Riveras future: Up in the air????

Rivera's future may be tied to Torre's

Closer's decision could hinge on whether manager remains

Joe Torre's future in New York holds implications that range well beyond the manager's office in Yankee Stadium. Whether or not Torre returns may also have a direct influence on who will pitch, who will catch, and who will close for the Yankees next season. Mariano Rivera made the latter portion of that clear on Tuesday, when he said that his future in the Bronx could very well be linked with his manager's. "I don't feel good about it," Rivera said of the possibility that Torre will not return to the Yankees next season. "I don't see why they're even thinking it. But I wish he's back, definitely. If you asked me what I want, I want him back." Rivera and Posada are two of the only four current Yankees -- Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte are the others -- who have won four championships under Torre. They're two of the only Yankees to wear pinstripes even before Torre came along, so it's no surprise that they've formed a deeply rooted bond. "It's going to be a good number," Rivera said when asked to what extent Torre's future will affect his own. "I won't tell you the number, but it will be a good number." Rivera asked the Yankees to discuss a contract extension with him during Spring Training, but the Yankees declined. Now Rivera holds a fair share of leverage. "I'm going to be open to hear all offers," Rivera said. "The Yankees had their opportunity, and didn't do nothing with it." Rivera, like Posada, is eligible to file for free agency after the World Series, and he gave no indications that he would forego that right. He said he would be willing to listen to the Yankees in the interim, while the team retains exclusive rights to negotiate with their closer. Yet, he wouldn't say whether he'd consider signing a new contract before seeing what other teams have to say -- and before knowing the future of his manager. The question of whether Torre, whose contract has expired, will be invited back is based on comments made last week by owner George Steinbrenner and the Yankees' playoff loss to Cleveland, their third consecutive Division Series defeat. Rivera just completed one of the worst statistical seasons of his career, posting a 3.15 ERA -- his highest mark since his rookie season in 1995 -- and allowing nearly a hit per inning. He'll turn 38 years old next month. And while his best seasons are likely behind him, he still remains among the most feared closers in the game. With the Yankees expecting a relatively young pitching staff to return next season, Rivera's value remains quite high. "The way he goes about his business is pretty simple," reliever Ron Villone said. "Everything he does is pretty simple. But it's also kind of magnificent when you look at the outcome. I don't think you'll probably ever see that again." Nor would the Yankees want to see him in anything other than pinstripes. They certainly hold some sort of advantage, as Rivera has played all 13 years of his career in the Bronx and would love to finish it there as well. He said he wants his next contract to be his last. But the hometown lure doesn't seem to hold as much weight as the Torre lure. And that's an important offshoot the Yankees have to consider. "I've been with Joe for so many years, and the kind of person that he has been for me and for my teammates, it's been great," Rivera said. "The thing is, I don't see why they had to put him in this position." That's precisely why Rivera also said he's content to wait, and see precisely what direction the Yankees take. For now, he'll proceed as if this were a normal offseason, even joking with reporters to come visit his suburban New Rochelle, N.Y., restaurant. One reporter shot back, asking if he really needed the money. Rivera smiled. "I don't have a job," he laughed.

Yanks are out!

