NFL Football:

New York Giants at Carolina Panthers -- 8:20 p.m. ET (TV: NFL Network): The Giants take a trip down to Charlotte to face Cam Newton and the Panthers. The Giants hope that they can replicate their second half success from Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the entire game.

Major League Baseball:

Toronto Blue Jays at New York Yankees -- 7:05 p.m. ET (TV: YES): After sweeping Wednesday's doubleheader, the Yankees send pitcher Phil Hughes (15-12, 3.96 ERA) to the mound against Blue Jays pitcher Aaron Laffey (3-5, 4.55 ERA). The Yankees hope to extend their half-game lead in the AL East over the Baltimore Orioles.

For more sports to watch on TV this weekend, look after the jump.

College Football:

BYU Cougars at Boise St. Broncos -- 9 p.m. ET (TV: ESPN)

Major League Baseball:

Los Angeles Dodgers at Washington Nationals -- 7 p.m. ET (TV: MLB Network)

On September 29, 1933, the Washington Senators, managed by Joe Cronin, defeated Joe McCarthy's New York Yankees, 8-5 to clinch the American League pennant.

The win, Washington's 98th of the season, was officially credited to pitcher Earl Whitehill, who improved his record to 22-8 by going seven innings and allowing five runs on eight hits with six walks and two strikeouts. Jack Russell pitched the final two innings to record his 13th save of the season. The losing pitcher for the Yankees, Red Ruffing, pitched all nine innings despite allowing eight runs on 10 hits and two walks.

Offensively, Washington's offensive stars were left fielder Heinie Manush, who doubled, homered, and drove in three runs; and first baseman Joe Kuhel, who went 2-for-4 with a double and drove in two more runs.

On that same day, Germany's Nazi government decreed that mid-size family farms could not be inherited by any other person except for the youngest son, could not be divided among the family, and could not be owned by any "non-Aryan" people.

So yes, it's been a very long time since a D.C. team played meaningful October baseball. Now, it's happened again.

Both New York baseball teams find themselves in action Friday night, let's take a look at their matchups:

New York Yankees: vs. Oakland A's, 7:05 p.m. ET, YES Network: The Yankees have a one-game lead in the AL East, but if that doesn't pan out, this is a preview of the potential AL Wild Card one-game playoff. Every game is obviously vital for the Yankees as they hope to beat out the Baltimore Orioles for the division title. CC Sabathia hasn't been at his best lately, losing his last three decisions. His opponent, Jarrod Parker, has really had a nice rookie season and will play in Yankee Stadium for the first time since holding the Yanks to one run in an eight-inning outing in July.

New York Mets: vs. Miami Marlins, 7:10 p.m. ET, SNY: Not much at stake for either team here, although they are only a half-game apart in the fight for fourth place in the NL East. It's also a good pitching matchup, as Jonathon Niese has impressed all season long with a 3.46 ERA while his opponent, the rookie Jacob Turner, has been alright since the Marlins acquired him and pitched seven shutout innings against the Reds his last time on the mound.

The Minnesota Twins have worked their way into an unsavory race to avoid landing in last place in the American League at the end of the 2012 regular season -- something they couldn't manage to escape in 2011 -- so it's scoreboard watching time for fans that hope to retain some modicum of dignity heading into the offseason. The Twins and Cleveland Indians are locked up in last with identical 62-88 records heading into action on Friday, Sept. 21, and the remaining schedules for each team include matchups against playoff-caliber competition.

The Indians have been awful in the second half of the 2012 season, going 18-47 since the All-Star break, but that doesn't necessarily mean the Twins are safe from getting locked in the AL cellar for the winter. Joe Christiansen of the Star Tribune has broken down the remaining schedules for each team, and here is what lies ahead for the Twins and Indians:

Twins: at Tigers (3), vs. Yankees (3), vs. Tigers (3), at Blue Jays (3)

Indians: at Royals (3), at White Sox (3), vs. Royals (3), vs. White Sox (3)

For more on the Twins, visit TwinkieTown. For more on the MLB, visit Baseball Nation.

