Yanks’ Season Unraveled One Injury at a Time

By TYLER KEPNER
Published: September 27, 2008

BOSTON — When a stiff shoulder knocked Joba Chamberlain from his start in Texas on Aug. 4, the Yankees were finished for 2008. They had made such careful plans for Chamberlain, invested so much hope, and at that moment none of it mattered. Chamberlain was just another injury casualty in a doomed season.

The Yankees were two and a half games out of a playoff spot when Chamberlain went down. They went 16-20 in their next 36 games, a stretch that lasted into the final homestand at Yankee Stadium. Losing Chien-Ming Wang to a foot injury in June was brutal. Losing Chamberlain was fatal. Neither made another start.

“We had one ace go down, and we produced another No. 1,” General Manager Brian Cashman said. “Then he went down, too.”

It would be too simplistic to say injuries alone ruined the Yankees’ season. Years of corrosive institutional problems also forecast the end of their 13-year playoff run. But health was the biggest factor. The Yankees were not a bad team this season. But they were never whole.

The Tampa Bay Rays, surprise champions of the American League East, were the only team in the majors with five pitchers who each made 25 starts. The Yankees, who will finish third, had two pitchers make 25 starts. They were the only team in the majors that did not have three pitchers throw at least 115 innings.

They patched their rotation, and they might have gotten away with it if the offense had produced as it did in 2007. But that never happened. Injuries to Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui — and regressions by Robinson Canó, Melky Cabrera, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter — were too much to overcome.

In 2007, the Yankees scored 191 more runs than their opponents. This season, through Friday, they had outscored opponents by just 59 runs.

“Have they worked, have they grinded, have they done everything that they did last year? Yes, absolutely,” the hitting coach Kevin Long said. “But if you break it down much deeper than that, you can see why it didn’t transform into six runs a game. It just wasn’t going to happen. It was just something that, after opening day, never really transpired.”

When Wang went down, the Cleveland Indians were aggressively peddling an answer: C. C. Sabathia. The Yankees could have used Phil Hughes to front a package for him, but Cashman passed.

He did so partly because he believed the Yankees had enough offense to get by, but mostly because he believed it was foolish to trade elite prospects for a pitcher with no indication of wanting to sign a long-term contract with an East Coast team.

It was roughly the same logic Cashman applied last winter to the trade talks for Johan Santana, then with the Minnesota Twins. But those talks might have ended differently — and changed the course of the Yankees’ future — if not for a brief and devastating period of dysfunction in the team’s decision-making.

The start of the 2007 off-season played out largely beyond Cashman’s control. After Rodriguez fizzled in the playoffs for the fourth year in a row, then opted out of his contract, Cashman started preparing for life without him.

In the short term, it would have been impossible to replace Rodriguez. But in the long run, there was an upside in not saddling the Yankees with a contract that would pay Rodriguez more than $20 million a season for the declining years of his career.

It was just those kinds of deals that started to infect the Yankees after they lost the 2001 World Series. That was when George Steinbrenner, their principal owner, demanded more control over baseball operations, sending the team on a four-year spending spree that started to wane when he yielded authority to Cashman after the 2005 season.

But last winter, when Steinbrenner put his sons, Hank and Hal, atop the hierarchy, the wild spending returned, over Cashman’s head. Hank Steinbrenner engineered the deals for Rodriguez (10 years, roughly $300 million), Posada (four years, $52.4 million) and Mariano Rivera (three years, $45 million).

As he kept spending, Hank Steinbrenner kept talking. He publicly campaigned for a deal for Santana, even though he had told Andy Pettitte he could take all the time he needed to decide on a $16 million option.

If the Yankees had held Pettitte to his original deadline — and if they had stood firm when Rodriguez came back to them — their thinking on the Santana deal might have been different. Cashman might have sacrificed Hughes and other prospects to get Santana, then signed Santana to a long-term contract.

But after the payouts to Rodriguez, Posada, Rivera and Pettitte (which totaled about $73 million for 2008), it seemed unwise to further bloat the payroll. The Yankees forged ahead with Pettitte and trusted Hughes and Ian Kennedy to hold spots at the back of the rotation. Pettitte faded badly in the second half, and Hughes and Kennedy did not win a game all season.

Cashman offered no apologies about putting faith in Hughes and Kennedy, offering the Twins as a parallel.

“They’re contending, and they have five young guys in their rotation,” Cashman said. “In New York, they talk about, ‘You can’t contend with two young guys,’ but in Minnesota you can with five? It just comes down to getting the job done, simple as that.”

