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After a one-day plunge into second place in the American League East, the Yankees (67-40) are back atop baseball with the best record in the game as they get set to open up a big four-game series at home against the third-place Red Sox (62-47), who trail New York by six games.

Boston, which has been hampered by injuries to Jason Varitek, Dustin Pedroia, and Kevin Youkilis (who was lost for the season on Thursday), has a chance to jump back in the race for first place if it can pull off a sweep this weekend.

New York, on the other hand, can bury its rival if the Bombers were to win the next four games. But that seems unlikely, as the Red Sox appear to hold the advantage in at least two of the pitching matchups.

This series could come down to Sunday’s game between A.J. Burnett and Josh Beckett, and the Yankees would be very happy to just get a split and keep their distance from the Sox.

Friday, Aug. 6 – Javier Vazquez (9-7, 4.61) vs. Clay Buchholz (11-5, 2.59)

Vazquez continued his predictable season of dominating National League teams and weak American League clubs, while struggling against the better half of the AL when he surrendered four runs over 6 1/3 innings for a no-decision vs. the Rays in his last outing.

The right-hander now has a 5.09 ERA against the AL and a 4.89 mark vs. winning teams. Once again, the Red Sox fit into both of those categories.

Vazquez’s only appearance against Boston this season came on May 17, when he struck out the only batter he faced in relief to earn an 11-9 victory. In 12 career games (10 starts) versus the Sox, the 34-year-old is 3-7 with a 4.21 ERA.

Adrian Beltre (15-for-44, .441, 2 HR), J.D. Drew (10-for-28, .357, 4 HR) and David Ortiz (8-for-25, .320, 2 HR) have all had success facing Vazquez. But the same cannot be said for Victor Martinez (5-for-26, .192).

Buchholz has been brilliant over his past two starts, allowing a total of two earned runs through 15 innings to drop his ERA to second best in the league.

But the righty didn’t look so good against the Yankees on May 8, when he yielded six runs (five earned) on nine hits and five walks over five innings to take a 14-3 loss.

The opener of this series could turn out to be a high-scoring affair because Buchholz is 0-2 with a 6.53 ERA in four career starts vs. New York, including an 8.38 mark in the Bronx.

Robinson Cano is 4-for-11 (.364) off the 25-year-old, while Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter are each 3-for-9 (.333) with two RBI. Mark Teixeira is 3-for-5 (.600) with a homer.

However, Curtis Granderson, Jorge Posada, Nick Swisher and Austin Kearns are a combined 0-for-16 off him, so this may be a good day to give Francisco Cervelli (2-for-3, 3 RBI) the start.

Saturday, Aug. 7 – CC Sabathia (13-5, 3.19) vs. John Lackey (10-6, 4.48)

Sabathia has recorded 12 straight quality starts, but he’s lost his last two outings after winning nine consecutive decisions.

Three of the big lefty’s five no-decisions this season have come against the Red Sox. He has a 4.76 ERA over the 17 innings in those contests. In 14 career starts against Boston, Sabathia is 5-5 with a 3.56, and the current roster hits just .207 off him.

Some of the victims include Beltre (1-for-19, .053, 7 K), Martinez (4-for-19, .211), Drew (4-for-17, .235, 7 K), Jacoby Ellsbury (1-for-13, .077, 6 K) and Bill Hall (1-for-11, .091, 4 K).

The only Red Sox hitter with a lifetime average above .290 against Sabathia is Marco Scutaro (8-for-24, .333).

Lackey once again allowed way too many baserunners in his last start against the Indians. The right-hander yielded six runs on nine hits and five walks in 5 1/3 innings to increase his WHIP to a bloated 1.53.

He didn’t have that problem on April 7, however, when he held the Yankees scoreless over six frames on just three hits and two walks.

Lackey is 5-7 with a 4.40 ERA in 17 career starts against New York, including a 3-3 record and 3.76 mark at the old Yankee Stadium. This will be his first regular-season appearance at the new ballpark.

