Game 143: Just Win

September 8, 2013 by Mike Axisa 184 Comments

Nothing that happens this afternoon will erase with ass-whooping the Yankees have taken these last three days. The only positives to take are 1) the Rays keep losing and are still only three games up for the second wildcard spot in the loss column, and 2) the Bombers did score at least eight runs in each of the last three games. They just need someone to actually get a few outs without giving up monster homers and putting two guys on base each inning. Here’s the lineup that will face left-hander Jon Lester:

And on the mound is right-hander Hiroki Kuroda. If there was ever a time to get over that wall, this is it.

Gorgeous weather in New York today with no rain expected. Perfect baseball weather. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05pm ET and can be seen on YES locally and TBS nationally. Enjoy, or at least try to.

JGYank

Jeter had to be taken out of the lineup when we are facing a lefty of course. Couldn’t of timed it worse. Switching him and Wells would have made the lineup so much better. On a side note Ichiro finally gets to take advantage of his reverse platoon split while Gardy gets the day off. Good to see Romine starting despite his recent screw ups.
- JGYank
  
  Nevermind it’s Stewart.
Winter

Does anyone know who’s in the TBS booth?
- Pat D
  
  Does it matter?
- WhittakerWalt
  
  I hope it’s not John Smoltz. He hates the Yankees more than Schilling does.
Eddard

After the pitching staff gives up double digit runs today the New York massacre will be complete. Just a devastating series that should get Cashman and Girardi fired, we can only hope. Season is over so might as well shut down Jeter, Robertson, Kelley, et al.
- Winter
  
  I’m so glad you’re helping keep spirits up.
- D$1184
  
  Yeah because Girardi and Cashman are responsible for all the fluke injuries the team has had to deal with this year.
Winter

Looks like they replaced Mike Napoli with the only player on their team with an even uglier beard.
YankeeFan

Over/Under the # of cross-ups for Stewart today? I’ll set it at 2.5. Seriously though the amount of cross-ups this late in the season is inexcusable.
- Winter
  
  Romine’s catching.
  - JGYank
    
    No it’s Stewart. Check out the boxscore/lineup on mlb.com
    - Winter
      
      DAMMIT! Why?
JGYank

Here we go again.
trr

losing already?
https://twitter.com/KramerIndustry Kramerica Industries

12 comments in a Yankees/Red Sox thread that’s been up for an hour.

Yes, the fact that football is back should be duly noted, but I think the great many of us are using this piss poor pitching as a means to justify skipping these games right now.
- JGYank
  
  Yeah I’m not actually watching just keeping track of it on gameday. Get too frustrated watching.
- Winter
  
  I don’t think it’s an excuse. I’m guessing people are skipping today because of the pitching.
  
  Also Kuroda’s pitch count is already over 50. Shades of game 1.
- RetroRob
  
  These last three games have been brutal, and I missed the first two. I can totally see a lot of Yankee fans sitting this one out.
JGYank

So… which team do you guys think gets best record in the NL? I think it’s between the Cards and Dodgers. They are the two best teams even though Atlanta has the best record in the NL. It probably will be the RS in the AL or maybe Detroit if they get hot.
- Winter
  
  I think it’s going to be the Dodgers. They have been simply unbelievable.
  - JGYank
    
    Yeah definitely have the big names and talent to do so. Kershaw and Greinke is a great one two punch. Cards are really good as well. I think the Pirates are kind of overrated despite being so successful this year. Their ace is arguably Burnett.
    - Winter
      
      Don’t forget Liriano doing his best 2006 impression.
      - JGYank
        
        True but I think the Reds and Cards both have more talent. Pirates offense is McCutchen and a couple other guys. I see them winning the 2nd WC.
        
        Winter
        
        Starling Marte and Pedro Alvarez are no slouches, either. I think everything’s a tossup in the NL Central/WC.
        
        JGYank
        
        Those are the couple other guys. Who else do they have offensively? Walker and Morneau? Their run differential is only +46. But the playoff picture is clear the only thing left to find out is seeding and who wins the 2 WCs. Love how the AL is anything but settled.
RetroRob

Really? Reynolds and a bunt? I agree that he had to call that himself, although why who knows.
Winter

And that’s why Mark Reynolds shouldn’t bunt. I don’t know if he was on his own or if that came from the dugout, but either way it was a bad idea.
McLovin

:O
NY2FanMaynard

Living in Massachusetts… Have to watch ithe game on NESN. So sad.
- Winter
  
  Probably better than TBS. unconcealed homer bias is preferable to concealed bias on a national broadcast.
  