Hughes, 22, and Kennedy, 23, are still young enough to inspire hope, though neither will be guaranteed a spot next spring. They will probably compete for a job with Alfredo Aceves.

As the Yankees enter another off-season, their first priority is to re-sign Cashman, who is well liked by the Steinbrenner brothers. Hal Steinbrenner has worked closely with Cashman and Manager Joe Girardi, and Cashman said, “I have a tremendous relationship with the Steinbrenner family.”

Hank Steinbrenner has publicly promised to be aggressive in pursuing free agents this winter, and the crop will be thick. The Yankees will explore Sabathia, although they are pessimistic about his desire to play for them.

They also face decisions on Pettitte and the rejuvenated Mike Mussina, and will look into the 18-game winner A. J. Burnett. A second tier of starters with past success in the American League — including Derek Lowe — may also be appealing. Pitchers without A.L. experience need not apply.

“It’s the toughest division in the league, and that’s why when teams go after pitching,” outfielder Johnny Damon said, “they can’t just throw a National League guy into the American League East. It’s a grind every single day, and that’s what G.M.’s are figuring out.”

The Yankees learned that lesson again this season with reliever LaTroy Hawkins, who was signed for $3.75 million but had a 5.71 earned run average. Traded to Houston in July, Hawkins dominated the National League.

Expect the Yankees to ignore all free-agent relievers this winter, confident in the setup corps Cashman has assembled through castoffs (Brian Bruney, Dan Giese, Edwar Ramírez, José Veras) and prospects (Phil Coke, Mark Melancon, Dave Robertson, Humberto Sánchez).

The pitching talent gives the Yankees choices, but the crop of position players in the minors is thin. A study by ESPN.com showed that only one position player drafted by the Yankees from 1997 to 2005 — the departed Andy Phillips — has amassed even 200 at-bats in the majors.

Restocking the farm system takes time, and the Yankees are excited about the Class AA center fielder Austin Jackson and the Class A catchers Jesús Montero and Austin Romine.

Yet there have also been crucial mistakes when evaluating position players in the draft. In 2004, the Yankees took pitcher Brett Smith with the 42nd pick. Later in the second round, Boston took Dustin Pedroia. A year later, the Yankees had the 17th pick and took shortstop C. J. Henry. Six picks later, the Red Sox grabbed Jacoby Ellsbury.

The lack of major-league-ready position players puts the Yankees in a tricky spot as they devise a new lineup. Two of their most productive hitters this season were Bobby Abreu and Jason Giambi, but they are free agents who are past their primes. It would be unlike Cashman to retain them with multiyear deals.

The Yankees could let Cabrera and Brett Gardner, two strong defenders, compete for the center-field job. But they must prove they can hit. The team could also see if the Dodgers would trade center fielder Matt Kemp for Canó, who has bothered many in the organization for producing so little after being rewarded with a long-term contract. Canó could be replaced at second base by a free agent like Orlando Hudson.

The free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira is a Gold Glove fielder and a disciplined switch-hitter with power who will be only 29 when the new Yankee Stadium opens. With more than $75 million in expiring contracts, the Yankees could probably afford him.

If Teixeira replaced Giambi at first, Xavier Nady could take over for Abreu in right field, with Damon in left, Matsui at designated hitter and Gardner, Cabrera or Kemp in center.

Whoever makes the decisions — Cashman, a new general manager, or the Steinbrenners — the Yankees of 2009 will not be the same. As disappointing as it was to miss the playoffs, the Yankees understand that simply making it was not their goal in the first place.

“Our season is ending here at the end of September, but the last few years we’ve been going through this about five days after that,” Cashman said. “We’re trying to get through the entire month of October and be the last team standing, and obviously there’s a lot of work to be done. We’ll keep trying to figure it out.”

News source：http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/28/sports/baseball/28wrap.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=sports

Yankees’ Offense at Heart of Team’s Problems

By TYLER KEPNER
Published: September 11, 2008

When the Yankees splurged last winter to preserve the majors’ best lineup, they showered millions on several hitters. Another deal went largely unnoticed: a three-year, $1 million contract for the hitting coach, Kevin Long, who helped guide the 2007 offense to 968 runs, the most for the Yankees in 70 years.

A career minor leaguer, Long was a success story for the Yankees, validation of the organization’s plan to build from within — with a coach as well as with players. A year later, however, the Yankees’ offense has turned from an asset into a major problem.

