Yankees baseball blog

Joba Chamberlain gives up three-run homer in 8th, Yankees lose to Indians

There has been plenty of talk about the growing pains Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy have encountered, but when it comes to Joba Chamberlain, that subject is rarely broached. Let the talk commence.

Chamberlain blew a late-inning lead for just the second time in his career - the first time since facing the Indians in last year's division series - serving up a pinch-hit, three-run homer to ex-Yankee David Dellucci in the eighth. That shot lifted the Indians to a 5-3 victory, dealing the Yankees their first loss of the season in a game they led after seven innings. Continue

Yanks' postseason ends in Game 4

A season of hope and promise came crashing to an ugly finish on Saturday, as the Yankees were ousted from the postseason by the Tigers. New York dropped an 8-3 decision to Detroit, as Jeremy Bonderman dominated the Yankees' lineup, following the lead of fellow starters Justin Verlander and Kenny Rogers.

This marks the second consecutive season and third time in five years that the Yankees have been eliminated in the American League Division Series. New York, which hasn't won a World Series title since 2000, now faces another offseason of uncertainty. Continue

Yankees bats go cold against Rogers

It was hard to believe that the Yankees' fearsome lineup would struggle against Kenny Rogers, who had compiled an 0-3 record and 8.85 ERA in nine career postseason games, including five starts. After all, Rogers had never pitched more than 5 1/3 innings in the playoffs, had lost seven consecutive decisions to the Yankees dating back more than a decade and posted a 6.45 career ERA against the Bombers. But Rogers pitched the game of his life, putting the Tigers one win from the American League Championship Series and the Yankees one loss from another early October exit. Continue

Damon's blast not enough in Game 2

Wednesday night's rainout didn't have much of an impact on Thursday's Game 2 of the American League Division Series between the Yankees and Tigers. Detroit's young pitching, on the other hand, played a major role.

Justin Verlander held the Tigers in the game long enough to take a lead, while Joel Zumaya lit up the radar gun with a memorable relief effort. It all added up to a 4-3 Detroit win, sending the series back to Motown all knotted up at one game apiece. Continue

Abreu, Jeter lead way in Game 1 win

Bobby Abreu is relatively new to this whole postseason thing. Derek Jeter is not. Both players made a huge impact for the Yankees on Tuesday night, sparking New York to an 8-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers in Game 1 of the American League Division Series.

Abreu, playing in his fourth career playoff game and first since 1997, drove in four runs for the Yankees to kick off his first pinstriped postseason. Jeter, playing in the 116th game of his postseason career, collected his first five-hit night, homering and scoring three runs. The homer was the 17th of Jeter's postseason career, while he extended his own record for hits in the playoffs to 147. Continue

Two-run homer dooms Yanks in finale

There was a lot of scoreboard watching going on in the Yankees' dugout and clubhouse Sunday at the Stadium. So much so, that their 7-5 loss to Toronto in the regular-season finale was, at most, an afterthought. The focus was mostly on Derek Jeter's run for the American League batting title, a quest that started well but petered out quickly, as Jeter finished several points behind Minnesota's Joe Mauer.

"I've been in this position before and it would have been nice, but it doesn't take anything away from the season that we had here," Jeter said. "[Mauer has] pretty much been leading it the whole season, so he deserves it." Continue

Yankees let three-run lead slip away

The division was clinched 10 days ago, home-field advantage was wrapped up on Friday night and everyone looks as healthy as they're going to get going into the playoffs. What the Yankees are looking for now is to get Derek Jeter a batting title.

Jeter rapped out three hits to thrust himself back into the American League batting race, pulling within a point of Minnesota's Joe Mauer, but the Yankees still fell to the Toronto Blue Jays, 6-5, on Saturday afternoon at the Stadium. With Jeter stuck at 96 RBIs, Joe Torre batted the shortstop third instead of in his usual leadoff spot, hoping for some production. Jeter went 3-for-3 with three singles, a walk and two runs scored. Continue

Win secures home-field edge for Yanks

The Yankees won their 50th home game of 2006 on Friday night, and if their performance against the Blue Jays is any indication of things to come, they could be giving the home fans a lot to cheer about in October.

