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The Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be held tonight in Los Angeles. That means the 162-game season has reached its half.  Let’s review the AL East team performances so far this year.

New York Yankees (56-32)

The defending World Champions have the best record in baseball for the first half of the season.  Their offensive lineup has been very consistent, generating hits and runs day-in and day-out.  Unlike last year, when they started the season slowly, Joe Girardi’s team has an impressive 20-11 record against teams in the division and has won 21 of 28 series.

Offense

The Yankees are doing very well offensively.  Second baseman Robinson Cano, being on top in almost every offensive category (.336 AVG, 115 H, 51 R, 68 RBI, .556 SLG), is surely a strong candidate for this year’s AL MVP.

Alex Rodriguez hit 14 home runs to bring his career total to 597, seventh-best all-time.  Nick Swisher is getting on base constantly and Brett Gardner can run, ranking fifth in the league with 25 steals.  Mark Teixeira, hitting .254, may not repeat his number last year (.292), but there are still a good two-and-a-half months of baseball for him to catch up.

Pitching

Starting pitchers Phil Hughes, C.C. Sabathia, and Andy Pettitte have been pitching extremely well, combining to win 34 victories for the Yankees so far, and they all have 10 wins or more.  Javier Vazquez (7-7, 4.45) had a terrible season debut, but has been improving gradually.  40-year-old closer Mariano Rivera (20 saves) seems rejuvenated this season.

Tampa Bay Rays (54-34)

The Rays started the year strong, but they have cooled down since mid-June.  However, through last Sunday, they are only two games behind the Yankees, which proves that they can still keep up with the Yankees to compete for the playoff spot.

Offense

The offensive power relies heavily on the middle of their lineup: LF Carl Crawford, 1B Carlos Pena, and 3B Evan Longoria.

Nine years into his career, Crawford is sixth in the AL in hits this season (106), first in runs scored (70), and second in steals (31).  Clean-up hitter Pena is eighth in home runs with 18 and walks tied for third with 51 walks.  With Evan Longoria, they combine to score 117 runs, almost 38 percent of the team total in first half of the year.

Pitching

All-Star starting pitcher David Price and Matt Garza lead the Rays pitching rotation. Price has an impressive 12-4 record with a 2.42 ERA and 1.20 WHIP.  His fastball can reach 97 mph consistently.  He and Garza (10-5) are the only 10-game winners on the team. Third-best goes to James Shields (7-9).  Besides, no Rays starter has more than 10 losses (Wade Davies has nine).  Closer Rafael Soriano has done a good job with 33 saves and just one blown save.  He can also be seen in All-Star Game in Anaheim.

Boston Red Sox (51-37)

The Red Sox had a slow start from the beginning of Opening Day. People seemingly believed it would be a forgotten season for the team.  While they were talking mostly about the race between the Yankees and the Rays, Terry Francona’s team is back in the playoff race.

However, luck is not on their side.

The lineup is infected with a massive number of injuries.  These injuries took immediate effect, as the Sox were swept by the Rays last week.

Offense

David Ortiz is one of the reasons why the Sox were not successful at the beginning of the year. He only hit .143 and with one home run in the month of April.

He’s caught up now with 18 home runs (tied for eighth in the AL) and the Sox rank second in total home runs with 118.  3B Adrian Beltre and SS Marco Scutaro consistently reach base with 107 and 101 hits respectively.  The third-best goes to 1B Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedrioa (86 each).

The Red Sox have six players on the 15-day DL: Captain, C Jason Varitek (foot), C Victor Martinez (thumb), 2B Dustin Pedroia (foot), Mike Lowell (hip), and OFs Jeremy Hermida (rib) and Jacoby Ellsbury (rib).  Catcher Kevin Cash was acquired to fill in the empty catcher spot for now.  The organization should be worried offensively and defensively to start the second half.

Pitching

Boston has a team ERA of 4.34 (fifth-worst in the league) and walks 314 opposing batters (fourth-worst).

To contend in AL East, they need to post better numbers, especially from starting pitching.  Daisuke Matsuzaka has not been very consistent.  Besides knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (5.22), John Lackey has the worst ERA (4.78) on the team. His numbers seem to decline year by year.

