Impressive Rasner

It's a good thing the Yanks are beginning to utilize minor league talent nowadays. It prevents them from using the Tim Reddings and Darrell Mays of the world. Why use a poor starter like Sydney Ponson when you can give a shot to a promising minor leaguer? Answer me this: who's pitched better over the last 2 years, Wang, Proctor, Karstens, and Rasner, or Redding, May, Pavano, Chacon (?) and Ponson? I know it's unfair to lump Redding & May in that group because they only pitched 1 game, but it's just an example of the ineffectiveness provided by some trades and free agent signings, namely the disappointments of Carl Pavano, Jaret Wright, Randy Johnson, Javier Vazquez, Jose Contreras, etc.

Rasner is only 25. He has an 88-89 mph fastball with excellent control, a good curve, and what seems to be an unreliable sinker and change. The only run he allowed was a 3-0 gopher ball to Torii Hunter. Even though it was a better game than any that Karstens has pitched so far, I still like Karstens more, because of his great change and his age (23).

It was great that in the Yanks scored 4 runs with 2 outs, clutch hitting by Posada, Cano and Arod. Perfect timing too by Arod, getting his 30th HR and 100th rbi on the same swing. He's tied for the all-time lead of 9 straight seasons with 30-100.

That Minnesota lineup doesn't scare me. There's only 3 fearsome hitters: Mauer, Morneau and Hunter.

10-1 Yanks

3*: Rasner, 6 ip, 1 er, 4 h, 0 bb, 2 k
2*: Arod, 3-5, 2 HR, 2 r, 5 rbi
1: Posada, 3-4, r, 2 rbi, bb
1: Cano, 3-5, 2b, 2 rbi
1: Abreu, 3-4, 3 2b!, r, rbi