Box breakdown—Each 2007 Bowman’s Best box contains 3 mini boxes with 5 packs per mini box.  In each mini box you get a veteran autograph, rookie autograph and prospect autograph—this equals 9 autographs per full box.   Rookie cards are numbered out of 799 and prospect cards are numbered out of 499.

Parallels—Every card, base and autograph, has the following parallels:  Green (numbered out of 249), Blue (numbered out of 99), Gold (numbered out of 50) and Red (true 1/1’s).

Inserts—The only insert sets this release contains is a Barry Bonds card for his 756th home run and an Alex Rodriguez card for his for 500^th home run.

Rookie cards—Decent showing  for regular rookie cards in here.  Best ones are going to be Phil Hughes, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Josh Hamilton, Alex Gordon, Hunter Pence, Troy Tulowitzki, Tim Lincecum, Homer Bailey and Ryan Braun.

Autographs—This is why you buy this series, and there are some nice ones you can pull.  Here are the bigger names:  Tim, Lincecum, Joba Chamberlain, Hunter Pence, Mark Reynolds, Justin Upton, Prince Fielder, Andre Ethier, Cole Hamels, Jim Thome, Albert Pujols, David Wright, Ryan Howard, Tom Glavine, Alex Rodriguez, Evan Longoria, Clayton Kershaw and Fernando Martinez.

The test of time—Great looking set overall.  It can be a bit annoying that all the cards only fit into large top loaders and you are always wiping off fingerprints from the surfaces but that’s a minor annoyance.  Getting 9 autographs per box is nice and with the impressive list you are bound to get a couple of good keepers on average.  Most online stores have this box at $180 but at auction sites you can usually get it for about $20 cheaper.  If you’re trading you are usually going to break even on this box for that price.  If you’re flipping it will be close, you are still going to need 1-2 above average pulls to break even.

Next week I will be taking a look at the 2005 Topps Total.

2010 Season record: 43-27

The Yankees opened up the week against last year’s World Series opponents, the Philadelphia Phillies.  Unfortunately for Yankee fans, the Bombers didn’t fair too well in the rematch and lost two out of three.

The Yanks opened up the week with an 8-3 victory over the Phillies that showcased their abilities to out hit and shut down other teams.  The game was supposed to be a pitchers duel between CC Sabathia and Roy Halladay, but only Sabathia showed up.

Halladay surrendered home runs to Mark Teixiera, Curtis Granderson, and Nick Swisher after having allowed only three home runs all year.  Sabathia got tagged for three runs in the 4th inning, but settled down and didn’t allow another run in seven innings of work.

For the rest of the series against the Phillies the Yankees hitting and pitching struggled.  The Yankees lost Game 2 by a score of 6-3 to the crafty Jamie Moyer, who showed the Bombers just how much he still has at the tender age of 47.

Andy Pettitte went for the Yankees in Game 3 and pitched very well allowing two earned runs in seven innings pitched.  But the Yankees bullpen and offense struggled.  Joba Chamberlain gave up 3 earned runs without recording an out and as a result the Phillies won 7-1.

The Yankees then took on their cross town rival Mets and lost the first game which made it three straight losses for the Bombers.  However they quickly rebounded and won the last two games against the Mets and took the three game series.

The Mets won the opener 4-0 behind Hisanori Takahashi’s brilliant performance.  Takahashi pitched six innings of shutout ball and held the Yankees star studded lineup to just four hits.  To make matters worse for the Yankees they wasted another brilliant pitching performance.  Javier Vazquez allowed just one run in seven innings pitched.

In Game 2 the Yanks righted the ship and stopped their three game skid with the help of Phil Hughes’ strong performance.  Hughes won his 10^th game of the season by holding the Mets to three runs in seven innings.  The Yankees offense awoke from their slumber and got two-run homers from Teixeira and Granderson.  Chamberlain bounced back with a strong outing and the Yankees beat their rivals 5-3.

In the series finale the Yankees gained a split of the six interleague games with Mets with 4-0 victory.  CC Sabathia was dominant, limiting the Mets to four hits over eight innings.  All of the Yankees runs came off the bat of Mark Teixiera who hit a grand slam off of Johan Santana.  For the second time in a week Sabathia had beaten another team’s ace.

Despite the mini slump the Yankees still managed to take a one game lead over the struggling Rays in the AL East.

Pinstripe Positives:

After a slump in May, CC Sabathia has really turned up the heat in the month of June.  For the month, he is an amazing 4-0 with a 2.48 ERA.  On top of that Sabathia’s last two starts came against top tier teams.

In another pitching positive for the Bombers Javier Vazquez has continued to pitch very well.  In his past six starts Vazquez is 4-2 with a 2.76 ERA, and one of those losses includes his last start when he only allowed one run in seven innings.

Negatives:

The Yankees got their perennial all-star third baseman back this week which is a good thing.  However, Alex Rodriguez has continued the slump he was in before his injury sidelined him.  In his last 10 games A-Rod is hitting .167 with no homeruns and 2 RBI.

A.J. Burnett is having another A.J. Burnett type season, which means at times he looks great and then at times he looks like he’s throwing batting practice.  In his last four starts Burnett has given up 23 earned runs.  As a result, Burnett is 0-4 with a mind blowing 10.35 ERA.