Jon Lester (11-3) and injured Clay Buchholz (10-4) are the only 10-game winners.  Other injury casualties include SP Josh Beckett (lower back spasm) and reliever Manny Delcarmen (right forearm). 

Toronto Blue Jays (44-45)

Who would have thought that the Jays could lead the Major Leagues in home runs?  Out of Toronto’s 404 runs scored, 136 of them were caused by home runs—the best in baseball.  However, they will not be a real threat in AL East.  Their sub-.500 record is just not good enough to compete with the three big guns in the division.

Offense

Eight Blue Jays already have 10 home runs or more: 3B/RF Jose Bautista (24), CF Vernon Wells (19), SS Alex Gonzalez (17), C John Buck (13), 2B Aaron Hill (12), LF/DH Adam Lind (12), 1B Lyle Overbay (10), and 3B Edwin Encarnacion (10).

But the home run is the sole offensive category that is impressive.  The team only hits .240 collectively, fourth-worst in the majors, and only has an on-base percentage of .306.  They also have the third-worst batting average with runners in scoring position (.240).  These figures explain why the Jays are barely a .500 ball club.

Pitching

With the departure of the “Doc,” Roy Halladay, manager Cito Gaston cannot find a true ace.  Brett Cecil leads the team with eight wins, the most among starting pitchers.  Shaun Marcum (7-4) has the best starter ERA (3.44). He is currently injured (elbow inflammation), and will be back after the All-Star break. 

Baltimore Orioles (29-59)

No one would expect Orioles to escape out of the cellar.

Although mathematically possible, they still have 78 games to play to get out of the bottom of the division.  Chances are it will not happen.  Thirty games under .500 is sad.  The firing of manager Dave Tremblay in June was appropriate, but the organization has yet to find a long-term replacement to lead the team.

Offense

Losing star second baseman Brian Roberts at the beginning of the season to the 60-day DL (herniated disc in lower back) was crucial to Orioles’ failure.  The team seemed to lose direction from the start.  Its offense mainly comes from RF Nick Markakis, leader in team avg (.308), and CF Adam Jones who has 14 home runs (tied with 1B Ty Wigginton for team lead) and scored 44 runs (most on the team).

Pitching

Bad pitching will make you lose games.  Ask the Orioles if you don’t believe me.

No Oriole starting pitcher has more than five wins.  David Hernandez’s four victories is a team-high.  The ace, Kevin Millwood, is injured, and had horrible first half (2-8, 5.77 ERA, 1.58 WHIP).

The rotation also consists of veteran Jeremy Guthrie (3-10, 4.77), Brad Bergesen (3-6, 6.40), Brian Matusz (3-9, 4.77), and rookie Jake Arrieta (3-2, 4.38).  A consolation prize belongs to closer Alfredo Simon (2-1, 13 saves, 3.24 ERA), as the management seems to have found a stable reliever to close games.

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When Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano received an invitation to participate in this years Home Run Derby, the All-Star was surprised and excited.

He did not think twice about it. Cano accepted the invitation and had every intention of participating. Then the Yankees stepped in. The problem however is that it seems the Yankees stepped in without Cano knowing.

When it became public knowledge that Cano would be a participant in the home run hitting challenge, Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long became concerned. Long made it known to the media that he would prefer Cano not participate. The batting coach stated the derby puts an exhausting strain on your body and could do damage to a players swing.

Yes, there are plenty of examples of players going down hill after participating in the Home Run Derby. Just last year we saw six of the eight participants numbers drop in the second half of the season. Detroit Tigers Brandon Inge who hit 21 home runs in the first half, hit just six in the second half. Adrian Gonzalez of the San Diego Padres   hit 16 home runs in the second half after belting 24 before the All-Star break.

In 2008, Houston Astros   first baseman Lance Berkman   had a monster first half in which he hit .347 with 22 home runs. After participating in the derby, Berkman hit just .259 with seven homers in the second half of the season.

Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau   had participated in the home run derby twice in the past four years and both times his second half numbers dropped drastically.

One of the more well known examples of this is Mets third baseman David Wright in 2006. The star third baseman batted .316 with 20 homers in the first half and participated in the home run derby, finishing second overall. In the second half of the ’06 season, Wright batted .305 but hit just six home runs the rest of the year.