Game 4 loss ends Yankees' season

Finished after one-plus, Wang sets tone in eliminating defeat

The Yankees machine was assembled eight months ago with this stage and opportunity in mind, from the very minute Legends Field welcomed its first guest of the spring. More than ever, with a title drought running up against seven seasons, the Yankees gathered intent on playing deep into October, stumbling out of the gate but developing into baseball's best team leading into the playoffs. Yet, against a hungry Indians club, the Yankees finally ran out of steam, outplayed in a four-game American League Division Series that will surely bring edits to the mission plan. The Yankees' season concluded on Monday with a 6-4 loss in ALDS Game 4. "I didn't expect it to be like this," said closer Mariano Rivera, who may have pitched his final game for the Yankees. "I have to give a lot of credit to the Cleveland Indians. They did a terrific job -- their pitching was tremendous. We had a lot of opportunities, and we couldn't come through." From those early days of the campaign, change has been an imminent factor of life in the Yankees' universe. The early months were marked by substitutions of necessity, as injuries forced the organization to test its depth and promote young prospects. Catching fire after their low point of 21-29 on May 29, the Yankees made midseason shuffles near the trade deadline to bolster what had been one of the weaker benches in recent memory, molding it into a stronger assemblage primed for October. "We felt like we had a team that could win a championship this year," Johnny Damon said. "I thought our pitching was better, our bench was deeper. It's definitely frustrating." But now, with Chien-Ming Wang recording just three outs in an ill-fated, hurried start, the Yankees prepare for even more sweeping alterations. Manager Joe Torre's job security is in serious doubt as the club was unsuccessful, for a third consecutive season, in moving past the first round of the playoffs. Star third baseman Alex Rodriguez -- the probable American League Most Valuable Player -- leads a cavalcade of recognizable names and faces who may find themselves in new uniforms by the time the Yankees reconvene in February, with organizational meetings planned for the near future. "I will tell you one thing about this team," Rodriguez said. "We left our hearts and souls out there. We can't look in the mirror and say we left anything behind. We left it all out there, and I think the city of New York, for that, should be proud." Cleveland starter Paul Byrd kept the team from digging out of the resulting hole of Wang's poor start. New York was down after three pitches, as Grady Sizemore led off the game with a home run for Cleveland. They were never really able to get up. Jhonny Peralta dunked a run-scoring single to center field with two outs in the first, and Wang -- struggling to find command of his trademark sinker while pitching on three days' rest for the first time in his career -- loaded the bases in the second without retiring a batter. "I wasn't comfortable watching him," Torre said. "It just looked like his stuff was good -- just from the velocity, he looked like he was throwing the ball hard -- but he got hurt with balls up." "He was trying to get the ball to sink, and they just laid off the one that was low enough," catcher Jorge Posada said. "When he tried to throw strikes, they were all over it." Mike Mussina came on and got a double play, allowing Cleveland's third run to score, but he then surrendered a single to Asdrubal Cabrera that gave the Indians a 4-0 lead. Mussina -- who was passed over to start Game 4 in favor of Wang, a 19-game winner -- worked to try to keep the game close. Cleveland touched the right-hander for two runs in the fourth inning as Victor Martinez stroked a two-run double to left, giving Cleveland a 6-1 lead. The sellout crowd of 56,315 was out of the game early, reduced to a hush through most of the late innings. At one point, as Ron Villone worked to Travis Hafner in the sixth inning, a chant for former Yankees right fielder Paul O'Neill -- reminiscent of the final home game of 2001 -- broke out behind home plate. Cheers erupted when Robinson Cano connected with Byrd's 77th and final pitch of the evening, slugging a solo home run to right, but crowd reaction was otherwise sparse. Byrd limited New York to two runs and eight hits in five-plus innings, walking two and striking out two. The Yankees had another shot in the sixth against reliever Rafael Perez, as Jeter came up with runners on first and third, but the captain grounded into a 4-6-3 double play that ended with the first baseman Martinez pumping his fist, running off the field. "We had some chances," Jeter said. "Sometimes you're going to come through, and sometimes you're not. You like those situations, but it didn't happen." Rodriguez, in perhaps his second-to-last at-bat in a Yankees uniform, connected for a solo home run with one out in the seventh inning off Perez. Rodriguez has an opt-out clause in his contract that permits him to forfeit the final three years of his $252 million deal and become a free agent after the World Series. Bobby Abreu hit a solo homer into the upper deck in right field -- his first career postseason homer -- with one out in the ninth inning off Indians closer Joe Borowski to make it a 6-4 game, reinvigorating the sellout crowd to don their rally caps and try to will the club back. Alas, that was as close as they would get. In his final at-bat of a remarkable season that fizzled out -- again -- under October's bright lights, Rodriguez popped out to right field for the second out of the ninth inning. Posada, another potential free agent, struck out swinging to end New York's season as several Yankees stood at the top step of the dugout, watching the Indians celebrate on their field. "I think you have to give the Indians a lot of credit," Posada said. "They executed and did a lot of things well. Everybody's in the same boat. It's not one person. We all lost." The results are unacceptable to principal owner George Steinbrenner, who said in a published report that Torre was not likely to return for a 13th season as manager if the Yankees could not advance. That decision has not yet been made official, but one thing is -- the Yankees' 2007 season is complete. "We have to accept it," Rivera said. "I don't like it at all, but we have to accept it. There's nothing we can do now. It's definitely over."

