Yankees baseball blog

Yankees close season with win

On the 162nd day, there was rest. After an emotionally draining season, the Yankees took a more relaxed approach Sunday as the team's stars took their final bow in a 10-4 victory against the Orioles. "The guys have played a lot of innings -- a lot of stressful innings -- in the second half of the year," third baseman Alex Rodriguez said. "It's good to get your mind and body rested."

It was the team's final game before Thursday's playoff opener against Cleveland. Rodriguez received the loudest ovation from the Yankees fans in Baltimore when he was removed from the game in the fourth inning, but inside the dugout the biggest cheers went to Bobby Abreu, who picked up his 100th RBI of the season in the fourth inning. Continue

October time!

Alex Rodriguez understands those who don't trust that his MVP season will translate into October success. After all, his past two postseasons have been nightmares for the Yankees and arguably the best player in baseball. He knows the denizens are poised to shower him with boos the first time he fails against the Indians in the upcoming ALDS.

And he promises it won't get to him. A year ago, that may not have been the case. A-Rod says the ability to laugh at his failures, something he has never been able to do, has played a role in relaxing him. So, too, has a better relationship with Joe Torre, and A-Rod evolving into a team leader. Continue

Big inning propels Yanks to win

The Yankees didn't play a baseball game on Saturday night so much as they put on a show. The team put on a display of offensive fireworks for the near-sellout crowd as it defeated the Orioles, 11-10, in a game that had no playoff implications.

Winning took a backseat to offense, and though it was a close game, the team never felt the pressure to put it away. "Late in the game, you sit there and realize it's a two-run game out of nowhere, but it was missing that feel," first baseman Shelley Duncan said. "But it made it a little easier for everybody. It was good for us." Continue

Meet the new Boss? Not yet, but Hal's chairman

Hal Steinbrenner has taken over the official title that used to belong to Steve Swindal: chairman of the board of directors of Yankee Global Enterprises LLC. Swindal's unofficial title had been that of would-be successor to The Boss, George Steinbrenner. That title also could belong to Hal Steinbrenner, George's younger son, someday.

Although sources indicated Friday that Hal's being elected chairman of the board is not an indication that his father has picked him to eventually run the Yankees, Hal has been increasingly involved during the last few months. Continue

Yanks knocked out of East running

The Yankees have plenty of decisions to make as their first-round pairing with the Indians approaches next week. Fortunately for them, Mariano Rivera's place on the postseason roster is not one of the concerns.

The Yankees barely flinched when Rivera blew a three-run lead in the ninth inning on Friday, surrendering a bases-clearing triple to Jay Payton to tie the game before the Orioles pulled out a 10-9 victory in 10 innings at Camden Yards. The loss, combined with a Red Sox victory, ensured that the Yankees will settle for the American League Wild Card, snapping their string of nine consecutive division titles. Continue

Just win, baby Yanks!

If the Yankees go on to win their first World Series since 2000, they are going to need the Baby Yanks to shine in the spotlight. Young talent makes this Yankees team different than the previous six pinstriped playoff teams. No one knows that better than Derek Jeter.

While the champagne celebration was in full swing Wednesday night, rookie sensation Joba Chamberlain spotted Jeter from across the clubhouse. Chamberlain was having the time of his life and as he came across the room he yelled, "Derek, I love you."

The two players gave each other a congratulatory hug, but then Jeter, who knows better than anyone the challenges that lie ahead and how important Chamberlain is to the Yankees' postseason hopes, told the right-hander, "We're just getting started."A message was sent. Chamberlain received it loud and clear. Continue

Yanks take Rays set, close gap in East

For all the hoopla of the night before, Thursday's series finale at Tropicana Field was a bit anticlimactic. Neither Derek Jeter nor Alex Rodriguez were in the lineup. Bobby Abreu, Jorge Posada, Doug Mientkiewicz and Melky Cabrera were likewise absent. The message from this was clear: With a division title possible but no longer likely, New York was going to rest its big names for what it hopes will be a long postseason journey.

"It's kind of a testament to the type of team we are," said starter Phil Hughes. "I think when you go up against a guy who's had a really good year and he's a good pitcher, just the fact that we didn't roll over [was a positive], because it would've been really easy to do the night after we clinched a playoff spot." Continue

Here comes hunt for ROD October

There they were, the two superstars of the Yankees Universe, heading straight toward one another. Alex Rodriguez was still wearing his champagne-soaked uniform while Derek Jeter had changed into his street clothes, ready to exit the visiting clubhouse at Tropicana Field.

“Come on Jetes, one more hug,” Rodriguez yelled as he zeroed in on Jeter like he was zeroing in on a fastball. “Wait, no, no, no,” said the backpedaling Jeter, trying to escape the clutches of A-Rod. Rodriguez was not to be denied. He lifted the Captain into the air with a mighty bear hug and the two nearly tumbled to the wet floor. Wild-card champagne never tasted so sweet for the Yankees. Continue

Joe Torre dines with George Steinbrenner

Joe Torre's future beyond this October remains as uncertain as ever, but the manager took part in a lunch meeting with George Steinbrenner and his top lieutenants yesterday at Legends Field. Torre and Brian Cashman made the drive from St. Petersburg to Tampa, where they met with Steinbrenner, his sons Hal and Hank, as well as Felix Lopez, Steinbrenner's son-in-law.