While pitching for the Angels, he surrendered four runs (two earned) on nine hits and three walks in a 4-1 loss in the Bronx during Game 1 of the AL Championship Series last year.

Teixeira is 19-for-50 (.380) with 11 RBIs and eight walks off Lackey. Jeter is 16-for-46 (.348) with six doubles and Posada is 12-for-31 (.387).

However, A-Rod is just 9-for-54 (.167) with an astounding 23 strikeouts and Swisher is 5-for-45 (.111) with 18 K’s, so this may be a good day to give him a rest.

Sunday, Aug. 8 – A.J. Burnett (9-9, 4.93) vs. Josh Beckett (3-1, 5.70)

The Red Sox have the pitching advantage in the first and last game of this series, while the Yanks should win Friday’s contest with Sabathia on the mound.

That means this game could be the difference between a split vs. Boston picking up two games in the standings.

The Pinstripes need a solid outing from Burnett, who gave up more runs in the fifth inning against the Blue Jays on Monday (7) than he did in all of July (6). The right-hander has a tendency to blow up once in a while, but I don’t think it’s reason to panic.

If you remove Burnett’s horrible June, during which pitching coach Dave Eiland was away from the team, his season numbers are pretty impressive at 9-4 with a 3.50 ERA.

The 33-year-old had one of his blow-up starts at Fenway Park on May 9, surrendering nine runs (eight earned) in 4 1/3 innings to take a 9-3 loss.

He pitched a little better in Boston on April 6, when he allowed three earned and struck out five in five innings to earn a no-decision as the Yankees won, 6-4. Burnett is 5-3 with a 4.92 ERA in 14 starts against the Red Sox.

Beltre is 10-for-31 (.323) with six doubles and seven RBI off the righty, but Mike Lowell, who was recently activated off the 15-day disabled list is just 4-for-20 (.200).

Beckett has pitched well since coming off the 60-day DL on July 23. He is 2-0 with a 2.18 ERA in his past three starts.

The right-hander’s last two outings before going on the DL were against the Yankees and he did not pitch well in either of them. In fact, in three outings this season vs. New York, Beckett is 0-1 with a 10.43 ERA.

In his career, he is 9-6 with a 5.95 against the Bombers, but has pitched well at the new Stadium (1-0, 3.06 in three starts).

Robinson Cano is 18-for-52 (.346) with seven doubles, three homers and 12 RBIs off Beckett. Posada is 11-for-33 (.333), but has struck out 10 times.

Teixeira is 4-for-28 (.143) with 10 K’s and Lance Berkman is 3-for-18 (.167) with seven strikeouts, so he better not start. A good replacement would be Marcus Thames (3-for-9, .333, HR).

Monday, Aug. 9 – Dustin Moseley (1-1, 4.13) vs. Jon Lester (11-7, 3.07)

Moseley makes his third start of the season in Monday’s matinee. He has been a serviceable fill-in for Andy Pettitte while the left-hander spends time on the DL.

The 28-year-old right-hander allowed five runs and two homers to the Blue Jays on Tuesday, but he was efficient, lasting into the eighth inning while throwing just 85 pitches.

Moseley was 1-0 with a 5.84 ERA in three appearances (two starts) against the Red Sox during his time with the Angels. He’s held Beltre hitless in six at-bats, but Lowell is 3-for-6 (.500) with two doubles.

Lester is in a rare funk, dropping his last four starts, including a five-inning effort against the Indians on Wednesday during which he suffered cramps in his left hamstring due to the humid weather.

The left-hander, who is second in the league with 154 strikeouts, fanned seven in a 9-3 win over the Yankees on May 9. He allowed four runs over five frames against New York on April 6, however.

Lester is 4-1 with a 4.01 ERA in 10 career starts vs. the Bombers, but is 1-1 with a 4.96 at the new Yankee Stadium.

