On February 2, 2005 the Cubs made a trade with Baltimore for Mike Fontenot and the pride of Naperville, Illinois, Jerry Hairston.

Fontenot was the Orioles first round draft pick in 2001 (19th overall) and Hairston a super utility player during his first seven seasons in Baltimore.

But does anyone remember who Chicago sent packing in return?

In exchange the Cubs parted ways with Sammy Sosa and his then 573 career home runs.

As early returns go, the deal appeared in Chicago’s favor.

Sosa quickly fizzled out during his lone season with the O’s. Presumably carrying the weight of his suspected steroid use, the aging star played in just 102 games batting a paltry .221 with 14 HR and 45 RBI. By the following spring the 37-year-old was out of baseball entirely.

Meanwhile, as Fontenot progressed through the minors, Hairston filled in as needed with the Cubs before being traded to Texas in late May 2006 for Phil Nevin, who never panned out, either.

Thus, by 2007 the trade edge for Chicago fell directly on the progression of Fontenot.

But with Fontenot’s inability to establish himself as an everyday player or live up to the billing of a first round draft pick, it seems this deal was an honorable draw at best.

While the O’s gamble on Sosa clearly backfired, the Cubs also misfired on Fontenot, perhaps missing its chance to land unknowns Casey Blake or closer BJ Ryan.

Five years later, it’s all water under the bridge.

Three former major-leaguers have been both fathers and grandfathers to major leaguers.  Ray Boone fathered Bob, who is the father of Aaron and Bret.  Gus Bell was Buddy Bell’s dad, and Buddy’s kids include David and Mike.  Sammy Hairston’s son Jerry is father to Jerry Jr. and Scott.

**factoid courtesy of ‘Armchair Reader – Grand Slam Baseball’

The Yankees announced Tuesday that they are not going to offer arbitration to any of the potential free agents they have, meaning the players are free to sign with any club they want to and that club does not have to worry about giving the Yankees draft picks in return.

For the Yankees, it means that they can set and offer the contract prices they want to for those players and don’t have to rely on what an arbitrator might decide on.  It appears the Yankees feel that this off-season’s free agent market will be the same as last year’s.

Last year, the free agent market did not pay well outside of high-caliber players such as CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, AJ Burnett, Derek Lowe and a few others.  Instead, consistently good players were forced to sign for much lower than in previous years.  For example, Bobby Abreu had to sign with the LA Angels for $5 Million, after a 3 year contract with the Phillies and Yankees that saw him earn $16 Million in his final year of his previous contract.

The Yankees have one Type-A free agent in Johnny Damon.  Had the Yankees offered him arbitration and he signed with another team, they would have received a first or second round draft pick as compensation – but they also would hypothetically have to pay him higher then they might be planning to.

Xavier Nady, Jerry Hairston Jr, Erik Hinske, Andy Pettitte, Jose Molina and Hideki Matsui are all Type-B free agents, meaning the Yankees would have received supplemental round picks for each.

I do think the Yankees have made a smart decision here.  Nostalgia and team pride makes you want the Yankee Brass to keep everyone together, but we all know this is a business and all 7 of those free agents are replaceable.  If it was Derek Jeter in this situation, I’d go nuts about it.  However, when the dust settles, I would like to see at least Matsui and Damon still on the team, at least for the next 1-2 seasons.  I’d offer them both a 1 year contract with a team option for a second year that could become guaranteed based on plate appearances or some other performance measure.

A lot of questions stand unanswered regarding the Yankees and the World Series, such as: who is pitching games 4 and 5; who is starting in right field in games 3-4-5 and what to do with Hideki Matsui in games 3,4 and 5.

Matsui is the Yankees full-time DH.  A former outfielder, Matsui has not played in the field since injuring his knee in 2008.  He has been either the DH or on the bench.  It seems as if Matsui will remain on the bench while the series is in Philly, despite his good bat.  Even though going with Brett Gardner, Nick Swisher, Jerry Hairston, Jr, or Eric Hinske means a worse bat at the plate, it does mean a better defensive player in the field.

