Starting Five: Dead Heat in AL (B)East

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the AL East is a dead heat 85 games into the season, perhaps portending an epic race through the dog days of summer and into the fall. The Yankees pulled even with the Red Sox Thursday in baseball's toughest division by virtue of a win over the Twins and Boston's loss to the Royals.

New York, which is 48-23 against Minnesota since 2000, has been on fire since the latest A-Rod drama during a series June 19-21 in Miami. The Yanks have gone 13-3 since losing two of three to the Marlins that weekend to erase the gap between them and Boston.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Even better for the Bronx Bombers was first baseman Mark Teixeira, who broke the longest homerless streak of his career in the 6-4 win over the Twins.

"We're playing so much great baseball. I'm getting on base. I'm still hitting the ball; I'm just not getting that lift," Teixeira said.

"The last couple of weeks, that ball that I hit would've been a line drive to the left fielder or maybe a nice hard single," he added. "But once you get a little bit of a lift, a little bit of backspin, that's when home runs start coming."

Now if they can just figure out how to beat those pesky Red Sox head to head ...

From the Trainer's Room ...
Does anyone escape Citi Field these days without some sort of scrape, bruise or boo boo? A day after ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews took a line drive to the chin, the Mets placed rookie outfielder Fernando Martinez on the disabled list with inflammation in his right knee. New York is redefining the expression limping into the All-Star Break.

Numbers Game ...
The No. 43 got Dodgers pitcher Randy Wolf to 4-3 on the season. Wolf, who started the season wearing the No. 21, switched back to the old jersey number (43) he wore for seven seasons with the Phillies before his start Thursday night. Just for good measure, the southpaw beat the Mets for his victory since late May, with the Dodgers scoring 11 times against to back him.

"There's not a baseball player that's not superstitious," Wolf said. "And if they tell you they're not, they're lying."

The good karma figures to keep coming for Wolf. He has the most career starts of any active NL pitcher that's yet to appear in the playoffs, a streak that -- barring injury -- should come to an end this fall.

In Their Own Words ...
"It's pretty funny. It feels pretty good in the situation that we're in. Houston is a team in our division and we gained ground." -- Former Nationals and current Pirates relief pitcher Joel Hanrahan, who picked up a win for his old team nine days after it traded him to Pittsburgh. The Nats and Astros had to go all the way to Houston to finish up a game that was suspended in Washington on May 5, and Hanrahan, who pitched in the top of the 11th, was the pitcher of record when Washington scored the winning run in the bottom of the frame.

Advance Scouting ...
The Cardinals continue their road tour of NL Central contenders when they open up a three-game series with the rival Cubs Friday afternoon at Wrigley Field (2:20 PM ET). Chicago will send Rich Harden to the mound against Brad Thompson, who is fighting for his spot in the rotation with Kyle Lohse (expected to return sometime next week).

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

7-10-2009 @ 9:40AM

Geezer said...

Yeah, whatever. I can't wait until the Sox get the season sweep against the Yankees, because we all know it's happening.

7-10-2009 @ 12:25PM

kyle said...

Who cares fcuk new york and fcuk boston.

GO RAYS.

7-10-2009 @ 12:27PM

tonytiger18 said...

Hey Geezer,
It is a long season; are you getting nercous? The Yanks are 7 & 0 against the Twins. Five of those games could have gone either way, but didn't. The Twins are a very good club better than the ROYALS.( The SOX blew a four run lead, can you imagine)

Some teams just match up well against the other team. Two years ago the Yanks were 6 and 0 against the Indians and they lost to them in the playoffs.

What record did the PATS have when they played the GIANTS? I think they were undefeated, right?
So, what happened to the mighty cheating PATS that day?

It doesn't mean much if you lose the last game.

7-10-2009 @ 5:03PM

dskaalrud5 said...

The Twins are a colossal disappointment. The cannot compete against quality teams like the Yankees and the Red Sox. Nobody, including this Twins fan, is going to take them seriously until they can start consistently beating the Yankees. They can't even take one in a series from them. The worst part is, they don't seem to care.

7-10-2009 @ 5:23PM

dewit202 said...

To play "the last game" you have to get into "the last game" something the Yankees haven't managed to do of late. Speaking of match-ups 0 - 8....not one loss or even 5 but EIGHT against the Red Sox. Admittedly now that A-Roid is back on the juice he's brought his average up from 209 to 235.

7-11-2009 @ 8:50AM

tonyd said...

KARMA? (the YANKS blew a 4 run lead, can you imagine?)

7-10-2009 @ 12:31PM

Kyle added a very informative well thought out response to this article.

His input was a revelation to read.

Kyle has a lot of insight when it comes to analyzing baseball, perhaps he should stay off that juice and get a life.

7-10-2009 @ 12:34PM

Kyle added a well thought out but informative response to this article.

It was a revelation to read, but, seriously stay off that bottle and get a life.

7-10-2009 @ 6:03PM

Hey, dewit,
I have been following baseball from the fifties when the forbidden action by the players was alcohol, women and cigarettes. It was probably before you were born, so I tolerate you retorts with a smile.

You are an avid but biased fan of the Red Sox.I do feel for you and your family; you have had many sleepless nights this century rooting for your team. In fact, it wouldn't be suprising to me that you and your family stopped rooting for them until 2004.

Sports ic cyclical, enjoy the moment with your Sox. Let the season play out and see what happens.

7-11-2009 @ 11:46PM

Whatever. First place at the break is good.

7-10-2009 @ 7:01PM

vicki20001 said...

I found a dating site .................http://tinyurl.com/oq9cmy........... .where you have the opportunity dreaming about dating a millionaire and make it true! u dont have to be a millionaire.but u can meet one. I thought everyone needed to meet some miracle after all the terrible stuff in the news and the economy .

7-10-2009 @ 7:09PM

paulron said...

Over the long haul it always comes down to pitching. Should the Boston starters stay healthy with 3 in the MLB league leaders - 2 with double digit wins and one high in SO they should be able to win the ALC. Now if the Yankees are able to get Halladay it would then be a horse race. And no I'm not counting out the Rays who have youth , heart, and chemistry on their side. It was refreshing to see them pull it off last year and remember what the game used to be about instead of fat contracts and jaded rich guys.

7-10-2009 @ 10:01PM

Anybody who watched Lester and Papelbon pitch tonight saw beyond filthy. Pap with most saves in MLB and Lester tied with Verlander for most SO. Pitching pitching pitching pitching pitching. Pay attention!

7-11-2009 @ 8:48AM

waaaaazuuuuup said...

i wish the yanks just put joba back as a closer or relief.... he is killing the yankees as a starter.... im not a baseball expert but we can all see when he starts is very shaky evertime he gets on the mound.....and boston fans relax,,,, baston and yankees are pretty much even for the last 50 years... yeh ok this year boston has crazy wins against the yankeesss ,, but havent you guys learned yet,, that can change at the drop of a hat... they bth great teams that can dominate each other at any given time....beeee cooooool enjoy the game.... i can understand where your frustration comes in.. so much misery boston has had to endure at the hands of the yankees for like 80 years.... but you guys win 2 and you think your the new dynasty in baseball... chilllllllll... even the sun shines on a little boston doggie butt once in a while...

7-11-2009 @ 11:34AM

atar said...

Sorry waaaaazup but most of us don't go back waaaaaaaay back past the turn of the century, like the last decade . Why not join the Tewnty First Century, and live in 2009. 0-8
The past is but a fleeting memory