If the Yankees 1-4 hitters can hit for better than .275 each game, they will have no problem getting the job done against the Angels, however, if they can’t come through, this could go to the Angels. Either way, I feel that the Yankees pitching will show up to play and will not disappoint in the postseason.

Many Yankee fans think that if the weather is rough, it will favor the Yankees, and I couldn’t agree more. When you play in a colder environment, it is the small ball that wins games. When it comes to small ball, the Yankees are probably the best. True, they like to swing for the fence, but they also know when to lay down the bunt or hit a sacrafice fly. Let the rain pour, baby!! The Yanks will not lose when their is bad weather. Mark my words.

After the Yankees take it to the winner of the central division, my guess is the Tigers, they will beat the Red Sox in six games. I think they are the best team in baseball and this truly is their year. I am assuming it will be the Yankees and the Phillies in the World Series. I think the Cards will put up a good fight in the NL, but when it comesw down to it, the Phillies will walk out of the NL victorious.

This is the year of the New York Yankees. They will not be denied.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Alex Rodriguez homered twice and drove in an AL-record seven runs in a 10-run sixth to help the playoff-bound New York Yankees finish the regular season with a 10-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.

Rodriguez hit a three-run homer off Wade Davis, giving the AL East champions a 3-2 lead. He added his 18th career grand slam later in the inning after Andy Sonnanstine issued an intentional walk to league co-home run champion Mark Teixiera to load the bases.

New York, preparing to open the playoffs at home against Detroit or Minnesota on Wednesday or Thursday, finished with a 103-59 record, its best since 103-58 in 2002.

Tampa Bay dropped to 84-78 after going 97-65 last year and reaching the World Series for the first time.

A-Rod moved into a tie with Mark McGwire for eighth on the career list with 583 homers. It also gave him at least 30 homers and 100 RBIs for the 13th time — including the past 12 seasons — despite missing the first month with a hip injury.

A.J. Burnett (13-9) pitched five innings for the victory, enabling the Yankees to avoid a weekend sweep.

Joba Chamberlain, who could be headed for the bullpen for the first round of the playoffs, tossed a perfect inning in relief as manager Joe Girardi continued preparing for the postseason.

A year after making an improbable run to the American League pennant, the Rays finished 19 games behind the Yankees in the division. Evan Longoria scored both of the runs off Burnett, hitting his 33rd homer in the first and racing home on a passed ball to give Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead in the fifth.

Rookies Davis (2-2), Jeff Niemann and David Price combined for 25 wins and are part of the reason the Rays are optimistic about their prospects of returning to the top of the AL East in 2010.

The 24-year-old right-hander limited the Yankees to three singles over the first five innings, then couldn’t get anyone out in the sixth. Johnny Damon began New York‘s big inning with a double and later helped keep it alive for A-Rod with a two-run double off Sonnanstine that made it 6-2.

The previous AL record of six RBIs in an inning was accomplished 12 times, most recently by Boston’s David Ortiz on Aug. 12, 2008.

Rodriguez was sidelined until May 8 after hip surgery, then homered on the first pitch he saw from Baltimore’s Jeremy Guthrie. He began Sunday with 28 homers and 93 RBIs.

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner visited with the team for about an hour in the clubhouse before the game and later said he’s “excited” about the playoffs, which will start later this week.

The 79-year-old Steinbrenner made the trip to Tropicana Field from his home in nearby Tampa for the second time this season. He also met with the players before the Yankees‘ 6-2 win in St. Petersburg on July 29.

Steinbrenner attended the opener at the new Yankee Stadium on April 16 and is expected to be on hand for some of New York‘s home playoff games.

I think it will be very heated, and who knows, there may even be a brawl. Nothing like tempers flaring at the end of the season in a Yankee/Red Sox game. Let’s just hope that nobody gets injured too bad for the post-season. Knowing the Red Sox, that is probably what they wil be trying to do.

The series this weekend will be interesting, but is not a must win for the Yankees. They are in the playoffs and know that they will most likely play the Red Sox in the ALCS seven game series. The most that can come out of this weekend is a psychological advantage. If the Yankees can sweep the Red Sox, they will tie the season series at 9-9, which would be devastating for the Sox, considering that they Yankees lost the first eight times the two teams met.

