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New York Yankees CC Sabathia had a rare loss in his old stomping ground Tuesday night, falling 4-1 to the Cleveland Indians.

The Yankees are in first place, with a margin of only two games before they get caught.

This added a lot of pressure on an already erratic AJ Burnett. It was mandatory that Burnett put the team in a winning position.

Burnett surpassed all that was required, as he dominated the Indians batters. Burnett’s teammates helped make sure he had a chance to shine again and the Yankees won 8-0.

Another factor in the Yankees success is using David Robertson in the eighth inning.

It is no secret where the Yankees biggest weakness lies—in the bullpen.

With Alfredo Aceves on the DL since May, the Yankee bullpen has become a total mess. Chan-ho Park, Joba Chamberlain, and Boone Logan are not reliable at all and it has spelled trouble whenever they were called on.

Robertson was right in the mix, with a bad beginning to 2010.

The timing could not have been more perfect for Robertson to get find his form again.

Robertson thrived as the eighth inning guy even under the lights of the 2009 World Series. Translation: The pressure does not bother Robertson.

Skipper Joe Girardi realizes that he can count on Robertson to get the outs needed with no regrets.

Robertson’s small role has made the biggest difference since the All-Star break.

Still, the bullpen is the biggest roadblock for the Yankees. Most Yankees fans take comfort in the idea that Hughes will join Robertson once Andy Pettitte gets off the DL in a few weeks.

For now, the Yankees will head to Tampa following the fourth game against the Indians. Friday night starts a three-game set at Tropicana Field against the second place Rays.

This weekend series will be a literal battle royale for first place in the AL East. Both teams have their work cut out for them, as both are on fire right now.

Whichever team wins will purely be based on who played better defense and how each starting pitcher sets the tone.

Why?

Simply because both ball-clubs have proved they can hit the heck out of the ball, but if a pitcher is throwing heaters it will be considerably harder to accomplish.

This might be the most important series of 2010 thus far, because the Rays are just two games behind the Yankees in the standings.

Please check out Lady Loves Pinstripes, as the next three posts will break down each game pitching matchups.

*First pitch is at 7:10pm this Friday night, but Yankees have to win the last game against the Indians tonight…but trust me, this weekend will be some damn good baseball.

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The day was April 14, 2010, the second home game of the season.

The Yankees were the reigning 2009 World Series champions, making New York glow with pride. Yankee fans’ subdued looks of unfamiliarity from 2009 were replaced with smiles because our new house felt like a home.

At least that is how I felt that Wednesday afternoon, until the game started.

The Yankees were hosts to the Los Angeles Angels, so as the home team took the field my cheers were silenced with booing, cursing as if the season were over already.

As I sat down in confusion, which was more like a polite denial, my heart sank as I knew what was happening. My dad was on my left and initially he was not as affected by the whole situation.

So, I stood up again, and cheered. To be more specific, I was rooting for starting pitcher Javier Vazquez. Vazquez was acquired in the offseason, but it was his second time in pinstripes.

To say I was disappointed would be an understatement.

Vazquez was a Yankee back in 2004, the year the Boston Red Sox broke a World Series curse dating back to 1918. Vazquez had been phenomenal the first half of the season and was voted an AL All-Star by fans.

Vazquez struggled in the second half of the season, but the anger was based on Game Seven of the 2004 ALCS when Vazquez came in to replace Kevin Brown and gave up a grand slam to then-Red Sox Johnny Damon.

It was so ridiculous and immature that Yankees fans were living that far in the past. The 2004 ALCS was lost way before Game Seven. The whole team fell apart, considering they were up three games to none and the Red Sox came back to win the next four and the World Series.

The Red Sox won again in 2007, but this season our Yankees were back on top so to act like entitled whiners was mortifying. Vazquez walked back out to even more hostile fans as if he was the anti-Christ.

Fans didn’t want to acknowledge that in his five years since 2004, Vazquez was one of two pitchers to have pitched 1,000 innings, with 1,000 strikeouts. The other is Mets ace Johan Santana.