Continue this article at Double G Sports .

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Most people make way too big a deal about the drop-off players experience after participating in the Home Run Derby. It’s more likely statistical regression than anything else.

Nevertheless, Yankee coaches did not want Robinson Cano participating in this year’s Home Run Derby, and it looks like they are getting their way.

According to Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily News, Cano has pulled out of the Home Run Derby this year due to a minor, albeit unmentioned, back injury with which he’s supposedly been dealing.

Supposedly, Cano has had this injury for the last couple of days and has been receiving treatment for it. Apparently the team’s trainer Gene Monahan was against Cano being in the Derby after hearing he was involved.

If there really is a back injury, then he should be sitting out. However, I find it hard to believe that this is legit, and it makes me think that they’re making way too big a deal out of the Derby. There’s no word on whether he’s going to play in the All-Star Game, so I’m assuming he is. Funny that he’s healthy enough for that.

For what it’s worth, Cano has been struggling recently. Over his last eight games, Cano is 4-for-31 (.129) with a .432 OPS.

Related Stories

• July 7, 2010 — Robinson Cano, Statistical Regression, and the HR Derby (0)
• July 7, 2010 — Yankees Notes: Grandslams, Rivera, Cano, Posada, Kontos (0)
• July 5, 2010 — Yankees Notes: Recap, Thames, Hughes, Posada, All-Stars (0)
• June 28, 2010 — Cano and Mo Steal the Show: Yankees Come Back to Beat the Dodgers in 10 Innings (4)

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Six participants for the 2010 Home Run Derby were announced yesterday: David Ortiz (DH, Boston), Corey Hart (OF, Milwaukee), Matt Holliday (OF, St. Louis), Miguel Cabrera (1B, Detroit), Robinson Cano (2B, New York Yankees), and Vernon Wells (OF, Toronto).

All told, it’s not a terrible lineup.  There will be two more participants announced before the Derby, but you’ve already got old-school power hitters in Cabrera and Ortiz and some new blood in Cano and Hart.

Some people dislike the Derby, but I’ve always found it to be quite enjoyable.  I love watching the raw displays of power players put on but I could also do without Chris Berman in the broadcast booth, attempting to break all world records of the use of the word “back.”

Different stadiums play differently for home runs.  Some are known as hitter havens while other suppress home runs.  Over the past four years, the Home Run Derby has been hosted in stadiums that play well for home runs.

In 2006 and 2007, in Pittsburgh and San Francisco respectively, each stadium featured a body of water within striking distance for left-handed power hitters.  The Allegheny River in Pittsburgh and the McCovey Cove in San Fran. In Pittsburgh we got quite a show with Ryan Howard and David Ortiz peppering the river.

In San Francisco, with the water closer and more easily attainable, we were denied any splash hits when all three lefties exited quietly in the first round.  Howard, Prince Fielder and Justin Morneau all failed to advance or hit any into the water in the process.  A potential dream location suddenly became quite a boring contest, as the Giants home field does not play well for right-handed power.  Vladimir Guerrero won despite posting only three home runs in the final round.

When the Derby moved to the House That Ruth Built in 2008, for Yankee Stadium’s final season, the short right field porch, distant black batter’s eye and inviting upper decks called out to sluggers as targets for long home runs.  A gap in the back wall even inspired predictions that some powerful left-handed bat could potentially hit one out of Yankee Stadium.

Then MLB announced the participants and they included four elite lefty sluggers.  Chase Utley, Justin Morneau, Lance Berkman and Josh Hamilton all participated and a buzz preceded the 2008 HR Derby like none since Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey Jr. and Mark McGuire knocked buildings over in the late 90s.

Josh Hamilton did not disappoint.  He went on to hit 28 home runs in the first round alone, easily a Derby record.  But more impressive than the amount of homers was the way in which Hamilton hit them.  He demolished each offering from his batting-practice pitcher, not clearing the stadium, but putting balls deep into the upper deck, far back into the bleachers and off the back wall of the stadium.

It’s the most fun I’ve had watching the Home Run Derby, and Hamilton’s first round performance seems to make people forget that Justin Morneau ended up winning the Derby over Hamilton in the final round.

