Oy Vey, It's Interleague Play

CC Sabathia didn't have it last night against the Tampa Bay Rays. Just as the Yankees got within sniffing distance of 1st place, CC had more quantity than quality, falling behind 5-1 in the 4th, as the Yankees lost, 7-3.

WP: David Price (8-3). LP: Sabathia (7-3). Russell Martin hit his 6th homer in the 9th, but it was too late.

So now, the Yankees host The Other Team. The Mess. The Mutts. And their fans, the Flushing Heathen.

Tonight, at 7:00, Hiroki Kuroda pitches against Johan Santana, fresh off his no-hitter *.

Tomorrow night, at 7, Phil Hughes against Dillon Gee.

Sunday afternoon, at 1, Andy Pettitte vs. Jonathon Niese. Niese was born on October 27, 1986, the day the Mets won their last World Series. Or, to put it another way, when Andy Pettitte first won a World Series game, Jonathon Niese was about to turn 10.

Met fans were squawking (Pardon me, Lisa -- Jon, I don't care if you pardon me or not) after Santana's no-hitter *, but they quickly fell to Earth in Washington, leading the New York Post's back page to call them "D.C. COMICS." Or, as I once wrote...

East Side, West Side
they all watch the Mets go down
'cause they're the M-E-T-S, Mets
the New... York... Clowns!

But while we're on the subject of comedy: Yesterday, the Mets' starting pitcher was Dickey. The Nats' was Wang. The Nats' manager, a former Met manager, was Johnson.

R.A. Dickey. Former Yankee bright spot turned DH-less crock Chien-Ming Wang. And Davey Johnson, the only living human to manage the Mets to a World Championship. 25 years, 7 months and 12 days ago.

In the meantime, we still have the 2000 World Series. And there ain't nothing the Flushing Heathen can do about it.