Roller Coaster

There were a couple of points in yesterday's game when I was feeling nauseous and really, really, wanted someone to stop the roller coaster ride the Yanks have been running against the Blue Jays. Friday's Wang/Halladay matchup was a duel as promised through six, but the wheels came off with some iffy defense in the seventh [sigh], and then two more runs scored in the eighth thanks to an Alexis Rios blast off the Three True Outcomes pitcher [ack!]--which should land any day now. But then, the Yankees managed to tie it in the ninth [yay!] and then the offense ground to a halt in extra innings, until Greg Zaun got the chance to touch up Brian Bruney for a bomb [boo, hiss!]. Overall, a massively entertaining but quite painful way to loose a ballgame.

But it was a cakewalk compared to what happened on Saturday--maybe the least satisfying game of the season. There was no pitching duel element to this game--these two teams slugged early and often, and both teams went through relievers like a guy with the runs goes through toilet paper. Add to all of that the 100 minute rain delay that held off the game's start, and you had a long, humid day at the Stadium, full of scary highs and depressing lows. It's just not healthy. Well, at least they won this time. Rubber game this afternoon, after the Yanks' tribute to the late, great Scooter. I'll be there.

Notes:

Maybe Joe Torre wouldn't have to go through ten pitchers in a game if he allowed Ross Ohlendorf or Chris Britton to throw more than three pitches per game. I guess that would deprive the paying customers the chance to see Kei Igawa warm up.

Edwar's one of the guys I'm rooting for, but it just isn't working. You need better control than he's showing to play the tightrope game of weak fastball/great changeup. No matter how cool that change is, it won't work if batters can just wait back for him to throw it for a strike.

In the midst of the pain, it was nice to see two guys who have been struggling--Matsui and Melky Cabrera--each post three hits, and eight RBI between the two of them.