"I thought it was a productive meeting," Torre said. "They just wanted to get a feel for how Brian and I thought about the guys we're sitting here and going forward with." Torre said Steinbrenner was in good shape and encouraged by the Yankees' second-half surge, although the Boss was not pleased that his club failed to clinch a playoff berth on Tuesday night against the Devil Rays. "I said, 'How are you doing?' and he said, 'Not so good,'" Torre said. "That's when I knew he was fine." Continue

Yanks clinch 13th straight playoff berth

Celebrate! The Yankees popped the corks and sprayed some bubbly on Wednesday, clinching their 13th consecutive postseason appearance with a 12-4 victory over the Devil Rays at Tropicana Field. The blowout win finalized a memorable climb out of the depths of desperation. New York sat a season-low eight games under .500 on May 29 but morphed into the best team in the Major Leagues after that point, leading all clubs in wins and winning percentage to rally back into contention.

Yankees manager Joe Torre could not contain his emotion in addressing the players on his roster, who credited him for helping the team escape its early malaise. Probable American League Most Valuable Player Alex Rodriguez said that Torre was the reason the Yankees were dousing each other with expensive green bottles, and captain Derek Jeter wondered if 2007 will ultimately prove to be Torre's finest season at the helm. Continue

‘Grand’ night for A-Rod

The catwalk rises 115 feet above Tropicana Field, near the left-field wall. In Alex Rodriguez’s amazing 2007 world, the structure turned out to be just another target. Rodriguez’s third-inning grand slam hit that catwalk, and the blast gave the Yankees a 5-0 lead over the Devil Rays. But every once in a while the Yankees revert back to their 21-29 form, and it usually is because of horrid pitching. Continue

Sore hamstring puts Roger Clemens' status up in air

Whether Roger Clemens is able to take the ball before the end of this week isn't much of a concern for the Yankees. His availability for the anticipated postseason, however, is a very big deal for the Bombers.

Clemens was scratched from his start against the Devil Rays last night thanks to a sore left hamstring that still hasn't completely healed. The Rocket tested his leg on the mound Monday at the Yanks' training complex in Tampa before making the determination with team trainers that he wasn't quite ready to pitch. Continue

Lost lead delays Yanks' celebration

The Yankees' charge back to relevance has been filled with unexpected battles. It somehow seemed appropriate that they'd fight one more before tasting sweet celebration. Dioner Navarro hit a game-winning home run off Jeff Karstens in the bottom of the 10th inning on Tuesday at Tropicana Field, lifting the Devil Rays to a 7-6 victory over the Yankees and postponing the potential clinching of New York's 13th consecutive postseason appearance.

"Everybody wants to get it over with; everybody wants to move on to the next season," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "But we still have a little work to do. It became a little tougher to do, because we let one get away from us." Continue

Brian Cashman handled Joba Chamberlain right

Brian Cashman was tired of talking about the Joba Rules even before they officially turned to dust yesterday, tired of talking about them and more tired of hearing about them, especially from Mike Mussina, who decided on Sunday to play general manager now that he has put a few decent starts together. So Cashman sits in his box at the press box level at Yankee Stadium yesterday and the only thing he will give you is this: "At least somebody's making a nice killing on those 'Joba Rules' T-shirts."

On the field the Yankees are going to lose to the Blue Jays, 4-1. It means they will not get to within one game of the Red Sox in the AL East with six to play. Andy Pettitte is doing what a lot of aging Yankee pitchers sometimes do at this time of year, which means pitching just well enough to lose the game. Pettitte throws too many pitches and gives up three runs in the third and then Derek Jeter boots one for another run in the fourth. Continue

Yankees lose ground in home finale

The Yankees' final home game of the regular season was not printed on any of the original pocket schedules, thrown in as a makeup of an April 25 rainout. The last-minute spirit of the matchup showed.

Though it was the Blue Jays who had their starting pitcher scratched on Monday, the Yankees were the ones unable to get going. Andy Pettitte's offense couldn't bail him out of a rough second inning, as the Yankees put home game No. 81 into the books with a 4-1 loss to the Blue Jays.

"You could definitely tell it was a makeup game, let's put it that way," Pettitte said. "We just weren't able to get much going. Their guy threw the ball well, and unfortunately, I gave up those three runs early. That was really the ballgame." Continue

Bernie mulling return in 2008

Bernie Williams insists that he's no longer upset the Yankees didn't bring him back, but still hasn't completely ruled out a comeback - even though his old team really hasn't missed him much this season. "I can't answer that question at this time," the 39-year-old former Yankee said on whether he intended to play next season.

Williams had just finished performing a concert on Saturday night just blocks away from where he used to patrol center field. He admitted he still follows what goes on in The Bronx. "I think they can win it all," Williams said after his show at the Loews Paradise Theatre. "I have never had a doubt in my mind that they would pull through."  Continue

New rules! Joba unleashed

The Joba Rules? Forget them. Throw them out. They're done. And with the Yankees on the cusp of a postseason berth and just 1 1/2 games behind the Red Sox after picking up a game in the AL East standings yesterday with a 7-5 win over the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium, Mike Mussina says the time is right.