In 2009, as an Atlanta Brave, Vazquez was 15-10 with a 2.87 ERA and 238 strikeouts, which was second most in the NL behind Giants ace Tim Lincecum.

Vazquez didn’t have to come back to the Bronx, but he wanted to make things right. That takes a lot of courage, but Yankee fans wrote him off from the start.

Vazquez struggled, but who wouldn’t in that situation? It was sad to see him the first month in postgame interviews because he wanted to do better and now he has done just that.

I hope that all those Yankees fans that were angry that day cheer for Javier Vazquez as loud as they can. Not out of guilt, but because Vazquez deserves it and has surely proved himself.

In June and July, Vazquez is 6-2 with an ERA of 2.77 and has struck out 50 batters in 65 innings pitched. His last start against the Indians, he had not reached 50 pitches until the middle of the fifth inning. Vazquez got the win and pitched well into the eighth inning.

Guess those fans can finally shut up because the only people reminiscing about 2004 should live up in Boston—feel free to join them at Fenway Park anytime you want.

Angry New York Yankees fans embarrassed the rest of us at the start of 2010 season. Don’t let it happen again.

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It has been reported that New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman has been shopping around relief pitcher Chan Ho Park.

My question is, what teams are interested in Park, and what does he bring to a team?

The 37-year-old right-handed pitcher doesn’t offer much promise to any team he joins. This season, in 32 innings pitched, Park has given up seven home runs, 37 hits, waked nine, and surprisingly struck out 26 batters total.

Park’s 5.57 ERA is not ideal, but what makes Yankee fans cringe is Park gives up big hits in important situations. This obviously resonates more in fans’ heads.

It is so uncomfortable when Park comes running out from the bullpen and the Yankees have given him plenty of chances to prove himself.

Park also holds the No. 32 spot on the all-time hit batsmen list, with 135 to date.

Joba Chamberlain, who is even less reliable, joins Park in adding to the mess. Joba gets more leeway because his struggles are partially the organization’s fault for the way they have selfishly handled the youngster.

Unlike Joba from 2007, the 2010 version cannot locate his pitches. Joba’s velocity is still in the mid to high 90s and his command is not terrible.

It seems to be that Joba’s fastball lands right over a batter’s sweet spot, which is why his walk-rate might seem down. Hitters are actually taking the pitches and making contact successfully.

Joba can be fixed once he gets his confidence back, which might take some time. The Yankees have to continue to take responsibility for this situation because they babied him too much.

That is why the Yankees need to grab bullpen help, more than adding another starting pitcher.

This Saturday, July 31, marks trade deadline and you can be sure the Yankees will be shopping. My pick is Houston Astros hurler Brett Meyers, who can also pitch in long relief, which is great until starting pitcher Andy Pettitte returns to the rotation.

Pettitte’s replacement, Sergio Mitre, is not the long-term answer or the short-term, but Girardi continuously uses Mitre any chance he can get.

Mitre’s success is co-dependent on a strong bullpen with the idea of getting the ball to Mariano Rivera. This cannot work with Park hogging a spot or being anywhere near a pitching mound.

Finding a team who will take Park must include the Yankees eating all $1.2 million owed to him this season. I would even pay the other team just to get Park out of the Bronx, pronto.

This won’t pose a problem, as the Yankees cannot win without a change in the bullpen—someone to complement Phil Hughes down the stretch, as Hughes has a 165-170 innings limit, but he can’t take it all on himself.

These next four days will show what teams have up their sleeve. I would be shocked if the Yankees just sat back and watched the 2010 season slip away.

The general consensus is getting rid of Chan Ho-Park needs to be done, even if the Yankees give him away.

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The New York Yankees finished the weekend taking three of four games from the Kansas City Royals.

The Yankees continue to lead the majors, and the AL East, with a 62-35 record.

The Tampa Bay Rays are just three games behind, which leaves little room for error. The ailing Boston Red Sox trail by eight and better not make the gap any bigger.

This scenario dictates nothing except that the Yankees are playing very good baseball right now.