New York's 7-2 victory, combined with losses by both Detroit and Minnesota, wrapped up home-field advantage throughout the American League playoffs for the Yankees. The AL's All-Star Game win secured home field for the league in the World Series, so the Bombers know that as long as they're playing in October, they will own the home-field edge the whole way. Continue

Yanks manage only one hit

After 16 runs and 18 hits the night before, the Yankees had to be prepared for just a little bit of a letdown Thursday night. Only they weren't expecting this. Baltimore's Daniel Cabrera held New York hitless for 8 1/3 innings, facing just three batters over the minimum as he finished with a one-hitter as the Yankees fell to the Orioles, 7-1, at Yankee Stadium.

Robinson Cano ended the no-hit bid with a single into left field with one out in the ninth, but it didn't help much as Bobby Abreu followed by hitting into a game-ending double play. Continue

New-look Yanks blast past O's

All season long, the Yankees have waited to put their best lineup out there. When they did, the Bronx Bombers showed just how devastating this new version of Murderer's Row can be. The new-look Yankees -- finally able to bat the likes of Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui, Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu at the same time -- pounded out 18 hits, including a season-high five home runs, en route to a long, but easy 16-5 win over the Orioles on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.

Just how good was this lineup? The No. 8 hitter, Jorge Posada, came in with 20 home runs and 85 RBIs, and No. 9 hitter Robinson Cano was hitting .343 and battling for the American League batting title. Continue

Long balls sink Birds

The Yankees know full well they're embroiled in a fight with Detroit for the American League's best record and the chance for home-field advantage throughout the postseason -- a race that remains tied following the Yankees' 5-4 win over Baltimore at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night. Yet, the Yankees are also trying to do much more over the next week, including getting their lineup healthier and game ready, their rotation settled and their playoff pitching staff in order. Continue

Yanks ride early outburst to series split

With six games remaining in the regular season, the Yankees are in a dead heat for home-field advantage in the American League. New York's 16-1 beating of Tampa Bay on Monday night moved the Yankees to 94-62, pulling them even with the Detroit Tigers for the best record in baseball.

"It's important for us," Robinson Cano said. "Every team plays better at home, because everybody knows their own house." Bobby Abreu went 4-for-4 with four RBIs, while Hideki Matsui went 3-for-4, also driving in four runs. Eight different Yankees drove in runs in the game, as New York finished the season with a 47-34 record away from Yankee Stadium. Continue

Sheffield learns on job in loss

If the playoffs are the baseball equivalent to final exams, then Gary Sheffield is in the process of taking a crash course at first base. Sheffield has played three games at first base this weekend, the first three of his career. Every play has the potential to bring something he has never seen before, making every out a new lesson for the 19-year veteran.

On Sunday, Sheffield and the Yankees saw a lot of action in the field during the Devil Rays' 11-4 win. Despite falling victim to a lopsided loss for the second straight day, Sheffield seemed optimistic about the day. Continue

Yankees blanked by Rays

Randy Johnson hasn't been Randy Johnson lately. And he definitely wasn't Randy Johnson on Saturday night. But for now, no one seems to be concerned. The lanky lefty allowed five runs in an 8-0 loss to Tampa Bay, the third consecutive game in which he'd done so. Three of those scores on Saturday came by way of home runs, and the other two on an extra-base hit.

So what gives? "I've been fighting a lot of things ... I just need to get better," said a soft-spoken Johnson at his locker after the game. "Things just haven't been where I want them to be in my last three starts, and I'm very much aware of that, and going into my last start, things need to be a lot better." Continue

Yanks top Rays in opener

Another win helps toward the Majors' best record, but the Yankees also found out Friday night that Mariano Rivera hasn't lost a step, Gary Sheffield can scoop balls from the dirt like nobody's business and New York's Mr. Reliable, Derek Jeter, just keeps on ticking no matter where the focus is.

The Yankees' 4-1 win over the Rays was a test of many sorts, and everyone lived up to their expectations. Some even surprised a little. "[Sheffield] had a lot better at-bats than I thought he would," said manager Joe Torre, of the slugger who hasn't seen game time at any level since late May. "And first base ... he looked like he'd been there a lot longer than just working out this past week." Continue

Yanks celebrate ninth straight East title

It's not very often that you will see the Yankees whooping it up in the clubhouse after a loss. In fact, it's not very often that you will see the Yankees whoop it up after a win. On Wednesday night, about 30 minutes after losing to the Blue Jays, 3-2, the Yankees sat and watched the Twins finish off the Red Sox, 8-2, on the big-screen television in the visitor's clubhouse at the Rogers Centre.

