi's, was a horde media. "I thought it was for Jason's locker," he quipped. The crowd was for Phillips' locker. Continue

Yankees bats rough up Beckett, Sox

Mike Mussina vs. Josh Beckett was supposed to be the marquee pitching matchup of this week's four-game series between the Yankees and Red Sox. Not quite. New York roughed up Beckett for eight runs in just 1 1/3 innings, as the Yankees hammered their rivals in the series-opener, 13-5.

"When you're up against Beckett, you don't expect it to be 13-5," Mussina said. "You expect it to be 3-2." New York had 11 hits, marking the 12th consecutive game in which the Yanks have reached double-digits, establishing a new franchise record. The old record was 11, set in May 1937. Continue

Jeter's thumb injured in defeat

Watching Derek Jeter writhe in pain transported Yankee hearts into their throats. In the sixth inning of a game the Yankees were well on their way to losing, 11-4, to the Orioles at Camden Yards, Jeter took a Rodrigo Lopez fastball on his right thumb. Instantly, Jeter danced away holding his right arm behind his back. As trainer Steve Donahue looked at the thumb, the Yankees braced for the worst.

After all, Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield are on the DL with left wrist injuries. Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi are battling severe stomach problems. And Jeter missed two games this past week with a jammed right hand. "Anytime you get hit in the hand it doesn't feel good," Jeter said. Continue

Small gives up big hits in Yanks' loss

Aaron Small limited the damage in the first inning and gave up a solo homer in the second, but he couldn't escape the third. The Orioles pounded Small in the early innings, getting seven runs on nine hits, including three home runs. Baltimore went on to win the series finale, 11-4, at Camden Yards. "I stunk. I was terrible today," Small said.

"It's very disappointing; it's not a good feeling." It was Small's third start of the season, and his shortest. He has not made it past the fifth inning in any of those games and his ERA is 9.67. "You're only as good as your pitching, and we didn't pitch well enough to expect better results today," manager Joe Torre said. Continue

Jason joins A-Rod in Yank sick ward

Apparently the injury bug isn't the only thing that's spreading through the Yankee clubhouse. Jason Giambi was scratched shortly before yesterday's game after complaining of stomach problems - the same ailment that's kept Alex Rodriguez out of the lineup the past two days. "We're hoping that it's just going to be a one-day thing," Joe Torre said of Giambi. "It sounded pretty close (to what A-Rod had)."

Rodriguez was sent home in the middle of Friday's game because trainers told Torre that his third baseman was "washed out." A-Rod was at the park yesterday afternoon, but didn't spend much time out of the trainer's room in the hours leading up to first pitch. "He's better, but he's not there yet," Torre said. "At least he's got a little bit of color in his face now." Continue

Damon delivers win with homer in 10th

Minus four of their best offensive players and their dominant closer, the Yankees continued to find ways to win on Saturday. Outfielders Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield are on the disabled list with wrist injuries, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi are dealing with stomach problems and Mariano Rivera is recovering from back spasms, but the Yankees haven't missed a beat, winning seven of their last eight after a 6-5 victory in 10 innings at Camden Yards.

"I think to really appreciate what this ballclub's doing right now, you have to be in the dugout," manager Joe Torre said. "These guys are just not in a quit mode, basically." Continue

Mo better; Sheff RX 2 weeks away

There was good news yesterday on the Mariano Rivera injury front. But Gary Sheffield remains a big question, as the Yankees won't know for at least two weeks if his left wrist will require surgery for a torn ligament and a dislocated tendon.

Sheffield is on the DL, and Yankee GM Brian Cashman figures to step up his efforts to trade for a possible replacement. Rivera's back improved from Thursday to last night, although not enough for him to be available to work in last night's 6-5 win over the Orioles. "I am saying no for [today] at this point," manager Joe Torre said of Rivera's availability. "But he is feeling a lot better." Continue

Jeter's return sparks Yankees to win

These days, it seems like every time the Yankees get one of their injured players back, another one goes down. On Friday, Derek Jeter returned to the lineup after missing the last two games with a hand injury. But just a couple of hours before the game, Alex Rodriguez was scratched with a stomach bug, prompting Joe Torre to insert Jeter into the No. 3 spot in A-Rod's place.

The move paid off, as Jeter drove in the game-winning run, leading the Yankees to a 6-5 win over the Orioles at Camden Yards. "The way that Derek has been swinging the bat all year, he's been great," said Johnny Damon, who scored the winning run. "He's definitely up there for the Most Valuable Player award. He's been that good. A bunch of clutch hits, hits home runs, he's been great." Continue

Surgery may be option

Gary Sheffield is on the disabled list for the second time this year and the possibility of him undergoing surgery to repair a new left wrist problem is real. "I can't rule out surgery, it could be possible,'' GM Brian Cashman said last night, hours after Sheffield was put on the 15-day DL.An MRI performed Wednesday revealed a tear of a ligament and a dislocating tendon in the wrist.That's different than a dislocated tendon because the former moves around. Sheffield, who will see Dr. Charles Melone today for the second time in three days, has the wrist in a splint and will receive therapy. Cashman wasn't sure how long Sheffield would be out, with or without surgery.

Farnsworth falters as Yankees fall

The Yankees were two outs away from finishing off a four-game sweep of the Tigers, but New York found out what life without Mariano Rivera can be like -- and it wasn't good. With Rivera unavailable to pitch in the one-run game after suffering back spasms earlier in the day, Kyle Farnsworth was called on to close out the win against his former team. "Was I glad he wasn't coming out there? Absolutely," said Tigers manager Jim Leyland of Rivera.

"There were probably about 25 guys on my bench who were glad, too." "We do take Mo for granted," said manager Joe Torre. "Taking nothing away from Farnsy, but that's not his job. His job is as a setup man; it's a whole different ballgame to come into a one-run ballgame and do what Mo does." 

Mussina chomps down on Tigers

Mike Mussina had just lost his bid for his 24th career shutout, as Magglio Ordonez's single scored Placido Polanco -- an unearned run made possible by Alex Rodriguez's error -- with two outs in the ninth inning. Manager Joe Torre, who typically yanks his starting pitcher after a shutout bid is broken up, began to emerge from the dugout for what would have been his second visit to the mound in the inning.

Mussina, seeing Torre get out of his seat, promptly delivered a loud message to his manager from the mound. "Get back in there," shouted Mussina, expressing his desire to complete the gem he had thrown over the previous 2 1/2 hours. "They shouldn't have scored at all, so I just wanted to finish it." Continue