Yankees at Rays, 13 April 2008: A LiveBlog, Now with Threaded Comments!

4.09 PM: I installed a commenting application which should make it a) easier for you to comment (no registration necessary), and b) easier for me to weed out the trolls.

4.10 PM: Matsui is out of the clean up spot. He'll hit seventh tonight. The line up looks like:

Jeter
Damon
Swisher
Posada
Nady
Canó
Matsui
Ransom
Cabrera

IMO, Peña and Gardner should be starting over Ransom and Melky, but it's still a line up much better than yesterday.

4.12 PM: There hasn't really been any word all day on Teixeira's wrist, except something about sitting him against tonight's lefty, Kazmir. Still, the longer the silence, the more you worry.

4.21 PM: The baseball world today mourns the passing of the legendary Phillies' broadcaster Harry Kalas. April is supposed to be about hope in baseball, but this year it's been riddled with tragedy.

4.51 PM: Teixeira had an MRI on his wrist which revealed no damage. He hopes to play tomorrow. courtesy LoHud

5.21 PM: The Nats just insulted Kate Smith. No wonder they're gonna be 0-7.

6.11 PM: Despite his best efforts, Bad Lidge cannot blow a save to the suckiness that is the Washington baseball team.

6.43 PM: Orlando Hudson has hit for the cycle in the Dodgers' home opener, the first to do so since 1970.

7.16 PM: First homer in Citifield history? Jody Gerut. I promise, Yankee updates coming, but they have to play first!

7.22 PM: Jeter is 1-for-his-last-17, but since he's St. Jeter, no one says anything. Make that 1-18. And he's hitting leadoff?

7.25 PM: Somehow I always forget Swisher is a switch-hitter.

7.28 PM: Yankees go down 1-2-3 in the first. Kazmir looks very good so far and it could turn into a long night if Wang is not on his game.

7.33 PM: Wang's only faced one batter, but he really doesn't look right right now. Delivery is much too slow and awkward.

7.38 PM: First K of Wang's season, and it's a big one: Evan Longoria. Still in a jam, though.

7.42 PM: With one out, Carlos Peña hits a two run double. Wang looks awful, most of his pitches aren't even close to the strike zone. Could be a very long evening for Yankee fans.

7.44 PM: Bet you anything the Yankees wish they had a long reliever right now. 3-0 Rays.

7.52 PM: Nealy 40 pitches for Wang in the inning. The Yankees have gotten their bullpen up, and they don't have a long man. This is going to be a very long night, indeed.

7.54 PM: Bad baserunning by Gabe Gross and Wang is gifted an out. The bullpen will likely greatly appreciate it if Wang can get out of this inning, but it looks less and less likely.

7.57 PM: Mercifully, the inning of DOOOM comes to an end. Assuming Wang doesn't come out for the second, how do the Yankees piece it together?

Albaladejo for two = 3, Ramirez for one = 4 and then what? Everyone else pitched yesterday or is named Mo.


8.01 PM: I hate BJ Upton right now. (Great play. Not quite Reed Johnson from last night, but good enough).

8.09 PM: Wang has walked the bases loaded without recording an out.

8.14 PM: Dear Micheal Kay, I'm not sure "rough outing" covers how awful Wang was tonight. It was Pavano-esque, Ponson-esque...

8.18 PM: Once upon a time in 1999 or 2000, I was watching a Yankee game with my brother, and the other team, perhaps Seattle or Florida, had loaded the bases. I made a comment that I really wished that they could clear the bases. The next pitch, the batter hits a grand slam.

My brother turns to me and says, "well, hey, at least they cleared the bases."

8.20 PM: Wang's ERA: 28.93.

8.26 PM 9-0 after two. I know the Yankees have come back from 9-0 before, but I think they've only done it once in their history. The optimistic thing to do, besides turning onto House, is just to hope the offense can score a few off Kazmir and go into tomorrow's game thinking, well, better about themselves. Except for Cody Random. I'm not sure that's possible at this point.

8.31 PM: Surprising everyone, Melky has the fist, and quite possibly only, hit for the Yankees this game.

8.47 PM: Nick Swisher can do no wrong. Yanks trail 10-1.

9.07 PM: Melky Cabrera is 2-2. No, I didn't typo that. Yanks trail 10-2. It's only 8 runs.

9.32 PM: Even when Swish makes outs, like I've said, he does them with style.