After averaging 5.98 runs a game last season, the Yankees are down to 4.82 a game. Their final homestand at Yankee Stadium, which starts Friday against Tampa Bay, may be less a celebration than a countdown to elimination.

“It’s going to be a bit strange, because we definitely thought we would be pushing for a playoff spot,” Johnny Damon said. “But we owe it to the fans and the Stadium to go out there and play hard. There’s definitely some pride aspects to go out and play for.”

For Long, the end of the season is just another phase of a year-round job. He will consult with General Manager Brian Cashman and Manager Joe Girardi on how to retool the lineup, and he plans to make off-season visits to two of the Yankees’ more confounding players.

Long said Wednesday that he would travel to the Dominican Republic to work with Robinson Canó and Melky Cabrera. The Yankees have little invested in Cabrera, who lost his everyday job after struggling for most of the season. But Canó is a mystery.

In February, the Yankees signed him to a four-year, $30 million contract, making Canó the first Yankee in recent years to be awarded a long-term deal before free agency. They were convinced he was ready to become an elite player, but instead he has regressed.

Canó is hitting .261 with a meager .295 on-base percentage. He has not walked since Aug. 20, but more troubling to Long is his startling lack of power. Canó has 13 homers and a .397 slugging percentage — numbers lower than Coco Crisp, Fred Lewis and Skip Schumaker, among many others.

“He’s got big power that never plays, because there’s so much movement,” Long said. “He can’t get the barrel of the bat to the baseball with that much movement. So, basically, you’re taking a big tool and not using it.”

Canó uses an open stance, and Long said he plans to square Canó’s legs from the start. He said intensive, one-on-one sessions could help Canó the way they helped Alex Rodriguez after his disappointing season in 2006.

“Could we have done that before this year started? No,” Long said of changing Canó’s approach. “Anybody in their right mind would have said, ‘You don’t change this kid.’ He was able to dominate major league baseball to this point.”

Canó said he knew Long planned to visit, but they have not discussed specifics. Canó defended his season by saying he was “not going to be perfect every year,” but acknowledged that this has been a learning experience and said everything must improve.

“I don’t want to be back in this situation again,” Canó said. “This is a year that you can say, ‘O.K., this is not happening again.’ ”

As bad as Canó has been, he is only one reason the Yankees have fallen. The pitching is markedly better in the division this season, and the Yankees never used their intended lineup after opening day, when catcher Jorge Posada hurt his shoulder.

The Yankees did not expect Posada to duplicate his 2007 season, when he hit .338, but they relied on him for extra-base power and at-bats that wore down opposing pitchers.

They have also missed his presence as a clubhouse enforcer. Girardi is relentlessly upbeat, and the captain, Derek Jeter, is even-tempered and optimistic. Posada, who played only 51 games before season-ending surgery, has a different leadership style.

“We’ve missed him tremendously,” Long said. “First of all, Jorge’s one of those no-nonsense guys who will jump in a player’s face, jump in a coach’s face. He’s got that mentality of, ‘You know what, I don’t really care about this or that, this is how we’re going to do it. If I don’t like what I see, I’m going to tell you.’ We miss that.”

Long is positive by nature, but he also tries to be honest with hitters, telling them what he sees in unvarnished terms. His pupils have not responded as well this season, but they remain loyal.

“I really don’t think anything can be pinned on him,” Damon said. “He’s in the cage every second we’re in here, working with the guys. The only thing he can’t do is swing the bat for us. There’s no one who works harder at his job than him. He’s the best hitting coach in the league, without a doubt.”

The Yankees were designed to be the league’s best offense, too, built to withstand injuries to the pitching staff. Cashman’s faith in the lineup was one reason he did not trade for a starter when injuries depleted the rotation.

But the offense was not strong enough to dull the impact of the injuries, scoring two runs or fewer in 46 games, compared with 33 last season.

“We could never get on that really big roll to really get us over the top to negate those injuries,” Jason Giambi said. “If you get the team rolling, sometimes you can battle through because you’ve got momentum going. We just never could get on a big roll.”

They are all but out of time, and soon the players will scatter while the better teams play in October. For Long, though, there is no off-season, no rest from correcting the flaws of an offense that failed.

News source：http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/12/sports/baseball/12yankees.html?_r=1&ref=sports&oref=slogin

Yankees Get Stellar Start From an Unexpected Source

By TYLER KEPNER
Published: September 10, 2008

Yankees 7, Angels 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The man in the gray T-shirt, marked in black with a giant number 91, had been waiting for this moment for decades.

