A-ROD HITS HIS 800TH…

…RBI as a Yankee. Actually, he notched his 801st RBI (three on the night) in pinstripes, 90th career sac fly and came to bat with the bases loaded three times but failed to get that elusive 600th homer. He also went 1-for-4 with a walk in the Yanks’ wild 11-4 win over the Indians.

"It’s been great, we’ve been playing good baseball. When I hit (600th home run) nothing’s going to change; we’re in the middle of a pennant race and we’re just trying to play good baseball…I feel good about the way I’m swinging the bat."

The big story of the night though was Dustin F’ing Moseley, who pitched like a champ in place of an injured Pettitte. After a shaky first inning — in which he threw 31 pitches and gave up a run but got out of a big jam — he settled like a bastard and used just 11 pitches in the second, nine in the third, 12 in the fourth, eight in the fifth and 14 in the sixth. I’ve got a feeling he’s going to get another shot to start — a well deserved chance to start.

"I just relaxed a little bit. I felt like I made some decent pitches in the first inning, then I just relaxed, attacked the zone a little bit more and just go right after them. I was pressing a little bit early, maybe trying to do too much, then I got to sit on the bench a little bit and just kind of go throught the process. I went back out in those next innings and attacked the zone. I was excited, I felt strong at the end."

Fun Facts:

• The Yanks, who won their ML-leading 24th series of the year, had 12 hits and 12 walks.
• It’s been 34 plate appearances since A-Rod hit his 599th homer (the longest ever between 599 and 600). To put that in perspective, it took Babe Ruth one plate appearance between 599 and 600. However, Big Al is 9-for-30 with seven RBI in that span. He’s got 85 RBI on the year.
• Cano hit his 20th homer and drove in his 70th run on the year. He also made some great plays in the field.
• Gardner was on base four times and scored twice, and he nabbed his 29th base of the year.
• Every Yankee starter reached base at least once. The only starter not to get a hit was Tex, who walked three times. Ramiro Pena and Juan Miranda even drove in a run apiece in the win.
• The Yanks left two men on base in each inning from the second through the fifth. They went 0 for their first 10 with RISP…and finished by ending 7 for their final 11 with RISP. They plated seven runs in the seventh inning.
• 10 of the Yanks’ 11 RBI came with two outs.
• D-Rob continued to impress, as he threw a perfect seventh and struck out two.
• CHoP continued to look like an asshole, he tossed a 1-2-3 eighth but choked on a fat cock in the ninth. He gave up three runs and couldn’t have looked shakier if he tried; he saw eight batters in the ninth. He needed 52 pitches (only 26 strikes) to get through the two frames. Maybe he should only be used for one inning from now on if — God forbid — he isn’t DFA’d post haste.
• The game took three hours and 58 minutes to complete.
• We got to see Indians position player Andy Marte pitch a perfect ninth and Marcus Thames play third base for the Yanks. Thames did make a nice backhanded stop but botched the throw to first, allowing a run to score. In his “defense,” it was the first time in his professional career he has ever played the infield.

With the win, the Yanks now lead the Rays by two games in the division. Which is imperative as hell because the two teams meet for a three-game set this weekend in Tampa. Playoff imps everywhere.

LET’S GO YANKS!!!!!!!