The Derby moved from one of the oldest and most historic Stadiums in 2008 to one of the newer venues in 2009 as it came to St. Louis’ new Busch Stadium.  A beautiful facility, Busch Stadium also offered some attractive points for batters to take aim.  

Big Mac Land presented an alluring target for right-handed batters, situated way up in the fourth deck of left field.  Attainability would be difficult, but certainly not impossible and Texas’ Nelson Cruz reached it twice in an impressive first round.  Hometown hero Albert Pujols also managed to hit a ball over the left-field bleachers and into the outfield concourses.

In the second round and the finals, Prince Fielder proved Busch Stadium was just as entertaining for left-handed sluggers as it was for right-handed ones.  He launched home runs over the bullpen, deep into the bleachers and over the grassy knoll that serves as a batter’s eye.

This year, the host stadium is Angels Stadium out in Anaheim.  Or Los Angeles.  Or California.  Or wherever they’re from.  While I’ve never been to Angels Stadium I’ve seen it on TV plenty of times and from what I’ve seen, it doesn’t strike me as a place that will play host to epic moonshots.

There’s no upper deck in the outfield, so any home run that’s hit is going to land in the bleachers or bullpen.  Down both lines is a three foot wall an inviting distance away, meaning we’ll probably get a few cheap, pop-up home runs that carry.  There is a batters eye in dead center, but, unlike the grass in St. Louis or the bleachers in New York, it’s a flat surface so any homer hit there will just bounce right off.

There is the sliver of decorative rock formations in left center field, but homers there won’t have the same allure as a homer into a river or bay.

Not every stadium is designed with exciting home run targets, that’s just the way it is. We got lucky to have four consecutive home run derbies take place in ballparks that are conducive to epic home run shots.  But with an intriguing field of players this year that features some impressive raw power, I’m sure one of the boys will come through with an impressive performance.  

Sometimes it comes from the most predictable of sources, such as Mark McGuire and Ken Griffey Jr’s displays at Fenway Park in 1999.  But other times, the most impressive man of the night is the guy you least expect, like when Bobby Abreu went off for 41 home runs at Comerica Park in 2005.

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Let’s talk about the Home Run Derby.

Everyone seems to think that it really messes a player up, but I’m not so sure about that.

I know a lot of people do not like math, but there is a thing called statistical regression. It simply means that really hot players will eventually cool off.

The nature of the Home Run Derby is directly connected to statistical regression as the MLB tends to ask the hottest players in the league to participate.

Of the players participating —Robinson Cano has 16 homers, Miguel Cabrera has 21, Corey Hart and Vernon Wells have 19, David Ortiz has 17, and Matt Holliday, who is the only player not at the top of the home run leader board with 12.

The thing is, even though we’re halfway through the season, those players won’t necessarily be doubling their home run production. Cabrera could hit 42 and Cano is certainly capable of 32, but are Hart and Wells locks for 38? I doubt it.

Just look at Hart, he has averaged only 18 homers a year over the last three seasons. He has 19 right now so the chances are pretty high that he will experience a statistical drop-off in the second half.

Some will undoubtedly point to the Derby as the reason for his statistical regression, but in reality, he’s way hotter than he has any business being and won’t be able to sustain it throughout the rigorous 162 game season. Hart will be lucky to reach 28 home runs.

Take a player like Bobby Abreu. He hit 18 homers in the first half in 2005, won the Derby, and then only hit eight more homers the rest of the year.

Everyone blames the Home Run Derby.

The problem with this is that Abreu is not a home run hitter. He had 18 by the All-Star break that year, but in his 12 full seasons in the majors he averaged just 21 homers a year. His first half pace was ridiculous for him and, thanks to statistical regression, impossible for him to keep up.

I’m not saying that there isn’t some truth to the fact that the Derby could mess up a player’s swing to some extent, but I think it has been grossly overstated.

I’m not worried about Cano in the Derby at all and neither should you. The real worry here is all about statistical regression and that will happen whether a player takes part in the Home Run Derby or not.

