Heartland Pinstripes

I ended up climbing into my son’s bed last night to help him get to sleep, and the next thing I know it’s one in the morning, so I went to sleep and figured I’d contribute the wrap this morning when I was more lucid.  I also won’t spend an inordinate amount of time on the first-game 15-6 blowout loss, which can be briefly summarized as follows: Giese, Edwar, Ohlendorf and Hawkins were all terrible; Wright, Beltran, and Delgado drove in all 15 runs, with Delgado himself having 9 RBIs; and the Yankees left 14 on base, 7 in scoring position.  It was a disgraceful showing in every facet.

The nightcap, however, was much more palatable for the HDLR, with various luminaries among the readers gracing the HDLR’s red carpet to see Sir Sidney Ponson shed the “Stinking” moniker I inserted between his first and last names by pitching a six-inning gem.  While working out of trouble and stranding seven in the first three innings, Ponson sharpened up his act, getting a double play to end the third and escape the bases-loaded jam.  He then cruised through the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, with Molina helping the cause with a terrific peg to catch Reyes stealing second in the fourth.  Ponson worked a 1-2-3 fifth and sixth, allowing five hits, four walks, no runs, and fanning four in six on 96 pitches/56 strikes, throwing good heat if erratically early on.  Despite some rough patches, the Yankees got three shutout innings of relief from Nuke, Veras, and–yes–the Kei-Man in the ninth, who also got a double-play ball to end the game.

On the other hand, the Yanks worked Pedro over, opening up and soon enough widening a lead into a blowout with two runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth each, and adding three more in the seventh.  In the fourth, Abreu worked a walk and stole second, A-Rod walked–both he and Abreu walked on full counts–Giambi singled to right to load the bases, Cano’s weak tapper for a 1-3 acted as a swinging squeeze play, 1-0 Yanks and, after Melky got the free pass, Molina’s grounder to Wright led to a force at third but couldn’t get Molina at first, 2-0 Yankees.  In the fifth, JD singled, Jeter worked on another 3-2 count, and Abreu drove in JD with a single to right, 3-0 Yanks.  During A-Rod’s K, Abreu stole second, Giambi walked, and Cano’s medium-range F7 near the stands was good enough to act as a sac fly and score Jeter, 4-0.  They chased Pedro in the sixth, with Grady Manuel leaving him in too long during a two-out rally.  Molina started off hit by the first pitch of the inning, Ponson bunted him to second, JD’s 3-1 moved him to third, and Jeter cranked a double off the center-field wall on the fly, scoring Molina 5-0.  After Schowenweis entered for Pedro, Abreu doubled to left, taking the pitch away to score Jeter, 6-0.  They piled on in the seventh, making it an official rout though not satisfying Mike, who called for at least a double-digit spread in addition to Mets blood and their eternal shame.  Cano led off the seventh with a long homer to center off Schoenweis, 7-0, Melky popped out, Molina singled, Betemit pinch-hit for Ponson and singled, JD walked to load the bases, and Jeter’s 6-3 scored Molina, 8-0.  Abreu’s single to right made it 9-0.

Kudos to the bullpen for preserving the shutout, despite some unnecessary dramatics especially from Veras and Igawa.  But bigger congrats to the offense for rolling on the Mets, and to Ponson for settling in and pitching a much-needed if unanticipated (except for Leo) gem.  Abreu was 4-4 with 3 RBIs (53 now), hitting .285.  Cano was 1-4 but drove in 3 (32 RBIs now) and had the big blast off lefty Schoenweis and is hitting .241. Jeter was 1-4, driving in 2 (35 on the year) and hitting .285.  Molina was 2-3 with an RBI, upping his average to .225.  Ponson gave the Yanks a good start and, with the offense, rolling, helped bury the Mets.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by for a very fun and lively HDLR.  We’ll do it again soon, perhaps Sunday, when I’ll also appear on Yankee Fan Club Radio in the evening.  Pettite (8-5, 4.04 ERA) faces Santana (7-6 , 2.93 ERA) in a battle of good lefties this afternoon at 3:55 EDT.

