Kuzul

Curtis Granderson’s debut season with the New York Yankees can best be described as one filled with many peaks and valleys.  Judging by his strong second half and impressive postseason numbers, it wouldn’t be surprising if Granderson has a 2011 similar to his breakout 2007 season with the Detroit Tigers.

His Yankee career couldn’t have gotten off to a finer start.  In his first at bat of the season, he crushed a Josh Beckett pitch into the right-center field bleachers at Fenway Park. 

Just three days later, Granderson led off against the Red Sox in the 10th inning and delivered an early moment of ecstasy to Yankee fans by blasting a game-winning home run to right field stands off of Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon.

Granderson quickly endeared himself to his teammates and the “Bleacher Creatures” by immediately performing against their hated rivals, but his numbers would soon take a tailspin. 

He finished April with a batting average of just .211 and only two home runs.  Some Yankee fans began to question whether their center fielder would be able to produce under the bright lights in the Bronx.

Granderson’s struggles at the plate continued into July.  His sub-par first half totals consisted of a .240 batting average, seven home runs and 24 RBI and wasn’t impressing the hard-to-please crowds at Yankee Stadium. 

He soon found his power stroke and went on a torrid run, hitting 17 home runs in the second of half of the season including nine in September/October.  Granderson complied a slugging percentage of .523 after the All-Star break, which was 114 points higher than his first half mark.

In the 2010 playoffs, he took his game to new heights by leading the Yankees with a .357 batting average and tied Robinson Cano with a team-best six RBI.  In the ALDS against the Twins, Granderson dominated the Minnesota pitching logging a .455 batting average and a monstrous slugging percentage of .727.

Granderson will be looking to turn the page in 2011 and find the consistency that allowed him compile some fantastic seasons in Detroit. 

He told the New York Daily News, “All those ‘firsts’ are done with.  I know the guys more, I know the facility more, the coaching staff more.  This year will be very similar in mentality to every other Spring Training except for last year.  I’m excited about that.  Everything is just normal again.”

A player that possesses tremendous tools, Granderson played very well defensively last year and has the all-around ability to mold himself into a complete ballplayer.  Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long will work with Granderson during Spring Training to perfect his swing. 

Long was able to turn a struggling Cano into a fearsome MVP candidate and has been known to expertly retool the approach of Yankee batters over the years like Alex Rodriguez.

If Granderson can continue his bright performances throughout the 2011 season, he could come close to raising his average to above the .280 mark that he was accustomed to with the Tigers.  In a down year in 2010, Granderson still was able to hit 24 home runs and drive in 67 RBI.

Once he figures out Yankee Stadium’s short porch in right field, he might have a shot at surpassing his career-best total of 30 home runs.  I’d like to see manager Joe Girardi take the training wheels off and allow Granderson to be aggressive on the basepaths. 

In 2007, Granderson stole 26 bases and only was thrown out once all season.  Last year, he converted 12 of 14 stolen base attempts and should come closer to being a “20-20” man in the upcoming season.

Granderson will turn 30 before the Yankees’ March 31 season opener against the Tigers.  He is in what most would consider his prime years and very well could go on to produce a career-best season in 2011.

Join in the discussion below and follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/HartyLFC.

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In 2010, the Yankees were adamantly clear that it was repeat or bust.
 
The reigning 2009 champion New York Yankees lost in the ALCS, eventually passing the World Series crown to the San Francisco Giants.
 
Most teams would be elated if that was how their last two seasons had panned out, but up in the Bronx expectations run high.
 
Reading the 2011 roaster is not going to provide much comfort, as the Bombers have more holes to fill this season compared to the last two combined.
 
Still, there are positives that weren’t there in 2009 or 2010, in particular the emergence of outfielders Brett Gardner and Curtis Granderson.
 
Gardner and Granderson’s roles are more vital than ever this coming season.
 
The Yankees are confident in this duo’s abilities, so much so that GM Brian Cashman did not go after Carl Crawford or Jayson Werth during the offseason.
 
