Game 85, Gainst the Jays, interesting first inning...

Pettitte starts tonight. Also, Eric Hinski is to start today. Lets see how the guy plays in the Yankee setting.

Like I said the first inning was very peculiar. Pettitte takes care of the Jays, one, two, three, pitching only 6 in the first. The bottom is when it happens. Derek Jeter walks to start off the Yankee's side of the inning. He gets second on a balk, then is "caught" stealing third. The throw beats him by a couple feet, sure, but there's a problem..The gloved hand of Scott Rolen never touches Jeter till he is bending up to get up. Jeter was thrown out at third because "the ball beat him." That is the reason the third base ump, Marty Foster. Jeter was sliding into third, saw the throw had beat him and the tag was coming for his left hand, so he pulled his left hand back to avoid the tag and slide his right hand in to touch the base. The replay shows a great display of base running and avoidance, but the ump wasn't giving in.

After the call Jeter immediately got up and went to the ump to argue the call. Girardi came out and, while Jeter was calming down, got the explaination from Jeter about what Foster had said and that Jeter was never tagged. Girardi went to Foster for an explaination about being thrown out at a base soley on the reason that the throw beat the runner. Girardi didn't get an explaination at all, just got tossed out of the game. After the game "Girardi referred to 'baserunning errors' in the first inning as letting Romero off the hook early." Sweet.

Anyways, Pettitte gets the loss, the Yankees get a tough loss as well, almost coming back in the end, but coming up short 7-6. 5 of the Yankees runs were scored during and after the seventh inning.

Although this was a tough loss it did have some nice notes in it. It was Hinske's first game in a Yankee uniform and he did not disipoint, going 2-4 with a HR. He was the last out, however, with a strike out. But whatever, the game was cursed from the first inning.

The first inning mishap in this game is one of the many examples baseball onlookers are seeing as a reason to get the ump calls checked by replays. The umps already check home run calls, Yankee fans know that more than anyone, having the most home runniest park and the first replay was called in New Yankee Stadium.

Game 79, Gainst the Mariners, at home and more...

So the Yankees now have another outfielder. Thats right, Damon, Swisher, Cabrera, and Gardner all competing for 3 spots isn't enough. The Yankees aquire Eric Hinske from the Pirates for right hand pitcher Casey Erickson and outfielder Eric Fryer. So with Nady probably gone because of injury the Yankees find Hinske, who can play all 3 spots.

A lot of talk has been going on about Hughes in the pen. I still think he should be another starter. If any starter should be in the pen it should be Wang. He isn't as strong as a starter as he used to be, only getting to the fifth inning in 2 starts. He pitched great when he was in the pen when he got back off the DL.

So Joba pitches tonight. I won't be sitting at my computer watching the gameday like I normally do, I'm gonna go to a South Bend Silverhawks game tonight, watch them get the pants beat off them while I'm hoping the Yankees are winning.

The Yankees get 2 in the second with a single by Cano, single by Posada, and error base for Matsui, that scores Cano. Cabrera hits a sacrifice fly to score Posada. The Mariners get 1 in the third from a home run. Cabrera hits into a force out, but scores Cano from third. The Mariners get 2 in the fifth from many singles and such. 3-3.

In the seventh Damon leads off with a double and is scored with a Rodriguez home run. 5-3. But in the eighth, Bruney replaces Hughes and gives up 2. 5-5. But the Yankees get the lead back in the eighth. Matsui leads off with a double, followed by a Swisher single, followed by a Cabrera double, scores Matsui, followed by a Jeter single to score Swisher and Cabrera. 5-8, the lead holds.

Joba pitched 5.1 innings, gave up 3 runs on 9 hits, with 3 walks and 4 strike outs. Not the best of starts for him, he doesn't get the win. Bruney, with his blown save, gets the win. Rivera gets his 19th save of the season.

Damon went 2-4 with a double and scored a run. Rodriguez went 1-4 with a 2 run home run.

In other news, the Red Sox gave up 10 to 1 lead in the seventh. The bullpen gave up 5 in the seventh and 5 in the eighth, including 2 off of Papelbon for his second blown save. Sweet.