Yankees baseball blog

Yankee wins give pennant race new look

Tough three days in the raucous Bronx for Terry Francona and the first-place Sawx. About their only consolation in getting swept was Angel Hernandez taking it upon himself to enforce the "Joba Rules" by tossing the Yankee phenom out the game yesterday before he could finish things off with his second inning of work.

You can certainly understand Francona's frustration - getting undressed as he was in the middle of Wednesday night's game by MLB operations VP Jimmie Lee Solomon's ever-vigilant "uniform police" and then getting ejected from yesterday's 5-0 loss. Francona was tossed for arguing after the umpires reversed themselves and ruled Kevin Youkilis guilty of running out of the basepath in the seventh inning, effectively killing the Red Sox's biggest threat of the afternoon. Continue

Joba Chamberlain officially joins rivalry

What would a Yankees-Red Sox series be without a little ire, a passionate proclamation of innocence and a dig or two at umpires who some of the combatants deem to be too reactionary when a fastball nears a hitter's helmet? Tempers flared - again - yesterday between the two historic and often-hostile rivals when Joba Chamberlain threw consecutive 98 mph fastballs over the head of Boston's Kevin Youkilis in the ninth inning, enraging the Red Sox. Chamberlain was immediately ejected by plate umpire Angel Hernandez, and there was no further incident.

But Joe Torre was incredulous that Chamberlain was tossed, saying, "It just doesn't make sense." Chamberlain said he "had no bad intentions. I'm trying to get on top of a couple of pitches and they slipped. I can't help how he feels about me, but it definitely wasn't meant. That's not who I am." Continue

Wang twirls gem to sink Sox

Chien-Ming Wang took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Robinson Cano homered twice, leading the Yankees past the Red Sox on Thursday, 5-0, completing a series sweep at Yankee Stadium. One day after Roger Clemens took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, Wang did one better, bringing the game into the seventh inning with the suddenly-dormant Boston offense still holding a zero in the hit column, but not off the bases.

The right-hander, in command of his sinker and slider, walked four batters but was able to escape the big hit, including garnering a little defensive help from an unlikely source -- first baseman Jason Giambi, who dove to his right to stab a Dustin Pedroia shot to end the third inning. Mike Lowell broke up the no-no bid with a single to right, extending his hitting streak to 12 games. Continue

With card up his sleeve, Joe Torre managing a smile

It was not the 20th of April now, that Friday night at Fenway Park when Joe Torre brought the great Mo Rivera out of the bullpen for the eighth inning a month or so after saying he would do nothing of the kind this season. It was not the April night when the Red Sox jumped all over Rivera and this Red Sox season really began. The Red Sox did not just beat the Yankees that night, begin a three-game sweep right after the Yankees had just swept the Indians at the Stadium. They also found a setup man in Hideki Okajima, who closed that game because the Red Sox had decided to give Jonathan Papelbon the night off.

So a lot happened that night, to both these teams. A lot has happened since, even if the Red Sox have stayed in first since then, sometimes by a lot. But the Yankees are a different team now. And now at the Stadium last night this was a different Rivera, which means the one who has gotten the Red Sox a lot more over the years than they have gotten him. Continue

Clemens stifles Sox; Yanks pull closer

Strange as it may seem, the upper-deck home run that David Ortiz slugged to break up Roger Clemens' no-hit bid in the sixth inning on Wednesday may have been a relief. With the Rocket's stylish reintroduction to the Red Sox requiring a hearty pitch count, Ortiz's delivered souvenir actually wound up saving the Yankees a difficult decision in the later innings of New York's 4-3 win over Boston.

Instead of having to ask Clemens to push in search of his first career no-hitter -- one of the few achievements the 45-year-old right-hander still has yet to experience -- the Yankees settled for six innings of one-run ball. Alex Rodriguez homered, and Mariano Rivera's four-out save capped the effort to secure New York's second win of the homestand. Continue

Moose spins out of rotation

Joe Torre called it "a tough conversation to have," but the Yankee manager told Mike Mussina yesterday that the struggling veteran will not make his next start, which was scheduled for Saturday. Instead, the Yankees will turn to righthander Ian Kennedy, their top pick in the 2006 draft.

Mussina, who has thrown three straight clunkers, will not work out of the bullpen and instead throw on the side to possibly rejoin the rotation later. "We'll skip one start and see what we see," said Torre, who met one-on-one with Mussina. "It's basically what we're getting from that spot. We'll look at that first, then see what we do." Continue

Damon's late homer burns Red Sox

The freshness Johnny Damon feels in his legs has carried him across the outfield for weeks, showing the sort of renewed life that has the Yankees convinced that he can and should be a regular outfielder.

Sure, Damon's vertical leap might still need a little work. But it wouldn't matter later, as Damon got just enough of a pitch to put the Yankees back on top. One half-inning after Damon couldn't corral a home run ball in left field, the outfielder slugged a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh, helping lift the Yankees to a 5-3 victory over the Red Sox on Tuesday night. Continue

Time Torre throws changeup at rotation

A few days ago, Mike Mussina scoffed at any notion that he needed to pitch well last night to retain his spot in the rotation. "Who would they replace me with?" Mussina asked dismissively. Three innings into a third straight disastrous start last night, you couldn't help thinking those might be remembered as famous last words from Mussina.

