Brian Cashman's Christmas Wishes

With Christmas just five days away, I thought it would be fun at what Yankees general manager Brian Cashman would like to see under his Christmas tree for the 2012 season. Fortunately for Yankee fans, the team is pretty much assembled for 2012, but, Cashman is always looking for ways to make improvements. 

Wish No. 1: A (reliable) starting pitcher 

When the offseason began, I like many others, believed that Cashman was going to overspend for a pricey free agent starting pitcher named C.J. Wilson.  Wilson had previously expressed that he would not mind pitching in New York.  As the baseball capital, New York is often one of the most intimidating places to play for free agents due to increase scrutiny from the press as well as from the fans.  What was a big turn off for Cashman and other executives though was how forward Wilson's agent was in demanding a contract from the Bombers. The Yankees didn't budge and Wilson eventually signed with the Los Angeles Angels who no doubt could have bailed out the government with how much money they invested in Albert Pujols and Wilson.  

The free agent pitchers that are now available are at best, mediocre.  Roy Oswalt, was once a top of the line starter when he pitched for the Houston Astros.  However, once he got out of the offensively challenged NL Central and moved to the elite NL East, he struggled.  I'm questioning what his stuff would be like in the best division in baseball, the AL East.  He recently came out and said that he would only like a one year contract, but at what price?  Oswalt was hurt most of the season last year with the Phillie and had one of his worst seasons (9-10 3.69 ERA).  But Cashman proved last year that he is willing to take a risk on a proven veteran (see Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon).  The Garcia gamble proved to be a huge signing for the 2011 Yankees.  

Other possibilities: Edwin Jackson, Erik Bedard (I would highly advise against this), Jason Marquis. 

Wish No. 2: Somebody please take AJ Burnett from the Yankees

Where to begin with Mr. Burnett? After the 2008 season when the Yankees signed then free agents, CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and Burnett, I was fine with all but one signing.  It's no surprise that I was apprehensive about the Burnett signing.  Through his first three years as a Yankee, Burnett is 34-35 with a 4.70 ERA, the highest of all three Major League teams he's been on.  Last season, Burnett was 11-11 with a 5.11 ERA.  He also received 11 no decisions. He did not win a game in the entire month of July and it took an in game adjustment of his mechanical motion by pitching coach Larry Rothschild for Burnett to start winning games once again.  

However, One thing that I do admire about Burnett is his accountability.  He will be the first one to take responsibility for his poor performances day in and day out.  But, at some point, enough is enough.  Unfortunately, I believe the Yankees are stuck with Burnett.  He's signed through the end of the 2013 season and is still owed $16.5 million over each of the next two seasons.  Who is going to want to be responsible for a 34 year old that is capable of self imploding on the mound at any point? 

Wish No. 3: Find the fountain of youth 

This is more of a silly request than anything.  Let's face it, the Yankees are an old team.  Derek Jeter will be 38 in June, Alex Rodriguez will be 37 in July. Believe it or not, Robinson Cano will be 30 in October and Teixeira will be 32 in April.  The youngest starter in the rotation will be Phil Hughes, who turns 26 in June, Sabathia is the next youngest at 32.  What we learned last year is these players can no longer bounce back from injuries like they used to when they were younger, (see Alex Rodriguez knee injury, and Derek Jeter quad injury).  The average age of the outfielders is 29.6. The youngest position by age will be at catcher.  Russell Martin is 28 and if Jesus Montero can make the team, he'll be the youngest player on the team at the age of 21. 

Wish No. 4: Bring home Championship No. 28 to the Bronx

This is the goal every season, no matter how unrealistic it may be.  As we learned the past few seasons, Cashman will do basically anything except trade high end prospects for a short term rental, to guarantee winning the World Series.  I expect to see more or less of the same this season.  I hope for Granderson's sake that the team does indeed win.  After the Yankees acquired Granderson two years ago, he changed his number because manager Joe Girardi chose to wear No. 28 symbolizing the team's goal for the season.  While Granderson had a spectacular 2011 season, I'm sure he'd like to be reacquainted with his familiar 28.  No player is currently assigned to 29. 

That's it for now. Check in soon for another preview! Happy Holidays!  

State of the Yankees: Offseason Edition

Two nights ago, the San Fransisco Giants were crowned the kings of Major League Baseball for the 2010 season.  I know I have been slacking on my posts but school has consumed my life thus far.  So here's a quick recap of the 2010 Yankees postseason.

