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

Ouch.

As much as the sight of Arizona makes any Yankee fan's skin crawl, last night was oddly reaffirming. It made me think that maybe the Yanks are indeed just as good as they were last year. Maybe they don't need walkoffs and dramatics and crazy antics that punctuated all of 2009. Maybe they're quietly just playing the game the way they do.

And it's working.

My buddy Will texted me at the onset of the game: "Don't think I'm going to d's to watch game either. But Arod's coming around. Your sister will be happy." (At first I thought this meant he was coming around to the bar and was about to gently inform Will that not only was Arod in Arizona, but I think he was actually batting at the time.

Clearly, I'm having trouble following logic and basic communication.

Will went on: "Nice homer in his 1st AB and he hit the ball very solid last night. He will get there."

I think he's right. I think I was too hard on him when I said, "I'm not seeing dramatic improvement. Arod should be hitting like Cano right now."

See, at first I was thinking that these 1 for 4 days for people like Tex and Arod were kinda frustrating. Because how long can we expect GGBG and Super Mario and Colin Curtis* to provide run support? I think I've said this before, but it's like watching "I (Almost) Got Away With It." These criminals manage to keep sidestepping incarceration but the law ALWAYS ultimately catches up to them. Is reality going to eventually settle on our surprisingly hot bats?

The Yanks took a 2-0 lead early with Arod's ding, but it was soon matched by a 2-run shot from the Dbacks' pitcher. (Do NL teams get embarrassed by stuff like this? It's like that idiotic game show "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?" only it's "Are you more productive than a pitcher?")

2-2 game that broke open to 3-2 in the 3rd with yet another ribbie frrom Arod. A 3-2 game is uncomfortable when you're the visiting team, particularly when walkoffs in this particular venue have left deep and lasting scars on you.

Fortunately the notorious Dback Pen stepped in and holy crap are they terrible. I don't think I can ever in good conscience rip on our own relievers, or possibly anyone else's for that matter, again.

I mean, for starters, the "Look Back" clip they showed when Esmerling Vasquez took the mound, is just pure gold. A walkoff balk against the Dodgers.

(The lead-in to this was kind of hilarious since it involved Kay querying, "So, you've heard of a walkoff, right?" To which Singleton replies with unbridled confusion, "Um yes?")

Esmerling=Ranked #4 in the 2007 edition of "The Everything Baby Name Book for Wizards, Gypsies, and Other Mystical Spirits."

He gives up 5 runs without recording an out. No magic there.

After Colin Curtis ropes a 2-run double to make the score 9-2, the bleeding stops for Arizona and they shuffle into the bottom of the 8th to face Joba. I bet there was a considerable amount of Dback (and possibly even Yank fans) who were thinking, "I'll show you my shitty bullpen you show me yours."

But Joba, who btw has gained approximately 23,103 pounds in the last 7 months, struck out 2 and held them to 2 runs. It was only D-Rob who faltered slightly, giving up 2 hits and a run in the 9th. No worries. Easy win.

In other news, there were a ton of Ks in this one: 19 between the 2 teams, and if that doesn't tell you why the NL is easier, I don't know what's up. Pettitte had another strong outing, 7 of those Ks were from him, and he even banked a base hit. He's actually a pretty good batter. Not one of those terribly awkward pitcher-batters who looks like a 6 year old playing in middle-aged man beer league.

The hits were spread out, which is good, including Cano's 100th hit in his 247th AB. (Only 3 Yankees have done that in fewer ABs: Winfield, O'Neill, and Jeter.)

All in all, a pretty good game. And if nothing else, it made me think that the Yanks are still as formidable as ever. I don't doubt their talent, but I guess a part of me honestly was missing the fire that was so evident last year. But after last night, I'm starting to think that maybe it's still there, just a bit more harnessed. Like, if last year they were the embodiment of Nick Swisher, this year they're Mariano Rivera. If that makes sense.

But I WILL say that I cannot WAIT to get the hell outta Dodge aka the west aka Arizona. I'm feeling sympathy pains of homesickness.

Let's win this series tonight! Payback time. Small payback, but still. It's only the beginning..