He now says it's been bothering him for a few days. Like Martin Brodeur, Jeter is the kind of guy you need a crowbar to get out of the lineup unless he's seriously hurt. Sometimes, guys like that are exactly what you need. Sometimes, guys like that risk too much.
The Yankees didn't miss Captain Calf last night, beating the Texas Rangers, 12-4 to open a homestand-closing 3-game series.
CC Sabathia (8-4) pitched 7 innings, allowing 4 runs on 8 hits, but no walks. If a batter gets a hit off you, that's partly on you, but it's also a credit to him. If you walk him, that's a lot less him (good eye) and a lot more you (poor control). CC did what needed to be done, and the offense had to do the rest.
It did. Alexei Ogando, who had been 7-0 coming in, didn't get out of the 2nd inning. The Yankees pushed 6 runs across against him in said 2nd inning, and kept on going. Oddly, none of the 3 home runs hit by the Yankees came off Ogando. Homers were hit by the struggling Nick Swisher (his 6th), Curtis Granderson (his 21st, once again tied with Toronto's Jose Bautista for the major league lead) and Robinson Cano (his 13th). Doubles were hit by Swish (I was getting worried about him), Jorge Posada (who is on fire ever since Jorge Jr.'s surgery went well), Mark Teixeira and, hey Squawker Lisa yuh boy is absolutely smokin' lately, Alex Rodriguez.
Luis Ayala and Lance Pendleton -- shrugging off a bad last performance -- each pitched a scoreless inning. Mariano Rivera could have taken a nap.
The Scum lost to Tampa Bay last night, so the Yankees are now a game and a half behind, just one in the loss column. The Rays are 3 1/2 back, but the Jays have fallen to 6 1/2 back and the Orioles to 8.
*
The Yanks-Stangers series continues tonight at 7, Ivan Nova vs. Derek Holland. It concludes tomorrow afternoon at 1 (getaway day), C.J. Wilson going for Texas but the Yankee starter yet to be determined.
It could be Ben Gordon, a 32-year-old righthander who's never pitched in the majors, but was 5-0 with a 1.14 ERA for the Phillies' Triple-A team this season. A good pickup? We may find out, but it begs the question: If he's good enough for the Yankees, how come the Phils let him go? Then again, we're talking about a team that got rid of Cliff Lee... who is not having as good a season as Bartolo Colon or Freddy Garcia!
After tomorrow's game, it's off on an Interleague roadtrip to face the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds, before Interleague play continues at Yankee Stadium II against the Colorado Rockies and our old American League Eastern Division opponents, now in the National League Central, the Milwaukee Brewers.
Then a "roadtrip" to Pity Field to play The Other Team, then off to Cleveland, and finally a home series with Tampa Bay to close the (official) 1st half of the season, before the All-Star Game at Chase Field in Phoenix, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks -- known as Bank One Ballpark during that amazing yet ultimately wrenching 2001 World Series.
One more thing about the Rangers: Like all Rangers who wear blue shirts, whatever the sport, whatever the country, no matter how talented they are, no matter if they reached their sport's finals in the last completed season, no matter if they are serious contenders to do so again this season...
RANGERS SUCK! The only Ranger with a blue shirt that doesn't suck is the Lone Ranger!
Jeter hits 2994 6
Rivera saves 575 26
A-Rod homers 626 137
A-Rod hits 2739 261
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