That Was Refreshing

Very long week for me. Just got home (after a 6-hour trip) to find that for some reason DirecTV didn't show the Yanks in HD tonight, so my DVR recorded 6 hours of a blue screen saying "Searching for Authorized Content." F you DirecTV. Oh, and someone, either my brother or brother-in-law broke my remote control while crashing at my place. Wonderful.

Anyway, I caught the last three innings on Yankee replay, which means I caught the last two innings of Pettitte's huge performance (8 innings, 1 earned, 5 hits, 1 walk, 5 Ks). The Yanks were lucky to have Pettitte on the hill tonight, his numbers following a Yankee loss are unbelievable. The Sox split a doubleheader with the Angles, thanks to Gag-ne.

Let's take a quick break from our previously scheduled recap for a few fun facts.

• Eric Gagne has given up 10 earned runs in 6 innings since being traded to Boston.
• Eric Gagne gave up 8 earned runs in 33.1 innings with Texas before the trade.
• Eric Gagne has probably cost the Sox three wins, maybe 4.
  
• Joba Chamberlain has given up 0 earned runs in 6 innings with Yanks.
• Joba Chamberlain's vital stats: 6 innings, 0 runs, 2 hits, 2 walks, 9 Ks.

Anyway, the Yanks picked up a half game on the Sox today, cutting the deficit back to 5. They remain a half game behind the Mariners in the Wild Card race, a game and a half ahead of Detroit.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Jason Giambi's two bombs. I didn't want Giambi to come back and mess with the team chemistry, or the playing time for the younger guys, but he's handled the situation like a pro and made the most of his at bats.

Letter to the Skipper:

Player of The Game: Andy Pettitte.