Saturday's television schedule, customized for the Boston sports fan.

Major League Baseball

Baltimore Orioles vs. Boston Red Sox, 1:10 p.m. ET (NESN, WEEI): The Red Sox look to spoil the Orioles' party, and look to avenge last year's Game 162, as they play host to the O's on Saturday afternoon. Oddly, winning helps the Yankees -- so it's ok to feel conflicted as a Sox fan.

Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals, 1 p.m. ET (WGN): Theo Epstein's hapless Cubs play host to the Cardinals, who are fighting for their lives in the second wild card. This game isn't anything extraordinary for Boston fans, but hey, it's Theo's team, and they're trying to spoil the defending World Series champs.

Major League Soccer

New England Revolution vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m. ET (CSN, WBZ-FM): Another team trying to play spoiler, as the Revolution look to stop New York's climb up the Eastern Conference standings.

College Football

UMass at Miami (Ohio), 12 p.m. ET (Channel 5, 40 in Springfield, 95.9): UMass continues FBS play as they head to Ohio to take on the Miami Redhawks in Mid-American Conference action.

Though the New York Giants already had the spotlight on Thursday Night Football, it's Sunday, and that means NFL action on your TVs (whether you like it or not). Saturday saw Syracuse and Rutgers get the spotlight, but today will be highlighted by NFL action between the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. Of course, there's also the national game, the Sunday Night Football matchup between the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens.

Football

New York Jets Vs. Miami Dolphins, 1:00 p.m. CBS: Mark Sanchez will be looking to rebound from a game in which he only managed to complete 10 of his passes. They'll also be looking for a 2-0 record within the AFC East and a 2-1 record overall. Miami is coming off a beatdown of the Oakland Raiders and will certainly be riding some solid momentum, but rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill has now had one poor performance and one decent one.

Baseball

New York Yankees vs. Oakland Athletics, 1:05 p.m. TBS: If football isn't your thing, you can watch the Yankees try to pick up another win after a crazy 14-inning game in their last outing. Oakland managed to belt a few home runs in extra innings and, in the usual unpredictable fashion, the Yankees tied up immediately, eventually taking the lead to seal the win.

New York Mets Vs. Miami Marlins, 1:10 p.m. WPIX: The Mets are short on quality wins this season, but some of the few they do have are against the Marlins. They're not in the playoff chase anymore, but are looking to win their third-straight at Citi Field for the first time since June.

Other

Other than MLB and the NFL, the Golf channel will carry the PGA Tour Championship for most of the morning, and pass it off to NBC at 1:30 p.m. On top of that, ESPN will be carrying the NASCAR Sprint Cup in Loudon, N.H. starting at 2:00 p.m.

Tuesday's TV schedule, complete with channels and times, customized for the Boston sports fan. Click on any team's name for complete schedules, scores, and previews, plus an active community devoted to your team. All times ET.

Major League Baseball

Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees - 7:05 p.m. (TV/Radio: NESN/WEEI): The Red Sox will get a second shot to play division-title spoilers to their long-time rivals at Yankee Stadium. Boston's Jon Lester will face Yanks' rookie David Phelps.

Baltimore Orioles at Tampa Bay Rays - 7 p.m. (TV: MLB): The visiting Orioles dropped Game 1 and will need two win the next two in St. Petersburg to try and claim the AL East Division crown.

Women's National Basketball Association

Seattle Storm at Minnesota Lynx - 9 p.m. (TV: ESPN2): Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

Pro Soccer

FC Spartak Moskva vs. Celtic FC - Noon (TV: FSC)

CFR 1907 Cluj vs. Manchester United - 2:30 p.m. (TV: FSC)

Boston's sports teams are off Columbus Day, but there's still things to be watched in the world of sports, including a matchup with implications for New England's squads as well as some MLB playoffs action.

