The High-Water Mark

It took almost 70 games, but the Yanks are finally 3 games over. It's appalling that it took this long, but let's keep our fingers crossed that the Yanks won't spend another day on the wrong side of the mediocre line again this season.

The Moose got off to an inauspicious start tonight, giving up a three-run bomb to Carlos Lee in the bottom of the first, but the Yankee bats quickly caught up, took the lead, extended the lead and Mussina, Ohlendorf, Farnsworth and Edwar made it stand up.

Alex Rodriguez should have a talk with Joe Girardi after this game. In the bottom of the 8th with a two-run lead Girardi decided to go with Wilson Betemit as a defensive replacement for Jason Giambi. Now, it's questionable whether Betemit is an upgrade at first, in fact, I think Giambi is probably the best defensive first baseman on the team, as sad as that may be. There was a play involving Betemit, a 4-3-6 double play which may have been a problem had Giambi been out there, but Giambi's absence absolutely played a role in the top of the ninth. With Johnny Damon at third and two out, Alex Rodiriguez came to the plate. He was intentionally walked because Giambi wasn't in there to protect A-Rod. Betemit came through with a big two-out double, two-rbi double, but that was little more than dumb luck. Girardi took the bat out of his best hitter's hand for a negligible defensive "upgrade" in a two-run game in the 8th.

That's 10 wins for Mussina, wouldn't it be something if this was the year that he finally won 20 games?

Player of The Game: Melky. He was moved up to #6 in the lineup, he responded by going 2-2 with 1 run, 2 RBI and 3 walks.
Team Record: 36-33
Damon: Two broken bats, both on base hits.