How sweet was it watching Melky Cabrera and Ramiro Pena get those hits in the 8th inning? Pretty darn sweet…for me. Now, that’s fun to root for…

Cool conga night for the line-up. The Yankees 7-8-9-1 hitters, Swisher/Cabrera/Pena/Jeter, were on base 10 times, combined, via a hit or walk in this one. That, plus a gutty hang-in there job by A.J. Burnett for seven innings, gives New York a win in this one. Always nice to beat those Angels…

So, the Yankees end up going 12-10 in the month of April. And, they close the month sitting just two games back of the Blue Jays and Red Sox who are tied for first in the A.L. East. Not too shabby. Just imagine how much nicer this would be if not for that three game set last weekend up in Fenway…

Ugh. That was closer, than it needed to be, in the end.

When Alba-la-no-no was pitching in the 9th, did David Cone, in the YES booth, really say something like ‘Sometimes you think you’re gonna cruise in a game like this, and, before you know it, they start talleywackering you around….’?

Now, that was a first! I’ve never heard a Yankees broadcaster, on the air, use the word “talleywacker.” Awesome.

By the way, nice game for Joba in this one.

Getting back to “firsts,” did someone really pull a fire alarm at Comerica during the game? I’ve been watching baseball since 1973 and I’ve never seen that before…as far as I can remember.

Speaking of false alarms, it looks like Jack Black might be back. Rock on.

Yeah, the Yankees scored like a gazillion runs in this contest. But, that’s not the story from this game.

Tonight belongs to Phil Hughes. Wow. What a difference a year makes!

This evening, Phil Hughes faced 23 Tigers batters and retired 18 of them. All told, Hughes went 6 innings in this game, throwing 99 pitches (with 58 being strikes), and he allowed zero runs. Last time I checked, you can’t do better than allowing zero runs. So, Hughes was real good today.

But, more so, what impressed me was the quality of Phil Hughes’ pitches in this game. Here’s what I saw via the YES coverage:

• A fastball in the range of 91-93 MPH
• A cutter in the range of 86-88 MPH
• A curveball in the range of 72-75 MPH

Now, I know that many Yankees fans don’t believe the YES gun – claiming that it’s slow. So, once this game was out of hand, I went over to MLB.com’s Gameday and they showed me just about the same MPH marks for Hughes (as YES). The only difference was that Gameday called Hughes’ cutter a “slider.” (Big deal. Same difference.)

It was very nice to see Hughes’ fastball in the range of 91-93 MPH tonight. According to the Yankees’ Brian Cashman, that’s where Hughes’ fastball should be, in terms of speed, and that’s where it wasn’t recently. (According to Fangraphs, in 2007, Hughes average fastball was 91 MPH, and, in 2008, his average heater was 91.2 MPH. So, this backs up Cashman’s point about Hughes’ fastball being below expectations the last two seasons.)

Again, Phil Hughes was very impressive today – sans a few hanging curves – and he fully deserves another turn in the rotation. And, that should come on Sunday, May 3rd, at Yankee Stadium, on “Cap Day,” against the Angels and Joe Saunders. I’m very much looking forward to seeing that one – and what Hughes does to follow up on this evening.

Now that I think about it, this game might be the best one that Hughes has thrown in the bigs outside of that game of May 1, 2007. Yup, he was that good.

Lastly, Mark Melancon is still looking like a younger, skinnier, and blonder, Roger Clemens to me. Am I the only one seeing that?

Via Phil Allard earlier today:

It’s on to Detroit and the 2009 debut of Phil Hughes on Tuesday. Sure, call me a pessimist, but is there anyone who would be surprised to see Verlander shut down this tired, non-athletic, old team on Monday, especially after the Fenway butt-kicking? Zero runs in 7 innings sounds about right for Verlander. And with Damon’s shoulder barking, the bench just got worse. I’ll have the codeine on hand if Giradi and Cashman put Berroa at 3rd again.

Going forward, the Yanks have to sparse out the pen and add some bench depth. The idea of Berroa or Gardner as pinch hitters surely has the rest of the league laughing hysterically. Where is Juan Miranda? Where is Oscar Gamble?

In the end, Verlander went seven today against the Yanks – allowing 7 hits, no walks, zero runs and punching out seven. Hey, Phil, nice call on this one!

O.K., on the glass is half-full-front, the Yankees didn’t have to use their bullpen today and the game was over in 139 minutes.

