Rasner Win Overshadowed by Joba News

Let's get one thing straight, Darrel Rasner pitched one heck of a game last night. 7.0 innings of work, 6 strikeouts and only 1 walk with 0 runs. You can't ask for anything more from a starting pitcher. It's something no other Yankee pitcher has come close to in their recent starts. For a guy called up in the middle of the season, Rasner is doing a commendable job. It wasn't a flawless performance, as Rasner got himself in trouble once or twice, but just as quickly he got out of the jam without giving up a run.

I like what I see from Darrel. I'm not putting him down as the next Cy Young winner, but I think he could prove a reliable back end guy. If he could pitch like he did last night all of the time, he'd be the ace on someone's rotation, but not all of the games will go as smoothly as what we just saw.

The big news generated after the game was Joe Girardi's comments about Joba Chamberlain stating that the process had begun and that the Yankees were beginning to stretch out Joba's innings to prepare him for a starting role. More news has been coming out from various sources that Cashman had talked with Joba and the young star confirmed that he's mentally ready and wants to give starting a try. That is the most important part of the equation for me. I was getting worried that Joba would become too comfortable in his set-up role and might not look favorably on the move to the rotation which would subconsciously kill any real chance of him ever succeeding in that role. The fact that Chamberlain thinks he's ready is a good sign. It's also a good sign that the Yankees still have some baseball sense about them and realize what a tragic mistake it would be if they didn't give him a shot as a starter.

On the other side of the ball, Alex Rodriguez was on fire. Officially he had 3 hits including 1 home run and 2 RBIs, but anyone watching on TV saw the replay clearly indicating that one hit ruled a double was clearly a home run. There was no doubt about it in anyone's mind and it will again cause a bit of talk about the idea of instant replay in baseball. A-Rod looked good at the plate and seemed to run well also, hustling out plays and going near full speed. Even in his absence, the Yankee hitters should have been producing more runs and playing better than they had. I'm not buying the lack of A-Rod as a valid excuse for their previous struggles. Having A-Rod back, having a guy who starts making contact and hitting the ball can provide a spark that jump starts some of the other players.

Lastly I want to comment on another guy who's doing an outstanding job, Chad Moeller. Moeller seems to be doing an excellent job of reading his pitchers and hitters. He's made some nice defensive plays and has been hitting decently. Last night he went 2 for 5 and brought his average up to .262. Despite being placed on waivers earlier in the season, Chad indicated he would be happy to remain with the organization even in the minors. When he was called back up he continued to perform well. This guy has done all that you could ask and more. I don't know what his future with the Yankees will be, considering you've got Posada, Molina and Cervelli, but he certainly has served the team well.

Joba Loses

Joba Chamberlain is not invincible in the bullpen as some have come to believe, and proved it in the Yankees 7-6 loss to the Chicago White Sox. The young star gave up the winning run in the ninth inning and was credited for the loss.  Maybe now some people will stop perseverating about how dominant he is as a late reliever and how he needs to stay in the bullpen.

That's not going to happen, but I can dare to dream right?

For the record, I'm a huge Joba fan and think he'll be an all star pitcher for many years with the Yankees. Giving up 1 run on 2 hits in 1.1 innings of work. Stuff happens and even the best pitchers get hit once in a while, so lets just hope this doesn't get into Joba's head too much. "I give up hits and that's the way it's going to be. I let my team down," said Chamberlain after the game.

The story of the night was the Yankee pitchers and the tragedy that surrounded each of them.

Phil Huges looked much better in his first 2 innings, giving up only 1 hit and no runs. In the first inning he threw quite a few pitches and worked into a few deep counts but in the second inning he ripped through the opposing batters. In the middle of the third inning the rain came again and after the significant delay, Joe Girardi and Dave Eiland decided to pull Hughes in favor of Ross Ohlendorf, who apparently they think is a long reliever.

Ross Ohlendorf has a lot of talent and could turn into a very  successful reliever in the major leagues, but the longer he pitches, the less effective he is. Ross' velocity and stuff as a starter was always a step down from his stuff as a reliever, where he'd come in and throw harder with more movement. This season he's had some nice 3 inning outings, but last night he came undone after one. The first inning Ohlendorf pitched beautifully, but the second he came out flat and got tagged. In the end Ross gave up 5 runs on 5 hits in 2 innings.

