Yankees baseball blog

Pavano shut down

Carl Pavano's comeback may have to wait until 2007. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said yesterday Pavano would not pitch for two weeks because of the broken ribs he suffered in a car accident Aug. 15. The decision makes it unlikely Pavano will pitch for the Yankees this season.

"I'm not saying he won't pitch for us this year," Cashman said. "I'm not saying he will, either. We'll have to just wait and see, but I don't want to make a mistake by having him toe the rubber and have a shoulder or an elbow (injury) develop because we tried to push through something like this." Continue

Matsui getting back into swing of things

The Yankees have been resistant to consider the impact of Hideki Matsui's return from wrist surgery because he's not ready to be written into the lineup. However, if he keeps making strides like yesterday's, they're going to be forced to.

Matsui took 35 swings against live pitching yesterday and said he experienced "no problems or pain." If Matsui feels good today, he will take more batting practice and before long could go on a rehab assignment. "My swing and my mechanics I think aren't too bad at this point right now," Matsui said through an interpreter. Continue

Yanks suffer tough loss in nightcap

With the Yankees down to their final out in a hushed Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night, television cameras focused in on Scott Proctor. Slouched forward on the bench, the reliever slowly shook his head in disappointment.

A half-inning earlier, it was the Tigers who were down to their final out after the Yankees had rallied. Proctor was one strike away from finishing off a doubleheader sweep of the American League Central-leading Tigers. Continue

Wang beats Tigers for 16th win

Cy Wang? You never know. Chien-Ming Wang furthered his case on Wednesday, tossing 7 2/3 innings of shutout ball to lead the Yankees to a 2-0 victory over the Tigers in a matchup of the American League's two best teams. The game was the first in a day-night doubleheader.

"I knew he was good. How good? You don't know," pitching coach Ron Guidry said. "When you put a guy capable of pitching like he has with the stuff he has with the team he has here, he can be pretty deadly." Continue

Carl driving Yanks crazy

So far the Yankees believe Carl Pavano's story that he was in a car accident two weeks ago, and they believe it was his fault. A police report bears that out. But beyond that they aren't sure what to believe about their ever-ailing righthander. The Yankees are conducting their own investigation into how Pavano broke two ribs, and whether he actually broke them during the Aug.15 accident near his home in Florida as he claims.

"It's a very strange story," a Yankee official told the Daily News. "It seems like there might be more to it, but you just don't know. Maybe there isn't. At this point, it doesn't look like we would have any grounds to void his contract." Continue

Hideki heads to batting cage

Hideki Matsui, who had left wrist surgery in May, was green-lighted to take batting practice beginning today, and the Yankee slugger will likely take his cuts in the indoor cage. That's more good news for Matsui, who had only been doing tee work and soft toss drills.

Matsui said he is generally pleased with how he's progressing. "In terms of being pain-free, that's something I definitely feel good about," he said before last night's Yankee game with Detroit was rained out. "I'm very satisfied. Continue

Jax sees A-Rod upside

There figures to be plenty of boos waiting for Alex Rodriguez at the Stadium tonight. That is what happens to players who struggle the way A-Rod has, going 2-for-20 with 14 strikeouts during the Yankees' six games against Seattle and Anaheim last week. But Reggie Jackson, who was with the Yanks during both series and has frequently counseled Rodriguez, has a novel idea for Rodriguez: Embrace the criticism.

"This is a way of earning respect," Jackson said. "This is a way of saying, 'Look what I can do, look what I can overcome.' That has to be the way he thinks about it. He's got 130 at-bats left in the season and then he's got the playoffs. You know what he can do in that time? He can change everything." Continue

Pavano hid injury

Carl Pavano keeps finding new ways to embarrass himself, and the Yankees have grown tired of his act. Team officials yesterday were infuriated at Pavano for hiding a car accident for nearly two weeks, and a CT scan showed he suffered two fractured ribs as a result of the crash."Of course I'm angry," GM Brian Cashman said. Pavano curiously chose to tell the Yankees about the pain after learning he would be activated in days, fueling the speculation among teammates he doesn't want to pitch here.

The Yankees, however, are moving forward assuming Pavano can still pitch. As long as he is cleared in a follow-up doctor visit today, he'll pitch for Columbus tomorrow night. Cashman said Pavano could get activated after that start, though he could not say what role Pavano will fill for the Yankees. Or the reaction he'll get from his teammates. Continue

Docs: It's all in his head

With everyone from Joe Torre to John Wooden trying to find out what is wrong with Alex Rodriguez, The Post contacted two local sports psychologists yesterday to get their thoughts on what is wrong with the Yankee third baseman and how he can fix it. Like most Yankee fans, the psychologists believe A-Rod's problems are 100 percent mental.