I can just hear General Maximus Decimus Meridius now: At least give me a clean death… a soldier’s death….

Well, 139 minutes and having to burn just one pitcher is pretty quick and clean, right?

But, as Bob Marley sang: Don’t worry ’bout a ding, ’cause every lil’ dings gonna be all right…

Prince Philip returns tomorrow for the reboot of his coronation as the Yankees savior. And, it’s what the people want to see. Should be fun. It’s something to look forward to…and something to take the focus off another loss, today, in this game.

On the bright side, in this game, the Yankees had the tying run on deck in the ninth inning. And, finally, we got to see Mark Melancon pitch in a big league game. Other than that…well…things were not so good here.

I happened to be in Penn Station today from 4:30 pm ET until 5:00 pm ET. And, it was an interesting time to be there. The place was loaded with people wearing Mets gear, Rangers gear, and NFL jerseys. Actually, it was a bit of a zoo. It seems that the Mets game, Rangers play-off game, and Day Two of the NFL Draft all unloaded near the same time.

Related, there were many fans of the Mets and Rangers on my train back to New Jersey this evening. From the reactions of those decked out in their team’s shirts and caps, you could not tell if they were coming home from a win or a loss. It wasn’t until I came home, and caught ESPN, that I learned that the Mets dropped a game to the lowly Washington Nationals (getting whipped, 8-1) and the Rangers lost to the Washington Capitals (setting themselves up for a Game 7, after being up 3-1 in their playoff series).

Funny, I’m now sitting here with steam coming out of ears because the Yankees got swept by the Red Sox, during three April games in Boston, and those fans on the train earlier this evening seemed pretty cool, calm and collected. Does that say something about me, them, or both of us?

In any event, hey, I’m sorry. But, the Yankees blew a win on Friday. They got their fannies kicked on Saturday. And, they were out-played in this one. New York lost every which way you can in these three games.

When you live and die with this stuff, how can you not come away from three losses like these with your feathers in a bunch?

Related, it’s a series outcome like this, against the Red Sox, that shows us that Hank and Hal Steinbrenner are, indeed, nothing like their father George.

And, I know that many, many, Yankees fans feel that this is an excellent thing.

Me? Right now, I’m not so sure…

Hank and Hal, after this set at Fenway, will probably react like those Mets and Rangers fans on my train today. But, Big Stein? Well, I suspect, in his prime, “The Boss” would be steamin’ away like me…

Is that the wrong thing to do? Maybe. Yet, nonetheless, this venting fan wouldn’t mind some company/empathy from the people in charge of the team he roots for…you know…a little solidarity from the Brothers Stein.

So, Hank, Hal, whaddaya say? You guys have an pulse, whatsoever? Let’s see it.

From a Yankees fan perspective, could this game and the one from yesterday be any worse?

Before the start of this series, I was asked by NESN.com to answer some questions about the Yankees and these games against the Red Sox. Here’s a clip from that Q&A:

NESN.com: What are the keys for the Yankees to winning the three-game series at Fenway Park?

Steve Lombardi: The Yankees starting pitchers all need to go at least seven innings and provide a decent start. If the Yankees’ pen is coming into the game in the sixth inning or earlier, that’s trouble for New York. And the Yankees pitchers have to be careful with Kevin Youkilis and Jason Bay, while also not allowing David Ortiz to wake up this season when the Yanks come to town.

So, how was that for soothsaying?

Let’s hope that Andy Pettitte has his “A” game on Sunday night. Right now, the Yankees need that…and then some.

Sometimes, you can just feel it coming.

Dunno why, in this one? But, the vibe was there.

Maybe it was all those runners the Yankees left on base during the game? Going four for nineteen, in the end, with runners in scoring position is ugly.

Maybe it was Joba Chamberlain throwing as many balls, just about, as strikes today, and pulling Houdini Act after Houdini Act to dodge a cave in?

Maybe it was seeing Mo Rivera come into a game in the 8th inning during the month of April?

Whatever it was, as we entered the bottom of the ninth, and having that hearing footsteps feeling, I fully expected Bill Mueller to come out of retirement and bat for the Red Sox in that frame against Rivera…

I guess that Jason Bay is the new Bill Mueller, huh? I will say this: Bay impressed the heck out of me with his homerun trot this evening. That is how a professional rounds the bases in a spot like that one. The dude truly earned my respect there.

