River Avenue Blues

Prior to this afternoon, the Yankees were 2-15 in games in which Johnny Damon started and went hitless. Make that 3-15.

In a game delayed nearly an hour by a rain storm that hit the Bronx but not Brooklyn, the Yanks downed the Reds 4-1. The rain, in fact, may have saved the Yankees.

Andy Pettitte continued his hot pitching, throwing 6 strong innings. He allowed just four hits — none for extra bases — and walked two while striking out four. He’s 8-5 now, and his ERA is 4.04. Pettitte, it seems, is back.

Meanwhile, the Yankees were again making a mediocre pitcher look like a Cy Young contender. Johnny Cueto and his 5.19 ERA threw five one-run innings, and the right hander had struck out seven before rain hit. Surprisingly, Dusty Baker removed Cueto after the rain delay, and the Yanks scored three runs in the sixth on back-to-back doubles by Jason Giambi and Jorge Posada.

The Reds’ only run of the game came off of — surprise! — Kyle Farnsworth. It was the 19th home run of Griffey’s career in Yankee Stadium, and unless the Kid ends up on a AL team before the trade deadline, it was also the last plate appearance at the Stadium for Griffey. The homer marks the fitting end for someone so enthusiastic about Yankee Stadium and the Yankees.

Meanwhile, the Yanks may have lost Farnsworth for a few days, as Krazy Kyle forgot to use his glove. In an attempt to barehand a ball hit by Brandon Phillips, Farnsworth tore up his hand. He needed a few stitches, but the Yanks don’t see a DL trip in his future.

Mariano Rivera came on for the somewhat shaky four-out save. It was his 21st of the season, a mark he didn’t achieve last year until August 28. When all was said and done, the Yanks emerged victorious, winners of 8 of their last 10 and 12 of their last 17.

Here’s a good stat for you: Teams that leave 12 runners on base without scoring a run lose 100 percent of the time.

We could complain about Dan Giese’s error. We could bemoan the state of the soft underbelly of the Yankee bullpen. We could question A-Rod’s missed tag on a ball that wasn’t going to be a double play anyway. But the reality is that the Yanks’ offense couldn’t muster anything, and had Dan Giese given up just one run, the Yanks would have lost anyway.

For the game, Dan Giese pitched exceptionally well. Despite the loss, he far exceeded expectations and has earned himself a few more starts in the Bronx. He lasted 6.2 innings and gave up 3 runs — none earned — on 4 hits. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out 5. He threw 53 of 75 pitches for strikes.

And therein lies the rub. While I hate to criticize Giese for his masterfully pitched game, his last pitch showed something of a mistaken approach. After throwing two curve balls that Edwin Encarnacion fouled back, Giese was ahead 0-2. It was the perfect opportunity to throw a few pitches out of the zone to get Encarnacion out on something junky and off the plate.

Instead, Giese came in with an 86-mph fastball that stayed straight, and according to Gameday, arrived at the plate right in Encarnacion’s wheelhouse. The two-run single would be all that the Reds would need. It was the perfect example of a pitcher throwing too many strikes.

In the end, the Yanks lost because they scored no runs. That’s all there is to it. They’ve scored just four over their last three games and are due for a big offensive day. And, hey, they’re still 7-2 over their last nine games, and as I said last night, I’d take that any time of year.