^ Epic win, clearly. Props to VH1 for supplying me with my title as well as my entertainment for this evening. =)

     So, as I've said, I've been working on a collage for my wall in my room... well, it's not a wall so much as it's the slanted part of my ceiling since my room is on the far side of my house.  I guess you could say it's the part between the ceiling and the wall, but whatever. I digress.  I said I'd post my progress, so this picture is after Stage 1 of my project that will now be known as... [drumroll] the Wall Collage of Epic Proportions™!

     I'm thinking I might rearrange it a bit so that there are only two rows of pictures, 'cause I have a good 7ish feet [give or take a few inches] left to go on this wall-like thing and it'd take me forever to fill it. FYI, if you hadn't noticed, it's pictures I've put on the blog over the course of my starting it. Quirky captions and all! =D

     Other ideas I've had in my extremely imaginative mind:
             1. Doing the two row thing, and then putting pictures of friends & stuff in the space underneath those rows
             2. Keeping it as is, and when I get to the halfway point, put pictures of friends & stuff on the other half
             3. Splitting the wall-like thing into thirds and putting Yankee stuff on the outer pieces, and friends & stuff in the middle part.

     Honestly, I amaze myself sometimes. I'm too creative for my own good. Again, sometimes.  But I have a feeling it'll come out good no matter what I do, and hopefully the painters' tape I'm using to stick these things to the wall won't peel the paint. =D


     Annnywho, school has been rough on me lately so this once-a-week-updating thing might just go on for a little while longer. We'll have to see. And I wish there were decent college basketball games to watch tonight. [sigh] Ah, well. Maybe I'll start my stats paper. Yeah, that's right... a paper... for STATS. -_- It's friggin' math, but I have a paper to do for it. Real nice. LOL @ college.  Okay. I'm gonna go watch my One-Hit Wonders for the 241719847245627th time. ♥

     It's been one week since that glorious Game 6 in the Bronx. That Game 6 where our beloved Yankees won their 27th World Championship.  That Game 6 where they finally went all the way after a 9 year drought [hello innuendo].  It's been one long, euphoric yet torturous week since that fateful day, and I have but one thing to say... I WANT BASEBALL. NOW.

     After such a long season like baseball, I can never remember what the hell I do with my time during the off-season.  Then I take into account school, college basketball, and the holidays and I realize that even without baseball, life isn't too, too bad.  It's beyond weird how much of an impact something like baseball can have on a person.  I'm pretty sure I had the shakes for a few days after last Wednesday.
     Staying on the impact topic, I've also realized that there are some people that legitimately don't get it.  I've told my friends about how much I love the Yankees.  Now, I know I can be emphatic, but I don't think I've ever realized how much it shows.  I get made fun of, playfully, but still.  People really don't get it, and honestly, I don't think I get it either.  How does baseball get into someone's veins and wreak havoc on their brains and emotions and, well, lives?! It's a mind-boggling idea... and a blog topic for another day. =)

     So, what's happened since last Wednesday?  Well, the Parade of Heroes, of course.  My boys clean up pretty damn nice if I must say so. Mmmmm. ;D I can only imagine what the first-time player paraders must have been thinking.  Watching that footage [and playing hooky, ssshhh! ;D] certainly made it seem like they were all having the time of their lives.  The youngins especially.  Great, great stuff.  I'm glad I missed classes to watch it.  I used it as a well earned & well needed mental health day.
     And, even though it's only been a week, there have already been talks about contract extenstions, contract renewals, tenders, free agencies, and all that jazz.  Hideki Matsui, Johnny Damon, Andy Pettitte, Jerry Hairston, Jr., and Jose Molina are among the free agents from our boys in blue.  So, in essence, their journey for 2010 has already begun.  It will no doubt be interesting to see who gets re-signed and who gets the boot.  But, no matter what happens with any of these guys, let's remember one thing: they ALL helped this team make it to the World Series this season, and they ALL helped to win it in one way or another.  I can certainly say, at least for myself, that no matter where they end up, I wish them nothing but the best, and they will always be Yankees in my heart (yes, even if any of them end up in Boston [cough HIDEKI cough]).  Another cause[s] for celebration? Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira win the Gold Glove Awards for their respective positions.  BALLIN'.  Many, many, many congratulations to them, of course. I WUV YOU GUYS! =D

