The Daily Yankeeland - 8/29

The Yankees open a tough three game series with the Blue Jays tonight at the Stadium. What makes it tough is facing A.J. Burnett and Roy Halladay in two of the games.

Friday - Carl Pavano (1-0, 5.40) vs A.J. Burnett (16-9, 4.58)
Saturday - Darrell Rasner (5-9, 5.03) vs. John Parish (1-0, 4.05)
Sunday - Andy Pettitte (13-10, 4.37) vs. Roy Halladay (16-9)

Veteran outfielder Matt Stairs was dealt earlier today to the Phillies for a player to be named. The Blue Jays are calling up their top hitting prospect Travis Snider, who has played at three different levels in the minor leagues this season.

A Joba Chamberlain update from the Post.

Joel Sherman begs YES not to make yesterday's game a "Yankees Classic".

Hank says don't blame Girardi. He's also monitoring the initial boys- CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.

Brian Cashman falls on the sword.

Two Yankees prospects in the Dominican Summer League are going to sit 50 games for PED.

Mike Ashmore has an interview with the newest Yankee, Al Aceves.

The NY Times has a profile on Cody Ransom.

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Yankees Offense Scores a Month of Sundays

Mike Mussina and the rest of the Yankees pitching staff must have been in shock yesterday as one Yankees runner after another came across home plate. The Yankees scored more runs on Sunday than they had in their previous five games combined, and beat the Kansas City Royals 15-6. In winning their first series of the month, the Bombers finally lived up to their nickname, banging out 15 hits to help Mike Mussina win his 16th game of the season.

It's the most wins in a season for Mussina- who started the game by giving up three quick runs in the first inning- since he earned 17 victories in 2003. Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Xavier Nady, and Cody Ransom each went deep as the Yankees pounded Royals starter Brian Bannister and the KC pen.

The Yankees wasted no time in immediately erasing the 3-0 deficit in the first inning. After Johnny Damon singled and Derek Jeter reached on a walk, A-Rod drilled a Bannister delivery into Monument Park for a 3-0 lead. Two batters later, Nady belted a solo shot off the foul screen in right for a 4-0 advantage.

The Yankees ended up hitting for the cycle in the inning as Robinson Cano singled and scored on a Jose Molina double, and Molina came home on Brett Gardner's triple. Bannister finally retired Damon on a fly out to end the inning.

The Yankees didn't let up in the second inning, belting Bannister for four more runs. After a single by Jeter, the first of four hits by him on the day, and walks to Bobby Abreu and A-Rod, Giambi unloaded a grand slam into the right field seats for a 10-3 lead. When Nady and Cano followed with singles, Royals skipper Trey Hillman mercifully pulled Bannister from the game.

The game didn't start off on a good note though. You could hear the sounds of "here we go again" as the Royals flared and grounded their way on base against Mussina in the first inning. David DeJesus, Mark Teahen, and Jose Guillen singled to load the bases with one out. Billy Butler doubled to left to score a pair of runs and Alex Gordon's fly to deep center field brought home another runner for a 3-0 Royals advantage.

The Royals looked like they would come right back from the 6-3 deficit when John Buck started the second with a double and moved to third on Estaban German's single. But Mussina retired DeJesus on a shallow fly, and got Mike Aviles to bounce into an inning-ending double play. After that Mussina breezed, retiring the side in order over the next four innings before turning things over to Billy Traber and the bullpen.


News and Notes

Leading 13-3 in the seventh inning, Ransom hit his first Yankee home run in his first at-bat as a Yankee. He got a curtain call from the fans, which included his family. He also got the ball back from a fan in exchange for a bat. It was his first major league home run since September 16, 2007.

Mike Mussina's win was the 266th of his career, tying him with Hall of Fame members Eppa Rixey and Bob Feller for 35th place on the all-time wins list. Mussina will need two more wins to catch Orioles great and Hall of Fame member, Jim Palmer.

Hideki Matsui is expected to be activated for Tuesday's game with Toronto.

Joe Girardi conceded that the Yankees will need to call up a starter for Sunday's game with Baltimore, but did not say who it would be. Phil Hughes got knocked around for Scranton yesterday, while Carl Pavano pitched well for Trenton. Here's to hoping they select Hughes, or anyone rather than Pavano.

Derek Jeter was 9-14 in the series and is 12-19 over his last four games. His .295 average is the highest it has been since May 23.

August 17, 2008

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Kansas City	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2		6	10	1
NY Yankees	6	4	1	0	0	0	4	0	X		15	17	0

Kansas City	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
DeJesus, CF-LF	5	2	2	0	0	1	3	.293
Aviles, M, SS-2B	4	1	1	1	0	1	2	.317
Teahen, LF-RF	4	0	0	0	0	2	2	.249
Guillen, RF	3	1	1	0	0	1	0	.253
b-Maier, PH-CF	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.345
Butler, DH	4	0	1	2	0	1	0	.266
Gordon, 3B	2	1	0	1	1	0	0	.255
Gload, 1B	4	1	2	2	0	0	1	.272
Buck, C	4	0	1	0	0	1	1	.220
German, 2B	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	.226
a-Pena, PH-SS	2	0	1	0	0	0	1	.162
Totals	35	6	10	6	1	7	10
a-Grounded out for German in the 7th. b-Grounded out for Guillen in the 8th.
BATTING 2B: Butler (16, Mussina), Buck (20, Mussina). HR: Gload (3, 9th inning off Britton, 1 on, 1 out). TB: DeJesus 2; Aviles, M; Guillen; Butler 2; Gload 5; Buck 2; German; Pena. RBI: Butler 2 (41), Gordon (51), Aviles, M (32), Gload 2 (33). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Gload. SF: Gordon. GIDP: Aviles, M. Team LOB: 4. FIELDING E: Buck (6, throw). DP: 2 (German-Gload, German-Aviles, M-Gload).