"If we want to do we what we want to do come October, we're going to need him," Mussina said after Joba Chamberlain continued his storybook ride by getting the final four outs for his first major-league save on his 22nd birthday with his father in the stands. "We know that two weeks from now, we're going to need him every day. I'm pretty sure he can do it." Continue

A-Rod agent a 'Cub $cout'

A new report says Alex Rodriguez's agent has spoken to a potential new owner of the Chicago Cubs about a bank-breaking deal that could give A-Rod a cut of the team. The powerful Yankee third baseman is eligible to opt for free agency 10 days after the World Series ends this fall. And, New York magazine reports, super-agent Scott Boras is already talking to who he thinks is the favorite group vying to purchase Chicago's first-place team.

A-Rod has three seasons left on a 10-year, $252 million deal with the Yanks but has the right to become a free agent after this season ends. According to the magazine, Boras is peddling a Second City deal that could go for an average of $30 million a year over 10 seasons, with much of that cash backloaded for the 32-year-old Rodriguez - who would then be given the right to buy a chunk of the Cubs at the contract's conclusion. The report does not indicate who would pay for this proposed, precedent-setting deal. Continue

Mussina tops Jays for third straight win

Every victory moves the Yankees closer to wrapping up yet another postseason berth. Over his last three starts, Mike Mussina has put forth a convincing case to be part of it. Making his third start since returning to the starting rotation, Mussina moved closer to locking up a potential playoff start, helping the Yankees to a 7-5 victory over the Blue Jays on Sunday. Mussina held Toronto scoreless in six of the seven innings he pitched, with the exception of a three-run blip in the second.

Mussina scattered seven hits and struck out five to pick up his 11th victory, winning his third consecutive start. The right-hander walked one and struck out five as the Yankees once again closed to within 1 1/2 games of the Red Sox -- who lost, 5-4, to the Devil Rays -- in the AL East pennant race. Continue

Alex Rodriguez's four hits, three RBI clutch for Yankees

Every time Alex Rodriguez walks to the plate these days, especially when the Yankees have runners on, more than 50,000 sets of eyes are trained on him, and over 50,000 voices start chanting "M-V-P!".

Yesterday, Rodriguez continued his push to win that award for the third time, collecting four hits in the Yankees' 12-11 win over the Blue Jays. "It was a big win for us," Rodriguez said after the 10-inning marathon. "It was like a heavyweight battle. You had one of those feelings that whoever hit last was going to win the game." Continue

Joe may get to use Joba back to back

Coming soon to a theater near you: "Joba Returns - Without A Day Off." With the AL playoffs on the horizon, the Yankees are considering a change to the rules they have instituted regarding Joba Chamberlain's use, a change that would allow the rookie reliever to pitch on successive days.

The amendment to the Joba Rules would have to come from organizational pitching coordinator Nardi Contreras, but Joe Torre said yesterday he's had regular dialogue with Contreras, and anticipated receiving clearance to use Chamberlain on consecutive days before the regular season ends next Sunday. Continue

Yanks outlast Jays in 10 innings

Just after the Yankees and Blue Jays finished swapping 23 runs, 35 hits and untold amounts of energy and frustration on Saturday afternoon, a common fatigue settled over the home clubhouse at Yankee Stadium. It was a satisfying kind of tired -- after all, the Yankees had erased three deficits, slapped together a how-to guide on resiliency, and ultimately prevailed. That takes a lot out of you.

That is, unless you've already had time to recharge. "I've been in here for like four hours," said a wired Phil Hughes, fully iced, dressed and showered long before the game's end. "I'll have a little more energy for tomorrow. Continue

A-Rod quickly sheds thoughts of slump

Division-championship fever was cooled last night, chilled, despite a four-run, game-tying, ninth-inning rally, by a Red Sox win and a Gregg Zaun 14th-inning homer off Brian Bruney. At least the thermometer in Alex Rodriguez's mouth, placed there by the three hits in 29 at bats coming into the 5-4 loss was again registering normal.

His RBI single off the masterful Roy Halladay, Rodriguez's second hit of the game and fourth hard-hit ball, was his 21st hit in the ninth inning this season. In the 10th, with Bobby Abreu on first and two outs, Rodriguez almost took Russ Adams' hand off with a smash so hard the third baseman had time to reach behind him, pick up the ball and make the play at first. The only time Rodriguez didn't make good contact in a 2-for-6 night was on a 13th inning pop-up. Continue

Clemens to miss Saturday start

The Yankees moved to Plan C of Phil Hughes for Saturday's starting pitcher. Ian Kennedy was originally scheduled to start, but because of spasms in his upper back, was replaced by Roger Clemens. But after Friday night's game, manager Joe Torre said Clemens will not start, either, because of "tweaking" his left hamstring.

"Roger felt something in his leg in doing his conditioning, just felt it a little bit," Torre said. "It was pretty much our decision. Since we had guys rested, we're taking the safe route and giving him a couple extra days."  Continue

Yankees lose ground with loss in 14th

The Yankees were pleased to scoreboard-watch from afar as the Blue Jays lent a helping hand toward securing the American League East this week, beating up on the visiting Red Sox north of the border.

