Game of Moans

I would like to discuss yesterday's 4-3 win by the U.S. soccer team over Germany in Washington. I would like to, but I can't, not yet.

I have to discuss an awful weekend series for the Yankees against The Scum.

Friday night: Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis returned to the lineup for the Yankees, Teix after missing the entire season thus far, Youk after missing a month.

Teix led off the bottom of the 2nd with a walk. Vernon Wells doubled, and we all remembered how slow Teix is, since he only got to 3rd instead of scoring. Jayson Nix singled him home. After David Adams struck out, Ichiro Suzuki singled home Wells. 2-0 Yankees.

Adams led off the bottom of the 5th by getting hit with a pitch. Ichiro grounded into a force play, as Adams was clearly out at 2nd. For whatever reason, Joe Girardi's Binder told him, "In such a case, argue with the umpire, and get yourself thrown out of the game."

It was totally pointless, but the fans loved it, as they're used to Girardi, and before him Joe Torre, just sitting there like a passive waste when the Red Sox cheat and headhunt or the umpires screw us. Except there was no cheating, the HBP was hardly intentional -- you don't want to put the leadoff man on -- and the correct call was made.

Anyway, Chris Stewart drew a walk, Brett Gardner struck out, and then Youk singled to left to drive in Ichiro. 3-0 Yankees.

After a Mike Napoli double in the top of the 7th, the Yankees took the run back in the bottom of the inning. With 1 out, Ichiro, Stewart and Gardner singled in succession, to provide the final score.

4-1! We beat The Scum 4-1! We beat The Scum 4-1! We beat The Scum 4-1!

WP: CC Sabathia, who was great again (5-4). SV: Mariano Rivera (19). LP: Jon Lester (6-2).

*

But Saturday night was horrible. In fact, on the radio this morning, someone described these 3 games as "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." Well, he was a little off: It was Saturday that was ugly, and last night merely bad.

It's unfair to say that, again, Phil Hughes "compwetewy impwoded." But it's getting to the point where "one bad inning" is turning more and more of his games into "one bad game."

His one bad inning was the top of the 3rd. He gave up a leadoff double to Jackie Bradley Jr., a single to Daniel Nava, and another double to Mike Carp. Then he struck out Dustin Pedroia. Men on 2nd and 3rd, 1 out. Man on 3rd with less than 2 out, and 1st base open.

The batter was David Ortiz. Big Papi. The biggest Yankee Killer of all time, and not just because of his waistline. You don't need Girardi's binder to know that the right move is to walk the big fat lying cheating bastard.

That brought up Napoli. Unfortunately, Hughes threw him a meatball, and it flew over the right-center-field fence for a grand slam. 5-0 Red Sox.

The rest of the game was just a formality, but it did get worse. The Yankees got a run in the 4th, but the Sox scored 3 runs in the 8th and 3 more in the 9th to make it 11-1.

WP: Felix Doubront (4-2). No save. LP: Hughes (2-4).

For all my defenses of Hughes, it is now looking like he may be done for as a Yankee. His current contract runs out at the end of the season, and, although he's helped us win a World Series and given us an 18-win season, with the pitching prospects the Yankees have, it seems unlikely he'll be in Pinstripes on Opening Day next season.

But I still wouldn't have put him in a trade package for Johan Santana. Hughes did help us win a title.

*

Then came last night's game. Eventually. Look, everybody knew the weather report. They should've just moved the game up to 1:00 like a normal Sunday game, or called it off before throwing a pitch and rescheduled it for later in the season. After all, what has ESPN ever done for the Yankees except badmouth us? We should play a game at an inconvenient time just to suit them? Bump that!

After an initial delay, the game, meant to start at 8:00, started at 8:50. But the Yankees never got off the ground. Clay Buchholz, looking like Richard Nixon's nastiest idea of a hippie, allowed only 2 hits in 5 innings, before being removed after the 2nd rain delay.

In contrast, Hiroki Kuroda was not his usual strong self, allowing single runs in the 4th, 5th and 6th innings, before being removed for Boone Logan in the 6th. In the bottom of the 6th, the game was stopped for a 3rd delay, and the umps called it.

Red Sox 3, Yankees 0.  P: Buchholz (8-0 -- no, that's not a typo, he's won eight and lost none this season). No save. LP: Kuroda (6-4).

It's one thing to lose fair and square, like we did on Saturday night. But last night, the Yankees got screwed. By ESPN and the umps. There's no way that game should have been played -- especially once the rain first started.

I don't care what you saw on Game of Thrones: This was the most horrible thing on television last night.

And I don't care what you saw on Keeping Up with the Kardashians: The Sox are more hideous than anything Kim wears in order to still look sexy while pregnant.

Am I moaning? And not in a good way? Yeah. It's my blog, and I'll moan if I want to.

The Cleveland Indians, with ex-Yankee Nick Swisher and last year's Baltimore Oriole tormentor Nick Reynolds in tow, come to town for 3, starting tonight. Andy Pettitte returns from the Disabled List, and will be opposed by Justin Masterson, who beat the Yankees on May 13 in Cleveland.