And, when Damaso Marte entered the game, you knew it was just a matter of time…

I guess Damaso Marte is the new Paul Quantrill, huh? Sure, Flash, Conie and Kay in the YES booth were congregational singing about Marte being pumped up, and looking like a new man, etc. But, I knew…again, I had a feeling…that it was just a matter of time.

And, then, Kevin Youkilis provides the crusher.

Lovely. Just effing-a-lovely with a cherry on top.

Burnett verus Beckett tomorrow. Let’s hope that A.J. has the game of his life for the Yankees. It couldn’t come at a better time.

The attendance for this game was announced as being 43,342. And, from the highlights that I’ve seen of Melky Cabrera’s game winning homer in the 14th inning, it looks like 342 fans stayed until the end of this game. Hey, this new Yankee Stadium is starting to get a 1966 feel to it – in some ways.

Moving on to the game. Forget Sabathia’s numbers. He’s a bad April pitcher and that Kurt Suzuki homer was a close call. If CC is this bad in his next two starts, then I’ll start to get nervous.

Give the credit for this game to the boys from Santo Domingo and El Cercado: Melky Cabrera, Edwar Ramírez and especially José Veras. Without their efforts, this one is probably an “L” for the Yankees. And, given the nature of this game – the extra innings, sloppy play, etc. – it would have been a painful loss to have…the day before an off-day in front of a series at Fenway Park. It’s much better, this way, with the “W” – and allowing that to ruminate in Yankeeland until Friday night in Beantown.

For a while, in the second inning, it looked like the Yankees were going to have their turn at a “big inning” – like Cleveland did to them on Saturday. But, it was not so big – just enough to win. And, it was assisted by some questionable A’s defensive positioning and plays – like where Mark Ellis was on the Brett Gardner hit and then Ellis’ non-play on Derek Jeter’s liner.

In the end, it was another close win this season for the Yankees – with Andy Pettitte having a big hand in it. (More on Pettitte’s night to follow.)

It was interesting to see the A’s Andrew Bailey in this game. Just the other day, I was reading Cormac Gordon’s nice feature on Bailey. Speaking of A’s pitchers, I got a huge smile this evening seeing Josh Outman’s old-school socks. Attaboy Josh. I’d love to see that look make a comeback.

Back to Andy Pettitte. The big lefty went seven innings this evening without walking or whiffing a batter. When was the last time a Yankees starting pitcher went 7+ innings in a game with zero walks and zero strikeouts? You have to go back all the way to October 6, 1991 when 17,863 fans were on hand at Yankee Stadium to see the Yanks’ starter, Dave Eiland, do that trick. Yup, that’s the same Dave Eiland who is now the Yankees pitching coach. Man, that’s a long time ago.

Yikes…for a few innings there, it looked like Carl Pavano might pitch a no-hitter against the Yankees! Now, if that had happened would that be worse than losing 22-4 the day before? Yeah, I think so…

Strange game for A.J. Burnett. On the plus-side, he went 6 1/3 IP allowing just 3 hits and 3 runs. However, he only struck out two and he walked seven. What was up with Sabathia, Chamberlain and Burnett in their last starts? Combined, the three pitched 16 2/3 innings and walked 17 batters. That ratio is not going to work for too long. Then again, yeah, I know…Dave Eiland is busy trying to fix Worm Killer Wang at the moment…and, one problem at a time, please…

The ‘Sado pinch-homer today was huge. Was it a homer? I watched all the replays that they showed on YES, and, to me, the umpires made the right call. At the worst, in my opinion, if there was no fan messing with the ball, then it hits the top of the wall and skips into the seats – and that’s a homer. And, perhaps, again, in my opinion, if there are no fans there the ball just sails over the top of the wall and lands in the first row for a homerun. But, I didn’t see anything that would have suggested that the ball would be caught or stayed in the park, if there were no fans there. So, touch ‘em all, Jorge Posada, this Bud’s for you!

Ten days ago, I pointed out that Chien-Ming Wang has been trending in the wrong direction for the last three years. However, that doesn’t explain what we’ve seen from Wanger in his three starts, so far, this season. There’s something not right for him this year – and, whatever it is, it’s major. And, the Yankees can’t afford to keep running him out there every five days and having him only go one, two, or three innings.

At this point, New York should send down Anthony “Mike Griffin” Claggett and send Wang to the pen to be their last/long man – to pitch in blow-outs until he finds himself.

