The Yankees seemed to be on a hot streak at the end of the first half, until they arrived in Anaheim and were swept by the Angels. This time the Bombers looked like they were slipping into a slump, however, they managed to rebound and Wednesday’s 3-2 victory gave them a series win in Anaheim for the first time since 2004.Bronx Cheers:
Molina: The backup backstop is not on the team for offensive reasons, which he showed yesterday by going 0-4. His ERA is down to a Jason Varitek-esque .221.
Matsui: Hideki went 0-3 and stranded three runners. He still managed to get on and score.
Curtain Calls:
Burnett: AJ went 5.2 innings, giving up only two runs on seven hits, while striking out eleven. It would be nice to see him go a little longer and give up less hits, but overall he seems to be improving as we head towards the playoffs.
Melky: Cabrera had been slumping a bit lately, going 1 for his last 19. Wednesday he seemed to bust out of it, going 2-4 with a RBI.
Bullpen: Marte, Albaladejo, Coke, Kennedy and Mo combined to go 3.1 innings against a very good offense. They gave up only four hits and kept the Halos scoreless preserving the win for AJ.
Injury Report:
Wednesday appeared to be one of those games where injuries were the hot topic.
- Ian Kennedy: Making his first major league appearance since undergoing surgery for an aneurysm, Kennedy looked a bit rusty, but was able to make it through the 8th without giving up a run.
- Jerry Hairston: The Yankees utility man left the game in the middle of an at bat due to a wrist issue. Apparently he underwent an MRI ten days previous and had a cortisone shot, but felt a pop and will be having another MRI. This could explain his recent slump.
- Jorge Posada: Jorge sat out the game after fouling a ball off his foot the day before. X-rays were negative, but Girardi decided to rest his bruised backstop anyway.
- Nick Swisher: Swish was also the victim of a foul all, this one hitting the inside of his right knee and leaving him listed as day-to-day. He says he should be fine by Friday.
In the On Deck Circle:
The Yankees have the day off today as they prepare to welcome the Red Sox back to the Bronx this weekend. With the magic number sitting at 5, a sweep of the Red Sox could give the Yankees the division title this weekend. Joba Chamberlain (8-6, 4.72) will take on Jon Lester (14-7, 3.33) on Friday night’s game. Joba got beat up in Seattle on Sunday, and drew criticism for saying he thought he was fine. Cashman has said Joba is not a lock for a playoff starting position, so Joba finds himself auditioning for that role. Lester has only given up more than three runs once in his last twenty starts. He is 11-2 in that time period and is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA against the Yankees this year. First pitch is Friday night at 7:05pm at New Yankee Stadium.