There's no way around the obvious: It's time to try somebody else. Or anybody, to answer Mussina's question. After lasting three innings in last night's embarrassing 16-0 loss to the Tigers, the 38-year old righthander has given up 20 runs in 9-2/3 innings over three starts. Even Kei Igawa can do better than that. Well, maybe. Continue

Mussina shows no progress in rout

Mike Mussina's rhetorical question, in discussing previous struggles and a seemingly tenuous rotation spot, was to ask, "Who are they going to replace me with?" The Yankees may just need to answer that. Mussina was hit hard for the third consecutive start, surrendering six runs and making an early exit from the Yankees' 16-0 loss to the Tigers on Monday, completing a disappointing road trip that featured five losses in seven games.

"I really don't feel like I can do much of anything right," Mussina said. "I haven't helped us at all in the last three games I've pitched. It's disappointing, and it's probably the worst nine innings that I've pitched in my career, in a row. It's tough to take."  Continue

Phil of the future less so in present

The potential is obvious, but let's face it: Phil Hughes hasn't wowed you, right? Not like you hoped from someone who was hyped to the heavens in spring training by such old pros as Jorge Posada and Jason Giambi.

In the big picture, even at 2-2 with a 5.35 ERA, Hughes is doing just fine for a rookie thrown smack into the middle of a tight playoff race. The problem for the Yankees is they need more right now. In the end, in fact, it may turn out that they need him to do for their rotation what Joba Chamberlain is doing for their bullpen. Or what Justin Verlander did for the Tigers last year. Continue

Early homers cost Yankees in Detroit

Phil Hughes inched off the mound, his curveball not particularly well struck and searching for a left-field landfall. As a final lunge of desperation sent Hideki Matsui's cap floating to the grass, Hughes could do little but try to keep moving.

Curtis Granderson's inside-the-park home run started the afternoon poorly, but it was a pair of deeper blasts by Carlos Guillen and Marcus Thames that really spoiled Hughes' day at Comerica Park. The homers helped the Tigers edge the Yankees on Sunday, 5-4. "I knew right from the start that it was going to be a day I needed to battle," Hughes said. Continue

Contreras controls Joba rules

The Joba Rules may change, but if they do it will come from organizational pitching guru Nardi Contreras and nobody else. The Rules state that the 21-year-old Joba Chamberlain needs a day off for every inning he pitches and that he can't work two innings if he hasn't had two days of rest.

Since the flame-throwing Yankee rookie has been converted from minor-league starter to major-league reliever and will be used as a starter next year, his workload is being carefully monitored. However, in his last four outings, Chamberlain has averaged 11 pitches. So could the Joba Rules change later in the year if the pitch count remains low? "I am not saying it will change, but that's up to [Contreras]," manager Joe Torre said. "I think it's been talked about. I have great respect for Nardi Contreras." Continue

Timely hitting gives Wang win No. 15

As a rainy marathon inched past midnight and into the early-morning hours, the Yankees literally had to shoo Chien-Ming Wang from the dugout bench at Comerica Park, urging him to flag down a hotel-bound cab and rest.

Begrudgingly, Wang left his teammates and had to later be filled in on the sour details of an extra-inning loss to the Tigers. But the Yankees were glad that he had, especially as Wang pitched eight strong innings and put a win on the board on Saturday night. Wang allowed two runs (one earned) in a performance that showcased the best of his arsenal, Johnny Damon flashed new life with a home run and Melky Cabrera legged out a three-run triple as the Yankees defeated the Tigers, 7-2. Continue

No guarantees for Moose

With talk swirling through the Yankees universe that Mike Mussina could be pitching for his rotation spot Monday night against the Tigers, the right-hander said he isn't feeling the pressure. "Who would they replace me with?" Mussina asked prior to last night's Yankees-Tigers game at Comerica Park.

Actually, GM Brian Cashman on Thursday brought up three names as possible replacements for the struggling veteran, mentioning minor leaguers Ian Kennedy, Steven White and, yes, even Kei Igawa. Ever since Wednesday in Anaheim, Calif., when Joe Torre said he would have a talk with Mussina if he doesn't pitch well Monday, the inference is that the Yankees, who are in a must-win situation every night, would make a move with the 16-year veteran. Given multiple chances yesterday to say Mussina's spot in the rotation is safe, Torre danced around the subject. Continue

Villone goes on DL, Bruney back up

Ron Villone was placed on the disabled list with a mild lower back strain before last night's game, having injured himself during the second inning of Tuesday night's game against the Angels.

Villone tweaked his back while covering first base on the final batter of the inning. He remained in the game and pitched to four batters in the third, walking three of them and giving up a single to the fourth before being removed. "I'm hoping it won't take more than 15 days," Villone said. "It's not going to hurt; it's been about five years since I've had 15 days off." Continue

Yankees left empty-handed in Detroit

Carlos Guillen's three-run homer off reliever Sean Henn in the 11th inning lifted the Tigers to a 9-6 victory over the Yankees in a soggy Friday evening affair that spilled deep into Saturday morning. Henn, the seventh New York pitcher of the evening, opened the 11th by striking out Curtis Granderson but issued a full-count walk to Placido Polanco.

