NEW YORK YANKEES

Johnny Damon,  CF
Derek Jeter,  SS
Bobby Abreu,  RF
Álex Rodríguez,  3B
Jason Giambi,  1B
Xavier Nady,  LF
Hideki Matsui,  DH
Robinson Cano,  2B
Ivan Rodriguez,  C

TORONTO  BLUE JAYS

Joe Inglett,  2B
Marco Scutaro,  3B
Alex Rios,  RF
Vernon Wells,  CF
Adam Lind,  LF
Lyle Overbay,  1B
Matt Stairs,  DH
Rod Barajas,  C
John McDonald,  SS

PREGAME NOTES: 

Yanks are 6-5 against the Jays this season with 6 games to go after tonight.

Roy Halladay is a lifetime 12-5, 2.88 ERA, 1.14 WHIP in 29 games (27 starts) against the Yanks.  He is 9-2, 2.04 ERA, 0.90 WHIP over his last 15 starts against them, including 3 complete games.

Sidney Ponson is a lifetime 7-10, 4.59 ERA, 1.31 WHIP in 19 games (18 starts) against the Jays.  He is 3-2, 4.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP in 9 starts for the Yanks this season.

Yanks' hitters vs. Halladay can be viewed here.  Jays' hitters vs. Ponson can be viewed here.

PAVANO TO START SATURDAY:  I can't believe the Yankee rotation issues have come down to this but Carl Pavano has been given the green light over Phil Hughes to start on Saturday night against the Orioles at Camden Yards.

Frankly, if Pavano does miraculously manage to make it through the start in one piece - you'd have to consider it somewhat of a success.  There's no two ways about it - this is as desperate as desperate gets and my expectations for Saturday night are about as low as one could imagine.

JOBA THROWS AGAIN:  Pete Abe reports that Joba Chamberlain continued his throwing program today and came out of it feeling good.

He is scheduled to throw a 30-pitch bullpen on Saturday but will only throw fastballs and changeups and holding off on breaking balls.

There is still no timetable for his return.

Baltimore beat Boston, while the Angels rallied against the Rays.

We're 5 back on the wild card with 36 to play.  We have to pick up a game a week.

Tonight Sir Sidney faces down Doc Halladay.

Daunting, but not impossible.  The good doctor has faced the Yankees more than any other team but Boston.  In 27 starts he's thrown 184.1IP, given up 166 hits and 44 base on balls to a stellar 2.88ERA.  My ray of hope is that his numbers against Boston have been nearly as pretty: 227IP, 244H, 56BB and a 4.51ERA.

Maybe tonight is the night the Yanks figure out Halladay and knock him out of the game in the third...

I know, I know- I dream too much.  But if the Yanks can pull out a win tonight I won't make any cracks about a lack of fight for the rest of the season.

image viaa123.g.akamai.net

NEW YORK YANKEES

Johnny Damon,  CF
Derek Jeter,  SS
Bobby Abreu,  RF
Álex Rodríguez,  3B
Jason Giambi,  1B
Xavier Nady,  LF
Hideki Matsui,  DH
Robinson Cano,  2B
Jose Molina,  C

TORONTO  BLUE JAYS

David Eckstein,  2B
Marco Scutaro,  3B
Alex Rios,  RF
Vernon Wells,  CF
Adam Lind,  LF
Rod Barajas,  C
Lyle Overbay,  1B
Kevin Mench,  DH
John McDonald,  SS

PREGAME NOTES: 

Yanks have now scored 2 runs or less a unbelievable 40 times this season.  Raise your hand if you expected that to happen before the season began.

Johnny Damon is just 1-for-21 over hsi last 5 games.  The Yanks are just 4-6 when he starts in CF.

David Purcey has never faced the Yanks or any of their hitters for the exception of Pudge Rodriguez (1-for-3 with a double).

Andy Pettitte is a lifetime 16-10, 4.16 ERA, 1.36 WHIP in 34 games (35 starts) against the Jays.  He is 7-4, 3.87 ERA, 1.41 WHIP in 13 starts on the road this season.

Jays' hitters vs. Pettitte can be viewed here.

You win, SKII, now please contact me at rodejo22@yahoo.com asap with contact information including name, address, phone, and we'll hook you up.

We have a deadline, so if we don't hear from you within the next couple of hours, we'll have to award the prize pack to someone else. Thanks for playing, and I hope you do get to enjoy the prizes--they sound fabulous.

I'll be at the game on Friday, and I'll admit that I'm abit jealous.

