Yankees 16 White Sox 3: Is it really possible that the Yankees could tie a club record by belting eight home runs, yet somehow Alex Rodriguez would be about the only person not to get one? Somehow, that’s exactly what happened Tuesday as every starter except for A-Rod, Jeter and Andy Phillips went deep and Hideki Matsui did twice. Shelly Duncan continued his Shane Spencer imitation by belting his 4th home run in 21 AB’s.......

Nets 83, Cavaliers 72: No one's going to give the Nets style points, but New Jersey will take Game 6 nonetheless. Jason Kidd's crew won this game on defense and tenacity. How else can a team win a game in which it scores six points in the fourth quarter? Mikki Moore did the job yet again. He's scored in double figures in every game this series and his development is a credit to Lawrence Frank's......

-Yankees 6 White Sox 5: Don’t let the score fool you, this game was a pitchers’ duel. For the first seven innings, runs were at a premium as Jose Contreras and Randy Johnson both made really only one mistake each. In the eighth, New York appeared to have blown the game open with three runs against the Chicago bullpen, but Mariano Rivera gave up three consecutive singles and the White Sox loaded the bases with......

You will have to forgive Yankee fans for acting a bit irrationally today. After all, who can blame them for being upset after watching Jose Contreras handcuff their lineup for seven plus innings as the White Sox won 2-1. When he was a Yankee, Contreras would probably have wilted under the pressure of a game like this, but wearing a different uniform seems to have had a positive affect on Jose. You would think a......

How good is Mariano Rivera? Through the years he has been the least appreciated of the Yankees’ stars, but without him where would the Yankees be? Monday night Rivera was dominant again throwing a 1-2-3 ninth inning on seven pitches to record his thirtieth save of the year. Since blowing two saves to the Red Sox in April, Rivera has not failed in a save opportunity and has surrendered only 3 earned runs in over......

For Yankee fans, Opening Night 2005 could not have come soon enough. A brutal winter, the anticipation of seeing Randy Johnson in pinstripes and the disappointment left over from last year’s collapse, have created an urgency among the fans to see their team play ball. This year’s edition of the Yankees should be an improvement over last year’s, especially when you consider the starting pitching. Javier Vazquez, Jon Lieber and Jose Contreras, all starters......

Mark Mulder, one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, gave up three runs in the first inning to the Yankees. When one of the best pitchers in baseball gives you a three run cushion, you have to take advantage of it, Jon Lieber did not. Going into the 4th inning Lieber had a 4-1 lead on a 3-run Posada home run and a Gary Sheffield (what else is new) solo home run. going......

It was a good and busy weekend at the Stadium for the Yankees. the Yankees managed to take three out of four games from Baltimore and increase their lead over the Red Sox to 9.5 games. The big trade that everyone wanted to see (Randy Johnson coming to the big Apple) did not happen, but Cashman was able to unload the inconsistent Jose Contreras for the steady Esteban Loaiza. On Friday night, Kevin Brown......

When the game started it looked like it would be a typical Yankees-Orioles game. The Yankees hit Sir Sydney Ponson hard in the first inning, but only managed one run, on a Gary Sheffield RBI single. Jose Contreras was sharp the first two innings, sending the Orioles down in order. 1-0 Yankees after two innings. The next seven innings went south in a hurry for the Bronx Bombers. Melvin Mora hit a two-out two RBI......

In the past week, we have seen Felix Heredia come in five times out of the last six games. In most situations it is to face the opponents best left-handed hitter. In those five games, Heredia has faced 11 batters and has retired only three of them, has given up five hits, and has walked three. It makes you wonder why Joe Torre continues to go back to him in big spots. Last night Heredia......

The Boston Red Sox took advantage of their mastery of Yankee pitcher Jose Contreras last night for a 9-6 win in legendary Fenway Park. The victory gave the Sox a 2-1 series win but still left them 7.5 games behind the Yankees in the standings. The Yanks gave Contreras a 2-0 lead in the first but the beleaguered pitcher could not take advantage. "He wasn't good from the get go," Joe Torre said of the......

The Yankees desperately needed someone to step up and pitch a good game, and Jose Contreras was able to do that yesterday afternoon. Contreras pitched seven strong innings and then gave way to a familiar tandem to close the game down. Tom Gordon pitched a scoreless 8th inning for his 24th hold of the year and Mariano Rivera pitched a scoreless 9th, striking out two, to nail down his 34th save of the season and......

Different day, same storyline. The Yankees starting pitching gets them in a hole, the bullpen does an admirable job to stop the bleeding, the Yankees offense fights back. The only twist on this night was that the Yankees couldn't pull the game totally out of the bag. Losing 9-7. Alex Graman got the start due to injuries to Mike Mussina and Kevin Brown. Graman was unimpressive to say the least. He lasted only one-third of......