The Yankees were crowned the American League Wild Card Winners after losing the AL East title to the Tampa Bay Rays.  Winning the wild card was a good thing for the Yankees as they were able to play the Minnesota Twins in the division series.  The last few years the Yankees have played the Twins in the division round they were able to dispose of them easily, particularly in 2003, 2004, and 2009.  Nothing was different in 2010, as the Yankees swept the Twins.

The League Championship series was a different story for the Yankees.  The Yankees won games 1 and five, but were outplayed severely by the Rangers.  Cliff Lee was not the biggest problem, it was the Ranger's pitching in general and the Yankees inability to hit at all.  Robinson Cano was the only offensive player who showed up to play in that series.

Following the postseason, the Yankees made some changes.  Most notably, pitching coach Dave Eiland was given the axe in what General Manager Brian Cashman called a "personal reason".  The public was given no other explanation but Manager Joe Girardi did not object.  Girardi signed a new three year contract worth between $9 and $10 million.

Cashman's checklist for the remainder of this offseason should be a big one.  Here's some areas that need to be addressed:

1. What to do with Derek Jeter?

I like everyone else believes Jeter will be resigned.  The biggest questions however are how long will Jeter resign and for how much?  Hal Steinbrenner went on the radio yesterday to say that negotiations between Jeter's camp and the Yankees could get "messy".  The issue will be how the Yankees decide to reward Jeter.  I expect a very heavy incentive based contract.  But, will they reward him for the 14 seasons prior to this year's dismal performance, where five championships were won and Jeter put up MVP-caliber seasons?  Or, will Cashman try to play the card that Jeter is in decline after batting .40 points lower then his career average?  My guess is they go somewhere in the middle.  It has been rumored that Jeter wants to play until he is 42 - the same year Alex Rodriguez' contract will run out.  I don't expect Jeter to earn a six year contract but I would assume he could get a three of four year deal. Just think, nothing will look worse then Jeter getting his 3,000 hit in another uniform - one without pinstripes.

Closer Mariano Rivera is also a free agent, but after having another amazing season his new contract should not be an issue.  

2. How can the rotation be fixed?

As of right now, three of the five starters are coming back.  Unfortunately, this is not a guaranteed good thing.  CC Sabathia and Phil Hughes were two of the more reliable starters this past season and should be able to maintain (in Sabathia's case) and potentially improve in Hughes' case their form for next season.  A.J. Burnett was the most inconsistent starter in the major leagues all of last season.  One could never know what would occur each time he took the mound.  Hopefully, the new pitching coach that is hired will be able to correct Burnett.  It is unknown what  Andy Pettitte's plans are for next season especially since it was reveled Pettitte had injuries in the offseason in his back.  After taking some time off I do expect Pettitte to come back after having one of his best seasons - minus the groin injury he experienced.  Finally with one spot in the rotation up for grabs, I expect the Yankees to sign free agent Cliff Lee.  The Yankees tried to go after Lee before the trade deadline in July when the Rangers acquired him from Seattle.

3. What about the bullpen?
Last season, the bridge to Mariano was in pretty good shape.  With David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain and Kerry Wood the Yankees had the best late inning bullpen relief in the majors.  Chamberlain and Robertson will be back next season.  The Yankees already declined Wood's option for next season and they will try to resign him at a lower price but that does not seem possible as Wood was lights out next season.  Boone Logan was the Yankees most consistent and at times only left handed reliever in the bullpen.  Look for Brian Cashman to add another lefty in the pen for at least Spring Training.

4. Will the Yankees go after Carl Crawford?

My personal wish is no.  The Yankees did just fine this past season with Curtis Granderson hitting at a sub par level for the majority of last season.  But hitting coach Kevin Long worked with Granderson in late July to revamp his swing.  After Long fixed his swing, Granderson became one of the most reliable hitters in the Yankees lineup - especially in the postseason.  Granderson has proven he can handle the spotlight of New York and I think it would be wise to bring Granderson back with a smaller contract.  Brett Gardner and Nick Swisher should be able to handle left and right field respectively.

Blue Jays take two of three from Yankees

Opponent: Toronto Blue Jays
Location: Rogers Center, Toronto, Canada
Yankees Overall Record: 35-22
Series LVP: Mark Teixeira (see below)
Quote of the series: comes from Joe Girardi on Mark Teixeira's struggles throughout the season.

