Satan's Luau

TOP 1: Santana going for Halos -- full count to Jeter, he battles and draws a leadoff walk -- Cano grounds to short, the force is made at second ... the play at first is not in time, one down

The first pitch to Sheffield is inside and pops out of Bengie Molina's glove and rolls away ... runner to second on the passed ball -- full count to Sheffield, he goes down swinging, two away -- ARod lines a single to left, one run scores -- Yankees lead, 1-0

With the count 2-2 to Matsui, ARod is hung up ... Santana runs towards him and tags him out to end the rally ... a bit of a bonehead end to a positive inning

BOT 1: Brown going for NY -- full count to Figgins, he lines the payoff to right for a leadoff single -- Erstad goes down swinging, one down -- Vlad pops the first pitch foul near the stands ... Tino gives chase, the fan leans over and takes it away from him ... another bonehead fan reaching over play -- Vlad grounds to third into a 543 inning ending double play

TOP 2: Matsui is plunked on the foot, on first via leadoff HBP -- Giambi grounds to first into a well executed 361 double play, two gone -- Posada draws a two out walk -- Tino lines a single through to right, runners now first and second -- Crosby grounds to third to retire the side

BOT 2: Anderson lines a leadoff double down the rightfield line and into the corner -- Finley flares a single over the leaping Jeter and into left center, runner to third on the hit -- runners at the corners for Bengie Molina, he slowly grounds to second, no chance at anything but first, one run scores, one away -- the game is tied, 1-1

DaVanon flies the first pitch to left, two down -- runner at second for Cabrera, he sharply lines full count payoff to left to end the rally

TOP 3: Jeter blasts a leadoff solo shot to right center -- Yankees edge back in front, 2-1

Cano blasts one to deep right ... this one too is gone, back to back solo shots -- the score is now NY 3-1

Sheffield grounds to short, diving stop by Cabrera ... he throws from his knees, Erstad can't corrall it, Sheffield will reach on an infield single -- ARod pops the FIRST PITCH to right (gakk!), one down -- Matsui hits a broken bat fly to right, two away -- Giambi grounds off the glove of the pitcher, it kicks to the shortstop who puts him out at first to end the rally

BOT 3: Kennedy draws a leadoff walk -- Figgins draws another walk, runners now first and second -- Stottlemyre out to confer because Brown looks like his back is tweaked, he will stay in

Erstad flies to left, one away -- Vlad absoultely destroys one to deep center ... a three run shot that puts the Angels back ahead, 4-3

And so begins the speculative cheer about Yankee suction

Anderson pops to center amidst the fireworks smog (yeah bush thy name is certain tactics which indicate premature jocularity), two down -- full count to Finle, the payoff makes Finley do a footwark dance to get out of the way ... he draws a walk

Runner at first for Bengie Molina, two away -- on the 1-2 to Molina, Finley goes ... and steals easily on a very high throw from Posada -- runner at second now, Bengie Molina flies to left to end the rally

TOP 4: Posada flies to right, one down -- Tino pops to short in shallow left, two away -- Crosby flies to center to retire the side

BOT 4: DaVanon draws a leadoff walk -- Graman warms for NY -- Cabrera goes down swinging, one down -- Kennedy grounds a single through to right, runners now first and second -- Figgins rips one to gap in right center, it bounces past Sheffield, one run scores, lead runner to third -- Angels now lead, 5-3

That will be all for Kevin Brown ... another subpar outing characterized by being burned by walks and hits, he may not be right healthwise

Graman now pitching for NY -- runners at second and third for Erstad, he grounds one down the first baseline and into the rightfield corner, two runs score and Erstad is in with a double -- Angels extend to 7-3

Vlad is intentionally walked, runners now first and second -- Anderson pops to short, two down -- Felix Rodriguez warms for NY -- Finley bloops a single to right center, one run scores, the lead runner to third -- the score is now LAA 8-3