"It seems like it is in his head," said Jonathan F. Katz, director of sports psychology for Altheus, an advanced performance center in Rye. "For an athlete, that means they're starting to think about it. What athletes do best is react and play. The more they can trust their instincts and not think about it, the more likely they're going to succeed." Continue

A-Rod gets a hit, but three more K's

Alex Rodriguez suffered through another rough game yesterday, though he did manage to snap his 0-for-13 skid with a third-inning single up the middle in the Yankees' 11-8 win over the Angels. Still, Rodriguez struck out three more times - following up Friday's four-whiff showing and Saturday's trio - to complete a woeful West Coast swing in which he went 2-for-20 with one homer, one intentional walk, one single and 14 strikeouts. "It was an awful series, personally," A-Rod said. "It's been frustrating, but the only concern is winning."

After shifting A-Rod to second in the lineup Saturday, Joe Torre moved his third baseman back to the middle of the order, batting him fourth yesterday. Torre said he considered sitting Rodriguez for a day and would have given it more thought if the Angels had started a righthander; with lefty Joe Saunders pitching, however, the manager decided to keep A-Rod in the lineup. Continue

Williams, Jeter bang two homers each

After two demoralizing losses to the Angels, the Yankees closed out their road trip in style, overcoming their West Coast nemesis, 11-8, to salvage the series finale on Sunday. Bernie Williams went 4-for-5 with two home runs and six RBIs, while Derek Jeter also homered twice, leading the Yankees to a win in the final game of their 11-game journey.

New York finished the trip, which included a five-game sweep of the Red Sox, with a 7-4 record. "Some of these games, going in, you don't know how it's going to happen, but for some reason you win," Joe Torre said. "This was one of those games." Continue

Personal hell for Alex is getting worse by the day

In the last days before September, here are the biggest and most important position players in New York: Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, David Wright, Jose Reyes, Johnny Damon, Derek Jeter, Bobby Abreu, Jason Giambi, Alex Rodriguez. Of that baseball nine, the least valuable to his team right now is A-Rod, the Most Valuable Player of the American League last year. You could say that even before he was 0-for-10 against the Angels with seven strikeouts.

This isn't picking on him, or piling on. It is the way things are. It is the season he is having. Now Joe Torre moves him back to No. 2 in the Yankee batting order, a warm blanket Torre has thrown around Alex Rodriguez before. "(Derek) Jeter's been blessed with great talent around him," Rodriguez said in Esquire magazine once. ". . . he hits second - that's totally different than third or fourth in the lineup."

This is how Torre explained it to the media in Anaheim, moving A-Rod back to the second spot in his order, ahead of Derek Jeter: "(Rodriguez) has a little history there. Hopefully the switch is like moving into a new place . . . we'll try that. Obviously if I thought it was surefire, I'd have tried it a long time ago." Continue

Pavano suffers setback

Carl Pavano is running out of body parts to break down. Following his rehab start for Columbus (Triple-A) Friday night, Pavano talked of a problem with an oblique muscle, and there is the possibility he will be shut down. Asked to confirm the problem before yesterday's game, Joe Torre said he couldn't until he talked to GM Brian Cashman. After the 12-7 loss to the Angels, Torre said he still hadn't gotten in touch with Cashman. Continue

Yanks pitchers give up 16 hits, 12 runs

Angel Stadium continued to be a house of horrors for the Yankees, who once again fell victim to the Angels on Saturday afternoon. Los Angeles used some timely hitting and a four-out save by closer Francisco Rodriguez to hand New York a 12-7 loss, sending the Yanks to their fourth defeat in five games. The Yankees are 3-6 against the Angels this season, equaling their worst record against an opponent this season. Oakland is also 6-3 against New York.

"You look at them and think, 'How are these guys six games back from the A's?'" said Jason Giambi, who left the game in the seventh inning after experiencing cramps in his hands and legs. "They play us unbelievable. They seem to do everything right; they're our Achilles' heel, no doubt about it." Continue

A-Rod hits new low in loss

The Yankees are officially in letdown mode, suddenly unable to capture the same magic that helped them get five wins in Boston last weekend. And along the way Alex Rodriguez found yet another low point in his unpredictable season. Before the Yankees suffered a 6-5 loss to the Angels on Mike Napoli's one-out, sacrifice fly in the ninth -- their third loss in four games -- Rodriguez hit a new low by striking out four times for the third time in his career, and second time in just 31 games.

Rodriguez's "Golden Sombrero" was the face of a night dominated by missed opportunities for both clubs. The Yankees left 13 on base and Angels left 10, though the Angels managed to push across the winning run when they had the chance to in the ninth. Continue

Pavano nears rotation return

Carl Pavano allowed two runs and eight hits in six innings for Triple-A Columbus last night in what might have been his final rehab start. Although Pavano has only thrown 16-2/3 innings in the minors since May surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow, the Yankees are considering bringing him up to make his season debut.

