Over?
Not in the minds of the Yankees, even after their 100th consecutive -- or so it seems -- playoff victory over the Twins.
“There’s no cause of celebration unless this is a best two-out-of-three,” said Derek Jeter, who had an RBI single. “We still haven’t done anything yet.”
"You know, I've talked about our series with the Twins the last two years and it just seems like every game can go each way," Joe Girardi said. "Tonight was the same kind of game. I mean, they're a very good ball club and we understand that. We still have a lot of work to do."
Said Mark Teixeira: "They're all close games it seems. We just seem to be able to get the big hits."
Lance Berkman provided two of them in the victory.
"That's why I wanted to come over here, just the chance to play in these games," Berkman said. "They were going to make the postseason with or without me in the regular season. I just want to be able to contribute and maybe help us win a few games here in October."
Something Andy Pettitte has been doing his entire career, notching postseason victory No. 19 tonight to extend his major league record.
“I think yesterday I told the guys that I have never felt so unprepared going into the playoffs,” Pettitte said. “I got locked in. Mechanically I just felt great.”
We finish with a few worthless moments with crew chief Jerry Crawford, who talked to a pool reporter about Ron Gardenhire's ejection by plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt in the seventh. This is the full transcript of the "interview."
Q: What did Gardenhire say?
Crawford: Balls and strikes. That simple.
Q: Was there anything said regarding the history between Hunter and Ron that's been public?
Crawford: Nothing.
Q: Did Hunter say anything about the pitch, the 2-2 to Berkman?
Crawford: Nothing.
Umpires make for easy targets and some of the criticism they receive is unfair, but then there's arrogance like this which shows that many of the problems the umps bring on themselves.
And with that, plenty of coverage here to come from Friday's workout day.