Related Stories

• July 7, 2010—Yankees Notes: Grandslams, Rivera, Cano, Posada, Kontos (0)
• July 5, 2010—Yankees Notes: Recap, Thames, Hughes, Posada, All-Stars (0)
• June 28, 2010—Cano and Mo Steal the Show: Yankees Comeback to Beat the Dodgers in 10 Innings (4)
• June 23, 2010—The Yankees Unusual and Unexpected Road to the Top of the AL East (0)

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Yankees closed out the Interleague slate with their best victory of the year, mounting a dramatic four-run comeback in the ninth against the Dodgers on Sunday, before winning the game on MVP candidate Robinson Cano’s two-run homer in the 10th.

New York took two out of three from Los Angeles to finish 11-7 versus the National League. The first-place Bombers (47-28) now welcome in the last-place Mariners (31-44) for a three-game set this week at Yankee Stadium.

The problem for Seattle this year has been hitting. They rank last in baseball in home runs and hits, while placing 27th with a .239 batting average. On the other hand, pitching has been a strength. The Mariners rank eighth with a 3.90 ERA and send two of their best to the hill in the first two games against the Yankees.

Tuesday, June 29 — Phil Hughes (10-1, 3.17) vs. Cliff Lee (6-3, 2.39)

When Hughes was skipped in his last turn in the rotation, it set up quite a pitching matchup for the series opener. The right-hander has won his last five starts, but was held out last week in an effort to keep his innings down during his first full season in the rotation.

The 24-year-old is 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA in four appearances (one start) against the Mariners. Seattle’s roster hits just .182 (4-for-22) off him, led by Josh Wilson, who is 2-for-4. Russell Branyan, who was recently reacquired by the M’s, has homered off Hughes, but Casey Kotchman, Jose Lopez and Chone Figgins are a combined 0-for-11.

Lee is being considered a hot commodity as the Trade Deadline approaches and the Yankees were once rumored to be a possible suitor, although I’m not sure why New York, which already has three probable All-Stars in its rotation, would need another hurler.

But someone is going to land a Cy Young candidate if the left-hander gets moved, as he has thrown three complete games in his last four starts to position himself atop the American League standings in that category (4), along with ERA and WHIP (0.91).

Lee is 4-4 with a 5.02 ERA in nine regular-season starts against the Bombers, but went 2-0 versus them in the World Series last year, including a masterful Game 1 performance, during which he allowed only one unearned run and struck out 10.

Derek Jeter hits Lee well (11-for-27, .407), as does Mark Teixeira (9-for-23, .391), while lefty Cano (4-for-18, .222) is about the only Yankee who does not.

Wednesday, June 30 — Javier Vazquez (6-6, 5.16) vs. Felix Hernandez (5-5, 3.28)

Vazquez turned in his worst outing in a month against the D-backs last Wednesday, surrendering four runs over five innings. I wouldn’t be surprised if this trend continued now that the Interleague part of the year has finished. The right-hander, who dominated the National League in 2009, went 2-1 with a 2.88 ERA against the NL this season, but is just 4-5 with a 6.30 versus the superior AL. Then again, he may get a reprieve against the light-hitting Mariners.

Vazquez is 4-2 with a 4.35 ERA in six starts against the M’s. Franklin Gutierrez is 4-for-12 (.333) with a homer off him, while Kotchman is 3-for-8 (.375) and Branyan is 3-for-6 (.500) with a remarkable three homers.

Milton Bradley, however, is just 3-for-18 (.167) and Lopez is 2-for-14 (.143).

King Felix tossed his second consecutive complete game his last time out and now leads the league with 112 2/3 innings pitched, while ranking fourth in strikeouts (105).

Hernandez is 2-3 with a 4.59 ERA in five starts against the Yankees, including 1-1 with a 4.97 in the Bronx.

Five Bombers hit better than .300 off the right-hander. Teixeira is 11-for-36 (.306) with three blasts, Curtis Granderson is 9-for-25 (.360), but has 10 strikeouts, Jeter is 5-for-15 (.333), Cano is 5-for-13 (.385) and Jorge Posada is 3-for-5 (.600).

Thursday, July 1 — CC Sabathia (9-3, 3.49) vs. Ryan Rowland-Smith (1-7, 6.18)

If there’s going to be one blowout in this series, this figures to be it. Sabathia probably wishes there were 31 days in June because after a rocky May, he was outstanding last month, going 5-0 with a 2.19 ERA.