"It's not out of the question at all," Joe Torre said before Pavano had completed his outing last night. "I think (GM Brian Cashman) talked to him (Thursday) and he seems to be feeling good about himself." The Yankees' starting rotation is in a bit of flux with Mike Mussina on the disabled list with a tweaked groin muscle. Jeff Karstens, who starts tomorrow, has replaced him in the rotation, but adding Pavano - if he's able to avoid injury and be productive - could be a boost. Continue

Yankees on short end of close contest

The Yankees have had their hearts ripped out of their chests many times at Angel Stadium in recent years, most notably during a pair of postseason elimination games. Friday, they added another loss to that list. Mike Napoli's RBI sacrifice fly gave the Angels a 6-5, walk-off victory in the opener of the three-game series, sending the Yankees to their third loss in the last four games.

"I don't know what I would do different," manager Joe Torre said of the past four days. "I have watched this club play all year, and there certainly isn't a concern with the way they're playing. I'm very confident and comfortable watching them play." Continue

Ailing A-Rod whiffs to finish defeat

Most of the Yankees had headed out to the field for the pregame stretch yesterday afternoon when Alex Rodriguez shuffled into the visitors' clubhouse at Safeco Field. His movements were slow, and his voice was low and hoarse.

Eventually, A-Rod dressed and joined his teammates outside, where he took a few swings in the batting cage and a few ground balls at third base. But the virus which has been plaguing A-Rod recently still had him too far under the weather to play, so Nick Green started at third for the second straight game last night and played until A-Rod pinch-hit and struck out to end the Yanks' 4-2 loss to the Mariners. Continue

Yanks fall as Unit's Safeco streak ends

Randy Johnson made a name for himself pitching as a member of the Mariners. Thursday night, he watched his former team get the better of him in what may have been his final start in Seattle. Johnson's shutout streak at Safeco Field came to an end, as did the Yankees' hopes of winning their latest series. The Mariners touched the Big Unit for four runs in eight innings, taking a 4-2 win over the Yankees to win the rubber match of the three-game set. Continue

Mike agrees DL is safest

Mike Mussina and Joe Torre met at - surprise - a Starbucks yesterday morning to talk about the righthander's injured right groin muscle. Torre told Mussina that the Yankees were considering putting him on the disabled list and the pitcher did not put up much of a fight.

That only confirmed, according to GM Brian Cashman, that the Yanks were making the right move in opting to be safe with Mussina. He was placed on the 15-day DL before last night's game (retroactive to Monday) and reliever Brian Bruney was recalled from Triple-A Columbus. Continue

Wang has his way against Mariners

Felix Hernandez has gotten a lot of attention as one of the American League's premier young pitchers, but Chien-Ming Wang showed his counterpart on Wednesday why he may be the class of the league when it comes to sophomore hurlers. Wang held the Mariners to two runs over seven innings, while the Yankees battered Hernandez for seven runs in just 3 2/3 innings, taking a 9-2 win over Seattle. Continue

Matsui return on the upswing

Hideki Matsui got good news yesterday as the Yankees left fielder was cleared to begin hitting off a tee. Matsui, who has been on the disabled list since May with a broken left wrist, is expected to rejoin the Bombers here and could progress into soft-tossing drills by the time the Yanks get to Anaheim this weekend.

There is a chance that Matsui could get into a few rehab games with one of the Yanks' minor league affiliates before their seasons end around Labor Day. "It's possible he could get in the last five days or week of the season," Joe Torre said. The Yanks won't rush Matsui, but it would be helpful if he could play in some games to help regain his timing. "The competition is different than just taking batting practice," Torre said. Continue

Yankees walk off with a loss

There was no letdown for the Yankees on Tuesday night, as they opened a three-game set at Safeco Field against the Mariners just one day after finishing off an emotional five-game sweep of the Red Sox.

What turned out to be the Yankees' downfall in this contest was a hard slide at second base, a ground ball that found a hole in the infield and a misplaced fastball, each of which contributed to New York's 6-5 loss to Seattle. Adrian Beltre drilled a walk-off home run against Ron Villone to lead off the ninth, his second long ball of the night. Continue

The dream team

Joe Torre thanked his players as they departed the field at Fenway Park yesterday afternoon and made the rounds in the clubhouse, as well. He even took the time to express gratitude to Bobby Abreu in, of all places, the bathroom.

This was the revelry after The Rivalry. And you could understand why Torre was flush with delight and what he kept describing as his "emotion." Recognizing he had so many new players who had never performed in the late-season, road heat of Yankees-Red Sox, Torre had used a pre-series meeting to brace his squad by referring to Fenway as "a snakepit" due to the in-close hostility that can be felt from the stands. Continue

Lidle serves up 6 zeroes

Cory Lidle watched the first three games of the Yankees' sweep of the Red Sox from California because he was home to attend the funeral of his 97-year-old grandmother. After rejoining the team from the bereavement list, Lidle watched Sunday night's game from the dugout, the clubhouse and his hotel room, because he was allowed to go back early to rest for his start.

For yesterday's finale, Lidle had one of the best perches at Fenway - the mound - and ended his own whirlwind weekend by having perhaps as big a part in the Yanks' 2-1 victory as anyone, tossing six shutout innings. He allowed three hits and five walks (one intentional) and struck out five. Continue

Yanks complete five-game sweep

Before this weekend, the Yankees had swept the Red Sox in a five-game series at Fenway Park just twice in their history, doing so in 1927 and 1943. They won the World Series in both of those years. New York accomplished the rare five-game sweep again on Monday, but the Yanks will have to wait another couple of months before they can try adding another title to the franchise's total of 26 World Series titles.