The Captain has also been bit by the slump bug.  In Jeter’s last 10 games he is batting .175 with 2 homers and 5 RBI.  Jeter, who has a career average of .316, is currently hitting .280 with 8 homers and 39 RBI.

What’s Next:

The Yankees are going to take their show on the road as they travel to the west coast to take on the Diamondbacks and the Dodgers.

John Fetter recently joined Baseball Digest as a New York Yankees contributor.  He can be reached at jfetter@sportstalk88.com.

It in fact turned out to be the perfect title, but not for the original reason I expected. Sometime during the 3 o’clock hour on Sunday, there was a blood curdling scream heard throughout the Metropolitan area. You know, the kind of scream you hear in movies. The kind of scream that scares all of the pigeons from their perches in Central Park.

The kind of scream you hear from Yankees fans when Mariano Rivera gives up the rarest of rares, a game losing grand slam. Rivera may have been screaming inside, but he did his best not to show it. Working for only the third time since April 30, Rivera was asked to protect a 3-1 lead by recording the final four outs of the game.

But after the Twins loaded the bases with two outs against Joba Chamberlain, Rivera walked pinch-hitter Jim Thome to force in the tying run. While fans and the media scrambled to figure out when it was that it had last occured, Jason Kubel then became the first major leaguer since Bill Selby (in 2002) to go deep against the Yankees closer with the bases loaded. A sure fire Yankees win turned into a 6-3 defeat before a stunned Bat Day crowd.

It was the Twins first win in the Bronx since 2007. Oh, for the record, May 6, 2005 was the last time Rivera issued a bases loaded walk. The A’s Keith Ginter was the lucky recipient on that day.

By now the pigeons should be back in the park.

Neil Diamond wasn’t the only one with a big hit during Opening Day at Fenway Park.  Off-season pickups Mike Cameron, Adrian Beltre and Marco Scutaro accounted for 5 of  the teams 12 hits, and knocked in a total of 3 runs and scored twice.  For a team that had some struggles in the bottom half of the lineup, Scutaro and Cameron provided a different outcome for at least a day. It is only one game, but it’s worth noting that one month ago this writer wrote that The Red Sox Offense Will Show Up.   I may eat my words within a few days, but for Opening Day, it was the right statement.

Josh Beckett and C.C. Sabathia struggled for their respective teams, and the game became a battle between the teams’ bullpens. The Red Sox won out with 4 scoreless innings of relief mixed in with bad outing by Ramon S. Ramirez. The Yankees bullpen struggled a bit more, with Chan Ho Park and Joba Chamberlain giving up runs.

Twitter was abuzz during Opening Day, as the Red Sox Single A Affiliate Lowell Spinners tweeted that the Red Sox lowered their magic number to clinching a playoff spot by 1!

Blogger Dan S. of 11th And Washington, posted the season finishes for the Red Sox and Yankees when they open the season facing off. The last Red Sox Opening Day victory over the Yankees in 1985 was the start of a 97 win season!

The teams have an off day today before Jon Lester and A.J. Burnett face  off in game two of the 2010 season.  For two starters that combined to win 28 games in 2009, the offensive outburst of Opening Day might be subdued with a potential pitching duel!

Michael Maher can be reached at Happybirthdayredsox@gmail.com.

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Joe Girardi and the Yankees fans got a good look at the future in players like Jesus Montero and Slade Heathcott and ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte in the unique intrasquad game.  The Yankees, whose lineup featured minor leaguers on both sides by the time the game concluded, topped their future (hey, at least they didn’t destroy their future) 9-6.

With the regular season starting Sunday night, that also means it was time for the Yankees to pare down the roster.  The 25-man roster to start the season looks like this:

Pitchers:

CC Sabathia
A.J. Burnett
Andy Pettitte
Javier Vazquez
Phil Hughes
Mariano Rivera
Joba Chamberlain
Sergio Mitre
Damaso Marte
Alfredo Aceves
David Robertson
Chan Ho Park

Catchers

Jorge Posada
Francisco Cervelli

Infielders

Derek Jeter
Alex Rodriguez
Robinson Cano
Mark Teixeira
Ramiro Pena
Nick Johnson

Outfielders

Curtis Granderson
Nick Swisher
Brett Gardner
Randy Winn
Marcus Thames

Manager Joe Girardi and GM Brian Cashman opted to go with Sergio Mitre as a long man in the pen rather than keep either Royce Ring or Boone Logan as a second left-hander in the bullpen.  Either could still be called up quicky if Damaso Marte’s cranky shoulder proves detrimental to the team as it did last season.

There was a big change in the team’s catching depth as well.  With Jorge Posada bothered by a stiff neck and Francisco Cervelli slowed by a sore hamstring, there was speculation that veteran catcher Mike Rivera might make the squad out of Tampa.

Not only didn’t Rivera make the team, he was on the verge of being released.  Rivera became expendable after former Yankee Chad Moeller was released by the Baltimore Orioles.  The Yankees quickly scooped him up as well former Diamondbacks catcher Robbie Hammock, and signed the pair to minor league deals.  Meanwhile Cervelli’s hamstring felt good enough for him to travel with the big squad.

* * *

Drew Sarver covers the Yankees for BaseballDigest.com and blogs at My Pinstripes.  He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and followed on Twitter.

