Yanks go for sweep in final home game of Reg. Season

The New York Yankees will take on the K.C. Royals tonight at 7 from the Stadium. This is the final home regular season game of the season. The Yankees have won 31 of their last 38 at home and last nights victory tied a major league record for most wins by a team in the first year of their new stadium. The 57 wins by the Yankees this season equals the total of the 1912 Red Sox according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Yankees can break the record with a win tonight. Here are the pregame notes and lineup via the Yankees Press notes and Sam Borden of the Journal News. The game winning single by Juan Miranda last night was the 15th walkoff victory of the season for the Yankees. That is second on the alltime Yankees list to the 1943 team which had 17. Miranda was the 9th different Yankee to hit a walkoff and second rookie, Francisco Cervelli was the other. That sure is a lot of pie. The Yankees also won their 9th game last night when trailing after 7 innings and 5th when trailing after 8. It really is incredible, most teams don't win when losing after 7. Mark Teixeira hit his 39th homerun last night tying him for the league lead. He will be the league leader with one more as Carlos Pena is done for the season and can't hit anymore. K.C. has lost 6 of 7 and found out last night what Yankee fans know about Farnsworth, he isn't very good and they are paying him 4.25 million. After struggling in the first inning so often this season Joba was sharp early last time out retiring the first 11 batters he faced. Yankees Lineup: Jeter(SS) Damon(LF) Tex(1B) A-rod(3B) Matsui(DH) Posada(C) Cano(2B) Swisher(RF) Cabrera(CF)

Random thoughts and notes

Today is the 30th anniversary of Thurman Munson's death. I purchased the new book by Marty Appell called the life and death of a Yankee Captain, i have not read it yet but plan on posting a review of it when I do. It is amazing that this was so long ago and it still resonates with people. He was such a good guy and a real blue collar guy. There is a great article about Shelly Duncan by Chad Jennings the Scranton Yankees beat reporter who has a blog, you can check out the link over at Peter Abrahams Lohud Yankees Blog. The Red Sox went to Baltimore and swept them but I do wonder with the aquisition of Victor Martinez, how that will affect other guys. If he plays first base that means Youkilis moves to third and Mike Lowell sits, if he plays catcher then Varitek sits and if he is DH Big Papi sits, this should be interesting to watch. It is amazing to me how some teams own other teams and some teams own certain pitchers etc. Mark Buehrle is coming off setting the major league record for most retired batters in a row and the Yankees just batter him today like they always do, he is now 1-6 in his career vs them with a 7 something era. Jesus Montero the Yankees #2 prospect is out for the year after getting crossed up and breaking a finger. He will play winter ball it looks like but his minor league season is over. He is only 20 yrs old and will start at AA next year but I won't be suprised to see him in AAA at some point. Damaso Marte continues to rehab in Scranton, I wonder if the Yankees will call him back up. I do think there is some sort of clock where they have too. If Sergio Mitre continues to falter will the Yankees actually turn to Kei Igawa?? Jason Hirsch made his debut yesterday and tossed 6 shutout innings could he be a guy they look too?? Hirsch has been bad but he was a #1 prospect only a couple of yrs ago. The Mets have been pretty quiet and won some games lately, can this continue and can they really get back into the race?? I personally don't think so because there are so many teams ahead of them but who knows.