The Yankees closed out the improbable weekend with a 2-1 win over the Red Sox, as Cory Lidle tossed six innings of shutout ball and four relievers combined to close out the final three innings. Continue

Tight groin muscle KO's Moose after 4

A rain delay couldn't knock Mike Mussina out of last night's start against the Red Sox, but a tight right groin muscle did after only four innings, though it's unclear how severe the injury is. Mussina departed after throwing only 62 pitches with the score tied at 3, and was replaced by reliever Ron Villone for the fifth inning. Mussina allowed seven hits and three runs while striking out two and walking none.

Moments before the bottom of the fifth started, television cameras showed a grimacing Mussina conferring with assistant trainer Steve Donohue. Mussina headed toward the visiting clubhouse and Joe Torre headed onto the field to tell umpires of the injury, presumably so he could get Villone as much time to warm up as the veteran lefthander needed. Continue

Rodriguez at DH just part of Torre's plan

The Alex Rodriguez drama took another interesting turn yesterday just before 6 p.m. when the Yankees lineup was posted. Rodriguez was written in at the No. 5 spot, but as a designated hitter instead of at third base.

The Yankees say it is only to give Rodriguez a rest, but the decision has some intrigue because Mike Mussina started for the Yankees last night against the Red Sox. Rodriguez has been particularly awful in the field when playing behind Mussina, committing seven of his 22 errors in those games. Nick Green started at third. Continue

Yankees ride Giambi's homers to win

The Yankees and Red Sox took part in yet another Boston Marathon on Sunday night, and this one ended exactly like the first three -- with a New York win.

After bashing Boston pitching around Fenway Park for the first three games, the Yankees handed the Red Sox the most brutal of the four losses, taking an 8-5 victory in 10 innings. New York came back to tie the game in the ninth against Jonathan Papelbon, then scored three times against Craig Hansen in the 10th on home runs by Jason Giambi -- his second of the game -- and Jorge Posada. Continue

Damon havin' Boston bash

Johnny Damon tried to be nonchalant, as if clobbering his former team was the same thing as beating up on any other team in the majors. But Jason Giambi knows his old pal better than that.

"You always want to play big in games like this," Giambi said yesterday. "You always want to play well when you go, quote, unquote back home. We were joking around that that's why I told Cash (Yankees GM Brian Cashman) that we needed to get Johnny, because we got tired of him always doing this to us. "He's a phenomenal player who can do great things." Continue

See ya, Sidney!

It was three and out for Sidney Ponson yesterday, when the Yankees designated the ineffective right-hander for assignment. The Yankees also optioned righty reliever Brian Bruney to Triple-A Columbus. In their place right-hander Jeff Karstens and outfielder/infielder Aaron Guiel were elevated from Columbus. The Yankees will need to make another move before Monday when Cory Lidle comes off the bereavement list to start. Continue

After early DP, A-Rod delivers

Yesterday did not start well for Alex Rodriguez, as he snuffed out a first-inning Yankee rally by grounding into a double play. But the oft-scrutinized third baseman wasn't deterred, and ultimately contributed a high-bouncing RBI double and bases-loaded walk in the Bombers' 13-5 victory over the Red Sox.

A-Rod is 5-for-13 with three doubles and five RBI in the first three games of the five-game set against Boston. After struggling for much of last month, he has 18 hits in his last 48 at-bats. "Alex is getting better," Joe Torre said. "He still probably dissects everything a little too much, but he looks more relaxed up there now. It's progress." Continue

Yanks batter Beckett in win over Sox

During a span of roughly 28 hours, the Yankees managed to turn Fenway Park into their own personal batting cage. New York continued its domination over Boston's pitching, rapping Josh Beckett and a trio of relievers around the yard in a 13-5 victory. The win was the third in a row for the Yankees, who extended their lead in the American League East to 4 1/2 games over the Red Sox.

New York has won 17 of its last 25, while Boston has dropped 10 of its last 14. New York swept a day-night doubleheader on Friday to kick off the five-game set, winning 12-4 and 14-10. With the 13-run output Saturday, the Yankees became the first team in history to score 12 or more runs against the Sox at Fenway Park in three straight games. Continue

Abreu's bat does the talking

So what if Bobby Abreu doesn't hit as many long balls as he used to. The Yankees are more than happy with the version of Abreu they got from the Phillies at the trade deadline, the one who has long at-bats and delivers plenty of base hits in the middle of long rallies.

"He was great. He got key hits and kept innings going," manager Joe Torre said after Abreu went 4-for-5 in the Yankees' 12-4 first-game victory over the Red Sox on Friday afternoon. "That's very impressive for his first trip here in a Yankees uniform." Continue

Farnsworth hit by liner, DL possible

The Yankees may have lost a key arm in their bullpen last night when Kyle Farnsworth was hit in the leg. Farnsworth, the Yankees' primary eighth-inning setup reliever, was drilled on the outside of the right calf by a sharp line drive off the bat of Boston's Wily Mo Pena in the seventh inning of the night portion of the Yanks' doubleheader sweep.