“I think sometimes when you see players of Tex’s caliber, you think it’s easy,” Girardi said. “It’s not easy. It’s tough, and you go through physical battles. You go through mental battles. There’s a lot of things you have to fight through. When a guy like Tex is where he’s at right now, we’re all a little bit surprised because we haven’t seen it, but it happens.”

The trip to Toronto,  the first series the two teams have played against each other all season, was rather unforgettable for the Bombers

On Friday, AJ Burnett had his first truly bad start of the season since the Boston series in early April.  Burnett could not seem to get anyone out, allowing six runs in six innings.  Compared to his last start in which he had zero walks, Burnett had four, which for him is still pretty remarkable.  Unfortunately when his pitches missed, he paid severely.  The majority of the runs that were given up were via home run.  Toronto leads the league in home runs, so it was not that big of a surprise.  As for the offense, the Yankees would have been better leaving their bats behind in New York.  Rookie Brett Cecil held the Yankees to just one innings, which is pretty amazing considering the offense came off the dismal pitching staff of the Orioles.

Saturday's game, a 14-inning affair, came down to the battle of the bullpens between the two teams.  Unfortunately for the Yankees, they wasted another phenomenal start by starting pitcher Andy Pettitte, denying him his eighth victory of the year.  Pettitte pitched into the eighth inning once again and allowed just two runs.  He struck out ten, which he hasn't done in many many years and lowered his earned run average to 2.47.  The only offense of the day came via a Derek Jeter two-run home run.  The Toronto pitching staff was able to keep the Yankees from scoring again, which wasn't too difficult, as New York could not seem to string together hits when men were on base.  Chad Gaudin eventually gave up the winning run in the bottom of the 14th inning.

Sunday's game brought the Bomber's first win of the series while also allowing the offense to score more then two runs.  Javier Vazquez finally got his record back to .500 by earning his fifth win of the season.  Vazquez had one of his best games, going five innings and allowed only two runs, while striking out nine.  Joba Chamberlain returned to his role of the  MIA eighth inning relief man, and allowed one run in just a third of an inning.  Manager Joe Girardi was thrown out in the eighth inning for arguing a third called strike call against right fielder Nick Swisher.  In that same inning, second baseman Robinson Cano hit the go ahead two run single.  The team was held scoreless before the eighth inning, when Brett Gardner scored on a wild pitch and Derek Jeter also hit a RBI double.  Mariano Rivera earned his 14th save of the season.

So who was the biggest goat of the series?  None other then Mark Teixeira, the first baseman who has not been able to hit anything this season. Teixeira had many opportunities to pick up his team throughout the series when there were runners on base but, like the majority of the season he couldn't come up with the big hit.  Teixeira had one of his roughest games of the year on Saturday, by going 0-5 with five strikeouts.  Girardi needs to seriously considering moving Teixeira out of the three-hole until he can find his swing.  Seriously what is the point of having a hitter in the three hole strikeout every time before the clean up hitter, Alex Rodriguez can even make it up to the plate?

Next Up: The Yankees head to Baltimore for a three game series against the Orioles.  I will personally be seeing Phil Hughes pitch against Kevin Millwood tomorrow!

Yankees take three of four from Indians

Opponent: Cleveland Indians
Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY.
Yankees Overall Record: 31-20
Series MVP: third baseman Alex Rodriguez
Honorable Mention: Andy Pettitte
Quote of the Series: comes from manager Joe Girardi on the team's overall performance in the month of May

"Obviously you would've loved to have a better record in the month of May," Girardi said. "But 29 games in 31 days, some split doubleheaders, suspended games — we went through a lot. We went through some injuries. I thought our guys just kept going at it, and I'm proud of them for that."

The Yankees returned home from Minnesota and got back to winning ways in the Bronx.  The mediocre pitching staff of the Indians and the resurgence of the Yankees pitching staff was quite the dose of medicine the Bronx Bombers needed.

Friday's game allowed the Yankees offense to break out for the first time in a little more then a week.  The offense scored eight runs in an 8-2 victory.  Phil Hughes was once again masterful and allowed two earned runs, while lowering his earn-run average to 2.70, second to only Andy Pettitte.  Hughes earned his sixth win of the season while striking out eight.  Curtis Granderson returned from the disabled list and was in centerfield for the first time in over a month. To make room for Granderson on the roster, veteran Randy Winn was designated for assignment.

