Mike Mussina logged his tenth win of the season and the Yankee offense powered the team to an 8-4 victory in Houston taking the first two games of the series.  The Yankees have reached their high water mark going three games over .500 for the first time this season.

Alex Rodiriguez got the Yankee bats started in the 2nd by delievering his 11th home run of the season into the right-center field seats.  Back to back doubles from Jason Giambi and Melky Cabrera added another run to make it a 3-2 game.  In the third, with a man on third, Houston pitcher Wandy Rodriguez issued three consecutive walks to Rodriguez, Giambi and Cabrera to tie the score at three.  Jose Molina then ripped a single to left scoring A-Rod and Giambi to put the Yanks in front for good.  The Yankees tacked on three more runs throughout the game including a pinch-hit RBI single by Robinson Cano in the 8th. 

Mussina got off to a rocky start being greeted by a long three-run homrun by Carlos Lee in the first inning, but he settled in quickly after that retiring 13 of his next 15 batters.  Mussina worked 6 strong innings allowing only the three runs.  The bullpen of the Yankees continued to impress allowing 3 hits and 1 run over the final three innings to preserve the victory for Mussina.  Mussina has now reached a minimum of 10 wins in each of his last 17 seasons.

The Yankees go for the sweep Sunday afternoon at 1pm CDT.  Alberto Gonzalez rejoined the team and got the start Saturday after being recalled from Scranton on Friday. Shelly Duncan was sent back to make room for Gonzalez.   

The Yankees salvaged a series win last night with a 4-1 victory in Oakland putting them back to a game over .500.  On a night where their offense was still slow coming out of the box, they were able to put together one rally that helped push them to victory. 

Hideki Matsui celebrated his 34th birthday in style as his 6th inning grand slam powered the Yankee offense.  An infield single by Derek Jeter followed by walks to Bobby Abreu and Alex Rodriguez set the stage for Matsui’s dramatics as he drove a 1-1 pitch just over the 362 sign in right-center field. 

 Andy Pettitte returned to form last night as well tossing 8 strong innings of 1-run ball allowing only 5 hits over that span to pick up his 6th win of the year.  Andy looked very comfortable last night, located his pitches well and seemed to have everything working for him.  He pitched out of trouble in the second and third innings but other than that, he sailed right along.    Mariano Rivera got three outs including 2 strikeouts for his 18th save of the season.

The Yankees flew to Houston after the game for this weeks’ interleague play.  It will be the Yankees first trip to Minute Maid Park and Joba Chamberlain goes for the Yankees in the opener Friday night. 

The Yankees woes of trying to get above .500 continued Wednesday night with a lackluster performance losing 8-4 to Oakland bringing their record back to the .500 mark that they can’t seem to seperate from.  As a whole the team looked flat again. 

Darryl Rasner got the start for the Yankees and early on looked as though he had the Oakland hitters on their heals striking out three in the first two innings.  In the Oakland half of the third inning, the flood gates opened up.  After a costly error by Jason Giambi, the A’s strung together five consecutive hits scoring six in the frame.  This was followed by another 2 runs on 3 hits in the fourth and Rasner’s day was done.  This is the first time this season he’s been knocked around like this, let’s hope it doesn’t effect him next time out.

As for the Yankees offense, there were a few bright spots.  Giambi continued his hot hitting depositing his 15th HR of the season into the right field seats in the 2nd, and a double down the left field line.  However he figured out how to hit to left field again, it’s really paid off.  In the top of the first, Bobby Abreu extended his hitting streak to 10 games and finished the day 2-4.   A 9th inning rally attempt came up far short as the Yanks put together 3 runs on 2 hits in the top of the ninth.  The hole in the Yankee offense came tonight in the form of one baserunner from the 4th inning through the 8th.  Once Oakland scored their runs, the game was all but over. 

Ross Ohlendorf struggled a bit in his 1.1 innings walking three but LaTroy Hawkins, Kyle Farnsworth and Edwar Ramirez all pitched clean innings in the defeat.  All in all, there weren’t many good grades for the Yankees on Wednesday night.  Let’s hope they can turn things back around and salvage a series win in the rubber game tonight.

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The Kansas City Royals hit two home runs against the New York Yankees pitching staff of Monday afternoon, and they only needed those two hits as they beat the Yankees 3-2 at Yankee Stadium.  Mariano Rivera gave up the game winning hit in the top of the ninth inning as Jose Guillen took him deep for a solo home run.

Rivera is now 2-2 after taking the loss for the Yankees.  The loss put a dampter on the game where starting pitcher Mike Mussina tossed a gem.  Mussina tossed eight innings and only gave up a two run home run in the seventh inning.  Mussina only allowed three hits, just the one home run was the costly mistake.

The Yankees struggled at the plate against the Royals as they only came up with six hits for the entire game.  Alex Rodriguez did hit a two run home run in the seventh inning, but other then that there was no offense at all out of the Yankees.

So now the Yankees are back at .500 with a 32-32 record on the season.  They will now take on the Oakland A’s in a three game series starting Tuesday evening.

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Talk about a dramatic scene at Yankees Stadium as Jason Giambi was called upon in the ninth inning to pitch hit and hit a game winning two run home run.  Giambi’s home run barely stayed in play as he it into the upper deck to the right field line to give teh Yankees the 9-8 victory over the Blue Jays.