Perhaps that is why the Thurman Munson Awards Dinner, benefiting the AHRC New York City Foundation, which assists children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is still such a hit.  The 30th Anniversary event, held on Tuesday night at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York, sold out again, as attendees had the chance to meet the 2010 Award winners, including Joba Chamberlain, Lou Piniella and Darryl Strawberry, as well as other New York sports stars such as Knicks starting point guard Chris Duhon and Yonkers Raceway’s leading driver Jason Bartlett, who also won awards.

Champions all, which was the the theme of the evening.

Piniella was presented with the Legend Award for his “long and meritorious service to baseball.”

“It’s unbelievable,” said Piniella of the event’s staying power.  “Usually when somebody has an accident like Thurman did, maybe it goes on for a while and then things sort of drift away a little bit. But 30 years later, the charities that are benefiting from this event and the people that are honored here, it speaks volumes of how this city loved and respected this guy.”

Also on hand were three of Munson’s teammates, Graig Nettles, Goose Gossage and Ron Guidry, as well as Brooklyn Dodgers legend Ralph Branca and his son in law, former Mets manager Bobby Valentine.

Ron Guidry presents the 2010 Thurman Munson Award to Joba Chamberlain (Photo: Tom Berg)

Chamberlain, entering his fourth year in the Majors, was born six years after Munson’s death, but feels his presence as a Yankee.

“If you don’t know who he is, you’re not really a fan of baseball,” said Chamberlain.  “Just to see the things that he did and the passion that he played the game of baseball with and the passion for life and his family was truly incredible.”

“This guy was a professional with the way he played and the way he carried himself,” said Piniella of his former teammate and close friend.  “He was named the captain of the team and I think Derek Jeter is right after him, they haven’t had one since, so I think that speaks volumes.  We had such a good time with the guys we played with like Nettles and Sparky [Lyle] and Catfish [Hunter], Roy White, Willie Randolph…what a group of professionals we had over there…Gossage, I know I’m leaving a few out, I’m not doing it intentionally.  Bucky Dent, Mickey Rivers…what a group. I wear my championship ring with pride. It was a lot of fun and a lot of hard work. I’d pay to do those years over again.”

Proceeds from the fundraiser, held annually since the untimely death of the Yankees captain in August 1979, go to  AHRC New York City Foundation, which helps serve children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Munson’s widow Diana has helped raise nearly $10 million for those afflicted.

Piniella, a previous Munson Award recipient, will receive the “Legend Award” for his long and meritorious service to baseball at the event, set for the Grand Hyatt in New York.

In addition to Chamberlain and Strawberry, two other sports stars will be honored with Munson Awards at the Dinner, including New York Knicks starting point guard Chris Duhon and Yonkers Raceway’s two-time champion driver Jason Bartlett (not to be confused with the Tampa Bay Rays’ shortstop of the same name).

Lynn Pike, the president of Capital One Bank, will receive the “Corporate Hero Award.”

For tickets and information, fans can call 212-249-6188 or visit http://www.ahrcnycfoundation.org/.

Among a long list of notable athletes to previously receive the Munson Award are: Alex Rodriguez, David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Willie Randolph, Mariano Rivera, Muhammad Ali, Yogi Berra, Goose Gossage, Don Mattingly, Jorge Posada, Joe Torre, Joe Girardi, Patrick Ewing,  Walt Frazier,  Mark Jackson, Charles Oakley, Bernie Williams, Arthur Ashe, Willis Reed, Earl Monroe, Willie Mays, Mark Messier, Mike Richter, Adam Graves, Tom Seaver, Harry Carson and John Franco.

With players such as Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, and Brett Gardner now entrenched in the major leagues the Yankees now have the task of replacing them in the system. In addition the trades the Yankees have made this past off season sent two of their top prospects to other teams in order to strengthen the big club.

It was an up and down year for the Yankees in the minor leagues as several of their top players experienced injuries such as Dellin Betances, Jairo Heredia, and Jesus Montero. Former first round pick Andrew Brackman struggled in his first professional season but found success at the end of the season out of the bullpen. Others however emerged such as the young Jose A. Ramirez who ended the year on the NY-Penn League championship roster of the Staten Island Yankees.

1. Jesus Montero – Young, big, and powerful are three words that can best describe catching prospect Jesus Montero who comes as no surprise to be number one on our New York Yankees top prospect list. The 6 foot 4 inch 225 pound right handed slugger has impressed at every level he has competed at.
2. Austin Romine – Coming in right behind the slugging Jesus Montero is the best defensive catcher in the organization in the form of Austin Romine. The Yankees selected the 21 year old catcher in the second round of the 2007 First-Year Player draft out of high school and made his professional debut later that season appearing in just one game where he went 1 for 2 with a RBI for the Gulf Coast Yankees.
3. Manny Banuelos – Probably the best left-handed pitching prospect the New York Yankees have developed since current Yankee Andy Pettite. Manny Banuelos was neck and neck with Arodys Vizcaino for the title of best pitching prospect in the Yankees organization but a trade solved that debate.
4. Slade Heathcott – One of the two members of the 2009 First-Year Draft class who made our Top 10 prospect list is outfielder Slade Heathcott. Although he appeared in only 3 games during the season with the Gulf Coast Yankees.
5. 