Why, and how, is this tandem so important in 2011?
 
Let’s look at both guys individually:

 
Curtis Granderson
 
Granderson’s first year in pinstripes did not start on the right foot. After hitting a game-winning home run in Fenway on Opening Day weekend, Granderson started to struggle, which turned into a slump and fans were starting to stamp him as a bad trade.
 
Granderson had only posted seven home runs, 24 RBIs and 51 strikeouts in the first half of the 2010. He also missed the entire month of May due to a pulled hamstring.
 
Things were not looking good, and frustrations were growing on both sides. Had Grandy forgotten his talents in Detroit? At the All-Star break it sure seemed that way.
 
After tweaking his swing with Yankee hitting coach/miracle-man Kevin Long, Granderson starting crushing balls again, and he hasn’t looked back since.
 
In the second-half of 2010, Granderson more then doubled his home runs going from seven to 17. His meager 24 RBIs in the first half raised by 19, as in July, August and September he had 43 RBIs, 71 hits, nine double and four triples.
 
Granderson has been known to strikeout a ton, but in those three months he only bit it 72 times in 282 at-bats, which was a marked improvement.
 
Granderson has always been an elite outfielder and his skills never faltered defensively in 2010, which kept Yankee fans optimistic.
 
What I love about Granderson is that neither clutch situations, nor location faze him. It is as simple as, he is either hitting or he is not.
 
Heading into the 2011 season, Granderson needs to continue being productive at the plate because even just getting him on base is a threat. With his leg all healed, expect Granderson to double his 12 stolen bases from last year.

 
Brett Gardner
 
Unlike his buddy above, Gardner did not struggle much in 2010. Right out of the gate, Gardner produced.
 
Gardner does not have the power bat like Granderson does, but stealing 47 bases and constantly hitting deep into pitch counts with long at-bats surely makes up for it.
 
Gardner is unique because he is a pest that pitcher absolutely dread. When at the plate, Gardner has a superior eye for pitches and draws a lot of walks, 73 in total in 2010.
 
Pitchers don’t want Gardner types to walk all the time because they’re more lethal while on the base. One extra blink, and Gardner will be on the next base.
 
Gardner is as fast as a Tasmanian devil, stealing 47 bases, but only getting caught nine times last season. Gardner’s speed was easily in the top-four in baseball, as he tied with Crawford for third in 2010.
 
Gardner finished the year with a .382 OBP, with 20 doubles, five home-runs, seven triples, 47 RBIs and 102 strikeouts.
 
Like Granderson, Gardner is a stellar defender and, at a ripe 27 years old, he is not even in his prime yet.
 
The Yankees expect big things for Gardner, not only in 2011, but also for years to come. I really like what I have seen of Gardner since he emerged in 2009 and am happy the Yankees GM and ownership did, too.

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By Eric Marmon

Interesting read in the NY Post today, which took at a poll on their official website asking fans of the New York Yankees who they want back in pinstripes in 2011. The most noticeable was, when asked who they wanted to start the majority of games behind the plate for the Bronx Bombers next season, Yankee lifer Jorge Posada received just 32.5 percent of the vote, while Triple-A phenom Jesus Montero received 67.5 percent.

New York’s displeasure with Posada doesn’t come as a complete shock. Of the Yankees “Big Four”, the catcher seems to be the least beloved. And the fact that he seemed physically unable to throw out base-stealers by the start of fall (a major necessity with guys like CC and AJ pitching), combined with his drop in production and 39-years-of-age make Jorge an easy target for fan frustration.

That being said, Montero is a complete unknown. Sure, he batted .289 with 21 home runs in Triple-A last season, but come on… the guy isn’t even old enough to drink yet. There is ZERO reason to believe he is ready to replace Posada. He’s kind of like how Brett Ratliff was viewed for the Jets a few years back.

Does Jorge Posada need to be replaced? Yes, if not in 2011, then beyond. But is the 20-year-old Jesus Montero ready for the role? Probably not. He’ll get a chance in spring training to compete for a spot on the 25-man roster, but it just feels like a guy his age would probably be best suited with more time in the minors.

