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Let me get this straight. The Yankees are being done in by Brandon Inge and Ramon Santiago. Leyland gets big time credit for altering his lineup to bat Santiago second.

Now it’s looking more and more likely that we will be placing the season in the capable hands of A.J. Burnett. Yeah!

And would it kill Teixeira to choke up and hit one against the shift, or let the ball hit him. We need base runners!

God may be a Yankee Fan, but Mother Nature sure doesn’t like the Yankees. 

Before the series started I looked at it this way…

• Game 1 – Verlander vs. CC is a 50/50 toss up.  But Yankees have home field, CC has the experience.  Edge Yankees
• Game 2 – Nova vs. Fister.  Nova is the 2011 version of 1996 Andy Pettitte.  Fister not that scary. Edge Yankees.
• Game 3 – Garcia vs. Scherzer.  This was the game I expected to lose.  Garcia at Detroit vs. a young kid who strikes a lot of people out.  Detroit’s 1st home game.  Edge Detroit.
• Game 4 – CC vs. Porcello.   Edge Yankees.
• Game 5 – Verlander vs. Nova.  Was hoping it wouldn’t get this far, but Game 5 at home.  You like the odds for Yankees win.  

 The Friday-rain-postponment was quardupally-damaging for the Yankees.  

1. It forced the Yankees to use CC AND Nova to win one game
2. It put Freddy on the mound in game 2 (instead of game 3) creating a road edge for Detroit.
3. It puts CC vs. Verlander on Verlander’s turf for game 3, eliminating CC’s edge.
4. It makes A.J Burnett a starter in the first round!

On top of that all the heavy rain in yesterday’s game came during Yankee rallys.  Did anyone really think Jeter was getting a hit in the rain in the 7th or the 9th for that matter?  I was hoping, but not confident. I always think the rain favors the pitcher, especially if he waits on the mound (like Benoit and Valverde do) to let the water fall off the helmet into the batter’s eyes.  So now to even force a game 5 we have to either win against Verlander at his house, or lay our prayers on A.J. Burnett.   I’ve got a lot of faith in CC, but if he falters I will be scared to death for Tuesday and A.J. with the season on the line.

If the Yanks win today, maybe CC can pitch Sunday, enabling him to come back on short rest in a game 5 on Thursday. Verlander is going game 3. Meaning he’s only going once now. Or, since Verlander is only going once anyway, you’ve just avoided the Nova-Verlander matchup in Game 5, it will probably be Nova and Scherzer (assuming CC goes Monday instead of Sunday). If you throw CC on Sunday, then you’ve avoided the CC-Verlander matchup and created a Verlander – Garcia matchup. Usually you like to throw ace vs. ace, but here if, and that’s a big IF, CC can go Sunday, then you’ve created to lopsided matchups for yourself. Interesting choice.

Yankees up 7-0.  Situation was screaming for Soriano, Robertson and Mo.  But Girardi was true to his word that they were not going to pitch.  The RedSox would have a beef if they weren’t so inept for the whole month.  I loved that Papelbon blew it.  He needs to close his mouth.  Listening to sports talk on the radio, you’d think the Rays did something magical.  Truth is, they were very lucky.  They played sightly above average for September, and almost lost to a triple A pitching staff in the final game.  Price was pitiful last night.

You could do a month’s worth of posting on the events of yesterday. I think I drained the batteries in my TV remote going back and forth between NYY/TB and Bos/Balt.

The Boston sports talk radio station’s hosts better bring suicide counselors into the studio with them today.

Buck Showalter – never the bride, but last night he was one kick-ass bridesmaid of a manager. Girardi just floundered, nice morale boosting game to go into the playoffs on, Joe. 

Papelbon choking, couldn’t happen to a better Red Sox.  Even better had it been Lackey. Now Lackey has the whole post season to work on his divorce from his cancer patient wife.

Jose Reyes – Ted Williams did say years after 1941 and his .406, “If I had known no one was going to hit .400 for so many years after I did – I would have sat out”. That’s in is bio, and Ted was not one to B.S. for sure. As for Reyes….. well he’s no Jack Kennedy, Senator.

Cashman semi-throwing A-Rod under the bus, cover for Girardi to drop him in the line-up for the playoffs – thumb, knee who knows what the heck is going on, he is becoming dead weight.

“Verlander” isn’t that German for “you don’t want to face me in best 3 out of 5″?

This is it. Lester vs. the O’s and Price vs. Betances and the Yanks. The senior circuit has its race too. The Braves give the ball to Tim Hudson, and the Cards against the Astros. A one game playoff will be in St. Louis. Who’s rooting for two, one game playoffs? I think Sox/Rays will be the first game with ST.Louis and the Braves at 8:00 pm.

Flat footed tie between the Rays and Red Sox. At this point, the Sox would be thankful for a one game playoff the way their rotation is shaping up. Bedard, Lester and potentially Lackey on Thursday (if necessary) … oh boy. The word is today the Yankees will play the regulars tonight for a final tuneup (no Jeter apparently) and tomorrow Girardi has made no bones about playing the “B” team. Hey, the Red Sox did this to themselves. On September 2, they had a nine game lead, plenty of chances to put this thing away. The Yankees must focus and worry about the Yankees. Rooting hard for Buck tonight, who is relishing this spoiler role. The Orioles are 21-23 vs Tampa, Detroit and Boston.

Two good races here for the last three days. Rays/Red Sox and Braves/Cardinals. Don’t think the Cards don’t want revenge for the Braves in 1996 when they were up 3-1 in the NLCS.

Sox/Rays is going to be good. I can see a one game playoff occurring on Thursday. I believe the Rays have won the season series against the Red Sox so that game would be in Tampa, if necessary.

Anyway, if the Rays and Sox are tied. That is “MUST SEE APPOINTMENT TV” for any baseball fan on Thursday. Personally, I am rooting for that outcome. I want the Red Sox out. They are still dangerous.

There’s only 5 options: 1) pray that Colon was simply uninspired and now that the playoffs are here raises his game; 2) hope that Hughes can make one more start and pitches well; 3) wish the bats go on a 4 week tear that carries them through; 4) cross our fingers ; or 5) pray the rosary.

Colon has been terrible for 2 months and he’s supposed to be the #3 starter.  Garcia has looked bad too.  I don’t think his crafty style translates well in the playoffs.  He hits too many bats.  Don’t be surprised if A.J. is the #3.  The only way the Yankees win a playoff series is if they score an average 9 runs a game.