...but it ain't easy. Baltimore won't go away and Tampa's not helping. Either the Red Sox are playing over their heads or the Yankees are playing under theirs. The Yanks' three home runs did the job, but they can't seem to find a way to put teams away, and until that happens, the pennant race will continue to be close. It's hard to tell if the Yanks are feeling the pressure, but it appears to me that Girardi is. I'm starting to question his decisions.
In the 6th inning, with men on first and third with two outs and a right-hander on the mound, he let Chris Stewart hit with Dickerson, a lefty, on the bench. There were two other catchers on the bench, so there was no reason to let the light-hitting Stewart bat. He continues to bring in Robertson every chance he can, with no regard to how many times he's pitched previously. The guy even looks tired.
Oakland now has a better record than NY or Baltimore, so it looks like the AL East has three teams fighting for two playoff spots.
DISCOUNTED TICKETS?
In spite of the fact that the Red Sox continually announce that the stadium is sold out, there appears to be a lot of empty seats. If that isn't a clue to the Red Sox fortunes of late, consider this: Last year, the average ticket price for a Yankee-Red Sox game was $186. Last night, the average ticket price was $67. You could even get a seat for $19 from a ticket broker. In fact, I think the seat was next to Valentine.
JETER IS HURT?
It doesn't matter, he's playing. There are 20 games left and Derek will play in all of them, even if it means they have to put a hospital bed out at shortstop, which, according to some sabermetric fans, won't seriously affect his range. Jeter, as usual, won't admit to anything. Girardi says he has a bone bruise on his heel. Jeter reluctantly says his problem is his "lower leg." Then he denied having a lower leg.
VALENTINE CONTINUES TO HAVE ISSUES
Besides losing last night, he had another confrontation with Alfredo Aceves. When he went out to the monud to replace Aceves, Alfredo refused to give him the ball. He gave it to the catcher instead, and then circled the mound to go into the dugout, rather than walk past the manager.
Valentines woes continued later in the game when he was ejected for arguing balls and strikes. It was the 6th ejection this year for Bobby, a Red Sox record. Sunglasses and a fake mustache were not available, so Bobby stayed in the clubhouse after the ejection.
IN OTHER NEWS
Dallas wide receiver Dez Bryant played college ball at Oklahoma State. I don't say 'attended,' because that would imply he went to classes. He obviously didn't learn anything, including self-control. The Cowboys have actually hired a bodyguard to make sure he doesn't have problems with women, doesn't drink beer and stays out of strip clubs. Now if they could only do something about double coverage on the field.
Actress Amanda Bynes has been involved in five car accidents in the last six months. To put this into perspective, that's one more than Lyndsay Lohan...and two less than Dez Bryant.
THEY SAID IT
"Sony says there is already huge demand for their 84-inch, 3D LED TV with 4 K resolution, set to hit stores in late November. In a related story, the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is December 4th." -- RJ Currie
"The Texas Transportation Commission has increased the speed limit to 85 mph on Interstate highways out of Austin. For disgruntled Texas Tech basketball players fleeing Lubbock, it's 95." -- Dwight Perry
"Roger Clemens said he only wants to pitch for the Astros in 2012 if he can pitch against a “contender.” So he can “knock them right out of the playoffs” And Barry Bonds is thinking – “And they thought I had a big head?” -- Janice Hough
"Mitt Romney compared President Obama to a coach whose record is 0 and 23 million. The former coach of the Charlotte Bobcats said, “Leave me out of this.” -- Brad Dickson
"The NFL season kicked off in New Jersey. The Dallas Cowboys played the defending champion New York Giants. So ladies, I guess we'll catch up with you on Valentine's Day." -- Jimmy Kimmel
CP-
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