"It's great to be young and a Yankee."

And here come the Yankees!

They complete their sweep of the 'Stros, and everyone who isn't a Yankee fan completes their dismissive hand waving, reminding us how easy our schedule's been. WELL, WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO? NOT PLAY THE EASY GAMES?

The Yanks capitalized on their somewhat less challenging schedule as of late, winning 7 out of the last 10, and riding their 3 game streak into what should be a tougher week. First the Phils, then the Mets.

Yeah, I hate that I have to say about NL league teams, and I'm disgusted with myself for having to say that about the Mets, but the fact of the matter is, the Mets have somehow won the last 4 and are 8-2 in the last week and a half.

The Phils narrowly avoided being swept by the Sox, and the Sox are less scary now that the Celts are playing better. It's weird. It's like there's only so much momentum to go around in Boston, so the teams keep passing it around.

So, Sunday's game. The highlights:

• The Yankees slipped in along side the Rays for 1st place in the AL East, as well as the best overall record in baseball, a distinction which the Rays had sole possession of for the last 51 days.

• Posada hits his 2nd salami in as many days (He left in the 9th since his "foot got tired." Not sore, but tired. How does that work? If only corporate jobs worked like that: "Kris has to leave early because her wrist got tired. No, it doesn't hurt. It's fine. It just doesn't feel like functioning anymore for today."

• Jorge's big hit put the score at 7-1, which turned out to be pretty necessary since Hughes was less than effective when the it starting raining in the 6th. I respect that, Phil. I hate playing in the rain. I mean, I guess no one really likes it, but I'm not that good at softball to be able to still be sharp in inclement weather. And the best part is, Hughes, you don't really have to be. That's what a bullpen's for. Also, that's what insurance runs are for, too.

• The Stros scored enough more to keep it interesting. With 2 outs in the 6th, Tommy Manzella (again with this guy! Who the f is he??) ended a 10 pitch AB to line one off Jeter's glove and bring in 2 runs. Kevin Cash follows with a 2 run blast and that's all she wrote for Hughes.

• Whatever, he's still 9-1, and when your #5 starter's worst outing is when he gives up 5 runs, and when your #5 starter has one of the most anemic ERAs in the league, the only thing you got to complain about is the weather.

• Cano hits his 100th career homerun, and I swear he's barely even touching the ball at this point, that's how f'n smooth his swing is.

• Arod out again. Things are not looking good for our boy's hip. I suspect it's a lot more worse that they're letting on...

• Ramiro Pena filled in today. He's holding his own, but he's not QUITE of Arod caliber. Another tyke coming in the fray is Chad Huffman, filling in for Thames on the 15-day DL. I LOVE when kids have their first game, and I love it even more when they show their parents at the game. It's so so adorable, and an element of human nature that is just ubitiquous really.




With his parents, who flew in from Houston on a redeye flight, watching from the stands, Yankees right fielder Chad Huffman led off the third with an infield single in his first big league at-bat.

"I was just trying to calm myself down. ... Kind of got out in front, got lucky a little bit but that's part of it," Huffman said of his first hit. "I looked up at the Jumbotron and saw my family jumping up and down. It was a good feeling."



Aww. Reminds me of all the games my parents came to, and all the games my parents treated like they were MLB debuts and not just HS softball, or even better, CYO basketball when the only time I ever came in was when we were up or down by 50 points.

So there it is. Yankees have an off day tomorrow before they meet up with their WS conquests at GNH on Tuesday. Halladay vs Fatso. Gulp. You know how much I worship Tubby, but Halladay is just flat out terrifying.

He's like that Jay-Z song, "99 Problems"...

"I got 99 pitches, and you can't hit one."