  Plus you get Remy.
  - NY2FanMaynard
    
    Remy is out for the season. Bad family issues…
    
    Don Orsillo is okay.
    - Winter
      
      Oh yeah. Completely forgot about that. Such a terrible story.
- WhittakerWalt
  
  The least-annoying thing about the Red Sox is their broadcast team. Seriously, they’re fine. Try watching the Rays’ feed one of these days. Or the Angels.
WhittakerWalt

OMG Suzyn just said that Jonny Gomes is a valuable guy to have on your team because “he’s great with kids.”

I HOPE YOU’RE PAYING ATTENTION, CASHMAN.
JGYank

Kuroda has to go deep in this game and he isn’t doing well pitch count wise.
JGYank

Who is available out of the pen? Mo, Betances, Cabral, and who else? Warren? Joba?
- Leg-End
  
  Cone fresh from the booth.
  - JGYank
    
    Warm up Proctor while you’re at it.
- D$1184
  
  Kelley, for the first time in a week.
JGYank

And that is the only way you will ever see Stewart ever get on base.
- Leg-End
  
  Roger Dorn’d it.
  - JGYank
    
    Two Major League references in two days. Nice.
    
    Roger Dorn: As General Manager of this team, I demand to know when
    Im getting a start.
    Jake Taylor: Theres an old timers game coming soon.
    
    Lol.
JGYank

Maybe, just maybe we could have a pitchers duel today.
- Winter
  
  I’d only Kuroda weren’t at 90 pitches in the 4th.
  - Winter
    
    *If only.
- NY2FanMaynard
  
  That would be a relaxing way to watch a game..
NY2FanMaynard

So many empty seats.
Wheels

Pretty impressive drive by Geno Smith.
NY2FanMaynard

Much better than a bunt!
Winter

Isn’t that much more fun than bunting, Mark?
Winter

105 pitches through five. Does Kuroda pitch the sixth?
Winter

Chris Stewart! 1 for his last 1!
ropeadope

Two scorched base hits … back to back!
- ropeadope
  
  Correction … Three!
NY2FanMaynard

Game of inches. Nice the breaks are going the Yankees way. C’mon Sori get a hit!
- NY2FanMaynard
  
  Oh well, c’mon Robbie!
JGYank

Lester is really unlucky. Three bloop hits to 3 really bad hitters.
nsalem

Today is National Grandparents Day and National BABIP Day
nsalem

Just don’t hit a bullet into a DP Sori.
The Thumb

Is anyone else with Fios having trouble turning on the game on TBS?
- NY2FanMaynard
  
  In Massachusetts it is blacked out. Had to go to NESN.
JGYank

Cano is awesome. 2 run double against a lefty. He is going to get PAID.
- Winter
  
  Yeah, but if you ask the TBS booth, the highlight of that play was Gomes’s sliding stop to keep Wells at third.
Meeks54

Whatever contract Cano wants they better give it to him next year.
- D$1184
  
  Who is going to bid against them? Dodgers hinted that they were out. Toronto? New York BETTER be able to out-bid them–and I don’t see them spending big after picking up all those players from the Marlins and having nothing but a fifth place finish to show for it.
  - Mikhel
    
    Dodgers and Rangers could bid for them, Rangers know they have two valuable assets in their young players who are worth each of them a good pitcher.
    
    They could trade Andrus, move Profar to SS and sign Canó. They could trade Profar and sign Canó. Maybe with a change of venue he’ll no longer be a streaky hitter whose BA drops significantly (0.030 average points) whenever he has runners in scoring position, he is at his best when the Yanks are already winning… two outs and RISP? his batting average drops 0.050 average points (with RISP and RISP+2outs he has the worst drop in performance in all MLB in the past 40 years).
Meeks54

Too bad we have to score another 12 runs to win.
Widget

I’d love a clean inning after scoring one of these days.
RetroRob

Surprising they couldn’t nail that slow-moving lard-ass at second or home.
- Mikhel
  
  They didn’t want to, JoeG has his infielders always playing as if they were winning by 100 runs and the one in third base doesn’t matter. You’ll rarely see them going to home plate, unless the game is tied and in the 8th inning or later.
Eddard

Stewart’s one advantage over Romine is throwing out runners so I just can’t believe they PH with a slight lead. Expect the Sox to run rampant on Romine.
- Mikhel
  
  Not only that, there’s an abismal difference in the approach of both ballclubs.
  