10/8 Cleavland Indians at New York Yankees

Game Preview: Game 4: Indians lead series 2-1
Game Time: 7:37 p.m E.T

Next Game: Mon., October 8 @ 7:30 p.m. ET TV: TBS | Radio: WCBS
Byrd 0-0, -.--		@		Wang 0-1, 15.43

Chien-Ming Wang has a classic shot at redemption. Teetering on the bring of elimination, the Yankees are turning to their ace on short notice, sending Wang to the mound at Yankee Stadium for Game 4 of the American League Division Series on Monday. Just four days earlier, Cleveland torched Wang for eight runs in the first of two series-opening losses for the Yankees. It was a rare pummeling for the Taiwanese right-hander, so New York is giving Wang a chance to save the club's season. A win on Monday would send the series back to Ohio, and the Yankees believe Wang is the man to get them there. "We get a chance to come back and win a ballgame and build more momentum," said Yankees manager Joe Torre, whose club picked up an 8-4 win in Game 3 on Sunday. "We understand if we win [on Monday], we have to go back over to Cleveland, and we didn't have a good memory over there. "We're going to rely, as we always do, on Wanger out there." The alternative for the Yankees was to turn to veteran right-hander Mike Mussina, but a few factors convinced New York that Wang would be fine on three days' rest. The most obvious reason is that Wang is the staff's ace, having captured 19 victories in each of the past two seasons. "Well, he's a 19-game winner, he's pitched well at the Stadium, and we relied on him so much," Torre said of Wang. "Taking nothing away from [Mike Mussina] -- Moose hasn't pitched in a while. Certainly, I made him aware before the game that we'll decide later who is going to pitch, and he was comfortable with that. I just told him afterward that it was going to be Wanger, and he said, 'Fine.'" Wang has also historically been dominant at Yankee Stadium, where he has gone 26-9 with a 3.04 ERA in his career. This season, the 27-year-old right-hander has a 10-4 record with a tidy 2.75 ERA in 16 starts at home. Pitching on such short rest is also sometimes easier for a pitcher like Wang, who relies heavily on a sinker. "A lot of times, it can work to your advantage," Yankees pitching coach Ron Guidry said. "If you get tired, that's when your sinker really works. So maybe on one less day, he might not be able to throw as hard, but maybe his sinker will move more. But it's a tossup. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. You just hope it works [on Monday]." Wang has pitched after just three days of rest only once in his big league career -- in 2005 -- and he allowed two runs in 4 2/3 innings. Still, naming Wang the starter for Game 4 hardly came as a surprise. The right-hander was on the winning end of New York's lone playoff victory last season, and he went 6-1 with a 3.15 ERA over his final nine regular-season starts this year. "We're always confident in Wang," New York third baseman Alex Rodriguez said. "He's been our horse for a long time. I know he's very comfortable at home. We're looking forward to a big game." The loss that Wang took during Game 1 in Cleveland on Thursday was one of the worst outings of his career, but he said he wasn't worrying too much about that performance. Wang struggled to keep his sinker down in the strike zone during the outing at Jacobs Field -- an issue he'll look to reverse when he takes the hill in the Bronx. "I don't worry about that," said Wang, who allowed eight runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings last time out. "I'm pitching in the next game, and I'll try to keep the team winning. ... The last time I faced Cleveland, the ball was up, and [on Monday], I'll try to get the ball down. "I feel fine. I'm not sore, and my arm feels good, so it's no problem."