Polanco was picked off by catcher Jose Molina, but Sean Casey singled to center and Magglio Ordonez dropped a single into shallow right. Guillen followed by blasting a 1-2 slider over the left-field wall for his 18th home run. "I thought it was a decent pitch when it left my hand," Henn said. "He must have, too."  Continue

Split decision lies ahead

The man in the manager’s office will have a huge impact on what the Yankees’ 2008 roster will look like. While the Yankees are involved in two races - the AL East and wild card - there is no avoiding what looms beyond this season. Joe Torre is doing a wonderful job as a lame-duck manager, and his future will have an impact on what free agents Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens will do following the World Series. Since Alex Rodriguez doesn’t have the history the others do with Torre, the manager’s future doesn’t expect to play a role in Rodriguez’ decision to opt out and become a free agent or stay.

However, it will impact what Posada does. “I don’t see myself playing for anybody else,” the All-Star told The Post. So, if Torre leaves, does that mean Posada goes, too? “Let’s see who is coming in,” the catcher said. Continue

Joba's highlight strikeout is Vlad all over

Joba Chamberlain has made quite an impression since making his debut more than two weeks ago, but perhaps no single at-bat better showed what the 21-year-old reliever is all about than his confrontation with Vladimir Guerrero Wednesday night. Chamberlain came right at the former AL MVP, getting him to swing at an 88-mph slider for the first strike. A 100-mph fastball followed, which Guerrero fouled straight back.

"I wanted to challenge him right there; he's a great hitter, so I'm just going to attack him," Chamberlain said. "You can't get too much juice going or you'll try to throw it too hard and leave it over the plate. If you leave it over the plate, it might not come back." Continue

Is Moose cooked?

Mike Mussina pitched credibly enough for more than two months during the summer, keeping the Yankees in games he started while they straightened out their miserable season. But he's been horrible in consecutive clunkers in his last two outings, getting pounded by playoff contenders.

Which streak do we believe? Are his struggles against the Tigers and Angels - two losses, 6-2/3 innings, a 17.55 ERA - merely a blip in a long schedule? Or, coupled with some sagging stats for the season, the signal of a significant downward trend in Mussina's consistent, mostly terrific career? Continue

Pettitte thumbs aside Angels

Andy Pettitte was the stopper once more for the Yankees' Southern California troubles, logging his fifth consecutive victory by posting an 8-2 victory over the Angels on Wednesday.

Behind Pettitte's seven innings of one-run ball, the Yankees salvaged the finale of a three-game series at Angel Stadium, moving back within five games of the Red Sox in the AL East and 1 1/2 games behind the Mariners in the AL Wild Card race. "Andy knows when it's important for us to win, but every time he goes to the mound it's important for him to win," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "This game was enormously important." Continue

A-Rod's big 4-0

The home run milestones change, but Alex Rodriguez' reaction to reaching them remains the same. Monday night he clubbed his 40th homer in a heartbreaking 7-6, 10-inning loss to the Angels in Anaheim. He is the fifth player in history to reach 40 homers in at least eight seasons. Babe Ruth did it 11 times and Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds and Harmon Killebrew each did it eight times. "I am proud, it's pretty awesome," Rodriguez said before crushing Nos. 41 and 42 last night in Anaheim. "It's pretty humbling." Continue

Mussina sets tone in humbling loss

Mike Mussina led a parade of Yankees pitchers into the path of Garret Anderson's career night. Some three hours later, it ended with a deflating 18-9 Yankees loss to the Angels on Tuesday.

Anderson hit a grand slam and a three-run homer as part of a four-hit, 10-RBI night, serving as the Angels' most damaging offensive performer. The home team called it a historic night, scoring its highest total of runs in a game against the Yankees, while Mussina simply called it "awful." "It's tough to take," Mussina said. "I think that was in the top-five worst games of my career, right there. When you can't throw strikes, it really hurts. When I was throwing strikes, they were hitting them." Continue

Wish upom an A-Rod

Outside of saying his goal is to help the Yankees win a World Series and how much he loves New York, Alex Rodriguez refuses to commit to being a Yankee beyond the end of this season.

By now even the most casual Yankees fan understands the situation. Rodriguez can opt out of the final three years of his contract, leave $81 million on the table and become a free agent. If he files for free agency, the Yankees say they aren't going to be bidders because they don't want to lose the $21.2 million discount they have coming from the Rangers in 2008-10. That, however, could change come November. Continue

Bullpen spoils Yanks' clutch homers

The Angels have been a thorn in the Yankees' collective side, and there isn't much of a secret left to explain why. For years, Mike Scioscia's club has nipped away with aggressive play and persistence.