The big lefty is 6-4 with a 2.97 in 14 starts versus Seattle. Ichiro Suzuki has battered him around, however, collecting 19 hits in 48 at-bats (.396). Figgins is 5-for-16 (.313), Bradley is 4-for-11 (.364) and Gutierrez is 4-for-9 (.444).

But Lopez (.125), Jack Wilson (.123) and Josh Wilson (.167) each just have two hits in double-digit at-bats against Sabathia.

Rowland-Smith is just holding a spot for the injured Erik Bedard at this point. He allowed five runs and two homers in 5 1/3 innings against the Brewers on Friday.

The left-hander has no record and a 5.29 ERA in six appearances (two starts) versus the Yanks and has allowed five runs in 3 2/3 innings of relief in the Bronx.

But maybe all of the guys Rowland-Smith has had trouble with are gone. New York’s roster hits just .189 off him and Teixeira is 2-for-11 (.182).

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

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

By Larry Barnes | Yankees ‘n More
and The Yankees Daily-Press

As I’m sure you know by now, Robinson Cano hit a rather significant home run, at least within the scheme of one game, on Sunday night. But the more I think about it, the more impressive it seems.

Not just because it ended up being the difference-maker after an amazing ninth-inning rally, which was helped along by a Cano RBI double. But there are also a few things about the home run itself that stand out.

1) Cano took a well-spotted, down-and-away fastball from a tough lefty in George Sherrill and hit a home run to left-center field. Think about that. Sherrill made the pitch he wanted to make, and Cano drove it 409 feet over the wall to the opposite field! At Dodger Stadium, no less, which, especially at night, is not an easy place to hit home runs. AMAZING!

2) If you think home runs overall are down in baseball (you are right, of course), watch for home runs hit the other way and see how long it takes to see another one. With the game getting back to something close to normal, the guys who can drive the ball out of the park to the opposite field, especially in a night game at a place like Dodger Stadium, are very few and very far between.

3) While righties hit Sherrill very well, lefties do not. In fact, coming into last night’s appearance, lefties were hitting .188 (6-for-32) against Sherrill this season with only two extra-base hits, both of them doubles. More impressive still, Cano’s is only the second homer to a lefty Sherrill has allowed since the start of the 2008 season. Sherrill allowed no homers to lefties in 2009.

What else can you say? It was an amazing hit by an amazing player, one who is having an amazing season.

Into Monday’s Off Day: Robbie Cano now leads all Yankees in hits (106 to 91 over Derek Jeter), in runs (55 to 51 over Mark Teixeira), in doubles (22 to 18 over Alex Rodriguez), in home runs (15 to 13 over Teixeira), in total bases (175 to 133 over Jeter), in slugging percentage (.593 to .503 over Jorge Posada), in batting average (.359 to .321 over Brett Gardner), and in OPS (1.002 to .880 over Posada).

“M-V-P!… M-V-P!… M-V-P!… M-V-P!…”

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The 2010 MLB All-Star game is upon us.

On July 13th, baseball’s best will gather in California and battle it out for home field advantage in the World Series.

The starters and the players who fill the final roster spot will be voted in by the fans, while the reserves will be selected by the managers and players.

Some starters will be well deserving of the honor. Others will be voted in simply because they’re the fan favorites.

From Joe Mauer in Minnesota, to Josh Hamilton in Texas, and Miguel Cabrera in Detroit, there are great players from all over the American League. But the time has come to decide, what 10 players from just the AL East deserve a trip out to the Golden State for All-Star week?

Without further ado, I present “The AL “B-east”: 10 Deserving All-Stars from MLB’s Toughest Division.”

Is your favorite player on here?

Let’s find out, as we begin with an easy selection, and a player who’s earned
the right to represent the American League in the All-Star game.

Begin Slideshow

The Yankees (45-27) square off against former manager Joe Torre for the first time since he left the team after the 2007 season, as New York travels to face the Dodgers in Los Angeles for a three-game series this weekend.

Torre led the Bombers to four World Series titles between 1996-2000, but lost his touch and overworked the bullpen over his final three years in New York, during which the Yanks failed to advance past the American League Division Series.