NFL, Monday Night Football, New York Jets vs. Houston Texans, ESPN, 8 p.m.: The 3-2 New England Patriots sit on top of the AFC East standings, but that status is pending the result of this game. The Jets would pull into a tie with a win, although that would be a massive upset against a team that's 4-0 with four more-than-convincing wins. Pats fans will probably want to tune in solely for schadenfreude purposes, as the Jets looked dismal last week against the San Francisco 49ers and won't be likely to do much better against a team many think is the league's best squad.

MLB, NLDS Game 2, Washington Nationals vs. St. Louis Cardinals, TBS, 4:37 p.m.

ALDS Game 2, New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles, TBS, 8:07 p.m.

Thursday's TV schedule, complete with channels and times, customized for the Boston sports fan. Click on any team's name for complete schedules, scores, and previews, plus an active community devoted to your team. All times ET.

Major League Baseball

San Francisco Giants vs. Cincinnati Reds - 1 p.m. (TV/Radio: TBS/850 AM): This is the first of two deciding Game 5s on Thursday. Pitcher Matt Cain hopes to lead the Giants to a clinching victory, completing a comeback from down 2-0. Mat Latos will be there to stop him. Maybe.

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Washington Nationals - 4 p.m. (TV/Radio: TBS/850 AM): The defending World Series champions hope to end the Nationals' impressive season in Game 4 with staff ace Kyle Lohse starting on three days rest. Washington stalwart Ross Detweiler will hope to sustain the Nats' dream year.

Baltimore Orioles vs. New York Yankees - 7:30 p.m. (TV/Radio: TBS/850 AM): The Yankees have the Orioles on the ropes after Wednesday's 12-inning victory. Phil Hughes takes the mound in Game 4 looking to put the Orioles away.

Detroit Tigers vs. Oakland Athletics - 9:30 p.m. (TV/Radio: TNT/850 AM): The Athletics came back from 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth to win 4-3 and force this Game 5. If the Athletics are going to win the series, they have to get past Tigers' pitcher Justin Verlander.

National Football League

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tennessee Titans - 8:20 p.m. (TV/Radio: NFL Network/93.7 FM): The Steelers travel to Nashville, trying to keep pace in the AFC North. They will have the advantage of facing Titans backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.

More sports on TV Monday after the jump.

College Football

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs. Troy Trojans, 7:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

Arizona St. Sun Devils vs. Colorado Buffaloes, 9 p.m. (ESPN)

Friday's television schedule in the Boston area features American League East division rivals squaring off in a decisive Game 5 in the AL Division series after the Baltimore Orioles defeated the New York Yankees in Game 4, 2-1, in 13 innings on Thursday night.

Other notable highlights to follow, but the entire sporting schedule in the Boston area can be viewed here.

Major League Baseball.

The Orioles and Yankees get Game 5 underway at Yankee Stadium with first pitch, airing on TBS, coming at 5:07 p.m. ET. Baltimore's Jason Hammel (0-0, 3.18 ERA in the postseason) faces New York's ace CC Sabathia (1-0, 2.08 ERA in the postseason). The last three games of the series have been decided by one run.

In the National League, the St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals will decide their Division series in the nation's capital. First pitch on TBS is scheduled for 8:37 p.m. ET, as St. Louis sends Adam Wainwright (0-0, 1.59 ERA in the playoffs) to the hill to go against the Nationals' Gio Gonzalez (0-0, 3.60 ERA in the playoffs) for the right to face the San Francisco Giants in the NL Championship series.

Preseason NBA Basketball.

Before the Celtics host the Knicks on Saturday night, Eastern Conference foes meet when the Detroit Pistons head to Toronto to face the Raptors on Friday. Game time is set for 7 p.m. ET and can be seen on NBATV.

Following the Pistons/Raptors, the Phoenix Suns host the Portland Trail Blazers at 10 p.m. ET on NBATV.

Boston College at Florida State, 5:30 ET (ESPN2): BC hopes to grab an unlikely win. The Eagles are already 0-2 against ACC opponents this year and have not won a game since Sept. 8. Florida State is favored by 28.

