"Yankees Win, 7-8"

The suggested headline, courtesy of Daniel Foster. A few thoughts:

1. Whatever a Nolan Reinold is, somebody pour me a double.

2. Loved the twin conspiracies on the radio today: how the Yankees 1) attempted to lose the game on purpose, or--sometimes and--2) "owed it to baseball" to, you know, send in Robertson and Rivera when the game tightened up.

You win, you get to do what you want. This is why Fantasy Leagues end on the penultimate Sunday of the NFL season, with the expectation that teams such as (in recent years) the Patriots, Colts and Steelers will either have home field through the playoffs or will already be slotted. Joe Girardi is headed into a playof series in which his ace is a decided underdog at home, and in which his number two is not Cliff Lee, not Andy Pettitte, not even a healthy Phil Hughes, but . . . Ivan Nova. The Yankees may have to win a few 7-5 or 8-6 games, may have to need the back of theri bullpen to coax home a one-run lead over 12-15 outs. Short of sending Eddie Gaedel to the plate, Girardi gets to do what he wants.

As for dumping the game--right. They conspired to blow a 7-0 lead, which is hard enough to do when your pitchers start playing home run derby. Sheesh.

CC v. Verlander. Let's go.