That familiar formula worked once more at Angel Stadium on Monday, as little-known backstop Ryan Budde connected for a game-winning hit off Sean Henn in the bottom of the 10th inning. The decisive blow led the Angels past the Yankees in dramatic fashion, 7-6. "They play one way, with a great deal of passion," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "We do, too. Today's a day when you flip a coin." Continue

Cashman & Co. draft up plan that is on the money

In the quiet of the visiting clubhouse yesterday, Dave Dombrowski, the genial GM of the Detroit Tigers who found himself front and center on Bud Selig's carpet last week, was making his case for having to exceed the commissioner's bonus guidelines in signing his first-round draft pick, Seton Hall Prep righthander Rick Porcello, for $7.28 million. "Look," said Dombrowski, "the draft is our most important element for success here. I can't can't compete against the Yankees in free agency. I can't compete the Yankees in Latin America or Asia. The one place I can compete against them is in the draft."

He was referring to the fact that half of the Tigers roster was procured through the draft - a testimony to superior scouting which, in itself, would not be enough in an open bidding situation. But up until a couple of years ago, anyone could compete against the Yankees in the draft, such was their uncanny ability to come up empty for high school and college talent, year after year, for over a decade. Continue

Win leaves Yankees feeling youthful

Three lockers separated the cubbyholes that belong to Joba Chamberlain and Edwar Ramirez. The two relievers stood upright, the lines on their faces shifting as they listened, spoke and grinned. Packs of reporters, print and broadcast, encircled the pair of pitchers. They had just dazzled a Sunday crowd of 55,071 at Yankee Stadium, combining to help seal a 9-3 win over the Tigers.

Chamberlain stood with a massive sling of ice wrapped over his arm and around his stomach, coloring his skin a shade of red where it touched him and adding to the already thoroughbred look branded from head to toe on his 6-foot-2, 230-pound frame. Continue

The book on Joba

Two fields stood across the street from Joba Chamberlain's house in Lincoln, Neb., one grass, one gravel, and on summer evenings, kids from across the whole neighborhood in the northeast part of town would gather outside to play baseball. The Chamberlains kept enough gloves and bats for everyone and Joba's father, Harlan, would umpire games from his wheelchair, offering coaching tips between calls.

When there wasn't a game, Chamberlain and his father still played catch in the yard, even during the winter. "If it wasn't blowin' or a million degrees below zero, we were out there," Harlan Chamberlain says. The aluminum siding on the house had hundreds of dents. The father would urge the boy to dive for grounders. The boy would get dirty. The father never yelled. Continue

Clemens still bleeds red, white, blue & Yankee green

His outing began with a pep talk on the mound, a few words of encouragement to a young man named Derrick Rodriguez. Roger Clemens, who knows a bit about the art of pitching, was happy to offer advice.

D-Rod, operating under an honorary nickname, is an Army warrant officer and the son of an Army special forces soldier who died in Operation Desert Storm. But now, as a representative of the Warrior Foundation, D-Rod was throwing out the ceremonial first pitch yesterday at the Stadium. Clemens stepped aside, clapped along with the late-afternoon crowd and nodded proudly even as D-Rod's throw skimmed the dirt in front of catcher Jorge Posada. "I just tried to relax him. I told him one of my proudest moments was going over to see some of his buddies with General (Richard) Myers," Clemens would say later. "It was the neatest thing I've done in my private or professional career." Continue

Four-run sixth gives Rocket the win

It was hatched on the back fields of a sunny complex in Tampa, Fla., some four years ago, a reaction play designed to catch opposing baserunners off guard. Even the Yankees wound up being caught by surprise. Roger Clemens pitched six strong innings and flashed some trickery in pulling off a spiffy infield double play. Bobby Abreu and Jorge Posada also homered as the Yankees defeated the Tigers on Saturday, 5-2. "It changed the whole game," Posada said. "It's just one of those things where you try to catch somebody off guard. We did."  Continue

Chamberlain silences Sheff

It was the man Joe Torre called "one of the best fastball hitters in all of baseball" against the biggest flamethrowing rookie sensation to hit the Bronx in years. And the Yankees' newest cult hero, righthander Joba Chamberlain, got the best of former Yankee Gary Sheffield to lead off the ninth inning of the Bombers' 6-1 win last night.

The game wasn't on the line, but the confrontation made for some great drama and may have made Torre smile a little wider since Sheffield had started the series by revisiting his critical comments about his manager in the Bronx for three seasons. Chamberlain threw one pitch to Sheffield, a 98-mph fastball, and the Tigers' DH took a mighty hack - one that launched balls over walls at the Stadium plenty of times over the last three years - only to watch the ball float harmlessly into Hideki Matsui's glove in left field. Continue

Giambi, Pettitte take Yanks past Tigers

Spending two months out of the Yankees' lineup could have jogged Jason Giambi's perspective a little bit. Then again, it was nothing he hadn't seen before.

On a night when Giambi slugged two home runs, including one of his trademark upper-deck variety, Andy Pettitte reassumed his position as the stalwart of the Yankees rotation. The left-hander pitched eight strong innings to lead New York past the Tigers on Friday, 6-1, keeping the Yankees a half-game behind Seattle in the American League Wild Card race and five games behind Boston in the AL East. Continue

Half-baked Sheff keeps on stirring

From the start it was obvious that Yankee fans desperately wanted to shut up Gary Sheffield, as well as win a game that would make the ugliness of last October seem a little more like a bad dream. They booed Sheffield's every move and tried to shout every fly ball hit off Justin Verlander over the wall, only to be disappointed on both counts, as the Tigers made a case that they own the Yankees, going back to, well, you remember the playoffs.