I didn't like Joe Girardi's decision not to have a long reliever on the team out of Spring training and it continues to hurt the team. Darrel Rasner is pitching extremely well in the minors and deserves a chance to come up. He's the guy you want to bring in to relieve Hughesey, Ike, or Moose if they need to come out early. A long reliever will eat up a bunch of innings, hopefully keeping the game close until you can bring in your closer. As much as I like Ohlendorf, he's definitely not long reliever material.

LaTroy Hawkins was decent, giving up 1 run in 2 innings of work. Kyle Farnsworth pitched a scoreless inning until slipping off the mound and hurting his right elbow. Kyle said he hoped to be back in action on Friday.

Brian Bruney didn't pitch this game but apparently sprained his foot or ankle on Wednesday night while attempting (unsuccessfully) to cover first base. Bruney will likely go on the DL so that another pitcher can be brought up. The Yankees have been using their bullpen heavily and need some fresh arms.

Jason Giambi had a decent hitting night going 2 for 4, but remains a defensive liability. He botched a simple 5 foot toss to Hughes who was running to cover first. Thankfully the athletic pitcher was able to reach down low and scoop the ball in time, but there is no excuse for that kind of sloppy play, especially when you have guys like Ensberg and Duncan available.

The Yankees will be making some moves today, putting people on the DL and calling up relievers from the minors. Now might be the time Chad Moeller gets sent back down since Molina and Posada both appear to be healthy. If so, once again, congratulations Chad on doing an outstanding job of filling in!

Strong Outing For Pettitte

Andy Pettitte pitched a strong 7 scoreless innings today, providing the bullpen some much needed relief. Yankee fans need to hope and pray that Pettitte can stay healthy all year and not miss any starts.

Joba faced two batters but was unable to get an out and Bruney relieved him and let an inherited runner score, giving Chamberlain an earned run.

Johnny Damon went 2 for 4 and hit a 2 run home run. Chad Moeller continues to impress, also going 2 for 4. One of his hits bounced off of the centerfield wall and was half an inch from being a home run. He's done more than anyone expected and will be kept around for a while longer just in case Posada has a setback when he returns to catching.

Jason Giambi continues to struggle at the plate and is now hitting .109 for the season.

A Rod had a strained right quad and left the game. Expect him to be out for the better part of a week.

There were two rain delays, each of 37 minutes, but the wait didn't affect Mariano Rivera who came in and closed out the 9th inning.

This game should boost spirits a bit. Andy Pettitte was the star of the game and is still a cornerstone of this team.

It's hard to believe this Chad Moeller is the same journeyman with the abysmal bat in prior years. He's excelled in his latest big league stint. Good job Chad!

Final score: Yankees 7, Orioles 1.

Yanks Win 15-9

There would be no thoughts of a no-hitter for Chien Ming Wang on this night. Instead the Yankees ace gave up 8 runs on 9 hits in 4.0 innings. Boston starter Clay Buchholz didn't fare much better, lasting 3.2 innings and giving up 7 runs on 8 hits.

Boston's bullpen took a beating with Juan Tavarez and Mike Timlin giving up several runs each, although David Aardsma looked good in 2 scoreless innings.

There were some big innings which produced some back and forth excitement, but in the end the Yankees put more runs on the board.

Every Yankee hitter in the lineup got a hit, led by Chad "I can play in the show" Moeller. The backup catcher went 3 for 4 and drew a walk. The most impressive play by Chad was running the bases where he showed some savvy in sliding a bit wide on the outfield side of second base, still getting forced out but disrupting the double play and allowing a run to score. Nice work Chad!

Alex Rodriguez hit another home run, number 522, putting him ahead of Ted Williams and Willie McCovey in sole possession of number 15 on the all time list.

Ohledorf had a little trouble, giving up 1 run in one inning and was responsible for a few of Wang's runs from inherited baserunners. Latroy Hawkins looked sharp on his return home. There were no boos or chants of Paul O'Neil and Hawkins responded to his warmer reception by pitching 2 scoreless innings and getting the win. Billy Traber came in to face a batter and then Brian Bruney got the final 5 outs of the game and picked up the save.

Chad Moeller has exceeded expectations so far filling in at catcher. Latroy Hawkins looks like he may be over his early season gaffes and the offense is starting to produce. The Yankees only had 6 men left on base as a team this time, an important improvement.

The Yanks are now tied for first with the Red Sox. Beckett will face Mussina in tonight's game. Albaladejo, Farnsworth and Rivera should be fresh in the bullpen.