Order was restored.  For one day, anyway.

Joba Chamberlain posted his first win as a starter in front of the home folks, Bobby Abreu went deep twice and Alex Rodriguez slammed homer No. 23 on the season as the Yanks crushed the Orioles 13-3 on a muggy afternoon in the Bronx.  The Bombers scored four in the sixth and four more in the eighth to put the game on ice and snap a three-game losing streak.  The victory kept the Bombers four games back of the Rays in the AL East.

I was at work for this one and while John and Suzy kept me in the loop, I was distracted for the better part of the game.  For starters, work got in the way (unacceptable) and I'm also battling a cold.  Who gets a cold in the middle of the summer?  It seemed like I was going to the bathroom to blow my nose every 15 minutes.  People at work must think I have a drug problem.  Anyway, no roundup.

The win was cool and the Yanks also pulled the trigger on an interesting trade.  The Yankees shipped Kyle Farnsworth to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for Ivan Rodriguez.  I gotta tell ya, this one caught me by complete surprise.  I didn't think the Yanks needed to upgrade at the catcher spot, but I guess the Yankees felt like they did.  I-Rod should improve the lineup and he's still one of the best defensive catchers in the league.  But I'm shocked that the Bombers decided to fiddle with the most consistent part of their team -- the bullpen.

I'll admit that I'm not the biggest Farnsworth fan in the world and he can frustrate with the best of them, but he turned it around this season and pitched relatively well.  Sure, I still didn't trust him in a big spot, but he managed to do the job for the most part.  I suppose the Yanks decided to get rid of him while his value was at its highest.  I don't know -- I have mixed feelings about this trade.  I suppose Jose Veras will move into the eighth inning spot and Edwar Ramirez and Damaso Marte will mix-and-match in the sixth and seventh.

The Yanks will welcome in the red-hot Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for a four-game set starting Thursday night.  Jon Garland (9-6, 4.30 ERA) will go against Andy Pettitte (12-7, 3.76 ERA) in the opener.  I usually have some stats for each pitcher in this spot, but my stuffy head is pounding like a jackhammer, so please forgive me as I skip the numbers for today.

Let's see how the Yanks fair against the juggernaut from the West. Leave a comment

Also on the Network: √ Doing It The Hard Way [C70 At The Bat] √ Bobby Jenks Saves Sox's Win Over Seattle [Tremendous Upside Potential] √ Deadline moves [Feeling Dodger Blue] √ Manny's impact [Feeling Dodger Blue] √ Shea Stadium Plays Citi Field [Loge 13] √ Frustration Revisted [C70 At The Bat] √ Not So Fast, T-Mac [Tremendous Upside Potential] √ Payroll breakdown [Feeling Dodger Blue]

4 Comments