The ball was in Johnny Damon’s glove…kinda.  And then it just popped out tonight in the bottom of the eighth inning as Jon Inglett went on to score the winning run from first for the Blue Jays with two outs.  2-1, Blue Jays take the opener.

It wasn’t just Johnny’s fault though.  Should he have been in center after playing left all year?  Well, that may explain one dropped ball, but the one he botched in the eighth was his second of the game.  What about Darrell Rasner?  Hell no.  Since mid-July, he’s been the 2008 Yankees’ answer to Aaron Small from a couple years back.

What about A-Rod getting nailed at second base after not hustling out of the box?  YES Network apologists notwithstanding, this was a dumb-ass move by the reigning MVP.  He didn’t hustle to first then tried to leg out a double on a blooper down the line.  If he runs the whole way, he makes it.  But he didn’t.  The leadoff man in the ninth should have been on second.  Then B.J. (why does an adult choose to call himself this?) Ryan closed the door.

Sure it’s one loss…but it’s the kind of loss playoff-bound teams don’t have.

All the Matsuis, (cough) Pavanos (cough), Hughes and Jobas in the world can’t save this season.

The Yankees have to be content. 2-for-4 against an Angels team that just beat the crap out of Boston is pretty good. Some may argue that the Halos gave this game away today. Sure, four errors and ten unearned runs is not pretty. But at the same time the Yanks did something with their extra at-bats and that is critical.

And just look at the new guys hit. Xavier Nady with his six RBI. Pudge with a home run…

So what happens to Darrell Rasner who got mauled today (five runs in four innings)? Ian Kennedy is getting a starting spot and either Rasner or Sidney Ponson is taking the hit. Who sits??? Rasner who has been consistently just below average all year or Ponson who somehow has managed to turn 111 hits in 89.1 innings into a 6-2 record. And yes, he did look impressive Friday against the Angels by tossing seven innings of two-hit ball.

Tough call…the almost average farmhand or the career underachiever who’s winning for some reason… I want to say Ponson should go because he feels like a ticking time bomb to me, but at the same time I find him fascinating. How long can he keep giving up this absurd number of hits and still win ballgames? It’s like watching a guy on a greased tightrope slowly wobble his way along. You’re almost sure that he’ll fall, the question is…when?

In the end, this question probably won’t matter as Phil Hughes will be back soon and given a chance to join Kennedy in the rotation. Meanwhile, Rasner and Ponson will be watching, hoping Hughes continues to be a chronic injury problem.