Now, Torre manages the Dodgers (39-33), a team that stands in third place in the National League West, three games back of first-place San Diego. Los Angeles is a solid offensive team, ranking eighth in baseball with a .267 average, but it has a mediocre pitching staff. The Dodgers strike out the second most batters, but rank 17th with a 4.14 ERA.

Let’s take a look at the pitching matchups. 

Friday, June 25 – CC Sabathia (8-3, 3.68) vs. Vicente Padilla (1-1, 6.67)

Sabathia starts the opener after the Yankees chose to skip Phil Hughes’ turn in the rotation. Despite the right-hander’s excellent first three months, I don’t have a big problem with this because he is already within four innings of his career high for a season and the organization wants him to be healthy enough to pitch down the stretch.

We all knew this would happen and I’d rather the team do it this way because of an off-day on Thursday, rather than limit him to a certain number of innings or pitches in August or September starts like they did when they destroyed Joba Chamberlain’s career last year. I guess they’re learning.

As for Sabathia, he’s returned to form after a rough May. The big lefty is 4-0 with a 2.48 ERA in June and allowed just four hits over eight shutout innings against the Mets his last time out.

The former Brewer has made one start in his career against Los Angeles, earning a no-decision while surrendering just one run on five hits with 10 strikeouts in seven innings at Dodger Stadium.

Padilla has yielded at least four runs in four of his five starts this season, including his first outing since returning from the disabled list – a four-run, 5 1/3-inning performance at Fenway Park last Saturday.

The ex-Ranger is 1-2 with a 7.65 ERA in four starts against the Yankees. Robinson Cano (4-for-11, .364, HR) and Derek Jeter (4-for-10, .400) have had success versus the right-hander. Nick Swisher (1-for-15, .067, 5 K’s) and Alex Rodriguez (2-for-12, .167) have not.

Saturday, June 26 – A.J. Burnett (6-6, 4.83) vs. Hiroki Kuroda (6-5, 3.06)

Burnett is scheduled to make his next start after leaving the team on Wednesday to be with his ailing grandfather. Who knows if that has been weighing on his mind this month because he is 0-4 with a 10.35 ERA in June.

The former Marlin is 3-2 with a 2.45 in seven starts against the Dodgers, including a 1-2 record and 2.55 ERA in three appearances in Los Angeles.

Rafael Furcal is 9-for-29 (.310) off him, and Garret Anderson is 5-for-14 (.357), but Jamey Carroll is 3-for-13 (.231) with five strikeouts.

Kuroda has been stellar over his past three starts, sporting a 0.95 ERA but just a 1-1 record thanks to very little run support in two of those appearances.

The right-hander has never faced the Yankees, but he has seen Mark Teixeira five times, allowing him two hits and a walk in five at-bats.

Sunday, June 27 – Andy Pettitte (9-2, 2.48) vs. Clayton Kershaw (7-4, 3.24)

It makes sense that the best pitching matchup of the series will be featured on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. Pettitte continued his incredible season last outing by giving up two runs or fewer in at least seven innings for the sixth straight time.

He is 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA on the road this year and 2-0 with a 4.05 in three career starts at Dodger Stadium. Overall, he is 2-0 with a 3.33 against L.A.

But the Dodgers’ roster hits .338 off the southpaw, led by Anderson (33-for-82, .402) and old friend Manny Ramirez (32-for-77, .416, 8 2B, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 7 BB).

However, Carroll is just 2-for-15 (.133), Furcal is 1-for-12 (.083), Reed Johnson is 1-for-11 (.091) and Casey Blake is 1-for-7 (.143).

Kershaw had his second-worst outing of the season last time out, surrendering five runs in 6 2/3 innings at the Angels. That was only the second time in 15 starts that he had allowed more than four earned runs. Kershaw doesn’t pitch to contact; his 103 strikeouts are fifth in the National League and his 48 walks lead the NL.

The left-hander has never pitched against the Yankes and the only Bomber he’s faced is Nick Swisher, who he retired in one at-bat.

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

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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It wasn’t a classic to begin the evening, with lots of walks and terrible clutch hitting, but last night’s New York Yankees-Arizona Diamondbacks matchup ended up being a really good baseball game.

It had everything in the latter innings: great defensive plays, big hits (although not enough), and some stellar clutch pitching by the greatest relief pitcher in baseball history, Mariano Rivera.