Sorry fans. Look for the Yanks to either go with a Francisco Cervelli/Jorge Posada platoon for the majority of 2011, or to sign a veteran catcher to help Jorge out until Montero has fully developed.

Some other interesting things from the poll:

– While 87.1 percent of voters thought Derek Jeter should be the starting shortstop, voters in a separate poll weren’t really sure whether the Yankee captain should come back at all. Of nearly 16,500 voters, over 20 percent said the Yankees should let Jeter walk. [Just a reminder: this was an informal, unofficial poll on NYPost.com. Mets fans (and everyone else) could vote too, which might explain the anti-DJ results]

– The closest vote was over who the primary designated hitter should be, with free-agent-to-be Adam Dunn getting 24.4 percent, Lance Berkman getting 19.3 percent, and guys like Marcus Thames, Hideki Matsui, Victor Martinez and—believe it or not—Manny Ramirez all within 10 percent of each other.

– Gardner not needed. When asked about center field, 86 percent of voters took Curtis Granderson over Brett Gardner, and when asked about right field, 57.4 percent wanted free-agent Carl Crawford over the speedy Gardner.

-And if you’re looking for one more sign that the 2009 honeymoon is long over for AJ Burnett, more fan votes went in favor of Javier Vazquez being the fifth starter over AJ.

This article originally appeared on The NY Sports Digest. If its off-beat and it’s about the Mets, Yankees, Knicks, Giants, Jets, Islanders, or Rangers, than The Digest is the spot to get it. Stop with the mega-sites and get a feel for the true pulse of New York at www.NYSportsDigest.com

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The bats finally woke up for the New York Yankees last night. CC Sabathia stepped up like any ace should, battling through six innings and giving his team the lead.

Staring elimination in the eye, the Yankees used their bats and took advantage of some sloppy play by the Texas Rangers to force a Game 6. The series now returns to Texas with the Rangers holding a three games to two lead in this best of seven series.

In order to defend last seasons world series title, the Yankees will need to win the final two games in Texas, starting Friday night. One step at a time though.

Before a big matchup between Cliff Lee and Andy Pettitte in Game 7, the Yankees will need to win Game 6 behind Phil Hughes. Hughes was roughed up in Game 2, also played in Texas.

Early in the series, the Yankees bats had been silenced by the Rangers pitchers. Robinson Cano had really been the only hot hitter.

Last night, some others woke up a bit. With a three run lead in the third inning, Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano hit back-to-back home runs to give Sabathia a 5-0 lead. Seven of the nine Yankees in the lineup had at least one hit. The team totalled nine on the night.

Read full article at Double G Sports.

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It’s not going to be a sweep for the Yankees. The Rangers got their first postseason victory at home in their nearly 50 seasons with a 7-2 blowout win over the Yankees.

After a bullpen collapse Friday night, the Rangers were able to hold on to their lead. The Rangers’ bullpen was the complete opposite of what it was in their loss to New York on Friday. The Yankees were only able to obtain one hit in a little over three innings against the Rangers’ bullpen.

Rangers pitcher Colby Lewis pitched well into the sixth inning, and Texas threw in five relievers that completely shut down the Yankees’ star-studded offense. Y

ankees pitcher Phil Hughes had arguably one of the worst outings in ALCS history—the young pitcher had four innings of work, while surrendering 10 hits, along with seven earned runs. He also gave up three walks and struck out three. According to the Bill James Game Score rating system, Hughes had the third-worst ALCS pitching performance in baseball history, only behind Jim Perry (1970 Twins) and Fausto Carmona (2007 Indians). The rating system showed that Hughes scored a 14.

Texas’ Elvis Andrus got the Rangers off to a fantastic start, after an incredible steal of homeplate, putting the Rangers up 1-0. MVP candidate Josh Hamilton also stole second base on the play. 

“Opportunity seemed right, so I took a chance. That’s the way we play. It worked. Got us going,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said about the play.

