Jets 56-Cardinals 35

The Jets came out of the gates yesterday afternoon very slowly, as did the Cardinals. The first quarter featured a few turnovers by the Cardinals (two fumbles, an interception and a blocked kick) and no score. After a scoreless first quarter, the Jets got on the scoreboard early in the second when Favre found Coles streaking across the back of the end zone for a 7-0 lead. Just over a minute later, Darrelle Revis gave the Jets a 14-0 lead on a 32-yard interception return. Soon after, Coles caught his second touchdown pass of the game with 7:17 left in the half as he went uncovered down the left sideline as defensive back Eric Green crumpled to the turf near the line of scrimmage with a sprained right knee. Favre and Coles connected for a third time on a 2-yard score with 10 seconds left in the half to make it 31-0. The Cardinals chose to run a play instead of taking a knee, and paid for it. Warner was sacked by David Bowens, who knocked the ball out of the quarterback's hands and recovered it. Jay Feely proceeded to kick a 30-yard field goal as time expired to give the Jets a resounding 34-0 lead at the half.

The 34 points in the second quarter were the most in one quarter in franchise history. The Jets defense finally seemed to get it done too, as they rattled Kurt Warner and the Cardinals high powered offense with a scoreless first half that featured three fumbles, two interceptions and a blocked field goal. But the game would not be a game without the Jets being the same ol' Jets. Not even a 34-0 lead is a comfortable lead if your a Jets fan as the Jets gave it right back as the Cardinals pulled to 34-21 before Favre connected with Cotchery in the endzone to make it 41-21, but Anquan Boldin had an 8-yard touchdown catch, cutting the deficit to 41-28. However, Favre marched right back, hitting Cotchery for a 40-yard touchdown pass to bring the score to 48-28.

Even though the Jets defense forced seven turnovers, they were absolutely horrendous, continually letting the Cardinals back into the game. The Cardinals had three receivers over 100 yards receiving and they scored 35 points in the second half against the Jets awful pass defense, one that ranks 30th in the NFL. However the Jets were tremendous in stopping the run, holding Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower to 29 yards rushing and 13 yards rushing respectively. They have been doing that all year, as they are ranked 5th in the NFL against the run. A typical game for the Jets, and with the bye this week, what will week six hold? Who knows, and maybe that's the problem for Jets fans.

Moose Gets 20!

Congratulations to Mike Mussina on winning his 20th game yesterday, pitching six shutout innings and giving up only three hits in a 6-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Moose won 20 games for the first time this season, going 20-9 with a 3.37 ERA, his lowest ERA since 2001. It took Mussina 18 big league seasons to get this done and in doing so he becomes the oldest pitcher in MLB history to win 20 games for the first time at 39 years old, passing Jamie Moyer's old record of 38 years old set back in 2001.

Moose was superb all season long, but there was some doubt as to if he could actually win 20 games this year because he needed three wins in his final three starts to get the milestone, and he did it. Not only did Moose get those three wins, he did it in style pitching 16 innings in those three starts and giving up only one run. His previous high for wins came in 1995 and 1996, when he won 19 games each year for Baltimore. Mussina went 0-2 in his last four starts in 1996, leaving his final one with a 2-1 lead after eight innings only to watch Armando Benitez allow a tying homer, and Mets fans that should sound familiar, to Toronto's Ed Sprague in the ninth.

Give props to Mussina because everyone, including myself, thought the tank was running on empty after Mussina's horrid 2007 season in which he went 11-10 with a 5.15 ERA (the highest ERA of his career). However, Moose went out and reinvented the way he pitched, incorporating a two-seam fastball, which in turn saved his career. So here's to you Moose, you deserve this!

Mets Eliminated! Brewers Clinch!

You would think that the momentum from Johan Santana's three hit gem on Saturday afternoon would carry over into Sunday afternoon's game for the New York Mets; that was not the case. The Mets came out flat and finished the game with a mere four hits en route to a 4-2 lose to the Florida Marlins. For the second straight season the Marlins have knocked the Mets out of the playoffs on the last day of the season.

This game was a very painful one though, as the Mets were in this game until Scott Schoeneweis gave up a tie-breaking home run to Wes Helms in the 8th inning and then the next batter, Dan Uggla, went back-to-back, hitting one of Luis Ayala. But once again it was the Mets bullpen that fizzled, as Schoeneweis and Ayala could not keep the game tied. But that comes as no surprise because the Mets blew 29 saves this season, 16 since the All-Star break, which is most in the National League. Sure, you could blame it on the bullpen, but what happened to the offense?

