Yanks Salvage a Split

After an embarrassing game Sunday which once again saw Chien Ming Wang give the Yankees no shot at winning the game with another putrid effort. The Yankees looked favorite to win on Sunday when you looked at the pitching matchup.

It was AJ Burnett, who had been so good in his first two starts against Carl Pavano, who had struggled almost as badly as Wang has in his first two starts. Unfortunately, things weren't going as planned through six innings as the much hated Pavano and the Indians were leading 3-1. AJ Burnett clearly didn't have his best stuff as he walked 7 batters in his 6 1/3 innings of work, but he did keep the Yankees in the game. I don't know if it was Pavano stepping up his game to stick it to the Yanks or it was the Yankees hitters pressing a bit to try and beat Pavano, but the Yankees just couldn't get to Pavano in his six innings of work.

A series of quirky plays ensued in the 7th and 8th innings as the Yankees were able to get to the Indian bullpen and take the lead and secure a much needed 7-3 win. Jorge Posada hit a disputed pinch hit home run in the 7th, one which the Indians argued was interfered with by a fan. Instant replay was used and the home run was confirmed. The 8th inning saw the Yankees pull away with a broken bat bases clearing double by Cody Ransom in which Indian outfielder left fielder Shin Soo Choo simply did not play as it seemed to have been a catchable ball. Either way the Yankees will take it as a loss to Pavano would have just added fuel to the fire of the embarrassing effort on Satruday.
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Next up for the Yankees is a 3 game st with their old friend Jason Giambi and his Oakland A's. Andy Pettitte will start for the Yanks. The A's will counter with Dana Eveland. I'm sure the crowd will give a warm ovation for Giambi. His time in the Bronx had its up and downs. He never did live up to the promise of his mega money contract, but he was still a likeable figure despite all of his on the field and off the field struggles.

Burnett Dominant in Win

He did it again. Following another atrocious start by Chien Ming Wang, AJ Burnett once again delivered a much needed win. He took a no hitter into the 7th last night and was just plain filthy. He had it all working; four seamer, two seamer, slider, and curve. He ended up going 8 innings allowing only 2 runs on 3 hits while striking out 9.

Last night also saw the return of Mark Teixeira. Teixeira drove in the eventual game winning run with a sac-fly in the eighth. Our boy Nick Swisher homered yet again. He ducked out of the way from a pitch thrown up and in by Matt Garza (who is just plain nasty) and proceeded to homer two pitches later. Is this guy hot or what? The captain also delivered a 3-run homer in the game with his patented opposite field swing. Brett Gardner hit a couple balls over the shallow outfielders, showing he has the ability to put more than just a slaptastic swing on the ball at times.

Burnett is now 2-0 as a Yankee. Both of his wins prevented a 3 game losing streak. We all knew the guy could pitch, that has never been in question. If he stays healthy and continues to grow as a pitcher, we could see a special season out of this guy.

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Next up is Andy Pettitte, who is looking to build on his dominant performance in KC. He will be countered by Andy Sonnanstine, who the Yankees have handled in the past. If the Yanks can pull out a win in today's game, they would go home with a 5-4 record on this season opening road trip. Not bad considering the way they started out in Baltimore to open the season.

AJ the Stopper 2.0

Following another Chien Ming Wang disaster, the Yankees are once again looking to AJ Burnett to put an end to a 2 game snide. Burnett battled through 5 1/3 innings of two run ball in his first start against the Orioles in his Yankee debut. It was good enough for a win; however Burnett was displeased with his relatively short outing. He will be keen to give more length tonight as the bullpen has been worn out after last night’s debacle. The formula for tonight will be to get 7 innings from Burnett, 1 from Bruney, and 1 from Rivera to close it out.

However, that is easier said than done when Matt Garza is the opposing pitcher. Garza rose to prominence with his brilliant ALCS performances against Boston last year, earning him the ALCS MVP honor. Garza is coming off of another brilliant effort against Boston in his first start, allowing just 1 run over 7 innings of work. The Yankee lineup will their work cut out for them against Garza tonight, which is why this start for Burnett is that much more important. Runs will be at a premium for the Yanks, especially if Mark Teixeira isn’t available once again. Burnett must be the stopper for the second straight start or the Yanks will be looking at their first 3-game losing streak of the season.

