Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Alex is stuck at 499

Tonight the Yankees blasted 8 homers, and A-Rod was shut out. Interesting. I wonder how much the hundreds of flashbulbs going off affect him. They sure bug me.
I guess the biggest reason they bug me is because the flash works in a range of maybe 10 feet or so. Yet the schmuck in the upper deck snaps away as if he is getting a shot that will make the front page of the Daily News.
The Yankees still have a great shot not only for the wild card (3 games back) but I think they are going to catch the Sox. It didn't become any easier today when the Sox added to their bullpen by getting Gagne, but I still think we have enough to take them. Hughes will be back, and Giambi has been banging the ball on his rehab assignment. Once Igawa gets straightened out (again) they are going to have a bullpen that is good enough.
Mo has not been so dominant this year, but I wonder if that is a function of the team rather than his age. He has pitched at least a few times in non-save situations because Joe wanted to get the win. And, the Yankees have had streaks where they absolutely smashed teams, and Mo didn't pitch for a week. That is not how a closer stays sharp. His ERA is a respectable 3.05, but it's not the lights out numbers he usually puts up. He did have a few bad days in April, and for a guy who pitches so few innings, it is not easy to lower his ERA. All in all, I'm not worried, though.
One concern I do have is the hitting. When they are hitting, they score like no team I've ever seen. But then, they will get shut out the next two days. Frustrating as hell. I don't get it. And, for some reason, with Clemens or Pettitte on the hill, they don't seem to score at all.
But they will get catch the Sox. It may be in the last week of the season, and I won't even be surprised if it is a 1 game playoff.
Wang vs Beckett for it all.
You read it here first.
And Melky Cabrera will play the role of Bucky F'ing Dent.

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