Regardless of the outcome, the biggest question tonight will be to see how well Joba Chamberlain throws. He has been down right awful for the last month and a half. Tonight will not be an easy task for him. He has to go against the  Red sox Jon Lester, who hasn’t lost to the New York Yankees yet.

Yankees beat the Angels 3-2

After not winning a series in Anaheim for some time, the Yankees proved to everyone that they still got it, and most importantly, they can win when needed. The Yankees beat the Angels 3-2 behind a strong performance from one of their “sleeper” players.

I was just pleased that AJ Burnett decided to show up for work and actually do what he is expected to do. Burnett was an animal on the mound with 11 strikeouts. He was pretty much the reason that the Yankees walked out with  a victory and their heads held high.

Here are a few quick thoughts about the game:

-The struggling Robinson Cano, came through tonight with runners in scoring position, which he has struggled with all season. Int the fourth inning, he delivered a two run single, and was later hit in by a double to the gap by Melky Cabrera.

-Burnett gave up only two runs on seven hits before departing with one out in the sixth inning. Damaso Marte, Jonathan Albaladejo, Phil Coke and Ian Kennedy strung together 2 1/3 innings of scary but scoreless relief. Mariano Rivera obviously came in with another save.

-With the victory, the Yankees have achance to clinch the AL East with a sweep of the Red Sox in the Bronx this weekend.

Posada and Matsui

ANAHEIM – Yankee Stadium went out with a whimper last fall, closing its doors before the postseason began. Its successor won’t have that same fate in its inaugural season.

The Yankees celebrated clinching a spot in the postseason after a thrilling 6-5 win over the Angels, a berth they earned when Texas lost earlier Tuesday night.

They still have some work to do in order to wrap up the AL East title, but no matter what happens over the final 12 days of the regular season, playoff baseball will be returning to the Bronx next month after a one-year hiatus. “I think there was a bad taste last September in our mouth, not going to the postseason,” Joe Girardi said. “This group came together very quickly as a team. They spent a lot of time investing in each other in the offseason and in spring training, and they got very close.”

The Yankees actually clinched long before their game went final, as they were batting in the eighth inning when the out-of-town scoreboard at Angel Stadium flashed the final from Oakland, officially putting the Bombers in the postseason for the 14thtime in the past 15 years.

The lead over the Red Sox grew to six games, thanks to Boston’s loss in Kansas City, reducing the Yankees’ magic number for the division crown to six. The Red Sox lead the Rangers by seven games in the wild-card race.

Alex Rodriguez – who hit a two-run homer earlier in the game to help build a five-run lead – hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth to snap a tie game. Mariano Rivera pitched a scoreless ninth, notching his 41st save.

The New York Yankees picked up a game in the race for home-field advantage in the AL, moving 5-1/2games in front of the Angels. The win was the Bombers’ first in five tries at Angel Stadium, a place they may have to visit again next month in the playoffs.

“This has been a tough place for us, so winning out here is important,” Girardi said before the game. “And getting back to winning series, because we haven’t done that since Tampa. It’s been a while since we’ve been in a stretch like that.”

A.J. Burnett has a chance to lift the Yankees to their first series win in Anaheim since 2004, taking on Scott Kazmir this afternoon in the finale of the three-game set.

A-Rod and Jorge Posada each drilled two-run homers in the third inning – Rodriguez hitting his on a 3-0 pitch from Ervin Santana – giving the Bombers a 4-0lead. Hideki Matsui added a solo shot in the fifth.

Chad Gaudin eased his way through the Angels lineup over the first four frames, holding it to three hits and a walk, allowing only one runner to advance beyond first base. After getting two quick outs in the fifth, Gaudin needed only one more to qualify for the victory, but he never got it.

After failing in their second attempt at clinching a playoff berth, the Yankees will try again Tuesday night when they continue a three-game series with the Angels.

New York (95-56) could have clinched at least the AL wild card with a win against Seattle on Sunday, but lost 7-1. A second chance on Monday proved just as futile, as the Yankees lost 5-2 to Los Angeles (90-60) for their ninth defeat in 10 games at Angel Stadium.

New York could also have clinched its 14th playoff berth in 15 years with a Texas loss, but the Rangers beat Oakland on Monday.

Despite the setback, the Yankees maintained a five-game lead over Boston in the AL East. The rivals will face off in the Bronx for three games this weekend.