He played 10 years as a first baseman in the Mexican League, where he was teammates with Fernando Valenzuela. But Alfredo Aceves Sr. never got a chance with a major league organization, and his eldest son, Jonathan, topped out at Class AAA in a 10-year minor league career.

On Tuesday at Angel Stadium, a younger son, Alfredo Jr., made his first major league start, and it was a rousing success. Aceves held the Los Angeles Angels to one run and five hits in seven innings, pitching the Yankees to a 7-1 victory before 43,042 fans, including a father who was too tense to be excited.

"Just nerves," said Aceves Sr. "More nerves than emotions."

Baseball teams learn to be skeptical of what they see in September, a lesson that was reinforced for the Yankees this season. They gave starting spots to Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy after both pitched well late last season, a decision that seems rash in hindsight.

So while there was reason to temper enthusiasm over Aceves, the Yankees were cautiously excited. At 25, Aceves is older than Hughes and Kennedy, and catcher Chad Moeller said his pitches are well above average. Aceves throws a fastball, cutter, changeup and curve.

"He attacked hitters, and he has plenty of stuff," Moeller said. "He has a lot better stuff than a lot of guys in this league. It's just going to be learning what to do here."

Aceves' effort was not enough to rescue the Yankees from fourth place in the American League East, because the third-place Toronto Blue Jays won both games of a doubleheader in Chicago, running their winning streak to 10.

But it was the Yankees' first victory in five games this season at Angel Stadium, where the Angels often expose the Yankees' flaws. The Angels (87-57) used a makeshift lineup on Tuesday, but that did not matter to the Aceves family.

"His confidence," said Alfredo Sr., when asked what made him most proud. "He confronted a team that had big bats – the biggest, strongest team, the Angels, with a lot of respect to them."

Aceves signed with Toronto in 2001 and played one season for their team in the Dominican Republic. When the Blue Jays tried to send him back the next season, Aceves asked for a trade to the Mexican League, where he stayed until the Yankees paid $450,000 to sign him in March.

Manager Joe Girardi was unfamiliar with Aceves at the time, but he could not help noticing him with each glowing minor league report. Aceves went 4-1 for Class A Tampa, and soon worked his way to Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Yankees promoted him last month, and after throwing five strong innings in relief of Darrell Rasner last week, Aceves took Rasner's spot in the rotation.

Manager Joe Girardi said the quality of the last two opponents Aceves has faced -- Tampa Bay and the Angels – makes his effort more impressive. Girardi also noticed how confident Aceves seemed with his pitches, throwing a changeup to the veteran Garret Anderson with a 2-0 count.

"I think he has good stuff, because he locates and he changes speeds," Girardi said. "He's not a guy that just blows you away. He locates his fastballs, he locates his changeups and he has the ability to throw off-speed when he's behind in the count for strikes."

Girardi continued: "Not only in that at-bat to Garret Anderson did he throw a 2-0 changeup, he threw a 3-2 curveball for a strike. It's one thing when you've thrown 20 in a game, but he probably only threw four or five. He has a good feel for all his pitches."

The Yankees supported Aceves with a run in the second inning and a three-run homer to right by Alex Rodriguez in the sixth. The rest of the runs came on homers by Johnny Damon, who chased Ervin Santana (15-6) in the seventh and connected again in the ninth off Justin Speier.

Aceves was gone by then, leaving after seven and taking the approach of a pitcher who has done this before. He said he had more than 30 friends and family members at the game, but he did not know where they were sat and did not look around.

"I don't see the stands," Aceves said. "Just the game."

INSIDE PITCH

Derek Jeter singled in the first inning for his 2,519th career hit, passing Babe Ruth for second place on the Yankees' career list. Lou Gehrig is the leader, with 2,721 hits. … Andy Pettitte, who starts on Wednesday, said he does not know if he will pitch next season but has no interest in playing for any team but the Yankees. "Obviously anyone else would say, 'I'll go wherever I want to,' because people want to try to get the most money," Pettitte said. "But, I mean, I'm not going anywhere, you know what I'm saying? The Yankees know me enough, it's not like I'm going to hold out. I guess if I had spent all my money or whatever, it might be different. But it's not about that, really, anymore." Pettitte said he would talk with his wife and oldest son in hopes of making a decision sooner than he did last winter, when he waited until December to tell the Yankees he would return.