Which leads me to who starts in right.  Nick Swisher was the everyday starter in the regular season, but has struggled greatly at the plate this postseason.  He is hitting .114 (4-35) with 3 walks and 1 RBI.  He has struck out an amazing 12 times in 10 games before being pulled after Game 1 of the World Series.

I would want to choose Brett Gardner, but it seems as if skipper Joe Girardi wants Gardner’s speed off the bench.  I am torn.  I can appreciate how much his speed can make the difference as a pinch-runner, but couldn’t he impact the game more with his speed in center field (move Melky Cabrera to right) and his speed as a batter with 4+ chances to get on base?  Gardner is also 2-4 in his 4 AB this postseason

Hinske and Hairston provide some veteran experience in the field and at the plate AND both were acquired in trades from National League teams mid-season – so they both have experience against Philly and national league teams in general.  I want to resist Hinske as a starter because he was a beast as a pinch-hitter this season and with no DH in games 3-4-5, I would want him available to pinch-hit for the pitcher when needed.

Finally, what to do about the starting pitching.  With no day off between games 4 and 5 like there was in the ALCS, the Yankees can start CC Sabathia in Game 4 on 3 days rest and then Burnett and Pettitte in games 5 and 6, also on 3 days rest (which I am sure both can handle) and then CC again for game 7 (if needed) on 3 days rest.  This is probably the least likely scenario.  If a Game 7 is needed, you don’t want to have tired out CC as much.

The most likely scenarios are Game 4-Sabathia, Game 5- Chad Gaudin, Game 6 Burnett, Game 7 Pettitte with Sabathia in relief or Game 4 – Gaudin, Game 5- Sabathia, Game 6 – Burnett, and Game 7 Pettitte with no Sabathia available.

My predictions?  Hideki Matsui stays on the bench.  Gardner should start in CF, Cabrera in RF, with Hinske, Hairston and Swisher off the bench and the first pitching scenario (Sabathia, Gaudin, Burnett, Pettitte/Sabathia.)

Update

Apparently Joe Girardi was looking at the same book I was. This afternoon Girardi announced the Jerry Hairston will start in rightfield over Nick Swisher in Game Two of the World Series.

“He’s had a lot of success off of Pedro,” Girardi said. “We also like the way they kind of match up against each other, and that kind of shows up in the numbers.”

Hairston will bat seventh tonight.

Original Post

On November 13, 2008, Brian Cashman made one of his rare very shrewd moves. He acquired 1B/OF Nick Swisher from the Chicago White Sox for two minor leaguers and utility man Wilson Betemit.

Swisher, a classic “Moneyball” type player (low average, high OBP, bad fielder), was coming off a down year with the White Sox in 2008. He hit .219 and White Sox GM Kenny Williams was quick to get rid of Swisher.

Cashman picked him up as low-risk, high-reward player.

Yes Nick, it has been shocking how bad you have been in the playoffs

Not only did Swisher have a nice come back year with a hitting line of .249/.371/.498 and 29 homeruns, but he also added a dimension to the Yankee clubhouse that they didn’t have before. He got the normally uptight Yankees to loosen up with his care-free attitude and almost comedic personality.

However, things have turned sour for Swisher in the playoffs. Through the first two rounds of the playoffs and Game One of the World Series, Swisher is just 4-for-35 (.078 avg.) with no HR’s and no extra-base hits.

To be honest, he looks completely lost at the plate.

Yankees’ manager Joe Girardi has stood by Swisher throughout these playoffs, but now one has to wonder if his patience has worn thin. Girardi has to be contemplating a move with Swisher.

Believe it or not, Girardi has two alternatives to Swisher in the outfield. Eric Hinske, who was recently added to the roster and Jerry Hairston might provide the Yankees with a better matchup versus Pedro Martinez.

Here are the stats for Hinske and Hairston versus Martinez.

