Double Play-Rod

When will it end?

Joba Ready To Return

Joba says that he’s ready to return after facing live hitters in a simulated game, earlier today. There’s no word on when Joba will be activated but I would assume that, since his session went well, he’ll be pitching out of the bullpen tomorrow night. The Yankees can use another arm out there, so it’d be a smart move.

Better Late Than Never

So, here we are. The Yankees are heading into September without that sense of playoff assuredness that has been their calling card for years now and, for once, the immediate future seems bleak. However, today the team got another surprising lift from Carl Pavano, the unlikeliest of heroes, as he won his second game in a row, a game that had him outpitching AJ Burnett (a thorn in the side, if there ever was one). With a rotation that features Darrell Rasner and Sidney Ponson and with the news about Joba’s return (as a reliever, initially), Pavano’s success must not be a magic trick. He must continue to provide stability to the rotation, as that is what he has now done in 2 consecutive starts. Pavano, not Hughes or Ian Kennedy, has been, at least for now, a winning presence in a paper thin rotation and that winning must continue.

Of course, Pavano couldn’t have done it on his own. The Yankees delivered some key hits and were able to scratch out their runs against the seemingly always nasty Burnett. Despite getting a lead, the team did have some trouble protecting it as Jose Veras faltered. Veras’ command will let you know what he has on a given day and it was immediately apparent that it was going to be trouble for the righty. While he has struggled this month, he will get some help upon Joba’s impending arrival. Edwar Ramirez picked up the pieces a bit and then Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer of all time, came in and nailed down the 5-out save. It would be interesting to see where the Yankees would be if they could all perform at the level that Mariano Rivera brings to the mound, every single day. Simply put, he has been the most reliable cog in a rather expensive Yankee machine.

With a Red Sox win (and a Twins win) the Yankees need to win today’s game (obviously). They’ll face John Parrish and it’ll be a lot easier to see Roy Halladay in the final game of the series if they can stick it to the mediocre lefty.