Hi everyone and welcome to the Heartland Digital Living Room where the hot dogs, chicken wings, and tonight bratwurst are always fresh, the beverages are always cold, and the chatter is always fast and furious. Tonight, the Yankees try to make amends for the 15-6 pasting they absorbed at home this afternoon at the hands of the Mets, and rebound by taking the first scheduled game of the series. Sidney Stinking Ponson (4-1, 3.88 ERA for Texas) leads the charge into Queens against Pedro Martinez. Hopefully the pitching can drastically improve in the nightcap over the dreadful outing Giese, Edwar, Ohlendorf, and Hawkins put on earlier. Come on in, grab a digital leather recliner and a coldie, and enjoy the game. As per Pete Abraham, the lineups are below. Also as per Abraham, Matsui has been placed on the DL for his knee, and Kei Igawa (Ugh!) has been recalled. Nothing good about those transactions.

Let’s Go, Yankees!

YANKEES (42-36)
Cabrera CF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Giambi DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Betemit 1B
Christian LF
Giese RHP

METS (38-39)
Reyes SS
Castillo 2B
Wright 3B
Beltran CF
Delgado DH
Nixon RF
Anderson LF
Tatis 1B
Schneider C
Pelfrey RHP

With the Yankees ahead 3-1 in the top of the third, the rains came, came again, and washed out the nighttime getaway game for the Yanks before today’s make-up double-header against the Mets that will in part kick off their three-game series. Although it was nice all day, and the Yanks rarely play day getaway games, they had to be scheduled with yet another night game to end a series. It’s all about the advertising and gate bucks, although one suspects that a day game with the Yanks would be a big draw in the summer. Absolute crap. The game will now be made up Thursday, July 10–more inconveniences, coming additionally from interleague play.  If nothing else, the rain-out came with no attempts to restart the game, ensuring that today’s double-header, and not last night’s game even beforehand, will tax the bullpen.

I’ll open up the HDLR for tonight’s game, which will be at the Shea Toilet at 8:10 ET. Hope to see everyone then.

As I stood outside with the dog, enjoying the breeze mitigating the sticky heat, I couldn’t help but think about the Yanks, really for the first time in a while uninterrupted or unencumbered by a sense of work looming. Not that there isn’t enough of that looming, just not immediately so. At once, it struck me. Despite the recently good stretch–and somewhat but not overly influenced by recent losses to Cincy and Pittsburgh–I’m still not sure just what to think of this team. The play has improved, both offensively and with the quality of the starts, and I get a good sense that the improved play will continue. But how improved? Will this team continue to play over .600 baseball, since neither Boston (with various injuries themselves) nor Tampa Bay (who swept the Cubs with the best record in the majors) are slowing down? Will the Yanks get more consistently good starts from Rasner? Can Giese at least plug a hole in the rotation after Wang’s serious injury? When will Cano come around? Can the Yanks continue to hit as a team? Will JD and Matsui get back soon, and will they stay hot after returning? Right now, it’s impossible for me to avoid the questions I have (above and more) about this team. New ones (JD and Matsui’s injuries; Rasner; Wang; off years from Jeter and, to a lesser degree but because of fewer walks and lower average, Abreu) have replaced many of the previous ones (lots of cold bats; Kennedy & Hughes’ poor performances and injuries), with Cano the biggest lingering individual question.

It’s also, shall we say, more than an uncertain situation for the rotation when the Yanks name second-stinter Sidney Stinking Ponson to start Friday night against the Mets. This guy didn’t cut it in 2006, when he was a five-start punching bag. Although he had good numbers with Texas this year (4-1, 3.88 ERA), the team released Ponson and accused him of poor character after multiple altercations with teammates and manager Ron Washington. Yet the Yanks start this guy instead of calling up a kid and giving him a shot. Interesting to note that some of the same things occur after Torre’s gone as when he was here. The apprehension about playing kids seems more systemic than the personal way in which many saw it last year.