Jeter (10-for-30, .333) is the only Yankee with more than three at-bats against Lester to have an average above .273. Teixeira and Swisher are each 4-for-19 (.211), while Posada is 3-for-18 (.167). Expect to see Kearns (1-for-2, RBI, walk) start this one.

Follow me on Twitter at JordanHarrison .

Jordan Schwartz is one of Bleacher Report’s New York Yankees and College Basketball Featured Columnists. His book Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and authorhouse.com.

Jordan can be reached at jordanschwartz2003@yahoo.com

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With last night’s 8-6 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays and the Rays win over the Twins, the Yankees dropped into a tie with Tampa Bay for first place in the American League East. Today marks the first time since June 20 that the Yankees have not been in sole possession of first place in the East Division. Despite all this, it’s not time to panic in the Bronx.

Yes, the Yankees missed out on a major opportunity to distance themselves from the Rays last weekend by dropping two of a three game series in Tampa. But the fact remains that the Yankees are still in an excellent situation to win the Division as the dog days of August get underway.

Andy Pettitte will be coming off the disabled list soon, giving them a consistent, innings-eating lefty back in the rotation. Pettitte, provided he’s 100%, should ease the workload on the bullpen considerably.

The “Arod 600 Home Run Circus” is bound to end at some point. What has turned into a major distraction for everyone will end with one swing of the bat, hopefully sooner rather than later. In the meantime, Arod is still driving in runs for the Yankee offense.

The addition of Kerry Wood should alleviate some of the stress on Joba Chamberlain, hopefully helping him return to the form he’s capable of.

Nick Swisher continues to impress. The All Star RF had two more home runs last night and appears to be getting hot. In a lineup full of sluggers like Arod, Teixeira and Cano, getting major offensive numbers from players like Swisher is a nice bonus.

The Yankees schedule is relatively tame in August, which should assist them in at least holding a share of first place into the September stretch run. Their talent and experience will allow them to place some distance between themselves and the Rays in the last month of the season.

They’ll be ok, count on it.

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New York Yankees ace CC Sabathia will square off against Tampa Bay Rays James Shields, in the third and final game of this series.

Let’s check out this matchup:

 
Tampa Bay Rays: James Shields (9-9)

James Shields is a lights-out pitcher, if you are referring to his high strikeout numbers.

In 2010 Shields has posted 122 strikeouts over 135 innings. He maintains a minimal number of walks with 31.

So what explains Shields ERA being 4.79?

It is because Shields has given up 22 home runs this season, along with 72 earned runs. His weakest pitch is his fastball and it gets hit hard. Shields’s change-up is his strongest pitch, but without it he is very hittable.

Over his last three starts, Shields is 2-0, pitching 19 innings, allowing nine earned runs, while walking five, and striking out 13. Still, he has been better after a horrible June and he has won his last two starts.

If Shields doesn’t shield his pitches and is predictable, the Yankees bats will eat him alive. Jeter and Cano have done it in the past, so look for them to go after Shields from the start.

 
New York Yankees: CC Sabathia (13-4)

Yankees ace CC Sabathia had his first loss since May 23, but he actually pitched very well. Lack of run support, along with some sloppy fielding behind him, was to blame for the result.

Sabathia has a 3.15 ERA in 151 innings this season. The Yankees ace has two complete games, giving up 53 earned runs, 12 homers, and 124 strikeouts.

Sabathia’s 52 walks are not great, but no matter what he can go deep into games, which allows the bullpen to rest.

Even in his most recent start, where he took the loss, Sabathia pitched seven solid innings, struck out five, walked three, but allowed two hits.

Sabathia is not going to have another bad start, so expect him to dominate from the start of this game.

The Rays to watch for against CC are BJ Upton, who is off the DL, and Evan Longoria. Otherwise, the rest of the Rays pose no threat.

 
Prediction:

Yankees beat the Rays 4-1. Sabathia gets the win. Shields take the loss.

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Robinson Cano had another MVP performance again tonight. 