The Yankees entered the four game series in Detroit on Thursday with a spectacular performance by Jose Contreras and Mariano Rivera. The pitching problems were solved right? Not even close. Mike Mussina is now on the DL and will miss at least three starts. Kevin Brown is still not off the DL and Randy Johnson is still pitching in Arizona. Pitching was the reason the Yanks split (2-2) with the Tigers this weekend. Friday......

If you asked Jeremy Bonderman to hold the Yankees to four hits after seven innings, he probably would have told you he would be winning the game when he was replaced. Unfortunately, those four hits were all solo home runs by the New York Yankees and ended up being the difference in the 5-1 Yankee win. Kenny Lofton started the solo home run hit parade in the 3rd inning launching his second home run......

If your favorite team was 55-31, 7 games ahead in their division and had the best record in baseball, would you be worried? Or would you be enjoying a great season? That is the huge difference between the Yankee fan and the rest of the baseball world. Yankees fans are worried, even though right now they are the best team in baseball. If you break the Yankees into three parts, you will find two......

The much scrutinized Yankee pitching staff came up big in this four game series with the Devil Rays. The four starting pitchers and the relievers combined to give up only 11 runs in the four game set. Lead by the inconsistent Jose Contreras on Thursday and finished by the triumphant return of Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez. Contreras pitched well in Thursday's 7-1 win (see our post on that game here). On Friday it was newly......

The Yankes got exactly what they needed last night from Jose Contreras. Contreras pitched six and two-thirds of three hit, one earned run innings. The Yankees beat Tampa Bay 7-1 and maintained their 6 game lead over the Boston Red Sox. Pitching was the key to the Yankee win last night. After Contreras left the game, Paul Quantrill (who is on pace to pitch in every Yankee game this season) pitch 2/3 of an inning......

After last Thursday's incredible victory over the Red Sox, the Yankees had all been given the division by everyone in the sports world. Now, one week and 5 horrible pitching performances later, that nine game lead has turned into a six game lead, and there doesn't seem to be any pitching light at the end of the tunnel. In yesterday's 10-8 matinee loss to the Tigers, the Yankees once again dug themselves into a hole......

Going into the Subway Series on Friday night, the Mets were 12-24 against the Yankees and lost all six games last season. Friday night's game was delayed by rain, pushing the start of the series to Saturday afternoon in a match-up between Al Leiter and Brad Halsey. Surprisingly, the Mets actually won, 9-3 (box score). Saturday's victory came on a virtual offensive explosion by the Mets. In the fourth inning, the Mets had 6 runs,......

7 games vs. the Orioles, 70 runs and 7 wins. Yankee management has got to be thinking, "can we schedule some more games with these guys?" Last night the Yankees jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead on an Alex Rodriguez home run in the 1st inning. Mike Mussina, making his first start since he injured his groin 10 days ago, got off to a rocky start, but managed to pick up the win.......

Sunday night at Chavez Ravine, Kobe Bryant was sporting a Dodger hat and a Yankee shirt, Billy Crystal caught a foul ball and needed to ice his hand down and "Mr. L.A.", Jack Nicholson, was in attendance to watch the Yankees and Dogers in a three game weekend set. The Yanks ended up dropping two of three in their weekend series with the Dodgers. Javier Vasquez lost the series opener 6-3 (box score) to former......

The biggest fear for any Yankee fan this season was the health and age of the pitching staff. Those fears have quickly been realized. Kevin Brown pulled himself out of his last start on June 9th after lasting only two innings. After the game he was heard saying that his back feels like there is a "steel rod" in there. He is now on the 15-Day DL. Two games later, Mike Mussina injured his groin......

Yesterday, the Yankees finally beat the Red Sox at Fenway, taking the 3rd game of the four game series, 7-3 (box score). Paul Quantrill got the win, after bailing out starter Jose Contreras in the third inning. A well rested Derek Lowe got the loss, giving up seven runs in 2 2/3 innings. Despite the victory, one has to wonder if it was the Yankees that performed well, or if it was the pitching......

This weekend brings us the first meeting this season of the Yankees and the Red Sox, in a four game series that any baseball fan can enjoy. The two teams have not met since last October when Aaron Boone ended the ALCS with a home run and when there was an incident between Don Zimmer and Pedro Martinez. Boone and Zimmer are gone, and Martinez is not scheduled to pitch, but the rivalry has......

Gothamist is glad to know that dressing up and looking foolish on purpose is a part of the Major League Baseball rookie's agenda. Apparently, rookies are supposed to dress in costume as part of their initiation. Here, New York Yankees' Hideki Matsui, left, is pimptacular and Tampa Bay's Doug Waechter, right, shows off his hot gams and shows that sports jocks are not afraid to cross dress. Picture of the Yankees' Jose Contreras and......