Yet on the other hand, I can’t help but think that this team, this year, has just as good a shot as the 2002-2007 teams. I mean that not because I think they’re impressing as much, especially offensively, as years past; not yet anyway. Yet relative to the rest of the AL and the East, the Yanks are right there and in better shape in the standings, and with a better record, than they were in 2005 (39-39, 6 back and 6 in the Loss column behind Boston) and 2007 (38-40, 10 1/2 back and 10 in the Loss column behind Boston) at this time. That’s genuinely encouraging. Plus, they handled Central-leading Chicago, they’ve yet to face the LA Angels of Superfluous Acronyms, but have played very well the last three weeks–against Interleague competition. Even with injuries, inconsistency, and questions, the starts have been better and the bullpen has been fairly solid.  Joba has been excellent in the rotation. Starting the season well before injuring his foot, Bruney is working to get back. Starting the season poorly before exiting stage left with a strained lat muscle, Kennedy is as well. Giambi and JD have been excellent at the plate. A-Rod has returned very strong, Posada has come back very well, and Jeter and Abreu show recent signs of snapping out of funks.

The Yankees have hung in there despite a lot of bad luck following a lot of poor play. The next 17 games can go a long way to making up their 5 1/2 game deficit that is actually only 4 in the loss column to Boston, and answering some of my questions about how optimistic or uncertain to feel about this team. I’m leaning toward the former, but struggling with the latter.

Joba was the stopper indeed, buzzing through 6 2/3 IP and shutting down the Pirates 10-0, quite a reversal from last night’s drubbing. The offense scored early and often, blowing it open in the sixth on homers from Cano and Abreu. Joba earned his first win as a starter, throwing another gem.

The Yanks staked Joba to a 2-0 lead right away when Jeter doubled, Abreu singled, and A-Rod walked to load the bases. Giambi’s forcing out A-Rod at second scored Jeter and Abreu on an error. Jeter singled in the third, and scored again on Giambi’s RBI single, 3-0, and his two-out double in the fourth plated Christian, 4-0. The Yanks blew it open in the sixth, when Cano tattooed a 2-1 fastball from TJ Beam up, 5-0. Abreu later crushed a 1-0 fastball up that nearly reached the river, 8-0. Abreu’s double in the eighth scored Betemit, 9-0, and Melky’s RBI single plated Christian, 10-0. Nice to see them work over lefty Zach Duke and the Pirates bullpen.

Jeter was 3-3 with 3 runs and his 33rd RBI, batting .286 now. Abreu was 3-5 with 2 runs and 4 RBIs, his 50th to lead the team along with his 10th homer, and is hitting .279. Cano was 3-5 with his 5th homer, and is up to .241. Giambi was 1-4 with 2 driven in, at 44 RBIs now, hitting .266. Melky was 2-5 with his 32nd RBI, and is batting .254. Although the Yanks stranded 10, 5 in scoring position, they plated six two-out runs, a good ratio. With 16 hits and 6 walks, the Yanks were all over the bases.

But Joba’s domination was the key tonight, never letting Pittsburgh get on track. He got some help from Abreu in the second. After retiring two after two singles to start the inning, Joba allowed a single to Wilson to right that Abreu got charging on the short hop, and easily gunned out Doumit at the plate by a good 15 feet. Joba worked a 1-2-3 third and fourth, avoided trouble in the fifth, skirted Doumit’s two-out double in the sixth, and exited after back-to-back two-out singles in the seventh. The final line was very impressive: 6 2/3 scoreless IP, 6 H, 1 BB and 7 K’s, with the slider especially nasty and Joba still throwing 97 and 98 in the seventh. Congrats to Joba for finally earning his first win as a starter. Ohlendorf fanned three in 1 1/3 IP, and Veras finished up.