   Zach McAllister pitching for the Trenton Thunder - Photo Credit: Robert M. Pimpsner

   Zach McAllister – Zach McAllister was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 3^rd round ove the 2006 First-Year Player Draft and made his professional debut later that season as a piggyback starter with fellow draft pick Dellin Betances.

6. JR Murphy – John R. Murphy is the second member of the 2009 Draft class to be named to the Top 10 Prospects. Murphy was selected in the second round of the draft out of high school. The 6foot 190 pound catcher then made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast Yankees where he hit .333 in 9 games with a homerun, a double and 7 RBIs.
7. Andrew Brackman – As a former two-sport athlete in college the towering Andrew Brackman never has been through the regular off-season training routine that typical pitchers went through, in addition sitting out a season due to Tommy John surgery he did not have his best stuff in 2009, but the Yankees still liked what they saw from his development.
8. Wilkins DeLaRosa – Originally signed as a right fielder with a killer arm DeLaRosa’s bat was not able to come around and the Yankees moved him to the mound in 2007.
9. Jeremy Bleich – Selected in the supplemental round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft the left-handed pitching Jeremy Bleich made his professional debut pitching 3 innings allowing 2 hits and 2 earned runs while striking out 4 for the Staten Island Yankees in September of that season.
10. Ivan Nova – Ivan Nova is a guy that Yankees fans could see sometime soon in the Bronx. The young right hander signed on July 15, 2004 as an International Free Agent and then made his United States debut in 2006 with the Gulf Coast Yankees.

Other Names to Know

Beyond the top ten prospects are several players that could break into the list next year such as right-handers Jose A. Ramirez, DJ Mitchell, Christian Garcia and Hector Noesi. That latter was added to the 40-man roster this past off-season. Infielders Bradley Suttle and Corban Joseph are also names to follow in the minors. Newly signed catcher Gary Sanchez has yet to get into a game but could be on the list next season after making his professional debut. In addition the young Kyle Higashioka has the ability to be great defensive catcher as well as become a good hitter.

Check back throughout the week as we take a closer look at the Top 10 New York Yankees Prospects

At first glance, this signing looks like an incredible pickup for the Red Sox. In 2009, Lackey pitched well against all of the AL East teams except for the Tampa Bay Rays. In his career, he has pitched well against the AL East and interleague teams. Lackey will join Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, and Daisuke Matsuzaka to top off the first four spots in the rotation.

Even Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe cannot ignore this impact signing has in the arms battle with the New York Yankees.

A rotation of Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Lackey, Daisuke Matsuzaka and either Clay Buchholz or Tim Wakefield would be better than what the Yankees have right now in CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, TBA, TBA.

While Abraham’s assessment discounts the real possibility that Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes will continue to develope and improve, the reality is the Red Sox rotation is now stacked with pitchers who have shown the ability to succeed for full seasons and continue that success in the postseason.

The biggest concern for John Lackey’s 5 year deal with Boston is probably with his health. Lackey started each of the last two seasons on the disabled list, but avoided the DL once in the rotation. He made 24 starts in 2008 and 27 in 2009.

The question that arises now, with the Mike Lowell to Texas trade potentially hitting a snag due to Lowell’s thumb injury, will Clay Buchholz become expedible in hopes of acquiring a third baseman to fill Lowell’s shoes? How 43 year old Tim Wakefield responds to back surgery could play a role in Buchholz’s future in Boston as well.

After a relatively quiet Winter Meetings for Theo Epstein and the Boston Red Sox, it seems Christmas has come early for Red Sox fans!

The Yankees scored three runs in the 9th inning and beat the Philadelphia Philles 7-4 before a sold out, raucous Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies had gotten off the mat in the bottom of the 8th when Pedro Feliz hit a game tying solo home run off of Joba Chamberlain. But after Brad Lidge retired the first two Yankees in the 9th, Damon lined a single on the 10th hit of the at-bat.

With Mark Teixeira up, the Phillies employed their usual shift with third baseman Feliz positioned more like a shortstop. Damon took off for second, beating catcher Carlos Ruiz’s throw. After a momentary hesitation, Damon broke off for the unoccupied third base and reached it uncontested.

The play was huge. With Damon on third, Lidge would be more reluctant to throw his slider in the dirt. Lidge, who appeared to have turned his regular season struggles around during the post-season, hit Teixeira. Alex Rodriguez then drilled a fat fastball off the left field wall to give the Yankees a 5-4 lead. Jorge Posada provided some insurance with a 2-run double and Mariano Rivera nailed down the save.

Damon’s defense had come into question earlier in the game when he play Feliz’s catchable ball on a hop and made a weak throw home as Ryan Howard scored to tie the game at two apiece.

In actuality, Howard never scored as he never touched home plate. It was just part of a bad night for home plate ump Mike Everitt who had a wandering plate all night.

Jimmy Rollins led off with a base hit up the middle, and then Victorino worked a walk to put runners on at first and second with nobody out and Chase Utley stepping to the plate. Utley popped out in the infield for the first out of the inning. Howard followed with another pop up. Jayson Werth struck out swinging…Phillies had first and second and nobody out, and they don’t get anything…that’s not acceptable! Sabathia did a great job getting out of trouble though. It was at a point in the game where the Phillies could have done some real damage, and they were not able to capitalize. However, they were not out of the game yet, because they are a team of comebacks. Chase Utley homered in the seventh, and then Pedro Feliz homered in the 8th with two outs off of Joba Chamberlain to tie the ballgame up at four.