Even though Sheffield had a quiet night at the plate in the Tigers' 8-5 victory, he seemed to revel in being booed from start to finish. "You have to be a hell of a player to get people to react to you," he said. "So it's pretty special." Continue

Home free

Upon learning that Bud Selig wasn't going to suspend him, Jason Giambi insists steroids are in his rear view mirror.

"I am all done with it, I am through with it. He did what he needed to do and now I can go forward," said Giambi, who drew the wrath of MLB when he was quoted in May saying players and owners should have apologized a while ago for steroid use. Giambi also admitted to using steroids without saying the word. "It's been a long time discussing what was going on and I am happy with it. Now I can go forward and not hurt the ball club by taking a suspension." Continue

Mussina struggles as Yanks tripped

The Yankees' previous encounter with the Tigers resulted in the season's premature ending. The rematch may be a warning against the same. Facing Detroit for the first time since last year's American League Division Series, the Yankees were down and out early. Carlos Guillen hit a first-inning grand slam and Mike Mussina never recovered, suffering an 8-5 defeat in the opener of a four-game series Thursday.

The Yankees, baseball's winningest team in the second half, lost for the third consecutive game and slipped a half-game behind the idle Seattle Mariners in the AL Wild Card race. Continue

Yankees have no choice except to cry a Rivera

Bad as it was for the Yankees during those dark days of April, May and June when they had played themselves into a double-digit deficit, their one consolation was they at least had no reason to think about the dreaded, unspoken question that has lingered in the recesses of everyone's mind in the organization. What happens when Mo is no longer Mo?

Brian Cashman, for one, insists he never allows himself to ask the question "because I've always said you can't replace the great players." But as Mariano Rivera himself admitted yesterday that "I'm only human" after a demoralizing third straight rocky performance, the question is out there now - like it or not. Continue

Duncan's late homer can't save Yanks

The Yankees can grow accustomed to Shelley Duncan coming through in key spots. They'll never get used to Mariano Rivera floundering in them. Duncan crushed a game-tying three-run homer off Jamie Walker with two outs in the ninth inning, but Rivera gave up three runs in the top of the 10th as the Yankees fell to the Orioles on Wednesday, 6-3.

"It hurts," said Rivera, who suffered his fourth loss. "The team is giving me the opportunity to pitch. They need me to be able to hold them and come back and score. I wasn't able to do that. It's bad." Rivera blew a save in the series opener on Monday, but Baltimore's hits were more of the bloop and bleeder variety. Not so on Wednesday, as Rivera was hit hard. Continue

'As good a shortstop as ever played'

Over the course of more than 60 years, Phil Rizzuto transformed himself into a bigger-than-life Yankee icon. Once the target of jokes and ridicule from grizzled baseball scouts about his 5-6 frame, Rizzuto scratched, clawed and laughed his way to becoming a Hall of Fame shortstop and later the longest tenured broadcaster in the club's history.

Beginning in 1941, when he took over from Frank Crosetti as the Yankee shortstop and hit .307 his rookie season, Rizzuto was a Yankee fixture for nearly a half century. When his playing career ended at age 38 with his unceremonious release on Old-Timers' Day 1956, Rizzuto went into the broadcast booth and, with Hall of Fame Yankee announcer Mel Allen as his mentor, entertained Yankee fans for nearly 40 years with an uninhibited and sometimes outrageous shtick. Continue

Yankees routed by Orioles

The first five innings were the preview, like a trailer for a movie. The snapshots were enticing. Aubrey Huff smacks a grand slam; Daniel Cabrera dominates New York's powerhouse offense. But this game may have revealed itself in the fullest in the sixth inning, a script that started with Robinson Cano botching a throw for an error. From there, it just got uglier.

The box score shows that a Nick Markakis double came next, but the 52,567 at Yankee Stadium saw that left fielder Hideki Matsui misjudged Markakis' line drive, running a few steps in before retreating to the wall to retrieve the ball. Continue

'Scooter' Rizzuto dies at 89

Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto, who overcame his diminutive size to become a key contributor to numerous New York Yankees championships and followed his playing career with a lengthy and entertaining stint in the team's broadcast booth, died Tuesday. He was 89.

Rizzuto's playing and broadcasting careers were in contrast with each other. As a player, Rizzuto had the reputation for being an alert, heads-up competitor with keen baseball instincts that eventually earned him a place in the Hall of Fame. Behind the microphone, he was at times oblivious to the events on the field; nevertheless, his lack of polish as an announcer was ignored by generations of Yankees fans who accepted his eccentricities the way family members do an amusing relative. Continue

Rookie shows Bronx he can get Joba done

If all goes well, if the front office had it right, if hitters keep swinging and missing, Joba Chamberlain's first home game in front of the usual 54,398, every customer will one day be able to tell their grandkids they were there, yep, right there, sitting behind Mickey Mantle, when the great Joba threw his first inning at Yankee Stadium, the old place. And if Joba keeps delivering the promise of the small taste we've had so far, everybody who ever read a box score, or rode past 161st on the subway, will boast about having been in the Bronx his opening night.