That will be all for Graman, Felix Rodriguez will pitch for NY -- full count to Bengie Molina, he grounds the payoff to short to end the carnage

TOP 5: Jeter grounds a leadoff single through to right -- Cano draws a walk, runners now first and second -- Black out to confer, Yan warms for Angels

Sheffield grounds a single through to right center, one run will score, the Yankees hold the lead runner at second -- Angels lead is cut to 8-4

ARod goes down looking ... he argues, one down -- Matsui grounds to second, the force is made at second, no throw to first, two away -- Giambi flies to right to end the rally

Another story of missing opportunities to draw closer, it SHOULD have been a much bigger inning for the Yankees

BOT 5: FRod continues -- DaVanon flies to left, one down -- Cabrera pops the 0-1 foul to first base foul territory ... Tino is there to make the overhead catch, BUT CAN'T SQUEEZE IT, gakk

Cabrera rips one by the diving ARod, down the leftfield line ... Matsui hustles over and guns ... the play is not even close, Cano waiting with the tag, Cabrera out trying to stretch a single into a double, two away

Full count to Kennedy, the payoff .... he draws a two out walk -- Kennedy steals second off the first pitch SLOWWW delivery of FRod to Figgins -- runner at second for Figgins, he pops foul to left ... great hustle by Matsui to end the inning

TOP 6: Yan now pitching for Halos -- Posada flies to the wall in right ... just missed it, one down -- Tino blasts one off the wall in right, he will hold at a single, nice relay by Vlad -- Crosby pops to short in shallow center, two away --

Jeter lines a two out single to right, runners now first and second -- Cano rips it to left ... but DaVanon is there, running to it, to retire the side

Same old song and dance, Yankees rarely get two out run scoring hits

BOT 6: Groom pitching for NY -- Erstad grounds up the middle off the mound, Jeter fields, double clutches ... that's enough time for Erstad to JUST beat it out for a leadoff infield single -- On the 1-2 to Vlad, Erstad goes ... again no chance for Posada, Erstad steals second

Runner at second for Vlad, he rips an atom ball at ARod, one away -- Anderson flies to left center, the runner holds, two down -- Finley grounds to short to end the inning

TOP 7: Sheffield flies to left center, one down -- ARod battles but goes down swinging, two away -- Matsui turns another bat into lumber and bloops a two out single to left -- Giambi just gets all of one ... a two run shot to deep center, the Angels lead is cut to 8-6

Peralta and Shields warms for LAA -- Posada grounds to first to end the two out rally

Seventh Inning Stench, Angels lead, 8-6

BOT 7: Small now pitching for NY -- Bengie Molina grounds to short, one down -- DaVanon flies to right, two away -- Cabrera grounds to short to end the inning

TOP 8: Shields now pitching for Halos -- Tino lines the full count payoff at first, one down -- Bernie PH for Crosby, he flies to center, two away -- Jeter lines a two out single to right, his fourth hit of the game (4-for-4) ... great offense -- Cano hits a sinking liner to left ... DaVanon makes a great sliding catch to deny the hit and retire the side

BOT 8: Gordon now pitching for NY (6th Yankee pitcher tonight) -- Kennedy goes down swinging, one down -- Figgins draws a four pitch walk -- Erstad loops a single to left, Figgins is hung up in no man's land and is rundown by ARod, two away ... Erstad to second on the play -- Vlad sharply lines to left to end the inning

TOP 9: KRod in to close -- Sheffield pops to second in shallow center, one down -- ARod goes down swinging, uno dos adios, two away ... ole, the silver sombrero -- Matsui flies to left center to end the game ... and of course, KRod looks like he just won the WS

FINAL: Angels win, 8-6

Did the Yankee offense have opportunies to do more? the answer to that is yes. Is it somewhat unreasonable to expect them to score 9 or 10 runs a night when weak starts and middle relief put them in a hole? I think so, too. The pitching bug bites the Yankees again, this will probably be the difference of the Yankees' fate this year

51UP 45DOWN ... three straight losses