That's when the party started. Corks were popping, champagne and beer was flying through the air and tears were flowing as the Yankees clinched their ninth straight American League East title. Continue

Yanks use long ball again against Jays

The Yankees can officially put the champagne on ice. Three home runs, a quality start by Jeff Karstens and a relatively stress-free performance by the bullpen gave the Yankees a 6-3 win over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

Meanwhile, 550 miles to the south, the Red Sox lost to the Twins, lowering the Yankees' magic number to clinch their ninth consecutive American League East title to one. A Yankees win or Red Sox loss on Wednesday will end the race. Continue

Jeter, A-Rod lead Yanks past Jays

Life without Mariano Rivera is no picnic. Just ask Joe Torre. Torre and the Yankees carried a four-run lead into the ninth inning on Monday against the Blue Jays, only to watch four pitchers struggle to record the final three outs.

Troy Glaus hit a three-run home run off Octavio Dotel to cut the lead to one. Two batters later, Toronto had the tying run on base, but Jose Veras retired Aaron Hill to seal the 7-6 victory for New York. "It's sort of helpless," Torre said. "It makes you hate Mariano Rivera. I told him not to send me a Christmas card." Continue

Yankees' swept in twin bill action

Under normal circumstances, losing three of four to the Red Sox in mid-September would have the potential to ruin the season for the Yankees. Then again, the 2006 American League East race can hardly be described as normal circumstances.

New York dropped the nightcap of a day-night doubleheader, 5-4, as Boston swept the twin bill to win the final series of the year between the two rivals. The Yankees still hold a 9 1/2-game division lead over the Sox with two weeks to play, so Sunday's sweep isn't likely to cause too much stress in New York's clubhouse. The Yankees' magic number to clinch their ninth straight AL East crown remains at four. Continue

Yanks fall in doubleheader opener

The Red Sox made sure the Yankees weren't going to clinch against them with a bit of evasive maneuvering in topping New York, 6-3, in Game 1 of their doubleheader on Sunday. With the scored tied at 2-2, two outs and Coco Crisp on first, Yankees reliever Ron Villone thought he had Crisp picked off first. But the elusive Boston center fielder did a crouching juke move around Craig Wilson's tag to get back safely and extend the inning.

Dustin Pedroia cashed in with a go-ahead RBI double and Kevin Youkilis added three more runs with a bases-loaded double in the inning. The Yankees wouldn't have clinched even with a sweep since Toronto beat Tampa Bay. Continue

Yanks rally past Sox in nightcap

The Yankees moved one step closer to a ninth consecutive American League East title, giving themselves a chance to clinch the division crown on their own turf Sunday night. New York took a 7-5 victory over Boston on Saturday, earning a split in the day-night doubleheader at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees' magic number now stands at four, with the two rivals set to play another day-night twin bill on Sunday.

Jason Giambi's RBI double -- aided by one of three defensive miscues in left field by Wily Mo Pena -- snapped a 5-5 tie in the seventh inning, while Scott Proctor threw two innings of scoreless relief to pick up the victory. Continue

Yanks win sixth straight, finish off Rays

The Yankees inched closer to a division title on Thursday night, finishing off a three-game sweep of the Devil Rays. Robinson Cano drove in three runs, including the tying and winning tallies, leading New York to a 7-4 victory. Cano, batting in the No. 3 spot for the first time in his career, collected eight RBIs in the past two games, helping the Yanks move to 33 games over .500.

Hideki Matsui homered for the first time since May 7, while Derek Jeter (2-for-4, RBI, 23-game hitting streak) and Alex Rodriguez (two RBIs) also contributed offensively. Continue

Yankees cruise to win against Rays

Offensively, things couldn't be much better for the Yankees. But with the playoffs all but on the calendar, the postseason rotation is still a mystery. The Yankees beat the Devil Rays, 8-4, on Wednesday, but starter Cory Lidle was tagged in his second straight start, leaving the door open for the No. 4 spot.