Outfielder David Murphy would then hit a solo shot in the second inning, putting the Rangers up 2-0. Michael Young would then double later in the inning, scoring Mitch Moreland.

Murphy would come back in the third inning, doubling to right field and scoring Nelson Cruz on the play, while extending the Rangers’ lead to 4-0. Bengie Molina proceeded to double, scoring Murphy on the play.

The Yankees would finally get on the board in the fourth inning when Lance Berkman singled and scored Robinson Cano—Berkman was thrown out at second, trying to extend the play.

In the fifth inning, Ian Kinsler got the lone triple of the night, scoring Cruz, putting the Rangers’ lead at 6-1. Moreland then singled and scored the aforementioned Kinsler. The Rangers were now looking at a blowout, and had the Yankees at a 7-1 lead.

Robinson Cano hit a 448-foot blast in the sixth inning, but it was too late. The Yankees would not get another run, and the game would end at 7-2.

Neftali Feliz came in the ninth inning and pitched near-perfect. He did surrender two walks in the inning, but struck out Derek Jeter to start the inning. That set the tone for the rest of the inning and after walking Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixiera, he was able to get Alex Rodriguez to ground out and Cano to fly out to end the game.

Game 3 will be on Monday at Yankee Stadium. Cliff Lee, who has won his last four starts in New York, will start for the Rangers. Andy Pettitte will start for the Yankees. But, that is Monday night, and the Rangers are looking forward to it.

With their win on Saturday, the Rangers ended their 10-game postseason losing streak against the Yankees. With the momentum on their side, they’re hoping that they can take a 2-1 series lead on Monday.

“That’s what they have been doing for us all year. That’s how we got to this point. (Friday) night, we didn’t get it done. We didn’t make any excuses about it,” Washington said after the game. “We took the whipping, we took a shower…I was going to give the ball back to those guys if it presented itself. It presented itself, they did a great job. I expected that.”

And we expected it, too, Mr. Washington.

By Tyler Ward : Sports Guys Universe; SJ  Contributing Author

Join in the discussion on this and other topics in the NEW Sports Jabber Forums!

http://forums.sportsjabber.net/sjforums/showthread.php?t=67799

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As we approach the second week of the fantasy baseball playoffs and the second round of the playoff games, it’s critical to take note of those players who are white-hot and how they can help your fantasy baseball lineup from here on out.

Phil Hughes, SP NYY: Hughes was simply masterful on Saturday night while putting the Twins out of their misery. Pitching in a pivotal Game Three, Hughes went seven strong innings without allowing a run and struck out six batters. Hughes will certainly get consideration to be the Game Two starter of the ALCS and should continue to produce for his owners.

Ian Kinsler, 2B Tex: Through the first three games of the series with the Rays, Kinsler has batted .364 socked two taters. He remains an elite option at the position so long as his team stays alive.

Curtis Granderson, OF NYY: Through the first three games of the playoff campaign, Granderson leads all of baseball with a gaudy .455 average.  He has chipped in all over the stat sheet with a triple, double, and stolen base to boot.  His three RBI have him tied for the team lead with Mark Teixeira, and it’s clear he’s locked in right now.

Brian McCann, C ATL: Though they are only two games into the playoff schedule, the Braves are in a dogfight with the Giants and if they are to have any chance at moving on McCann will be relied on heavily.  He has racked up three hits in his first seven at-bats of the young postseason and has knocked in a run as well.  He’s one of the best hitters in this year’s postseason and should be considered an elite fantasy baseball option.

Roy Halladay, SP PHI: Pitching only the second no-hitter in playoff history, Halladay baffled a potent Reds lineup and in the process took his place in baseball lore. Simply put, he’s the best pitcher on the planet right now.

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Going into Saturday night’s Game Three, the Yankees had to be feeling very confident of their chances to sweep the Twins.

They were up 2-0 on the Twins and they had history on their side since Minnesota had not won a playoff game against the Yankees since 2004.

