Turning Point.

Yesterday could end up being a day that Yankee fans point to later in the season as the day things turned around.

Up until yesterday, the Yankees seemed almost bored to be playing. Yesterdays win was a good one. The whole team looked alive, and I hope they hold onto that feeling.

It was also announced, that Joba Chamberlain is beginning his switch to the starting rotation. He threw 35 pitches last night, which is more than he has thrown all year.

There's no word on how long it'll take to get him there, but this is an exciting change.

Don't count the Yankees out yet. They are still capable of stringing some wins together and getting back into race.

Have We Hit the Low Point?

Eventually, the Yankees will hit the lowest point, and bounce back. They just can't play this bad all season long.

Last nights game was very ugly. In my opinion, the ugliest of the season so far. The Yankees looked lost, frustrated and weak.

Have the Yankees finally hit bottom?

Can they really fall any further?

They are 3-7 in their last 10, and have lost 4 in a row.

In their last 5 games, the Yankees are hitting .206. That's the worst in all of MLB for this last week.

Through 5 games they are also sporting a 5.81 ERA, the third worst mark in MLB.

This has to be rock bottom. Eventually, the trend needs to change. There's really nowhere to go but up.

Headphones.

Headphones: Invented to be used to drown out Red Sox fans at work and in everyday life. Especially on days like this when the Red Sox stock seems to keep rising just as fast as the Yankees falls.

Andy?

I love Andy Pettitte. His demeanor, his glare under the bill of his cap, and of course his many great games in a Yankee uniform.

But somethings not right with him currently. Andy's last 3 starts have been terrible:

16.1 IP, 20 hits, 12 ER, 3 HRs, for a 6.61 ERA.

And, all season long, he's been getting pummeled in pressure situations. This year, with men on base, opponents are hitting .371 against Andy, including hitting .293 with runners in scoring position.

Andy is also getting beat up as the game goes on. In a hitters first at bat against Andy, they're hitting .242. But the second time around batters are hitting .311, and after that they're hitting .328...

Is he not adjusting? Is he getting fatigued? I'm not sure, but the Yankees need more from him if they're going to survive.

Coming Around?

I remember last year, I tracked Abreu's numbers through the first couple months. He was hitting third in the order, but he just looked lost. It was clear that the Yankees needed him to figure it out in order to succeed.

This year, it's Cano and Giambi that the Yankees need to start hitting. Lately, they've been showing signs of life.

Cano in the last 6 games is hitting .364 and sporting a .391 OBP and an impressive .727 SLG. Yankee fans have to hope this keeps up. If Cano starts turning it on, things will improve quickly for the Yankees.
Also, a sort of pointless stat, but Cano is hitting .538 in the 5th inning of games. In 13 ABs during the 5th inning, he has 7 hits.

Giambi has also looked better. In his last 5 games, he's hitting .333 with a .421 OBP and a whooping .933 SLG.

They're both small sample sizes, but the results are the same. If these guys keep it going, the rest of the league will have to watch out. The Yankees will start putting up some powerful offensive numbers.

What to do...

Well the great debate this morning is what is to be done with 21 year old Phil Hughes.

Hughes has been flat out terrible so far in 6 starts, as we all know. Everyone knows the kid has talent and can compete at this level, but it's not clicking yet. So whats wrong?

Well first, hes not consistent at all. He can't throw a few good pitches in a row. Hitters are being more patient and know if they wait a pitch or two, he'll make a mistake.

He also is getting rattled very quickly. You can see it on his face. He gets flustered and can't calm himself down enough to focus on the next hitter.

In my opinion this is pretty understandable. In his minor league career, Hughes was a beast. He dominated and hardly ever ran into trouble or tough situations. Hughes never got knocked around. He has never experienced this kind of adversity.

So what do the Yankees do? They can either leave him in the rotation and hope that a 21 year old kid can develop the mental focus a pitcher needs to succeed, or they can send him down to work the kinks out and bring up someone like Darrell Rasner.

Rasner is pitching like a man possessed in AAA. He's currently 4-0 with a 0.87era.

That might be best for the team, but what does it mean for Hughes? Does he develop any further in AAA? Can you teach a kid to deal with pressure situations in the minors?

It's a tough call, and I'm glad I'm not Yankee management today.

Hanging in There...

At 14-13, the Yankees don't look that impressive. However considering what they've been through so far this season, and the trouble the offense has been having, 14 wins is a pretty solid achievement.

Moose looked pretty good tonight, earning his 253rd career win. I wish he could have gone more than 5 innings, but the bullpen did a great job of shutting the door. Even Krazy Kyle looked good.

So, the Yankees sit at 14-13 and are just 1 game behind the first place Rays(!!), Orioles(!!?), and Red Sox.

The pitching of late has been fairly solid, but the bats have yet to come around. Even during last nights 4 run rally in the 6th, the Yankees managed to only get one ball out of the infield. The lineup hasn't truly gotten going just yet.