Lidle went four innings while giving up nine hits and four earned runs. He gave up two solo home runs in the first inning and RBI singles in the fourth and fifth before being relieved by Brian Bruney, who ended up with the win. Continue

Godzilla leads Yankees' rampage

The Yankees figured it wouldn't take Hideki Matsui long to get his stroke back. But nobody could have guessed Matsui's presence could this kind of instant effect -- not even him. Matsui went 4-for-4 with four singles in his first game since May 11 as the Yankees scored nine runs in the first inning and pounded the Devil Rays, 12-4, Tuesday night. Bobby Abreu powered the offense with seven RBIs, including six in the first, and Yankees starter Mike Mussina pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings. Continue

Six-run seventh leads Yanks past O's

The ball was hit hard into left field, but it looked like Fernando Tatis would be able to make the play to end the top half of the seventh inning. But instead, Tatis -- who was making just his third career start in the outfield -- misjudged and misplayed Robinson Cano's liner. Tatis leaped and missed the ball, allowing three runners to score, which gave the Yankees the lead.

"I just started running ... I didn't see what was happening in left field," said Cano, who had already hit the ball hard twice earlier in the game with nothing to show for it. "I was thinking, 'It's my time to get a hit right here.'" Continue

Yankees slug their way to win over O's

The Yankees broke out the bats early and often on Sunday, but it wasn't the usual suspects inflicting all of the damage. Sal Fasano and Nick Green, starting in place of Jorge Posada and Alex Rodriguez, each homered for New York, while Derek Jeter continued his MVP-caliber season with a home run and four RBIs in the Yankees' 9-4 win over the Orioles. "We want to contribute to the team -- and not just by cheering," Green said. "When we can put some runs on the board and get some big hits, it's fun." Continue

Wang becomes second 17-game winner

Chien-Ming Wang is confident when he takes the mound, but even the 26-year-old never believed he would have as much success in 2006 as he has had. Wang became the Majors' second 17-game winner, joining Minnesota's Johan Santana for the league lead by leading the Yankees to a 3-2 victory over the Orioles at Camden Yards. Wang (17-5) held Baltimore to one run on eight hits over 7 1/3 innings, striking out one batter without issuing a walk. Continue

Yankees downed in series opener

Cory Lidle continued his trend of following a good start with a bad one, proving his manager to be prophetic. On Wednesday, when asked what he expected to see from Lidle on Friday against the Orioles, Joe Torre said it depended on how well the right-hander commanded his pitches and worked the corners of the strike zone. "He's one of those guys who can give you six strong innings," Torre said of Lidle, who was coming off six shutout innings against the Twins. "Or maybe he won't get out of the second." Continue

Unit, Posada lift Yankees

Making his last start as a 42-year-old, Randy Johnson didn't make history with his third career no-hitter. What he did, though, was give the Yankees another strong start down the stretch, moving them one day closer to October baseball.

Johnson tossed seven innings of one-hit ball, leading the Yankees to an 8-3 win over the Royals in the rubber match of the three-game series. Johnson took a no-hitter into the seventh before David DeJesus' leadoff triple ended his bid. Continue

Yanks blanked by Royals

The first seven innings of Tuesday night's Yankees-Royals game looked strikingly similar to the first seven innings of Monday night's game. Unfortunately for the Yankees, there was nothing remotely the same about the eighth inning.

Kansas City's bullpen, which served up 10 runs in the eighth on Monday, held on to finish off New York on Tuesday, as the Royals shut out the Yankees, 5-0. It was Kansas City's first shutout of New York since Aug. 13, 2003. "It shows you that, if you pitch, you have a chance to win," Derek Jeter said. "They've pitched us pretty good." Continue

Yanks erupt late in opener

For seven innings, the Yankees couldn't do much right. In the eighth, they could do no wrong. New York used a 10-run inning -- a season-high -- to overcome a four-run deficit, downing the Royals, 12-5, to kick off a seven-game road trip on Monday night. The runs came against four Royals relievers, who couldn't hold the lead handed to them by starter Luke Hudson.

"It looked like we weren't going to be able to generate anything," Joe Torre said. "It's all about confidence; we don't feel that there's anything we can't do, offensively. If we get a little crack in the armor, we feel we can exploit it." Continue

Rasner, A-Rod overpower Twins

By every indication, the Yankees have every gear churning towards October. Alex Rodriguez may be finally out of his extended slump, the lineup is pounding out runs with ease and the team is getting stellar starts from pitchers they knew basically nothing about. Those elements added up to a 10-1 win over the Twins in Sunday's series finale, putting the Yankees ahead of the Red Sox by nine games in the American League East. Continue

Yanks quieted by Twins rookie

The Yankees had a pair of insurmountable factors going against them Saturday. First, there was Twins starter Scott Baker, who seems to save his best stuff for the Yankees. Then there was the remnants of Tropical Storm Ernesto, whose winds knocked down a pair of likely home runs and whose rains caused the game to end in the bottom of the eighth with the Twins ahead, 6-1.