     Hmmm, other stuff from this week, let's see... Well, I've decided I'm going to put a collage on one of my walls dedicated to these fabulous men in pinstripes.  It's a work in major, major progress, but I'm optimistic that it's gonna be pretty bada$s.  Be sure to look for pictures of the finished product sometime in the near future!  Also, my substitute sport of obsession for the off-season - men's college basketball - officially began on Monday with the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament.  Let's go Tar Heels! WOOOOO!  They're on tonight at 9, so you know where I'll be at.  At the moment I'm watching Syracuse play the Handmaids of Mary Robert Morris.  Go 'Cuse!  I can't wait until the season gets into full swing.  Then come the holidays, and winter break from school. Ahhh, I cannot wait.

     So, from here on out, expect a little less about baseball and a little more about other stuff.  A sad thing to see, I know, but I hope that doesn't hinder anybody from visiting iBleed: Yankee Pinstripes.  I have always and will always bleed blue, even if I don't always write about it!  Hehe.  Here's to a great and productive off-season for the Bronx Bombers [and all of baseball], and here's to hoping beyond hope that our sanity stays intact!

     Apropos song choice, no? I figured it would be. =)

     Wednesday night, we were all rewarded grandly for this 2009 season. The Yankees became World Champions for the 27th time in their illustrious history. What more can be said? Honestly, I don't think there's anything you could possibly say to encompass the emotion, passion, and thrill that went into this entire season. Who else could be more deserving? This team, this 2009 dream team, deserved it. We, the fans who waited nine long and torturous years for this to happen again, deserved it. The people responsible for making this team what it was this season deserved it. And last but certainly not least, The Boss deserved it. What a way to come back from no playoffs in 2008 to winning it all in 2009. Absolutely incredible.

     Game 6 and its epic-ness basically fall on the shoulders of one person: Hideki Matsui. He straight ripped ish up. Three hits, 6 RBI. He was named the MVP of the World Series. I can only imagine what that must've felt like, especially with all the speculation about whether or not he's gonna be back next season. He certainly made a case for himself this entire year. I still can't really comprehend the game he had. Ridiculous.

     Of course, we can't forget about ol' Southern Comfort himself, Andy Pettitte. A member of the Old Guard/Core 4, whatever you wanna call them, along with Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera. He pitched a hell of a game despite giving up those three runs. I don't think I would've wanted anyone else on the mound for this game except him, and of course Mariano as well. It was only fitting that Pettitte would get the third clinching win of these playoffs to give him an 18-9 record in the postseason [which is the most wins by any pitched in the playoffs, mind you].

     And now, with the parade over not too long ago, baseball has officially ended [cries out loud]. But, now the counting down can begin. 150 days until Opening Day 2010. 90-and-some-odd days until pitchers and catchers report. Hot stove coverage begins next week. I'm actually looking forward to this offseason and getting even more enveloped in baseball than I already am. So, I will leave you with some photos from the end of Game 6. Look for another post tomorrow with pictures & other stuff from the parade [I wish I was at]!

     Blah.