GAME 4

Yanks stay alive and win Game 3

Indians lead ALDS 2-1
Final Score: Yankees win 8-4

Damon helps Yankees force Game 4

Three-run homer changes lead; Hughes replaces hurt Clemens

Backs against the wall and a manager under the gun, Johnny Damon and the Yankees came out swinging in Game 3 of the American League Division Series on Sunday night, not ready to call it a season just yet. Damon connected for a game-changing three-run homer and rookies Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain bailed out an injured Roger Clemens on Sunday, forcing Monday's ALDS Game 4 with an 8-4 victory over the Indians. "We know we have to come out and play well," Damon said. "There's a lot on the line. We're playing for our manager that we love. We're playing for fans that we love. So we'd like to prolong the season as long as we can." With manager Joe Torre's job security on thin ice after principal owner George Steinbrenner mandated a playoff advance or else, chances looked bleak when Clemens was forced out after just 2 1/3 innings, aggravating a strained left hamstring and putting the rest of his postseason -- potentially his career -- in doubt. But Hughes, who saw his debut season interrupted by a strained hamstring of his own, rose to the occasion. Making his second relief appearance of the series, Hughes scattered two hits and struck out four in 3 2/3 scoreless innings, providing the Yankees with valuable time to catch up against Indians starter Jake Westbrook. "My job was really just to keep the damage to a minimum and try to keep us where we were at," Hughes said. "Hopefully we'd score a few runs, and we definitely did that tonight." New York chipped away with a run in the third as Damon poked a run-scoring single to right, then opened up a pivotal frame to chase Westbrook, including the biggest blast -- Damon's three-run homer to right field, his second deep drive of the series and a shot that provided the Yankees with their first lead of the evening. Summoned for a curtain call by the sellout crowd of 56,538, Damon made sure to savor the moment, moving a few steps in front of the Yankees dugout and saluting the fans. This, he said, was the kind of night that could rewrite the script to what already seemed -- after 2 1/2 games, pretty much -- finalized as an October flop. "I think one win can really do a lot for us," Damon said. "We couldn't play tomorrow unless we won today, and it seemed like other guys started feeling a little more comfortable today. I think we're moving in the right direction." After the game, Damon's teammates also lauded him in this, the final chapters of what has been an ultimately trying campaign for the 33-year-old, with a variety of injuries and early struggles that cost him his beloved center-field position. Melky Cabrera may have the better legs and arm roaming the great expanses of the Bronx outfield. But Damon is still the guy the Yankees turn to for a spark. "I've been saying for a long time that he's the best leadoff hitter in the last 10 years, in my opinion," said Alex Rodriguez. "He's amazing. The name is Johnny Damon, and he's very special. I'm glad he's on my team." "He's an igniter on every team he's ever been on," said Doug Mientkiewicz. "He comes up with big hits because he doesn't let the situation he's in overwhelm him. That's why I've always said I'll live and die with Johnny Damon." The support helped wipe clean any residual damage left by Cleveland's three runs off Clemens, who was pitching for the first time since Sept. 16 due to a variety of injuries. He may have thrown his final Major League fastball when he zipped a 92-mph offering past Victor Martinez, striking out the Cleveland catcher for the first out of the third inning. In obvious discomfort and lacking sharpness, Clemens allowed a run in each of the first three frames, with Nixon homering for the second consecutive postseason game when facing Clemens, dating back to Game 7 of the 2003 AL Championship Series. "With my stuff, I had every intention of getting out there for six, seven innings and just trying to keep them at bay and giving our guys a chance to score," Clemens said. "So that was disappointing." Ryan Garko connected for an RBI single to center in the first and Jhonny Peralta touched Hughes to score Travis Hafner with a run charged to the 45-year-old Clemens, who was lifted after a pair of mound visits from Torre and head trainer Gene Monahan. His status for the remainder of the postseason is unknown, but Torre said that he and general manager Brian Cashman have already started discussing how they could remove him from their roster for future games. "He said he felt fine during the game," catcher Jorge Posada said. "Kenny Lofton tried to bunt, and [Clemens] pushed off and felt it grab. His hamstring wasn't 100 percent. It's just a matter of that it got worse." A big error by Nixon in right field opened the door for the Yankees to run away with the game. With the bases loaded, Cano punched a single through the right side off Aaron Fultz that skipped past Nixon and rolled toward the wall as three Yankees runs scored easily. That created a five-run cushion to be protected by rookie Joba Chamberlain -- who went two innings and allowed one run -- and Mariano Rivera, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to cement at least one more home date on the Yankees' schedule. New York would never be happier to see Cleveland -- Lake Erie midges and all -- on its travel itinerary, something one more win could secure. "Any club that's in the postseason certainly is capable of winning three games in a row," Torre said, "but we have to make sure that we still stay focused on what we need to do tomorrow."

