It’s been a minute since I have checked in. I’m in Los Angeles covering the NBA Finals for the show and although I haven’t taken an eye off the Yankees, they’ve been on the back burner the last few days.
Catching up, the Bronx Bombers took three of four from Cleveland over the weekend and looked very sharp, especially in the field where they put together the longest errorless streak for a team in history – 18 games, which came to a close Tuesday night at home against Texas.
The Yankees now have a share of the best record in the American League with Boston at 32-22 following Thursday's 8-6 win over Texas. Much of their recent success has to be attributed to Alex Rodriguez. New York is 18-7 since his return. He’s played pretty well, especially considering his lack of spring training.
But it’s actually been his presence that has had a dramatic effect on the team. The greatest beneficiary of all this has to be Mark Teixeira, who is knocking the cover off the ball since A-Rod’s return. Hitting in front of A-Rod, Tex has seen more fastballs and his resurgence has really lengthened the lineup.
Melky Cabrera's two-run home run in the eighth inning, his fifth go-ahead hit in the eighth inning or later this season, gave the Yankees their sixth win in their last eight games Thursday afternoon at the Stadium. Johnny Damon hit his 11th homer of the season, tying his career-high before the All-Star break.
In his first start since April 18, Chien-Ming Wang allowed five earned runs in 4 2/3 innings and took the no-decision. For the Rangers, Nelson Cruz homered, giving him eight home runs and 16 RBIs in his last 13 games. Nonetheless, Texas is 2-6 in its last eight games vs. the Bombers.
The Yankees kicked off the week in fashion, closing out a strong series in Cleveland. Joba Chamberlain returned to form and now has a strong hold on his spot in the rotation. He allowed two runs in a career-high eight innings while the Yankees set a record for consecutive games without making an error Monday night in a 5-2 victory over the Indians.
Chamberlain improved to 3-1. The right-hander retired the first 11 batters before Victor Martinez’s home run in the fourth. Chamberlain allowed four hits, walked two and struck out five, showcasing the same velocity that made his an instant star in Big Apple out of the bullpen. He hit 97 mph on the radar gun in the eighth.
The Yankees picked up right where they left off Tuesday night back in New York. Convinced he was being thrown out, Teixeira sparked the Yankees in a seven-run fourth on a hard slide at second that sent Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus flying. The Yankees pounded the Rangers 12-3 to take over the best record in the AL.
The Yankees' 12 runs set a season high and it was the eighth time they have reached double figures this season.
Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada hit three-run jacks for the Yanks. Through Tuesday night, there had been 24 games at Yankee Stadium and all had at least one home run – the longest streak of MLB games with a long ball from the start of play at any stadium in MLB history.
"We did the talking with our bats," Teixeira said.
AJ Burnett has feasted on the Rangers as well. The pitcher beat Texas for the second time in a week, allowing three runs in seven innings. He struck out eight in the win.
Sunday, Cleveland got the better of New York. Jhnonny Peralta provided the game-winner. He drove in three runs, including a one-out RBI single in the ninth in a 5-4 Indians win. Saturday was much better for the Yankees thanks to CC Sabathia. He didn’t allow a hit until the fifth. Posada and Nick Swisher provided the offense, homering in a 10-5 Yankee win. Friday, Andy Pettitte labored through a sore back, pitching into the sixth in a 3-1 New York win that gave the Yankees sole possession of first place in the division for the first time since 2006.
New York welcomes Tampa Bay this weekend for a four-game set.
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