May 18 2009
YANKS ON A ROLL, WALK-OFF CITY
Whewww, what a weekend for the Bronx Bombers! It’s about time this team showed some fight! Now with 5 straight victories, the Yankees are 4.5 games back in the division, and starting to get into a rhythm at the right time. Even though John Sterling got about 10 different calls wrong on the radio yesterday, A.J. Burnett did his job and kept the team right in the game, and then….”it is high, it is far, it is….GONE!” Johnny Damon continues to be the most clutch player on team this year, and is compiling power numbers which could put him on pace for a record home run season.
Joba Chamberlain also did his job on Saturday, and was able to fight through and throw 6 innings. Phil Hughes only gave up 3 earned runs, but he still is not the Hughes that I saw that night in Texas when he was throwing a no-hitter. However, everytime I get impatient with him, I remind myself that the kid is still 22-years-old. I really felt like he would emerge this year and cement himself in the rotation, but doesn’t seem to be happening yet. I’m not giving up on him, but PH has to learn how to work through jams and be a consistent pitcher if he wants to succeed in the majors. You also have to like what you’re seeing from the bullpen lately - you had to think that they’d improve somewhat from the horrific performances earlier in the year, and with Bruney coming back maybe we could put a formidable group back out there.
Along with the nice winning-streak, we’ve won in crazy ways the past few games - 3 straight walk-off wins?! The Yankees have not done that in decades, and it just goes to show you that baseball is a very streaky game. You could be on top of the world, and then fall into a 10-game losing-streak, or vice-versa. You’re never as good as you look, or bad as you look. That my friends, is baseball.
So we finish off the 4-game series tonight with Minnesota, as Andy will take on Perkins - it’s only appropriate that we sweep, and it would also be nice for Andy to get back on a good roll.