The Yankees, you must have noticed, have been winning. Nine of their last 10, after beating Baltimore, 7-6. Now it's 12 of 14, 18 of 23. They're 24-8 since the All-Star break, when they were still stuck in neutral. But look at them now. Continue

Yanks walk-off with fourth straight

The Yankees did without a quality effort from their ace starter, and were surprised to see their Hall of Fame closer once again turn mortal. By the end, it still didn't matter.

Melky Cabrera scored the winning run on Derek Jeter's ninth-inning dribbler Monday as the Yankees edged the Orioles, 7-6, bailing out ineffective performances from both Chien-Ming Wang and Mariano Rivera. The Yankees, baseball's best team since the All-Star break, haven't yet found a hurdle that can keep them down in the second half. New York's latest victory, opening a seven-game homestand, was its fourth straight. Continue

Yanks are climbing the charts

For two days the Yankees had bludgeoned the first-place Indians, showing them just how they have pounded their way to the top of the wild card race. But here was proof of just how much they've raised their game in the last month, the kind of cool-hand win they'd sell their souls for in October. Should they make it, that is.

All right, let's get this out of the way: No, I haven't forgotten that I declared the Yankees dead about six weeks ago, and no, I'm not caving on that stance just yet. Never mind that the other wild card contenders lately seem to be reacting to the Yankees' charge much the way PGA Tour pros do when they see Tiger Woods climbing the leaderboard, tripping over themselves to get out of the way. Or that suddenly the Red Sox are reacting the way they always have when they see the Yanks in the rearview mirror. Continue

Pettitte sharp as Yanks finish off Tribe

Jason Giambi picked up where his teammates' bats left off, Andy Pettitte sustained the rotation's recent dominance and the Bombers continued to roll in a 5-3 victory over the Indians on Sunday. Giambi, making his second start since returning from the disabled list, went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer that keyed an 11-hit attack. And Pettitte tossed 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball in winning for the fifth time in seven starts.

It all added up to a decisive sweep of Cleveland in front of a third straight sellout crowd at Jacobs Field, pushed the Yankees to 15 games over .500 (66-51) for the first time this season and kept New York tied atop the American League Wild Card race. Continue

A-Rod having hot Indian summer

Before last night's game, Alex Rodriguez was sitting around a table with Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera, having a few laughs with his two young teammates in the clubhouse. A-Rod then went out and took that loose attitude to the field, bashing a pair of two-run home runs to lead the Yankees in an 11-2 win over the Indians.

Ever since he hit his 500th home run eight days ago, Rodriguez has looked like a different player. The tension he showed while approaching the milestone is gone, allowing the MVP front-runner to let his talent shine. "It was good to get that 500th home run out of the way and get back to real baseball," Rodriguez said. "The same game that I hit the home run, I got two low line drives the other way for base hits; that's what (hitting coach Kevin Long) has been advocating all year for me." Continue

Kennedy could start vs. Birds

Hot off the success neophytes Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, the Yankees are "seriously" considering promoting Ian Kennedy to complete the Trinity of Pitching Prospects for Tuesday's start against the Orioles at Yankee Stadium.

Kennedy, their No. 1 pick in last year's draft, is a possible candidate to make his major-league debut when the Yankees need a starter to fill in for Roger Clemens, who is serving a five-game suspension. Clemens' turn was supposed to be Monday, but Chien-Ming Wang will take that. Continue

Yanks continue to dominate Tribe

Pick your location: the Bronx or on the shores of Lake Erie. It doesn't matter. Show Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees the threads of Cleveland, and domination has ensued. So perhaps it came as no surprise that Rodriguez laced a pair of two-run homers and the Bombers shoved aside the American League Central's first-place Indians, 11-2, in front of 41,977 at Jacobs Field on Saturday night. The Yankees are now 5-0 against Cleveland this year, and A-Rod has left the park in all five games. Continue

Lofton: Torre no racist

Kenny Lofton doesn't feel he was treated fairly by Joe Torre, but the veteran outfielder doesn't believe it had to do with the color of his skin. When Gary Sheffield accused Torre of treating black and white players differently, he cited Lofton and Tony Womack as two specific examples.

Lofton was quoted by an Associated Press reporter as saying, "All I can say is, Sheffield knows what he's talking about; that's all I'm going to say," but Lofton said yesterday his quote was misrepresented, saying the question he was asked related specifically to being called out by the manager in meetings. "They're trying to say it's racism? That's a word I don't even bring up," said Lofton, who played for Torre in 2004. "I didn't say that, and that's something I won't say." Continue

Padres put claim on Igawa

Though the Yankees aren't going to give away Kei Igawa, they have a chance to get rid of the disappointing lefty because the Padres claimed the 28-year-old pitcher on waivers. If the Yankees move Igawa, the Padres are the only team he can be dealt to.

The waiver claim was first reported by foxsports.com and confirmed to The Post by a person with knowledge of San Diego's waiver action. Igawa, who signed a five-year deal worth $20 million that runs through 2011, has struggled so badly in his first American season he has been sent to the minors twice. With the emergence of Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain and the expected rise of Ian Kennedy, the Yankees no longer are lacking in the young-arms department. Continue

A-Rod, Yanks back sharp Hughes

It's a strange prospect for the Yankees. A team that has relied on experience and big-money stars for much of the past decade have entrusted their playoff fortunes in the hands of two of the game's four-youngest pitchers. No pressure, kids.