New York Knicks at Boston Celtics, 7:30 ET (CSN, WEEI- 93.7): The Celtics will make their preseason debut against the New York Knicks on Saturday night. The Knicks won their first preseason game on Thursday against the Wizards.

There's also plenty to watch that is going on outside of the Boston area.

Detroit Tigers at New York Yankees, 8 pm ET (TBS): Game 1 of the ALCS will feature Doug Fister for the Tigers and Andy Pettitte for the Yanks.

Other big college football matchups include:

No. 15 Texas at No. 13 Oklahoma (noon ET on ABC)

No. 17 Stanford at No. 7 Notre Dame (3:30 ET on NBC)

No. 3 South Carolina at No. 9 LSU (8 pm on ESPN)

A night after the Yankees produced only the tenth Ranger loss in a game in which Texas led, the Rangers returned the favor by collecting yet another come-from-behind victory. The Rangers last nine wins now have come in games in which they've trailed.

Player of the Game: Adrian Beltre went 3-5 while busting out of his road slump with two doubles and a couple of RBI.

I'm not one to put blame on a manager very often. I'm not even going to do it today. It's a loss, it happens. It's baseball. But honestly Joe Girardi, it's time to stop putting Joba Chamberlain into close games.

Joba "pitched" again, allowing two runs on four hits in the seventh inning as the Rangers went on to take the second game of this series 8-5.

Andy Pettitte started tonight for the Yankees and threw the ball better than his line indicates. He got himself into and out of trouble in the first and only really struggled in the Rangers four run third inning. Leonys Martin bunted his way on base and then stole second before a walk to Ian Kinsler. Elvis Andrus then grounded one to third and baseball player Jayson Nix proceeded to do... Jayson Nix things. His throwing error loaded the bases for the Rangers. After Nelson Cruz struck out, back to back doubles from Adrian Beltre and A.J. Pierzynski capped off a four run inning for the Rangers.

Pettitte rebounded and managed to complete six innings, allowing four runs (three earned). He finished the night one strikeout shy of Whitey Ford's franchise record.

Lyle Overbay homered to right in the second before the Rangers four run inning, and that was the only offense the Yankees would get until the sixth. Brett Gardner led off the sixth with his second single of the night, and then moved to third on a double by Ichiro Suzuki. This was the end of the night for Justin Grimm, who by his recent standards actually pitched a good game. Left hander Robbie Ross came in with three consecutive lefties due up for the Yankees. It didn't work quite as planned for the Rangers, as Robinson Cano and Travis Hafner hit back to back singles to bring the game within one. The Yankees loaded the bases with one out later in the inning. Of course, naturally it was Jayson Nix up to bat, and to nobody's surprise but John Sterling he hit into an inning ending double play.

Still, the Yankees got the game to within one, we could be happy for a bit. And then, enter Joba Chamberlain. This move wound up potentially being a big difference in the game. Again, to nobody's surprise, Joba promptly gave up a single to Elvis Andrus and a two run home run to Nelson Cruz, effectively giving back the two runs they just got the inning before. He gave up a couple more hard hits before Girardi went to Preston Claiborne to finish the inning. Joba's ERA rose to 6.38 on the season. Great move, Joe. Don't really know what else to say about that at this point.

Vernon Wells pinch hit for Chris Stewart to lead off the eighth and singled to center, and later came around to score on a two run homer by Ichiro to make it 6-5. This made the two runs Joba gave back even more painful to endure. The Rangers then went to Neal Cotts (who has actually been ridiculously good for the Rangers this season) to get out of the inning.

Boone Logan struck out two lefties to start the eighth and Shawn Kelley relieved him to finish the inning. Kelley ran into trouble in the ninth as a single by Adrian Beltre and a rare dropped fly ball by Brett Gardner in center field led to another two runs. The Yankees offense went quietly in the final two innings against Tanner Scheppers and Joe Nathan as the Rangers came away with the win.

