Not Looking Good

Another day, another horrible start, another anemic offensive output. We're 19 games into the season and things are looking extremely bleak for the Bombers. Ian Kennedy was the latest starter to pass the buck to the bullpen in the early innings, and yet again the offense couldn't put anything together. The result, a 7-0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

I'd love to offer you some words of encouragement, a decent explanation of how things are going to get turned around, or maybe even point to a couple of questionable managerial decisions (those are always a welcome diversion), but I just don't have anything. Kennedy seems loathe to throw the ball over the plate, in fact he's resembling the current Mussina rather than the young Mussina. There's no excuse for getting shut out by Burres and Johnson, absolutely none. Robinson Cano's struggles are particularly alarming because not only is his defense suffering, but he's moping around and jogging out ground balls. Not a good sign.

If you want something positive, well Joe Girardi looks physically ill. You can tell he takes losses particularly hard, the guys on YES even brought it up during the game. Maybe he'll blow up and raise some hell in the clubhouse. Something needs to happen. I know we're very, very early in the season, but at this rate we're going to look up at the end of May and be in the exact same situation we were in last year. The ship needs to be righted, and it needs to happen soon. Andy Pettitte is on the hill tomorrow, then the Yanks are off on Monday. Girardi has a chance to shuffle the rotation at that point and space out Moose, Hughes and Kennedy. I hope he does so.

One other piece of Yankee news. Kyle Farnsworth has been suspended three games for almost hitting Manny Ramirez the other night. Yes, you read that correctly. Farnsworth is the third Yankee pitcher to be suspended for almost hitting a Red Sox batter in the past two season. For the record, Boston pitchers have hit Yankee batters 10 times last season and this season. Dice-K has hit A-Rod 3 times. No Boston pitcher has been reprimanded once. Not a single time. A-Rod was hit by a pitch the game before Farnsworth's near miss. He was hit right between the numbers in a game in which he homered. David Aardsma was not suspended, nor fined, nor ejected. If the league is going to handle policing beanball wars, I'd love to know why they only do so when a beloved Boston player is the "victim."

Player of The Game: Ross Ohlendorf (It's sad that I have to keep picking relievers who bite the bullet and suck up innings as players of the game, but there you have it).
Team Record: 9-10
Damon's Broken Bats: 0. It's kind of hard to break your bat when you go a whole game without making contact. 2 walks and 2 backwards Ks.