Call up Ian Kennedy. Call up Jason Johnson. Heck, call up somebody and give them Wang’s turn in the rotation. Again, it makes no sense to keep running him out there. He’s proven that he’s got a huge problem now and its ruining the entire pitching staff – with the drain it’s putting on the bullpen.

It hurts me to say this…because I like the guy…but, it has to happen: Wang to the pen and give someone else his turn…until Wang proves he’s capable of giving you 5+ quality innings in a start on a consistent basis.

O.K., where was all this yesterday? Five homers and a solid 4+ innings from the bullpen? Man, that would have been sweet in the first game ever at the new Yankee Stadium. Oh, well, I guess it will have to do for the second game ever for the new ballpark in the Bronx.

The last time the Yankees hit 5+ homers in a game? That was August 1, 2007. Been a long time, huh?

The above is Yankee Stadium today, as Brett Gardner is leading off the bottom of the 8th inning. As you can see, by this point, most of the 48,271 fans who were there for this game had left the ballpark. Hey, it was that kind of day…in the end.

Sabathia threw too many pitches in the innings he was able to work – or, the Indians made him throw too many pitches…take your pick. Cliff Lee had a great game plan for facing the Yankees batters. And, Jose Veras and Damaso Marte pitched as poorly as a professional pitcher could pitch – earning themselves the lifetime label of being the pitchers who ruined the first official game, for their team and the fans of their team, in the new Yankee Stadium.

Yeah, I suppose that some may want to say that…if Sabathia goes deeper into the game, then things are different. Or, if the Yankees scored more, it would be different. Or, if Joe Girardi handled his pen another way, it would be different. And, it’s not fair to pin this all on Veras and Marte.

However, there will never be another “first game” for this new Yankee Stadium. It’s done. This contest in now in the books for perpetuity. And, when people look back at this game, and notice that it was a putrid performance for the Yankees and their fans, the names Jose Veras and Damaso Marte will stand out the most. That’s just the way it’s going to be…it is what it is…

I’ll have more to share on today soon – including more photos and a story about driving up, etc. But, in the meantime, I wanted to get these thoughts down.

Did you see the game today? What are you thoughts on it? Please do share them in the comments section below.

Derek Jeter, this season, to date, when batting with runners in scoring position, has a BA/OBA/SLG line of .556/.600/1.222 – yes, that’s a slugging percentage of one-thousand-two-hundred and twenty-two. Granted, this is over just 10 PA in 9 games. Still, so far, Jeter is batting like an MVP when the ducks are on the pond. Funny, huh, considering he’s the Yankees lead-off hitter the season.

It was nice to see the “old” Yankees like Pettitte, Jeter and Rivera shine today. And, it’s cool to see Robinson Cano and Brian Bruney make positive contributions as well.

But, more importantly, if anything, the last two games have sent a message to the Tampa Bay Rays: It’s not 2008 anymore…

Maybe that 15-5 beating on Monday got the Yankees a little fired up for these last two games? In any event, a great way to end a long road trip and the perfect mood-setter for the trip back to the Bronx this evening to open the new Stadium tomorrow.

By the way: Jason Giambi would have never turned that 5-3-6 DP in the bottom of the third today. Was that a thing of beauty, or what?

Great game – if you’re the Yankees and/or a fan of their team.

It was a real nail biter for eight. And, then, the two guys with “no pop” – Brett Gardner and Derek Jeter – provided two-out extra base hits in the 9th inning to break it open. And, Jeter, who always hits the ball on the ground, left the yard with his big hit.

Give credit to A.J. Burnett – he said, before the game, that he was looking to go deep into this game and he did it. And, he almost bagged himself a Yankees Classic in the process – not allowing a hit through six.

Hey, how cool was the 4th inning in this one? Matt Garza goes up and in on Nick Swisher – and then Swisher takes Garza “Jack Black…Back…Back…Back! (in response). And, for the icing on the cake, in the bottom of the frame, A.J. Burnett gives Evan Longoria a pay-back “bow tie” as well (before punching him out). Ladies and Gents, that’s country hardball. Gotta love it.

So, tomorrow afternoon, root for the Yankees to take the rubber game in this match. And, while you’re at it, root for the Cleveland Indians too. We don’t want the Tribe coming into Yankee Stadium with a 1-8 record and having lost three in a row. If they do, the law of averages might swing in their favor and ruin the Yanks home opener.

And, cross your fingers for the X-man.

I’d never thought that I would say this, but, here goes: The Yankees could have used nine Nick Swishers tonight. Wow.