Game Notes:

• Hard to blame the offense for this one. In a game where the Yankees get five runs and ten hits with Andy Pettitte on the mound, these are games the Yankees need to win in order to truly be competitive this year. Pitching and defense was not a strong point tonight.
• I'm not one to place blame on the manager often, but this was not Joe Girardi's best game by any stretch. Joba Chamberlain pitched meaningful innings, thats number one. And if that never happens for the Yankees again I'd have no problem whatsoever with it. Another decision he made was taking Ichiro Suzuki out of the game for Vernon Wells in basically an AL double switch. Wells had pinch hit for Stewart, so Austin Romine was going to enter the game either way. It's confusing though why he'd take Ichiro out of the game in favor of a guy who has been one of the worst outfielders in the majors for the last month and a half. It was a questionable move to say the least.
• Jayson Nix was 0-4 tonight, including a double play with the bases loaded. He's 4-28 in his last eight games (.143). He also made multiple defensive mistakes. David Adams, who did not play tonight, is hitting under .200 on the season and even worse than that in the month of June. I don't care what the situation is or what "off field drama" has come or is supposedly going to come. The Yankees need their regular third baseman back. Now.

Yesterday on Pinstriped Bible

• Yankees 5, Rangers 8: Joba struggles again in loss
• Mark Teixeira injury: Surgery the latest blow for the already depleted Yankees
• Mark Teixeira Injury: Press conference notes
• Yankees lineup vs. Rangers, update on Cashman vs. A-Rod, De Paula in Future's Game
• Mark Teixeira injury: Are the main targets on the first base trade market all they're cracked up to be?
• Mark Teixeira injury: Looking at first base replacements
• Mark Teixeira Injury: Will undergo season ending surgery at recommendation of team doctors
• Trenton Thunder send four players to Eastern League All-Star Game
• Looks who’s talking: Cashman rips A-Rod, but GM needs to take own advice
• Baby Bomber Recap 6/25/13: Jose Ramirez allows three hits across six shutout innings

Around the Internet

• Out of Line - Hardball Talk | Craig Calcaterra: Brian Cashman is allowed to be inappropriate and unprofessional because everyone is so eager to blame Alex Rodriguez for everything, even if what he did wasn't all that bad.
• Newsworthy Quote - ESPN Front Row | Josh Krulewitz: Here is the inside story of how Andrew Marchand at ESPN New York got the quote from Brian Cashman.
• Not Thinking About Contract - New York Daily News | Chris Dell:Robinson Cano gaffed when he was asked about his contract negotiations and accidentally said he was going to be a free agent.
• Midseason Top 75 Prospect List - Bullpen Banter: The Yankees have two prospects on Bullpen Banter's midseason top 75 prospects list, Rafael De Paula (32) and Gary Sanchez (40).
• Catching Depth - It's About the Money | Brad Vietrogoski: Despite the failures of Chris Stewart and Austin Romine, the Yankees still have plenty of catching depth in the minors with JR Murphy, Gary Sanchez, Peter O'Brien, and international free agent signee Luis Torrens in the system.
• Feeling Strong - YES Network | Lou DiPietro:Michael Pineda spoke to the media after his latest rehab start and talked about his journey back to the big leagues and what it will be like to be a Yankee.
• Good Trade Fit - CSN Philly | Jim Salisbury: The Yankees could match up well in a trade with the Phillies as they could use Carlos Ruiz, Chase Utley, and Michael Young.

Quick Hits

• Eduardo Nunezplayed a rehab game at High-A Tampa.
• Dr. Bryan Kelly was in Tampa to see Ty Hensley, not Alex Rodriguez.
• Red Brignac has rejoined the Rockies organization.
• Kerry Woodfound a dead body.
• Buy Yankees Tickets: Go see the Yankees and Rangers play today for under $10.

Questions of the Day

• Who should be the starting first baseman now?
• What should the Yankees do with Joba Chamberlain?
• Did you enjoy the Supermoon?
• What continent would you most want to have complete control over?