Yanks try to salvage a game in Chitown

The New York Yankees will try to win this last game of the series in Chicago before an off day tomorrow and then 2 in Toronto before coming home to face their blood rivals the Boston Red Sox. CC Sabathia is on the mound and needs to come up huge today, this is what he was paid for to be the stopper and they need him to go 7 or 8 dominant innings today and get out of town with a win. Here are some pregame notes from Peter Abraham. It all starts with pitching and in the last 2 games the Yankees have given up 24 runs on 24 hits and 11 walks. The Yankees have not lost 4 straight since May 2-7 when they lost 5 in a row. The White Sox have won 6 straight at US Cellular Field. CC Sabathia is 3-3 with a 4.62 era in his last 6 starts. He has allowed 45 hits in 39 innings. He is 14-4 with a 3.65 era in 26 career starts against the White Sox. He is 7-1 with a 2.98 era at US Cellular Field. This may be exactly what he needs to turn it around. Mark Buehrle is coming off setting the record by retiring 45 straight batters even though he did lose to Minnesota in his last start. He is 1-5 with a 6.11 era in his career against the Yankees. He is 0-4 with a 6.91 at home. The Yankees are batting 161 with RISP in this series. They are batting 200 on this roadtrip with RISP. This is what I hate about their offense, it is good but can be inconsistant. Big Tex has 10 homeruns, 30 rbi's and 26 runs scored in his last 32 games. A-rod is getting hot going 10 for 26 on this roadtrip with 4 rbi's and 3 runs scored. He has not hit a homerun in his last 49 at bats so he is due for a few quickly. Mark Melancon has not allowed a run in his last 4 1/3 innings so he is learning. I really like this guy but you have to remember he is young just like Dave Robertson but they will be go to guys in the future for this team. No lineup is posted yet, I will try to get that up later.

Bizarre ending to Subway Series

I must say I am pretty much speechless, I have never seen a game end the way it did tonight. The Yankees really have to thank the mets and kiss their lucky stars as they got a nice gift tonight. The Mets Luis Castillo dropped a pop up by A-rod in the bottom of the ninth that would of ended the game and instead became a 2 run walkoff error. The Yankees had just lost 3 straight to Boston and were about to go down to the Mets when boom a dropped pop up happened. I really don't know what to say because I have never seen anything like that before and I have seen lots of baseball games in my lifetime. Joba Chamberlain got the start and just had no command, he walked 5 and hit 2. Brett Tomko came on in the fifth and wasn't good at all, the first batter he faced was a fly ball that Nick Swisher turned into a double and then the barrage began as Tomko just couldn't get anyone out. Mariano Rivera came in to the 8th inning in a tie game and gave it up again with a walk and a rbi double. Phil Coke was the only guy that came in and gave up nothing in 1 1/3 innings. The offensive star was Mark Teixeira, yes he hit a long homerun but he is remembered for running hard on what should of been the last out and scored the winning run, young guys take notice, that is how you should play the game and why Mark Teixeira is a true pro. Big Tex is truly everything you could want in a ballplayer and you have to love that. Derek Jeter hit a solo homerun and Hideki Matsui hit another homerun on his birthday a 3 run shot. Robinson Cano also hit a homerun. The Yankees will send Andy Pettitte to the hill tomorrow looking for some length out of him, as the bullpen is pretty much shot. Brian Bruney will pitch in Trenton tomorrow and then should be ready to go if everything is ok.

Yanks/Rangers recap

The New York Yankees defeated the Texas Rangers by a score of 11-1 today. Phil Hughes got the start and pitched brilliantly, he went 8 innings giving up 3 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk and 6 strikeouts. He wanted to finish the game but Joe Girardi didn't let him. I have a picture of him above from today's game. He won the WWE belt that for each yankees win whoever the player of the game is gets to keep it for the day. He was wearing it in the postgame interviews and was really proud of it. Alfredo Aceves finished off the game giving up a homerun but then retiring the next 3 batters to finish the game.

A-rod always has played great in The Ballpark at Arlington and today was no different as he went 5 for 5, 3 singles and 2 doubles with 4 rbi's. Mark Teixeira had a couple of more hits and a couple of rbi's. Derek Jeter had a hit and a walk, Johnny Damon had a couple of hits and a walk. Robinson Cano had a couple of hits and a couple of rbi's. Melky Cabrera, Nick Swisher and Ramiro Pena all had a hit and Kevin Cash had 3 hits. Everyone in the Yankees lineup had at least one hit and they had the most hits they have had all season with 19.

The Yankees will play tomorrow night with Joba Chamberlain on the mound trying to get the Yankees on another winning streak. The only thing I didn't like about today's game was the Red caps the Yankees were forced to wear by MLB for Memorial Day. I just thought they were terrible and the Yankees shouldn't be wearing anything different then usual. I am fine with the flag in the NY but not red caps.