Terrible evening for Worm Killer Wang. How bad? Dig this: Since 1954, it’s only the 4th time in Yankees regular-season history that their starting pitcher has gone one inning or less while allowing eight earned runs or more. The others to do it before Wang today:

Orlando Hernandez: June 18, 2000
Andy Pettitte: April 30, 1996
Andy Hawkins: September 26, 1989

Wanger looked like Andy Hawkins out there today, didn’t he?

And, the boys in the YES booth – Flash, Kay and Conie – noted that Chien-Ming’s power sinker is MIA. So, the bad trend continues…

Oh, well, at least the Mets lost their first game in Citi Field…having to watch Duaner Sanchez and Heath Bell close it out for the Padres. Yeah, on nights like this in Yankeeland, that’s what it has come down to…in terms of trying to find something comforting…discouraging, huh?

For a fan, when it comes to their fav-team losing ballgames, there’s different pain (suffered) associated to different types of losses.

It hurts when your team is beat in a blow-out loss. That hurt is somewhat greater when they lose a game where the run differential is around four runs or so. And, it hurts even more than that when your team loses a close game – say, when the difference between winning and losing is three runs or less.

There’s also added pain when your team loses a game where they once had the lead. But, that additional suffering is even greater when they lose a game where they were once trailing but came back to take the lead (and then later blew that advantage gained).

And, of course, there’s always that terrible feeling that comes when your team loses a game some place within the last two innings of a contest.

So, when your team loses a game, where the end difference in the contest is less than three runs, and it was a game where they were once losing and then came back to take the lead, and they ended up losing it in the last couple of innings of the game…well..that’s a world of hurt…as we Yankees fans know…right now…after today’s outcome.

General Joe tried to get cute today playing match-up with his relievers in the 8th inning – and, he almost got away with it. But, almost don’t count, does it?

In baseball today, just as you have a pitcher who owns the 9th inning for you when you have a lead, if you’re a really good team, you have to have a pitcher who owns that 8th inning as well – where it’s his job to get those three outs and bridge the way to the closer. The 8th inning of a close game is no place to be cranking up the bullpen carousel.

Funny that this happened, today, in a game started by Joba Chamberlain. Boy, are the talking heads going to have fun with this one for a few days…and I guess we should too? What do you think about what happened in this afternoon’s game?

Hey, it’s Jack Black’s world and the Yankees should just be happy to be living in it. Consider me on board. You have to keep playing Nick Swisher while he’s this locked in – even if it means Matsui, Nady or Gardner has to take a day off. (And, if it’s Gardner, then play Damon in center.)

What’s up with Mark Teixeira? His left wrist is bad enough that it prevents him from playing but he doesn’t know how or when it happened? You just don’t get spontaneous sprains when you’re 29-years old, do you? I smell a cover-up here…maybe…

CC Sabathia reminded me of a 1975-version of Catfish Hunter tonight. Well, except for his pants, of course. MLB has said that they will fine players a grand if they’re wearing pants that are too long and sloppy. I wonder if they’ll go after Sabathia? Then again, what’s a thousand bucks to CC?

Lastly, did you notice, on YES, that the rotating signage behind home plate this evening was featuring an ad for MSG’s running of “The Bronx Is Burning” presented by the Tri-State area Cadillac dealers? Yes, that’s an ad for a New York-centric show being aired on a New York based cable station – being run a billboard in Kauffman Stadium located in Kansas City. Why? Simple – because that’s a cheap way to get some advertising into the New York market (as the Royals were playing the Yankees).

But, bigger than the ad intent here is that the Royals are making money selling ads because they’re playing the Yankees. Remember that one the next time someone in Kansas City wants to lament about how the Yankees are bad for the game.

To this Yankees fan – meaning me – there aren’t many more things that I enjoy greater than watching Andy Pettitte throw a gem – like he did today. He’s just so workman like – yet professional too. Watching him, be “on” like he was today, is just a pure joy.

This game was the 84th time that Pettitte threw a regular season beauty for the Yankees – thereabouts. And, I wish I had each and everyone one of them on DVD. I’d keep them forever.

Oh, and that Mo Rivera guy is pretty good as well. Don’t know if I ever mentioned this…but…watching Mariano today close it out made me ponder: When was the last time that Rivera threw from the full wind-up? Man, just for kicks, in his very last game, on his very last pitch, if he has a chance…Mo should throw from the full wind-up. How funny would that be?