     Okay, I'll be honest. I wasn't so crushed that our boys didn't win it all last night. Yeah, I know, sounds crappy. But I LOVE beyond love the fact that we're gonna win it in New York. Yep, we're GONNA win it in New York, not maybe, not possibly, but definitely. I was almost begging for it. You can't tell me winning #27 at home wouldn't be a million times sweeter than winning it on the road, even if it was against Cliff Lee. You also can't tell me that you just wanted these guys to win to "get it over with," 'cause that's just ridiculous. Baseball should last forever, period. =)

     But anyway, last night wasn't a good night to get it done anyway. Mr. Hyde aka Bad AJ Burnett was in town. Unfortunate, but it was the reality we faced. He only went 2 innings [into the third, but got no one out] and racked up 6 earned. Luckily Dave Robertson is god-like and he saved our butts for two innings after that, followed by Alfredo Aceves, who also went 2 scoreless. After that, we faced a near-fatal choking by Phil Coke, who allowed two more runs to make the score 8-2 after seven innings. Oh yeah, that Cliff Lee guy wasn't too bad... neither was that Chase Utley character. o_O Hope was nearly lost, and I was nearly relieved; that's how badly I wanted this series to continue. I don't care how bad that sounds. I'm selfish. I admit it. I want these guys to grace the new Stadium with a ridiculously gorgeous banner that was earned there, not anywhere else. Sue me.

     Color me surprised when the Yankees come back in the 8th and manage to tack on another three runs, making the score 8-5 and therefore... wait for it... a SAVE situation! Sure, everybody wanted Brad Lidge on the mound so he could give us another graceful performance as he did in Game 4, but we never saw him. Looks like Charlie Manuel had his head screwed on rather snugly last night. Good decision making on his part, clearly.
     Anyway, our boys added another run in the 9th, making the score 8-6. My eyes were fairly widened at this point. However, the bleeding was ceased and the score became final. Ah, well. Off to New York we go! =D

     Sidebar 1: Shane "Skirts McGirts" Victorino took a ball of the hand in the first inning courtesy of AJ Burnett. No breaks (dammit) and he stayed in the game for a good while (dammit again). What. a. trooper. [vomits] =)

     Back to the game. Alex freakin' Rodriguez = Beastmatic 3000. 3 RBI on two hits. Johnny Damon & Robinson Cano added an RBI apiece to the mix. All the elements for a comeback classic were there, but they just weren't to be had. And yes, once again, I'm not losing sleep over it. So weird, but I can just taste the sugary sweetness of winning #27 in the House that George Built.

     Sidebar 2: Alanis Morissette (a Canadian) singing the National Anthem (of America). "Isn't it ironic, don'tcha think?" It's like getting your hair cut by a bald guy. What a trip that was.

     Andy Pettitte is on the mound tomorrow against Pedro Martinez. That alone is something that will make the win even better. Facing Pedro in our house? C'mon, you can't possibly tell me you would not love to see that. Seriously. Let's be logical here, people, sheesh. =) Here's to tomorrow, bloggers, for it will be sweeter than the nectar of the gods; trust me. ;)

     ^ That's actually a really good cover, especially if you like alternative/metal music. I consider it more on the alternative side though. Two thumbs up from me. =)


     Anyway, prior to game three, the series was tied at 1 apiece. After Games 3 and 4, however, our boys in blue have taken a commanding (but still not quite cemented) 3-1 lead. Game 5 is tonight, AJ Burnett on the mound against Cliff Lee. We do face a bit of a conundrum, however. Winning the game against Cliff Lee would be ever so sweet, but losing it would allow for the return to the motherland to win #27 in front of the home crowd. I'm not saying they should lose on purpose - that would be blasphemous - but I'm saying it won't be too much of a big deal if they did lose tonight... especially since Cliff Lee is on the mound and he basically put us in our place his last time out.

     Enough about tonight though, this entry is to go back over the dealings of the past two games. Halloween night, I'm at my friend's house with a bunch of other friends. Luckily, he has a massive TV in his basement and we got to watch the glory.

