Since I'm in town for the weekend, and spending time with friends and family, I can only come up with a Mini-Advance Scout for this series. I'll be back at my Manhattan perch in time for the next series, where hopefully the tabloids will be screaming disappointment after the Bombers' series north of the border.
It's an interesting series for the Jays, as they've inserted a rare mid-series off-day in order to capture some Tonawanda revenue with a Labour Day tilt. Today's opponent on the mound, of course, needs no introduction; it's a particularly sweet opportunity for Doc to pad his win totals.
By the end of this series, the Jays will have exhausted their responsibility to play their best every night; no more meaningful baseball in 2003, as the last 22 games are against the league's also-rans. They will even be through with their logo and possibly their uniforms; the Jays' new look gets premiered at Roots during tomorrow's off-day, and local advertisements have hinted at the possibility of a "Turn Ahead The Clock Day" on Wednesday; might the Jays be sporting new threads?
Apologies for the brevity this week. Enjoy the series!
On to the Mini-Advance Scout!
* Derek Jeter will miss the Jays series with a strained muscle in his left rib cage ... He tweaked it on a swing in yesterday's game at Fenway, and aggravated it rounding first ... Jeter has twice missed extended periods of time with rib cage injuries ... Enrique Wilson will fill in at short, even though Erick Almonte was recalled in time for postseason eligibility ...
* Lucky charm Luis Sojo was signed to a minor league deal, and will back up the Yankee middle infield in September ... Alfonso Soriano's nagging thumb injury and Jeter's recent pain tipped the scales in favour of signing Sojo, which the Yankees had been considering for a while ...
* Jason Giambi is 0 for his last 20 ...
* Boomer Wells makes his first start since being publicly blasted by Mel Stottlemyre and Joe Torre for poor work habits between starts ... Wells didn't take kindly to the public nature of the criticism ... Today's fans, of course, won't take kindly to his presence on the mound ...
* Karim Garcia may miss the entire series, as he's flown to Mexico for the funeral of an aunt with whom he was very close ... With David Dellucci's injury, that leaves right field duties to Juan Rivera ...
* Michel Hernandez, Scott Proctor and Fernando Seguignol are expected to be the first September callups for New York ...
Probable Batting Orders
vs. LH
4 Soriano
8 Williams
3 Giambi
2 Posada
7 Matsui
DH Sierra
5 Boone
9 J Rivera
6 Wilson
vs. RH
4 Soriano
3/DH Johnson
DH/3 Giambi
8 Williams
7 Matsui
2 Posada
5 Boone
9 J Rivera
6 Wilson
Pitching Probables
Monday: LH D Wells vs. Halladay
Wednesday: RH Mussina vs. Escobar
Thursday: LH Pettitte vs. Lidle
Bullpen Usage
Long: Heredia L, Weaver R
Short: Osuna R, Hammond L
Setup: Nelson R, White L
Closer: M Rivera R
It's an interesting series for the Jays, as they've inserted a rare mid-series off-day in order to capture some Tonawanda revenue with a Labour Day tilt. Today's opponent on the mound, of course, needs no introduction; it's a particularly sweet opportunity for Doc to pad his win totals.
By the end of this series, the Jays will have exhausted their responsibility to play their best every night; no more meaningful baseball in 2003, as the last 22 games are against the league's also-rans. They will even be through with their logo and possibly their uniforms; the Jays' new look gets premiered at Roots during tomorrow's off-day, and local advertisements have hinted at the possibility of a "Turn Ahead The Clock Day" on Wednesday; might the Jays be sporting new threads?
Apologies for the brevity this week. Enjoy the series!
On to the Mini-Advance Scout!
* Derek Jeter will miss the Jays series with a strained muscle in his left rib cage ... He tweaked it on a swing in yesterday's game at Fenway, and aggravated it rounding first ... Jeter has twice missed extended periods of time with rib cage injuries ... Enrique Wilson will fill in at short, even though Erick Almonte was recalled in time for postseason eligibility ...
* Lucky charm Luis Sojo was signed to a minor league deal, and will back up the Yankee middle infield in September ... Alfonso Soriano's nagging thumb injury and Jeter's recent pain tipped the scales in favour of signing Sojo, which the Yankees had been considering for a while ...
* Jason Giambi is 0 for his last 20 ...
* Boomer Wells makes his first start since being publicly blasted by Mel Stottlemyre and Joe Torre for poor work habits between starts ... Wells didn't take kindly to the public nature of the criticism ... Today's fans, of course, won't take kindly to his presence on the mound ...
* Karim Garcia may miss the entire series, as he's flown to Mexico for the funeral of an aunt with whom he was very close ... With David Dellucci's injury, that leaves right field duties to Juan Rivera ...
* Michel Hernandez, Scott Proctor and Fernando Seguignol are expected to be the first September callups for New York ...
Probable Batting Orders
vs. LH
4 Soriano
8 Williams
3 Giambi
2 Posada
7 Matsui
DH Sierra
5 Boone
9 J Rivera
6 Wilson
vs. RH
4 Soriano
3/DH Johnson
DH/3 Giambi
8 Williams
7 Matsui
2 Posada
5 Boone
9 J Rivera
6 Wilson
Pitching Probables
Monday: LH D Wells vs. Halladay
Wednesday: RH Mussina vs. Escobar
Thursday: LH Pettitte vs. Lidle
Bullpen Usage
Long: Heredia L, Weaver R
Short: Osuna R, Hammond L
Setup: Nelson R, White L
Closer: M Rivera R