But as they found out on Friday, the Blue Jays seem to be relishing their spoiler role, no matter who they play. Gregg Zaun's 14th-inning home run off Brian Bruney tipped the scales in the Yankees' longest game of the season, lifting Toronto to a 5-4 victory at New York. "They've been tough on us all year -- Toronto, Baltimore, Tampa Bay," said Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon. "Why? We don't know. They play us so much that they don't fear the Yankees. They have a pretty good scouting report on us." Continue

Yankees focusing on continuing amazing turnaround

Before their game on May 29, the Yankees were nothing short of a disaster. Having grinded their way back to the .500 mark three weeks earlier, the Bombers had fallen into another tailspin, losing four in a row and 13 of 18, plummeting to 21-29.

The Yankees trailed the first-place Red Sox by 14-1/2 games, their largest such margin since Aug. 28, 1995, when Buck Showalter's team trailed Boston by 16 games. They also trailed by 8-1/2 games in the wild card race, looking up at seven teams. The division deficit was five games higher than any team in the Joe Torre era had faced, and the manager called a closed-door meeting with his fourth-place team before that night's game against the Blue Jays in Toronto. Continue

Joba Chamberlain fans one for all his fans

He was still an inning away from entering the game, but no matter. These days, the very mention of Joba Chamberlain's name brings a roar from the crowd, just as it did when the message board at the Stadium advised the 53,857 in attendance that the Yankees' young gun was warming up in the bullpen in the seventh inning.

And an inning later, when Joe Torre came to fetch Andy Pettitte after his stellar 7-2/3 innings of one-run ball, you weren't completely sure if the raucous cheers were for Pettitte's job well done or Chamberlain's grand entrance. Probably a little of both. Continue

Pettitte gets 200, Yanks close in on Sox

Andy Pettitte stayed strong into the eighth inning to log his 200th career win and help the Yankees get a series sweep of the Orioles on Wednesday, securing a 2-1 victory and gaining important ground on October.

Pettitte scattered seven hits and fanned four in a 104-pitch performance, becoming just the 27th left-hander in big league history to reach the 200-victory plateau. He jogged off the field and tipped his cap to the standing crowd of 53,847 after recording the second out of the eighth inning. The effort kept the Yankees' spirits rolling on the way to their 12th win in 14 games. Closing in on a playoff spot, New York moved 5 1/2 up over Detroit in the American League Wild Card race. Continue

Kevin Millar says Red Sox play second fiddle to Yankees

He is stretching in foul territory, but the look on his face says his mind is elsewhere. Kevin Millar is considering a question, the kind that he used to love when he played first base for the Red Sox. How does he see the race between Boston and the Bombers shaping up? "Boston's got a real good team. When they are at full strength and (Josh) Beckett and (Jonathan) Papelbon pitch, that's as tough as you can get," he said. "But right now I think the Yankees are the team that's scary.

"I don't know if they can make up four games in 12 days, but come the playoffs, that's not the team you want to be running into." Millar is well acquainted with baseball's biggest rivalry. He played for Boston from 2003-05, which means he saw the highest highs - winning the 2004 ALCS and World Series - and the lowest lows - dropping the 2003 ALCS on Aaron Boone's home run. Continue

Mussina stars as Yanks inch closer

In the darkest moments of Mike Mussina's rotation exile, he pondered his baseball mortality, admitting that he had only a finite amount of time remaining in clubhouses. Yet as bad as Mussina's worst three starts were, he was convinced that he still had it in him to be better. For the second straight start, Mussina proved it on Tuesday, shutting the Orioles out for seven innings in a 12-0 Yankees victory that carried important playoff implications.

"I wasn't ready to be the pitcher that I was there for a while," Mussina said. "I wasn't ready to do that yet. I had to figure out what was going on. Fortunately, we got things going in the right direction." Continue

Derek Jeter moves into 4th place on Yanks' all-time hit list

The names not only are links to the Yankees' fabled past, but they are baseball royalty. Known as much by their nicknames as for what they accomplished on the field. The Iron Horse. The Babe. The Mick. In last night's 8-5 victory over the Orioles, you saw evidence why another name is on that list of all-time Yankee greats. He goes by The Captain.

When Derek Jeter stroked a double into the right field corner to lead off the eighth inning, the shortstop moved into fourth place on the team's all-time hit list with 2,337. He passed his friend and former teammate Bernie Williams and trails just Lou Gehrig (2,721), Babe Ruth (2,518) and Mickey Mantle (2,415) on the Yankee list. Continue

Hughes helps Yankees gain on Sox

Phil Hughes strives to undress every situation to its most basic core. When he's on the mound, he sees a batter trying to crush his every pitch into dust. All of them have the same goal, so he treats them all the same.

Say it's Spring Training and he's facing an unknown Minor Leaguer. All Hughes sees is a batter trying to belt whatever pitch he throws. Or picture some lazy day in July, just another random moment in a never-ending season. The broad canvas has changed, but in that moment, all any batter wants to do is drill a Hughes pitch as far as he can. Continue

Clemens and Schilling Show What's Left

We’ve already seen the future of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry: flamethrowers like Joba Chamberlain and Philip Hughes joining second baseman Robinson Cano in the Bronx; second baseman Dustin Pedroia’s rookie-of-the-year caliber .324 average (entering Sunday’s game), phenom outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury’s near-.400 average in his first 66 big-league at bats, and rookie pitcher Clay Buchholz’s no-hitter in just his second game in Boston.