Farnsworth scrambled to retrieve the ball and threw out Pena at first, but it was clear he was injured once the play stopped. Trainer Gene Monahan ran onto the field to examine Farnsworth and immediately led the burly reliever into the dugout. Continue

Melk man delivers

It may turn out that the English translation of "Hideki Matsui" is "Wally Pipp." Whoever saw this coming? Who saw Melky Cabrera not only as a quality replacement for Matsui, but as an indispensable piece in a Yankees push for an AL East title? Last year, Cabrera came into Fenway Park and humiliated himself. This year he has distinguished himself.

On a long day that turned into a longer night of baseball, the Yankees had a long list of heroes, that is as long as your name was not Sidney Ponson. The Yanks swept a doubleheader over Boston because of skill, tenacity and a rookie who has become dependable, clutch and, in Joe Torre's words, "a lifesaver." Continue

Yanks sweep away Sox

The reality show "Survivor" tells its players to "Outwit, Outplay and Outlast" their competition. It's hard to say that the Yankees outwitted or outplayed the Red Sox on Friday night, but one thing is for certain: they outlasted their rivals in the longest nine-inning game ever played in the Majors.

The Yankees used a seven-run seventh inning to overcome a three-run deficit, earning a sweep of the doubleheader with a 14-11 victory. New York won the first game, 12-4. "This is a team right now that just refuses to roll over," Joe Torre said. "What a terrific comeback." Continue

Pitching edge over Bosox may not last

As Joe Torre has always stressed, this week included, "It's going to come down to how you pitch." And the Yankees have to like how they stack up there against the Red Sox, with the past six weeks serving as evidence that Torre's rotation is stronger and deeper.

Or is it? Two American League scouts who have watched both teams cautioned yesterday not to read much into the last six weeks, in which the Yankees turned a four-game deficit into a 1½-game lead because of their strong starting pitching and Boston's poor pitching. Both scouts painted a picture in which neither American League East rival has a significant edge over the other in starting pitching, the most critical category. Continue

A case of dropping the ball

There was friction between Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez yesterday, but it had nothing to do with the supposed feud that exists between the two brightest stars in the Yankees' universe. The two came together - literally - at third base when Jeter bumped into Rodriguez while pursuing a pop-up in the sixth inning of the Yankees' 12-2 loss to the Orioles. The contact produced an error on the play. "Oh, that's just evidence why they don't get along, right," said Joe Torre, tongue firmly planted in his cheek. "They're trying to catch the same fly ball." Continue

Yankees tripped up again in finale

It was the sixth inning and the Orioles were already ahead by seven runs. But even in Alex Rodriguez's words, the next play summed up the game. Jay Gibbons harmlessly popped up to third with two outs. Derek Jeter and Rodriguez drifted towards each other with each claiming they called it. Neither budged and they bumped into each other, causing the ball to bounce out of A-Rod's glove and behind both players.

As Miguel Tejada scored from second, Rodriguez asked Jeter if he caught it and Jeter thought he was joking so he started jogging off the field. Two pitches later, Fernando Tatis was the one jogging as he smacked a two-run homer to cap off the Orioles' 12-2 defeat of the Yankees on Thursday. Continue

Surprise! Dotel able to pitch in

Octavio Dotel was lounging in his hotel room in Columbus Tuesday night, watching the movie "Mission Impossible 3" when his cell phone rang. It was Mark Littlefield, the trainer at the Yankees' Tampa complex who had shepherded Dotel through much of his rehab from Tommy John surgery.

Littlefield had the ultimate news for the recovering pitcher and the two shared a laugh when Littlefield heard what Dotel was doing. "He said, 'That mission is impossible, but this one is possible,'" Dotel recalled. After not pitching since May, 2005, Dotel was being activated by the Yankees. Continue

Sheff's in 'no hurry' to return

Gary Sheffield yesterday received clearance to begin swinging a bat - albeit under water in his pool - but that doesn't mean he's now thinking about an earlier return date. If anything, his potential return remains a huge question, for personal reasons. Sheffield yesterday reiterated he is "in no hurry" to make it back later this season, saying he will take his time to make sure his left wrist is completely healed from surgery. "My plan isn't short term. My plan is long term," he said. "That's all I'm worried about." Continue

Yankees fall short against Orioles

In each of their past two wins, the Yankees have rallied for runs in the late innings, pulling out victories against the Angels and Orioles. On Wednesday, the Yankees had yet another opportunity to do damage in the late innings, but this time, the Orioles' bullpen slammed the door shut on the Bombers, as Baltimore held on for a 3-2 win.

