Game 42: NY Yankees vs Philadelphia Phillies Live Blog

Hey hey kids! I know you've missed me and my witty musings lately. I had a serious spyware issue and then a head cold, but I think my laptop and I are finally germ-free!

Game 42 sees the Yankees take on the WORLD CHAMPION PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES. How snazzy are those capital letters? Wouldn't it be fun if the Yankees could have their name and title capitalized like that? Based on my pre-season prediction, the Yankees only have 74 more wins to go to make the playoffs and get started on the road to capital letter-ville. Can you feel the excitement?

We'll get to the housekeeping notes regarding Wang and the roster in a moment, but meanwhile...

Top of the 1st

Hey, this is going well! Lead-off home run by Rollins and a HBP to Utley. Ooh, and look at that; a single by Ibanez! Good thing we've got Burnett for 4 more years, right? And here I was just thinking that Burnett was due for a shut down start. Boy, was I wrong. For now, anyway.

Roster notes: Chien-Ming Wang is in the house, y'all! More specifically, he's on the active roster. Wang will be available out of the bullpen for long relief and, presumably, will make his case for the rotation the next go-around. Albaladejo, bless his heart, was optioned out. Alby is like last year's Ohlendorf. He got used too often as mop-up and his pitching suffered.

1-0 Phillies

Bottom of the 1st

The Phillies are a hard-nosed team and they play tough. Raise your hand if you're surprised that Myers threw behind Jeter? I wonder how many Phillies fans are here tonight. It's only, what, a two-hour drive from Philly to the Bronx?

Burnett only threw 16 pitches in his half of the inning. Considering there were two hits and two strikeouts in there, that's a respectable pitch count.

Should have been a double play there. Yankees got a break that the ball spun out.

I thought for sure that Damon would score on Alex's double. That was an outstanding relay by the Phillies. Rob Thompson's usually a better third base coach than that, but I suppose it's hard to fault him for that. Like I said, I thought for sure Damon would score there. Nice to see Alex ripping the ball down the line, if nothing else

Top of the 2nd

How did Burnett not come up with that ball? If he snags it, Stairs is out, contrary to what Leiter just said.

This is going well. 3-0 Phillies. Go Mets!

What are your thoughts on throwing the opposing players' home run balls back? Why not just give the ball to a kid? Or, heck, give me the ball! I've never gotten a baseball at a professional game. Despite my best badgering efforts, Kyle Farnsworth did not give me a baseball at Yankee Stadium last year. Guess who got one? Kids! Not fair, I say. Children have longer to live than I do, and therefore more chances to get baseballs at professional games.

Why is Kevin Cash playing in a major league baseball game? What's Austin Romine up to lately? PJ Pilitere? How about Sal Fasano?

Bottom of the 2nd

Michael Kay calls trotting Harry Kalas in his casket out onto the field and having the entire team touch it a "touching moment." I call it creepy.

Glad you showed up ready to play, Matsui.

1-2-3 go the Yankees, and Rollins shows us what it's like to have an older shortstop with range. I'd like to see the lead cut to 3-2 by the end of the third. Let's see. Bythe way, Mets are leading the Red Sox 1-0.

Top of the 3rd

Oops..Boston just tied it. Varitek, of all people...

Could it be? Could it? A scoreless inning? Maybe?

Yes indeed. Thank you, Teixeira!

Bottom of the 3rd

Maybe this will be one of those games where the starting pitcher falters early but settles down in time for his offense to come back. A girl can hope, anyway.

Hey! It's Melky! In case you're new, you should know that I'm Melky's biggest fan in possibly the entire country. Just below his mother.

On that note, Melky was just barely beaten out on a revolutionary new approach at the plate. Ahem.

Mike Stanley? John Flaherty? Jim Leyritz isn't busy these days, is he?

Cy Myers came to pitch today. 33 pitches through three. Is it to early to call this live blog a bust?

Top of the 4th

It's not possible that blowing that 6-0 lead to the Red Sox has had that much of an effect on Burnett, is it? Because he hasn't really been the same since.

I'll say it: I miss Mike Mussina. And Burnett is making Ruiz look like Babe Ruth.

Wouldn't it be great if the Mendoza Line were named for Ramiro Mendoza? I would love it so much if it were.

Again...any other catchers available? Can Girardi suit up?

Bottom of the 4th or, as I like to call it, Go Time!

That was a good piece of quality hitting for Tex. Has anyone noticed that all of Teixeira's teammates pronounce his name "Tex-share-a?" I think we've all been lied to.

Nice to see Matsui bailing on every single pitch. And by nice, I mean it makes me want to throw something at my television.

God bless Matsui and his blazing speed throwing off Rollins. Tying run at the plate. What does Swisher do?

1) Walk
2) Hit a home run to right
3) Swing and miss at three consecutive pitches

And he does none of the above. Thanks to Cy Myers, he grounds out 4-3. God bless the Mets for taking a 3-1 lead on the Red Sox.

Top of the 5th (really? already?)

I went to watch the Mets/RS for a few minutes and I come back and there's already a baserunner. Color me surprised.

Mark Teixeira is my hero. That was a great move to go to 2nd, too, especially with his body already angled that way.

A.J. Burnett is not so much my hero. 5-0 Phillies and that's all for me tonight. I'd love to stick around and watch the Great Yankee Comeback, but I have too much to do before my early bedtime. Look for a brand-spanking-new blog post this weekend. Cheers!