Let’s take a look at tonight’s defining moment:

Robinson Cano doesn’t run hard on a base hit to center to lead off the second inning, but still, somehow, winds up on third with no one out. Yet the Yankees fail to score as I-Rod pops out and Melky “Why isn’t Damon playing?” Cabrera grounds into a double play.

And that really seemed to be all she wrote as brand new dad, and latest Yankee-killer, Glen Perkins shutout the Bombers for eight innings.

It was pathetic…I think. To be fair I started to switch over to women’s beach volleyball and the Michael Phelps show over on NBC. Sure, I flipped back to the YES Network but it was only for a pit stop. The Yankees looked lost.

In fact, I’ve found myself doing that a lot recently. Like when the Yanks wasted Dan Giese’s six innings of one run ball this past Saturday. The Halos then pasted the bullpen for eight runs in the eighth inning which was about when I found myself curious about men’s archery.

Of course, it’s a rough patch in the schedule…but the Yankees have looked disgraceful against baseball’s best teams. In today’s game, a run in the second may have changed the complexion of a game against a guy who’s ERA against the Yanks so far this year was 9.00. But not today…not after Cabrera’s twin killing.  There was little doubt in my mind that they would roll over after that.

Is it all over for the Bombers? I’ve never been that much of an alarmist, so I don’t think the season’s lost. Still, this stretch could be what drowned the Yanks if we look back and see no playoff games in the Stadium’s final season.

The Yanks have two more against Minnesota before they can come home and bottom feed off the Royals on Friday. Before then, I hope I’m watching a little bit less of the Olympics.

Well, the official press release is below, but I’m gonna add my two cents on the Ivan Rodriguez for Kyle Farnsworth deal. The swap sounds like a winner for the Yankees. Get a Hall of Fame catcher for a few months and then cast him aside when Jorge Posada is ready to return. You only give up a solid arm in the bullpen…

And that’s where the reservations begin coming in. Farnsworth had seemly found new life under Joe Girardi this year. His ERA is down over a full run from last season at 3.65 and he was only getting better as his July ERA was 2.16. On the other hand, you could argue that the Yanks are selling high as Farnsworth’s career numbers show his ERA at 4.42 while averaging close to a hit an inning.

Nonetheless, the bullpen has been the backbone of the Yankees this year and you hate to pull a Jenga block out of the building. Now Edwar Ramirez, Jose Veras and Damaso Marte will combine to set up Mariano Rivera. On paper it looks okay…but you never want to mess with a good thing…

Then there’s the catching side of things. It’s hard to say that Jose Molina is the answer for a full-time catching job, but pitchers love to throw to him and he’s more or less shut down all running against the Yankees…then again, Pudge can do that too…still, Mike Mussina called Molina the best catcher he’s every worked with and it might not be coincidence that the Yankees’ pitching staff got smoking hot with Molina behind the plate (the best ERA in the majors in July).

Molina is hitting .226 while Pudge is hitting .295 so there’s no argument there. Plus, Pudge is a proven winner who has been critical to success in Texas, Florida and Detroit…But I just have this lingering doubt about taking Molina from behind the plate. I’ve heard Pudge get knocked for the way he’s called a game, but have really never paid close attention. Perhaps it’s all just people trying to hate on a legend. Pudge is a great offensive catcher with a great arm…but how will he handle the Yankees pitching staff?

Anyway, here’s the official word from the Yanks:

YANKEES ACQUIRE CATCHER IVAN RODRIGUEZ

The New York Yankees announced today that they have acquired catcher Ivan Rodriguez from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for right-handed pitcher Kyle Farnsworth.

Rodriguez, 36, was batting .295 (89-for-302) with 16 doubles, 3 triples, 5 home runs and 32 RBI in 82 games (79 starts at catcher) with the Detroit Tigers this season. Over his last 30 games since June 10, he is batting .382 (42-for-110) with 3 doubles, 1 triple, 4 home runs and 11 RBI.

Signed by Texas as a non-drafted free agent on July 27, 1988, Rodriguez is a 14-time All-Star (1992-2001, 2004-07) and the all-time Major League leader with 13 Gold Glove Awards at catcher (1992-2001, ’04, ’06-07). He owns a .302 (2,584-for-8,549) career batting average with 520 doubles, 48 triples, 293 home runs and 1,214 RBI in 2,234 games over 18 seasons with the Texas Rangers (1991-2002), Florida Marlins (2003) and Detroit (2004-08). Rodriguez is also a seven-time Silver Slugger Award winner at catcher (1994-99, 2004), second-most all time behind Mike Piazza’s 10.

In 1999, Rodriguez won the American League MVP Award, batting .332 (199-for-600) with 116 runs scored, 35 home runs and 113 RBI for the Rangers. In his only season with Florida in 2003, he won the NLCS MVP after batting .321 (9-for-28) with 2 home runs and 10 RBI in a seven-game series against the Chicago Cubs.

Farnsworth, 32, was 1-2 with a 3.65 ERA with the Yankees this season, leading the team with 45 appearances out of the bullpen. In 181 games with the club over three seasons since being signed as a free agent on December 2, 2005, he compiled a 6-9 record with a 4.33 ERA (170.1IP, 165H, 87R, 82ER, 72BB, 166K, 28HR). The former Tiger made 60 or more appearances in five straight seasons from 2003-07, appearing in 357 games, fifth-most in the Majors over the span.

Hangovers ARE no fun…like the one the Yankees experienced last night when they hosted Baltimore. The 13-4 loss was an experience in emotional letdown compounded by 4am arrival back in New York. It’s hard to blame the Yanks who just went through the emotional high of having their season become relevant again up in Boston. Still, it would also be hard to blame any Yankee ticket holder who demanded his/her money back last night (seats ain’t cheap these days).

Where to start?…Mike Mussina. He’s not getting old and alarmists don’t have to worry that the magic ride is over yet…Moose just looked bad and also had key defensive lapses behind him. Jason Giambi let a ball past him for a key double to start the fifth. To that point the Yanks were still in the game, down 4-0. A few hits later it was 6-0 and the wheels pretty much fell off.

Later in the game Bobby Abreu once again proved he’s chronically afraid of the right field wall while the Yankee bullpen looked mortal for the first time in recent memory. All said, it was a game to forget about and move on from.

If there’s any consolation from getting whupped like that, it’s knowing that the Sox and the Rays also lost last night. Now, the Yanks will take another crack at the last place O’s with Daniel Cabrera (who has had some career days against the Yankees) going against Daryl Rasner.