The Yankees are up to six games over .500 at 42-36, and keep pace with victorious Boston and Tampa Bay, 5 1/2 games back. Win the series tomorrow, guys. Keep moving up.

I had work to do–and was tired enough after a very early morning, work, and GLG’s softball game–to make doing the wrap of last night’s wretch not only essential but preferable. In how big of a hurry should I have been to analyze a 12-5 throttling the Pirates laid on the Yanks, pummeling Rasner, Hawkins, and Edwar with 19 hits? Work trumped what could possibly be an untoward discussion and description of a hair ball the offense coughed up in the clutch, failing in key scoring chances and not cashing in on Gorzelanny’s five walks issued. They stranded eight, five in scoring position. The Yankees #1-5 hitters were 2 for 19 with 2 runs and 3 RBIs, while their counterparts on the Pirates went 14 of 25, scoring 9 times and driving in 8.

When Rasner was up he got crushed. LaRoche singled on a belt-high pitch over the plate. The home-run pitches to Bautista and Doumit were over the belt, with Bautista pasting a hanging slider. In fairness to Rasner, I didn’t think his pitch to Bay was all bad–it was knee-high–but it was right out over the plate. He lacks the stuff to widen his margin for error, and when he misses spots he’s in trouble, which has been the case in two of his last three starts. Every other start in his last five has been poor, pushing his ERA up from 1.80 to 4.50 over the last five. As I discussed the game at The Sommer Frieze, there seemed to be consensus between the Mikes and me about Rasner. To be fair, it is still a fairly small sampling this year with nine starts, and this might be a rough patch after which he sharpens things up. But I am also concerned that this may be the start of a slide back to where he normally has been. He may be a decent alternative, or maybe a better long man, we’ll see. But he’s been shelled early and often twice in the last two weeks. It’s asking a lot from a guy like Rasner, or anyone, to continue to post a sub-2.00 ERA. But a 9.88 ERA over the last three, and 7.00 over the last five, raises the eyebrows and is in stark contrast to his first four, excellent, starts. Which Rasner we’ll see in the next several starts, I don’t know. But with Wang out, the starts mean even more than before.  What Rasner ought to do, if possible, is make things slower to create a little distance from his fastball.  The slider he threw to Bautista was 85, which must have looked like a fat, slow meatball.  Throwing more and slower off-speed stuff, as Mussina has, would accentuate and improve the fastball.

I was listening to the game just to catch some Sterling, and he made a solid point later in the broadcast, referring to Joba as “sort of a stopper” tonight. I agree, and it’s a lot of pressure to put on a kid. Yet his first four starts have been excellent–18 1/3 IP, 16 hits, 5 ER (2.55 ERA) 12 walks, 19 Ks. He’s on a normal starter pitch count. He’s been strong and is gaining poise, pitching well in pressure situations in the eighth before and in recent starts–especially against San Diego. He seems mentally tough. Ah, to have a young guy possibly step in and provide stopper wins, like Pettite did in 1996…

The Mikes and I–and also Frank the Sage, with whom I’ve discussed this as well–also seem to agree on trading Melky if the exchange is right. Pitching would be why, and a quality starter or a package with a lefty reliever, would justify moving Melky in my mind, and I wouldn’t lose a lot of sleep over it, either. The Yanks called up Justin Christian, a righty minor-leaguer, and he had a fine start with two hits including an RBI double. But the guy lurking, as discussed most commonly by Mike Sommer, is Brett Gardner. In SWB he’s batting .295 with a .414 OBP, the direct result of leading the team with 55 walks and 55 runs (Hmmm, a correlation?), and 29 stolen bases (in 37 attempts). He has 23 XBH, including a whopping 10 triples to go with his 10 doubles and 3 homers, and has driven in 29. No errors in the field, either, though Melky has the better arm. It would be a gutsy move mid-way through the season and, with Melky’s recent slide and inability to be a lead-off man to replace JD weakens the offense. Does Brett Gardner get a look soon, especially since Matsui’s knee is troubling and JD is still out with the strained left arch?