  The Yankees knew that Lester was already at 80 pitches to begin the bottom half of the 6th, they went to hack and got retired in 7 or 8 pitches.
  
  In comes Kelley and the Sox have been tiring the pitcher by fouling balls until they see a pitch they like, Kelley needed 21 pitches to retire the inning and had two in scoring position with two outs and 20 pitches (add to that the “ineptness” of catchers since 2011, lots of wild pitches and passed balls on easy blockable pitches in the ground).
D$1184

AAA relievers, catchers only catching about 5 or 6 innings–it looks like week 2 or 3 of Spring Training out there.
- Mikhel
  
  http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4hv5vhsgP0c/UebC5s_t5jI/AAAAAAAAK5k/4m-5SMU3u2E/s320/girarditowel.gif
  - Winter
    
    So who would you pitch?
    - Mikhel
      
      It is not a matter of who you’d pitch, because the yanks have (unfortunately) lots of AAA pitchers since the season began and the money pinching began to run amok in the front office since 2010 (save the signing of R. Soriano).
      
      Were there any good, cheap, effective pitchers available in the offseason? Sure, one of the best in Japan and with very good numbers in the majors is already closing games for the BoSox for a low tag price and like him there were other pieces to replace guys like… Chamberlain, and i am not talking about closers because I don’t believe in closers who can only pitch one inning in certain situations, either you’re a pitcher who can retire anybody in any situation in any inning or you’re not.
      
      Were there catchers available before the august 31st deadline? Sure, and I think Kurt Suzuki is way way better at catching, throwing and even batting than both Stewart and Romine. Also lets remember Carlos Ruíz was also available.
      
      The Yanks could very well acquire other pieces and move guys in the 40 man roster in the DL to the 60 day DL but were reluctant to do so, protecting their minor leaguers who Cashman sees as “too valuable”, when in fact, a small amount of them will end up doing something for the ballclub (remember Brackman and how the NYY dropped him).
      
      So, am I wrong? Maybe, but that doesn’t strip me from my opinion.
      - BFDeal
        
        Ruiz was not available.
Winter

Ok. Time for Shawn Kelley to not stink.
- NY2FanMaynard
  
  Not too bad for Kelley. No runs…
Wheels

Can he please just get Pedroia out? I’m begging
- Wheels
  
  yay
Mikhel

Will the Yanks come in hacking vs Lester who is at almost 90 pitches or will they only take 10 or less pitches?

I’ve seen constantly this season how they have a pitcher in the ropes in the 4th inning and 60-70 pitches, the batters change their approach, hack at everything they see and the pitcher can make it to the 8th with 90+ pitches.
- Mikhel
  
  Yup, 11 or 12 pitches took Lester.
  
  Now, Rivera has thrown 14 pitches, has retired one and has one on base.
  
  Will he blow another save? Maybe. I think chances are really high he’ll blow it.
NY2FanMaynard

Mo is warming up?
Kevin

would’ve gone with Cabral here for Ortiz & Carp
Mick taylor

I’m sick of hearing what a great manager girardi is. Wtf is wells swinging away on3-0 with Lester having an elevated pitch count. Moves like that will cost us the game
- Winter
  
  Maybe that call didn’t come from Girardi…
- Mikhel
  
  It is never good when a manager publicly contradicts his hitting coach regarding how the batters should approach a game and an at bat.
  
  When last season Kevin Long said the Yanks needed to take advantage by playing small ball to advance runners, JoeG quickly dismissed his opinion by saying “we are the Bronx bombers not the bronx bunters”, and alas, he’s on the verge of having the yanks out of the playoffs by not taking advantage of their speed when they were struggling and forgetting his best hitter was Canó at 0.270 BA (sometimes I think JoeG got stuck in the mid 90s, his mind makes him think these Yanks are the same ones of 1998).
Widget

I do not like this at all. Mo blowing another save would just be the icing on this weekends poop cake.
- NY2FanMaynard
  
  I hope his pitch count stays low… Some easy outs would be nice.
  - Mikhel
    
    Hard for a pitcher vs the Sox to have low pitching counts.
    