Hinske: .267 with one HR in 30 AB’s

Hairston: .370 with a .433 OBP in 27 AB’s

Swisher is 0-for-2 lifetime versus Martinez, which is clearly is not enough of a sample size to judge. But right now, it doesn’t matter how many times Swisher has faced Martinez in the past. He can’t hit anybody right now.

If Girardi is going to ever bench Swisher in the World Series, Game Two would be the game to do it.

Last night the Yankees and the Angels placed an epic game in the New Yankee Stadium.  It was the kind of game that only can happen in baseball because of its nature. The drama kept me glued to the television once I returned from patient visits during my on-call duty earlier in the evening.  I have seen these types of games before and when they get to extra innings they take on a life of their own.

The weather conditions in New York were terrible.  If it was the regular season the game would have been postponed.  With temperatures which started at 47 degrees they dropped into the lower 40s as the game went on with a stiff wind and mist and drizzle, which turned worse as the rain became steady with the wind blowing rain into player’s faces as they attempted to catch fly balls.  The conditions were some of the worst that I have ever watched with the exception of the 2005 home opener for the Norfolk Tides at Harbor Park where the temperature was 38 degrees at game time with a 25-40 knot wind coming out of left center.  Thank God for global warming or we would have really frozen our asses off that night.

The Yankees got out to a 2-0 lead with one of the runs coming off of a Derek Jeter home run in the 3^rd. In the top of the 5^th the Angels tied the game using some small ball as well as a wild pitch which scored the tying run.  The game would remain knotted at 2 each another 6 innings until the 11^th inning.   With the weather getting worse and both teams beginning to scrape the bottom of their bullpens the Angels scored when Chone Figgins singled to drive in Gary Matthews Junior with 1 out.  The Yankees gave the intentional walk to Bobby Abreu to load the bases and Tory Hunter grounded into a double play to end the inning.  Had Hunter gotten a hit the Angels might well have gone back to Anaheim with a split in the City.

In the bottom of the 11^th with the Angels leading 3-3 Alex Ramirez led off for the Yankees.  Angels pitcher Brian Fuentes got ahead of Rodriguez quickly and with a 0-2 count served up a fastball low and outside that Rodriguez lined into the right field bleachers about 18 inches over the outstretched glove of Tory Hunter.  Fuentes got out of the inning but blew the save.  The 12^th inning saw the Angels with another chance to move ahead but could not get a runner across the plate.  The Yankees now left the bases loaded in the bottom of the 12^th allowing the Angels another shot at them.  They got runners to second and third but Vladimir Guerrero grounded out to the pitcher.  Once again a great scoring opportunity was lost.

In the bottom of the 13^th the Yankees got their leadoff hitter, Jerry Hairston on base and he was advanced on a sacrifice grounder.   The Angels intentionally walked Robinson Cano to set up a chance at a double play.  Melky Cabrera hit a ground ball to Angels 2^nd Baseman Maicer Izturis who attempted to get the runner at second but threw the ball away skipping it past Erick Aybar and Chone Figgins who could not get the ball to make the play at the plate which allowed Hairston to score the winning run. The game was a marathon lasting over 5 hours and will go down as a memorable game.

The hero of the game was Alex Rodriguez.  His 11^th inning home run kept the Yankees in the game and was his third home run in clutch situations this post season.

I picked the Angles in 6 figuring a split in New York.  I have the feeling that this series could quickly go south for the Halo’s if they are unable to get things back together in Anaheim.  Though I picked the Angels, largely due to the “X” factor of Nick Adenhart, the Yankees in my view are the best team in baseball, something that I have said for months.  They are playing with an attitude and there is not a player on the team who is not hungry to bring the World Series Championship back to New York.  Rodriguez and C.C. Sabathia are shedding their reputations as players who “choke” in the playoffs.  The Yankees are for real and I do not know if the Angels can come back.  It is true that they have owned the Yankees in Anaheim this year but these Yankees do not look like they will be at all intimidated by what happened in the regular season in Anaheim.

More commentary in the coming days my friends, so until then stay safe, be blessed and take care.

Peace,

Padre Steve+

What a game. What a tremendous game. You know.  A wonderful game.