Tonight, Joba (1-2, 2.36 ERA) faces Zach Duke (4-4, 3.91 ERA), the second of three lefties the Pirates throw at the Yankees. I gotta run.

The Yankees have moved to within five games of Boston, four in the loss column, on the strength of their recent run, in which they have won thirteen of the last eighteen games and have outscored opponents 93-60.  They were 3-2 in one-run games, and 1-1 in two-run games.  JD is batting .384 (28-73, 3 XBH) in that stretch, scoring 10 runs, driving in 8, walking 8 times.  A-Rod has a ten-game hitting streak, and in the last eighteen games is hitting .415 (27-65, 12 XBH), scoring 16 runs, driving in 18, and walking 10 times.  Jason Giambi is hitting .321 (17-53, 9 XBH),  scoring 14 times, driving in 13, and walking 8 times in this streak.  Jeter is .268 (19-71, 3 XBH), scoring 10 times, driving in 6, and walking 6 times.  The Yankees are 6th in the AL in total runs, and average 4.62 runs/game.  They are third in both team average (.273) and OBP (.341), have risen to seventh in BAA LHP at .269.

A team ERA of 4.10 ranks the Yanks seventh.  Although the starters still rank last in starters innings pitched, they are close to eleventh-place Baltimore, and are a respectable eighth in starters ERA at 4.47.  The bullpen ERA has risen to 3.49, giving them the sixth-lowest ERA among AL pens, but has logged the second-most innings at 255 2/3 IP.

I got back late last night from a very fun and enjoyable weekend back in Western New York for a wedding, the cousin of my wife who got married in a fairly lavish ceremony and reception Saturday. For Catholics such as Jimmy, I’d highly recommend going at some point to Our Lady of Victory Basilica in Lackawanna, NY, where the marriage took place. It is an exquisite, architecturally beautiful, almost garish Basilica with tremendous acoustics, art work, and a Wurlitzer pipe organ that can carry sound into the stratosphere–or the Heavens if you prefer. It was a long ceremony, about 80 minutes long, with offerings at side chapels, a couple prayers and songs in Latin, and echoing the strong Polish Catholic roots of both bride and groom, but especially the bride. Thankfully, my years of catechism helped carry my wife and me through the prayers and methods of worship, with my wife showing particular rust, and some in the audience displaying relative indifference. Interestingly, the ceremony took place with many wandering onlookers hovering nearby. From my understanding, this is not uncommon since the Basilica is a well-known Catholic shrine. Yet to see a couple wander behind the altar, coming very close to the lectors’ podium during the vows, was bizarre. More so, the son of one of my wife’s cousins brought a can of Monster into church, and one of the visitors walking the church had a T-shirt that read “DAMN” in big bold white print on a black shirt. I’m not religious in an organized religion way and not a practicing Catholic, but still found it bizarre that two people who apparently are practicing Catholics would adorn themselves and carry things in as such in church. I can speak with certainty about what would have happened to me had I, as a child, worn such a shirt or carried a soda can into church, and it wouldn’t have been good.

The reception was five-star, a great feast the food from which I’m surely still digesting. It was about 8 courses, with finger foods beforehand–cheeses, meats, vegetables, fruit, crackers, home-made salsa, all very good and fresh, especially the smoked cheddar and Gouda. The hors d’oeuvres were terrific–shrimp, stuff mushrooms, whipped red cheese wrapped in salami and more–excellent. The tortellini soup was pedestrian, but that was it; everything else was magnificent. The salad that followed was ample, the sorbet was peach mango with raspberry on a mint leaf, the fish I had, but also the chicken and fillet I mooched, were all outstanding, as was the cake, light ice cream, and the chocolate fondue fountain–yes, a chocolate fondue fountain–in which to dunk fruit, peanut butter balls and spoons, and pretzels.  I half-jokingly threatened to empty my water glass and fill it with fondue sauce.  After several glasses of very good Chardonnay, my wife and I assaulted the fondue fountain, larding down strawberries and peanut butter with as much chocolate as we could.  I stood and buried a huge strawberry in the fountain for a good ten seconds, and the attendant didn’t say a word but instead smiled in what I could only interpret as approval. The food was great, the music wasn’t, but enough glasses of Chardonnay atoned, as did dancing with my beautiful wife on our anniversary. Banner day.

