A-Rod strikes back

In a sign that I shouldn't be so quick to jump on a superstar, Alex Rodriguez finally came thru in the clutch. With two on and one out in the top of the 10th, the Yankee third basemen delivered the eventual game-winning single. Coming in to the game Alex was batting a meager .233 with runners in scoring position, a number that will be inflated with a base hit this early in the season. A-Rod's clutch single is just one of the important things to come from tonight's game. Bernie dipped in to the fountain of youth for three hits, Mariano looked sharp in the ninth, and Jaret Wright posted his best performance of the season. Aside from a mistake pitch to the Rays number nine hitter which resulted in the two earned runs he allowed, Wright looked solid in six innings. He threw an economical 81 pitches through six and worked through early struggles. After the game he admitted this is the best he's felt all year. While he may head to the bullpen once Carl Pavano gets healthy, the Yankees need him to gain confidence. The Yankees pitching has been very effective recently and will be bolstered by the returns of Carl Pavano and Octavio Dotel. Two struggling stars Hideki Matsui and Alex Rodriguez drove in runs in the tenth for the decisive margin, and Gary Sheffield will return shortly from the hand injury that has kept him out this week. Despite these issues the Yankees remain near the top of the AL East and leave plenty of room for optimism.