But last night’s game, a 4-3 series-deciding win for the Yankees, was about reaching back to the past, with heavy implications for the upcoming postseason. For most of the game, the scoreline indicated a vintage duel between future Hall of Fame pitchers Roger Clemens, 45, and Curt Schilling, 40. But neither was in vintage form. Continue

Mariano Rivera beats David Ortiz to end game

After Joba Chamberlain gave up a long home run to Mike Lowell - the first earned run Chamberlain has allowed in his major league career - Joe Torre sent Ron Guidry to the mound to both check the youngster's psyche and give Mariano Rivera extra time to warm up.

"Then I look out there and he's patting Gator on the shoulder," Torre said with a chuckle. "I said, 'Well, I guess he's all right.'" One inning later, Torre himself went to the mound to talk to Rivera as David Ortiz was getting ready to hit. An icebreaker, Torre called it, in which manager told closer, "Get one more out and we win." "Then I left," Torre said. "What am I going to tell him? Be careful?" Continue

Jeter's homer lifts Yankees at Fenway

Was there a better way for the Yankees and Red Sox to complete their season series? How much more of a tease could you ask for? And wouldn't you like to see these two teams play just one more time? In the end, the Yankees' final regular-season game at Fenway Park on Sunday night came down to one Mariano Rivera pitch. With the bases loaded and two outs, the high pop off of David Ortiz's dangerous bat came to rest safely in Derek Jeter's glove, securing a 4-3 New York victory.

Jeter pumped his left fist emphatically, his go-ahead eighth-inning home run secure as the margin of victory. Boston cursed. New York exhaled. Nothing's ever easy for the Yankees in New England. Continue

Torre's use of bullpen shows Yanks playing for Wild Card

So much for the euphoria of the eighth inning to end all Yankee-Red Sox eighth innings. Alas, baseball is a fickle game, and let this be a lesson to anyone who figured one of the most exhilarating and improbable comeback victories ever fashioned by the Yankees over the Red Sox was a portent to an even bigger comeback for the AL East title. To those who thought Friday night's lightning was sufficient momentum for a Fenway sweep and sweet September dreams beyond, let this be a reminder of the old axiom that good pitching always beats good hitting.

And yesterday, in what only became an embarrassing 10-1 Red Sox rout when Joe Torre decided to conduct tryout sessions for the 13th spot on his postseason staff, Josh Beckett and not Chien-Ming Wang was the better starting pitcher. Beckett, who was 1-1 with a 5.49 ERA in his three previous starts against the Yankees this season, all but ended any fleeting thoughts the Bombers might have had of overtaking the Sawx for the division title with seven dominant innings of three-hit, one-run, seven-strikeout pitching. Continue

Wang outdone by Beckett in Boston

On an afternoon when Josh Beckett freely gassed batters with swing-and-miss stuff, the more soft-spoken Chien-Ming Wang was unable to make much of a statement. While Beckett three-hit the Yankees over seven innings, Wang -- also a front-runner for the American League Cy Young Award -- had his troubles with the Red Sox, taking the loss in a 10-1 Yankees defeat on Saturday afternoon.

"You know, it wasn't one of his great days," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "What can I say? Beckett was great. He came at us and kept coming at us, and we couldn't mount any kind of offense." Continue

Start believing

The Yankees won, and that just seems impossible if you had seen the first seven innings of last night's game. The Yankees were not bad. They were rancid. "It was ugly" is how Joe Torre phrased it. His Yankees embarrassed themselves in every phase of the game and, in particular, Jason Giambi set back first-base play to the Dark Ages because the only way to watch it without retching was in the dark.

So when Giambi homered to lead off the eighth inSning, it felt like the tiniest scratch at atonement. Except, as it turned out, that homer launched an improbable comeback from the horrible play that had ushered in a 7-2 deficit. In the eighth inning it was suddenly as if Bill Belichick were stealing signs and relaying to Yankees hitters what the Red Sox's Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon were throwing before the pitch. Continue

Yanks stun Red Sox with six-run eighth

Joe Torre's refrain has been that no game can be considered over in Fenway Park -- not with its intimate dimensions, angular quirks and a propensity to lend itself to magical comebacks. For seven innings, the Yankees were as done as a team can possibly be on Yawkey Way. But in the span of seven batters, New York rallied for six runs, taking an 8-7 advantage for a stunning come-from-behind victory against the cream of Boston's bullpen.

"I think it's the biggest win of the year, certainly," said Alex Rodriguez, who delivered the go-ahead hit off closer Jonathan Papelbon. "It's definitely a character builder. It gives us a lot of confidence, coming into a place like this and being down five runs late in the game with their bullpen. It's good character." Continue

Yanks: Don't count us out

It’s your prerogative if you want to dismiss this weekend, diminish this weekend, discount all that could well be in store for the Yankees and the Red Sox this weekend. You can coolly point to the wild-card standings if you like, dejectedly point to the AL East standings if you wish, explain how little there is to be gained by trying to replicate a third edition of the Boston Massacre. You’re entitled to all of that.