I watched almost none of the Yankees-Reds series, but only saw a couple innings Friday night, when the Yanks cut it to 4-2 but got no closer. I did have the good fortune to run into a few old acquaintances at Castaways, a nice little bar and grill by Lake Erie. One friend John was all fired up, reminiscing with me about when we were on strike for nearly a year at New Era C(r)ap Company from 2001-2002, and exceedingly complimentary about my oratorical work on the bull horn when I addressed and insulted scabs and the company’s scab security force alike (comprised of local police who often ignored safety and traffic concerns to trump up charges and arrest strikers while off duty, to bring them down to their home police station, with some drinking on the job–real winners), and in general holding a hard line. It was great talking with him. I ended the brief jaunt to the watering hole by chatting with two big Yanks fans, one of whom I was also on strike with and her husband, Danny, who is a huge Yanks and Mattingly fan. No ordinary fan, Danny would literally, whenever I saw him at Castaways, get into Mattingly’s batting stance and work the air bat in the same way Mattingly would manipulate his real one–priceless. We had a brew and discussed the end of the Yanks’ seven-game winning streak, neither of us in any sort of panic but feeling good about where they were and are, given the rough start. I said the loss still made 12 of the last 16 won, and they were in better shape than last year. “About five games better,” Dan quickly remarked. It was four better at that point, but who cares? The point isn’t the technicality or accuracy but the rapidity with which he, and so many good Yankees fans, could reference the past, immediate or otherwise.  Dan was clearly noting that this team’s position vis-a-vis last year’s first-half debacle gave reason for optimism, but then added the key: “It’s early. They’re not even at the halfway point. There’s plenty of time to catch Boston, and I’m convinced Tampa will fall back a bit.” I liked Dan’s confidence, but also the importance of perspective. It’s not halfway through the season and, while not too early to start setting up things and thoughts for the second half, there’s a long way to go. Patience is important, and much easier to attain when the team is winning.  Despite some first-half travails and lots of injuries, this team’s markedly improved play and pitching has fans thinking another second-half comeback, and more.

The last time I was in Western New York, late last Fall, I left my Yankees shirt at my in-laws house, and despite my repeated and increasingly concerned entreaties, they never mailed it nor brought it to The Outer Banks vacation this past May. But when I got home from the wedding late Saturday night, there it sat on my mother-in-law’s kitchen counter. Immediately snatching it up, I gently draped it across the suitcase to wear for the return trip home, patting it after checking the scores via cell phone in Indiana yesterday evening to see the Yanks, behind Pettite’s third-straight excellent start, won 4-1. Great to see Giambi go 3-3 raising his average to .271, justifying the power of the mustache. I’d argue that the return of the shirt, the gray Yanks shirt with the interlocking NY on the heart, had a little something to do with it as well, which is why I’m wearing it today.

Pride and patience.  More and more, I feel both.

Before getting to summarizing some of the details of the Yankees seventh straight win, a 2-1 win against San Diego for the Crazy Stein, congrats to Leo for the sweep call, which he made on the day of the first game of the series. I love that, having the nerve to make an early sweep call and having it vindicated in various ways, especially culminated in a close win. Leo, wear it proudly.

I saw nothing of the game, hitting the Interstate system as the Yankees were starting the game yesterday and not getting to hitch the horse, so to speak, until after 11 p.m. EDT. But my wife was good enough to check the score via the cell phone (which has better Internet and more memory than the first computer I purchased ten years ago, no joke). Since I only got 2 hours of sleep the night before and was 8 hours of driving into the 9 1/2 hour trip, that was a big boost. That and some crispy chicken wings I scarfed down like a starving man.