It appeared that everything was working in the Phils favor going into the ninth inning, and it seemed that the Phils were ready to come up in the bottom half of the ninth to win it, but first they had to get through the top of the ninth. Brad Lidge came on and looked impressive as he got the first two outs, but then he crumbled. Johnny Damon had a great at bat against Lidge, and it was all downhill from there, and before you knew it, the Phils were coming up in the bottom of the ninth with the score 7-4 and facing Mariano Rivera. Obviously the task was too tall to come back again, and the Phils magic was gone. The Phillies will try to find that magic once again now down 3-1 in the series, as they will have to win three in a row to become repeat champions. Cliff Lee takes the ball for the Phils tomorrow night, and he will try to send the series back to New York. I have no hero or goat in this one, because in my mind, the Yankees simply outplayed the Phillies, and it was not anything anyone on the Phils did to blow this one.

Joe Saunders, who performed so well in Game 2, blanked the Yankees through three innings, but trailing 1-0 in the 4th, the Yankees broke through.  Robinson Cano drew a lead-off walk and Nick Swisher followed with a bust-out-of-a-slump single to left.  After Melky Cabrera successfully sacrificed the runners over, Saunders walked Derek Jeter to load the bases.  Johnny Damon got the Yankees off the schneid with runners in scoring position with a base hit to left field for a 2-1 lead.  After a single by Mark Teixeira loaded the bags again, Saunders walked Alex Rodriguez to force in the third run of the inning.  After that it was all up to Pettitte, Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera.

Pettitte allowed an RBI single to former teammate Bobby Abreu in the third, but was spotless the rest of the night. His biggest challenge came in the 6th when Torii Hunter reached on a two-out single and Vlad Guerrero followed with a double.  But Pettitte knocked down Kendry Morales’ comebacker and threw him out at first to escape the jam.

Pettitte received a standing ovation after he allowed a one-out single to Juan Rivera in the 7th and departed in favor of Chamberlain.  The right-hander bridged the gap to Rivera by retiring pinch-hitter Maicer Izturis and Erick Aybar to keep the game at 3-1.

The Sandman actually looked human in the 8th inning when he gave up a two out RBI single to Guerrero to cut the deficit to 3-2.  But the Angels, so sound fundamentally, gave the Yankees some breathing room in the home half of the inning.

After a walk to Cano, Nick Swisher laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt.  Howie Kendrick dropped Scott Kazmir’s throw to first for an error and the Yankees were in business.  Cabrera followed with another sac bunt, which Kazmir “sky hooked” into right field for a run-scoring error.  Teixeira’s long sac fly to center gave the Yankees an insurmountable 5-2 lead.

In the 9th, Rivera retired Kendrick on a ground-out and Juan Rivera on a fly-out before striking out pinch-hitter Gary Matthews Jr. for the final  out.  Rivera strode off the mound, exchanged hugs with Jorge Posada, and the Yankees’ celebration was on.

Game Notes

Game 1 of the World Series is Wednesday night.  The Yankees will send the ALCS MVP, CC Sabathia, out against his former Indians teammate Cliff Lee.

The Yankees and Andy Pettitte trailed Carl Pavano and the Twins 1-0 after six innings.  That’s right, the former “American Idle” had blanked the Bombers on just two hits up to that point.  Pettitte was nearly Pavano’s equal, having not allowed a base runner through four innings, and just one earned run and three hits.  That’s when the Yankees newest Mr. October, at least for round one round of the playoffs, struck.

Alex Rodriguez came to the plate with out in the 7th and drilled a 3-2 fastball high atop the wall in right-center field for a game tying home run.  In seven career post season game against the Twins, Rodriguez has now driven in nine runs. Pavano bounced back to strike out Hideki Matsui for the inning’s second out, but Jorge Posada went the opposite way for a solo home run to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead.

The Yankees bullpen then took over as Pettitte exited with one out in the bottom of the 7th. Joba Chamberalin allowed a double to Delmon Young, but retired Brendan Harris and Jose Morales to preserve the lead.  Phil Hughes would need a little luck in the 8th inning to do the same.

Nick Punto doubled to lead off the inning and Denard Span followed with a bouncer back up the middle.  Derek Jeter cut the ball off, but had no play on Span at first.  But the Captain alertly spun and threw home to keep Punto at third.  He did more than just that.  Punto had gone half way down the line and was now caught in between.  He scurried back to third but Posada’s throw beat him to the bag and A-Rod applied the rally crushing tag.  Instead of runners on the corners with no one out, the Twins merely had a man on first with one out.  Ron Gardenhire, hands a top his head in frustration, looked on in exasperation, his team having run themselves out of another potential big inning.

Hughes retired Orlando Cabrera for the second out and Joe Girardi sent for Mariano Rivera to face Joe Mauer.  Rivera shattered Mauer’s bat as the soon to be AL MVP grounded out meekly to Mark Teixeira for the final out of the inning.