Saturday's game was rather unforgettable.  CC Sabathia was a bit wild once again.  Although he did have to sit through a lengthy delay in the third inning as Indians starter David Huff had to be attended to after taking a liner from Alex Rodriguez off of his head.  Huff was sent to the hospital and was back by the eighth inning.  But Sabathia gave up five runs in six innings.  His ERA stands at 4.16, much higher then normal.  The biggest culprit in Saturday's game though was reliever Joba Chamberlain.  Chamberlain allowed four runs in 1/3 of an inning.  The Yankees lost Saturday's game with a final score of 13-10

In Sunday's game AJ Burnett pitched eight masterful innings allowing three runs, only one earned, and had eight strikeouts.  Burnett's biggest strength of the day was he had no walks, which almost never happens.  (This is the guy who pitched a no hitter and had around nine walks in the same game.)  The offense broke out and scored seven runs.  Mark Teixeira  hit his eighth home run of the season.  Mariano Rivera came in in the ninth to pick up another save on the season.

Finally, Monday's game belonged to two people. Alex Rodriguez and Andy Pettitte.  A rejuvenated Pettitte pitched seven innings and allowed only one run.  Oh did I mention he's 38 years old? The fact that Pettitte has been around for 15 years and still manages to rake up wins and have the second lowest ERA in the league at 2.48 in amazing.  Rodriguez hit his second grand slam of the season, and 20th all time after Mark Teixeira was intentionally walked in the seventh inning.  Rodriguez hits virtually everything in site after Teixeira is intentionally walked before he goes up to bat.  Hopefully opposing managers won't read those statistics.  Derek Jeter also had two hits in the game in the Yankees 7-2 victory.

Next Up: The Yankees are in the middle of a three game set with the Baltimore Orioles.

Yanks get back on winning track against Twins

Opponent: Minnesota Twins
Location: Target Field, Minneapolis, MN
Yankees overall record: 28-19
Series MVP: Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera
Quote of the series: comes from closer Mariano Rivera on how Pettitte continues to amaze with the way he's pitching this season

“If there is somebody who can get out of a jam like that, it’s Andy,” Mariano Rivera said. “He made the pitches. All of his composure. Getting it done. I’ve seen it over and over.”

The Yankees made their first and only  trip of the regular season to Minnesota and the new Target Field.  Overall the ballpark is beautiful and one of the nicest ballparks around the league.

Leave it to the Yankees however to experience the first weather related delay in Minnesota since the 1970s.

Tuesday night was truly an interesting game.  AJ Burnett was dealing with Minnesota starter Scott Baker through five innings.  After five innings however, mother nature finally decided to punish the Minnesota sports fans.  The clouds opened up and it began down-pouring.  The game was suspended after a two-hour rain delay.

Luckily for Burnett, as the opposing pitcher, if the Yankees found a way to score in the top of the sixth inning, and the team could hold the lead, Burnett would earn the win.

And that's exactly what the Yankees did.  Derek Jeter hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth to score the only run of the game.  He also helped preserve that lead by making one of his patten jump throws in the bottom of the inning on the defensive side of the ball.

Rivera came in to get the save and the Yankees had won their first game since last Friday.

Just a couple hours later, the second game was set to begin.  This time it was Mr. Reliable, Andy Pettitte versus Francisco Cervelli.

Pettitte has continued to work magic by continuing his tremendous start to the season.  I've haven't seen Pettitte this dominant since his first initial few seasons with the Yankees, 15 years ago.  Not only did Pettitte out-duel Lirano for eight innings, he also lowered his ERA, which now sits at a miniscule 2.62.

The team won with a score of 3-2.  The offense was aided by a double from rookie Kevin Russo, a triple from Brett Gardner and the game winning home run from Nick Swisher.

Pettitte's greatest inning of the night came in the seventh when he got Joe Mauer to ground into an inning ending double play, with the bases loaded.  Rivera then came in for his second save of the day, to preserve the lead.

Thursday's game was Javier Vazquez's first time pitching since leaving his start early against the Mets on Friday. Unfortunately, good Javy was left behind in Queens.

Although Vazquez's ability to limit the damage by the opposing team has improved significantly, he  could still work on it.  He only allowed 5 earned runs, and should have been more if not for the spacious conditions in Target Field.

The bullpen gave up three more runs, making the final score 8-2.

Next Up: The Yankees return home once again for a four game series against the last-place Cleveland Indians.

Rays sweep Yankees

Opponent: Tampa Bay Rays
Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Yankees overall record: 25-16
Series MVP: no one
Quote of the series: comes from manager Joe Girardi and his thoughts on the series

"We battled back in every game here,” Joe Girardi said. “We scored runs. We just gave up too many.”