News source：http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/sports/baseball/10yankees.html?ref=sports

As Yankees Roll, a Homer for the Replay Record Books

By TYLER KEPNER
Published: September 3, 2008

Yankees 8, Rays 4

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Alex Rodriguez lost a home run in May because of an umpire’s blown call, and soon baseball began to explore instant replay seriously. The system was put in last week across the majors, and the first test came Wednesday night at Tropicana Field — on another long drive by Rodriguez.

“There are 800 players in the big leagues, so what are the odds that I’d be involved in this, 2 to 1?” Rodriguez said. “How do I get myself into this?”

This blast, off Tampa Bay’s Troy Percival in the ninth inning, soared down the left-field line, carrying over the foul pole and crashing into a catwalk. Rodriguez stood at the plate and curled his neck to watch the ball’s flight, then clapped his hands and trotted as the third-base umpire, Brian Runge, signaled fair.

Rays catcher Dioner Navarro protested, and Manager Joe Maddon conferred with umpires for a minute. The crew left the field through the Yankees’ dugout, retreating to the umpires’ locker room and emerging after 2 minutes 15 seconds with the verdict: home run.

It was the 549th of Rodriguez’s career, pushing him past Mike Schmidt on the career list and punctuating an 8-4 victory, the Yankees’ third win in three games this month. Rodriguez was 3 for 4 with four runs batted in, narrowing his focus after a dismal August.

“We’re playing like every game’s our last,” Rodriguez said in the clubhouse before batting practice. “Every game is the most important game. We can’t control what anybody else does. I don’t even watch. All I care about is our team doing the best we can.”

For the third game in a row, the Yankees met that goal, hitting in the clutch and getting stingy relief pitching from Edwar Ramírez, Phil Coke, Brian Bruney and José Veras after Carl Pavano’s four innings.

With a 10-game hole in the American League East, the Yankees may not have time to catch Tampa Bay. They trail Boston by seven in the wild-card race, but the Yankees are doing their best to make September matter.

“The important thing is we’re winning,” Manager Joe Girardi said. “And when you’re winning, you’re usually gaining on somebody.”

Rodriguez is 8 for 13 in three games this week, with nine runs batted in. He singled in two runs in the middle innings Wednesday before his disputed homer.

Part of the confusion was because of a yellow marker sticking up from the catwalk behind the foul pole. Rodriguez’s homer crossed the foul pole in fair territory, making it a home run. But it tailed and hit the catwalk to the foul side of the unofficial yellow marker.

Maddon said he did not know if the ball was fair, so he followed the lead of his catcher, Navarro.

“Navi was adamant it was foul,” Maddon said. “I just said, ‘That ball was high, and the pole’s not high enough.’ ”

The crew chief, Charlie Reliford, said: “Since the technology is in place, we made the decision to use the technology and go look at the replays. And the replays we reviewed were conclusive that the call we made was correct.”

Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman was watching from a suite to the third-base side of the plate, and he could not tell if the ball was fair. But Cashman said he was pleased that the system worked.

“I think, ultimately, it gives everybody closure to believe that whatever call gets made is going to be the right call,” Cashman said. “That’s what the umpires want, that’s what both teams want, that’s what the fans want.”

That is what Cashman has wanted since Game 1 of the 1996 A.L. Championship Series, when the Yankees won with the help of a fan, Jeffrey Maier, who deflected a deep fly by Derek Jeter into the stands for a home run.

It was a pivotal moment that helped start a dynasty, but it should not have been a home run. Cashman has always felt conflicted about that play, because it was so unfair to the Baltimore Orioles.

“We would have had to go to Baltimore down, 2-0, having to play three in Camden Yards,” Cashman said. “You’re like, ‘How unfortunate is that circumstance?’ I’m happy we won and all that stuff, but when you step back, everybody wants it to be accurate. It’s high-stakes poker, whether it’s a game in June or October.”

For years, Cashman voted for instant replay at the general managers’ meetings, but only last November did the majority agree. A series of missed calls in May — including a Rodriguez drive that struck a staircase at Yankee Stadium and caromed back onto the field — prompted the implementation.

“They got the call right, and that’s the most important thing,” Girardi said. “The process worked.”

News source：http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/04/sports/baseball/04yankees.html?_r=1&ref=baseball&oref=slogin

Pettitte Gives Up Six Runs as Yankees Lose to Jays

Andy Pettitte gave up 6 runs and 10 hits in Sunday’s loss against Toronto. A mistake in the outfield in the first inning helped put the Yankees behind, 3-0.

