Considering the Playoff Rotation

Obviously the Yankee playoff rotation begins and ends with CC Sabathia. He will need to be an ace if the Yankees expect to go anywhere beyond the first round. But Sabathia has been remarkably consistent in the second half so really the question marks begin with spot number two. Right now the debate rages over whether A.J. or Andy deserves that honor.

The Yankees must be hoping that A.J. Burnett has pretty much gotten out of his funk with two start solid starts. I honestly don't understand why people were freaking out about him. Burnett is a Jekyll and Hyde pitcher. Everyone who knows anything about baseball knows that he has the stuff to be amazing, but his inconsistency has always kept him from being one of the better pitchers in baseball. I guess it just makes good copy to worry about something when the team has every conceivable objective virtually locked up.

Burnett was slow out of the gate in April and passable in May. In June and July he was the best pitcher on the team and we all know about his August trials and tribulations. Now it seems that he has found his stride again in September, which of course makes the Yankees feel better about their October rotation.

Burnett really should be the number two starter no matter how he was pitching during this stretch run. He is a far better pitcher at home where he seems to be more comfortable and Andy Pettitte also seems to be a better pitcher on the road. It also splits up the two lefties and your two power pitchers. The question also arises of who you would rather have pitching in certain situations.

If Sabathia and Pettitte were your first two starters and both falter at home, leaving you in an 0-2 hole, do you really want someone as volatile as Burnett making his first playoff start on the road? Conversely if Sabathia and Burnett both go down you have your playoff hardened veteran lefty to face a hostile road crowd in a situation where he tends to thrive.

Thankfully Burnett is starting to make the decision easy for Joe Girardi. With those three at the top the Yankees will have the ability to match up with any front three in the league.

Now any four in the league is an entirely different question. The Yankees have huge questions about who would start game four. It is possible that they could avoid such a dilemma during the first round but if they were to make it to the ALCS then a fourth starter is a must. So far it can't be Joba Chamberlain. While the ability is there the execution is nowhere to be found. After getting bombed by the Mariners on Sunday it would seem that unless Joba shuts down the Sox and the Royals/Rays he may be watching the first round from the pen.

If that is the case then clearly Chad Gaudin is the number four for the Yankees. Though he leaves much to be desired in terms of pitching deep into games, he has been very effective of late and right now the Yankees have to have far more confidence in his ability to keep them in a game than Joba's.

The Yanks will begin the playoffs at home. The rotation should stack up as Sabathia in Game 1, Burnett in Game 2 and Pettitte in Game 3. Then repeat. At least that's the way it should be.

Yankees Chop Down Magic Number; Win in Anaheim

It only took five tries, but the Yankees finally jumped the last hurtle they had waiting for them this season when they defeated the Angels in Angel Stadium. It wasn't exactly a text book win and there where plenty of things that they did wrong, but in the end the Yankees jumped on the Angels, blew the lead and then rallied again for the victory.

The last part is the most important part of the equation. A week and a half ago we saw Brett Gardner come in to pinch run for Mark Teixeira. Gardner then Scioscia'd the Angels by stealing third and scoring on the subsequent Mike Napoli throwing error. The Angels, not to be shown up by their own style of play, did almost the exact same thing last night after Robinson Cano's fielding error allowed the tying run on base.

Howie Kendrick then stole second and moved to third when Jorge Posada threw the ball into center field. Phil Hughes recovered enough to keep the game tied and in the top half of the ninth, the Yankees were able to unleash Brett Gardner again. Gardner has a weapon the Yankees have lacked for years: legs. Gardner's ability to steal bases virtually at will is something that could change their fortunes in any game.

Last night is the perfect example. After his lead-off single in the ninth Gardner took larger and larger leads off of first base. The Angels knew he was going. Everyone in the ballpark knew he was going and Gardner still stole the base easily. That allowed Jeter to walk and then Johnny Damon dropped a perfect two-strike bunt. And of course A-Rod came through with a clutch sacrifice fly, but if not for Gardner running Torii Hunter would have had a shot at throwing out the runner at the plate.

So for the second time in two week the Yankees have hurt the Angels at their own game. In other news from last night, Chad Gaudin was serviceable again and has been solid in his four September starts. Despite that solid effort, I would have to say that discussions of his exploits have been a tad overblown. Sure he is a far better option than Joba Chamberlain at the moment, but Gaudin has only made it past the fifth twice in those four starts and while the Yankees have the depth right now to pick him up, they will be in trouble if the have to worry about covering him or Joba in a playoff series.

Either way it will be nice that these will be the questions discussed over the next two weeks as last night's victory dropped the divisional and homefield advantage magic number down to six. The Yankees can start to get their ducks in a row and prepare to make a mark on the playoffs for the 14 time in 15 seasons.

Walking Away With A Win

Well it took 11 innings and a few casualties, but the Yankees persevered and finished their homestand with a victory. The win gave the Yankees a 6-1 homestand and nine victories in their last 10 contests.

But the price might be a steep one for the Yankees. Derek Jeter got plunked on the foot in the first inning by a Ricky Romero curveball and you could tell from his run from first to third on Johnny Damon's single that he was not right and after his next at bat Girardi pulled the plug.

X-Rays were negative, but you would have to imagine that the Yankees will play it safe and probably sit Jeter for tomorrow's opener in an attempt to protect his health down the stretch. That could be detrimental to our other HBP victim today.

In extra innings A-Rod came to the plate and after falling behind 0-2 Toronto reliever Shawn Camp plunked him on the elbow. In spite of his protective gear A-Rod dropped like a sack-o-potatoes. He managed to stay in the game and perhaps the ball just caught his funny bone, but we all know that A-Rod needs to rest that troublesome hip. Jeter's foot contusion will complicate that rest schedule.

Even without the Captain the Yankees rode home runs from Johnny Damon and Robinson Cano. Before A.J. Burnett wild pitched away his two-run lead. The bullpen came on and kept a weak Toronto lineup on the mat for the three more innings. Chad Gaudin came on for his first appearance as a Yankee in the 10th, and after two solid innings of relief and the always rare Cano hit with runners in scoring position, he collected his first win as a Yankee.

Gaudin could be very important for the Yankees going into this stretch run. No matter what Girardi is hoping for, his old friend from the Marlins Sergio Mitre is not long for the rotation. Gaudin could step in for Mitre in the five spot or, what is more likely to happen, he can step into the bullpen and assume Alfredo Aceves role while Aceves transitions into the rotation.

It is a minor flaw with the Yankees to quibble over, but the more games they win now the sooner they can start controlling Joba's innings to keep him fresh for the post season and even continue to rest the regular starters aside from A-Rod as the Yankees endure these final two grinding months they are scheduled for.