The Yankees had a chance to sweep the series against the Tampa Bay Rays and would have been only one game out of first place.  Unfortunately, the exact opposite happened with the Rays sweeping the Yankees, leaving the Bombers five games out of first place.

Wednesday's game was rather unforgettable.  AJ Burnett was once again wild and gave up six total runs.  He gave up four in the fourth inning alone.  The offense did their best to rally back yet were ultimately defeated, 10-6.

Wednesday's game also brought bad news on the injury front.  Marcus Thames tripped over his own bat and sprained his ankle.  He is listed as day to day.  It was also announced Jorge Posada has a fractured bone in his right foot and could be out for a month.  Chad Moeller was recalled to take Posada's place yet Francisco Cervelli will continue to start.

Thursday's game brought a beating to lefty starter, Andy Pettitte.  Pettitte gave up three runs in the entire game, doubling his total for the season.  The game began as back and forth offensive action between the two teams.  However, as soon as the two teams were tied in the fourth, Pettitte gave up more runs.

The end result of Thursday's game was a 8-6 Rays victory thus concluding a forgetful series.

Something needs to be done with the roster if this losing streak continues, if not the Rays will run away with the division, similar to a pace that the '98 Yankees did.

Next Up: The Yankees begin inter-league play with round one of the Subway Series.  The Yankees will travel to Citi Field to play the New York Mets.

Yankees split series with Red Sox

Opponent: Boston Red Sox
Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Yankees overall record: 25-14
Series MVP: the Red Sox defense
Quote of the series: comes from Javier Vazquez, who earned the win Monday, on AJ Burnett's antics of throwing a pie in the face during walk off wins.

“I was watching from afar last year, all of the pies in the face from A.J.,” Vazquez said. “I was glad to finally see one in person.”

The short two-game series was definitely a tale of pitching and defense from either side.

Monday's game began as a pitching match up between Yankees starter Phil Hughes and Boston hurler Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Like each of Hughes' starts this season, he started very strong.  Though as the game progressed he got wilder.  He was staked to an early 5-0 lead before eventually giving up five runs himself.  The game was then passed on to the bullpen which for the exception of Chan Ho Park did a great job.

Park returned from the disabled list after a month's stay.  In his first game back, he gave up three runs. All three runs were from home runs, from Yankee killer, Kevin Youkilis and catcher Victor Martinez.

Luckily the offense was not immune to the fastballs Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon throws.  Alex Rodriguez hit a game-tying home run to tie the game at 9 which set the stage for the winning runs.  New Yankee right fielder, Marcus Thames, who was playing for the injured Nick Swisher, hit a two-run, game-winning home run for a final score of 11-9.

Thames was christened to the newest Yankee tradition of a pie in the face after hitting the walk off home run courtesy of Burnett.

Tuesday's game was the complete opposite of Monday's.

CC Sabathia started against Red Sox starter Josh Beckett.

Like much of the series at Fenway two weeks ago, Beckett was awful.  He gave up five runs and was forced to leave the game early due to a tight back.

Consequently, the Yankees filed a protest to the Commissioner's office because Joe Girardi felt the Sox were trying to hide Beckett's injury, thus giving their reliever ample time to warm up.  A decision will have to be made in the next couple weeks regarding the protest, but it is likely the decision will be upheld.

Like Monday's game, the bullpen blew the game.  This time though it was Joba Chamberlain's fault.  He had a 5-1 lead before coming in the inning, and when he left the score was tied 5-5.

In the ninth, Mariano Rivera gave up two runs thanks to a costly error by Thames.  The score of 7-5 at the end of the inning.

The Yanks had a chance to come back in the bottom of the ninth and even scored a run with no runs to make the score 7-6.  They unfortunately were not able to get Robinson Cano in from third with two outs remaining.

Next Up: The Yankees welcome the Rays to the Bronx for a crucial two-game series that will help determine who will win the AL East.  Burnett will get the ball in game one.

Yanks take two of three at Fenway

Opponent: Boston Red Sox

Location: Fenway Park, Boston, Ma.

Yankees overall record: 21-9

Series MVP: Francisco Cervelli

Honorable Mention: Brett Garnder, Nick Swisher, Phil Hughes

Quote of the series: comes from Mark Teixeira on Cervelli

"He comes up (last year) and everyone talks about his defense. He’s going to catch, he’s going to throw, he’s going to be great behind the plate,” Mark Teixeira said. “This guy is impressing me more and more every day. He stepped up for a future Hall of Famer. He’s stepping up and doing a great job for Jorge.”

