What a great inning I saw in the yankees-Angels game last night. I turned on the game at about midnight; the game was scoreless going to the eighth. Kenny Lofton started the inning with a walk, doing his customary "bat throw down" almost before ball four crossed the plate. (Note: This move makes me--and I'm sure some yankee fans a well--want to strangle Kenny Lofton.)

So Lofton's the go ahead run at first, and Jeter attempts to bunt him over. However, Lofton must not know this, because he's running on the pitch, with his head down. Jeter gets the bunt down, the pitcher throws to first to retire the cheater. The replay shows that had Lofton been aware of the sacrifice attempt, he probably could've gone all the way to third on the play, since no one was covering third, and Lofton was already at second as the throw was going to first. So either Lofton or Jeter missed a sign, but disaster was avoided as the sacrifice worked out. But the point is they should've had Lofton on third, either by him going all the way there on the play, or getting a steal, and then being sacrificed to third.

So then A-Rod's up, and I guess the yanks decided to try to make up for the blunder. Lofton breaks for third. And is thrown out easily.

A-Rod proceeds to swing and miss on the next two pitches for a strikeout, ending the inning.

Oh, and then in the ninth, you may have heard that Posada was called out at home, but actualy got his foot in ahead of the tag. But what you may not have heard, is that the reason he got on base was that he "pretended" to get hit on the leg by a bouncing pitch.

Later, a shot of Posada at second base between pitches showed him pointing to his foot, and then laughing his butt off with the fielder he was standing next to. There was never any question that ball missed him. It was an acting job all the way.

But then, in the bottom of the ninth, the Angels got the leadoff man and winning run on base on a single. This little dude, who they were showing in the dugout before the hit, warmimg up his legs and jumping up and down, comes in to pinch run. This guy was so psyched to be in the game, ready to run. I don't need to tell you that he got picked off...
And without a pitch being thrown, either. Two pickoff attempts, and on the third, he was so toast that he just stopped when the ball was thrown to first, and thenstarted running to second.

I turned the game off there, and wouldn't you know it, I missed "The Amazing Mr. Quantrill" lose the game in the eleventh. That's two rough outings lately for the untouchable one. Things are looking down in yankee-land.