-Mariano Rivera (post-ALCS Game 2 reaction)

It is everywhere. The spirit of baseball. The rumbling, suspenseful joy as the playoffs unfold. A nostalgic, championed atmosphere. Even when one is watching from home, Jersey, or Rutgers on a night of cold and showering misery, that baseball theatre in the Bronx has not failed to cease the storm for us, bringing yankees fans or baseball fans all around to have nothing to look forward to this weekend but this.

You take a stroll down Easton Ave, and you can still feel it. The heart-pounding wait, clattering chatter and flashes of espn/fox sports commentators goading on the anticipation on every end.

There are absolutely no thoughts of who loses, but cheers and noises for a spectacular show before the grand win, not to mention in walk-off style! The baseball theatre in the Bronx did just that for its fans.

Rain, clear or cold, they were to going to play no matter what. And it was precisely rain and cold. Whipping out those rather-cute cold head gears, both the Yankees and Angels show much fight with the chilling wind that does none but contract shuddering muscles. There was much to fight against: the mind games, the wind, the cold, the rain, the numbed lungs..  And for the Angels, addition of the relentless, loyal yankees crowd.

Despite the unfriendly weather, it was a timeless classic on both sides in the Angels-Yankees ALCS Game 2 in best- of-seven series on October 17. Costly miscues on both sides; clutch hitting and running on both sides; failure to deliver men in scoring positions on both sides; the stress and fatigue that failed to lower our spirits. Yes, a lot had happened in epic yesterday but in the end, none of that would matter anymore for the team that comes out with the “W.”

How about that awesome defensive play by Damon when he robbed Figgins of an extra-base hit?

How about that umpire calling Melky safe at second base when Aybar did not step on the bag in a routine double play?

How about self-frustration written all over Jeter’s face when he also blew a routine double play?

But listen to the energetic crowd rooting on the Yankees. Hear them serenade the world with chants of “Derek Jeter” when he homered. Hear the roar and quaking ground as A-rod rescued the Yankees with the most clutch-tying homerun at the bottom of the eleventh.

How much life did that bring back, when A-rod carried all expectations over the wall? Unmeasurable. Indescribable. Unimaginable!

Just sense that urgency and power of great relief when you saw that fist-pump and shout as A-rod ran around the bases; and thrusting fist-pumps after Chamberlain and the entire Yankees bullpen pitched out of troubling innings. You never see that often. Ever. But every little pitch, every out, every play, every little thing counts, and the Yankees have turned their utmost attention to the little things that big things like homers are overwhelming.

King Clutch to the rescue at the bottom of the 11th, of Game 2 ALCS

This is why the Yankees are clutch all the way. The little things, that somehow lead to late-inning spectaculars. They prolong the wait with the mentality of allowing something bound to blow the game wide open. Echoing somewhat of Mark Teixeira’s walk-off homer in Game 2 of the ALDS, A-Rod is becoming the King of theatrical clutch, along with Captain clutch and other Mr. clutches of the Yankees team. No matter what stymies their particular plays, the Yankees are finding ways to win.

How about that grand finale? The moment when Jerry Hairston scored the walk-off winning run on a great throwing error by the Angels? Wow..

There were just so much fight on both sides that it all had to come down to winning on an error. Unfortunately for the Angels, it had to be them. But who cares? Our home, our advantage, our rules, our fans, our WIN!

Savor every moment that you can with the Yankees, especially when a game ends with a jumping huddle at home-plate, and a pie in the face. Thank the good Lord for making you a Yankees fan, because this team—-with a season and post-season already graced with late-inning clutch magic—-will not cease to amaze all with more of these magic in the upcoming games.There will be new and odd ones that will only tell you how powerful they are.

Indulge in the 5-hour wild story of last night. Remember those smiles and boisterous joy. Keep it. Look forward for more.

Off to Cali we go! ALCS Game 3!

