THINGS ARE GETTING VERY TIGHT

YANKS CAN'T WIN FOR LOSING
Sabathia is pitching okay, but he's not overpowering anybody. He's giving up hits at crucial times and that's not what an "ace" is supposed to do. The biggest problem is that age and injuries seem to be catching up to the Yanks. A-Rod comes back, but Teixeira and Granderson are out and maybe Cano. These kind of injuries were no problem a month ago when Ibanez and Jones were playing like they did in their prime. They aren't any more. They have been able to succeed with Martin hitting under .200, but  that is no longer something they can live with.
Most of the recaps of last night's game report that A-Rod went 1-4. He did not! Oh, the Rays were kind enough to let one roller slip thru the infield, but he never hit a ball hard all night.
The 10-game lead is gone, and with it, maybe the season.

NATIONAL CLOSE TO SHUTTING DOWN STRASBURG
" Here’s a question for Nationals GM Mike Rizzo: How would things have worked out for the ’86 Mets if they had shut Dwight Gooden down, waiting for the half-dozen championships he would lead them to in later years? Maybe the Nats really are on the brink of a dynasty run. Or maybe they will be the latest to learn a hard lesson: Sometimes you only get one crack at it."  -- Phil Mushnick


There's nothing funny about the Yankees right now. Maybe other people can find some humor.
THEY SAID IT
"The Los Angeles Yankees, er, Dodgers lost 10-0 today in Josh Beckett's debut. And around Boston, the hills are alive, with the sounds of giggles."  -- Janice Hough
"ESPN gets new MLB contract to show even more Yankee and Red Sox games."  -- FARK.Com
"Dateline Seattle: Pete Carroll trades QB Tarvaris Jackson to Bills, but insists Jackson still in running to be Seahawks' starter."  -- Dwight Perry
"During a charity game in China, Kobe Bryant scored 68 points in 15 minutes after his teammates repeatedly fed him the ball. Kobe said he's looking forward to returning to the U.S. sometime in late 2027."  -- Brad Dickson
" Lance Armstrong has been banned from racing. Officials suspected he’d been juicing after his third place finish in a recent event. The Daytona 500."  -- Alan Ray
"The Jets didn't score a touchdown in their first three exhibition games, but the news wasn't all bad. They've just been declared the official team of Major League Soccer."  -- Dwight Perry
"The Cowboys have ordained that Dez Bryant must follow some off-field rules, including not going to a strip club, while he is on the team. Let's hope this doesn't throw the Dallas area exotic dancing business into a recession."  -- Janice Hough

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