Rockies and Diamondbacks to meet in NLCS

Rockies sweep Phils for NLCS trip

Baker's RBI single in eighth the difference at delirious Coors

Once upon a time, long before 50,724 at Coors Field waved their white towels and celebrated an improbable trip to the National League Championship Series, the Rockies lost games like Saturday night's. Now they almost never lose. The Rockies used three soft, two-out, eighth-inning hits -- the last an RBI single by pinch-hitter Jeff Baker -- for a 2-1 victory over the Phillies that completed a three-game sweep of the NL Division Series. It was the Rockies' 17th victory in 18 games, the first home playoff triumph in their 15-year history -- the only other postseason trip was 1995 -- and their first series victory. It was their first home win when scoring two or fewer runs since July 9, 2005, 1-0 over the Padres. "There used to be stats like that, that we didn't do well in that type of game -- but all those stats don't matter," said Garrett Atkins, who started the rally with a soft liner to left field against Phillies lefty J.C. Romero, who had not given up a run since Aug. 30. "It's symbolic of the club we have, and it's a versatile club," Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "We've been able to slug, pitch ..." The Rockies' Brad Hawpe, whose single off the glove of diving second baseman Chase Utley set up Baker's floater to right off Romero, said the Rockies don't have the interest in analysis, statistical or otherwise. "It may be a long time before we look back and really understand what's happened," Hawpe said. Said Baker, "Day in and day out, guys grind, and that's what this team is all about." Now all that matters is their best-of-seven NLCS starting Thursday against the Diamondbacks, who finished a sweep of the Cubs in the other NLDS on Saturday. The first two games, 4-2 and 10-5 wins at Citizens Bank Park, Matt Holliday hit two home runs and the Rockies did their share of slugging. Saturday was different. The announced game-time temperature was 73 degrees. It was down to a windy 56 by the end of the second. That included a delay of 14 minutes in the top of the second by a computer malfunction that turned off the stadium lights. Kazuo Matsui knocked his second RBI triple of the series, which was aided by an ill-timed dive by left fielder Pat Burrell in the fifth. Shane Victorino's homered to right with one out in the seventh against otherwise dominant Rockies starter Ubaldo Jimenez, who held the Phillies to three hits and fanned five against four walks in 6 1/3 innings. Otherwise, the power was off for this game. A perfect example came in the second, when Atkins crushed a pitch from Phillies starter Jamie Moyer, who held the Rockies to one run and five hits in six innings, but saw the arc headed toward the seats turn into a drop into the glove of Burrell on the warning track. "I hit it all right, probably enough to get it out on a normal day, but that wind was blowing in pretty good," Atkins said. "It was a tough night to hit." Jimenez, 23, called up in August because of injuries to the rotation, escaped a one-out, two-on sixth by forcing a Burrell fly ball and a Ryan Howard grounder. It was similar to Sunday in the scheduled regular-season finale against the Diamondbacks, a 4-3 Rockies victory that set up a Wild Card tiebreaker victory over the Padres the next night. Jimenez held the D-backs to one run and fanned 10 in 6 1/3 innings. The calm Jimenez was thrown only by the blackout, but he found it more humorous. "I was like, 'What? What is happening right now? C'mon,'" he said. "I felt great. I didn't want the game to stop." Reliever Matt Herges finished off the seventh after Carlos Ruiz singled off Jimenez. Winning pitcher Brian Fuentes fanned Jimmy Rollins to start his perfect eighth, before retiring Chase Utley on a flyout to left. Burrell would then narrowly miss a homer when his blast blew just foul to left. He would eventually strike out to end the inning. "As soon as he hit it, I thought was gone," Fuentes said. "As soon as he hit it, I thought that somebody upstairs, a grandfather or something, blew that thing up. They're up there. Thank you for doing that." Manny Corpas, who earned saves in all three games, struck out leadoff man Howard and worked grounders from Aaron Rowand and Victorino.

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D-backs stun Cubs, head to NLCS