New York will try to end any suspense about making the playoffs Tuesday, but it will have to find a way to win at a park where it traditionally struggles. The Yankees have lost all four games they’ve played at Anaheim this year, and have dropped five straight there going back to last season. New York starters are 0-4 with a 7.27 ERA during that stretch. Andy Pettitte, pitching on 10 days’ rest Monday, gave up two runs in the first and finished having allowed three runs in six innings.

The Yankees have stumbled recently overall, losing six of 10. However, they maintain a 4 1/2 game lead on the Angels for the best record in the AL and home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

“We’d like to get it locked up, but we haven’t been winning,” Pettitte said. “We’ve been playing so well the second half, but we’re kind of in a little lull right now. So more than anything, we just want to get it going again and get back on the winning ways.”

Los Angeles has won four of five following a three-game losing streak to reach 90 victories for the third straight season and sixth time in eight years. They are 7 1/2 games ahead of second-place Texas in the West.

Vladimir Guerrero, who is hitting .356 in his last 12 games, had two hits Monday. Guerrero is batting .421 during a 13-game home hitting streak against the Yankees, and has driven in eight runs in his last seven games against them.

The Angels will try to clinch their eighth straight home series win against the New York Yankees when they hand the ball to Ervin Santana (7-8, 4.76 ERA), who is seeking his first win in six starts.

The right-hander pitched seven innings against Boston on Thursday, allowing three runs but not getting the decision in a 4-3 victory. Los Angeles had lost Santana’s previous four starts.

Santana is 5-2 with a 5.09 lifetime ERA against the Yankees.

New York will give Chad Gaudin (1-0, 3.68) the ball for his fifth start with the team.

Gaudin, acquired Aug. 6 from San Diego, gave up three runs and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings of a 5-4 win over Toronto on Wednesday. Although he did not record a decision, New York has won all four of Gaudin’s starts.

The right-hander is 2-3 with a 5.89 ERA in eight career starts against the Angels. He gave up eight runs and 10 hits in three innings of an 11-6 Padres loss at Anaheim on June 12.

Jeter tagging out Vlad

The Yankees fell short again today in Anaheim.

The Angels started off hot in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back. After two doubled by Vlad Guerreor and Tori Hunter, the Yankees already seemed like the air was taken out of their sail.

They fought back ahrd and gave it a valiant effort, butfell short. The only teo runs that the Yankees were able to get across home plate were thanks to two solo shots by Alex Rodriguez in the seventh, and Hidkei Matsui in the eighth.

The Yankees lead in the AL East is slowly shrinking as the Yankees continue to lose and the Red Sox continue to win. They are still up on the Red Sox by five games, but there is still a month of ball to play. Let’s hope they can keep their head’s up ad play the type of game they are exected to play.

Andy Petite got the loss for the Yankees while Joe Saunders got the win with his stellar pitching on the mound.

The Yankees look to be the first team to clinch a playoff spot tomorrow as they face off again against the Angels.

Cano going deep. nydailynews-photo

Robinson Cano hit a three-run home run with two outs in the 10th inning to give the New York Yankees a 5-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Friday. Chicago reliever Randy Williams retired the first two batters in the tenth before walking two, setting the stage for Cano’s to hit a 2-2 into New York‘s bullpen in right-center for his first walk-off homer.

“It’s exciting,” Cano said. “You run around the bases and see the fans clapping and all your teammates at the plate. It’s something that you sometimes can’t describe. It’s great.”

The Yankees didn’t make any blockbuster moves this year like expected. Rumors were flying and names like Halliday, Washburn, and Arroyo were tossed around the ESPN news broadcasts daily. However, the Yankees did make a deal before the trade deadline. They acquired utility player Jerry Hairston Jr. from the Reds.

The trade for Minor League catcher Chase Weems was the club’s only trade made during these hectic days of trading around the MLB. It pretty much shows me that the Yankees are more than satisfied with the roster they have heading into the last stretch of the season.

Hairston is a pretty good addition to the Yankee roster. So far this year, he has played six positions for the Reds, including all three outfield spots. His batting average thus far is a respectable .254 with eight homeruns and 27 RBIs.

Yankees general manager, Brian Cashman, had these comments about today. “I’m happy with the effort made and feel real good about this club. You always want to try and make it better if possible, but unfortunately we just never found anything that made that possible, other than the move we made.”

I feel that the Yankees got what they needed and are ready to continue the rest of the season on a tear. Mark my words, the New York Yankees will win the pennant.