Posada and Robinson Cano added RBI singles in the 9th and, after allowing a lead off single to Michael Cuddyer, Rivera retired the next three batters for a four-out save and sent the Yankees back to the ALCS for the first time since 2004.

Series Notes

Alex Rodriguez was 5-11 (.455) with 2 home runs and 6 RBI in the series.

The Yankees three starting pitchers – CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Andy Pettitte combined to allow three earned runs in 19 innings.

Johnny Damon was just 1-12 in the series and swung and missed his way to the “Golden Sombrero” in Game 3.  It comes on the heels of a 22-89 (.247) last month of the season.

Andy Pettitte tied John Smoltz for the most career post season wins with 15.

Joe Mauer was 5-12 (.417) with two walks, but his RBI in Game 3 was his only one in the series.

While he didn’t come right out and say it, it appears  Girardi’s words indicate Chamberlain will be in the bullpen during the post-season.

“He’s had a lot of success out of the bullpen,” Girardi said. “I can’t guarantee that when you put a guy in situation that he’s going to revert back to his old form if we do put him in the bullpen, but he does have a lot of confidence coming out of those gates.”

For his part, Chamberlain said the unseasonably cool weather bothered him (better get used to October baseball) and would be willing to “fold towels” if it helped the team win.

As for the game itself, the Yankees nearly another come from behind win.  Trailing 4-3 in the 9th, Francisco Cervelli reached on a 2-out single against closer Joakim Soria.  Yuniesky Betancourt had to hurry his throw to get the speedy Freddy Guzman, who had grounded to short.  The throw was wild, putting runners on the corners with one out. But Soria got Ramiro “Catwoman” Pena to fly out to shallow left for his 30th save of the season.

The Yankees came back twice in the game.  Derek Jeter’s 18th home run off of Robinson Tejada tied the game at 1-1 in the 1st and Nick Swisher’s 29th home run, a 2-run shot, tied the game at three apiece in the bottom of the 5th.

Game Notes

The Yankees finished their home schedule with a 57-24 mark, best in the majors.  They have Thursday off before starting the final three game series on the road in Tampa Bay.  Their 45-33 road record is currently second best, along with the Los Angeles Angels, in the majors.  Philly has the top road record at 48-33.

Johnny Damon played his 140th game last night making him only the 5th player in major league history to play 140 or more games for 14 straight seasons.  Hank Aaron, Brooks Robinson, Willie Mays, and Pete Rose were the others.

Damaso Marte took the loss after Nick Swisher fell down on John Buck’s routine fly ball.  The miscue, scored a hit, resulted in an RBI triple to put KC up 4-3 in the 7th.

The right-hander limited KC to 2 runs and 4 hits through 6 2-3 innings.  Over his last four appearances (23 innings), Gaudin has allowed 9 earned runs (3.13 ERA) and struck out 16.  Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman will now weigh the option of starting either Gaudin or Joba Chamberlain should the Yankees advance beyond the division series.  At the very least, Gaudin could play a significant part of the post-season bullpen.

Mr. “I don’t hit well with the bases loaded” (or for that matter with men on base), Robinson Cano, broke open a 4-2 game in the 7th with his second career grand slam.  It was Cano’s 25th home run, joining Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui, and Nick Swisher at that plateau.  According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Cano also became just the third 2nd baseman in the last 70 years (Bret Boone and Alfonso Soriano were the others) to have a 200-hit, 25-HR season.  He also became only the 4th Yankees in that same time period to record the feat.  Don Mattingly, Bernie Williams, and Soriano were the others.

Game Notes

A.J. Burnett will start tonight for the Yankees against Anthony Lerew.  Burnett was originally scheduled to start Monday’s game, but was pushed back a day so that he could be home for his father’s triple bypass surgery.

The Yankees threatened against Ian Snell (5-2 since joining Seattle) in the 1st inning, putting two runners aboard with no one out.  But Snell retired Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, and Hideki Matsui to escape the jam and the Yankees offense flopped like a fish after that.  The Yankees would manage just five hits on the day, three of them byTeixeira.

Chamberlain retired the first two hitters of the game, but then gave up back to back doubles to Jose Lopez and Ken Griffey Jr., and an RBI single to Adrian Beltre for a 2-0 M’s lead.  Things went from bad to worse an inning later with Griffey punctuating the 5-run outburst with a 3-run home run.  It was Griffey’s 16th home run of the season, the same output as his 1989 rookie season, and 627th of his career.

Game Notes

On the bright side, Sergio Mitre tossed five innings of 1-hit ball in relief.

The Yankees begin a three game series tonight with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  The AL East lead has been reduced to 5 1/2 games (ahead of Boston), but the magic number is just one to clinch a playoff spot.

The long rest between starts was an effort to abide by the “Joba Rules” so that Chamberlain wouldn’t exceed the innings limit the Yankees have set for him. It would also enable him to be used as a starter in the playoffs, should the Yankees make it there (hey, nothing is a given).  But tonight Chamberlain continued hisstruggles in front of his home crowd (3-3, 5.13 as opposed to 2-1, 3.15 on the road) and couldn’t locate his fastball, or for that matter, any of his other pitches.  The result was adisastrous 5th inning that turned a 4-2 Yankees’ lead into a 7-4 deficit.