His home run in the top of ninth inning gave the New York Yankees a 5-4 victory over the Tamp Bay Rays.  And more importantly, the Yankees will maintain their AL East division lead when leaving St. Petersburg after tomorrow’s game.

Tonight’s match was filled with playoff atmosphere as a sellout crowd of 36,973 witnessed an exciting game.  A victory by the Rays would bring them back to share the AL East lead with the Yankees.  Nevertheless, the Yankees regain a two-game lead over the Rays in the standings.

The Rays was the team to initiate the first run.  In the bottom of the first inning, third baseman Evan Longoria hit a sacrifice fly to score the designated hitter John Jaso who led off with a double. Jaso went 3-for-4, including a triple with two runs scored this evening.

The Yankees played catch-up baseball throughout the game until their winning run came.  

With New York trailing by 1-0 in the second, Rays starting pitcher Matt Garza walked Alex Rodriguez, who advanced to second base on Robinson Cano’s double.  One out later, Curtis Granderson hit a sacrifice fly to sent Rodriguez home. 

Down 3-1in the sixth, with Derek Jeter on second base, first baseman Mark Teixeira connected as his 21st home run tied the game up 3-3.

Right-fielder Matt Joyce contributed for the Tampa Bay Rays when they regained the lead for the third time.  At the bottom of the sixth, he sent starting pitcher Javier Vazquez’s curveball far into the right-field bleachers.  It was his second home run in many nights.

But it did not take long before the Yankees found the equalizer.  This time, it was Nick Swisher’s solo shot off Garza in the seventh to make it 4-4.

Matt Garza and Javier Vazquez went deep tonight but were pulled when the game was still tied.  Both bullpens did a good job shutting down the opponent until Rays closer Rafael Soriano served up Cano’s home run. 

It happened in the ninth inning.  Soriano (2-1) relieved Joaquin Benoit to face the middle of the Yankees lineup.  Rodriguez was popped out to shortstop for the first out.  Cano, who already had two doubles tonight, hit Soriano’s fastball out of field for his 21st dinger of the season.

Yankees reliever Dave Robertson (2-3), pitched the scoreless eighth and became the winning pitcher of the game.  Mariano Rivera gained his 22nd save, blanking the Rays in a one-hit ninth inning.

Lance Berkman, acquired by the Yankees yesterday, had his first game wearing the new uniform.  He was penciled as the designated hitter by manager Joe Girardi but went hitless in four plate appearances.

Going 0-for 3, Alex Rodriguez did not hit his 600th career home run tonight.  He has to wait until tomorrow afternoon as his milestone search continues facing the Rays starter James Shields (9-9, 4.79) in the rubber game of this three-game series.  CC Sabathia (13-4, 3.15) will start for the Yankees.

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Fantasy baseball sees changes in position depth every year. What starts the season as a weak position may finish as the best, and vice-versa. Entering the season there were 11 second basemen ranked in the Top 100 players in mixed formats. 

Currently, there are only seven active players who will find their name on that Top 100 list, and only three of them were part of the original 11. Let’s take a look at the current rankings for second baseman after the first half of the 2010 season (Injuries Noted):

Robinson Cano NYY (100% Owned)    His numbers across the board are great for any position (66-18-63-.332). This is an MVP candidate who will continue to improve, and continue to provide consistent statistical production. 

Chase Utley PHI  (100% Owned)  Chase would be number one if he wasn’t injured, even with Cano’s great season. Utley’s consistency over the past seven seasons cannot be ignored, you can pencil in 100-30-100-.295 ever year. Upon his return from the DL, Utley should be considered the top player.

Rickie Weeks   MIL (100% Owned)  Finally his production is matching his potential (65-19-62-.277). Rickie was the second overall pick in the 2003 player draft, and after this season may be the second overall second naseman taken in 2011 fantasy drafts.