    While against the Yanks it is fairly easy. Lester had 80 pitches before the 6th, he needed just 36 pitches to throw the 6th, 7th and 8th (Kelley made 21 in 1 inning of work, Rivera has 20 so far in one inning).
Karl Krawfid

Romine is setting up waaay to early.

Can’t believe the Yankees let Russ Martin go.
- Mikhel
  
  Russell Martin was not excellent, he batted 0.230 AVG, a low OBP, doesn’t know how to block pitches in the ground, has a strong arm for slow/bad runners. In any case it was preferrable to still have José Molina (batting wise, both catchers are “Molinesque”).
Cool Lester Smooth

Mo?
- NY2FanMaynard
  
  In for a two inning save.
Need Pitching & Hitting & Defense & Baserunning

of course
Wheels

God dammit. Again
NY2FanMaynard

A freaking HR!
Winter

Un. Be. Lievable.
Karl Krawfid

Away, Away, Away.
Eddard

YES! Complete the New York massacre and force the team to fire Cashman and Girardi.
- Widget
  
  Unfortunatley that won’t fix a very old team with issues everywhere.
- JGYank
  
  How can you call yourself a fan if you want this team to lose?
- Mikhel
  
  Ownership won’t fire Cashman nor JoeG, they’ve executed their plan perfectly, now they know they don’t need to invest in the team to have a “strong enough” team to be on the playoff hunt in september, even though they are not able to beat a good team.
  - Need Pitching & Hitting & Defense & Baserunning
    
    They had to spend a highest ever $230M (roughly) in payroll this year.
    How does that show they don’t have to spend to have a “strong enough” team to be in the playoff hunt?
Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

Watching the worst season of Mo’s career when he, finally, starts to suck is not fun.

Mo has been a huge part of the problem.
Anderson Silva

the sad end of Mo and the Yankees. It’s the end of an era really.
The Thumb

well fuck this series
Leg-End

Not our year folks, but then we already knew that.
Widget

my god. YOu get any more predictable. Just sad. TWO blown saves to these clowns.
Meeks54

Motherfucker I’m so godamn tired of this team, this is ridiculous. This Red Sox team is pissing me the fuck off.
- Widget
  
  They aren’t that good either. They’ve been incredibly lucky this year. I still love the west coast trip they just had where they missed Kershaw AND Greinke.
NY2FanMaynard

Run screaming from watching the game! Hughes is up in the pen.
Anderson Silva

Mo looks done. I have never seem him behind in so many counts. He’s missing his spots all the time now. It’s depressing.
Betty Lizard

Sons of whoo-whoo!

It’s like a bad existential play. (Is there a good one?)
- THA
  
  Huit Clos, Le Diable et le bon Dieu, Les Sequestres d’Altona, The Caretaker, The Homecoming, Waiting for Godot, Krapp’s Last Tape.
  
  And films galore.
Mikhel

Thanks Mo, now you’ll retire humiliated.
- Widget
  
  He’ll get 2 saves in his last series in Fenway.
  - Mikhel
    
    And still he’ll blow at least one vs the Astros to end the season with a sweep.
    
    The league lost its respect to him as soon as he began his tour of goodbye by mingling with players who otherwise feared him, now he looks more worried of what will his next present will be instead of how he’ll retire the next bunch of batters.
    - http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike Axisa
      
      Stupidest thing ever written on this site, and that’s saying something.
    - trr
      
      Not worthy of reply.
      Go troll elsewhere
      - forensic
        
        He’s not a troll, he actually makes good points with many of his comments, just not so much this one.
- BFDeal
  
  You’ve reached a new level of stupid.
Meeks54

This bullpen went from the best to trash within a month.
- forensic
  
  It didn’t take a month, it only took about a week or so.
Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

Question: IF we somehow win, TB loses, and we stay in the race when do we consider, if D-Rob is pitching well, moving Mo to the eighth?

