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NEW YORK – The message was clear as the early-September sky that graced Yankee Stadium on a sweltering Thursday afternoon: Where CC Sabathia goes the Yankees go, and it’s the big lefty who’s carrying a team that despite owning baseball’s best record escaped August a bit tattered and torn. Andy Pettitte’s injury, A.J. Burnett good-and-bad act and Javier Vazquez’s diminished velocity left the Yankees’ starting rotation in chaos, and in the hands of an ... READ MORE>

NEW YORK - Nick Swisher was pulled from the game after the first inning. No reason was given, so I'll pass it on once something is announced. Curtis Granderson, originally given the day off, took over in center field, moving Brett Gardner to left and Austin Kearns to right. 1:53 p.m. Still no update on Swisher, but CC Sabathia showed how good he is during the top of the third. Cliff Pennington advanced to second on Jorge Posada's two-base throwing error and Coco Crisp moved him over to thi ... READ MORE>

NEW YORK – A quiet pregame here in the Bronx, which is what you’d expect with a day game followed by a night game. Most of the players arrived between 10:30 and 11:15. One of them was Andy Pettite, whose arrival at approximately 10:30 will probably assuage Joe Girard’s concerns over any lingering effects from Wednesday’s bullpen session. “I haven’t seen him, which is probably a good thing,” Girardi said. “If he was here at nine in the morning I ... READ MORE>

Derek Jeter SSNick Swisher RFMark Teixeira 1BRobinson Cano 2BMarcus Thames DHJorge Posada CAustin Kearns LFEduardo Nunez 3BBrett Gardner CFPitching: CC Sabathia (18-5, 3.14)    Coco Crisp CFRajai Davis LFKurt Suzuki DHKevin Kuzmanoff 3BMark Ellis 2BMatt Carson RFJeff Larish 1BLandon Powell CCliff Pennington SS Pitching: Dallas Braden (9-9, 3.28) READ MORE>

NEW YORK – The Yankees aim for a four-game sweep of the A’s and their sixth consecutive victory this afternoon at Yankee Stadium. A.J. Burnett provided a much-needed quality start for himself and the team Wednesday night, allowing three runs over six innings while striking out eight. Larry Fleisher writes on how Burnett found middle ground that hopefully will serve as a launching point for the rest of the season and the postseason.Joba Chamberlain, Boone Logan, Kerry Wood and Mar ... READ MORE>

Javier Vazquez is back in the starting rotation. Joe Girardi announced that Vazquez will start Saturday against the Blue Jays with Dustin Moseley returning to the bullpen. Vazquez has thrown nine innings in two relief appearances, allowing only two runs and striking out eight. Moseley allowed four runs and walked four in 4 1/3 innings against the A's Monday night. Despite a 4-2 record as a starter, Moseley has allowed 14 runs with an 11:13 K:BB ratio in his last 19.2 innings.More from Larry ... READ MORE>

The Yankees this afternoon refuted a report about talks with the Steinbrenner family to move the Minor League Yankees from Tampa to Orlando.“Reports today that the New York Yankees are considering moving the Spring Training facility from Tampa are completely erroneous,” the Yankees said in a statement. “The Yankees are in very preliminary discussions regarding the possibility of a partial sale of their Single-A Tampa minor league affiliate to a potential group of Orange Cou ... READ MORE>

Derek Jeter SSNick Swisher RFMark Teixeira 1BRobinson Cano 2BMarcus Thames DHAustin Kearns LFCurtis Granderson CFEduardo Nunez 3BFrancisco Cervelli CPitching: A.J. Burnett (15-6, 4.12)    Coco Crisp CFDaric Barton 1BKurt Suzuki CJack Cust DHKevin Kouzmanoff 3BMark Ellis 2BJeff Larish LFRajai Davis RFCliff Pennington SS Pitching: Brett Anderson (3-5, 3.32) READ MORE>

“Grind it”Those words were printed in white capital lettering on blue T-Shirts Yankees players wore down the stretch of the 2005 campaign, one the Yankees started 11-19 before a 49-27 second half clinched a playoff spot in Boston on the penultimate day of the season.Five years later the Yankees are in a good place; barring a catastrophic collapse they’re making the playoffs, to be determined is whether they’re in as AL East champions or the wild card team. But they&rs ... READ MORE>

The Yankees won the claim on left-hander Ted Lilly, placed on waivers by the Dodgers and who somehow got through every other team in the Majors. However, reports Jon Heyman, the Dodgers pulled Lilly back, believing they’re still wild-card contenders (6 ½ games out of the wild card berth with 29 games remaining and having to leap-frog four teams).Thus, you can forget about any surprise upgrade to the rotation. Or can you? Mark Feinsand is reporting that the Yankees will continue ... READ MORE>

Brett Gardner LFDerek Jeter SSMark Teixeira 1BRobinson Cano 2BNick Swisher RFJorge Posada CMarcus Thames DHCurtis Granderson CFRamiro Pena 3BPitching: Phil Hughes (15-6, 4.12)    Coco Crisp CFDaric Barton 1BKurt Suzuki CJack Cust DHKevin Kouzmanoff 3BMark Ellis 2BJeff Larish LFRajai Davis RFCliff Pennington SS Pitching: Vin Mazzaro (6-6, 3.61) READ MORE>

Brian Cashman was firm last week when he said he would not pursue Dodgers pitcher Hiroki Kuroda if he were to clear waivers. Of course, Kuroda took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and settled for a one-hitter over 7 2/3 innings pitched. It's been a down season in Chavez Ravine, writes Jay Jaffe, and the Dodgers are a longshot to make the playoffs, but they weren't going to tell the Yankees or anyone to just take Kuroda and his three-year, $35.3 million salary that expires at the end of th ... READ MORE>