Giambi wasn’t the only Yankees player to hit a long ball as Wilson Betemit had a two run shot in the sixth inning as well.  Besides Giambi and Betemit’s two rbi each, Bobby Abreu and Alex Rodriguez also had two rbi each.  Hideki Matsui finished things up with one rbi on the game.

Kyle Farnsworth was credited with the win as he pitched the top of the ninth inning.  Farnsy is is now 1-2 on the season.  He didn’t even pitch that well in the ninth inning as he gave up three hits and one run.

Starting pitcher Chien-Ming Wang only lasted 4 1/3 innings as he was pulled after giving up five hits and seven runs.  Wang was pretty wild as he also had four walks and gave up one home run.  Ross Ohlendorf, LaTroy Hawkins, and Jose Veras all pitched before Farnsworth pitched the ninth.

The Yankees will now start a series with the Kansas City Royals this weekend that I can seem the sweeping.

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The New York Yankees played a better game on Wednesday than they did on Tuesday and they came away with a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.  Everyone in the Yankees lineup had atleast one hit except the Bobby Abreu on the night as they had a lot of production up and down the lineup.

Wilson Betemit had a solo home run in the game while Johnny Damon, Derek Jeter, Hideki Matsui, and Melky Cabrera all helped out with an rbi of their own.  Good job by the Yankees offense putting the baseball in play and making things happen.

Mike Mussina picked up the win for the Yankees as he tossed six innings and gave up five hits and one run.  Mussina was able to improve his record to 9-4 on the season and lower his era to 4.01.

Ross Ohlendorf, Kyle Farnsworth, and Mariano Rivera all tossed one scoreless inning in relief of Mussina.  Rivera threw the ninth inning even though it wasn’t a save situation.

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It was supposed to be a big nice the for the New York Yankees and starting pitcher Joba Chamberlain but Chamberlain only lasted 2 1/3 innings and the Yankees lost 9-4 to the Toronto Blue Jays.  Chamberlain was pulled early due to his pitch count.  He had a tough first outing as he walked four batters and struck out three.

However it was the Yankees bullpen who really blew this game.  Dan Giese gave up one run, Jose Veras gave up two runs, and Edwar Ramirez gave up four runs.  The bullpen blew the game wide open for the Blue Jays and pretty much gave the offense no shot at coming back.

Bobby Abreu, Hideki Matsui, and Jason Giambi all had one rbi in the game for the Yankees.  I really think the offense would have came around had the bullpen kept them in the game.  Sometimes you just get all the momentum taken away when your bullpen gives up that many runs.  The Yankees did score in the ninth inning when Jonny Damon scored on a wild pitch.

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Relief pitcher Kyle Farnsworth gave up a rbi double to Delmon Young in the eighth inning that broke a 4-4 tie and the Minnesota Twins went on to beat the New York Yankees by the score of 5-4.  Yankees fans that I talked to right after the game were very pissed off at Farnsworth.

Farnsworth is now 0-2 on the season after he took the loss in the game.  Starting Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte threw seven innings and gave up ten hits and five runs.  Pettitte just didn’t have enough to go any further in the game and the Yankees had to call on Farnsworth.  Usually that would have been Joba Chamberlain in the game, but now with Joba in the starting rotation, the Yankees need to find a relief pitcher to get the ball to Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning.

Alex Rodriguez led the Yankees at the plate as he hit his eighth home run of the season and had two rbi in the game.  Johnny Damon, Jason Giambi, and Melky Cabrera all had one rbi in the game as well.  The offense didn’t have good production as they left 25 runners on base in the game.

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The New York Yankees escaped a sweep by beating the Baltimore Orioles by the score of 4-1 on Wednesday night.  The Yankees really needed to pick up this win as they try to get on a nice run and go on a nice winning streak.

Andy Pettitte picked up the win as he tossed 6 2/3 innings.  Pettitte allowed eight hits but only two runs in his six plus innings of action.  Pettitte is now 5-5 on the season.  Joba Chamberlain came in and pitched 1 1/3 innings of relief and only gave up one hit.  Mariano Rivera then came in to pick up his 13th save of the season in the ninth inning.

Jason Giambi hit his 11th home run of the season in the fourth inning as he finished the game with two rbi.  Giambi also had a rbi single in the second inning.  Derek Jeter had a sac fly in the fifth inning and Johnny Damon had a infield rbi single that scored Hideki Matsui in the ninth inning.

Good win for the Yankees, let’s see if they can get some momentum and go on a nice winning streak now.

***Ian Kennedy has been placed on the disabled list so we could see Joba make his first start next week in Kennedy’s rotation spot.***

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The New York Yankess came back to beat the Baltimore Orioles by the score of 2-1 on Thursday night.  Robinson Cano singled in Hideki Matsui for the game winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Shelley Duncan was the other Yankees player to record an rbi as he had a sacrafice fly in the fourth inning that scored Matsui.  Goodjob by Matsui for getting on base and scoring both runs in the game.

Mariano Rivera ended up getting the win as he pitched the ninth inning.  Rivera is now 1-1 on the season.  Ian Kennedy started the game and pitched his best game of the year even though he got the no decision.  Kennedy tossed six innings while only giving up four hits and one run.

Jose Veras and Kyle Farnsworth both pitched one inning each and did not allow a run.  Good job by them as they gave the Yankees the chance to win the game along with Rivera.

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