Man, just freaking stay retired. I can’t sit down and watch 30 minutes worth of SportsCenter over a bowl of cereal these days without hearing some nonsense about how he’s going to be reinstated, how he’s working out at a high school field, how the Pack don’t want to trade him within the division; the stupidest, most unimportant and uninteresting details possible. It’s ridiculous, and ESPN ate it right up. Props go out to the Low-A Augusta Green Jackets for having a “Brett Favre flip-flop night” promotion.
As for the Yanks, they’re are still 10-5 since the break despite their recent slump, and they’ve picked up three big games in the Wildcard chase, leaving them 2.5 GB of Boston. Division titles are nice, but the MLB playoffs have turned into the NCAA Tournament – just get in and we’ll figure it out then. Four of the last 10 World Series winners have been WC teams, and 9 WC teams have played in the Fall Classic since 1997. Just get in.
Darrell Rasner has new battery mate today, even though he’s been most successful with the recently DFA’ed Chad Moeller behind the dish (4-3, 4.38 ERA with Moeller; 2-5, 6.87 ERA with everyone else). Maybe Pudge can squeeze the best out of Ras like he did Ponson the other night. Halos’ starter John Lackey threw a near no-hitter in Fenway his last time out, but he does have a 6.06 ERA and .825 OPS against in his last 5 starts, Fenway outing included.
1. Damon, DH
2. Jeter, SS
3. Abreu, RF
4. A-Rod, 3B
5. Giambi, 1B
6. X(BH) Nady, LF
7. Betemit, 2B
8. Pudge, C
9. Melky, CF
And on the mound, the Nightmare from Nevada, Darrell Rasner.
Notes: Cano’s hand is still sore, so he’ll get another day off … the Yanks head off on a 10-day road trip after the game today, going from Texas to Anaheim to Minneapolis with no off-days … after today, the Yanks will play 16 of their next 19 games on the road …