CC's Return, Holiday Spoiled

The good news: CC Sabathia returned from the Disabled List, at least a week sooner than expected, and started yesterday's 4th of July matinee at Yankee Stadium II, against the Toronto Blue Jays. The bullpen pitched 6 1/3rd scoreless innings. Aaron Judge hit another tremendous blast. And Chris Carter was designated for assignment again! (No, no, really, Brian Cashman means it this time!)

The bad news: The Jays were as pesky as ever, ruining CC's return and the holiday.

CC cruised through the 1st 2 innings as if nothing was ever wrong. Then, in the 3rd, as he so often has, he fell victim to "Onebadinningitis." He allowed 4 runs, and Joe Girardi decided it's better to be safe than sorry, and took him out.

Adam Warren, also returning from the DL, got the last out in the 3rd. Luis Cessa took over from there, and pitched very well from the 4th through the 8th. Chasen Shreve got the last out in the 8th, and the execrable Tyler Clippard actually pitched decently in the 9th.

But it was too late. The Yankees got next to nothing off Jays pitching. The Yankees only got 4 hits: Judge's 456-foot drive to center field in the bottom of the 4th, his 28th home run of the season; plus singles by Gary Sanchez, Chase Headley and Ronald Torreyes. Sanchez, Brett Gardner and, in his Yankee farewell (we hope) Carter drew walks. But those were the only Yankee baserunners.

Blue Jays 4, Yankees 1. (Not to be confused with Blue Jay 4, the callsign for U.S. Air Force Captain John Christopher on the Star Trek time-travel episode "Tomorrow Is Yesterday.") WP: J.A. Happ (3-5). SV: Roberto Osuna (20). LP: Sabathia (7-3).

To make matters worse, the Boston Red Sox won yesterday, so the Yankees are now 4 games behind in the American League East.

The series concludes this afternoon, with another matinee. Michael Pineda starts against Marco Estrada.

*

Hours until the Red Bulls play again: 7, tonight at 7:30, a "derby" against the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Days until the Red Bulls next play a "derby": See the previous answer. They will next play the Revs a week from tomorrow night at Harvard Stadium in Boston, in the Quarterfinal of the U.S. Open Cup. (The Revs play all their games at the U.S. version of England's FA Cup there.) They will next play NYCFC on Sunday, August 6, at Yankee Stadium. They will next play the Philadelphia Union on Sunday, September 17, at at Red Bull Arena. And they will next play the D.C. Scum on Saturday, September 27, at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

Days until the U.S. national soccer team plays again: 3, this Saturday afternoon at 4:30, the start of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, against Panama, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, home of the NFL's Tennessee Titans.

Days until The Arsenal play again: 8, a week from tomorrow, when they begin their preseason tour of Australia and Asia, with a game against A-League winners Sydney FC at Stadium Australia in Sydney.

Days until the next Yankees-Red Sox series: 9, a week from this Friday, at Fenway Park. 

Days until the Premier League season begins: 38, on Saturday, August 12. The Arsenal open at home to Leicester City. A little over 5 weeks. There is a chance, of course, that the TV networks could have Arsenal's match moved to the following Sunday or Monday.

Days until Rutgers University plays football again: 58, on Friday, September 1, home to the University of Washington. Under 2 months.

Days until East Brunswick High School plays football again: 65, on Friday night, September 8, home to Sayreville, a "derby." 

Days until the New Jersey Devils play again: 94, on Saturday night, October 7, home to the Colorado Avalanche. A little over 3 months.

Days until the New Jersey Devils next play a local rival: 101, on Saturday night, October 14, against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in Midtown Manhattan. Their 1st game against the New York Islanders will be on Sunday, January 7, 2018, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn -- and they'll have played the Rangers 3 times by then. Their 1st game against the Philadelphia Flyers will be on Saturday, January 13, 2018, at the Prudential Center in Newark -- and they'll have played the Rangers 3 times and the Islanders once by then. This is a weird schedule. But, at least, now we have it. The NBA usually doesn't release its new season's schedule until August.

Days until the Alex Rodriguez Contract From Hell officially runs out, and the Yankees can spend his salary on new players: 118, on October 31.

Days until the next election for Governor of New Jersey: 125, on Tuesday, November 7. Just 18 weeks until we elect Phil Murphy, defeat Kim Guadagno, and end Christieism forever. But only if you vote!

Days until the next Rutgers-Penn State football game: 129, on Saturday, November 11, at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania.

Days until the next North London Derby: 136, on Saturday, November 18, at the Emirates Stadium. This game could be moved to the following day, for TV purposes.

Days until the next East Brunswick-Old Bridge Thanksgiving high school football game: 141, on Thursday, November 23, at 10:00 AM. Under 5 months, and thank God it's at home, at Jay Doyle's Green Grove, rather than at that purple shit pit on Route 9. Under 5 months.

Days until the next Winter Olympics begins in Pyeongchang, Korea: 223, on February 9, 2018. A little over 7 months.

Days until the next World Cup kicks off in Russia: 344, on June 14, 2018. Under 1 year, or a little over 11 months. Has Bruce Arena turned our chances around? Maybe. Or maybe, with the tournament on his soil, Vladimir Putin will tell his bitch Donald Trump to tell Bruce Arena to tank the games. Maybe not. Or maybe only if we end up playing Russia. I don't think Arena will listen. If he doesn't, I hope his life insurance is paid up, because Putin has had people killed for defying him.

Days until September 2018 roster call-ups, when we can finally start to expect seeing some of these wonderful "prospects" for whom Yankee general manager Brian Cashman threw away a chance at the 2016 Playoffs: 423. A little over a year, or a little under 14 months. Of course, Clint Frazier is already up, but we've hardly benefited. We could end up seeing another of them sooner than that, but since most of them are at Double-A Trenton now, if that, who's kidding who?

Days until the next Congressional election: 489, on November 6, 2018. Under a year and a half, or a little over 16 months.

Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Mariano Rivera: 553, on January 9, 2019. A little over a year and a half, or a little over 18 months.

Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Derek Jeter: 918, on January 8, 2020. A little over 2 1/2 years, or a little over 30 months.

Days until the next Summer Olympics begins in Tokyo, Japan: 1,123, on July 24, 2020. A little over 3 years, or a little under 37 months.

Days until the next Presidential election: 1,585, on November 3, 2020. Under 3 1/2 years, or a under over 40 months.

Days until Liberation Day: 1,663, at noon on January 20, 2021. A little over 3 1/2 years, or under 43 months. Note that this is liberation from the Republican Party, not just from Donald Trump. Having Mike Pence as President wouldn't be better, just differently bad, mixing theocracy with plutocracy, rather than mixing kleptocracy with plutocracy.