A couple of losses; Sturtze to the DL

A's 6, Yankees 1 (Sunday)
Rangers 4, Yankees 2 (Monday)

A great game by Haren Sunday. Although the Yankees helped out a lot by quickly going into first-pitch swinging mode. At one stretch Haren recorded six outs on something like 15 pitches. It was if Randy giving up the three-spot in the first inning took all the starch out of the team. Which is pretty much inexcusable -- even with no Matsui and no Sheffield, three runs is nothing for this team.

As for Randy, perhaps this time they'll do the MRI on the pitching arm.

Last night, a good start by Mussina. He seemed to get unnerved a little by the pop fly home run, but instead of a classic Mussina meltdown he held it together and pitched seven innings only allowing two runs. Unfortunately, Panic Joe turned to his newest favorite pitcher, Kyle (You Lookin' at Me?) Farnsworth, who promptly coughed up 2 runs in the top of the eighth. The Yankees again seemed demoralized by that and went quickly and quietly in the eighth and ninth innings.


Sturtze goes to see Dr. Andrews

Tanyon Sturtze finally admitted what everyone who watches the Yankees has known since the middle of last year: He's hurt. No. 56 is going to see Dr. James Andrews today to discuss his "slightly torn rotator cuff and bursitis."

How much of an idiot did Sturtze make Torre look like these past months? Joe kept running Strutze out there game after game reagrdless of how poorly he pitched, as though he was in the grip of a complex blackmail scheme the likes of which would make the writers of Law and Order: Criminal Intent envious.

And Torre kept calling Sturtze "a gamer." Um, close. The word ends with "r," but the correct term is "liar."

You don't get just a "sligthly torn rotator cuff." Bursitis is a chronic condition. And if you're going to see Dr. Andrews, it's not to shoot the breeze and talk about you don't need surgery.

The sad part is that in all likelihood Sturtze has made whatever is wrong a lot worse by continuing to pitch. Let's hope that Scott Ericson has a little left in the tank, still.


Dodging the weather

Amazingly, with all the cruddy weather of late, the Yankees have somehow avoided being rained out. Not a big deal, but every little bit might help down the stretch. Boston was rained out twice this past week -- they'll have some doubleheaders to contend with. And is it just Me, so does Boston seemingly play all their games at home, and play all of them against Tampa and Baltimore?