Vazquez Shines, Leaves Early with Figure Injury

After starting his night by further redeeming himself with six scoreless innings, Javier Vazquez ended it early with a bruised right index finger.

After getting X-rays on the finger, the Yankees doctors said it was not broken and Vazquez proclaimed himself good to go for his next start.

"I'm pretty sure I'm making my next start," Vazquez said after the game.

It appeared the injury that forced Vazquez to leave the Yankees-Mets game occurred in the top of the seventh. As Vazquez successfully laid down a sacrifice bunt, it looked as if the pitch from Elmer Dessens also connected with his index finger.

Before the injury, Vazquez had a nearly flawless night. It was not until the fifth inning that the Mets picked up their first hit, a harmless one-out single by Angel Pagan. Vazquez presumably would have pitched the seventh if he were not hurt.

The outing was the third consecutive impressive performance by Vazquez. On Monday, Vazquez pitched in relief. In the unenviable spot of facing Kevin Youkilis with two runners on in the ninth, Vazquez used four pitches to strike out Youkilis.

Vazquez had last started a week-and-a-half ago when he pitched seven innings of two-run ball in a loss at Detroit.

This has got to be one of the most embarrassing moments of his career, though. He is a pitcher and his lone job when he steps up to the plate with men on base is to sacrifice them over. Being from the National League it should be especially easy for him to lay down a decent sacrifice bunt, but instead he got his fingers in the way and bunted the ball with them. Are you kidding me?!

Just when you thought nothing else could go wrong, there you go. I guess it's like they say, "if you watch baseball long enough, you see it all." Well there's something new!