     Andy Pettitte went 6 innings, gave up 5 hits and 4 runs, but struck out 7. That may look like a bit of a crappy line, but we were fortunate enough to have the offense show up and contend in this game - including some from ol' Southern Comfort himself! YOU GO ANDY! Cole Hamels was on the receiving end of most of that offense and was knocked out after only pitching 4-and-a-third. Johnny Damon is keeping himself awake in this World Series. He had himself 2 RBIs. Alex Rodriguez had 2 RBI as well, courtesy of a homer that had to be reviewed. That was definitely a huge, HUGE turning point in that game. That cut the Phillies' lead to 3-2. The fifth inning was the biggie inning - 3 runs scored, putting us up 5-3. We never gave the lead back after that. Nick Swisher, who had a great night offense wise - had a solo shot in the 6th. Looks like that stance change was a pretty good idea. Pinch hitter Hideki Matsui got a shot as well despite playing at CBP, and hit a solo shot in the 8th. The Phillies managed another run in the 6th off Pettitte, but Joba Chamberlain and Damaso Marte stopped that from continuing. However, the Phillies did get another run in the bottom of the 9th [wtf, Phil Hughes?], but Mariano Rivera came in and shut ish down. 8-5 win, 2-1 lead.

     CC Sabathia pitched last night, and was considerably better than he was in Game 1. He faced Joe Blanton, who apparently isn't as terrible as we all thought he'd be. He pitched rather well considering his reputation. CC went 6-and-two-thirds and gave up three runs. Blanton went 6 and gave up four.
     Again, the offense was in attendance and was the big contributing factor, as per the usual. We have the first five guys in the lineup to thank for that. Derek Jeter, Johnny Damon [making a complete and utter mockery of the Phillies' infield by stealing two bases in one artfully beautiful play], Mark Teixeira, and Alex Rodriguez [yeah, hit him again and see what happens, I #@$%IN' DARE YA!] each had an RBI apiece, and Jorge Posada came through with 3. Big doin's at Citizens Bank Park last night. What a way to pump people up, let me tell you. I was shaking [partly because of how big it was, and partly because the friggin' umps were thisclose to giving me an ulcer or two, or twenty]. But no matter, all that matters is that we are ONE WIN AWAY FROM WINNING IT ALL. ONE. WIN. AWAY. FROM. #27. LET'S DO THISSSSS!!!!!

     AJ is gonna be big tonight. He needs to pitch like he did the other day. NEEDS to. I will be honest though, I won't be completely heartbroken if things don't work out. I really like - no, love - the idea of winning a World Series [after 9 years of waiting] in New York... especially in the new Stadium. It would make the accomplishment that much sweeter. But, of course, I will take this however it wants to come. It will be completely euphoric no matter where it happens, and I cannot wait until then!

     Okay, I know it's not really a pump-up song, but I ♥ Frank Sinatra and it came up on my shuffle so I decided it was gonna stay that way. Hehe.

     The World freakin' Series. Hard to believe we've already had two games. Also hard to believe that CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett had a Freaky Friday-but-really-Wednesday-Thursday moment (more on that soon). To sum it up, the series is tied 1-1, and our boys are now in Philly awaiting tonight's Game 3 start at Citizens Bank Park. Andy Pettitte, our own version of Southern Comfort, will be on the mound to face Cole Hamels. Now, it is Halloween, and I will be out at a friend's house, but luckily a TV will be available. No need to fear, folks. I will be watching this game, no. matter. what. =)

     Now, back to the CC and AJ situ. CC pitched game 1, and he pitched pretty well. He wasn't his usual stellar self, but it certainly would've been enough to get by if not for our lapsing offense. Clearly, they decided not to show up on Wednesday [sigh]. I was quite close to throwing something large and lamp-shaped into my TV, but I refrained. I remembered that we need to keep TPPT™ and GoodKarma™ on our side for this entire series. It was one game out of a possible seven. We had time. We were more than capable of coming back in the end. Okay, by "the end" I was hoping "the end of this game," but we all know that didn't happen. The fact that Phil Hughes did his best impression of a choke artist plus the fact that Brian Bruney is, well, Brian Bruney, left us in a 6-0 hole. The final was 6-1. Yuck.
     I know I said our offense was slacking, which it was, but I must give credit where credit is due. Cliff Lee basically spanked us and put us in time-out like we were disobedient children (more on this momentarily). He's good. Too good. I'm not gonna knock the guy for his talent. He was just better Wednesday night. Props to him. [facepalm]