Now back in the Bronx at the new Yankee Stadium, the Yankees were sending up Phil Hughes to pitch Game Three. This would be the first time Hughes was making a start in the postseason for the Yankees, although he has pitched in relief for them in the past. Going up for Minnesota was left-hander Brian Duensing, looking to keep the Twins’ playoff hopes and season alive.

All it took was the second inning to realize Minnesota’s season and their chances of staying alive were all but done, because the Yankees had total control of this game from start to finish.

In the bottom of the second, Robinson Cano led off the inning by hitting the ball over Denard Span’s head in center and got a lead-off triple.

One batter later, Jorge Posada drove in Cano for an RBI single and the Yankees were quickly on the board 1-0.

In the bottom of the third, Nick Swisher crushed a two-out double to right center and Mark Teixeira drove him in with an RBI single to make it 2-0.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, after Cano got an infield single, Marcus Thames crushed a Duensing fastball to right field for a two-run home run and the Yankees were now ahead 4-0.

As the Yankees were scoring runs, the Twins were being left off the scoreboard by Hughes as he was just mauling the hitters at the plate.

After Matt Guerrier relieved Duensing, the Yankees continued to add onto their lead.

Curtis Granderson walked, then stole second with Brett Gardner batting and then was able to get to third on Joe Mauer’s error and Gardner drove him in with a sac fly to left and it was now 5-0.

Hughes finished his final inning of work in the seventh as he polished off Delmon Young, Jim Thome and Michael Cuddyer.

Hughes pitched seven great innings, allowed four hits, no runs, walked one and struck out six. In his first playoff performance, he pitched a gem, which is exactly what the Yankees needed.

In the bottom of the seventh, Nick Swisher hit a solo home run to right field to add onto the Yankee lead as it was 6-0 now.

After Hughes, Kerry Wood came in and did struggle in the eighth inning. Danny Valencia led off with a double and Denard Span hit a single, setting up first and third with only one out.

Orlando Hudson singled up the middle to make the game 6-1. After Joe Mauer walked to load the bases, Yankees manager Joe Girardi pulled Wood and put in Boone Logan.

Logan was able to get Kubel to pop out in the infield for the second out and Young flied out to center for the third out and the Yankees were able to shut down any attempt for a Twins rally.

In the top of the ninth, despite it not being a save situation, Mariano Rivera came into the ninth looking to close out the ALDS and end the Twins’ season.

Rivera got Thome to strike out for the first out, Cuddyer to fly out to right for the second out and Valencia to fly out for the final third out and just like that, the Twins season was over.

The Yankees win Game 3 6-1 and sweep the Twins 3-0 right out of the ALDS.

Hughes picked up the win for the Yankees, while Duensing took the loss.

In the series, the Yankees hit better than the Twins, pitched better than the Twins and overall, were just a better team than Minnesota. The Twins looked lost, couldn’t get big hits when needed and were over-matched.

Most of the Yankees lineup had a pretty good series. Granderson may have stood out the most as he hit .455 against the Twins.

The Yankees now advance to the American League Championship Series and will await the winner of the Rays-Rangers series, where currently, the Rangers have a 2-1 lead going into Sunday.

So far, so good for the Yankees.

Three down, eight to go until No. 28 for Yankees Universe.

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No matter what happens during the 2010 Major League Playoffs, the Yankees will immediately get to work in the offseason to either win a third straight title or try to get back on top after a one year hiatus.

One free agent target most everyone in the industry agrees the Yankees will get their hands on is current Rangers ace Cliff Lee. Lee has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the past three seasons and is bolstering his playoff resume with each gem he twirls in October.

In game one of the American Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, Lee pitched one of the best games in his career, striking out 10 in a crucial match-up with Rays ace David Price. The Rangers knew if they could win game one then they would have a great chance of winning the series and Lee made sure that was taken care of.

For the Yankees to obtain Lee’s services they better come prepared with a blank check and a willingness to outspend every other team. It has been rumored that Lee prefers to pitch in the Bronx, joining up with his old Indians teammate CC Sabathia, but he will not take a discount to do so.