The Yankees had the tying run in scoring position in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, but a quartet of O's relievers pitched 3 1/3 scoreless frames. Closer Chris Ray handled the final two, earning his 28th save of the season. Continue

Derek gets Joe's MVP vote

Joe Torre stumped for a different kind of MVP candidate yesterday when he was asked if Derek Jeter deserved consideration for the American League award, which recently has gone to sluggers such as Alex Rodriguez and Vladimir Guerrero, who put up big power numbers. This season, with the candidacies of heavy hitters such as David Ortiz, Jim Thome and Travis Hafner, Jeter may emerge as a pick, at least according to his manager.

"I think they have to consider him," Torre said of Jeter. "Can he win it? I don't see why he shouldn't be able to win it. Back when Kirk Gibson won it (1988) he didn't knock in 100 runs. I think it's how valuable someone is to their team and where that team goes. But sometimes numbers distract people. Continue

Yankees dump Orioles in series opener

The Yankees insist that they are not concerned with the nightly results of the Red Sox games, but their fans made it clear Tuesday that they do not feel the same way. With the Yankees trailing the Orioles in the seventh inning, the out-of-town scoreboard in left field flashed an update from Fenway Park; the Tigers had taken a lead on the Red Sox in the ninth inning.

Scott Proctor, who was on the mound, trying to put out a bases-loaded, one-out fire, heard the cheers and turned his attention to the job at hand. "I figured the ovation had something to do with that," Proctor said. "It gives you a little motivation to shut the door." Continue

Unit: Win beats 4,500

Randy Johnson may have been the third Yankees pitcher to the 13-win mark, but his arrival there may be the most significant. With the playoff chase growing heated, the Yankees need the five-time Cy Young Award winner. And his second consecutive strong effort has conjured memories of his dominant stretch drive of a year ago.

In his last start, Johnson took a no hitter into the seventh inning. Last night he brought a shutout into the seventh before ending up on the winning end of a 7-2 triumph over the Angels. "He pitched with a lot of determination," Joe Torre said. "These guys are tough ... really hard to pitch to. I thought he did a great job of really controlling the game." Continue

Jorge back in the swing

He's played in 103 of the Yankees' 115 games this season, including last night's 7-2 victory over the Angels. He broke his nose in spring training, has played most of the year with a torn left hamstring tendon and got leveled by the Rangers' Mark Teixeira in a home plate collision in May.

The mileage recently caught up to Yankee catcher Jorge Posada, who entered last night with a 0-for-25 hitless streak. Joe Torre even dropped him to No. 7 in the batting order, saying, "When you move people around, they understand we're trying to get the hot guys more at bats." Continue

Johnson steps up, earns split for Yanks

Joe Torre dropped Alex Rodriguez out of the cleanup spot on Monday for the first time since July 19. Jason Giambi had tremendous success against Angels starter John Lackey, so Torre moved him to the No. 4 hole, protecting him with Rodriguez. So when the biggest situation of the game presented itself for the Yankees, it only figured that there would be an open base for Los Angeles to put Giambi, leaving the pressure squarely on A-Rod's shoulders.

Rodriguez was faced with the bases loaded and one out, and he had not fared well in those situations. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he had gotten a runner home from third base with less than two outs just 38.9 percent of the time, which ranked 130th out of 135 players (minimum 20 opportunities) in the Majors. Continue

A-Rod, we've seen, heard it before

Don't worry if you missed the Yankees game yesterday. It was a repeat. It was the one in which Alex Rodriguez crushed a ninth-inning homer when only a statistically unlikely rally could have helped his club.It also was the one in which A-Rod hit into a big double play against the Angels. And after the 5-3 loss, for those of us granted access to the Yankees' clubhouse, it was the one in which the reigning American League Most Valuable Player vowed that he was about to bust loose.

"There's no question, this is the best I feel by far, head and shoulders, all year," Rodriguez said. "I haven't been able to hit two balls like I hit [Saturday and yesterday] in back-to-back games. I'm starting to drive the ball. That's something that I had no idea how to do the first three months of the year." Oh. Well, that's interesting. Continue

Yankees can't get to Angels' Weaver

After a third straight hit and second roller through the infield in the first inning, Jorge Posada walked to the mound and put his arm around Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang. "He said, 'Nothing's wrong. They're just hitting the ball in the hole,'" Wang said.

When you're a ground-ball pitcher such as Wang, sometimes you're going to look brilliant and sometimes you'll look very ordinary. While Wang's final line -- a career-high 13 hits and five earned runs allowed in 5 1/3 innings -- is unsightly, 12 of those hits were singles. For the most part, Wang looked OK. Continue

Truth or scare

The worst-case scenario is still a possibility: Neither Hideki Matsui nor Gary Sheffield might be back this season, Joe Torre acknowledged yesterday.

Neither Yankees outfielder has been given clearance to even hit off a tee, and there's no sign of when that will happen. Torre, who spoke to Matsui on Friday, said the Japanese slugger is rightfully frustrated by his holding pattern. But it's not a setback, because as Torre noted, Matsui hasn't done anything with his left wrist that would've caused a setback. Continue

Yanks' Cano stays hot since return

Yankees players and manager Joe Torre went out of their way to make sure they didn't insult Miguel Cairo. He did an adequate job filling in for Robinson Cano for about six weeks, they said. But as Cano has shown since his return Tuesday, he's the All-Star.

