Home Stand, Game 8

TOP 1: Catalanotto grounded out to short -- Hudson flied out to left, two down -- Wells flied out to center to make the third out

BOT 1: Jeter singled to center -- Jeter goes, Bernie Williams singled to shallow center, one run scores, Bernie to second on throw -- Yankees 1-0

Sheffield singled to center, runner to third on play -- Runners at the corners,
Matsui grounded into 663 double play, the run is conceded, the lead is now 2-0

ARod down swinging to retire the side

TOP 2: Koskie grounded out to second -- Hillenbrand lined out to pitcher, two away -- Hinske grounded out to first for the third out

BOT 2: Giambi struck out looking -- Tino singled to right, advances to second on a WP -- Flaherty flied out to center, two away

(Note: apparently haven't missed that much ... the Toronto announce team said that there was a 1 hour rain delay -- Maybe the Rogers team will bring good luck, superstitious thy name is baseball fan LOL)

8:30AM HST

Bush pitching for the Jays -- Runner on second, two down -- Womack hustles out a slow grounder on the wet grass, infield single ... a bit wet from the rain this afternoon at Yankee Stadium -- runners at the corners, two down for Jeter -- Jeter strikes out on a check swing ... well, it honestly didn't look like it, such is the way so far on the season -- the rally is put down

8:40AM HST

TOP 3: Rookie Chien-Ming Wang on for the Yanks -- Rios hits a routine grounder to third -- Jeter charges the grounder, two away -- Adams backs up Matsui, but flies out ... 1-2-3 inning

BOT 3: Wow, talk about I'm slow this morning ... I missed journalizing this half of the inning LOL ... I did watch it, can't remember what happened here

9:00AM HST

TOP 4: Wang gets the leadoff man to ground to second -- Hudson difficult chopper, no chance for Womack, single -- routine DP ball, Jeter gets the force, Hudson takes out Womack on the turn, throw is awry ... two down

Trainer out to check on Womack, he'll stay in -- Koskie grounds a two out single through the infield -- runners now first and second -- Hillenbrand fists one, broken bat pop out to ARod to retire the side

BOT 4: ARod golfs one opposite field, gone ... Yanks 3-0
Giambi sits down looking, one away -- Tino hard shot to first, first baseman recovers and puts him away, two down -- Nice stop by Koskie at third, throws out Flaherty to end the inning

9:07AM HST

TOP 5: Hinske leads off with a single -- Rios draws a walk -- runners now first and second, none out -- first jam for the rookie, let's see how he works it

Zaun grounds to Martinez, no DP on this one, one down -- the runners move up -- Wang gets another grounder to first, two away, one run scores -- Yanks 3-1

Tough grounder to Jeter, looked like it kicked slightly off ARod's glove, throw is late to first, Catalanotto singles, one more scores, Yanks now, 3-2

Hudson hits into a force at short to end the rally

BOT 5: Womack shows bunt, pulls it back ... works the count full, the payoff pitch ... fouled back ... grounder to first, great play and tag by Hinske, one down -- on the play, Womack gave a shove and sideways glance at Bush who was in his running lane trying to cover the bag

Jeter grounds one through the infield, single -- Bernie hits a slow comebacker to the pitcher, runner advances to second, two down -- Sheff grounds to short to end the inning

9:30AM HST

TOP 6: Wells walks -- Koskie singles to left -- Hillenbrand busted bat grounder to ARod, tags Wells running by, one down -- Hinske flies to center, runners stay, two away -- Womack gets the force at second

12:51PM HST
(note: went away for a bit, now watching the recorded edition -- gee, I wish MLBtv wouldn't put spoiler information next to the game watching buttons)

BOT 6: Matsui grounds to Hinske at first, one out -- ARod hard grounder to short, two away -- Andy Phillips PH for Giambi -- Graphic just was shown that Yank payroll has gone up from $92M to now $208M in the past 5 years, yikes -- Phillips with a quality AB, battling -- and on the 11th pitch. he doubles to the gap in right center, great! -- Tino flies to left to end the inning

1:03PM HST

TOP 7: Zaun grounds to second, one away -- Adams gets on with a bunt single, takes advantage of depth of ARod at third -- boy, the rain is falling now

Womacks fields a one hop grounder, gets the force at second, Jeter cannot get Catalanotto at first, two away -- Jeter corrals the hard grounder, tosses to Womack for the force to retire the side

Seventh Inning Stretch, Yankees lead 3-2

Gordon warming for Yankees -- Mariano sent home last night with viral infection -- Wang looking like he's done for the day

BOT 7: Bush still in for the Jays, nice go for him -- Flaherty puts a charge into one ... foul -- Flaherty pops foul to first, one down -- Womack hits one really deep to right, well for him anyways ... two down -- Jeter grounds to second, pitcher covers to end the inning

1:21PM HST

TOP 8: Flash in for Yanks -- gets Wells to ground to Jeter, one away -- Gordon falls behind Koskie 2-1, and he jacks the next offering to right, score tied, 3-3

Well, hard luck for Wang as Flash gives up the BSv -- Hillenbrand lines one to left center, all hustle he legs out a double -- Flash's pitches are really flat and straight -- Stottlemyre visits the mound, no one going for NYY in the pen

IBB to Hinske -- one down, runners at first and second -- Rios grounds to short, runners move up, two down -- gets Zaun to wave and end the rally ... but the damage is done

BOT 8: Bush out, solid outing kept his Jays in the game long enough to rally back -- Frasor now pitching -- Bernie lines one to left, but Catalanotto is there, one away -- Sheff crunches one ... foul -- Sheff comebacker to Frasor, two away -- Matsui is put out to end the inning

1:43PM HST

TOP 9: Mariano getting work for Yankees for the first time in a WHILE ... he gets the first batter to pop foul at third -- Catalanotto is frozen, two away -- Hudson grounds to Womack -- that was a stereotypical Rivera inning, one of the few we have seen this season

BOT 9: Chulk now pitching for Jays -- Chulk works a 3-0 to ARod, four pitch walk -- Andy Phillips showing bunt, tics one in front of the plate, Zaun guns down ARod at second, one out -- Tino grounds one through, now runners at the corner

First and third, one out -- Posada PH for Flaherty, and he will get the IBB, much to the boos at the Stadium -- Bubba Crosby PR at third for Phillips

Bases loaded for Womack ... first pitch is low ... Womack rips the next one to right, it's a game winning single ... the Yankees win, 4-3

1:58PM HST

FINAL: Yankees win, 4-3

Another 3 and 3/4 hours of my life awash with Yankee baseball -- I think my fandom is getting out of hand

In my soapbox of the day, why the hell didn't they bring back Jon Lieber? Instead we bring in Jaret Wright for 3Y/$21M ... psshh, it's Javier Vasquez all over again

Yankees now a ho hum 10-14, but they at least have stopped the bleeding on the three game skid

Lilly and Pavano will go for the teams tomorrow in the rubber match -- Yankees going for their first series win at home since the opening Boston series, I think ... yikes