Round Final: MIN over NYY

So the series was a split, although not in the way I predicted it. The fourth and final game of the set was an interesting one indeed, which included:

• ...Arod, .500 off of Livan Hernandez before the first at-bat, taking the first pitch he saw deep into left field. Talk about having a guy's number.
• ...The score progressing in the following way: 2-0 NYY; 2-1 NYY; 2-2; 2-2; 2-2; 4-4; 5-5; 6-5 MIN, final. Yes folks, the New York Yankees blew three leads over the course of one ballgame. And it was all courtesy of Andy Pettitte.
• ...Livan Hernandez giving up 13 hits but only 5 runs.
• ...Joe Mauer's first home run of the season off of Andy.
• ...Delmon Young going 3-4 with three doubles and three RBIs.
• ...Kyle "The Farnsacoaster" Farnsworth giving up three hits, including the winning run, in the 8th.

The good: The Twins have silenced all of the disbelivers, showing why they are in the top 5 in runs scored in the AL, and showing big market NY why they are contenders in their division. I don't think the current state of the rotation could survive into October, but it could definitely get there.

The bad: First off, the Yanks offense returned to its April form of forgetting to bring in RISP. But most importantly, Andy Pettitte gave up the lead three times, and Kyle Farnsworth continued his collapsing with the game on the line. Andy: you have to do better. Moose is outperforming you--that is unacceptable. And Farns: without Joba in the pen, YOU have to step up. And quite frankly, if the team has to rely on you in the 8th from here on out, they might as well forget October.

...Oh, and the Yanks now fall below .500 again. That's the painful outcome of the split decision.

Rooting against the Yankees (!) at times was an interesting experience. It opened by eyes, quite sadly, to how irrational my fellow fans are. Take, for example, a reaction to the loss tonight:

"There is no excuse for losing to the Twins. They have no future to speak of and probably have less talent than every team but the Royals."

Seriously? The Yanks lost to the Twins because the Twinks outplayed them--simple as that. And no future? No talent? Because Gomez, Casilla, Harris, Mauer, Blackburn, Slowey, Baker, and Perkins are run-of-the-mill scrubs who have nothing waiting for them in their careers. Please. When Yanks fans talk like this, I see why our team is one of the most hated in all of sports. It's embarrassing.

Well, that's that. Now I can go back to rooting for each team separately--thank god. Joba gets the start at the Stadium tomorrow, and I hope he begins the permanent trip above .500 and the quest for the top of the East. Now I'd like to move on to a few general baseball topics.

The latest All-Star Game standings were released today, and they are as follows:

1B - Kevin Youklis (BOS)
2B - Dustin Pedroia (BOS)
3B - Alex Rodriguez (NYY)
SS - Derek Jeter (NYY)
OF - Manny Ramirez (BOS), Josh Hamilton (TEX), Ichiro Suzuki (SEA)
C - Jason Varitek (BOS)
DH - David Ortiz (BOS)

Note the players I highlighted. Not only are they all Red Sox, but they in no way deserve to be all-star starters in that position. Is the Boston Globe handing out filled-in ballots with every paper? I mean, look--

• Youk is behind Morneau in BA, RBIs, and HRs.
• Ian Kinsler leads Pedroia in all three categories, and leads all balloted second basemen in RBIs and HRs.
• Jason who? This declining catcher may be second in HRs on the list, but he's worlds behind Mauer in average (as are most) and overall RBIs.
  
• David Ortiz is still batting .252. Hideki Matsui is second in the AL with .328. Yet Ortiz leads. Huh?

This is ridiculous. Are members of RSN actually looking at stats when they vote, or are they just clicking on the names of the guys who they probably know NOTHING baseball-related about? If this nonsense doesn't turn around, the ASG will fail to have any integrity yet again (Youklis and Varitek! Honestly!)

Luckily though, the Ortiz problem may be solved--his wrist situation has put him in the DL, and he's expected to be out for at least a month. That means no ASG, and even better, no "Ortiz Call Your Shot" promotion. Have you heard about this slap in the face to the Babe and Yankee Stadium? Unreal. Since this "modern day Ruth" won't be able to do it, maybe MLB will ask a Yankee instead? Such as Arod, who's on pace to shatter the HR record? Just a thought.

(I hate you, Bud Selig.)