Dustin Pedroia BOS (100% Owned) Similar to Utley, Dustin would be third on the list after putting up excellent numbers (52-12-41-.292) when healthy. He has never had a bad single season in his young career. Look for him to immediately bounce back when he returns. (DL)

Tier 1A

Ian Kinsler TEX:  This All Star Second Baseman plays for a first place team with lots of lineup protection. Thus far (53-6-38-.304), and expected for a duplicate second half with the pennant in reach.

Brandon Phillips CIN:   Another player in the midst of a pennant race, and putting up potential career numbers (70-13-33-.288). With the Cardinals and Brewers battling the Reds for Central supremacy, Brandon will need to play to his max if they want to win. Expect an extra effort.

Tier 2

Martin Prado ATL:  All Star, First Place Team, NL Hits Leader (67-11-40-.317)

Ben Zobris t TB:  (49-5-44-19-.277) Multi Position Eligible, Continuous production.

Tier 3 

Dan Uggla FLA:  (59-15-53-.271) May or May Not be traded to Contender. If so he jumps Zobrist. You have to love his power from this position.

Kelly Johnson ARZ: (57-14-46-.275) Can he keep this up all season for the lowly Dbacks? My magic 8 ball says “Decidedly So.”

Howie Kendrick ANA: (42-7-53-.275)  Still a potential injury risk, but his run production in 2010 is undeniable for a second baseman. Worth a Start in any format.

Tier 4 

Gordon Beckham CWS: (26/71-14-3-12-0-.366) Over the Last Month…May be the HOTTEST 2B

Placido Polanco PHI:   (92/288-43-6-30-3-.319) Just back from injury and his timing is great already.

Juan Uribe SF:   (80/312-42-12-51-1-.256) Early Season Utility Super Star. Now Everyday Star.

Tier 5

Jose Lopez SEA:  Still Seattle’s Cleanup Hitter with TONS of potential 39 RBI.

Casey McGehee MIL: 13 HR 55 RBI.

Aaron Hill TOR: 13 HR (Great Upside)

Clint Barmes COL:  42 RBI

Ian Stewart COL: 13 HR, 47 RBI

Neil Walker PIT:  (.320 BA)

Chone Figgins SEA:  25 SBs

Ty Wigginton BAL: 16 HR, 48 RBI

Alberto Callaspo LAA:   (40Runs, 8HRs, 43RBI)

Here are some more articles that will help you win your league…

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It was a big night for the Yankees, who sat through about an hour and a half wait through a rain delay to beat the Royals 7-1 last night.

Here are some notes:

AJ Burnett looked sharp as he evened his record to 8-8. He left after five innings though because of the rain delay.

Jorge Posada picked up the 1,000th and 1,001st RBI of his career.

Robinson Cano is now two hits away from 1,000 for his career.

Alex Rodriguez is still one away from 600 home runs.

Jonathan Albaladejo was very impressive in his performance as he picked up a pair of strikeouts.

Nick Swisher was scratched with a sore Achilles’ tendon .

The Yankees are said to have “at least passing interest” in the Royals outfielder Jose Guillen .

“At least passing interest” sounds pretty vague and I have the feeling that Rosenthal wrote it that way to include the Yankees in a rumor just to draw interest. Anything can happen, but at this point, I’m skeptical the Yankees are genuinely interested in Guillen.

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Once upon a time, Mark Teixeira was hitting below the Mendoza Line with little power and a lot of criticism. However, much has changed since May.

Teixeira is slowly turning his season around, producing the power numbers the Yankees expect, and need, in the middle of their order.

Although his average is still a bit too low (.256 entering Thursday), Texieira is on pace to finish with 30-plus home runs and 100-plus runs batted in.

Not bad for a guy who at one point was batting around .190 with only a few dingers.

With Alex Rodriguez’s power numbers down from where they usually are (or at least from where people expect them to be) Teixeira’s summer success has been vital to New York’s success.

And the Yankees have certainly been successful so far, posting the best record in baseball, with a mark of 59-34.

