Depressed Fan

Here's formula: Get a couple runs early (A-Rod's two-run bomb in the top of the first), get length from your starter (7 innings from the Wanger), and get the ball to the end of your bullpen with the lead (Farnsworth a dominant 8th, Mo the 9th for the save). That's the formula the Yanks have used since 1996, and that's formula they're perfecting on their march to the playoffs right now.

Yet another young Royals pitcher (Zach Greinke this time) thought he could get a fastball by A-Rod in a fastball count. Yet again, a lesson was learned. A-Rod has 8 bombs in the first 9 days of September, the team has won 9 of 12, and took 9 of 10 from the Royals on the season.

The road will get tougher later in the week. The Yankees travel to Toronto and send Phil Hughes, Mike Mussina and Ian Kennedy to the hill to face the Jays. Obviously, there's potential for disaster there, especially from Mussina, but the Yanks also fortified their roster with September call ups today. Headed to T.O. to join the Yanks are Sean Henn, Kei Igawa, Matt DeSalvo, Jeff Karstens,  Bronson Sardinha and Ross Ohlendorf. Joe has plenty of arms out there, so he should have a short leash over the next three games, especially with Mussina.

The Sox picked up another win over the Orioles, so the deficit stands at 5.5 games. The Mariners managed to take a game from the Ligers, so the Yankee Wild Card lead moves to 4 over Detritus and 5.5 over Seattle. The rotation is set up for the Boston series next weekend. Pettitte vs. Dice-K in game 1, Wang against Beckett in game 2, either Clemens (if he's back) or Hughes in game 3 vs. Schilling, but there are three big games to play today between now and then so let's keep our fingers crossed that the kids can keep rolling and Mussina will be lifted before the game is out of reach.

Player of The Game: A-Bomb, 2 for 3, 2 runs, 2 RBI, 1 walk, 1 home run.