Another target of the Bombers can be a person who currently plays in the Far East and his name is Yu Darvish. Not much is know about Darvish, but he possesses four quality pitchers to go along with his mid-90s fastball. Darvish is not a free agent meaning he will require the posting fee, ala Matsuzaka, but unlike his predecessor, he may be worth the money.

The Yankees don’t seemingly need anyone to fill out their outfield as all spots are currently occupied. Nick Swisher is signed on for another two seasons, Curtis Granderson, who looked like he would be run out of town, is swinging a hot bat and Brett Gardner surprised many with his breakout season.

However, the Yankees are the Yankees and a run for Carl Crawford is not out of the question. Gardner faded fast down the stretch after a hot start while Granderson is a new man after some mechanical adjustments. 

If the Yankees were to sign Crawford, Gardner would be displaced to the fourth outfielder spot where he is best suited and would give the Yankees a very strong defensive outfield. To make it clear, the Yankees don’t need Crawford, but signing him would make the lineup just that much stronger.

Besides throwing their hat in the ring for Darvish’s and Lee’s services, the Yankees still have a need in the rotation. A.J. Burnett is not quite doing the job in New York and Andy Pettitte will most likely retire, leading to voids in the rotation. The Yankees would be best served looking for rotation fillers such as Hiroki Kuroda or a Jon Garland. 

Both of these pitchers have the capability of eating up innings while keeping their teams in every game. It is something that neither A.J. Burnett nor Javier Vazquez can seem to master. For the Yankees to continue to try to make a modern day dynasty, they need more pitching.

As the old adage states, you can never have enough pitching.

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The Yankees entered Game 2 on Thursday looking to continue their momentum from defeating the Twins in Game 1 the night before.

On the mound for New York was Andy Pettitte, looking to brush aside the rust and any side effects of a groin injury that kept him on the disabled list for two months. For the Twins, it was Carl Pavano, pitching against his former team and looking to try and split the series going back to New York.

The Twins got on the board first in the bottom of the second with a sacrifice fly by Danny Valencia to right that put Minnesota up 1-0.

In the top of the fourth, Curtis Granderson continued his hot hitting by ripping a double, got to third on Mark Teixeira’s single and came home on Alex Rodriguez’s sac fly to right and tied the game at 1-1.

In the top of the fifth, Lance Berkman took a Pavano fastball to left center and over the wall for a home run that put the Yankees up 2-1.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Orlando Hudson crushed a Pettitte breaking ball to left for a solo home run and the game was tied at 2-2.

This game was just as competitive as the first one, with both sides not caving in and both pitchers fighting to keep their team in the game.

Then, the Yankees struck with the knockout blow.

In the top of the seventh, Jorge Posada started out the inning by drawing a walk. Berkman then came up again and during the at bat, it looked as if he struck out, but on a questionable pitch, a strike three was called a ball.

On the very next pitch, Berkman drills a pitch off Pavano to dead center over Denard Span’s head, which allowed Posada to score all the way from first and gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead.

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire came out to calm Pavano and his players down, then engaged in an argument with home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt that got the Twins manager tossed from the game.

Brett Gardner then dropped down a bunt trying to sacrifice Berkman over, but Valencia couldn’t pick the ball up and Gardner ended up with a bunt base hit setting up first and third for Derek Jeter.

Jeter was able to hit a bloop single to right scoring Berkman and extended the Yankee lead to 4-2.

In the bottom of the seventh, Pettitte finished strong, striking Michael Cuddyer out, getting Jason Kubel to foul out to third and struck out Valencia to finish his night.

Kerry Wood came in the eighth to pitch a scoreless frame which included two strikeouts.

In the top of the ninth inning, Gardner continued to play extremely well by leading off with a single. Jeter’s ground out moved him over to second, then was able to steal third with Granderson up at bat.

Granderson then provided the Yankees with more insurance with an RBI single to center scoring Gardner and the Yankees went up 5-2.

Mariano Rivera came into the ninth looking to close out another playoff victory for the Yankees. The Twins were trying to find some magic in their ballpark.

