Drop 2 of 3 in Anaheim? Punishment: Go to Detroit

Got some catching up to do. As do the Yankees. They dropped the 1st 2 of their series in Anaheim, and, as punishment, now they have to go to Detroit.

On Tuesday night, they got 9 hits against the Whatever They're Calling Themselves This Season Angels of Anaheim, but just 1 run in support of Andy Pettitte -- who, I must admit, had his worst start in 2 years (2-2 -- Okay, he didn't start at all last year, but before that hadn't had a bad start in the 2nd half of 2010). Dan Haren (3-5) just plain handcuffed the Yanks, holding them to a 5-1 loss.

Strange: With Mickey Hatcher as their hitting instructor, Albert Pujols went a month into the season with no home runs. With Hatcher fired, he now has 8. Why would Albert Pujols need a hitting instructor?

Wednesday's game looked like it might not be much better. Ivan Nova did not have good stuff, but unlike Pettitte he got run support. The Yanks scored 5 runs in the 3rd inning, thanks to home runs by Curtis Granderson (his 16th of the season) and Robinson Cano (his 8th), roughing up Ervin Santana.

But Nova gave back 4 runs in the 4th, tying the game. Mark Trumbo (him again) hit a home run, and Mike Trout (him again) doubled home 2. These 2 guys have been such pains in the ass, they should be playing for the Pesky Blue Jays of Toronto.

But in the top of the 6th, Raul Ibanez -- I swear, I don't know what the Phillies were thinking when they let him go -- hit a one-out triple, and Nick Swisher sacrifice-flied him home, for the final run of a 6-5 Yankee victory.

WP: Nova (6-2). SV: Rafael Soriano (6). LP: Hisanori Takahashi (0-2).

So the New York Yankees of The Bronx leave the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and tonight begin a 3-game series in Michigan, against the Detroit Tigers of Foxtown. Then they come home to face the Tampa Bay Rays of St. Petersburg.

*

As for the New Jersey Devils of Newark, they lost Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals to the Los Angeles Kings of Los Angeles. In overtime.

Let me remind you that they lost Game 1 of their series against the Philadelphia Flyers of South Philadelphia -- also in overtime. And that they lost Game 1 of their series against the New York Rangers of Manhattan. And won both series.

Which means, even if they end up losing the Finals, it's still a great season. Imagine, beating both The Scum and The Filth in the Playoffs in the same season. That's never happened before.

Well, not for the Devils. Three teams have accomplished the feat of beating both the Rangers and the Flyers in the Playoffs in the same season: The 1971 Chicago Blackhawks of the West Side, the 1981 New York Islanders of Uniondale, and the 2008 Pittsburgh Penguins of Pittsburgh. All 3 teams ended up reaching the Finals -- but only the '81 Isles won the whole thing.

The joke isn't funny anymore? Sorry. This is Uncle Mike of Central Jersey, signing off.