Still, the Yankees recently lost pitcher Andy Pettitte for four to six weeks. Along with a struggling group of middle relievers, this is not an October-ready team.

Without Pettitte, losing out on pitcher Cliff Lee, due to being given the run around by the Seattle Mariners, stings even more.

Leave all the talk swarming around Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Dan Haren coming to the Yankees. That too is now over, with Haren going to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim because the Yankees said no when Joba Chamberlain became part of the deal.

That is the second time the Yankees name was in the mix to spark a bidding war amongst suitors.

So, what remain are Houston Astros Roy Oswalt and Chicago Cubs Ted Lilly. They are the only two creditable starters left before the July 31 trade deadline.

Oswalt has made it clear he wants to play for the St. Louis Cardinals. Also, teams will hesitate with Oswalt’s salary in 2010 having more than $5 million left, plus $16 million for next year, and he refuses to let go his $16 million option for 2012. I’m pretty sure most teams will pass and positive the Yankees already did.

Next up is Cubs and former Yankee pitcher Ted Lilly, who is in the final year of his contract and is owed around $5 million. That has a lot more appeal, but still Lilly’s value is hindered playing on the crappy Cubs. It would seem Lilly is better off staying in the NL, as his career stats indicate better success. Lilly is not the answer for the Yankees; we don’t need another Vazquez mess coming from the NL.

This doesn’t leave much, making this team far seem from perfect.

The idea behind obtaining a starter works because it takes pressure off CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Javier Vazquez, until Pettitte gets back.

Also, according to skipper Joe Girardi and GM Brian Cashman, Phil Hughes’s 170 +/- innings limit is mandatory, so he is bullpen bound no matter what. This idea is fine with me, but if Pettitte is still on DL when the time comes it could be an issue.

My suggestion would be to grab Astros pitcher Brett Myers, who is an innings eater and has had success in the bullpen as well. Myers is cheaper, with $3.1 million for 2010, and his numbers are comparable to Oswalt’s this season. Myers has a 2-0 record, with a 1.88 ERA and 19 strikeouts in his four July starts.

With series coming up against the Rays and Red Sox, the reigning champs cannot still believe that Sergio Mitre is going to be the answer. Girardi cannot seem to let go of the fact the Mitre sucks, just like 2009.

The only way to consider Mitre as the choice until Pettitte is active again, is if they have a pitcher like Myers who can go in the fourth or fifth inning and pitch a couple of innings.

This could work out perfectly and something has to be, or else Chan-ho Park and Joba Chamberlain will continue to lose games in the eighth inning.

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The last week before the MLB trade deadline on July 31st is usually an eventful and dramatic couple of days up until the last second.

The players who are on the trading block are not exciting and certainly bring no guarantee.

The only proven difference-maker was SP Cliff Lee, who was traded to the Texas Rangers two weeks ago. Lee was 2010’s diamond in the rough, or technically on the mound, because the fact is, he makes a team better.

The rest of the rumored players on the chopping block, minus Philadelphia Phillies right-fielder Jayson Werth, do not come with any certificate of guarantee. With Lee a goner already, this makes Werth a very popular guy. 

It would be hard to believe the Phillies’ for sale sign is out on Werth. With 2B Chase Uttley on the DL till September and leadoff hitter SS Jimmy Rollins not 100 percent healthy, it doesn’t make much sense to me.

You can bet one thing for sure: The Phillies wish they had never let Cliff Lee go in the first place.

It’s crazy that a pitcher of the caliber and talent of Cliff Lee has worn four different uniforms in less than two seasons. That number be five after 2010 is over because Texas cannot afford Lee, or themselves for that matter.

Going back to Werth, he is not putting up the numbers he is capable of at all. Surely not the best timing, as Werth is a free agent at the end of 2010.

Is Werth to blame for his sub-par stats and should teams be proceeding with caution?

Absolutely not, considering the Phillies flipped Werth the bird and handed 1B Ryan Howard a blank check a year before his current contract is up, which isn’t till after 2011.

