Yankees vs Red Sox, July 27

Here is tonight's line up via Peter Abraham :

Damon DH
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
A-Rod 3B
Nady LF
Cano 2B
Sexson 1B
Cabrera CF
Molina C

Tonight's pitching match up is Sidney Ponson (6-1 4.02) vs Jon Lester (8-3 3.20). The Yankees are 8-0 since the All Star break. The Yankees are one game back of Boston for second place in the AL East. Ponson has to cut down on base runners allowed. Ponsons WHIP this year is 1.61, which is not good. Sooner or later its going to come back to bite him, hopefully its not tonight.

A few more things: Nady getting the start in LF again and batting in the 5 hole. He should get some good RBI chances in that spot, hopefully a lot of chances tonight. Sexson gets the nod at 1st base because the Yankees are facing the southpaw Jon Lester tonight.

Let's see if the situation with Manny Ramirez has any effect on his or the rest of the team's play tonight or in the upcoming games. Manny said today he wasn't going to talk about the contract with the team and that he is sick of them and they are sick of him so after 2008 they can just send him a letter and let him know his situation. I don't think the Red Sox will trade Manny because they are definitely not as good without his bat and because I think that if they do try to trade him he will demand that his $20 million options for the next two years get picked up or he will demand a contract extension with any new team. He did just recently hire Scott Boras as his agent and Boras will want the commission from Manny's last big hurrah.

Also, Jarrod Washburn pitched today for the Mariners. Washburn went 8 IP, 4 hits, 1 ER, 2 bb, and 2 Ks. Washburn definitely knows his name is out there and if I were him I'd pitch my heart out as well to try to get traded from the awful Mariners. I still do not think the Yankees should pursue him as I think the price is high and is probably going up and because I think that he is marginal at best and would not have much of an impact this year or next.