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How sweet it is!

Reuters

Who says they hate each other?

There are plenty of fun celebration photos all over the Internet, but the above photo is pretty cool.  Who says Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter don’t get along?

NYDN Photo

Top of the East

The Yankees clinched the American League East championship with their 4-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox this afternoon.

Despite starting the year 0-8 against their longtime rivals, the Yankees were able to fight back and eventually split the 18-game season series.

The Yankees also won their 100th game of the season behind Andy Pettitte’s six innings and Mariano Rivera’s 43rd save.

The division title was the Yankees first since 2006.

Though the job isn’t done yet, today is a good day for the Yankees and for the fans.

Saturday YanksBlog.com game recap

CC Sabathia pitched seven shutout innings in the Yankees 3-0 victory over the Red Sox this afternoon.  Read all about it on YanksBlog.com.

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And on that note, I’d like to offer up an apology.  I obviously have not been blogging much this month.  I’ve been busy with school and the newspaper, and maintaining this site has been moved to my mental backburner.  I hope to write more as the playoffs are set to begin.

Saturday YanksBlog.com game recap

The Yankees lost to the Orioles for the second straight day, this time 7-3 with A.J. Burnett allowing two home runs and six runs in the second inning.  Read all about it at YanksBlog.com.

Jeter passes Gehrig all Yankees’ all-time hits leader

Derek Jeter’s third inning single down the right field line made history tonight.  It was the 2,722nd hit of his career, passing Lou Gehrig for first on the Yankees all-time hits list.

Congratulations, Derek!

Jeter ties Gehrig, Yanks sweep Rays

Derek Jeter’s 3-for-4 night put him in a tie with Lou Gehrig for first place on the Yankees’ all-time hits list with 2,721.  He had been hitless in his previous three games.  As for the team, the Yankees scored four in the eighth to defeat Tampa Bay 4-2 Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, Joba Chamberlain only lasted three innings, throwing 56 pitches and allowing two earned runs and three hits.

The three hits and two runs allowed were recorded in the first inning, meaning the Tampa Bay Rays were no-hit over the final 8 2/3 innings.

Jorge Posada hit a go-ahead pinch-hit three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to lead the Yankees to victory.

The Yankees were able to avoid using Phil Hughes and Mariano Rivera in the ninth.  Brian Bruney got the first two outs, while Phil Coke earned the save by striking out the only batter he faced.

New York is now 91-50 and will begin a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday.

(Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Swisher walks off

Nick Swisher joined the long line of Yankees who have had walk-off hits this season.  Swisher hit a one-out solo home run to right against Dan Wheeler in the bottom of the ninth to lead the Yankees to a 3-2 victory.  They have now reached 90 wins and are 40 games above .500.

The home run, his 26th, was Swisher’s second of the game.  This was strange because he had only hit three previous home runs at Yankee Stadium this season.  He also homered from both sides of the plate.

Chad Gaudin allowed one earned runs and six hits over 6+ innings, striking out six.  Phil Hughes actually faltered in his inning of work, allowing a game-tying home run to Jason Bartlett in the eighth.  It was his first blown save of the season and it was the first earned run he allowed in a game since Aug. 4.

The Yankees will go for the four-game sweep of the Rays tomorrow night with Joba Chamberlain on the mound.

(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Gardner, Duncan back

Peter Abraham reports the Yankees’ latest roster moves this morning.

Brett Gardner has been activated off the disabled list.  He hasn’t played since July 25 with a broken left thumb.  Shelley Duncan has also been recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Yankees and Rays are playing a doubleheader at the Stadium today.  CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett get the starts.

Saturday YanksBlog.com game recap

The Yankees defeated the Blue Jays 6-4 Saturday afternoon.  Read my game recap over at YanksBlog.com.

Posada drives in 4 as Yankees win another

(Originally written for Baseball Digest)

Jorge Posada went 4-for-5 with a home run, double and four RBI in the Yankees' 10-5 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays Thursday night at Rogers Centre.  Alfredo Aceves picked up his 10th win of the season with 2 1/3 innings of relief.

The Yankees scored four quick runs in the first inning against starter Ricky Romero.  With the bases loaded, Hideki Matsui singled.  Three runs scored, aided by Travis Snider's fielding error. As a result, Matsui was only credited with one RBI.  Posada followed with an RBI single of his own to increase the lead to 4-0.

Chad Gaudin couldn't escape the fourth inning, allowing three earned runs while only retiring 11 batters.  With one out in the fourth, Gaudin allowed three singles, he hit a batter and allowed a sacrifice fly to cut the Yankees' lead to 5-3.