NY Yankees	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Damon, DH-LF	4	2	0	0	2	1	2	.313
Jeter, SS	4	3	4	0	0	0	0	.295
Betemit, SS	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.261
Abreu, RF	3	2	1	1	2	0	4	.289
Christian, RF	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.250
Rodriguez, A, 3B	3	3	3	5	2	0	0	.313
Traber, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Britton, P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
Giambi, 1B	4	1	1	4	0	1	3	.251
a-Ransom, PH-3B	1	1	1	2	0	0	0	1.000
Nady, LF-1B	4	1	2	1	1	0	0	.327
Cano, 2B	5	1	2	0	0	1	1	.266
Molina, C	5	1	1	1	0	0	3	.227
Gardner, CF	5	0	2	1	0	0	1	.192
Totals	38	15	17	15	7	3	14
a-Homered for Giambi in the 7th.
BATTING 2B: Molina (17, Bannister), Abreu (31, Fulchino). 3B: Gardner (1, Bannister). HR: Rodriguez, A (28, 1st inning off Bannister, 2 on, 1 out), Nady (20, 1st inning off Bannister, 0 on, 2 out), Giambi (24, 2nd inning off Bannister, 3 on, 0 out), Ransom (1, 7th inning off Fulchino, 1 on, 2 out). TB: Jeter 4; Abreu 2; Rodriguez, A 6; Giambi 4; Ransom 4; Nady 5; Cano 2; Molina 2; Gardner 4. RBI: Rodriguez, A 5 (77), Nady (75), Molina (13), Gardner (9), Giambi 4 (72), Abreu (80), Ransom 2 (2). 2-out RBI: Nady; Molina; Gardner; Rodriguez, A 2; Abreu; Ransom 2. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Damon; Gardner; Giambi 2. GIDP: Abreu. Team LOB: 7. BASERUNNING SB: Damon (21, 2nd base off Bannister/Buck), Jeter (9, 2nd base off Bannister/Buck). FIELDING DP: (Jeter-Cano-Giambi).

Kansas City	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Bannister (L, 7-12)	1.0	10	10	10	3	0	3	5.96
Newman	4.0	3	1	1	4	1	0	7.36
Fulchino	3.0	4	4	4	0	2	1	10.24

NY Yankees	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Mussina (W, 16-7)	6.0	6	3	3	0	5	0	3.35
Traber	2.0	2	1	1	0	1	0	5.65
Britton	1.0	2	2	2	1	1	1	4.63

Bannister pitched to 6 batters in the 2nd.

WP: Traber.
HBP: Jeter (by Fulchino).
Pitches-strikes: Bannister 65-37, Newman 67-37, Fulchino 41-26,
Mussina 97-67, Traber 23-16, Britton 24-17.
Ground outs-fly outs: Bannister 1-2, Newman 2-7, Fulchino 4-3,
Mussina 9-4, Traber 4-1, Britton 0-2.
Batters faced: Bannister 16, Newman 16, Fulchino 14,
Mussina 23, Traber 8, Britton 6.
Inherited runners-scored: Newman 2-0.
Umpires: HP: Laz Diaz. 1B: Scott Barry.
2B: Kerwin Danley. 3B: Wally Bell.
Weather: 80 degrees, partly cloudy.
Wind: 7 mph, Out to LF.
T: 3:07.
Att: 54,114.

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Breaking News: Melky Demoted

The NY Post is reporting that Melky Cabrera, slumping since the beginning of May, has been demoted to the Scranton Yankees and Brett Gardner has been recalled. The Yankees were clearly in need of a shake up and though Gardner did not hit in his first time around, his speed brings another element to the team. It also gives the team a chance to see if he's capable of being the every day center fielder for the last two months of the season.

In addition to the Cabrera move, the Yankees released first baseman Richie Sexson, who didn't do much in the limited time he was in Pinstripes. Utility man Cody Ransom has been brought up, which could lead to a cut back in Robinson Cano's playing time.

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The Daily Yankeeland

The Yankees play the Rays once again tonight- 7:15 at G.M.S. Field in Tampa. Darrell Rasner will get the start for the Bombers. Chien-Ming Wang will go up against minor leaguers this afternoon.

Big Yankees fan, pun intended, Meat Loaf has always been a big Yankees fan (if you have never heard the Scooter on "Paradise by the Dashboard Light", you must do so...NOW!) and a fantasy baseball fan as well. MLB.com's Doug Miller tells you all about it.

Cody Ransom has impressed the Yankees with his versatility and has a serious shot at making the club as an extra utility man. Chris Woodward was thought to be the front-runner, but he's been slowed by a hamstring injury. MLB.com's Bryan Hoch has a profile.

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