I’m serious. We can’t keep having him blow saves like this. D-Rob has been better this year and if his injury doesn’t ruin him we might have to seriously consider it. He’s just the better pitcher this year.
- Widget
  
  Won’t happen. Like ever.
  - Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)
    
    Nope. But, should it?
    - Widget
      
      There are a lot of things that should happen unforunately with this years team.
- Need Pitching & Hitting & Defense & Baserunning
  
  They have to get outs in the eighth too.
  Just try to have DRob get the biggest outs, regardless of when they come.
  - Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)
    
    I think they should. So would you possibly, if it comes to it, be in favor of D-Rob pitching these last two instead of Mo if both are available?
    - Need Pitching & Hitting & Defense & Baserunning
      
      I really don’t think it matters at this point, but I wouldn’t have a problem with it either way.
Widget

I hate Middlebrooks. He’s a strikeout machine and he swings at all sorts of crap. You jsut can’t give up a homer to bum like that.
- Mikhel
  
  You can when your catchers are constantly challenging players with stuff don’t the middle, specially to pitchers like Mariano, Chamberlain, Hughes and Sabathia who have lost speed and movement in their best pitch.
  - Mikhel
    
    *stuff down the middle.
Eddard

Best thing that can happen to us is the Sox win this one, complete the NY massacre and it forces the Steinbrenners to fire Cashman and Girardi. Our only way to improve going forward is to get a regime change. Hopefully a sweep at the hands of the Sox will humiliate ownership enough to make the change.

I’d like to see this game go into extras, Girardi bring in Joba and he coughs up the game. Joba and Hughes are Cashman’s babies and they are prime examples of why he’s failed.
- Widget
  
  But ownership is part of the problem. Ichiro signing is proof of that.
  - Mikhel
    
    Ichiro is not as bad considering that without him you’d have Wells fielding all day long. Ichiro has at least helped them with his fielding and throw.
    
    But it makes us think what were they planning by not resigning Swisher and acquiring Youkilis for basically the same price tag, they went ahead and got Wells for a massive amount of money in 2013 just because he’ll be almost free in 2014.
    
    The Yanks needed pieces before July 31st and had the Soriano trade ready in the early days of July, they waited to see if the price dropped while the Yanks were struggling to win, they tought it was a wise move to compromise the present by not trading pitchers who won’t be in the majors for the Yankees in at least 3-4 years.
    
    The yanks needed a C and an IF and they didn’t want to go full steam for Carlos Ruíz or Kurt Suzuki. They weren’t in for Morneau… the Yanks plan was not to invest anymore this season and see how it pans out for 2014.
    - BFDeal
      
      Again, Ruiz was not available.
    - Need Pitching & Hitting & Defense & Baserunning
      
      Ichiro is not as bad considering that without him you’d have Wells fielding all day long. Ichiro has at least helped them with his fielding and throw.
      
      ummm, no. If they didn’t sign Ichiro, they would have acquired a different starting OF.
      
      And Suzuki sucks. Ruiz may not have been available. Mourneau is a marginal upgrade. If you’re going to complain about not acquiring players, at least complain about not getting actual good players. They weren’t marginal upgrades away from a championship caliber team.
Need Pitching & Hitting & Defense & Baserunning

Game’s over if they don’t score now.
- Winter
  
  I don’t think that’s how baseball works.
  - Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)
    
    I’m just spitballing here but I don’t THINK that was literal. Just a hunch.
    
    I agree. If we don’t score here, we’re going to lose.
forensic

Unfortunately, that blown save was amazingly predictable. It’s just too much to ask Mo to pitch two innings against this team at this age. And now, since Girardi did that and didn’t remove him after the HR, he threw another 11 pitches which quite possibly puts him out another day.
- Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)
  
  At this point, EVERY blown save is amazingly predictable. I’m at the point where I consider it lucky if he doesn’t allow a run.
- WhittakerWalt
  
  I simply don’t trust him in a close game anymore. One run leads are not safe. 7 BS now.
Meeks54

It’s a miracle we are even in the Wild Card hunt, with all the injuries, and shit. I’m proud of this team, but this has been a shitty 4 game series.
- Widget
  
  And that right there is why Cashman and Girardi will be back next season. Despite the disappointment the team has been, the injuries are a legit excuse.
  - Mikhel
    
    I totally agree.
    
    In my opinion any GM who goes off and is publicly critic of their players should be cut off the team as soon as possible, or at least ordered to shut up.
    
    If you were hired for a job and one of the superiors spoke in your presentation of how he didn’t want you and you are not a wise decision… how that would make you feel? He is just hurting the players.
    - BFDeal
      
      That’s not what Cashman said about Alfonso.
Winter

Why is Wells facing a righty?
Winter

Ichiro has to steal, right?
oops

Something for Mo the next time he pitches against the Red Sox:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j8jVFTOV5Y
Meeks54

We still have a chance with another set with Red Sox, God I want sweet revenge, we just caught a team that is hotter then can be right now, they will cool off. And our pitching has just hit a predictable wall.
- Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)
  
  Oh man, we’re playing them AGAIN. That will suck so much.
  - Widget
    
    In fenway. I get the Red Sox give him a replica 2004 World Series ring as his retirement gift because they are assholes.
Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

I am amazingly unhappy right now for a win. Mo sucking is fucking terrible. Of everything happening, that is the WORST.
Meeks54

Atta Baby Workman
Need Pitching & Hitting & Defense & Baserunning

Need all the help they can get.