Just as the Rangers had scored both runs with two outs in the 2nd inning, they did all their damage with two outs in the 4th.  Chamberlain retired Ian Kinsler on a pop up and struck out slugger Nelson Cruz, but then walked Ivan Rodriguez.  A barrage of singles (five) followed, as the Rangers blooped, lined, and grounded their way to lead (we can already hear Joe Girardi saying the ball wasn’t hit that hard – it won’t work Joe).  After Chris Davis‘ single put two aboard, rookies Elvus Andrus (3 RBI) and Julio Borbon brought home the tying and go ahead runs with base hits.  Michael Young and Josh Hamilton then chipped in with RBI hits before Chamberlain finally got Marlon Byrd looking on a 3-2 pitch to end the misery.  Chamberlain’s last pitch was his 96th, and 44th in the inning.

It still appeared the Yankees might win the game or at least send it to extra innings when they rallied for four runs against Jason Grilli and Frank Francisco in the 9th inning.  But with runners on 1st and 2nd and no one out, and Nick Swisher at the plate, Girardi called for the bunt.  After fouling a pitch off, Swisher, who has three sac bunts this season, bunted into the air for an easy out.  Another fundamental mistake, this time with base running, then ended the game.  Pinch-runner Jerry Hairston Jr. strayed too far off of 2nd base and was doubled off when Melky Cabrera lined out to shortstop Elvus Andrus.

Things certainly started out well on the night as the Yankees began their six game homestand.  Mark Teixeira drew a 2-out walk from starter Kevin Millwood and Alex Rodriguez blooped a single to right.  Hideki Matsui ripped a double down the right field that took a funny hop, allowing A-Rod to follow Teixeira home for a 2-0 Yankees lead.  Jorge Posada then deposited his 16th home run of the season into the right field seats and the Yankees were rolling.  Unfortunately, the Yankees pitching never got on a roll.

Game Notes

Derek Jeter had another multi-hit game (2 hits), putting him within 18 hits of tying Lou Gehrig’s franchise record of 2,721 hits.

Brett Gardner’s recovery from a fractured thumb is going well and he hopes to be activated sometime within the next week.

Joe Girardi has already announced that Joba Chamberlain will pitch next on his normal five days rest- Sunday against the Chicago White Sox.

WP – Robertson (2-1)  SV – Rivera (33)  LP – Carlson (1-5)

The Yankees were 5 outs away last night from back to back losses to the Toronto Blue Jays.  But the phrase “back to back” has a good, no, great connotation in the Bronx these days.  Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada hit back to back home runs off left-hander Jesse Carlson in the bottom of the 8th inning and the Yankees went on to beat the Blue Jays 7-5, snapping their brief 1-game losing streak.  It was the third straight game the Yankees had hit back to back home runs (the first time since May ’83 when Dave Winfield and Don Baylor, Steve Kemp and Lou Piniella, and Roy Smalley and Winfield again accomplished the feat) and they now lead the majors with 13 occurrences.

The late rally overcame another shaky home performance by Joba Chamberlain, who turned a 3-0 lead into a 4-3 deficit.  Scott Richmond settled down after a rough start and put up zeroes after the 2nd inning.  After right-hander Jeremy Accardo tossed a scoreless 7th, manager Cito Gaston went to Carlson to face lefties Robinson Cano and Matsui, plus the switch hitting Posada.

Matsui worked the count full before depositing one of the new Stadium’s deepest shots into the right field seats.  Posada’s home run wasn’t clear cut at first.  His opposite field blast barely cleared the right field wall and immediately got Gaston out of the visiting dugout to question whether or not a fan had interfered with right fielder Joe Inglett’s ability to catch the baseball.  Replays clearly showed that the ball sailed over Inglett’s glove before coming to rest in the glove of fan, who had it perched on the top of the wall.  The Stadium erupted again when crew chief Joe West confirmed the call after watching instant replays.  (Both Matsui and Posada had taken curtain calls.)

Melky Cabrera and Johnny Damon added big insurance runs later in the inning with RBI singles for a 7-4 Yankees lead.  Mariano Rivera would need it as he wasn’t at his sharpest.  A solo home run by Edwin Encarnacion in the 9th cut the Jays’ deficit to two and a single by Rod Barajas brought the tying run to the plate. But Rivera struck out Inglett and Marco Scutaro to nail down his 29th consecutive save chance.

Chamberlain started out nicely.  He breezed through the first two innings, but the “bad” Joba returned in the 3rd.  Two walks and two hits later, including a 2-run double by Lyle Overbay, the game was tied 3-3.  An inning later, Randy Ruiz, had been recalled earlier in the day, hit his first home run of the season to give the Blue Jay a 4-3 lead.

Chamberlain settled back down for his final two innings, and Brian Bruney, Phil Coke, and David Robertson kept the score as is and gave the Yankees the chance to go “back to back, and a belly to belly”.

Game Notes

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Yankees are 19-6 since the All-Star break, their best 25 game stretch since the 1994 All-Star break.

David Robertson retired one batter, Vernon Wells, to earned his 2nd win of the year.

In picking up his 515th career save, Mariano Rivera gave up his first earned run since June 12.