But if that’s where your baseball head is at this morning, then you’ll be missing out on the potential and the possibility of all that could happen this weekend at Fenway Park, when the Yankees and the Red Sox play the final three games of their 18-chapter regular-season passion play for 2007, when they quite possibly provide a little glimpse of another staredown for the ages in a few weeks’ time. Continue

Kennedy stars, but Yanks' streak ends

At this stage of Ian Kennedy's young career, every start is an opportunity to try out new approaches, test his limits and see what outcomes he might have to deal with. No one was expecting Kennedy to throw seven innings of one-hit ball. Once he did, few would have predicted it would end up in a Yankees loss.

Frank Thomas' ninth-inning single off reliever Chris Britton scored Alex Rios with the winning run as the Blue Jays defeated the Yankees on Thursday, 2-1, snapping New York's seven-game winning streak and spoiling Kennedy's terrific third Major League start. Continue

Joba Chamberlain's scoreless run over

After giving up the first run of his big-league career last night, Joba Chamberlain is no Slow Joe Doyle. Chamberlain allowed an unearned run in the eighth inning last night when Alex Rodriguez made a bad throw on a grounder that would've ended the inning.

It did end Chamberlain's streak of 15-1/3 straight scoreless innings to begin a career, which is the longest by a Yankee since Doyle went 18 innings before allowing his first run in 1906. Last night also marked the first time Chamberlain has been taken out in the middle of an inning - he was removed with two outs in the eighth. Mariano Rivera got the final four outs. Continue

Mussina lifts Yanks to seventh straight

The Yankees have not committed to churning out a six-man rotation down the stretch of their playoff push. Yet Mike Mussina may have given them an option to think about. Rebounding from a horrid skid that saw the veteran right-hander grudgingly take up residence in the bullpen, Mussina took the path to redemption on Wednesday, pitching 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball in the Yankees' 4-1 victory over the Blue Jays. With the win, New York kept a four-game lead over Detroit in the American League Wild Card race.

"I think I just reminded them that I'm still here and I think I can still pitch," Mussina said. "Hopefully, the guys making those decisions will give me a chance to get back out there a couple of more times." Continue

Andy Pettitte to mull retirement in offseason

Andy Pettitte has enjoyed his return to pinstripes and has been healthy all season. But he's still unsure of his plans for next year, something he will evaluate at home in Houston this winter. Pettitte holds a $16 million player option on his contract. If he wants to pitch, he can. But Pettitte considered retiring last year and still feels the pull of ending his career to be a full-time dad to his four kids.

"I'm not real sure what I'm going to do," said Pettitte, who is 13-8 with a 3.78 ERA. "It's kind of strange, because for sure I didn't expect my arm to respond the way it has this year. That's the whole reason I wanted the option, so I didn't feel obligated if I was hurting this year to come back. "I want to sit down with my family, my wife and my oldest boy and see what they think. I'm really not even thinking about it now." Continue

Hughes keeps Yanks streaking

Manager Joe Torre sat within a cramped, concrete office at Rogers Centre on Tuesday, allowing himself a smile of temporary content. Finally, his long-held personal goal of 20 games over .500 had been achieved. That significant marker of October premonitions, voiced for months by Torre in dugouts across America under far bleaker circumstances, finally came to light.

Jason Giambi hit a grand slam, Jorge Posada also homered and Phil Hughes turned in six strong innings as the Yankees won their sixth straight, downing the Blue Jays, 9-2. Continue

Alex Rodriguez wants to carry Yankees in October

Babe Ruth. Mickey Mantle. Roger Maris. Alex Rodriguez. That's the entire list of players who have hit 50 or more home runs in a Yankee uniform. Rodriguez's 52 homers this year are tied for the seventh-highest total in club history, and with 19 games left in the regular season, he figures to climb higher on that list.

"I used to marvel at watching Bernie Williams pass Hall of Famers in the different categories (on the Yankees' all-time lists)," Joe Torre said. "What Alex has done in a short period of time is amazing."A-Rod has used the word "magical" to describe his season, though Doug Mientkiewicz doesn't believe magic has anything to do with it. Continue

Jeter expects to return to lineup Tuesday

Derek Jeter couldn't talk his way into the starting lineup yesterday. Jeter sat out the Yankees' 6-3 win, saying afterward: "It wasn't my choice." Jeter was pulled from Saturday's game in the fifth inning because of a sore right knee. At that time, Joe Torre decided Jeter would get yesterday off as well.

The Yankees are off today, and Torre said he expects Jeter to be ready for tomorrow night's game in Toronto, though he might be at DH at least one game in the series. Jeter said his knee is "great" and that he will play tomorrow. Continue

Derek Jeter reluctantly takes the day off

Derek Jeter tried to talk his way into the lineup yesterday, but Joe Torre wasn't going to budge from his plan. The Yankees came away with a win despite the absence of their captain, but Jeter will be back in the lineup tomorrow night when the Bombers open a three-game set in Toronto.

