Boston Helps the Yanks

I had a conversation with Mike from Green Pinstripes on Friday about which schedule would favor the Yankees. If you're out of the loop, there are two different schedules in the A.L. Division series, one with an extra rest day. This will allow the teams to use their numbers one and two starters twice each in the series. Mike wanted the extra day off, I didn't.

There's no way I wanted to face Sabathia and Carmona 4 times. Tonight, the Sox clinched the best record in the league, and chose the schedule with the extra rest. It was probably the right move for them, especially considering the fragile nature of their closer, and the huge question mark for a fourth starter. More importantly, it means the Yankees will face Paul Byrd and Jake Westbrook (if the series goes 4 games). You have to LOVE the Yankees chances against those two starters, as opposed to Sabathia in game 4 and Carmona again in game 5.

The Yankees have rested everyone for the past week. They're going to be fully rested, fully healed, and ready to go on Thursday. There are two questions that need to be answered: Will Clemens be ready for game 3 and who will start game 4? I have to think Skidmark is getting his special treatment in Houston as we speak, and he'll be there, ready to go for game 3. Game 4 has to belong to Phil Hughes. Mussina was putrid in his last start, and Hughes dominated the Indians, in Cleveland, earlier this year.

Peter Abraham is reporting that Torre will carry 11 pitchers on the post-season roster. This doesn't bode well for either Sardinha or Frankenstein. I think one of them will be left off. He doesn't list Kennedy as one of the 11 in his breakdown. This is news to me, I thought he would be available for the post season.

Oh yeah, the Yanks won tonight, with their AAAA roster out there. Andy Pettitte picked up his 15th win with this dazzling line: 5 innings, 9 runs, 8 earned, 8 hits, 3 walks, 2 Ks.

Player of The Game: Frankenstein, 2 for 4, 2 runs, 2 RBI and 1 HR on his birthday.