Chad Gaudin will make his first start as a Yankee on Sunday in Seattle.  Joba Chamberlain is being pushed back two days to get extra rest with Gaudin filling in.  Joe Girardi also said that Sergio Mitre will make his next scheduled start.

The rubber game of the series is an afternoon affair beginning at 1:05 p.m. ET.  A.J. Burnett faces his old team and left-hander Ricky Romero.

WP – Chamberlain (8-2)  LP – Smoltz (2-5)

John Smoltz was one of the premier pitches of the 1990′s and was still going strong when the 21st century began, but a shoulder injury and subsequent surgery has taken its’ toll on the 42-yr old right-hander.  He was a shell of his former self last night as the Yankees finally beat the Boston Red Sox, pounding Smoltz and company to the tune of a 13-6 win.

Joba Chamberlain was nearly as ineffective as his counterpart.  He walked 7 batters and barely made it through 5 innings to pick up the win.  Thankfully for him, the Yankees offense was on a no-holds barred mission.  Johnny Damon, Mark Teixeira, and Jorge Posada paced an 18-hit attack with 3 hits apiece and the 6 thru 9 hitters combined for 10 RBI.

Home runs by Dustin Pedroia and Casey Kotchman had propelled the Red Sox to a 3-1 entering the 4th inning, but the Yankees jumped all over Smoltz and his replacement, Billy Traber, to take control of the game.

Posada led off the frame with a double and scored on Robinson Cano’s single back up the middle.  Yankees fans held their breath after watching Posada get thrown out at the plate after trying to score from 2nd on Nick Swisher’s single two innings earlier.  (Posada, inexplicably, did not slide on the play in which he would most likely have scored.  Instead he gingerly put a hand up to the mask of catcher Victor Martinez, who easily tagged him out.  75 instant replays later, everyone was still scratching their heads.  Thankfully for Posada’s ego there was no play at the plate in the 4th.)

Swisher followed Cano’s single with a walk and Melky Cabrera put the Yankees on top with a 3-run home run into the second deck in right (he must have gotten permission from Teixeira).  Smoltz finally retired Derek Jeter for the inning’s first out, but after a walk to Damon and a double by Teixeira, manager Terry Francona ordered Smoltz to intentionally walk Alex Rodriguez, before he removed his starter.

Lefty Billy Traber, recalled earlier in the day, retired Hideki Matsui on a run producing force out, but Posada put an exclamation point on the inning with a 3-run blast that traveled well over 400 ft. to dead center field.

Handed a 9-3 lead, Chamberlain still struggled.  He walked the bases loaded with one out in the 5th and allowed an RBI single to Mike Lowell.  Shots of manager Joe Girardi on the dugout steps revealed the inner turmoil going on his mind, whether to take out Chamberlain or let him finish the 5th inning.  Thankfully for Girardi, Chamberlain decided his own fate, getting back to back strike outs of Kotchman and Nick Green to retire the side.

Game Notes

The Yankees won despite pitching ugly and I mean ugly.  Yankees pitchers issued 12 walks – Chamberlain (7), David Robertson (1), Phil Coke (1), Mark Melancon (1), Anthony Claggett (2)- the most in a victory in 42 years.  With 10 strikeouts there was a lot of no-contact.  According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Chamberlain became the first Yankees pitcher in 23 years to beat the Red Sox despite issuing at least 7 walks.  Doug Drabek accomplished the feat back then.

Jorge Posada honored Thurman Munson with a number 15 on his mask.  Last night marked the 30th anniversary of the post-funeral game in which Bobby Murcer drove in all 5 runs in a 5-4 Yankees victory over Baltimore.  YES announcer Ken Singleton, who worked last night’s game, was the O’s right fielder that night and Eddie Murray, the O’s then 1st baseman, was also in attendance for last night’s game and stopped in the booth.

During the game the Yankees announced the acquisition of right-hander Chad Gaudin from the San Diego Padres for a player to be named later or cash.  Gaudin will initially pitch out of the bullpen, but could supplant Sergio Mitre in the rotation.

Muhammad Ali was on hand last night to present Hal Steinbrenner with the “Six Star Diamond Award” for Yankee Stadium and Legends Hospitality, LLC with the “Five Star Award” for the food services and hospitality excellence at the new Stadium.  The Yankees played highlights of Ali’s boxing career on the video screen, including his matches at the old Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees are 0-8 against Boston this year, including losing both games of a 2-game home series back in May.  But things have changed since then.  The Yankees have been playing well since the break and take a 2.5 game lead in the AL East into tonight’s game.

Boston is without Dice-K, will be without Jason Bay for at least the first two games, the back end of the rotation has been shaky, and the bullpen hasn’t been as effective as earlier in the year.  But GM Theo Epstein did recently add All-Star Victor Martinez to an already potent lineup and Boston is still a very dangerous team.

Joba Chamberlain (3-0, 0.83 in last 3 starts) will try to get the Yankees off on the right foot tonight when he faces John Smoltz.  A.J. Burnett goes against Josh Beckett tomorrow and CC Sabathia faces Clay Buchholz in Saturday afternoon’s nationally televised game.  The team are on national TV again in the series finale Sunday night when Andy Pettitte goes against Jon Lester.

Notes

Cody Ransom was designated for assignment prior to yesterday’s game to make room for reliever Anthony Claggett.