Apr 22, 2007

Some positive thoughts

From MLB.com -

The trip to Boston hasn't been profitable for the Yankees, save perhaps for Rodriguez's individual statistics -- he became the first Bomber to hit safely in the team's first 16 games since Bobby Richardson did so in the first 17 contests of 1962 -- but maybe there was a silver lining in the pitching matchups the Red Sox used.

Coming into the series, the trio of Curt Schilling, Beckett and Daisuke Matsuzaka loomed as threatening, to say the least. But the Yankees have logged 10 runs (nine earned) and 17 hits in 13 2/3 innings against Boston starters over the first two games, with Matsuzaka's effort remaining as the weekend's great unknown.

"You've just got to keep going through it," Rodriguez said. "I think one positive is at least we get to see their best three right off the bat. It's always a great challenge going up against those guys, but I like what we're seeing with our young players. Hopefully those guys will help us down the road, too."

It's true. A somewhat depleted (no Matsui, mostly no Posada) lineup has faced (and is about to) Boston's top three pitchers. Through two games, they've hit them up for nine earned runs in 13.2 innings. Meanwhile, Boston is facing just one of the Yanks top pitchers (the rest being injured). At the very least, it makes the next meeting that much more comfortable for Yankee hitters, and less comfortable for Boston hitters (who will likely have to face Wang and maybe Mussina in the next series).

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