Depressed Fan

Jae Seo (0-0) vs Andy Pettitte (0-0)

The Yanks and D-Rays will lock horns for the middle final game of this season-opening three-game rain-shortened two game set todaynight at 17:05pm in the Bronx, and this is a game I would've loved to have played hookey to see, but no such luck will be attending with “The Degenerate Gambler” home on furlough from Vegas, and a couple guys I used to play baseball with. Whether he was a good signing or not, whether he’s got anything left in the tank or not, whether he’s an elbow injury waiting to happen or not, Andy Pettitte is going to get a monster round of applause when he takes the mound tomorrownight, and he deserves it.

He was a key player in the Yanks 4 rings, and he deserves a hero’s welcome. All nostalgia aside, Pettitte is very important to the Yanks, especially at this early point of the season with three question marks in the rotation. Including tomorrow, the Yanks play 87 games in 87 days. The pen can’t handle 4+ innings per game. They need Pettitte and probably Mussina too, to give them 6+ innings.

In a nutshell: Whereas Monday’s game saw all the stars aligned in the D-Rays favor (ace lefty on the hill facing Pavano), todaynight’s game looks like a blowout for the Yanks. Jae Seo really doesn’t belong in the majors, and I guess technically he isn’t. He’s a soft-tossing righty, facing a lineup completely stacked with lefties, in a park that favors lefties.

Key to the game: Don’t sleep on the Rays. In years past, the Yanks would overlook a game like this, especially against the D-Rays. If they come out, work the count, take advantage of mistakes, and strike early and often this game will be a blowout. If they sit back and expect the game to come to them, they could let this one slip away. Keep manufacturing runs, don’t wait for someone to touch up the junk-baller with a long ball.

D-Rays blogs: Rays Index, DRays Bay.

Lineups: Doug probably gets his first start at first todaynight (I’ll start spelling his name when he produces something in pinstripes). Damon is listed as day-to-day, but I can’t see him missing a game after a two days off because of “sore calves,” I doubt Melky is in the lineup.

Jesus, it would’ve been faster just to rewrite the damned thing. Anyway, wrap-up coming late night, enjoy the game Yanks fans.