Cano continued his torrid hitting since rejoining the Yankees as he belted a three-run homer in the second to give the Yankees all the runs they would need in a 5-2 win over the Angels in the second game of a four-game series. Continue

Cheers and jeers for A-Rod

Watching Alex Rodriguez play for the Yankees this season is a lot like rubbernecking in traffic. It has gotten to the point where you can't take your eyes off him, just because he's bound to do something to rub the Yankee Stadium fans the wrong way.

In last night's 7-4 loss to the Angels, Rodriguez was hearing it from the crowd again. He heard the good, like when he crushed an eighth-inning home run into the cheap seats; and he also heard the bad, like when fans voiced their displeasure he didn't get his Pinstripes dirty diving for what turned out to be a game-breaking double in the fifth inning. Continue

Pavano in fan flap

Carl Pavano was involved in a verbal dispute with a fan at his rehab outing in Tampa on Thursday night, during which he made an off-color remark alluding to the fan's sexual orientation, according to sources.

The fan was heckling Pavano all night - he even acknowledged as such in a complaint filed with the team, sources said - and the righthander finally snapped at him. Sources said that Pavano questioned why the fan was at the Florida State League game, then made his derogatory comment. Continue

Yanks stifled by lefty and Figgins' catch

When Alex Rodriguez came to the plate with two on and none out in the sixth inning, the Yankees trailed by four runs. A big hit by A-Rod would cut the lead and build some momentum for New York, which was looking to bounce back after a tough loss and a long night of traveling.

A-Rod laced Joe Saunders' 1-1 pitch to center field, causing the sellout Yankee Stadium crowd to erupt. Rodriguez knew better; after all, Chone Figgins was in center field. "I knew right when I hit it that he was going to catch it," Rodriguez said. "I knew Figgins was out there, and he's always making some kind of heroic play." Continue

The 'awful' A-Rod rears his head

Four hours before the start of last night's rain-delayed game, Alex Rodriguez stood at his locker and sounded awfully convincing as he talked at length about how he believed his E-Rod nightmare of last month was over. And then he went out and made a terrible throw for an error that not only proved costly to the Yankees in a 5-4 loss to the White Sox, but re-opened all the questions about the state of his mind, as well as his game.

He also failed twice at the plate with a runner at third base and less than two outs, striking out and popping up, as part of an 0-for-4 night. All in all, A-Rod had to be grateful this game wasn't being played at Yankee Stadium. So much for the end of his nightmare. Before the game he seemed so sure the worst was over. He hadn't made a throwing error since July 21, when he made his fifth in five days and had all of New York wondering if he'd contracted Chuck Knoblauch disease. Continue

Bullpen working overtime on trip

When the Yankees odyssey of 21 games in 20 days started Tuesday night, Joe Torre hoped his bullpen wouldn't be taxed too much. However, Tuesday's game went 11 innings and Torre used six relievers in a loss. When Randy Johnson hadn't allowed a hit through six Wednesday night and took a 7-0 lead into the seventh, Torre had to be thinking his pen was going to be rested.

Instead, Torre used Ron Villone, Kyle Farnsworth and Mariano Rivera for a second straight game. "I need to involve more people," Torre said. "We have to get help without an off day for three weeks. I can't keep going to the same people." Continue

Yanks edged by White Sox

Although a .500 road trip isn't cause for celebration, the Yankees head home after Thursday's loss to the White Sox in better shape than when they left. Despite dropping a 5-4 decision to Chicago, New York returns home with a three-game lead over Boston in the American League East, two games better than it was a week ago.

"We're three games up; a week ago, we weren't three games up," said Mike Mussina, who lost his second consecutive start. "I think we're doing pretty good. It would have been nice to win a couple of games here instead of just one, but they're playing better than when we saw them back home. That's just the way it is." Continue

Johnny hobbles off

Johnny Damon came out of last night's game in the fourth inning with stiffness in his right groin, and it's unclear whether the Yankee center fielder will be able to play in tonight's series finale. It appeared Damon might have tweaked his leg running out a leadoff triple in the first, but Damon said he wasn't sure.

"I don't really know what happened," he said. "When I went to the field, I knew I didn't feel good. I was waiting for it to loosen up, so I waited a couple of innings. It started to feel a little better, but I was still hobbling around. ... I'm hoping it was just something that got stuck and is no big deal. I'm hoping to be in there (today), but if not, I should definitely be there (tomorrow)." Continue

Giambi just can't put his finger on lineup

Because manager Joe Torre wanted to get Bernie Williams' bat in the lineup last night against Jon Garland, the only way Jason Giambi was going to play against the White Sox was at first base. And since Giambi's middle finger on the right hand was numb due to him getting drilled on the right elbow Tuesday night, Giambi wasn't in the lineup for the Yankees' 7-6 victory.

