The Hottest Corner: Yanks Hanging On

Welcome to another instalment of The Hottest Corner.  The hot summer days are almost gone and the leaves will be falling in no time, which means the Yankees need to get it in gear.

With their 15-6 bashing of the Royals on Sunday, the Yankees moved one step closer to October baseball.  Mike Mussina won his 16th game of the season and Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Xavier Nady and youngster Cody Ransom all connected for home runs.

It was a much needed victory for the team and it was great to see them swing the bat so well.  But lets not forget this was the Royals and it was Brian Bannister pitching.  These runs won't be as easy to come by as all but ten games remaining are against winning ball clubs.

In his first major league at-bat, the pride of Mesa, Arizona Cody Ransom connected with a two-run big fly as a tack on runs in the Yankees blowout on Sunday, he was greeted by none other than Alex Rodriguez at home plate, how about that for your first big moment in baseball.  He also received a curtain call from the large capacity crowd on hand.

Alex Rodriguez hit a game-tying three run shot into monument park in left center in which the ball bounced around like a golf ball on a cart path clipping a few monuments along the way.  It was his 27th of the year and a much needed one at that. 

A-Rod continues to creep into MVP talk in my book, if he helps the ball club get to October and the stats continue to climb, he may just do it.

The Yankees then caught fire, scoring three more runs in the first inning to take the lead.  Xavier Nady hit a home run to right off of the foul pole and Molina and Garnder followed with RBI's of their own. 

Jason Giambi added a huge grand slam in the second inning to give the Yankees a commanding lead into the bleacher creature seats in right center.

The Yankees salvaged the final two games of their three game series against the Royals at home and now hit the road again.

The Boston Red Sox were blown out by the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday, allowing the Yankees to move within five games of the Wild Card race.

The Yankees are off on Monday and head to Toronto for a huge three game series against the Blue Jays.  "Every game is big now.  We have to play like it is the last week of September", Alex Rodriguez said.

Darrell Rasner will get the call on Tuesday to take on A.J. Burnett.  Followed by Andy Pettitte against David Purcey on Wednesday and Sidney Ponson vs. Roy Hallady on Thursday.

After the series with the Jays, the Yankees remain on the road and travel to Baltimore to take on the Orioles.  It is noted that either Phillip Hughes or Carl Pavano will take the mound on Saturday, but I believe it will be Hughes.

The Yankees will have to take it one game at a time right now and win as many games as possible to get into the playoffs.  As you probably already know, they are in danger of missing playoffs for the first time since 1993.

I honestly think they will get in.  Time will tell, but I have a lot of faith in this ball team.

They play six more games each against the Rays and Red Sox and those games will prove to be very crucial ones indeed.  Remember last season, they played five games in Fenway near the end of the year and won all five of them. 

Anything can happen at anytime.