In the end, it all spelled a soggy loss for the Yankees. All wasn't lost as Yankees rookie starter Jeff Karstens had yet another quality start, allowing just two runs in seven innings of work. But he was topped by Baker, who allowed just two hits and one run in five innings. Continue

A-Rod fuels Yanks' rout of Twins

When Alex Rodriguez homered in the second inning, the fans tried to bring him out for a curtain call, but he remained in the dugout. Five innings later, A-Rod led off the seventh inning with his second home run of the night. This time, he didn't disappoint. Rodriguez led the Yankees to an 8-1 win over the Twins, New York's fourth win in the last five games.

A-Rod went 3-for-5 with two homers and three RBIs, while Bobby Abreu collected three hits while driving in two runs. Derek Jeter also had three hits, as the Yankees knocked Twins pitching around for 14 hits in the game. Continue

A-Rod breaks out for big day in Bronx

For the past two days, the fans at Yankee Stadium were cheering Alex Rodriguez during every at-bat, trying to will him into breaking out of his week-long slump. On Thursday, he finally rewarded them for their faith. Rodriguez went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs, leading the Yankees to a 6-4 win over the Tigers in the final regular-season meeting between the American League's top two teams.

"It felt good to contribute and swing the bat much better," Rodriguez said. "We're battling for home-field advantage, so it's important to get every win. That's a very good competitive team over there." Continue

Yanks suffer tough loss in nightcap

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

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

Wang beats Tigers for 16th win

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

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

Williams, Jeter bang two homers each

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

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

Yanks pitchers give up 16 hits, 12 runs

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

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

Yankees on short end of close contest

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

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

Yanks fall as Unit's Safeco streak ends

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

Wang has his way against Mariners

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

Yankees walk off with a loss

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

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

Yanks complete five-game sweep

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

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

Yankees ride Giambi's homers to win

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

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

Yanks batter Beckett in win over Sox

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

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

Yanks sweep away Sox

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

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

Yankees tripped up again in finale

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

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

Yankees fall short against Orioles

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

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

Yankees dump Orioles in series opener

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

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

Johnson steps up, earns split for Yanks

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

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

Yankees can't get to Angels' Weaver

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

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

Yanks' Cano stays hot since return

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

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

Yanks stifled by lefty and Figgins' catch

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

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

Yanks edged by White Sox

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

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

Yankees win nail-biter over White Sox

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

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

Yanks fall to White Sox in extra innings

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

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

Yankees use Wright, might to defeat O's

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

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

Yanks blanked by Loewen, O's

Veteran Mike Mussina entered Saturday's game at Camden Yards with a 77-40 lifetime record at his former home. Rookie Adam Loewen had made five career starts there, going 0-1 overall.

Those two pitchers reversed their usual roles in Baltimore on Saturday, for one afternoon at least. Loewen and two relievers combined for a one-hit shutout, while Mussina gave up three runs to his former team en route to a 5-0 loss, halting New York's five-game win streak. The last time the Orioles held an opponent to one hit was in August 2000, with Mussina pitching for them. Despite the loss, the Yankees are a half-game ahead of the Red Sox, who play a night game against the Devil Rays on Saturday. Continue

Posada's homer lifts Yanks past Orioles

The Orioles brought in their closer, Chris Ray, to start the ninth inning with the game tied at 4. Jason Giambi led off the inning with a hard line drive to short right field, which would have been a base hit under normal circumstances, but Baltimore had a shift on, and the ball was caught for an out.

On the very next pitch, Jorge Posada smoked his 14th home run of the season over the scoreboard in right field to give the Yankees a 5-4 victory on Friday night. New York has won five straight games, nine of its last 10, and held onto first place in the American League East by one game, as the Red Sox also won Friday. Continue

Yanks sweep Blue Jays

After Cory Lidle retired the first three batters he faced on weak choppers in the infield, including two to himself, it seemed as if the Yankees finally could take a deep breath. Four months and four pitchers into the season, they may have found their No. 5 starter.