"It feels like I got hit in the elbow with a hammer,'' Giambi said after playing a light game of catch before batting practice. "Joe said the only way I could play was if I could throw and I can't do that.'' Continue

Yankees win nail-biter over White Sox

Mariano Rivera walked off the mound dejected on Tuesday night after suffering his third blown save of the season. Wednesday, he got his redemption, chalking up a four-out save to rescue the Yankees from what would have been a devastating loss.

The Yankees escaped with a 7-6 victory over the White Sox, winning a game which saw the Yankees leading by seven runs and Randy Johnson flirting with history turn into a nail-biter. "It's definitely a good feeling," Rivera said. "I'm happy we won; that's the most important thing. It would have been tough to lose that one." Continue

Giambi's dog days on road

Jason Giambi could finish the season as the third player in baseball history to have more RBIs than hits. He is the only Yankee who has his dog with him on this road trip. Slugger, an 11-year-old Australian Sheppard, is hanging out with Giambi and his wife, Kristian, during the afternoon on breaks from chemotherapy treatments in New York. "It's been fun having him around," Giambi said of Slugger, who was a custody issue in Giambi's divorce from his first wife. "I really enjoy it." Continue

Second helping of Cano

Larry Bowa sidled up to Robinson Cano's locker and grabbed the Yankees second baseman by the shoulders. "Now," Bowa said with mock indignation, "can you score from second on a hit?"

Cano laughed. He spent most of yesterday afternoon doing that, looking positively pleased to be back in the lineup after missing 35 games with a strained left hamstring. When Cano first hurt himself running out a double on June 25, he was told he'd have to miss only a little more than a week; when his rehab began to drag because of lingering pain, he became frustrated. Continue

Yanks fall to White Sox in extra innings

The Yankees didn't get what they have come to expect from Chien-Ming Wang on Tuesday, but they managed to overcome that. What they couldn't overcome was a rare meltdown by Mariano Rivera.

Paul Konerko tied the game against the All-Star closer with a solo home run in the ninth and Jermaine Dye singled in the game-winner against Scott Proctor in the 11th, as the White Sox stole a 6-5 victory from the Yankees at U.S. Cellular Field. The Yankees had plenty of chances in the late innings, stranding five runners in scoring position over the final four innings. Continue

Staring at tough stretch

When you play every day for 20 days in a row, as the Yankees will starting tonight in Chicago against the White Sox, you find out a few things about your team. The Yankees will find out if their good play since the All-Star break (16-6) is for real.

They trailed Boston by three games at the break; now they're in first place by two games.They'll find out if their five-man rotation really does give them a chance to win every time out, as Joe Torre said he felt it did Sunday. They'll find out if they can keep their bullpen from getting overworked and if their older players can stay on the field without precious days off. Continue

Cano's return tonight big boost for bombers

While the focus continues to be on when or if Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield return from wrist surgeries, the Yankees get back a big piece of their first half lineup tonight. That's when All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano, shelved due to a left hamstring problem, comes off the DL and rejoins the lineup. There is no minimizing what Cano's return does for the Yankees. Continue

Don's tweak helps make Abreu a hit

Don Mattingly watched video of Bobby Abreu's swing before the outfielder became a Yankee and thought he was jumping at pitches instead of "letting the ball just come to him." So when Abreu arrived last week after a trade with the Phillies, Mattingly wanted to convince him to wait a little more in his at-bats and the two began working together in the batting cage. The result has helped Abreu make an easy transition to Yankeeland.

"To add someone like Abreu, that's a big plus," Johnny Damon said. "You see what he's done since he's been here. It seems like he was made to wear pinstripes." After going 3-for-4 and reaching base four times in five plate appearances yesterday, Abreu is hitting .400 (10-for-25, including three doubles) as a Yankee and he has an OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of .984. He collected his first RBI as a Yankee yesterday and stole the first two bases in his new uniform. Continue

Yankees use Wright, might to defeat O's

Before the Yankees boarded their charter flight Sunday night, they did some flying of a different kind during the afternoon. Four different players hit solo home runs against Rodrigo Lopez, tying a season high for the team.

Those long balls, combined with a solid outing by Jaret Wright, gave the Yankees a 6-1 win in the series finale. New York has won 10 of its last 12 games, and the Bombers extended their first place lead to two games over the Red Sox in the American League East. Continue

Yanks mull sign-and-trade with Sheffield

Once the Yanks obtained Bobby Abreu, the natural inclination was to assume they would not pick up Gary Sheffield's $13-million option for 2007. But they are seriously contemplating doing just that. Not for him to play first base or DH. But to trade him.

The free-agent market is going to be thin again with the main outfield sluggers likely to be Jermaine Dye, Carlos Lee and Alfonso Soriano. There will be more than three teams who need an outfield bat and there will be more than three teams who simply cannot afford to get into the five-year, $75-million range it is likely to take to land Lee or Soriano. Sheffield (who even has $4.5 million deferred next year) can be an alluring alternative o