Werth supposedly turned down a contract offered by the Phillies, but after the five-year, $125 million contract going to Howard, it was said the team was capped out.

It made no sense to sign Howard because timing was off and it keeps the power first baseman till 2017. Philly fans can just watch a Red Sox game, because Howard will be their David Ortiz, at best.

One theory is that Werth is making himself less appealing so the Phillies can’t get as much for him.

This reason made no sense to me, as this is the time Werth should be making teams drool to secure a multi-year monster contract. Everyone is still waiting for him to breakout.

Still, I would be shocked if Werth continued to decline after waving Citizens Bank Park and the Phillies goodbye. Out of sight, out of mind, and out of Philly seems to be the best option for Werth, and no doubt, he will thrive again.

As a fan, it is easy to point out a player who fits perfectly on a team. Call it fan intuition, but it is usually very accurate. An example would be Nick Swisher, who in my mind has always been a New York Yankee.

That is why this Jayson Werth soap opera just feels funny and off track, because he was that guy in Philly.

Well, I guess we will know in a week. FYI, the New York Yankees would be happy to have Werth in pinstripes.

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The New York Yankees were elated to get the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim out of the Bronx as fast as possible, after beating them 10-6 Wednesday afternoon.

The Angels got a taste of their own medicine after dominating the Yankees the night before.

On Tuesday night, a beaten-up Angels team came into the series as the underdogs. The Halos are without superstar first baseman Kendry Morales for the remainder of the season.

Still, even before Morales broke his leg in a walk-off celebration, the Angels had not been playing typical Angel-style baseball.

Manager Mike Scioscia’s motto is run, steal bases, sacrifice, and hit for contact no matter what the situation. Since Scioscia took over in 2000, this type of overly-aggressive play has defined the Angels.

For Yankee fans, playing the Angels has been very unnerving for that reason. Also, it hasn’t stopped working for the Angels as Yankee Universe witnessed once again on Tuesday night.

This is something Yankee fans have grown accustomed to when the Halos are in town, making the 10-6 loss nothing new. It actually was scarier to watch because the Angels had been in a supposedly long slump, if you count the team’s 2010 record (being sarcastic) and a future without October baseball.

These two teams have a torrid relationship, with the Angels clearly wearing the pants. Even when the Yankees have the best record in baseball, the Angels seem to give the Bombers a big reality check.

As painful as it is to play the Angels, it does keep the Yankees in check. It is how I would define “tough baseball” because it is purely based on power vs. power and the “I’m gonna get you” attitude.

It takes everything and anything out of each Yankee player to beat the Angels, always has, and it still does.

For now, the Yankees will take the win to spilt the series, as they happily wave so long the Angels, until next time.

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Andy Pettitte thinks he can be back on the mound in three weeks.

After watching the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim slaughter the New York Yankees, any encouragement that the team could manage without the Southpaw went right out the window.

Phil Hughes went into the game with a 3-0 career record against the Halos. That was short and sweet after Hughes gave up nine hits, six runs and two home runs over five innings.

It was the icing on the cake on this streak of bad luck the Yankees have had since the start of the second half of the season.

Hughes started the season on fire, but he has been declining over the last month. His velocity is still around the mid to low 90’s, but he continually lacks command of his fastball and in turn not getting strikes.

So, Hughes relied on his cutter again, which has never been completely in control. If the pitch doesn’t cut down, it becomes ineffective and easy to hit. This became a fact with the final score reading 10-2.

The Yankees had a shot to win the game with their bats, but Angels rookie Sean O’Sullivan had a different plan after being called up earlier in the day from Triple-A. He replaced ex-Ray Scott Kazmir, who just went on the DL.

O’Sullivan faced 22 Yankee batters, throwing a total of 85 pitches, over six innings. He struck out four, walked three and allowed the only two runs to score in the first inning.

Nick Swisher smacked a homer in the bottom of the first inning.

Swisher, along with Robinson Cano and Brett Gardner, has been one of the most solid Yankees in 2010. Honestly, without Swisher’s bat the Yankees would not be in first place right now.