Coming Up Today

• Baby Bomber Recap 6/26/13: Greg Bird hits seventh homer of the season in Charleston loss @ 9 am
• MLB Trade Rumors: Yankees seek right-handed bat @ 10 am
• Pinstripe Alley Podcast Episode 12: The triumphant return @ 11 am
• Mark Teixeira injury: Could JR Murphy make a roster impact? @ 12 pm
• New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers at 1:05 pm (Game Thread at 12:30)
• Mark Teixeira Injury: Community Reaction @ 5 pm
• Yankees Notes: Cano contract, Hughes should go, draft pick reality & more @ 6 pm

Previously on Beyond the Box Score

Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders:L 3-5, W 6-3 vs. Syracuse Chiefs

Game One:

CF Corey Patterson 1-4, 2 RBI, K
C JR Murphy 0-4, K, pickoff
RF Fernando Martinez 1-3, 2B - batting .344/.436/.563 in nine games with SWB
2B Brent Lillibridge 1-2, RBI, BB, SB, put out
1B Dan Johnson 0-3, K
DH Randy Ruiz 1-3, K - batting .238 since being acquired by NYY
LF Thomas Neal 2-3
3B Addison Maruszak 2-3, E5 - fielding error, fourth of the season
SS Walter Ibarra 0-3, K

David Huff 5.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R/3 ER, 0 BB, 6 K - three groundouts, five flyouts
Matt Daley 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, K - allowed one home run

Both teams traded equal runs in the first and second innings, but the Chiefs tacked on two more runs in the fifth and sixth innings to give them the win.

Game Two:

3B Brent Lillibridge 0-4
CF Cody Grice 0-4, 2 K
RF Fernando Martinez 1-3, HR, RBI, BB, K - first homer with SWB this season
LF Thomas Neal 1-4 - batting .341 in Triple-A this season
DH Dan Johnson 2-3, 2B, HR, 2 RBI - ninth homer this season
1B Randy Ruiz 2-3, HR, RBI - third homer with SWB this season
2B Casey Stevenson 1-2, HR, 2 RBI - third homer with SWB this season
SS Walter Ibarra 2-3, K
C Bobby Wilson 1-3

Chris Bootcheck 5.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, pickoff - six groundouts, three flyouts
Dellin Betances 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K - 19 of 30 pitches for strikes

Four home runs in one game will generally go a long way toward a win, and the quartet of dingers helped the RailRiders split the doubleheader and pick up their 36th win of the season. Caleb Cotham starts for SWB tonight at 7:00 pm.

Double-A Trenton Thunder:W 8-2 vs. Erie SeaWolves

CF Ramon Flores 0-2, RBI, 3 BB
2B Jose Pirela 0-3, 2 BB
RF Tyler Austin 1-5 - batting .273 this season
DH Kyle Roller 1-4, 2 RBI
SS Carmen Angelini 2-3, 2B, BB - batting .227 since his promotion
1B Andrew Clark 3-3, 2B, 3 RBI, BB
LF Shane Brown 0-2, BB, HBP
C Jeff Farnham 0-3, BB, K, E2 - fielding error, second of the season
3B Francisco Rosario 1-4, 2 RBI

Nik Turley 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, 2 WP - two groundouts, two flyouts
Danny Burawa 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Cesar Cabral 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

Turley racked up nine strikeouts on the day he was named to the Eastern League All-Star Game, and picked up his seventh win of the season thanks in part to a big four-run inning from the Thunder offense. Zach Nuding gets the start for Trenton today at 6:35 pm.

High-A Tampa Yankees: Postponed for rain

Tampa will play two games against the Cubs tonight with the first starting at 5:00 pm.

