Bats come alive

The top of the order was the difference tonight - Damon, Jeter, Abreu and Arod (the one through four hitters) went a combined 10 for 19, with a walk, four doubles, a HR and (perhaps most surprisingly) no strikeouts.

Ty Clippard also chipped in with five innings of one-run ball (he escaped a lot of jams and 2-0 counts, which won't happen every night).

The bullpen held the lead until Bruney had control problems and Mo had to be brought in. It was a very solid all-around win for the Bombers, and they need to string together a few games like this - they're taking one step forward and one back when they need to take three steps forward - and get back to .500, otherwise no playoffs this year.

On the postgame show, Paul O'Neill and Michael Kay were saying how the Yanks could have a winning streak going now that Wang and Mussina are starting the next two games - am I the only one who feels utterly un-confident in Moose? I'd rather have T-Clip pitching than him right now - he's getting shelled out there. Unfortunately, there's no one better to take his place (no thanks Igawa, Ohlendorf and Chase Wright) until Phil Hughes returns, and that may not happen until August at the earliest!

- Elsewhere (as in Trenton, New Jersey), Ian Kennedy made his Double-A debut and didn't fare too well: four runs in five innings, but he did strike out six without allowing a walk.