That was No. 17 on the season for Swisher, his ninth in the Bronx, which is one more then last season’s total.

Now the Angels are looking to sweep this mini-series. The Halos’ odds are in their favor with Joel Pineiro on the mound. Pineiro has been fabulous this season, and he faces the Yankees’ Javier Vazquez.

Vazquez has been pitching great as of late, but the Yankees have to hit. Even if they get a couple of runs, the Yankee bullpen stinks for the most part.

I wish Joe Girardi would let Joba go two or three innings for a couple of games. Joba did start last year, has four pitches and was dominant in the first three innings in last year’s games.

The team needs to give their pitchers some run support to relieve the pressure, but in this match-up, the bats have to be hot.

My other suggestion would be trying Joba out as the Yankees long reliever. Maybe he could be the Phil Hughes of 2010 and be the vital change needed.

It would be giving Joba responsibility again, but for about four to five games. If the Yankees owe anyone a few chances, Joba’s name would be at the top of the list. He deserves to see if it could work.

See, when the opposing team is the Halos, who have the most successful record against the Yankees since 2001, the Yankee bats cannot afford to go dead.

Might as well pretend your in heaven or hell….whichever works.

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New York Yankees fans first fell in love with Joba Chamberlain in Game Two of the 2007 ALDS, also known as the infamous “bug” game.

Joba was everything and more that night. It was the spirit in his young eyes that does not come around that often.

Yankees Universe went totally crazy for this kid that night, even making losing the game bearable. Joba was the future, an authentic, talented, home-grown player that Yankee fans had been waiting for since 1996.

New York City saw Joba as the long and overdue messiah of our most coveted sports franchise. Finally, fans could be proud again.

Joba became a hero before learning how to be an MLB pitcher. Mind you, Joba hails from a small town in Nebraska, so imagine adjusting to New York. He was thrown into playing under baseball’s biggest spotlight, facing the hard-ass NYC media and the expectations of the Yankees fan-base.

Even though, Joba came-up alongside his rookie buddy Phil Hughes, it was all about Joba. Hughes did not seem to mind being in Joba’s shadow. In turn, Hughes was deemed as the less-talented, so he went out and earned the team’s trust. Which has concluded to be Hughes greatest asset.

Joba had the pressure on his shoulders and the Yankees cut him no break. Joba was going to be a starter, as the Yankees went bananas by treating him like a baby.

All the attention caused a media spectacle, evaluating Joba’s every move. The problem was that Joba’s mistakes were not excused as a rookie with growing pains. The prematurely crowned star’s errors were marked as failures, which was not fair and stunted his growth.

In 2009, the Yankees pushed Joba into the starting position but never let him stay in the game long enough to work his way out of tough situations. It made no sense after watching Joba succeed in the height of competition. This kid had a fist pump that rivaled New York Mets closer K-rod act.

Most MLB closers, other than the great Mariano Rivera who’s humble spirit is rarefied air, get-off on the pressure of the game on the line. K-rod to Braxton to Papelbaum all have that same manner that Joba first had.

Now, the media, fans, and Yankees have tossed Joba in the bullpen after ruining his faith. Joba might not even admit to it, but it is the reason why he is struggling now and Phil Hughes is not.

It was just as obvious that Hughes had the mind-set of a starter, but the Yankees’ determination to mold Joba into what was advantageous for them is what off-set his promise.

Joba has a powerful arm, as he features four pitches: a fastball-slide in the high 90’s, a hard-breaking slider, a change-up that he has not been using as much and a change-up off-speed pitch.

A closer typically needs a hard fastball and a specialty pitch. Joba has forgotten how to command his slider because he worked on an off-speed pitch for left-handed hitters.

It never worked as Joba got rocked as a starter, while Phil Hughes kicked-butt in the bullpen. Joba ended 2009 with a 4.75 ERA and loaded the bases with his high walk-rate. Whenever he struggled, Joe Girardi pulled him. The rationale behind doing that is still a mystery to me.