Lidle allowed one run in just six innings, leading the Yankees to an 8-1 win against the Blue Jays on Thursday in his pinstripes debut. New York swept Toronto and has now won eight of its past nine games. The victory assured that the Yanks would be in first place in the American League East heading into a six-game road trip. Continue

Wang dominates Toronto

At this point, Chien-Ming Wang's long outings are barely even newsworthy. He does them so often. But this one wasn't as impressive as the last, in which Wang threw a shutout against the Devil Rays while allowing only two hits. This time Wang only tossed eight shutout innings and gave up four hits to lead the Yankees to a 7-2 win over the Blue Jays on Wednesday night.

For the past month, manager Joe Torre repeated the quote that he doesn't like to expect Wang to pitch seven or eight strong innings every time goes out because the 26-year-old Taiwan native is so young. Finally, even he had to surrender. Continue

Bernie drives Yanks to first place

Bobby Abreu was the story in his first game in pinstripes, but the longest-tenured Yankee stole the show. Abreu bumped Bernie Williams from his right-field perch, but manager Joe Torre started Williams anyway. Just because Williams' playing time would be cut into didn't mean the Yankees were going to cut him out altogether, Torre said.

The results couldn't have been much better. Williams hit a three-run double to left field in the fourth inning to give the Yankees a lead they would never relinquish in a 5-1 victory over the Blue Jays on Tuesday night. Continue

Yanks topple Devil Rays in finale

Since the vision of Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui slugging homers are a distant memory by now, the Yankees' outfield has been a bit power-starved this season. Adding former Phillie Bobby Abreu on Sunday will certainly boost the outfield's production, but his current eight home runs are the same as platooning veteran Bernie Williams. So, even now, is there going to be any power in the outfield? Leave it to center fielder Johnny Damon to answer that. Continue

Yanks hammered by Rays

The Yankees have been very happy with the consistency of their top three starting pitchers in recent weeks, but Saturday was not a day to celebrate that point. The Devil Rays hammered Randy Johnson and the Yankees, 19-6, snapping New York's four-game winning streak while equaling a Tampa Bay record for runs scored in a game.

"They killed us today," said manager Joe Torre. "I wish I could come up with an explanation other than that we got our rear ends kicked, but that's the best I can do." Johnson, who had given up three earned runs or less in seven of his previous eight starts, equaled his shortest start of the season, allowing nine runs (six earned) in 3 1/3 innings. Continue

Wang blanks Rays in opener

The last time Chien-Ming Wang pitched a complete game, he threw his glove to the ground in frustration as he left the mound. It wasn't quite the classic nine-inning variety, as Wang surrendered a walk-off homer to Washington's Ryan Zimmerman.

On Friday night, before Wang walked to the mound in the ninth inning, pitching coach Ron Guidry joked with Wang on the bench saying, "I'm going to give you one more chance." This time Wang finished it, sitting down the Devil Rays in order to cap a 6-0 complete-game victory. It's win No. 12 for Wang and his first career shutout. Continue

Giambi's homer helps NY sweep Texas

Since being demoted from the starting rotation more than three weeks ago, Shawn Chacon has done a lot of sitting around. The right-hander had pitched just twice since July 4, making two appearances in last weekend's series against the Blue Jays in Toronto.

When the Yankees took a two-run lead into the eighth inning on Wednesday night, it looked like it would be another night for Chacon to sit in the bullpen, watching his teammates contribute to another win. But when things took a turn for the worse and the Yankees gave up the lead, manager Joe Torre called on Chacon to come in with the bases loaded and no outs, hoping that he would be able to limit the damage. Continue

Efficient Yanks down Rangers

For the second night in a row, the Yankees used a combination of solid starting pitching, timely hitting and a strong bullpen to defeat the Rangers, putting their morbid weekend in Toronto even further behind them.

Despite collecting just four hits on the night, New York took a 7-4 victory against Texas, improving to 5-0 at Ameriquest Field this season. Mike Mussina pitched six quality innings, earning his team-leading 12th win of the season. "You don't expect to get four hits and get seven runs," Mussina said. "Our guys did what we usually do when we're successful; we made them work and throw a lot of pitches. That's efficient hitting for only four hits." Continue

Yanks top Rangers in opener

After a tumultuous weekend in Toronto, the Yankees were thrilled to escape the climate-controlled Rogers Centre, even if it meant playing in the scorching heat of Ameriquest Fiel