Nick Swisher had 5 RBI for the Yankees today. How many times, since 1954, has a Yankees batter had 5+ RBI in one game within the first three games of a season? Here’s the list, via Baseball-Reference.com, of those who did it before Swisher today:

  Cnt Player            Date      Tm   Opp GmReslt  PA AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI BB IBB SO
+----+--------------+-------------+---+----+-------+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+---+--+---+--
    1 Alex Rodriguez   2006-04-03 NYY @OAK W 15-2   6  5  2  3  0  0  1   5  1   0  0
    2 Jorge Posada     2004-03-31 NYY @TBD W 12-1   5  5  2  2  0  0  2   6  0   0  0
    3 Tino Martinez    1997-04-02 NYY @SEA W 16-2   7  6  5  4  0  0  3   7  1   0  1
    4 Roberto Kelly    1991-04-11 NYY @DET L  5-11  5  4  1  2  1  0  1   5  0   0  1
    5 Frank Fernandez  1969-04-10 NYY @WSA L  6-9   4  3  2  2  0  0  2   5  1   0  1
    6 Bill Skowron     1959-04-14 NYY @BAL W 13-3   6  5  2  3  1  0  1   5  1   0  1
    7 Yogi Berra       1956-04-17 NYY @WSH W 10-4   5  4  1  4  1  0  1   5  1   0  0

Interesting – each of these games happened on the road – including Swisher’s effort today. 

I’m still not sold on Swisher.  But, if he continues to play the way he played today, obviously, he’ll prove me wrong.  And, I’ll gladly take those lumps if it means the Yankees will have someone in their line-up who is helping them win games.  Me being correct takes a huge back-seat to the Yankees doing well.

For me, my mood is always better when the Yankees win.  And, that more than trumps having to eat some crow in the process.

Chien-Ming Wang’s lifetime post-season ERA is 7.58 and C.C. Sabathia’s lifetime post-season ERA is 7.92. Therefore, it’s obvious what’s been happening in the last two games for the Yankees: Their starting pitcher must think it’s October.

Yes, I’m kidding – not about the stats, but, with the theory.

The last time that the Yankees have lost their first two games of a season was 1998. And, things worked out pretty well for them that season – in the end. (And, the last time it happened before that was 1985 – when Phil Niekro and Ed Whitson got hammered in the Yankees first two games of the season against the Red Sox.)

At least New York showed some fight at the end of this one. And, now, they get to come back to play a day-game on Thursday.

When was the last time the Yankees lost their first three games of the season? That was also 1998 (and 1985 before that) – for the record. Based on who the O’s are starting on the mound tomorrow, I like New York’s chances to get a “W” and leave 1998 (and 1985) as the last time they started out oh’fer three.

So, Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia didn’t have the greatest of ‘first day as a Yankee’ days today…

…is it just me, or, is it easier to say “A skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk” than it is to say that thought on CC and Tex?

Moving right along…you probably know the ol’ baseball truism: Each season, every big league team is going to win 60 games, no matter what, and, every big league team is going lose 60 games, no matter what – and it’s what they do in the other 42 games that will define their overall record.

Well, today was one of those 42 games for New York. And, while I give the Yankees credit for coming back, after being down 6-1 after five, I have to say this is one that the Yankees let get away. (Shame, too. After that Matsui homer in the 7th, I really thought the Yankees were going to pull this one out.) Two things that killed New York today:

1. After that clutch, pinch-hit, lead-off double by Nick “It wouldn’t kill me to lose 25 pounds” Swisher and the sac-bunt by Brett Gardner that immediately followed in the 8th, when the score was 6-5, Baltimore, Derek Jeter has to get the runner home from third (with less than two out). But, the Captain failed when it counted the most today.

2. The Yankees bullpen in the 8th inning was atrocious. First, Phil Coke allows the Mott Street tater to Cesar Izturis. Then, Brian Bruney reminds us why he’s someone who you cannot count on to do well more times than not. And, finally Damaso Marte puts the kernel on top of this steaming turd sundae of an inning when he allows the double to Aubrey Huff. And, before Michael Kay could say “Co-Brun-Mar,” this game was packed, wrapped and shipped to the O’s win column.

And, now, with this being a day game, tomorrow being an off-day, and Wednesday’s game being a night game, everyone in Yankeeland has to think about this game for the 48-hour period that follows it…until the next Yankees game. What a way to tee-off the season…