Yet Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain are no ordinary 21-year-olds. And in the tension-filled atmosphere of a soldout Jacobs Field on Friday night, the pair showed just why they may be better stretch run options than any quick-fix trade deadline move could have offered in the Yankees' 6-1 dusting of first-place Cleveland. Continue

A-Rod's name carries juice

This is what happens when you are far more interested in protecting the guilty, as the Major League Baseball Players Association has done for years with drugs, than you are the innocent. Alex Rodriguez happens.

Jose Canseco says something about A-Rod and then Chipper Jones says something about what Canseco said. Canseco is shopping another book. The first was called "Juiced." The second, if it gets written, will be called "Vindicated." Chipper wasn't shopping anything, just answering questions about steroids in baseball as straightforwardly as he knows how. Continue

Clemens sits for five games

Roger Clemens and Yankees manager Joe Torre were issued suspensions yesterday by Major League Baseball for their actions in Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays. Clemens was given a five-game suspension (which would mean one start) and fined an undisclosed amount for hitting the Blue Jays' Alex Rios in the back with a pitch in the seventh inning after warnings had been issued to both teams. Torre was given a one-game suspension and also was fined.

Torre is set to serve his suspension tonight in Cleveland. Clemens' agent, Randy Hendricks, said in an e-mail last night that they have not decided whether to appeal the suspension. Clemens is scheduled to start Monday against the Orioles. Continue

Chipper will talk to A-Rod

When Chipper Jones told a reporter from The Associated Press on Wednesday that he believes questions about possible steroid use will follow Alex Rodriguez in his eventual pursuit of Barry Bonds' home run record, Jones didn't think he was making big news. Jones insisted Thursday he actually was defending A-Rod and blamed the New York media -- "the pot-stirrers here," he said -- for making it seem as if he were taking aim at the Yankees' third baseman.

Jones wouldn't address New York reporters, speaking only to the reporters who regularly cover the Braves. He told them he will call A-Rod to explain himself, and that he should have simply told the AP reporter that A-Rod will have "to answer the questions just like me, just like anybody else in this era." Continue

Atlanta's Chip shot at A-Rod

Chipper Jones says Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez have plenty in common, and that might not be a good thing for the Yankee slugger. Jones, certainly no fan favorite in Queens, stirred up things on the other side of town last night when he said the same steroid questions that have dogged Bonds for years will soon hang over A-Rod, especially if he makes a run at the all-time home run record. Continue

Joe, Rog may have to take a seat

According to multiple sources close to the situation, Roger Clemens and Joe Torre are going to be suspended for their actions Tuesday night when after the benches were warned Clemens drilled Alex Rios in the back and was ejected by plate umpire Angel Hernandez. The umpire believed Clemens was retaliating for Josh Towers hitting Alex Rodriguez earlier in the game. Continue

Wang knocked out early in loss to Jays

By the time the Yankees' three-game series against the Blue Jays came to an end, New York couldn't wait to get out of town, and that includes injured third baseman Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez sat out the Yankees' 15-4 loss to the Jays because of a sore right calf muscle. The injury occurred when he was hit on the right leg by a fastball from Toronto's Josh Towers on Tuesday night.

The Yankees slugger was approached by a group of reporters after Wednesday's game for an update on his injury. "Sore," Rodriguez abruptly said as he exited through the clubhouse doors. Continue

Joba security

The Yankees are going to have rules for how to use Joba Chamberlain, and let’s all just pause a second to catch our breath after laughing. Joe Torre has the same chances of following restrictive rules on relievers, especially in a tight pennant race, as Bill Clinton has of keeping his head down at a wet T-shirt contest.

Torre browbeat a reporter who dared ask a follow-up question in spring training after the Yankee manager vowed Mariano Rivera would be limited to ninth-inning saves. Yet, it took Torre all the way to April 20 - the first edgy game at Fenway Park - to revoke that edict and summon Rivera in the eighth inning. Now only David Weathers and J.J. Putz have more saves of four outs or more than Rivera’s seven. Continue

Giambi returns; Cairo let go

Jason Giambi spent the past couple of weeks getting himself back in shape in small towns all over America. His journey came to an end last night, as the Yankees activated the slugger from the disabled list before their game with the Blue Jays. "I was like Magellan down there," Giambi said. "Fort Myers, Sarasota - hot spots."

With his left foot healed, Giambi is ready to return to the lineup; the question is, where will he fit in? Melky Cabrera is the starting center fielder, leaving Giambi and Johnny Damon as the designated hitters. Giambi could also see an occasional game at first base. "I'm not worried about it at all," Giambi said. "I'll do whatever Joe (Torre) needs me to do. I've always been a guy who doesn't put himself in front of the ballclub." Continue

Tensions fuel Yanks' win over Jays

The Yankees came to Toronto thinking their feud with the Blue Jays was ancient history. Turns out, they were wrong. If revenge was on Toronto's mind, the Yankees certainly used it to their advantage.

Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez was plunked in the back of the leg during the third inning causing two bench-clearing incidents and more than a 10-minute delay, but that's when things were just getting started for New York. Jorge Posada came to bat after things had finally calmed down and promptly hit a two-run double to left that helped set the tone for New York's 9-2 victory over Toronto on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre. Continue

Giambi's arrival is on deck

Jason Giambi will rejoin his teammates in the dugout for tonight's game against the Blue Jays, but the designated hitter might not be ready for active duty for another day or two. Giambi played nine games in a minor-league rehab assignment, going 5-for-22 with nine walks and a home run to show that his left foot had healed, but Joe Torre plans on speaking with the slugger and gauging his comfort level before activating him from the disabled list.

Torre and Giambi spoke on Sunday, as the manager explained that finding playing time for Giambi is going to take some creativity. "Jason is a good teammate," Torre said. "He said, 'Whatever you want me to do, I'm ready to do.' I explained to him that we've been playing well and there are a lot of players here right now. We'll try to figure it out." Continue

Joba to arrive in Yankee hut

The Joba Chamberlain era officially begins tonight. Chamberlain, one of the Yankees' highly touted pitching prospects, will join the Bombers for tonight's game at the Rogers Centre, giving Joe Torre another hard-throwing reliever to work into the late-inning mix. In three minor-league relief outings, Chamberlain has allowed one hit over four scoreless innings, striking out nine. His last outing came Saturday, when he whiffed five over two innings for Triple-A Scranton.

"He's certainly catching everybody's attention quickly, hasn't he?" said Torre, who would not confirm the move yesterday. How the 21-year-old righthander responds to his role as a reliever will play a major role in determining the Yankees' bullpen situation should they reach the playoffs. Continue

Yankees movin' on up in AL Wild Card

A four-run sixth inning propelled the Yankees to a 5-4 victory over the Blue Jays on Monday afternoon at Rogers Centre.

New York (62-50) sent eight batters to the plate in the sixth that helped turn the game around in the Yankees' favor. Jays starter Jesse Litsch had been cruising, allowing just one run through the first five frames, until he was chased from the game after allowing the first two Yankee batters he faced in the sixth to reach base. With the win, the Yankees are now in a virtual tie with the Tigers for first place atop the American League Wild Card standings. Continue

Yankees designate Myers

The writing was on the wall for Mike Myers following his most recent outing against the Royals. The Yankees reliever was brought in during the seventh inning of Sunday's game to face left-handed-hitting Mark Teahen with runners in scoring position. Myers promptly surrendered a single, which allowed two inherited runners to score, and made an otherwise lopsided game much tighter.

On Monday, New York designated Myers for assignment, and now have 10 days to either trade, release or reassign the left-handed reliever to the Minor Leagues. Continue

Torre has talent surplus

Buddy Bell, the 55-year-old Kansas City Royals manager, was standing behind the batting cage prior to the game yesterday, discussing why he is stepping down after the season to spend more time with his family. Bell, who had a heath scare last year when it was discovered he had a cancerous tonsil, talked about his daughter, who has Down Syndrome, and his 80-year old mother, as primary reasons for wanting to go home to Cincinnati and getting out of the all-consuming managerial rat race.

"I'll still be close to it," he said, alluding to adviser/scouting duties for GM Dayton Moore. Then, glancing over at the Yankee dugout, he added unsolicited: "But I've got to tell you, I don't think, in all my years in baseball, I've seen a team that hits like theirs. That's some lineup!" Continue

Surging Yankees complete sweep

First things first, right? Since the All-Star break, the Yankees rank first in batting average, first in home runs, first in runs scored, first in RBIs, first in on-base percentage and first in slugging percentage. And with their 8-5 win on Sunday at Yankee Stadium, the Bombers are 18-7 since the break.

In other words, first in wins. The Yankees sit a half-game behind the Tigers and Mariners for the top spot in the American League Wild Card race, and the AL East has tightened considerably since the Midsummer Classic. Continue

Matsui hits 100th homer in Yankees' win

Hideki Matsui hit his 100th Major League home run and Mike Mussina turned in a quality start as the Yankees beat the Royals, 8-5, on Sunday at Yankee Stadium. The three-game sweep of Kansas City improved New York's second-half record to 18-7, which ranks first in the Major Leagues. Melky Cabrera hit his seventh home run of the season, and he now has 11 hits in his last 31 at-bats. Bobby Abreu also continued his recent hitting tear, going 3-for-4 to raise his average to .286 on the season. Continue

Unlike Bonds, A-Rod is someone worth rooting for

Alex Rodriguez stopped only briefly. He paused to watch the ball as it soared into the leftfield stands and he took a second to hug his teammates, starting with Derek Jeter, of all people. For the most part, though, Rodriguez just kept moving, which is good news for all of us.

A-Rod is our best hope. We need him to keep going for a few more years. The Yankee who hit his 500th home run yesterday is the best chance we have to wipe Barry Bonds and his sorry milestone right out of our minds - and the record book. You don't have to be a Yankees fan to appreciate that Rodriguez reached 500 at a younger age (32 years, 8 days) than anyone else ever has and that he is in top shape. All you need is a look at the churlish Bonds and his laughable testimony that he used a chemical enhancement only by accident (he reportedly said he thought it was something else). Continue