Trio of home runs back veteran Hernandez in win

The secret is out: The Arizona Diamondbacks are a darn good baseball team. The D-backs seemed to fly under the radar heading into the postseason, but after they completed a three-game National League Division Series sweep of the Cubs with a 5-1 win Saturday night, they can no longer hide. Certainly, their opponent in the NL Championship Series, the Colorado Rockies, will know that the NL-best 90 wins the D-backs compiled were no fluke. "If it stays like that, that's OK, we're comfortable with that," catcher Chris Snyder said of the D-backs' anonymity. "But after these three games, I think we turned some heads." No doubt about that, as they held the Cubs to just six runs over the three games, while scoring 16 against the team that had the second-best ERA in the NL during the regular season. Not bad for a team that finished the regular season near the bottom of the league in batting average and was actually outscored overall by its opponents. "I think it's out now on a national level," outfielder Eric Byrnes said. "I think the people that watched us play all year realized how good of a team we were. Look, we kind of got it done with smoke and mirrors all year, but that's fine. I don't think there's anything wrong with it. That's one of the ways to win ballgames." The D-backs won Saturday's game in front of a raucous sellout crowd at Wrigley Field the way they did so many times throughout the season. They got a solid outing from their starting pitcher and enough timely hits to turn a lead over to the bullpen, which in turn shut the door. Chris Young, one of four rookies in the starting lineup, got things started when he hit Rich Hill's first pitch of the game into the left-field bleachers. "I never swing at the first pitch," said Young, who hit nine leadoff homers during the regular season. "But tonight I actually decided ahead of time I was going to go ahead and try to see if he leaves one over the middle on the first pitch, and he did." It was just one run, but it seemed to lift the D-backs while deflating the home crowd. "Chris Young's first-pitch homer gave us a lot of momentum," D-backs manager Bob Melvin said. Arizona starter Livan Hernandez then went out and did what he has done all year long. The veteran right-hander pitched his way into and then out of trouble. Hernandez allowed 11 baserunners in his six innings, but he lived up to the Houdini nickname that Melvin gave him by finding a way to allow just one run. "Livo, I've said before, you've got to be patient with him," Melvin said. "And even though you're in a different situation in the postseason, you still have to be patient with a guy that you've treated a certain way all year. At times, you're going to get burned." The flames certainly crept high in the fifth, when Hernandez walked the bases loaded with just one out, with Mark DeRosa at the plate and the D-backs clinging to a 3-1 lead. Even by Hernandez's standards, this was a major jam. "If there's a guy on first, or first and second, we don't really worry about it," third baseman Mark Reynolds said. "But with the bases loaded and DeRosa up there, we were like, 'Oh no.'" But just as soon as some were ready to take away the NL Manager of the Year Award -- which Melvin almost certainly has coming to him -- for leaving Hernandez in, the hurler got DeRosa to hit into an inning-ending double play. "When we got the double play from DeRosa there, we kind of sensed something good was going to happen," Melvin said. A lot of good things happened on the night for the D-backs. Shortstop Stephen Drew, who struggled offensively throughout the regular season, put together another dynamite playoff performance, going 3-for-5 with a double and a home run. Meanwhile, Byrnes, who was 1-for-10 heading into his sixth-inning at-bat, hit a home run off Carlos Marmol. And when Alfonso Soriano's fly ball landed in right fielder Jeff Salazar's glove with two outs in the ninth, the celebration began. Showing the wisdom of their champagne-popping experience in Colorado less than a week ago, several D-backs sported swimmer's goggles courtesy of a quick trip to a local sporting goods store. The D-backs seemed unfazed by the increased pressure and scrutiny that the postseason brings, even though their everyday lineup is made up almost entirely of rookies or second-year players. "Like I said, we've already exceeded expectations," Byrnes said. "Even this series, I think that's why everyone was so relaxed heading into it, because we didn't have a whole lot to lose." Except, of course, for their anonymity. "I think people are starting to see this is how we play baseball," Snyder said. "We're going to go after it, we're going to be intense and we're going to push the envelope, and that's what we did all three games and that's how we won."

10/6 Cleavland Indians vs. New York Yankees

Game Preview: Yankees one game away from elimination!
Game Time: 6:37 p.m E.T

Next Game: Sun., October 7 @ 6:30 p.m. ET TV: TBS, TNT | Radio: WCBS
Westbrook 0-0, -.--		@		Clemens 0-0, -.--