Low-A Charleston RiverDogs:L 5-7 vs. Greenville Drive

CF Jake Cave 1-5, 2B, 2 K - batting .263 this season
SS Cito Culver 2-3, SB, CS
1B Greg Bird 3-4, 2B, HR, 5 RBI - seventh homer of the season
DH Dante Bichette Jr. 0-4
2B Angelo Gumbs 0-3, BB, K, SB
LF Danny Oh 0-3, BB - batting .302 this season
RF Aaron Gates 0-4, K
C Wes Wilson 1-4
3B Jose Rosario 1-4, K

Vicente (Jose) Campos 4 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K - four groundouts, two flyouts
Brett Gerritse 3.2 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, WP, HB
Derek Varnadore 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB

Charleston led 5-3 going into the bottom of the seventh inning, but Gerritse continued to implode by allowing two consecutive two-run innings in the seventh and eighth innings, which sent the RiverDogs to their 33rd loss of the season. Luis Niebla starts against the Hickory Crawdads tonight at 7:05 pm at The Joe.

Short Season-A Staten Island Yankees:W 7-3 (10 innings) vs. Hudson Valley Renegades

2B Derek Toadvine 3-5, CS - batting .355 to start his season
LF Michael O'Neill 1-4, 2 K, HBP
CF Brandon Thomas 2-5, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, K - first professional home run
RF Yeicok Calderon 1-5, K, OF assist
3B Kale Sumner 0-5, 2 K
1B Bubba Jones 1-4, 2B, E3 - fielding error, third of the season
SS John Murphy 0-1
DH Daniel Lopez 2-3, RBI, BB
C Trent Garrison 0-4 - batting .077 to start the season

Cale Coshow 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, BB, K, HB - four groundouts, two flyouts
David Palladino 3.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Sam Agnew-Wieland 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, HB - two groundouts, one flyout
Andy Beresford 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB
Tyler Webb 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, BB, K - 0 ER allowed so far this season

The Yankees and Renegades were tied at three through nine innings, sending the game to a tenth inning where Staten Island put up a four-spot behind a run scored on a wild pitch and a three-run homer by Brandon Thomas. Staten Island takes on Hudson Valley again tonight at 7:00 pm.

Notes from the Gulf Coast League:

GCL Yankees 1 lost 0-10 to the GCL Blue Jays. Adonis Garcia was 0-4 with a strikeout, Austin Aune and Ty Afenir were both 0-3 with two strikeouts a piece. Gosuke Katoh singled to bring his average to .353 to begin his professional career. Jordan Barnes was 3-3. The team collectively played some pretty poor defense with Aune, Katoh, Kevin Corneluis and Christopher Breen all committing errors in the game. Chaz Hebert started for the Yankees and allowed five runs, three of them earned, in three innings of work.

Despite picking up 14 hits, GCL Yankees 2 were defeated by the GCL Astros in extra innings. Third baseman Renzo Martini went 4-5 to bring his average to begin the season to .348. Dalton Smith picked up two singles and right fielder Jorge Alcantara doubled and drove in three runs. Joseph Maher started for the Yankees, going four innings and giving up one run while striking out two batters.

#Yankees lineup? vs. TEX: Helpchiro CF, Nix'd 3B, Canobi DH, Wells RF, ZOILO LF, Overdone 1B, DA 2B, Gonzalez SS, Romine C, Chef Boyardee P

— Greg (@ImNotAHRHitter) June 27, 2013

Look at it, but try not to stare too long fellow Yankees fans. You might burn your retina. This lineup is almost a true testament to the "let the kids play" philosophy. I suppose Brett Gardner does need a day off every now and then. I just wish it wasn't with Phil Hughes, fly ball pitcher & meatball professional, on the mound. They will face Derek Holland.

Meanwhile, at stately Wayne Manor, Batman & Robin diligently investigate Alex Rodriguez's plan to return to game action in order to rob the Yankees' vault of diamonds, jewels, and dignity. The sentence I just typed is just as believable as the erroneous bile coming out of the "professional" sports media outlets. If it's not A-Rod's villainous scheme to screw the Yankees over, it's the Yankees' scheme to slow his return to the field so they can collect eight percent of his salary this year via insurance. You know, because that's just how shit works.

Runtime: 1:35:10

Agenda

0:00 to 2:55: Intro / the many numbers 25 of the New York Mets / remember when the Yankees signed Pedro Feliciano and the Mets drafted Michael Fulmer with their compensation pick?

