Russell Martin couldn't have asked for a better start to the second half. Not only did the struggling catcher knock in the game winning run with an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning, but he also threw out three runners on the base paths, including Howie Kendrick to end the game. However, the main star was Mark Teixeira, who belted two homeruns in one game for the 15th time in his Yankees career and drove in five of the team's six runs.
Yesterday, the Yankees' pair of injured left handers each took a step closer to returning to the team. C.C. Sabathia, who is scheduled to pitch against the Blue Jays on Tuesday, threw a simulated game without incident, while Andy Pettitte and pitching coach Larry Rothschild played catch in the Stadium outfield. Pettitte's target day remains September 1.
If you did a double take upon hearing that Jason Nix was batting ninth as the Yankees' DH, you were not alone. In only 50 other games has a Yankees' manager penciled the designated hitter into the last spot on his lineup card, including most recently on September 4, 2011 when Jesus Montero brought up the rear. Although it seems as if the team could use another right handed bat, Yankees' GM Brian Cashman has no immediate plans to make an addition to the roster.
Francisco Liriano struck out 15 batters in a losing effort, but may have boosted his trade value in the process. With scouts from several teams, including the Yankees, in attendance, Liriano's domination came at a good time for the Twins, who may decide to shop their left hander as the trade deadline approaches.
The next time you hear "New York, New York" playing as you walk out of Yankee Stadium, it might not be Frank Sinatra doing the singing. Most Yankees' fans know Pete Caldera as a beat writer covering the team for the Record of Bergen County, but in his spare time, the reporter moonlights as a Frank Sinatra impersonator.
"I'm sorry" probably isn't a phrase Reggie Jackson has uttered often, but the outspoken Hall of Famer offered a public mea culpa for the inflammatory comments he recently made during a SI interview.
With the resumption of the season, the All Star Game is now a distinct memory for most baseball fans, but for those suffering from withdrawal, this link includes every at bat by Don Mattingly in the Midseason Classic.