Sorry for the stream-of-conversation ala Joyce. Joba was big and, although he got another no-decision, it’s fair to say he’s not only maturing but also getting better. He was tough on the Padres, who didn’t lack base runners in a few key situations, but helped himself very well with money pitching, the nine K’s, and with a good heads-up covering the plate on a passed ball with the bases loaded in the second to tag the runner out. His slider was fantastic, helping buttress that K total, but his fastball and curve were equally good from what I saw from the highlights and some of the replay. The kid can pitch, no question.  Great job of blocking the plate, too.  Heady.

Great comeback even though it was 2-1, simply because each team only mustered five hits and, as we all know as Yankees fans, there are days when it seems that the Yankees need to be bled white before they can score. I bet for fans watching, yesterday felt like one of those days. Molina drove in Melky with a sac fly to tie it at 1 in the fifth after Melky walked and stole second and third (tremendous job, Melky!), and A-Rod continued his clutch play in the sixth, driving in Jeter with a single to left for the game-winning run. A-Rod is batting .335, has 41 RBIs and, as Mike Sommer corrected me, is only two homers behind the great Jimmy Foxx and four behind the greater Mickey Mantle. Jeter was 2-3 to up his average to .276. Good to see the Yanks stealing more, with Melky (5 this year) swiping two, and Jeter (5) and A-Rod (eight) stealing one apiece

Credit Nuke for bouncing back from the homer allowed Wednesday night with a good outing yesterday, fanning two while only throwing 13 pitches in the eighth. Nuke hasn’t exactly been lights out, but he isn’t blowing games, either. Credit where due and, as long as he gets ahead of guys, he’s usually fine. But Mariano, fanning the side and getting the save, his 20th and the 463rd of his illustrious career, is as good as he’s ever been and that’s saying a lot, considering how great he is. He’s 2-2 with an 0.79 ERA, hasn’t blown a save in 20 chances, has allowed only 3 walks and 15 hits while fanning 39 in 34 innings. That’s ridiculous, and deserving of awards and accolades, AHEM.

The Yanks try to make it eight straight against the Reds tonight, with Mussina (10-4, 3.87 ERA) looking for his 11th win against Edinson Volquez (9-2, 1.64 ERA). Volquez will be tough. He has 105 K’s in 88 innings, throws gas and nasty off-speed stuff, and won’t be afraid to challenge the Yanks hitters. An eight straight will be well-earned. With yesterday’s win, the Yanks moved to within five games–and four in what Sterling humorously refers to as the AILC (”the All-Important Loss Column”)–behind Boston. Just as importantly to me, while still 3 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay, the Yanks have started to distance themselves little by little from Baltimore and Toronto, especially Toronto. Twelve wins out of 15, very impressive.

Because I’m pressed for time and was on double duty tonight as guest blogger for J-Boogie’s excellent Baseball & The Boogie-Down, tonight’s wrap is a slightly modified version of the two e-mail summary posts I sent him. I’ll be gone tomorrow afternoon, so I’ll not be around much the next four days. Hold down the fort while I’m gone, faithful readers, and keep it rolling, Yanks.

After a 1 hour, 18 minute rain delay, the game started at 8:20. The Yanks scored in the first when JD singled, Jeter walked, and Abreu’s potential 4-6-3 DP ball was thrown away, allowing JD to score. They made it 3-0 in the second when Cano ripped a double to left on a pitch low and away–good hitting–and Betemit’s bloop ground-rule double to left scored him. JD brought in Betemit with a single, 3-0. A-Rod crushed a big homer to deep left center in the fourth. The Yanks have done a great job working over Peavy, making him throw 28 pitches in the first, 26 in the second, and 22 more in the third.

This was good in its own right, but all the more important because, after cruising through the first two and fanning four, Rasner had to throw 41 pitches in the third, coughing up two runs and leaving the bases loaded. Rasner was at 81 pitches through 4 IP.