... is the real one? The Giambi who hit .150/.317/.375 until May 4? Is it the one who hit .346/.461/.701 from May 4 to June 22? Or perhaps it's the Giambi that's hitting .214/.362/.397 since then.

Remember how fans were so quick to claim Jason Giambi was back in the midst of his hot streak? One could always see there would eventually be a backslide, and now there clearly is. It's reminiscent of Tino Martinez' last season with the Yanks, when he had ridiculous hot streaks where he carried the team for a week, followed by frigid cold streaks when he looked lost. Just another sign of an aging star.

Is the answer as simple as Mark Teixeira? He apparently wants a 10-year deal (Scott Boras is his agent), which sounds crazy for merely a very good player, not an all-time great like Arod (whose 10-year deal I also strongly disagree with). What happens to Posada when he can't catch anymore, or Arod when he can't play the field?

It would be nice if Johnny Damon remembered how to catch.

It would be nice if Arod didn't look like a replacement player against good pitchers.

It would be nice if the Yankees could hit with runners in scoring position (0-fer again tonight).

It would be nice if the Yankees had some fight in them.

It would be nice if pigs could fly, but it ain't happening (on second thought, that wouldn't be nice).

- Carl Pavano has a stiff neck. Other shocking news: the sky is blue. (It sounds like the Yanks are going to force Pavano to throw. Good for them.)

- Happy drunks are better than angry drunks.

The Red Sox rallied in the 5th, the Devil Rays rallied in the 8th.
The anemic Yankee offense wasted great pitching through fielding and baserunning errors.

NEW YORK YANKEES

Johnny Damon,  CF
Derek Jeter,  SS
Bobby Abreu,  RF
Álex Rodríguez,  3B
Jason Giambi,  1B
Xavier Nady,  LF
Hideki Matsui,  DH
Robinson Cano,  2B
Ivan Rodriguez,  C

TORONTO  BLUE JAYS

Joe Inglett,  RF
Marco Scutaro,  3B
Alex Rios,  RF
Vernon Wells,  CF
Adam Lind,  LF
Lyle Overbay,  1B
Matt Stairs,  DH
Rod Barajas,  C
John McDonald,  SS

PREGAME NOTES: 

Yanks have been held to 3 runs or less in six of the nine meetings between these teams in 2008.

Derek Jeter is 12-for-19 (.631) over his last four games.

Robinson Cano is 6-for-15 (.400) since his pal Melky Cabrera was sent down to Scranton.

Darrell Rasner is a lifetime 2-0, 4.91 ERA, 1.45 WHIP in 2 starts against the Jays.  He is a nightmarish 2-9, 6.04 ERA, 1.70 WHIP over his last 14 games (13 starts) since May 26.

A.J. Burnett is a lifetime 5-2, 2.85 ERA, 1.06 WHIP in 8 starts against the Yanks.  He is a ridiculous 3-0, 1.23 ERA, 0.92 WHIP over his last 4 starts against them.

Yanks' hitters vs. Burnett can be viewed here.  Jays' hitters vs. Rasner can be viewed here.

GODZILLA RETURNS:  Hideki Matsui has been activated off the DL and will be in the Yankee lineup for the first time since June 22.  Justin Christian has been sent back down to Scranton to make room on the active roster.

Hey Everyone,

The upcoming series in Baltimore is always a huge hit for fans traveling down from the tri-state area as well as folks like me traveling up from NC/VA and DC.

               Well for anyone planning on making the trip, PA is authorized to
               make it just alittle sweeter for someone. The National Aquarium
               in Baltimore is offering some great prizes, including:

               --A family four-pack of tickets to the National Aquarium
               --An overnight stay at one of three Harbor Magic Hotels

PA's highly qualified braintrust has put together a trivia contest and will randomly choose a winner from those submitting a correct answer. Note: The contest ends at 10am ET Thursday morning. We are asking only those on PA who are planning on attending the series to play.

Here's the question: Name the only Yankee to steal home twice in the same game? We need the player, and the date.

Like a bad case of jock itch, Carl Pavano just won't go away. From BJs to buttocks pulls, ribs, to groins and pretty much everything in between glass Carl has been a zero in New York. Now come reports that he may be returning to the hill in Baltimore this weekend.

Stranger stories have been written about a down and outer who suddenly finds glory, so I'd only be half surprised if in the cool breezes of Baltimore's inner harbor, old Carl channels up his 18-8 masterpiece.

While the popular thing is to pile on Pavano (and I'm certainly guilty of that), the fact is, we desperately need someone, anyone--even Carl to come back uber strong for the rest of the season. He needs it, we need it, and most importantly, the Yankees need it.