Sad and Pathetic

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Kansas City	0	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	1		4	9	1
N.Y. Yankees	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	0		3	10	1

I really don't have much to say about tonight's loss. On the positive side, Jeter had a three hit night, with an RBI and a run scored. And Andy Pettitte pitched a pretty good game for the Yanks, going 7 innings and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits. Besides that the night was pretty awful.

Here are three points of the game that I feel I need to mention:

The Yankees have two on and nobody out in the second inning with the Yankees trailing 1-0 and Brett Gardner at the plate. Gardner was hitting .153 at the time and he happens to be an excellent bunter, with great speed. There is no reason at all for him not to be bunting in this spot, but for some reason he wasn't and struck out. The Yankees did not score in the inning.

It's the top of the 9th and the game is tied, what do you do? I'll tell you what you don't do - you don't bring in Mariano Rivera, at least not this year. Tonight was the fourth time in a row Mariano has been brought into a game in a non-save situation and given up a run. It's time Girardi finds someone else for this role, Veras was the guy to go with last night. I know, it's Mariano, but Mariano has stunk in non-save situations this year, and the Yankees need to avoid using him in this role, even at home in a tie game in the 9th. I know, it's sad, but it's the way it has to be.

And finally, what the hell was Justin Christian doing in the 9th inning tonight? How does he get picked off in that spot? If that isn't a reason to send him to AAA I don't know what is.

This team is becoming painful to watch.

	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Damon, DH	4	1	0	0	1	0	3	.319
Jeter, SS	4	1	3	1	1	1	1	.288
Abreu, RF	4	0	1	1	1	1	3	.288
Rodriguez, A, 3B	3	0	1	1	1	1	2	.312
Giambi, 1B	5	0	0	0	0	1	7	.253
Nady, LF	3	0	1	0	1	1	0	.329
Cano, 2B	4	0	2	0	0	0	1	.264
Gardner, CF	4	0	0	0	0	2	3	.143
Molina, C	3	1	1	0	0	1	2	.227
a-Betemit, PH	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	.263
1-Christian, PR	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.250
Totals	35	3	10	3	5	8	22
a-Singled for Molina in the 9th. 1-Ran for Betemit in the 9th.
BATTING 2B: Molina (16, Meche). TB: Jeter 3; Abreu; Rodriguez, A; Nady; Cano 2; Molina 2; Betemit. RBI: Jeter (58), Abreu (79), Rodriguez, A (72). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Giambi 4; Damon. SF: Rodriguez, A. GIDP: Cano. Team LOB: 11. BASERUNNING SB: Jeter (8, 2nd base off Meche/Buck), Damon (20, 2nd base off Meche/Buck). PO: Christian (1st base by Soria).

ROYALS OFFENSE

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Pettitte	7.0	6	3	3	4	7	0	4.30
Ramirez	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	3.68
Rivera (L, 4-5)	1.0	2	1	1	0	2	0	1.70

ROYALS PITCHING

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Gil Meche (6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K)

HONORABLE MENTION: Derek Jeter (3-for-4, RBI, R)

GOATS OF THE GAME: Mariano Rivera, Justin Christian, and Joe Girardi.

Game two is tomorrow afternoon at The Stadium. Sidney Ponson takes the mound for the Yankees and he will face Zack Greinke. Game Time: 1:05 p.m. - TV: YES - Radio: WCBS 880.