Joe Mauer led off with a single to right, which got the Minnesota fans back into the game with some hope still left in them.

Delmon Young quickly ended that hope by grounding into a 6-4-3 double play and just like that, there were two quick outs and a stunned crowd.

Jim Thome flied out to left to end the game and the Yankees took Game Two over the Twins 5-2 at Target Field.

Pettitte went seven strong innings, allowed five hits, two runs, walked one and struck out four and picked up his 19th career postseason victory, which is the most in baseball history.

Any doubts the Yankees could have had about Pettitte from the groin injury or his layoff from the DL were brushed away as he simply dominated the Minnesota lineup.

The Twins had their chances to get runs off Pettitte early in the second inning with the bases loaded and one out, and all they could get was one run. Other than Hudson’s home run in the sixth, the Twins did absolutely nothing against him.

The Yankees bats continue to heat up. Granderson continues to have a great ALDS against the Twins with three more key hits, the final one being an important RBI in the ninth inning.

One bat that finally got going for the Yankees when needed was Berkman’s. His home run was so important considering when he was traded for back in July, he only hit one home run all year for the Yankees.

But by hitting that home run, then hitting that go-ahead double in the seventh, it made a lot of the naysayers of Berkman, myself included, forget how poorly he might have been in the second half, especially if he continues to get big hits for the Yankees.

Pavano, just like Francisco Liriano in Game 1, started out well for the Twins, then just ran out of gas. Pavano went six innings, allowed 10 hits, four runs, walked one and struck out three in taking the loss.

The Yankees will return to New York with a commanding 2-0 lead into Saturday night’s Game Three, where Phil Hughes will take the ball and make his first ever playoff start for the Yankees where he will face off against Twins lefty Brian Duensing.

So far, the Yankees as the Wild Card, took Minnesota’s home field advantage and immediately shattered it with two important wins. On Saturday night. Hughes and the Yankees can close out this series and move on to the American League Championship Series.

Some may even wonder if the Yankees winning the Wild Card instead of the division and getting to play the Twins, and not the Rangers and Cliff Lee in a short series, was a blessing in disguise.

Two down, nine to go until No. 28 for Yankees Universe.

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The Yankees gave the ball to veteran lefty Andy Pettitte in Game 2 of the ALDS. On the mound for The Twins, was former Yankee Carl Pavano. The Twins needed Pavano to come through for them but the Yankee offense was too much for Pavano.

Pettitte went seven innings giving up five hits while allowing just two runs, and just one walk. Pettitte delivered as he always does, earning his 19th victory during the postseason, which is the most all time. 

The Twins got on Pettitte in the second inning when rookie Danny Valencia hit a sacrifice fly to score Delmon Young, giving the Twins a 1-0 lead. The Yankees responded in the fourth inning off an Alex Rodriguez sacrifice fly, scoring Curtis Granderson. The Bombers got one more in the fifth from an unlikely Lance Berkman. Berkman belted an opposite-field home run, giving the Yanks a 2-1 lead.

Pettitte continued to pitch well, and allowed his only other run in the sixth inning on an Orlando Hudson home run. The Twins tied the game at two, but it was only a matter of time before the Yankee lineup came alive. After a controversial pitch that was called a ball, Lance Berkman hit an RBI double, scoring Jorge Posada. Derek Jeter then singled in Berkman, extending the Yankee lead to 4-2.

Pettitte pitched a scoreless seventh, which would be his last inning of work. Kerry Wood entered the game in the eighth inning, resembling the Kerry Wood from his early days with the Chicago Cubs. Wood pitched a scoreless eighth, setting it up for Mariano Rivera.

The Yankees tacked on one more run in the ninth inning off a Curtis Granderson single. Granderson continued his hot hitting going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Mariano Rivera relieved Wood and gave up one hit in the ninth inning, but got out of it without allowing a run. Mo earned the save giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the series. 

The Yankees head back home, where 18-game winner Phil Hughes will go head to head with Brian Duensing.

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