What an ugly but amazing game…..no post tonight, I need some sleep….expect one tomorrow
GO YANKEES!!!!!!
-Brenden

Happy Hairston....what a game

Alex Rodriguez is turning this into the postseason that erases all of previous failures.

After Gary Matthews scored to make it 3-2 Angels in the top of the 11th, Rodriguez hit a tying homer in the 11th inning and the Yankees edged the Angels 4-3 Saturday night on Maicer Izturis’ throwing error in the 13th for a 2-0 lead in the ALCS.

After the rain came and went on another chilly night, New York pulled out its latest late-inning thriller. The game ended at 1:07 a.m. when Izturis threw away Melky Cabrera’s grounder to second base. Jerry Hairston ran around third to home and slid safely. For his winning run, Hairston got a pie in the face from starting pitcher AJ Burnett.

The Yankees used eight pitchers, starting with AJ Burnett going 6.1 innings, allowing three hits, two runs, while walking two and striking out four. Burnett ran into trouble in the fifth and threw a wild pitch that tied the game 2-2. He settled down the next two innings to keep the game close. Then Phil Coke, Joba Chamberlain, and Phil Hughes all struck out a batter to bring in Mariano Rivera, who pitched 2.1 innings, striking out two with only 25 pitches. Dave Robertson was the winning pitcher tonight.

The Yankees’ lineup didn’t fare well. The 3-4-5 hitters went 2 for 15, with the two hits being A-Rod’s homer and Matsui’s single. Johnny Damon and Melky Cabrera both had two hits for the Yankees, who totaled 13 hits as a club, but gave up three errors in this cold, wet night.

With the day off for a cross-country trip tonight, the Yankees will face the Angels in Anaheim Monday night, with Andy Pettitte taking the ball. The Yankees now only need two more victories to get to the World Series.

Look for a big ALCS from A-Rod.

Because the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have made it to the postseason nearly every year this decade, it’s easy to forget that these teams have not had much success in October in recent seasons. The Yankees’ ALDS sweep of the Minnesota Twins earned them a berth in the ALCS for the first time since 2004. The Angels advanced to the ALCS for the first time since 2005.

The Angels have had the Yankees’ number since Mike Scioscia became their manager. As great as the Yankees’ roster is this season, the Angels’ success over them in October casts a shadow of doubt over the Yankees’ chances to move on to the World Series.

Lineups

The Angels hit the Yankees really well this season (.315 team average), led by Mike Napoli (.500, 2 HR), Kendry Morales (.375, 3 HR), Chone Figgins (.333, 3 3B), and Bobby Abreu (.314, 8 RBI, 4 SB). Vladimir Guerrero and Howie Kendrick, normally Yankee-killers, are both healthy. While much is made of the Angels’ propensity to steal bases, they were caught stealing 30% of the time against the Yankees this season and the normally pesky Figgins was only 3 out of 5 in steal attempts. Perhaps the base-stealing dynamic to the Angels’ offense won’t be the big factor most expect.

The Yankees scored more runs than every team in the league, and a few of their hitters enjoyed success against the Angels. Most notably, Alex Rodriguez destroyed the Angels, hitting .333 with 5 HR in just seven games. Jorge Posada (.308, 3 HR, 10 RBI) also torched the Angels’ pitching. Melky Cabrera (.393) and Robinson Cano (.341) could be X-factors for New York. Interestingly, the Yankees were 9-for-9 in stolen base attempts against the Angels. They could apply further pressure on the basepaths, depending on if their somewhat aggressive baserunners (Derek Jeter, Rodriguez, Johnny Damon, Brett Gardner, Cabrera) get on base.

Starting Rotations

The Angels’ game one starter, John Lackey, had only one start against the Yankees this year and pitched well. Joe Saunders, Scott Kazmir, and Jered Weaver, however, did not fare well against the Bronx Bombers, combining for a 4.99 ERA over 39.2 innings. While it is entirely possible that the Angels’ rotation will come through in this series, the track record this season suggests otherwise.