By HOWARD BECK
Published: August 31, 2008

Blue Jays 6, Yankees 2

Xavier Nady has called Yankee Stadium home for five weeks, a span too short to have soaked up much of its glory and history — or to have learned its subtle quirks. As a newcomer, he also missed out on the Yankees’ 13 straight playoff appearances, a streak that is in jeopardy after another gaffe-filled weekend in the Bronx.

Nady, who was acquired in late July to boost the team’s playoff push, became the latest Yankee to make a critical mistake, misplaying a deep fly ball in the first inning of Sunday’s 6-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Toronto scored two runs on the miscue and three runs in the inning, which was enough to sink Andy Pettitte and put another crimp in the Yankees’ fading postseason hopes. Roy Halladay used the lead to great effect, holding the Yankees to eight hits and two runs in seven innings to secure his 17th victory.

The loss left the Yankees seven games behind Boston in the wild-card race as they prepared to leave for a difficult 10-game trip. Barring a sudden turnaround, Yankee Stadium will be down to its final 10 games when the team returns.

Pettitte (13-11) blamed himself after giving up 6 runs and 10 hits in six and a third innings.

“I’m looking for a miracle here,” Pettitte said somberly, “and I’m just looking to right the ship here and do my job and get wins whenever I’m supposed to be out there on the mound.”

A few minutes later and one locker stall over, Nady took responsibility for contributing to Pettitte’s rough afternoon. Pettitte walked Marco Scutaro to start the game, then allowed one-out singles to Alex Ríos and Vernon Wells as the Blue Jays took a 1-0 lead. It could have ended there, but Nady misread a hard shot off the bat of Rod Barajas and let a ball that could have been caught sail over him in left field. Nady initially took a step toward home plate, then turned and ran toward the wall after realizing his mistake. Barajas was credited with a double and two runs batted in.

“By the time I recovered it was too late,” Nady said.

Manager Joe Girardi and Johnny Damon each blamed the sun, saying that left field at Yankee Stadium is among the most difficult places to play during a day game. Nady acknowledged those challenges but said he “just flat-out misread” Barajas’s hit and insisted that the sun was not a major factor on that play.

“It’s my fault, and, obviously, Andy pitched pretty well,” Nady said. “And it’s frustrating. If I catch that it kind of changes everything.”

A day earlier, the Yankees squandered a four-run lead after Robinson Canó committed an error in the seventh inning.

“I think everyone’s kind of in shock right now,” Nady said. “We’re not playing well right now. It’s obvious.”

Pettitte was otherwise solid for most of the afternoon, allowing just four hits over the next five innings, including a solo home run by Scott Rolen. He left with the Yankees trailing by 5-2 and was charged with a sixth run when Scutaro scored on a wild pitch by José Veras.

Halladay beat the Yankees for the fourth time this season, despite surrendering leadoff home runs to Alex Rodriguez (in the fourth inning) and Jason Giambi (in the sixth).

Having lost two of three to Toronto, the Yankees now leave for a trip that includes three-game series against two division leaders, Tampa Bay and Los Angeles.

“We have to play our best baseball of the year the rest of the year, there’s no doubt about it,” Girardi said. “If things don’t go your way, one at-bat or one pitch, you got to get back up and you got to fight.”

INSIDE PITCH

Joba Chamberlain will be activated from the disabled list on Tuesday, which would make him available to pitch that night in Tampa Bay, Joe Girardi said. The Yankees are waiting until then in order to give Chamberlain time to recover from the 35-pitch simulated game he threw on Saturday. Girardi has strongly hinted that Chamberlain will be used in relief, rather than as a starter. But when he was asked whether Chamberlain could resume his former role as the eighth-inning reliever, Girardi offered a coy grin. “We’ll see,” he said. ... The Yankees will bring up catcher Chad Moeller and the left-hander Phil Coke when rosters expand Monday. The right-hander Dan Giese (shoulder) is expected to rejoin the team Tuesday.. ... The last pitcher to beat the Yankees four times in one season was the Angels’ Chuck Finley in 1996. ... Jason Giambi’s sixth-inning home run was his 205th as a Yankee, moving him into a tie with Dave Winfield for 10th place in franchise history. ... After the game, the Blue Jays traded infielder David Eckstein to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a minor league pitcher. Eckstein was the Blue Jays’ designated hitter on Sunday. He went 2 for 4 with a run batted in.

News source：http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/01/sports/baseball/01yankees.html?_r=1&ref=baseball&oref=slogin