     Lucky for us, Thursday night was alright for fightin'. AJ freakin' Burnett was in. the. building. Wheelin' & dealin' some filthy-nasty pitches. It was artful, a beautiful sight to behold [in more ways than one ;)]. Seven strong innings, four hits, one earned run, and nine K's. He Hulkified and basically turned the tables on the Phillies. Throw in some Mariano Rivera for the two-out save and some Pedro Martinez for the LOSS, and we are good to go. It was like a spa day. So relaxing.
     I was looking through pictures from this game, and I swear I've never seen so many of Derek Jeter completely pumped up. It seemed like every other click led to a fist pump and a mouthing of something along the lines of "YEAAAAAH!!!" Just an interesting tidbit I thought I'd share, but I digress.

     The final of this game was only 3-1, but those 3 were a huuge 3, clearly. Some Texual Healin' courtesy of Mark Teixeira and a Godzilla impression courtesy of Hideki Matsui confirmed the paternity test. The Yankees are, in fact, Pedro's daddy. It was our turn to spank him and put him in time-out, fershure! Tack on another run courtesy of Brett "The Jett" Gardner [running for Jerry Hairston, Jr., who had a base knock] brought in by Jorge Posada, and we have Game 2 in the bag. Good stuff, good stuff.

     To rewind for a second... In all honesty, I wasn't that impressed with the Jay-Z/Alicia Keys performance. I actually listened to the song itself, and it's kinda dumb, I can't lie. The chorus doesn't even rhyme. If Billy Joel was there playing "New York State of Mind," it would've been better. Hands down. And what was Alicia wearing? Honestly? Whatever. It's over. Hopefully it never happens again. Sorry to those who think H-to-the-Izzoh, V-to-the-Izzay is the Second Coming (but not really). =)

     So, of course we're expecting big things from our favorite Southpaw tonight. I have faith in him. He's Andy Pettitte. If anyone can do this, it's him. He's got the bling to show for it. We have got this series, no matter what anybody says. We have GOT this. LET'S GO, YANKEES! *CLAP, CLAP, CLAPCLAPCLAP!*

     The New York Yankees are the 2009 Champions of the American League.
     The New York Yankees are the 2009 Champions of the American League.
     The New York Yankees are the 2009 Champions of the American League.
     The New York Yankees are the 2009 Champions of the American League.
     The New York Yankees are the 2009 Champions of the American League.

     Just in case you haven't heard it already, the New York Yankees are the 2009 Champions of the American League!  They beat the Angels last night by a score of 5-2; 4 games to 2 in an epic 6-game series. Sure, Game 6 didn't end with a dramatic walk-off like 2003 in the days of old, but sh_t, we'll take it.

     Our boys only need 4 more wins to be the 2009 World Champions. FOUR more wins against the Phillies, and "We Are the Champions" will take on a humongous persona. I'm beyond pumped for Wednesday to come and Game 1 to begin.

     As far as last night goes, Andy Pettitte was superb. 1 earned run in 6-and-a-third, 7 hits and 6 K's. Those 7 hits basically went to waste, like most of the Angels' hits did in this series. I'm pretty confident that as a whole, they left a small island on the bases [thanks, Dad!]. All in all, they didn't play their best baseball, and neither did the Yankees for that matter, but clearly we prevailed and therefore we played better! =D

     Johnny Damon, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez. The dynamic three-o of the night. 2 RBI for J-Dames, and one apiece for Tex & A-Rod. It's good to see that money going to good use. ;D When you have a combo like that in the lineup, it's hard to say you're gonna lose. Luckily, their work as well as Andy's and Joba Chamberlain's and Mariano Rivera's led to some more celebrations of epic proportions. You can't beat watching grown men act like they're 13 running around like lunatics and jumping on top of each other to see who can get the most hops. It's hilarious for one thing, and beyond that, it's special to watch. You can really tell how appreciative these guys are to be in this situation and how much they want it all.  These guys haven't been in the Fall Classic since 2003. I think it's high time it was their turn to go the distance once again. So, the hunt for #27 is alive and well.