2:55 to 14:25: Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler / Harvey might still be getting better / Wheeler is not Harvey, but both pitchers are still really young

14:25 to 22:49: Jon Niese's shoulder injury / also his contract / maybe the Mets should trade Niese for an outfielder if possible / Rob drops an Alderson-esque "what have you"

22:49 to 54:45: The Mets made a TRAID / so long, Collin Cowgill / Eric Young Jr.'s hot start / sometimes older players prove themselves as major leaguers / Ike Davis is overqualified for Triple-A / Josh Satin has a good wOBA / more talk of late-blooming players / Todd Pratt and Marlon Anderson were pretty cool / rooting for Alderson's trades to work out

55:45 to 1:35:10: Mailbag / Travis d'Arnaud's injury history / signing Shin-Soo Choo and Carlos Beltran / trading minor league pitchers for position players / plenty of pitching to see at Citi Field in the coming weeks / outro

As always, you can listen or subscribe to the podcast through iTunes, find us on the Stitcher app, listen through the embedded player below, or download the podcast at amazinavenueaudio.com.

The Pinstripe Alley Podcast is back, with returning hosts Greg Kirkland and Tanya Bondurant in addition to rookie podcasters Jason Cohen and myself. We discuss the recent crappy Mark Teixeira news and the disaster that is the Yankees' first base situation (and offense in general), then spend some time figuring out what to do with Joba Chamberlain. He is... something. Jason has a terrifying prediction about the Phillies' Michael Young, who was a -1.7 fWAR player last year in Texas. We also honor site writer Matt Ferenchick with a special birthday treat toward the end.

Many thanks go out to Camden Chat's Mark Brown ("Eat More Esskay"), whose own podcast experience helped us put this together.

The podcast runs for 39 minutes, and you can listen with the embedded player here or click the link below. Any and all feedback is appreciated! Yes, I am getting a better mic.

Podcast link

More from Pinstriped Bible

• Site coverage of Teixeira's season-ending surgery
• Examining trade options for other first basemen
• Baby Bomber Recap 6/27/13: Greg Bird hits seventh homer

For all of the frustrating games that Phil Hughes has pitched this season (and in his career), today was not one of them. Hughes was solid, and as good as you can really ask a pitcher to be. He limited the damage and kept his team in the game. Unfortunately for him, the offense was every bit as frustrating as we know them to be, managing to pick up only two hits all game against Derek Holland.

Get-away Day lineups are usually on the rough side, but Brett Gardner was suffering from a head cold and took the day off until he pinch hit in the ninth inning. For the Yankees, that meant sitting their hottest hitter, and the rest of the offense did absolutely nothing to make up for his absence. Holland finished the complete game shutout with just 92 pitches. Ichiro Suzuki and Austin Romine were the only Yankees batters to get a hit in the game, and Jayson Nix was the only other batter to reach base after working a walk. Ichiro has now hit safely in seven straight games.

Hughes allowed only two runs and eight hits in eight innings of work. He struck out five and issued only one free pass. The damage against Hughes came on a sac fly by Ian Kinsler in the third inning and a solo homer to right field off the bat of Jurickson Profar. Preston Claiborne came on to relieve Hughes for one inning, allowing one hit and striking out one. The pitching was not at all the problem in this game.

It might be time for the Yankees to get serious about whether they believe they can compete for a playoff spot this year; because if they believe they can, they need to start actively pursing offensive upgrades where they can find them. Even if Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson, and Francisco Cervelli return after the All-Star Game, there is no way to know how they will perform. The pitching staff can only carry the team so much. If they can't score runs, they aren't going to win ballgames.

The Yankees hop on a plane and head to Baltimore for the weekend series against the Orioles. Good news is that three of the Yankees' best pitchers are scheduled to start in the series. The bad news is that the O's have a tough offense and that any deficit looks insurmountable a large majority of the time against the Yankees lineup.

Box score

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