"I don't like sitting down, that's the bottom line," Jeter said. "Whether it's now or at the beginning of the season, I don't like sitting down. I understand it, but I don't like it. (The injury) is not an issue." Continue

A-Rod's 52nd helps Wang win 18th

Often overshadowed by his own teammates and several other high-profile starting pitchers, Chien-Ming Wang sometimes hasn't received due credit for his results. But Yankees manager Joe Torre said he considers Wang "one of the big guys," someone who is a true ace. "But there is always somebody else that is going to get more attention than him," Torre said.

That may still be true after Sunday's performance, but Wang's results are necessitating as much publicity and discussion regarding the Cy Young Award as several of the American League's elite pitchers, including Johan Santana, Josh Beckett and C.C. Sabathia. Wang tossed seven innings of three-run ball on Sunday and earned the win in the Yankees' 6-3 victory over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Continue

A league record in A-Rod's reach?

The legend of Alex Rodriguez's 2007 season continues to grow. Rodriguez added a couple of new bullet points to his MVP candidacy last night, logging his second multi-homer night in three games as he led the Yankees to an 11-5 win over the Royals. With three weeks left in the season, he already has laid claim to the best season by a third baseman in major-league history.

A-Rod hit homers No. 50 and 51, extending his franchise record for the most homers by a righthanded hitter. All but two of those homers have come while he was playing third; he broke the mark of 48 homers by a third baseman set by the Phillies' Mike Schmidt in 1980 and matched by the Dodgers' Adrian Beltre in 2004). Continue

Torre pulls Jeter, captain likely to sit today

Derek Jeter's mantra when asked about any injury is, "I'm all right." Last night, that wasn't the case. After battling a stiff right knee for much of the past three weeks, Jeter left last night's game in the fifth inning when Joe Torre decided he had seen his shortstop endure enough discomfort for one night.

"His knee has been barking at him, but today, he couldn't move very well," Torre said. "It's something he's been dealing with. That famous, 'I'll be all right' stuff, I finally said that wasn't good enough. The kid has been dealing with a lot of problems with that leg." Jeter is suffering from irritation in the patella tendon, an injury he first suffered on Aug.21 in Anaheim after running awkwardly out of the batter's box. Jeter missed the game on Aug.26 in Detroit, but has played in all 12 games since then. Continue

A-Rod's two homers carry Yankees

Alex Rodriguez believes that the Yankees won't reach first place if key rookies and veterans don't produce impressive results. But Rodriguez believes it's the rookies' and veterans' attitudes that also figure prominently into the Yankees' American League Wild Card lead.

The attitude and results came together in an 11-5 win over the Royals on Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium. Performances by Rodriguez and Andy Pettitte, both veterans, stood out in the victory. But it was the continued production of several young players, including Wilson Betemit and Melky Cabrera, that helped the Yankees score seven runs in the sixth inning. Continue

Field of dreams for Chamberlains

Last night, Kauffman Stadium became the field of the Chamberlains' dreams, the place where a very proud father came to watch a very proud son do just a little bit more than have a catch.

Harlan Chamberlain made the three-hour trip by car here from his from Lincoln, Neb., home to see Joba Chamberlain in a major league uniform for the very first time. It was more than a bonus that he was able to watch him pitch, too. Those were tears of a lifetime trickling down the father's face as he watched his son make the jaunt from the left-field bullpen in the seventh inning. Those were tears of fulfillment and tears of happiness as his son extended his career shutout streak to 14 1/3 innings with two more scoreless innings in the Yankees' 3-2 victory over the Royals. Continue

A-Rod hits 49th as Yanks top Royals

The Yankees offense pounded out nine hits and yielded 13 baserunners. Alex Rodriguez hit another homer. Ian Kennedy worked five solid innings. Joba Chamberlain recorded six outs. Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect ninth. It was a complete effort from many key players, an effort that had to produce a victory.

It did, as New York beat Kansas City, 3-2, on Friday night at Kauffman Stadium. "We went to the bank a lot today," manager Joe Torre said. "Unless you win this game, it hurts. These are games you need to win if you expect to play next month." Continue

Rodriguez seems a lock to join elite fraternity

It could be time to add another face onto the Mount Rushmore of Yankees’ lore. Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and now Alex Rodriguez.

Barring an enormous finish, Rodriguez’s 2007 season won’t rate as the greatest in Yankees history, but it will be remembered as something special nonetheless. His final numbers, if Rodriguez maintains his current pace for the final three weeks of the regular season, will include 56 home runs, 155 RBIs and 147 runs scored. Continue

Minor adjustment boosts Yankees' phenom Phil Hughes

JOE TORRE and Ron Guidry had a succinct message for Phil Hughes when they met with the rookie before a bullpen session earlier this week: Show us what got you here. Admitting he had gotten away from the aggressive pitching that helped him ascend rapidly through the Yanks' system, Hughes thought his performance in last night's 10-2 victory over Seattle "was more (like) me." Continue

A-Rod smacks two homers in Yanks' win

Alex Rodriguez insisted that he could play, even as his sprained and bruised right ankle had him limping through the Yankee Stadium clubhouse corridors. It was a good thing the Yankees listened.