It's no secret what's at stake for the Yankees. While driving to Yankee Stadium on Saturday, Roger Clemens glanced toward the upper rim of his home ballpark, where each year of New York's World Series championships is inscribed. The most recent crown came in 2000, which would be an acceptable gap for most teams -- just not for the one that resides in the Bronx. Now, after dropping the first two games of the American League Division Series to the Indians, the Yankees are one defeat away from adding another lost season to their recent drought. "It's been a long seven years," said Clemens, who will take the mound for New York during a critical Game 3 clash with Cleveland on Sunday night. "You know, that's what the goal is here -- very high expectations. You either like that or you don't." With 34 postseason appearances over 24 seasons, the 45-year-old Clemens is more than familiar with the kind of pressure-packed assignment he's about to embark on. This time around, Clemens is going to be pushing his aging body to the limit for the Yankees -- potentially for the last time in his storied career. Clemens hasn't started for New York since Sept. 16 due to blister, elbow and hamstring woes, which forced the Yankees to shut the right-hander down at the end of the season. Since that last outing, he's worked religiously to prepare himself for a playoff outing, and New York needs Clemens more than ever at this critical turn. "The only thing you have to concentrate on now is winning," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "I mean, we need to win one game just to get the momentum switched around a little bit. And Roger, of course, is certainly capable. He feels good, and we feel good about him. "Clemens has already shown this season that he's able to bounce back successfully after an extended layoff. He sat out for nearly two weeks between his final two outings of the regular season, but he spun a gem in his last start. In that Sept. 16 game against Boston, Clemens allowed just one run on two hits over six innings. Tuesday, Clemens threw 69 pitches in a simulated game against Minor League hitters at New York's Spring Training complex in Tampa, Fla. He also took fielding practice to test his ailing left hamstring, showing no ill effects from the issue that sidelined him at the end of the season. The work Clemens has put in has the Yankees convinced he'll be able to handle Sunday's start. "I think anybody else besides him, you'd be kind of concerned, because he hasn't pitched much," Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte said. "But he showed in Boston that he could take a pretty significant layoff and come back and throw extremely well. That's extremely difficult to do. "You wouldn't want anybody else throwing for us," he added. "I expect he'll get locked in, and I expect he'll throw a good game for us. It's going to be exciting. He's going to feed off the crowd, I think, and this place is going to be exciting." With elimination only one loss away, though, Torre isn't going to take any chances. If Clemens shows any early signs of rust, New York's manager said that "everybody's on deck" out of the Yankees bullpen. New York hasn't decided on a probable Game 4 starter, but pitchers Phil Hughes and Mike Mussina could follow Clemens on Sunday. Then again, Clemens doesn't want it to get to that point. His goal is to last into the later innings to avoid putting any added strain on New York's pitching staff. Clemens understands that he may not boast his most impressive stuff when he takes the hill at Yankee Stadium, but he knows he can turn to the competitiveness that has carried him through many playoff games in the past. "I trust that I've done enough work to stay sharp," Clemens said. "If I'm not, it really doesn't matter. I've got to go out and be aggressive. What I lack in stuff, I'll throw my heart out there, like I always have. "I've got a lot of will and desire -- doesn't matter my age. I draw on a lot of energy. You know, if my body feels good or bad, I don't worry about it. I expect to have aches and pains -- over the last 10 years I've had it." In between innings on Sunday, Clemens said he would probably have some treatment done on his faulty hamstring, but he chose not to go into specifics. "I'm going to be doing some things, but I'm not going to talk about it in here," Clemens said. "I don't think it's anything I want to put out there for anybody to know." Over Clemens' career, the 354-game winner has posted a 27-8 mark with a 3.13 ERA against the Indians, though he didn't face Cleveland this season. In 25 of his 33 postseason starts, Clemens has limited the opposition to three runs or fewer. Clemens owns two World Series rings -- the most recent coming with the Yankees' last title in 2000. Adding a third appears to be a tall task, but one that Clemens is up for. "The games that you've got to battle a little bit," Clemens said, "and you come out on top and win those games, whether you get the win or not -- those are gratifying. That's how you win a lot of ballgames. That's how you stay around in this league for a long time."

Yanks in big hole

They Yankees, for the third straight year are in danger in losing in the ALDS First Round of the Playoffs. Why are the baseball gods blocking the Yankees entrance to # 27 since 2005? First in game 1 Chein Ming Wang struggled, so you say, okay lets come out and win Game 2. Well you know the Yankees couldn't go back to New York down 0-2. They came so close to going home 1-1, but it didn't happen. Bottom of the 8th, Siezmore on 3rd, Yankees nursing a 1 run lead, when swarming gnats stick to Joba's neck and he throws a wild pitch and the game is tied. In the bottom of the 11th the Indians sealed the deal and beat the Yankees on a walk-off single by Travis Hafner? Can the Yankees win this series? it will be awfully tough, especially since they are in 0-2 funk. Listen Game 3 Sunday at the stadium, Clemens and Westbrook. I really think the Yankees will win that game, they have beaten Westbrook up pretty bad this year. His ERA against them is 12.00. Then Monday you would think it would be Moose, or Hughes against Byrd, but I see it as Joe using Wang.
1) because he pitches better at home
2) He only threw 94 on Thursday!

Also the Yankees have beaten Byrd bad too. Then you gotta go with Pettitte against Sabathia in Game 5 at the Jake. If the Yankees lose then you tip your cap to C.C. They have a chance of winning though. But if A-rod doesn't have a hell of a Game 3 and hopefully a Game 4 then, the media will be on him. I guarantee there will be more controversy if they lose 3-0, than 3-2~! __________________