Liveblog 22: The Yankees Are Still Winning

Why? Because I am. Since the last time I did this, the Yankees have padded their lead over the Red Sox, thanks in part to taking six out of seven games against them. They now have a six game lead in the division, one that the probability machines seem to think is enough to nearly guarantee them the playoffs, and one the Yankees as a franchise have never blown. So yeah, I'm feeling pretty good about the team.

They lead the majors in runs scored, and have some of the best road pitching in the league. They don't throw it quite as well at the stadium, but then again no one does, and they've made up for it with great offense and a lot of clutch, late inning wins. They've already clinched a .500 record, and today they attempt to complete their vengeance of losing three out of four in Chicago by completing a three game sweep of the White Sox at the Stadium. Joba Chamberlain's starting today, and I hope to see a better performance out of him today. Because of his innings limit as a young pitcher they've been starting him erratically, which doesn't seem to have worked out so well. Starting now they're going to keep him on regular rest and just limit his innings in each game. Having the rotation set and primed for October is more important than winning a couple extra games, and with rosters expanding soon it shouldn't be a problem to keep Joba on a short leash.

Top 1 - Scott Podsednik leads off the game with a triple on a ground ball past Mark Teixeira at first. Gordon Beckham drives him in with a ground ball to short. Quick deficit for the Yanks. A.J. Pierzynski and Carlos Quentin both fly out. Quick inning for Joba.

Bottom 1 - Freddy Garcia returns to the team he won a World Series with after being traded the the Phillies. Derek Jeter leads off with a double off the fence in right field. Johnny Damon grounds one weakly up the first base line that moves Jeter to third. Mark has a chance to extend his lead for RBI in the AL here. He does so with a deep sacrifice fly to right, tie game. Alex Rodriguez singles up the middle to keep the inning going. He fakes a stolen base though and ends up getting picked off by Pierzynski for the third out.

Top 2 - Jim Thome pops out to Jorge Posada, back at catcher after missing a few games with a finger injury. Jermaine Dye takes a strike before flying out on a running play to Eric Hinske spelling Nick Swisher in right. Mark Kotsay flies out to Cabrera, and it seems like the Sox have plans for a late lunch as Joba's only thrown 15 pitches. Michael Kay's talking about Joba being scheduled for three innings, and I'm hoping it's just him being insane again because that's ridiculous.

Bottom 2 - Hedeki Matsui starts a fresh at bat with a swing and a miss. Two more quick strikes and he's down quickly. Posada works a long walk while fans can be heard chanting "Hip hip! Jorge!" in the background the entire time. Robinson Cano grounds into a double play to end the inning.

Top 3 - Alexei Ramirez is yet another batter to put the first pitch in play as he lines a single to center and then steals second. Jayson Nix works a questionable 3-1 count before singling to right, but Ramirez only makes it to third. Podsednik back up again, and he singles up the middle, scoring Ramirez. The ball gets away from Cano at second after it gets thrown back in, which causes Nix to get thrown out trying to reach third. Hey guys - stop pitching out to try to nab Podsednik. Just get Beckham out. Third pitchout of the AB and Podsednik steals second anyway, while Beckham has a free three ball count. Awesome. He watches a called strike to make the count full. Ground ball to first moves Scott to third. Joba's already doubled his pitch count in this game. Pierzynski mercifully strikes out on three pitches to finish the inning.

Bottom 3 - Alfredo Aceves is, in fact, warming up in the bullpen. WTF is this. Bugh. Hinske pops out to short. Melky Cabrera, who's had a rough month, strikes out. Jeter smacks a single to left. Damon homers to right field to take the lead 3-2. Teixeira hits a fly to the same area, but it's caught for the third out.

Top 4 - Aceves is in to pitch, and he gets Quentin and Thome to ground out. Dye sees a 3-0 count become 3-2 before striking out to end the frame.

Bottom 4 - A-Rod works a full count and takes a close pitch for ball four. Matsui grounds into a slightly odd fielder's choice that only wasn't a double play because of Nix's poor thinking. Posada works another long at bat as the chanting continues, but this time he strikes out. Cano also strikes out, inning over.

Top 5 - Aceves is still in and gets Kotsay to pop out to short. Ramirez lines a bullet over Jeter's head that he just manages to snag for the second out. Nix pops out to A-Rod as this alarmingly rapid game continues.

Bottom 5 - Hinske hits one off the end of the bat to left field which Quentin tracks down. Cabrera grounds out. He always seems to lose his mojo as it gets later in the season. Jeter grounds out on the eighth pitch of the at bat, and we're going to the sixth. Inning.

Top 6 - Aceves knocks down a ball hit right at him by Podsednik, but doesn't make the play to first in time. The trainer checks out his arm, but Alfredo stays in the game. Like a true warrior. Beckham grounds it to A-Rod who turns a quick double play. Pierzynski hits an infield single to Jeter, who doesn't have quite the oomph on the throw to make his patented running-turning-jumping play. Quentin fists a fly ball to Damon for the third out.

Bottom 6 - Damon grounds out to second. Teixeira strikes out. Rodriguez walks. Matsui does what Damon did. Am I done? It seems like I'm done. I guess I'm done.

Wrap-Up - After three Yankees combined to pitch the seventh, they blew it open a little with a five run bottom of the frame, including a three run homer by Teixeira. The two Phils pitched the eighth and the ninth, with Coke giving up a solo shot in the ninth before closing it down. Another day, another win, and the Yankees have clinched their fourteenth straight winning record.