Observations From Today’s Game (11-2 Win)

The Yankees were finally able to get their first win of the season, defeating the O’s 11-2. AJ Burnett was good but not great as he went 5 1/3 innings while allowing 2 runs and striking out 6. The key was he kept the Yankees in the game and allowed the offense to wear down the opposing pitcher and get into their bullpen early. Burnett did have to labor but he did get into the 6th inning, something games 1 and 2 starters, Sabathia and Wang were not able to do.

Mark Teixeira hit his first Yankee home run as did Nick Swisher. Robinson Cano who also homered, looks very good so far at the plate showed power and patience throughout the three-game set. Robby could be primed for a big season. Back to Swisher, in limited duty he is showing why he is the clear choice to play everyday over Xavier Nady. And no, I’m not talking about his 3 hits and 5 RBI today. I’m talking about his ability to go deep into counts, take his walks, and wear down the opposing pitcher. This is something that Swisher can provide on a daily basis that Nady cannot. In his 5 Ab’s today, Swisher saw a whopping 29 pitches. Add that to his ability to hit for power and he should be your everyday starting right fielder.

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AJ, The Stopper?

Another game and another poor performance by a Yankee starter. Chien Ming Wang didn't fare much better than Sabathia did on Opening Day. The Yankees found themselves chasing the entire game as Wang could not get through 4 innings before allowing 7 runs. The Yankees will look to salvage a game from this series tomorrow afternoon . It will be up to AJ Burnett to make that happen.

Can AJ be the stopper? Well, we will soon find out. Burnett gets the ball tomorrow with the task of getting the Yankees their first win of the year and avoid an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Orioles. The Yankees have gotten no length from game one and two starters, Sabathia and Wang. The offense found themselves in chase mode in both games, and you just cannot win many games that way. 

So, it's up to AJ, who can really make a great first impression if he can put forth a solid effort and deliver the Yankees their elusive first win of the season. The Orioles will counter with little known Alfredo Simon. I'm sure if Burnett can shut the O's down for at least the first few innings, the Yankees lineup should get some runs off of Simon. Either way this is a golden opportunity for Burnett and one that he should not let go to waste.

AJ Burnin' Up

For as long as AJ Burnett has been in the Majors, we have all heard about the stuff he possesses and his potential to be great. He is now 32 and his stuff and his potential have yet to translate into great success on the mound. He and the Yankees believe this is the year that it will happen. Burnett looked solid once again as the Yankees defeated the Red Sox 7-1 Tuesday night. He pitched into the sixth while allowing 1 run on 4 hits. His spring ERA in 4 starts is a stellar 1.20. Obviously, you can’t expect Burnett to pitch this spectacularly during the regular year, but everyone around Yankees camp believe he is primed for a solid first year with the club.

He has matured as a pitcher and learned a lot from former Blue Jay teammate Roy Halladay. AJ looks and works more like a pitcher rather than just a hard thrower compared to years gone by. Everyone knows about his fastball, but he has done an excellent job of mixing in his breaking pitches and changing speeds this spring. He has even been tutoring Chien Ming Wang, talking about mixing in more offspeed pitches to compliment his hard sinker. They key for AJ this year will be staying healthy. He has been injury plagued throughout his career and must stay off the DL as he and the rest of the Yankee starters will play a vital role in the team’s success this year.

-Favad Ali

NY Ink

I came across this article by Kat O'Brien in Buster Olney's blog on ESPN.com. It talks about the numerous tattoos gracing the bodies of some of the Yankee pitchers.

I thought this was interesting. Obviously tattoos are becoming more mainstream with the growing popularity of TV shows such as Miami Ink and LA Ink. I also challenge you to turn on a NBA game and find a player without a tattoo. Sports team logos are becoming more and more common as well. ( I too have joined this category) Below are just a few pieces i've come across on the web that go beyond the simple logo and push the boundaries of baseball inspired tattoo art. Enjoy!