For a second straight day they were kept to two runs and they looked lost again today as the Marlins silenced their desperate bats. It was the worst way to end the final game at Shea Stadium. But on the other side of things, give the Brewers a ton of credit. They came out behind ace C.C. Sabathia, pitching his 3rd consecutive start on 3 days rest, and battled to the end. Falling behind early 1-0, Milwaukee fought back to tie it at 1 in the 7th and then potential MVP winner Ryan Braun did what he does best and blasted a two-run homer into the second deck in left field to give the Brewers a dramatic 3-1 lead. Braun jumped around the bases like a little kid and Miller Park was rocking. Finally, Sabathia came out for the 9th inning and completed his complete game with a double play off the bat of Derek Lee. What a weekend. Mets: better luck next year. Brewers: congratulations on making the playoffs for the first time since 1982; it was well deserved.

Biggest Win of the Season for the Mets?!

Absolutely! After throwing 125 pitches on Wednesday night, Johan Santana came out and pitched the Mets to their biggest win of the season, throwing a complete game, 110 pitch shutout with nine strikeouts. Wow, what a performance by Santana. The Mets got him for games like this and he came through big time. However, with a win by the Phillies this afternoon, the Mets will be eliminated from the NL East race. And it looks like the NL Wild Card race will come down to the last game of the season as the Brewers look to make the playoffs for the first time since 1982, when they were part of the American League. For the Mets, they have Oliver Perez going up against Scott Olsen and for the Brewers, they have C.C. Sabathia going up against Jason Marquis. I am still sticking with my prediction of the Brewers winning the Wild Card by a game. But I guess we will find out tomorrow, won't we.

Eliminated!

For the first time since 1993 and for the first time in Derek Jeter's career, the New York Yankees will not be experiencing post-season baseball. For us Yankee fans, it's an upsetting thing to think about, but for the rest of the world, well, let's just say they are probably throwing parties everywhere. With the Red Sox somehow beating Cliff Lee on Wednesday night 5-4, they eliminated the Yankees from the playoff race. Lee hadn't lost since the middle of June and with a 22-2 record going in, you would think he would get it done. Obviously that wasn't the case and with the way the season has been going for the Yankees, it was only natural that Lee lose the game. In his last three games, Lee has an ERA of 4.98, well above his season ERA of 2.54, but he had to lose sometime, and it happened to be against the Red Sox. Nonetheless, a disappointing 2008 season for the Yankees is over and it is time to move on, no matter how sad it is. All I will say is, LET'S GO CUBS! No really, I would love nothing more than to see the Cubs win the World Series after this 100 year drought. Hank "I will never shut my mouth" Steinbrenner promised big changes for 2009; we'll see.

Farewell to the Greatest Sports Cathedral In the World

Farewell to Yankee Stadium, the greatest sports venue in the world. I know this is a week late, but better late than never right? Last Sunday was the final game ever at Yankee Stadium, and it went out in style with the Yankees beating the Orioles 7-3. Andy Pettitte got the win (and his 2000th career strikeout), Derek Jeter the last Yankee at-bat, Mariano the last pitch and the Stadium its 4,133 win since its inception 85 years ago. The last home run? No, it wasn't A-Rod, Matsui, Giambi, or Jeter. It was Jose Molina, the back-up catcher. But who cares? It was the difference in the game and the Yankees walked away winners. It had to have been one of the most amazing games I have ever been to at the Stadium, and I have seen some great ones (from David Cone's Perfect game to Tino's game tying two-run homer in game 4 in 2001) as the Yankees brought back so many greats.

Scott Brosius and Bernie Williams came back, and the Maris, Murcer, Mantle, Howard, and Munson families were acknowledged. In a 65 minute pregame ceremony the Yankees honored many of the greats from the past and and uncovered the AL Pennant flag from the 1922 season. Bob Sheppard, who has missed the whole season recovering from respiratory illnesses, introduced the Yankees' starting line-up one final time from his home in Baldwin. But maybe the most amazing moment was when Bernie Williams was introduced and brought back into centerfield for one final time, the first time since the end of the 2005 season. As he jogged out to center, he received an ovation so loud and so great that the Stadium was actually rocking and shaking. It was incredible to watch.

