Yanks Lose Twice And They Only Played Once

I slept on last night's loss and I'm still a little irked at Joe Girardi's decision to leave Damaso Marte in the game when he was struggling. He had walked 3 in the inning and had thrown a lot of pitches. If it was a lefty, OK, maybe I'd let that go. But I was calling for Girardi to bring in David Robertson. Based on Marte's performance in the game and the game situation itself, in my opinion it was the right move. I also understand that several guys were unavailable. Makes me wonder what Girardi's plan was for extra innings. Was he just going to let Marte keep throwing? According to my crackerjack research staff, aka Pete Abraham, the grand slam came on Marte's 42nd pitch, the most he's thrown in a game in almost 2 years. I think it was Marte's 30th pitch of the inning. Again, he should have been yanked after facing Hamilton. I love the moniker Pete slapped on Damaso, calling him Damaso Proctor. I was leaning toward Dumasso, but that's too obvious and not too clever. So far, he hasn't worked out to well for the Yanks. Unlike......

The X-Man. Xavier Nady. He's now hitting 400 with 4 dingers since joining the Yanks. Talk about making an impact. I said it yesterday. I'll say it again. He was the best offensive trade deadline pick-up. He fit many a need for the Yanks and he's having a great year. No signs of that slowing with the change in leagues. I really like having him in the lineup. I'm expecting big things.

It's amazing that Jason Giambi shaves off his glorious 'stache and immediately breaks out of his slump, going 3 for 4 with a pop and 2 RBI. If only he shaved it off a few days ago right? I heard he shaved it off during the Angels' finale after Teixeira hit the go ahead grand slam. Classic. Baseball players are a superstitious bunch. If you haven't checked this book out, it's a good read. It's called "Jinxed: Baseball Superstitions From Around The League." I myself am very superstitious when it comes to baseball and the Yanks. I'll sit in the same spot on the couch if the game is going well, making sure not to move if it's a no-hitter. I'll switch places or rooms if the game is going bad. I've worn the same shirt day after day during winning streaks. I'll switch between wearing different Yankee bracelets if I think ti could help switch up the mojo. Anybody else have any weird things they do?

Perhaps the biggest loss of the night is the injury (stiff right shoulder) that Joba sustained. I have no doubt in my mind he'll miss a start or two, maybe even longer. Cashman and crew have a lot to consider in terms of when to brink Joba back. Let's face it, he's the future of this franchise. He has all the tools of a true #1 starter. The Yanks would be foolish to bring him back a day before he's truly 100%. It may end up making sense to sit him the rest of the way. It make no sense to try and bring him back just to help the team make a late push. I don't want to see them pack it in, but I don't want them to sacrifice his arm to try and win a few ballgames. I don't really think they'd do that. Cashman is a smart guy. He won't jeopardize Joba's future for the present. The real question is can the Yankees win without Joba in the rotation? My gut reaction is to say no, but Joba only pitches once every 5 games. But then I look at the other options and that worries me. I'm already worried about Ponson and Rasner/Giese. In case you missed it, Giese is starting Friday instead of Rasner. Taking Joba out of the equation means we'll have 3 big question marks in the rotation. That would be make it extremely tough. But they have the firepower to make up for some pitching shortcomings. I don't know. I can't wrap my arms around it quite yet. But one doesn't have to be Tanner Boyle to know that this spells bad news for the Yankees.

Man, I'm still ticked about last night's loss. The Sox and Rays were both losers before the game ended. Picking up a game would have been HUGE! It also would have been a nice kick-off to a 10 day road trip. Again, thanks a lot Joe. I hope you learned a lesson. Pettitte better pitch a good one. The fewer decisions Girardi has to make about relievers the better.

Peace, love and Pinstripes,

J-Boogie