Aceves entered in relief and allowed two runs (one earned) in his 2 1/3 innings of work.  David Robertson, Brian Bruney and Damaso Marte each followed with a scoreless inning of work apiece.

In addition to Posada's four RBI, Alex Rodriguez drove in two runs on two hits, including a solo home run in the ninth.

The Yankees have now won seven games in a row and are 38 games over .500.  Joba Chamberlain takes the hill tomorrow night in Toronto.

The series ahead

The New York Yankees (85-48) begin a four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays (59-73) at Rogers Centre tonight.  The pitching matchups are:

Tonight – 7:07 p.m., YES
Chad Gaudin RHP (1-0, 3.21 ERA as a Yankee) vs. Ricky Romero LHP (11-6, 3.95 ERA)

Tomorrow – 7:07 p.m., YES
Joba Chamberlain RHP (8-4, 4.38 ERA) vs. Roy Halladay RHP (13-8, 3.13 ERA)

Saturday – 1:07 p.m., YES
Andy Pettitte LHP (12-6, 4.03 ERA) vs. Brett Cecil LHP (6-3, 5.42 ERA)

Sunday – 1:07 p.m., YES
Sergio Mitre RHP (3-1, 5.65 ERA) vs. Brian Tallet LHP (5-9, 5.17 ERA)

A couple of videos

I received two videos in my e-mail yesterday.  Since I had a very busy day, I was unable to post them until now.

First up, we have a 4-year-old named Zachary who can recite all of the Yankees’ retired numbers.

Secondly, the Alex Rodriguez haters in the audience will enjoy this one:

Yanks hit 5 home runs, win 9-6

Jorge Posada hit two home runs and drove in three runs in the Yankees’ 9-6 victory over Baltimore Tuesday night.  Robinson Cano, Eric Hinske and Nick Swisher joined in on the home run fun as well.

A.J. Burnett did not fare as well, allowing six runs and 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings.  He allowed a two-run home run to Felix Pie and a three-run home run Luke Scott.

Damaso Marte earned his first win of the season after retiring all three batters he faced.  David Robertson, Phil Coke and Mariano Rivera also had scoreless outings, with Rivera earning his 38th save of the season.

The Yankees will go for the sweep tomorrow night with CC Sabathia on the mound.

September call-ups

Chad Jennings brings us the list of the Yankees' September call-ups. They are:

• Francisco Cervelli
• Ramiro Pena
• Mark Melancon
• Edwar Ramirez
• Mike Dunn (pictured)
  

The new name here is Dunn, a 24-year-old left-handed reliever, who has appeared in 73 1/3 innings between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In 20 innings with the latter club, he struck out 23 and walked 14, allowing five earned runs.

Pettitte nearly perfect, Yanks win 5-1

Andy Pettitte carried a perfect game into the seventh inning Monday night at Camden Yards.  However, Jerry Hairston Jr. let a ball go through his legs for an error and Nick Markakis then followed with a single to left to end the no-hit bid.  No worries, though, as the Yankees, behind Nick Swisher, won 5-1.

Pettitte allowed two hits and one earned run over eight innings, striking out eight.  He finished the month of August with a 4-0 record in six starts.

Swisher went 3-for-4 with two RBI and was a triple shy of the cycle.  The solo home run he hit in the third inning was his 22nd of the year.  Robinson Cano went 2-for-4 and also  had two RBI.  His two-run double in the eighth gave the Yankees some valuable insurance runs.

Mariano Rivera had to come in for the final two outs because Brian Bruney walked a batter and allowed a hit.  The save was Rivera’s 37th of the season.

The Yankees are now 35 games above .500 and hold a 6.5-game lead over the Boston Red Sox in the American League East.  A.J. Burnett gets the start tomorrow night in Baltimore.

AP Photo

The series ahead

The New York Yankees (82-48) begin a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles (54-77) at Oriole Park at Camden Yards tonight.  The pitching matchups are:

Tonight – 7:05 p.m., YES
Andy Pettitte LHP (11-6, 4.18 ERA) vs. Jeremy Guthrie RHP (9-12, 5.26 ERA)

Tomorrow – 7:05 p.m., YES
A.J. Burnett RHP (10-8, 4.10 ERA) vs. David Hernandez RHP (4-6, 4.24 ERA)

Wednesday – 7:05 p.m., YES
CC Sabathia LHP (15-7, 3.56 ERA) vs. Jason Berken RHP (4-11, 6.33 ERA)

On Joba

So, last night I was called out by Joe at River Ave. Blues for some tweets I made during yesterday’s game pertaining to the new Joba Chamberlain rules and regulations.