At least they salvaged one game.
forensic

Why the hell was Wells still in there facing a righty???

What a gift with that wild pitch. Seems like that’s the only way they’d be able to actually win a game in this series.
Anderson Silva

I’d say that’s about the only way they could win. Thanks Salty!
NY2FanMaynard

YES!!
Leg-End

Wild Pitch walkoff, why not.
Meeks54

LOL what a series. Ugh glad that’s over, got the O’s next let’s hope TB continues their losing ways.
- NY2FanMaynard
  
  They’re playing the Red Sox next.
Cool Lester Smooth

Far, far too much excitement right there.
Meeks54

The New York Cardiac’s Jesus glad that’s over.
Brian Strawman

Who calls for Girardi’s job when he put Mariano in 2 games? Still think it was terrible that ownership signed Rafael Soriano with Mariano and Robertson?
- JGYank
  
  Not for the deal they gave him.
- BFDeal
  
  1. Nobody
  2. Yes.
- Need Pitching & Hitting & Defense & Baserunning
  
  Nobody said Soriano wasn’t useful.
  The question was if giving up the draft pick and paying closer money for a set up guy was the best possible allocation or resources.
Widget

I’ll take it. I know they lost 3 games, but they still have a chance to gain ground on the wild card.
Improbable Island’s Dirty Midget Whores (formerly RRR)

It would be hilarious if TB lost and we GAINED a game in the Wild Card after this series.

The real problem is, when this is all over, we’re still only going to have three (IF you count Mo, and I’m not sure I do right now) good pitchers, WHEN D-Rob and Kelly get back, IF they’re good. Our bullpen sucks and it’s not going to improve a ton.

Amazing. When the hitting comes together, the pitching collapses in spectacular fashion.
Meeks54

LOL I was just thinking that. How in the hell do we go from one extreme to the other. This season ughhhhhh unbelievable, in so many ways. It’s really ridiculous that we didn’t lose any ground in the Wild Card race. We may even gain lol. Oh well we got a 4 game set in Baltimore and then 3 in Boston Gulp, This could be rough, or it could be glorious, either way I’m now an alcoholic.
- Lukaszek
  
  The Yankees tend to pretty well in Boston for some reason. Could be the short left field wall
Mike

Nice to see the Yankees give the Red Sox a lesson. Rivera with the win.
- Meeks54
  
  Lol Rivera did get the win didn’t he. WOW. BS and a W.
Get Phelps Up

CDick with a terrible baserunning play and the Orioles lose!!
- forensic
  
  Aviles was caught stealing down 1 in the 9th too and the Indians lost.
- forensic
  
  Dickerson needs to learn to camouflage his embedded Yankeeness better though.
  
  At least in the Indians game, Giambi got a single knowing that Aviles would get caught stealing and keep Giambi in the shadows.
  
  There’s also Ibanez and Almonte helping beat the Rays a bit.
Meeks54

LOL Baseball is such a weird game we just need the Rays to lose against Sea and it’ll be a great day. Seriously the odds that three Wild card teams are struggling against the weakest teams in the MLB. Cleveland lost to the Mets. Baltimore to the Chisox. TB has been losing to the Seattle Pilots, it’s like the stars are aligning for the Yankees, and we’re not taking advantage. But they also fucked us by giving us the hottest team in baseball to play.
Meeks54

LOL that’s right the Yankees have benedict arnolds all over the league, we’re like the mafia bitches.
Kiko Jones

The thing is the Yankees could’ve reached a playoff berth by now, but the bullpen chose one of the worst times ever to veer off course. Then again, the offense, the starting pitching and the bullpen have not all clicked at the same time, this season. First, both pitching staffs did the heavy lifting for the anemic offense. Then, the Bombers reappeared but the starters faltered. Now, the starters–for the most part–are starting to get back on track but the bullpen sucks. Jeez.

But they’re still 2 games out!