     Ahhh, good stuff, good stuff. Hopefully the hangovers are subsiding as I type and our boys are either relaxing or doing some stuff to keep sharp for Wednesday. The coming days are gonna be more than exciting... they're gonna be epic. The Hunt for #27 is on, ladies and gents. May our boys in blue take those Phillies DOWN! =)

     Ay Dios mio.

     I don't know how much more of this I can handle. First we get spoiled beyond the point of recovery in game 4, then Game 5 happens and basically AK-47's our hopes for the night. Now that is clearly not cool.

     This will be relatively short, because yesterday's game nearly killed me and I think I'd have a traumatic experience if I have to relive it. However, I'm more than happy to talk about Game 4. =)

     CC muh-flippin' Sabathia. DOMINANT. There are not enough positive adjectives in the English language to desribe this beast of a man. He's spectacular, stupendous, marvelous, et cetera, et cetera. Redundance is completely necessary. Let the broken records play. I'll be singing this guy's praises until I kick the bucket. He is epic. He is god-like. He is quite possibly the Second Coming.

     Offense: <33333 Could you come into my life [well, all our lives] more often please?! You hardly call or give me [us] nice things anymore... I felt like we were drifting slowly apart, it was almost too painful to bear... Okay, dramatic monologue over. Seriously, though. Scott Kazmir may as well have been hit by a Mac truck. Same goes for Matt Palmer. Poor chumps, they had no idea it was coming. Just see for yourself...

Melky El Lechito Cabrera? Beastin'. Alexander The Great Rodriguez? Beastin' even more. Johnny J-Dames Damon? 'Bout time you woke your a$s up! A beautiful, beautiful 10-1 win over LAAAAAAAAAA? Priceless. There really are some things money can't buy. Gratification, for the win. ;D

     Sure, they basically butt-plugged the Angels in this game. That was all well and good. Last night, they're on the verge of a monumental comeback and FAIL miserably. Oh Phil Hughes. Oh, Nick Swisher. Oh, everybody. Where were you last night? Maybe these off days are too much. At least it's back to the homeland for Game 6, which will hopefully be the last for LAAAAAAAAAA. I'm sick of them. Having a holy object as a mascot is just cruel. Nepitism, I tell you! [shakes fist at sky] But that's besides the point. Tomorrow, the Angels will be flying back to SoCal or Heaven, but preferably Hell... [or wherever the hell they habituate] and staying there until next season. MARK MY WORDS.

     In other news, the Phillies beat the Dodgers in their series 4-1 and will be the opponent for the World Series. C'mon Yanks, GET WITH IT SO WE CAN SEND THESE GUYS PACKIN' TOO! =) TPPT™ & GoodKarma™ be with us, y'all!

     =D

     How can a Yankee fan not be happy at this point? I mean really. At home in the freezing cold conditions, against none other than the Hellish Halos, your hopes are high but expectations? They may waver a tad. Our boys have done us good in these two games. They made the Angels look like monkeys [pun possibly intended]. It was grand.

     Game 1: CC "Boss Dawg" Sabathia took the hill for his first trip of the series. He tossed eight innings of one-run, four-hit, seven-K ball. If that's not ballin', I'm not sure what is. If he pitches twice more in this series, it's gotta be in the bag. You can never have a doubt when the guy is on the mound. He's the insurance policy. In short, he is amazing.
     Before I continue, I just want to thank Jason over at Heartland Pinstripes for always having awesome recaps of the game. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be able to be as detailed as I want to. You freakin' rock, Jason!
     Okay, so, Alex Rodriguez was to thank for the Yankees' drawing first blood in game 1. LET THEM HATERS HAAATE. He's clearly proven everybody wrong who's doubted him. He was basically the MVP of the DS, along with CC, AJ, and Andy, of course. Anyway, he had a sac-fly to put the Yanks up 1-0 in the first, and Matsui followed with a bloop single to score Johnny Damon. WOOP.
     Fast-forward to the fifth, Hideki Matsui knocks a double to score J-Dames and make the score 3-1. A-Rod tries to do the same, but instead was called out in a pretty intense collision at home plate - more intense for Jeff Mathis, I should say. It was a good try nonetheless I suppose, although he did run through Robbie Thomson's stop sign.
     There was one more run to be had in the sixth, thanks to a botched pickoff attempt by John Lackey & a single by Derek Jeter to score Melky Cabrera. This made the score 4-1, which ended up being the final. Angels' miscues certainly were used to our advantage in this game. Good times.