Currently, Joba is struggling as Rivera’s set-up guy in the eighth inning. I suppose it is difficult for him not to get on the mound that much, while watching Hughes become an All-Star and to see that he was voted most overrated player by an ESPN Magazine poll.

This kid has the goods to be great, I have witnessed it several times in person. The Yankees seem to feel no guilt. Yankee fans have the guts to boo him as he jogs out from the bullpen, and the media has turned on him as well.

What is the right thing to do?

An old saying comes to mind, “If you have nothing nice to say, do not say anything at all.”

Joba Chamberlain deserves to falter, while still hearing cheers by fans in the Bronx and if that is to hard for the “haters” then repeat the quote above.

The Yankees planned to put this kid on a pedestal, and handed him on a silver platter to the arctic NY media by exploiting “The Joba Rules.”

Personally, I like Joba and always have stood by the conclusion that he will fill the shoes of Rivera remarkably well. I mean Sergio Mitre is treated more like a Yankee than Joba, but he is the teacher’s pet.

Look, the point is it is our turn to get this right. Yankee Universe needs to be sensitive to Joba and make him feel necessary again. Just try and remember the kid we saw on the mound the day of the “bug” game.

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After saying good-bye to two prolific men, the New York Yankees ended the weekend placing ace Andy Pettitte on the DL.

Pettitte will be gone for five weeks with a grade one tear in his left hamstring. This digs the dagger even deeper as the Seattle Mariners played the reigning champs like fools by trading Cliff Lee to the Texas Rangers.

The Yankees got used by Seattle, who got more bang for Lee with the Bombers in the mix. Well, nothing good comes from dwelling in the baseball past, but this wound is still fresh after such a long week.

The Angels are in town today for a quick two games in the Bronx. These Halos have a history of reeking havoc on the Yankees, but the reality is these Angels are coming with broken wings.

Losing All-Star 1B Kenny Morales for the season was the biggest blow to a team dealing with a lot of injuries already. The latest victim was SP Ian Kennedy, who Yankee fans might remember. Kennedy was slated to start on tonight against his old buddy Phil Hughes.

With Kennedy on the DL, the Angels have yet to confirm who will take the mound, leaving Wednesday afternoon in question as well.

Yankees Javier Vazquez will take the mound against an Angel pitcher TBA. I have seen both Jared Weaver and Joel Pineiro as the probable pitcher, but both official teams sites list the Angels as TBA.

Either way, Hughes and Vazquez have to be on top of their game more than ever with Pettitte out.  Joe Girardi and GM Brian Cashman have said that Sergio Mitre will fill in for Pettitte.

Mitre has been on the DL since mid-April and has yet to be fully activated. This sounds like a broken record from 2009; Mitre coming off the DL to fill-in for Pettitte.  But, can the Yankees afford a struggling Mitre every fifth game?

Since 2003, Mitre has only pitched a full season once; in 2007, when he played for Girardi as a Marlin and posted a career best 4.65 ERA. Over seven seasons, Mitre has pitched for a total of 388 innings, allowed 232 runs, 47 home-runs, and walked 130 batters.

Not great, but Mitre did post one promising stat with 237 total strike-outs.

It is a stretch, but Mitre can throw strikes if he is not injured.

Girardi can’t seem to get enough of Mitre or any player he managed as a Marlin. Does Skipper Joe realize that this is the big leagues, not little league?

Players are not on an MLB team to play with chances.  Their job is to win.  The duds get weeded out. That is why it is hard to comprehend why Mitre is still in a Yankee uniform.

The Yankees ‘Hughes Rules’ can no longer be in effect because Sabathia and Vazquez need a good third starter. Until AJ Burnett gets on track, Hughes is that guy.

The rules consist of an imposed 170 innings limit, with the idea that Hughes would move to the bullpen around late August. Hughes dominated in that role in 2009, so it would have brought some relief in September. Now that can’t happen, as the Yankees got a reminder that the DL is not just for the Phillies and Red Sox.