With the Boston Red Sox blowing a lead in Colorado and Tampa Bay’s starting pitching continuing to crumble, the Yankees had an opportunity to pick up another full game on both their closest division rivals.

At this point, they were playing with house money.

A nice eighth inning rally scored the tying run on Alex Rodriguez’ sacrifice fly. And it all happened without the benefit hit, the Yankees’ second such inning of the game.

Simultaneously, the game was utopia and a virtual disaster for the sabermetric crowd. The Yankees “didn’t make outs” on 23 of their 47 plate appearances, generating 13 walks and ten hits plus A-rod’s sac fly.

But while their on-base percentage was about .500 for the evening, they were terrible in getting hits with runners in scoring position. Robinson Cano, their best hitter this year, had multiple opportunities to drive in runs, but he could not do the job. They hit into five double plays. It happens.

But it shows the RBI stat can be a big deal and is very important.

Joe Girardi saw an opportunity to steal a game in the standings and went for it. Again, he was playing with house money. What helped was that the Yankees have an off-day on Thursday, and Rivera would have an extra day to rest.

The manager brought Rivera into a tie game, something he rarely does. Not bringing in Rivera in a tie game earlier this season at Toronto cost the Yankees a chance at winning another contest.

(Isn’t the image above this piece priceless? It is from last night’s game, and it shows Girardi leaving the mound basically saying, “I’ve done my job, no need to say anything else. You do your job and go get ’em, Mo.”)

Instead of Rivera in the 14th inning of that game, Girardi used Chad Gaudin (who stinks) and the waiver wire pick-up only needed nine pitches to lose that game.

But Girardi used his biggest bullpen chip at Arizona, and Rivera used his Houdini escape tricks to help seal another Yankee win.

And now they have a 2.5-game lead on both Boston and Tampa Bay.

OTHER THOUGHTS ON LAST NIGHT’S GAME

While Girardi did make a good move by having Rivera in the tie game, he did (and almost did) make some head-scratchers.

1) Why did Girardi pinch-run for Nick Swisher in the ninth inning? Is Kevin Russo that much of a burner that he is significantly faster than the Yankee right fielder? And why put in Chad Huffman to play right field, essentially burning three guys on one play?

Girardi might have been better off sticking with Swisher (since he was not the tying run) and keeping the extra position players. Remember that the Yankees had already used Colin Curtis (a great kid by the way) earlier to hit for Javier Vazquez.

The game might have gone into further innings, but…. 

2) The Yankees didn’t seem like they wanted more extra innings. That is the reason they went for broke and brought the infield in with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the 10th.

The normal move would be to play the infield back for the double play, give up the tying run and then try and get out of the inning with the next batter.

By using almost his entire bullpen during Monday and Tuesday night’s games and burning Damaso Marte, David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain, and now Mo in the current game, Girardi likely wanted to win the game there in the 10th or lose it there in the 10th.  

He did not want an 11th inning.

3) I would have blown a gasket if Girardi brought in Boone Logan (who was warming up) in for Rivera in the last of the 10th inning. You don’t need to pinch-hit for Mo in that spot already up a run.

I would rather go into the bottom of the 10th with a one-run lead and Rivera on the mound than try to extend the lead with a pinch-hitter and put Logan on the mound.

4) But if you are going to use a pinch-hitter, why use Ramiro Pena? He is your last position player, and you have no one else to back up Francisco Cervelli in case he gets hurt.

Remember that Girardi had used Jorge Posada to pinch-hit in the eighth inning.

That is why burning up all your players for unnecessary pinch-running stunts causes you to lose your bench quickly.

And that is why I always like to have only 11 pitchers at the most and more position players, especially when playing in National League parks.

But if you are going to use a pinch hitter for Rivera (now batting in the No. 2 spot), why not use C.C. Sabathia?

He loves hitting, is pretty good at it, and you don’t use your last bench player IN CASE the game goes longer than the 10th inning.

Sabathia is actually a better hitter than Ramiro Pena, anyway.

But as I said earlier, Girardi was playing with house money, as Boston and Tampa already lost, and he was going to win the game in the 10th or lose it there.

He did win it by making his best move of the night (and maybe the season) by bringing in Mariano Rivera to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning in a tie game.

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