That last thread had some bad ju-ju. It had to go.

Swish got greedy. Doesn’t he know that playing the game the right way calls for a sac fly or, preferably, a ground ball to the right side?

It seems like the Yankees improve their magic number by at least one every day. That’s what happens when you’re winning at a ridiculous clip. It’s also what happens when, on a night you actually lose a game, your direct competition loses as well. That happened Friday. On Saturday we saw a Yanks win and Red Sox loss, bringing the magic number down to a Boonian 19. We could be in Jerry Hairston territory by day’s end.

The Yanks will send out a B version of their lineup against Brian Tallet. Prior to this year, Tallet hadn’t started a game since 2006. Due to injuries, the Jays needed him to fill in, and all considered he hasn’t fared that poorly. Yes, poorly by most starter standards, but for a guy in his position, it’s an admirable effort.

Tallet has started twice against the Yanks this year, faring well each time. The first was back on May 14, just after A-Rod‘s return, when the team started to really cook. Tallet pitched six innings of two-run ball. He did walk five, and these days the Yankees will make you pay for that. Instead the Yanks made the bullpen pay that game, taking the contest 3-2.

The next time out Tallet allowed three runs, two earned, in six innings. He walked four, still not a good number. The Yanks took that one, too, and saddled Tallet with the loss. He also appeared in relief once, at the beginning of August (bad timing), allowing a hit and a run in an inning of work. It was a solo shot that extended the Yankees lead from 7-4 to 8-4, so not a huge deal.

For the Yanks it will be Sergio Mitre. He’s had a rough go so far as a Yank, though his best start was his last. He pitched 6.1 innings of shutout ball against the White Sox, allowing just one hit. The only reason he left the game was because he took a comebacker off the forearm. That pushed his start back a couple of days. He’s started twice against the Blue Jays this season, allowing three earned runs in each, while going 4.1 and 5 innings. He’ll need to do better this time around.

A-Rod gets a day off, as does Posada. Even so, the Yanks lineup is no laughing matter. Sounds like Gardner will be back tomorrow. This comes, of course, when Melky is hitting well. Figures.

1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Johnny Damon, LF
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Hideki Matsui, DH
5. Nick Swisher, RF
6. Robinson Cano, 2B
7. Jerry Hairston, 3B
8. Melky Cabrera, CF
9. Jose Molina, C

And on the mound, number forty-five, Sergio Mitre.

Andy cost himself a run there.

It seems like every time the Yankees have a winning streak snapped this season, they just start up another one. They’ll look to do that today against the Jays. They had Roy Halladay on the mound last night, and when he’s on there’s really no stopping him. That a lesser pitcher is on the mound clearly bodes well for the Yankees this afternoon.

That lesser pitcher is Brett Cecil. Toronto drafted him with the 37th pick in the 2007 draft out of the University of Maryland. He was a closer there, starting just six games in his two years as a Terp. The Jays thought he had good stuff, and knowing that starters are more valuable than relievers, immediately converted him, giving him 13 starts in low-A ball after the draft.

After pitching 112 innings between college and pro ball in 07, Cecil touched three levels in 2008: A+, AA, and AAA. He pitched well at each stop and racked up 108.2 innings. He started this year at Las Vegas, where the hitter-friendliness of the Pacific Coast League seemingly caught up with him. His ERA ballooned to 5.69 over his 49 inning there, and his strikeout rate fell precipitously.

With their rotation one by one hitting the DL, the Jays called up Cecil to start against the Indians on May 5. He had three good starts to open his career, including an eight-inning, zero-run performance against Oakland in his second start. Since then he’s been a mixed bag, having some excellent starts mixed with some absolute clunkers.

One of those clunkers came against the Yankees, back on July 5. Joba Chamberlain also pitched horribly, but the Yanks got enough off Cecil and B.J. Ryan* to win the game. Cecil allowed seven runs on nine hits and five walks over 3.2 innings. The Yanks could sure use some of that hittin’ today.

* The Jays released Ryan after that appearance, adding to the list of pitchers who were released after the Yankees hammered them.

The Yanks look for some help from old-time stopper Andy Pettitte. I remember watching games back in the day, during Pettitte’s first stint with the team, and the commentators always noting his incredible record in games following Yankee losses. He’ll get a chance to improve on that today. It will be his first September start after a mind-blowing August, where he was 6-0 — 6-0! — with a 2.50 ERA. And that included the rough five-inning start against Boston.

Joe Girardi has expressed his desire to rest all of his starters down the stretch, but it seems that no one has rested more than Johnny Damon. He gets another day off today against the lefty Cecil. Curiously, Eric Hinske gets another start, so it doesn’t seem to just be a platoon thing for Damon. Keeping him fresh for the playoffs is of the utmost importance.

Oh, and Josh Towers has joined the team. He’ll work in long relief to start, possibly getting a spot start later in the month. I’m wondering if Jason Hirsh makes his way up soon enough, but that would require finagling another 40-man spot. The Yanks released Kevin Cash to make room for Towers.

Lineup:

1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Nick Swisher, 1B
3. Mark Teixeira, DH
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Jorge Posada, C
6. Robinson Cano, 2B
7. Jerry Hairston, LF
8. Melky Cabrera, CF
9. Eric Hinske, RF

And on the mound, number forty-six, Andy Pettitte.