Prediction Yankees Vs. Angels:

The Yankees should win both games because A-Rod is on a tear, Jeter is back to life, and Cano and Swisher haven’t slowed down yet. Depending on which Angels show up in New York, the Yankees will either easily take both games, or the teams will spilt in an old school battle.

The Angels have been in a slump, as the hitters seem to be holding bats made of ice. What worries me is that those bats will thaw, and the Angels will get hot again. It is no secret how hot New York City is right now, so it wouldn’t surprise me if the Halos got warm again tonight.

When you’re talking about players like Abreu, Hunter, and Matsui, once they get going watch out. The Angels, when on fire, can hit the hell out of the ball, no matter who is throwing it.

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MLB’s second-half of the season is officially in full swing

Thus far, in 2010 is proving to be one for the books. With so many tight division races, fans will have plenty of excitement to keep them occupied.

Still, fans tend to throw in the towel and write-off their teams chances of playing in October. A few teams stand out that might not be division leaders now, but still have the potential not to be counted out yet.

Remember, that pennants are not won in July and baseball can look decidedly different from week to week.

Here, are two teams, one from the AL and the other from the NL that should not be counted out:

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

The Angels lost their best player for the season, 1B Kenny Morales, which has finally impacted the team. Still, this is a group who has won the AL West six of the last seven years and it would be foolish to consider them out this soon.

Even with the first-place Rangers acquiring SP Cliff Lee, the back of rotation is not significant. The Angels have an ace in Jered Weaver. Weaver beat out Seattle’s King Felix for the third time this season, but the Angels have to give Weaver some run support. The vets need to step it up now specifically Abreau, Hunter and Matsui to stay in the mix.

Truthfully, they are not the same Angels from 2009. They lost a lot of speed on the bases, which played a enormous role in their past successes. The Halos should pick-up a solid bat before the end of July. Rumors that Red Sox Mike Lowell or Orioles Miguel Tejada are possibilities, but are a tad too old to get that excited or could be the difference makers.

The Angels remain just four and a half games out, and the next two weeks are the time to make a move on Texas. Angels are a second-half team, with a proven history and now’s time to prove it.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies, even worse than the Angels, have been hit with injuries. So far 12 players have seen the DL, including three All-Star hitters, the closer, a setup man, two starters and both their starting and backup catchers. Things have been far from sunny in Philadelphia.

After just two starts, NLCS rookie of the year SP J.A. Happ has yet to be back to his 2009 form, but he will be back. Then SS Jimmy Rollins has been actively on and off the DL, who is the Phillies lead-off bat. On June 28th, 2B Chase Utley hurt his thumb. Utley had surgery on his thumb on July 1st and will return in a few weeks. Turning to the bullpen, closer Brad Lidge is getting reacquainted after missing April and most of May, but Lidge still can throw heat. Phillies fans need to be patience with Lidge.

The Phillies are kicking themselves for letting Cliff Lee go. In 2010, Lee is throwing better than trade-off Roy Halladay, that is just a fact. Positives are SP Cole Hamels is looking better with each start and Happ should be of use when he is back any day now. I would also expect Lidge will be back to the dominating closer by mid-August again, but getting Lidge on the mound more will help keep him strong.

Now what to do about Jason Werth is another question. Werth is not hitting like his usual self, but can you blame a player who knows the team did not want him? Not particularly well executed by the Phillies management, who handed Howard a monster contract and making Werth aware he has no worth. No doubt this is taking a toll on Werth, whether he knows it or not.

1B Ryan Howard is currently on a hitting tear and is confident the Phillies are getting back on their feet. Rollins will start to get hot now that he is fully recovered. Utley will be back in three weeks, along with Happ and Polanco who will rejoin the team shortly.

The Phillies are a half game behind the New York Mets and five and a half behind the NL East leading Atlanta Braves. Remember the last three seasons the Phillies have had about the same record, and they have been to the World Series the last two years.

The Phillies will make a run at the division for sure and with so much baseball left winning it is not out of left field by any means.

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