A big reason why the Yanks sit atop the majors—let alone their own difficult division—has been Teixeira’s recent production.

Over the last month, Teixeira is batting .352 with six home runs, 19 runs, and 21 runs batted in.

But while Teixeira continues to knock the ball out of the park and drive in runs, he’s far from the biggest contributor offensively in the Bronx.

And hint, hint: it’s not a guy named Alex, nor is it a fellow named Derek.

It’s actually American League MVP candidate Robinson Cano.

Cano’s increased power numbers—which have been sustained throughout the season—have helped carry the Yanks through Teixeria’s power struggles early, and A-Rod’s spotty surges.

On the season, the second baseman is batting .333 with 18 homers, 65 runs, and 63 runs batted in.

But also take into consideration that Cano runs the bases well, and stretches singles to doubles and can go from first-to-third on a single.

All season long, Cano has been creating scoring opportunities for the Bombers, and he’s not the only doing so.

Nick Swisher has been a huge part of New York’s success this season.

Entering Thursday, Swisher is batting .302 with 17 home runs, 60 runs, and 54 runs batted in.

He’s one of four Yankees players with 60 or more runs scored, and Brett Gardner has scored 58 runs.

And speaking of Gardner, the Yanks have valued his production as much as anyone’s.

The speedy outfielder ranks among the league leaders in stolen bases, is batting right around .300 (.299 entering Thursday), and like Cano, creates scoring opportunities. 

The Bombers are also hitting the ball out of the ballpark with the best of them, and might finish the season with four players with 30 or more homers.

The Yanks are getting it done offensively all the way through the order, and with Teixeira’s bat coming around, and a series against the lowly Royals looming, New York will look to expand on its division lead.

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Of the Yankees’ remaining 74 games of the 2010 regular-season schedule, 13 are against the Tampa Bay Rays. That’s nearly 18% of all remaining games for the Yankees against the rival best team in baseball. The first of those showdowns between the two powerhouses begins today.

For a snapshot of where we are today, July 16, the AL East Standings look like this:

Team………………..W-L..pct..GB
New York Yankees..56-32 .636 –
Tampa Bay Rays….54-34 .614 2.0
Boston Red Sox…..51-38 .573 5.5
Toronto Blue Jays..44-45 .494 12.5
Baltimore Orioles….29-59 .330 27.0

The Yanks and the Rays are currently the only .600 teams in baseball. But with so many head-to-head contests looming that may change. After all, someone has to lose. That’s about the only thing going for the Red Sox right now.

Looking ahead to this first series after the All-Star Break, the pitching match-ups are as follows:

Friday
LHP CC Sabathia (12-3, 3.09 ERA) vs. RHP James Shields (7-9, 4.87)

Saturday
RHP A.J. Burnett (7-7, 4.75) vs. RHP Jeff Niemann (7-2, 2.77)

Sunday
LHP Andy Pettitte (11-2, 2.70) vs. LHP David Price (12-4, 2.42)

Jeez, the Rays have some pretty good pitchers, don’t they? Facing Niemann and Price over the weekend doesn’t look like much fun for the Yankees hitters. It was David Price, after all, who mowed down the best NL hitters in baseball in his start of the All-Star Game earlier in the week. The only match-up here that favors the Yankees is tonight, the Yanks’ ace against the Rays’ worst-performing starter. But even James Shields has his good days, and tonight is no gimme.

The secret to the Yanks’ success for this series? They need to make sure they take Friday night’s game, in what is sure to be an emotional event following the death of longtime owner George Steinbrenner. Then hope that the Good AJ shows up on Saturday or Andy continues his dominance on Sunday. Either of those outcomes doesn’t guarantee a win against the likes of Niemann or Price, but that’s their only hope to walk away with 2 out of 3.

Either way, baseball is back.

_____________

From the FanTake blog: Mr. Blogtober

Follow on Twitter: @Mr_Blogtober

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