Rodriguez found an easier route around the bases twice, connecting for a pair of home runs in the Yankees' eight-run seventh inning on Wednesday. A-Rod's Major League-leading 47th and 48th blasts of the campaign comfortably helped lift the Yankees to a 10-2 victory over the Mariners. Continue

Roger Clemens' injuries are just start of problems

Can the Yankees make it into the October merry-go-round without Grandpa Roger? The answer depends on who you're talking to, how many World Series rings they have in the sock drawer, and if telling the truth is a habit they've ever acquired.

The Yankees came out of last night's 12-3 win over Seattle, the same seven games behind Boston. Fearless prediction: The boys from the Bronx aren't going to finish on top of the AL East. That leaves the wild card, a high-wire the Yankees will be walking for too much of this month. It's the pitching, stupid. Continue

Wang's 17th extends Wild Card lead

There's no denying how much the Yankees need strong pitching performances every night, and there's no cheapening how valuable an ace like Chien-Ming Wang can be. But when the offense is clicking, it's hard to imagine that any of that might matter.

Wang allowed one run in 7 1/3 innings against the Mariners, guiding the Yankees to a 12-3 win and pushing their American League Wild Card edge back to two games on Tuesday. And while the Yankees needed that dominance early, they weren't quite as dependent on it later, after the offense awoke for three runs in the sixth inning and seven more in the seventh to blast open the game. Continue

Yanks' stats lie

THE most misleading statistic in baseball belongs to the Yankees. They went into yesterday's game with 801 runs scored, and having allowed 663 runs. That's 138 runs on the plus side. Any team with that kind of a positive run differential should be sitting pretty.

The AL East-leading Red Sox went into Labor Day on the plus side by 185 runs. The AL West-leading Angels were a plus-90, the Central-leading Indians a plus-69. When the Yankees are bad, they are really bad. Their pitchers give up tons of runs and their hitters disappear. Their starting pitching woes are significant with Roger Clemens' creaky elbow, but Yankee hitters have been lost souls for three of the last four games, and in their last four losses the Yankees have been outscored 40-4. Continue

Phillips' wrist to be repaired

The Yankees could not make it through even one weekend with both Andy Phillips and Doug Mientkiewicz healthy and on the active roster. The Jason Hammel pitch that hit Phillips in the right wrist Sunday fractured the pisiform bone, and Phillips will undergo surgery today.

The estimated time of recovery is four to six weeks, which means the Yankees would need to reach the postseason for Phillips to be able to return. "That's my goal. We'll see," he said.  Continue

Clemens can't keep Mariners away

Just like in the 2003 American League Championship Series, Mike Mussina came out of the bullpen and followed an ineffective start by Roger Clemens. But the outcome was different in Monday's relief reprise, as the Mariners kept their advantage to post a 7-1 victory over the Yankees.

After Clemens was lifted due to right elbow discomfort, an injury that the Yankees believe will force the 45-year-old right-hander to miss at least his next start, Mussina seized the afternoon's opportunity to make his pitch for a fill-in role. Continue

Brian Cashman likely to decide whether Joe Torre manages the Yankees in 2008

The notion of whether Joe Torre even wanted to come back as manager had been tabled since spring training, and for the longest time this season it didn't seem to matter. But as the Mariners and Tigers have opened the door in the wild-card race, October suddenly looms for the Yankees, and Torre's time may not be up after all.

So the question was posed yesterday and the manager came about as close as he can, without sounding as if he's campaigning, to saying he'd love to be back next year. "I'm enjoying it, let's put it that way," Torre said before yesterday's 8-2 loss to the Devil Rays. "I don't know what the determination is going to be, but I'm enjoying what I'm doing now." Continue

Yanks drop finale against Rays

Working out of a bases-loaded jam with only one run scoring in the sixth inning deposited a flash of fire in Andy Pettitte's eyes, his firm glare telling the Yankees' bench to stand clear. Unfortunately for Pettitte, Carlos Pena didn't obey. The first baseman slugged a game-changing three-run homer and the Devil Rays blasted out an 8-2 victory over the Yankees, snapping Pettitte's six-start winning streak.

For Pettitte, the Pena home run came on his 119th and final pitch of the afternoon. Though Yankees manager Joe Torre later admitted that the team had tried to grind toward a better outcome by having Pettitte start the new inning with 103 pitches, the left-hander had no regrets for taking on the seventh inning. Continue

MLB bans Joba Chamberlain for 2 games

Yankees reliever Joba Chamberlain was suspended for two games and fined $1,000 by Major League Baseball yesterday for throwing two fastballs over the head of Boston's Kevin Youkilis in the series finale between the teams Thursday afternoon.

But Chamberlain's ejection and ban, Joe Torre says, don't mean there won't be more rivalry fireworks when the Yankees visit Boston from Sept.14-16. The manager said he understood the Red Sox were angry and realized they might pursue  Continue

Hughes, offense struggle in loss to Rays

With the good vibes of a Red Sox sweep still floating over Yankee Stadium on Friday night, there wasn't much that the Yankees -- the proud owners of a shiny new American League Wild Card lead -- could have done to spoil the mood. Other than lose, that is.

And lose they did, 9-1, at the hands of the Devil Rays -- the last-place Devil Rays, who have managed to salvage almost half the games they've played against their AL East superiors this season. Tampa Bay won this game as much as New York lost it, which isn't much consolation. Continue