C.C. Sabathia may have won 19 games, but he struggled mightily against the Angels. The Yankees’ ace went 0-2 with a 6.08 ERA in two starts against the Angels. The possibility he may face the Angels three times in this series could turn out to be a negative for New York. Of the Yankees’ likely starting pitchers, only A.J. Burnett (1-0, 4.26 ERA in two starts) had decent numbers against the Angels. Andy Pettitte (0-2, 7.88 ERA in three starts) was absolutely blistered by Angels’ bats.

Based on how each teams’ starting pitchers fared against these strong lineups, we could be in for short outings and a long series.

Bullpens

Collectively the Angels’ bullpen, like their rotation, struggled against the Yankees, albeit in limited sample sizes. Only the Angels’ most consistent relievers on the season, Darren Oliver (3.60 ERA, vs. NYY, 2.71 overall), and Jason Bulger (3.86 ERA vs. NYY, 3.56 overall) pitched reasonably well in games against New York. Closer Brian Fuentes struggled at times during the season, but saved 48 games. Kevin Jepsen, who has pitched better lately, could be the Angels’ X-factor.

The Yankees’ most important relievers, Mariano Rivera and Phil Hughes, fared well against the Angels this season. Should the Yankees present them with leads, the team should feel good about its chances to win games. However, the other likely relievers on the ALCS roster (Joba Chamberlain, Phil Coke, David Robertson, Chad Gaudin, Alfredo Aceves) collectively struggled against the Angels, in small sample sizes of course. Based on overall regular season numbers though, the Yankees could dominate the late innings.

Benches

The Angels don’t have a deep bench. Maicer Izturis hit .300 in nearly 400 at-bats; his versatility in the infield, his speed, and his defensive prowess makes him the most valuable reserve on either team. Gary Matthews, Jr. is the Angels’ top outfield reserve, but his .250 average and limited defense makes it unlikely he will fill in much.

Brett Gardner (.270, 26 SB) could be a major late innings threat in a pinch running role and a defensive replacement in the outfield for the Yankees. Eric Hinske (7 HR in 84 at-bats) has shown some pop and can play the OF corners if need be. Jerry Hairston is a versatile infielder who has some speed and a decent eye at the plate. Jose Molina will likely catch A.J. Burnett when he pitches and can occasionally contribute with the bat, but is usually a non-factor offensively.

Defenses

On the left side of the infield, Chone Figgins and Erick Aybar are above average defensive players for the Angels. Torii Hunter may have lost a step in CF, but he remains one of the better defensive outfielders in the game. Juan Rivera has a good arm in LF, but Bobby Abreu has defensive shortcomings in RF. The right side of the infield (Howie Kendrick, Kendry Morales) is average. Primary catcher Mike Napoli only threw out 22% of would-be base-stealers, something the Yankees could take advantage of.

The Yankees are a better defensive club than they’re given credit for. Much-maligned Derek Jeter had one of his best seasons with the glove, and Alex Rodriguez’s range improved over the course of the season. Robinson Cano, showboat plays aside, is one of the best defensive 2B in the game, and Mark Teixiera should win a Gold Glove at 1B this season. In the outfield, the Yankees are at their best when Melky Cabrera is in RF, Brett Gardner is in CF, and Johnny Damon is in LF, which is the usual alignment in the late innings. As a CF, Cabrera makes a great leftfielder, and rightfield is often an adventure for Nick Swisher. Jorge Posada nailed just over 30% of potential base-stealers, so the Angels’ speed could be impacted by Posada.

Prediction

In the regular season, these teams split 10 games. Neither pitching rotation has been impressive in head-to-head matchups, which means fans could be in for high-scoring games featuring a large number of innings from relievers.

The Yankees’ bullpen as a whole has more potential and ability, and with Mariano Rivera there to close out games, the Yankees hold a sizeable advantage over the Angels in close games, or games in which the relievers are heavily used. If either team’s rotation comes through with strong performances, it will tip the scales in the favor of that team. I don’t see that happening though.

I believe we’re looking at high-scoring games and a lot of relief innings. Based on that premise, I pick the Yankees to win in six games.