The Yankees were able to continue their winning ways before losing the series finale to the Red Sox, this past weekend.

Friday's game was a clear demonstration of how patient this Yankee offense can be.  Going into the game, the thought was the game was going to be a pitching battle between Red Sox starter Josh Beckett and Yankee youngster Phil Hughes.  Hughes was able to out battle a wild Beckett.  Beckett simply unraveled and allowed 8 runs in the sixth inning while also hitting Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter.  Jeter's plunking came with the bases loaded to allow another run in.  Hughes meanwhile, continued his dominant start to the season by pitching seven effective innings, allowing two runs.  His season earned run average sits at a miniscule 1.69.  This is what manager Joe Girardi had to say about Hughes' start from Friday.

“Beckett struck out five of the first six hitters and it’s not looking like you’re going to get a lot of runs,” Girardi said. “And (Hughes) just matched him.”

Saturday's game was a bit of a back and forth game until the two teams hit a one hour and twenty minute rain delay in the fifth inning.  CC Sabathia was unable to get the win, after only pitching 4 and 2/3 innings.  He needed one more strike to qualify for a win but the umpires called a rain delay before he was able to complete the at bat.  Alfredo Aceves came in and got the win following the delay, yet he had to come out early due to a stiff lower back.  He is considered day to day and the Yankees have no plan to put him on the DL.  The offense exploded following the delay.  Teixeira hit 3 home runs and is finally over his April slump.  Cervelli had five RBI's from Saturday's game.

Sunday's game, mothers day, brought the Jekyl and Hyde  AJ Burnett once again to Fenway.  Up until Sunday's game, Burnett has been virtually unhitable.  Boy did that change.  Burnett allowed eight runs in an overall ugly game.  The defense was not the best and the weather was simply miserable; cold and windy.  With the wind the temperatures were down into the low 30s.  Girardi was ejected for protecting his player, Marcus Thames.  Unfortunatley it did nothing to inspire the team.  Jon Lester was pitching too well to get a hit.


Next Up: The Yankees head to Detroit for a four game series against the Tigers.  Former teammates Johnny Damon and Phil Coke all now play for the Tigers. 

How sweep it is! Yanks sweep O's in Bronx

Opponent: Baltimore Orioles

Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY.
Yankees Overall Record: 19-8
MVP of the Series: Francisco Cervelli
Honorable Mention: AJ Burnett
Quote of the series: comes from manager Joe Girardi about the recent injury bug that has bitten the Yankees

"Part of what you have to manage is the competitive spirit in them. You have to determine whether it’s just soreness or injury, and does soreness turn into injury. Those are things you have to determine as a manager. It’s usually harder when a guy has mileage. When a guy has mileage, they’ve probably pitched through aches and pains or played through aches and pains.”

The Yankees defeated the Orioles with the strength of their pitching staff over the past three days.  In game one, CC Sabathia was outstanding.  He pitched eight innings and only gave up one run, a home run to Orioles catcher Matt Wieters.

Jorge Posada had to leave Monday's game early with a strained calf.  He had a MRI taken on his calf which came back negative.  Posada has not played since Monday but is expected to be back sometime for the Boston series.

Tuesday's game belonged to AJ Burnett.  He was outstanding.  His curveball is back to the form it was in during the 2008 season when Burnett was with the Blue Jays.  He is baffling his opponents with the pitch and it proved true during Tuesday's game.  He only gave up one unearned run through 7.1 innings.

Burnett could not have won Tuesday's game without help from his catcher, Francisco Cervelli.  Cervelli really stepped up his game with not only his defense but his offense.  He hit his first career triple and drove in two go-ahead runs.

Wednesday's game was a bit of a mixed bag with the results.  The team got the all important win but they were bit by the injury bug yet again.  Starting pitcher Andy Pettitte had to leave after five innings after experiencing stiffness in his elbow.  He was sent to the hospital for a MRI where minor swelling was revealed.  He will most likely just undergo treatment and the team will continue to monitor his elbow.

The concern now is how the injuries will continue to stack up.  Last series, Curtis Granderson was lost.  Mariano Rivera hasn't been available since the weekend, but Joba Chamberlain has taken over the closing duties for the moment.  Then this series both Posada and Pettitte went down.  Hopefully, Rivera, Pettitte or Posada will have to spend time on the DL, otherwise the team could be in serious trouble.

Next Up: The Yankees head back up to Boston to play the Red Sox for a three game series.

-Courtney