Much like Ross, who was actually at yesterday’s game, seeing Chamberlain throw 35 pitches only to be taken out is enough to be frustrated.  I think the babying of Chamberlain has gone a bit too far.

Chamberlain has looked fairly ordinary this year, and who can blame him?  The Yankees have changed his routine almost on a weekly basis by altering his days off, capping his innings and pitches, etc.

It’s frightening to know he’s the No. 4 starter in October if the Yankees advance past the Division Series.  The Yankees are simulating spring training in the middle of a race to attain home-field advantage, and I’m not too confident in Chamberlain being playoff-ready.  That’s the root of my concerns with this plan.

Chamberlain threw 35 pitches in three innings.  In starts where there weren’t innings limits, he nibbled more, elevating his pitch count early.  Did he change the way he pitched yesterday because he knew he’d only hang around for three innings?  Perhaps.  I want him to be at the top of his game when the playoffs roll around.

No, I don’t have a plan for Chamberlain, but I’m not convinced the Yankees know what they’re doing either.  I was tired of hearing that “we have a plan” and “we’re on schedule” all summer from the front office.  I think if they really had a plan, they would’ve been forthright from the beginning.

I just hope it all works out in the end, because if it doesn’t, the Yankees will be the butt of jokes for years.

I think I’m with everyone when I say I can’t wait until next year when “the training wheels are off,” because frankly, this whole situation has gotten to the point where it’s ridiculous, just as the previous quoted phrase has gotten old.

Teixeira, bullpen ensure sweep of White Sox

(Originally posted for Baseball Digest)

Mark Teixeira drove in four runs and the Yankees bullpen pitched six innings, allowing only one earned run, in the team’s 8-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

Teixeira hit a sacrifice fly in the first and then hit a three-run home run in the five-run seventh inning to pass 100 RBI on the season.  He has now reached 30 home runs and 100 RBI in six straight seasons.

Starter Joba Chamberlain only went three innings, as the Yankees instituted their revised version of the “Joba Rules.”  They are essentially simulating spring training and will get him up and around 100 pitches near the end of the season.  He threw 35 pitches, allowing four hits and two earned runs.

Alfredo Aceves relieved Chamberlain, pitching three shutout innings, to earn his ninth win of the season.  Damaso Marte, David Robertson and Phil Hughes combined to pitch two shutout innings.  Phil Coke allowed a solo home run in the ninth.

On the offensive side, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada each had two hits, while Johnny Damon was the other Yankees aside from Teixeira to drive in more than one run (he hit a two-run home run in the third to give the Yankees the lead).  The home run, which was his 24th, ties a career-high.  Damon left the game in the seventh with cramping in both calves.

With the sweep of the White Sox, the Yankees are now 34 games over .500.  They now embark on a seven-game road trip with the first stop being in Baltimore for three games starting tomorrow night.

Game 130: White Sox at Yankees

Chicago White Sox (64-66)	New York Yankees (81-48)
Scott Podsednik LF	Derek Jeter SS
Gordon Beckham 3B	Johnny Damon LF
A.J. Pierzynski C	Mark Teixeira 1B
Carlos Quentin LF	Alex Rodriguez 3B
Jim Thome DH	Hideki Matsui DH
Jermaine Dye RF	Jorge Posada C
Mark Kotsay 1B	Robinson Cano 2B
Alexei Ramirez SS	Eric Hinske RF
Jayson Nix 2B	Melky Cabrera CF

Freddy Garcia RHP (0-1, 6.75 ERA) vs. Joba Chamberlain RHP (8-4, 4.34 ERA)

Time: 1:05 p.m.
TV: YES
Radio: WCBS-AM 880, XM 176

White Sox vs. Chamberlain

• Pierzynski: 0-1
• Quentin: 1-2, 2B
• Thome: 0-3
• Dye: 0-2
• Kotsay: 1-1, 2B

Yankees vs. Garcia

• Jeter: 5-28, HR, RBI
• Damon: 9-44, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI
• Teixeira: 0-9, RBI
• Rodriguez: 12-32, 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 8 RBI
• Matsui: 2-5, RBI
• Posada: 3-16, HR, 2 RBI
• Cano: 1-7
• Hinske: 6-13, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
• Cabrera: 1-7, 2B