Finally the game was underway and the Yankees started off just like their season did, slow, but eventually they busted out when Johnny Damon fittingly hit a three run home run just over the short porch in right. When Pettitte gave the lead back, the Yankees answered with the final homer in Stadium history, a Jose Molina shot into Monument Park in the sixth. But that night was all about celebrating the Stadium and the great players that came through it as Andy Pettitte got a huge ovation from the crowd when Joe Girardi removed him from the game in the top of the sixth. Pettitte took a curtain call as the fans chanted An-dy Pett-itte. Joba pitched 1 2/3 perfect innings and then came the moment all the fans were waiting for, the entrance of Mariano Rivera. As Rivera came out to his famous Enter Sandman entrance song, the Stadium roared as their longtime closer came in one final time.
He was perfect, as usual, with Brian Roberts grounding out to Cody Ransom for the final out of the game. But before Roberts could do that, Girardi took Jeter out of the game with 2 outs in the top of the ninth to a huge ovation and chants of Der-ek Jet-er as Jeter took a curtain call and doffed his cap to the fans one final time.

After the game Jeter went out to the mound with all his teammates so he could say "We just want to take this moment to salute you, the greatest fans in the world." Then Jeter and the rest of the team tipped their caps to the fans and took one final lap around the field saying thank you to all the fans. A fitting way to close out the greatest sports venue in the world. After 85 years in the House That Ruth Built, the Yankees will move across the street to the House That Jeter Built. It is extremely sad to see the old Stadium with so many memories go, but there will be many more memories to come in the new Stadium.

The Queens of Queens and the Sad Tale of the 2008 Yankees

So the 2008 regular season is rapidly approaching its end and both the Yankees and Mets seem as though they will miss out on the October fun. Yes this means I am changing my prediction saying the Mets will win the NL East. I am now saying that the Phillies win the NL East by two games and the cooling Milwaukee Brewers win the Wild Card by a game. Nevertheless, let us keep the focus on those two sad teams from New York; the Yankees and Mets. Neither seems as though they will make the playoffs and both teams have glaring needs with pitching; the Yankees in the rotation and the Mets in that god awful, disasterous bullpen. With that said, expect to see the Yanks and Mets to go after the likes of C.C. Sabathia, Ben Sheets, Derek Lowe, AJ Burnett (if he opts out), Brian Fuentes and K-Rod. However, since we still have some games remaining, I'll save the free agent talk for the offseason. As I was saying. The only thing that both teams have to look forward to are the closing of their storied stadiums. The Yankees' Cathedral will close its doors this Sunday night against the Baltimore Orioles (I will be in attendance) and the Mets will close Shea Stadium next Sunday night, September 28 against the Florida Marlins. It will be sad to see both teams miss out on the playoffs, as the perfect sendoff for both stadiums would have been another Subway Series World Series. All good things must come to an end, and this Sunday night and next Sunday afternoon they will.

Congratulations Derek Jeter, the Ultimate Yankee

Congratulations to Derek Jeter on passing Lou Gehrig last night for most hits all-time at Yankee Stadium with 1,270 with his first inning single off Gavin Floyd of the Chicago White Sox. They say that records are made to be broken, but this record will forever stand because when the Stadium closes forever after Sunday night's game, the records that were made here stay with it; they don't carry over to the New Yankee Stadium. Jeter needed 11 hits in his final 10 home games to pass Gehrig, and he passed it him in just 5 games, hitting .611 (11 for 18) in those 5 games and hitting .900 (9 for 10) this weekend against the Tampa Bay Rays. Way to go Derek, you deserve this!

Phil Comes Up Hughes

Last night Phil Hughes made his first major league start since going on the DL April 29 with a fractured rib cage. In his early stint in the majors this season he was an extremely disappointing 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA. So after time well spent in the minors, Hughes finally got recalled by the Yankees and was called on to keep the Yankees extremely dim playoff hopes alive last night against the Chicago White Sox, wearing his old jersey number 65. Hughes was not lights out like he was against the Texas Rangers in a 2007 start (remember that no-hitter he had through 7 1/3 innings), but he pitched well. Even though he was very uneconomical, throwing 89 pitches in 4 innings, Hughes silenced the critiques and showed glimpses of why he is considered the future ace of the staff. He featured a fastball that topped out at 94 mph, a servicable curveball and a pitch he developed in the minors, the cut-fastball. Hopefully Hughes can continue the trend. We'll see.