For your morning fix, three quick news items:

• IPK threw 4 innings last night for the Surprise Rafters in the Arizona Fall League. He did what he normally does, baffling minor-leaguers, as he held the Peo Javelinas (awesome names in the AzFL) to just 1 ER on 2 hits, while striking out 4. I’ll have more on IPK later in the day.
• Next up, Johnny Damon’s miserable ALDS against the Twins — 1-for-12 with 4 K and 1 BB — has him preparing for the upcoming ALCS with the Angels. Though Tuesday was an off-day for the team, Damon joined Eric Hinske, Jerry Hairston, Brett Gardner, Frankie Cervelli, and Nick Swisher for batting practice. Hopefully Damon’s .333 BA against John Lackey will carry over to Friday.
• Finally, as you all know I’m a big fan of trade musings and winter speculation. Joe over at RAB delivers with a hypothetical solution to the Yankees’ left field void in 2010—Carlos Beltran. Sure, it’s a whimsical and unlikely scenario, but, as Kevin Garnett eloquently stated, “Anything’s possible.”

Back with more, later…

Bombers utility man Jerry Hairiston, Jr was given a cortisone shot for tendinitis in his left wrist and is listed day-to-day with the injury.  Hairiston left Wesneday night’s game against the Angels in the middle of his at-bat, sending some fans into a state of worry.

Hairiston said after the game that the wrist has been sore since July when he was with Cincinnati.

Although not an everyday player, Hairiston has been exactly the type of bench player that a chaampionship team needs – a aguy who plays his heart out, runs fast and is ready when called upon.

I can see the Yankees letting him take it easy this week since a playoff spot is already guaranteed and they will want him rested up and comfortable.

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A.J. Burnett and Robinson Cano led the Yankees to their 97th victory of the season, beating the Angels, 3-2, to win the series. A.J. went 5 2/3 innings, striking out 11 and allowing 2 ER on 7 hits. He can thank the the Yankee bullpen for maintaining his win as they were able to keep the Halos off the scoreboard in Anaheim (and they did it without their setup man, Phil Hughes).

In fact, one of the more interesting moments of the game came in the 8th inning, when Ian Kennedy was actually summoned to build the bridge to Mariano Rivera. Though Kennedy struggled with his command, in the end, he ultimately pitched a scoreless inning and got the hold. It was a nice moment for a guy who wasn’t even supposed to pitch this season after suffering from an aneurysm in his arm.

It wasn’t all good new, though, as Jerry Hairston Jr. was injured during the game. While taking a practice swing in the 7th inning, J-Hair felt a pop in his wrist. Apparently, he has been nursing a sore wrist since he was with Cincinnati. He’ll have an MRI tomorrow after already undergoing an MRI and receiving a cortisone injection just 10 days ago. We’ll find out more about his status tomorrow.

We have Mr. October and Mr. November. We need a Mr. August, and that person should be CC Sabathia. Sabathia extended his August dominance to 31-9 in his last 49 starts in the month of August last night in a 11-1 beatdown of the Seattle Mariners.

Derek Jeter homered in his second at-bat. Batting clean-up, Hideki Matsui had his fourth career two-home run game and a season-high five RBIs and Sabathia struck out a season-high 10.

Without A-Rod (elbow) and Posada (finger) in the lineup, that didn’t stop the Bombers. They rolled on, winning for the 10th time in 11 games to increase their lead in the AL East over the Red Sox back to 6 1/2 games.

Recently acquired Jerry Hairston Jr. again proved to be an invaluable fill-in with a double, single and two RBIs subbing for Rodriguez at third base.

Matsui celebrated his temporary return to the cleanup spot with his 18th and 19th home runs. Per PeteAbe, asked if he loves batting fourth, which he’s done 15 times this season to Rodriguez’s 82, Matsui said: “I don’t hate it.”

Matsui hit his second two-run homer in the eighth. This one barely eluded the reach of Ichiro Suzuki.

Andy Pettitte takes the mound tonight at 10:10pm EST.