A-Rod’s homer was his 14th this year and 532nd in his career, four shy of the great Jimmy Foxx. Four of the first six Yankees’ hits were for extra-base hits. When the Yanks made it 3-0 in the second, they had run up 27 unanswered runs on the opposition over the last four games. That ended promptly in the top of the third. For having the least errors in the majors, the Padres look like dog crap in the field the first two games of this series.

As a side note, the Yankees signed Sidney Ponson to a minor-league deal. Sidney Stinking Ponson? Please. What’s the point? Give me Aceves over this never-was any day. Ponson reminds me of David Wells–overweight, loves the sauce, hates to work out, cantankerous–except for the great curve ball, talent, rings, perfect game, and long-term successful career. Why should the Yanks return to their own vomit?

How great is A-Rod? He made a great snag and throw at third to end the fourth and let Rasner escape. He crushed a homer, he drove in 2 (40 on the year) with a 3-4 night, batting a ridiculous .337. But to me, look no further than his at-bat and play in the bottom of the fifth for the answer to why he’s so great. With one out, A-Rod laced a hard single to left. He then stole second, and it was the way he stole second that’s the key. At first, he moved slowly off the bag, exhaled deeply as if he were playing possum, took a small step than shuffle-stepped his way into a big lead as Corey got into his set, then stole second easily. After Giambi’s pop up, Jorge drove him in, 5-2–great run manufacturing, all built around A-Rod’s all-around play. He’s the epitome of a five-tool player.

Rasner wasn’t great, but gave them 5 decent innings, allowing two runs on three hits, but with an uncharacteristic five walks on 96 pitches/55 strikes. Edwar was cruising through his second inning with a nasty change, but coughed up back-to-back homers to Giles and Gonzales, 5-4 Yanks. But the Yanks earned two back right away in the bottom of the seventh, a sure sign the offense is back. Jeter doubled sharply, Abreu’s single scored him, 6-4, he stole second, and A-Rod’s RBI single erased the Padres’ homers, 7-4–all with no outs.

After Nuke LaFarnsworth surrendered a lead-off homer to Headley, the first of his career, the Yanks again responded right away. Betemit slapped a double to left, his third hit of a very good game, he moved to third on Melky’s ground out, and JD’s RBI single–also his third hit of the game and his ninth three-hit game this year–made it 8-5. Mariano worked around a double, and Adrian Gonzales’s looping liner to Jeter caught his brother too far off second, and Jeter’s unassisted DP ended the game. Mariano has 19 saves this year and 462 in his illustrious career.

A-Rod is at .337, belting his 14th homer this year and his 532nd of his career. He’s unconscious right now, and I believe (going from memory) is 22 for his last 47 (.468). JD and Betemit each had three hits, and JD is now at .332, and his 2 RBIs give him 33 on the year. Betemit is now up to .254. Jorge was 1-3 with his 18th RBI and is batting .326. Abreu added his team-leading 44th RBI and is up to .282. Jeter doubled and scored a run, and is at .272–needing to pick it up a bit, Captain. Melky and Cano each added a double, and Cano scored. Only Giambi didn’t have a hit tonight.

As good signs, the Yanks pounded out 14 hits and only stranded six runners, three in scoring position. They have now won six straight, have won the series, have won eleven of their last fourteen, and go for the sweep tomorrow afternoon with Joba (1-2, 2.48 ERA) taking the hill against righty Josh Banks (2-0, 1.29 ERA). A season-high six games over .500 and climbing, the Yankees keep pace with Boston and Tampa Bay. They’re only four back in the loss column to Boston with three games in hand on the Red Sox. Onward and upward, with the chance for seven straight.

You can just feel it–the Yankees are hitting their stride, with the offense carrying the torch now. They positively wore out last year’s Cy Young award winner, making him throw 93 pitches in four innings–not too shabby. Keep it rolling, Yanks! Thanks for the chance to guest blog, J-Boogie.