     Game 2: It was AJ Burnett's turn on the mound. Through the first four, he was workin' it. When the fifth inning came around however, he let the Halos come back and tie the game at two. He ended up going six-and-a-third, just allowing three hits and having four Ks. On any other day, this would be considered a really good outing for him, so I'm not gonna knock the guy.
     Offense, offense, offense. Robbie Cano with a triple to score Nick Swisher, who of course worked a walk, in the second. Captain Clutch then decided to tack another one on with a solo shot to right field in the third.
     Naturally, the game went into extras, and dramatics ensued. Chone Figgins, the president of the Lollipop Guild, hit a single in the 11th to score Gary Matthews Jr. and make the score 3-2 with Alfredo Aceves on the mound. Aceves did not save us. Growl. This was the point where I was near stroking in the club where I was out with friends for a birthday. Yes, I was glued to the TV. Yes, I know how stinky that sounds, LOL. But as I've said, I have an addiction. O=) Anywho, as my other friends were on the dance floor, I watched Alex Rodriguez put us at ease, blasting a solo shot to right field in the bottom of the inning. There were many cheers to be had by the patrons other than myself.
     Aside from Aceves, the combined efforts of Phil Coke (.1 IP, 1 BB, 1 K), Joba Chamberlain (.1 IP, 1 H, 1 K), Phil Hughes (.2 IP, 1 H, 1 K), Mariano Rivera (2.1 IP, 1 H, 2 K), Damaso Marte (.1 IP), and David Robertson (1.1 IP, 2 BB, 1 H, 1 K) yielded good results (though the lines look pretty shaky). Whatever hits these guys gave up didn't do any damage. They cleaned themselves up rather nicely.
     To the thirteenth we go. Robbie Cano with an error in the top of the frame to let Erick Aybar aka Coolio on base. Ugh. Aybar bunted to 2nd by Figgy. Ugh. Bobby Abreu IBBed. Ugh. Torii Hunter with a groundout to DJ, but the runners move up. Ugh. At this point I was just begging to be put out of my misery. Thank God Vladimir Guerrero was having a bit of an off day. As my Dad put it "he left a small country on base last night." Inning over, crisis averted. Whew.

     Bottom half of the thirteenth. I'm in the car on the way home from the club, wishing I was still in front of the TV. Jerry Hairston Jr., pinch-hitting, hits a single. Brett Gardner bunts him to second. Sacrifice successful. Cano gets IBBed. Melky hits a grounder to second, and Maicer Izturis makes a MAJOR faux pas and throws the ball away! JHJ scores! YANKEES WIN, THEEEEEEEEEE YANKEES WIN! Much screaming and celebrating ensued while en route to my house. Myself as well as two of my friends scared the bejesus out of our other friend in the passenger seat. Whoops. All in the name of winning, of course. =)

     So, our boys travel to Anaheim and far better weather in the west for games 3 and 4. Up 2-0 has a really, really nice ring to it. The matchup for Monday afternoon consists of Andy Pettitte vs. Jered Weaver. I'm beyond the point of being hyped/stoked/excited/etc. My blood pressure is probably through the roof. Ah, well. Two more wins and we are off to the WORLD SERIES, BABY! =D LET'S DO THIS!