Gametime scheduled for 1:45 after a brief rain delay.  Keep hitting your refresh button…I am going batter by batter today…

Top 1st: 

Jorge Posada led off and grounded out to third.  Johnny Damon followed with a rocket line drive back up the middle for a base hit.  Mark Texeira popped out to first, Ryan Howard made the squeeze.  One on two out for Xavier Nady.  First pitch Damon stole second Ronny Paulino’s throw went into left center allowing Damon to go to third…Xavier Nady worked a walk…Robinson Cano now up with runners on the corners…and almost took one on his front shoulder on an inside pitch…on the 2-2 pitch Cano sliced one into left field…it looked like trouble but Raul Ibanez tracked it down for the final out of the inning.  End of a half inning…
Yankees 0 Phillies coming to bat…

JORGE POSADA CATCHING TODAY AFTER HIS STINT IN A MINOR LEAGUE GAME YESTERDAY WHERE HE THREW OUT THREE OF THE FOUR BASE STEALERS THAT TRIED TO SWIPE SECOND.  LOOKS LIKE HIS SHOULDER IS BACK.  JOSE MOLINA WAS SCHED. TO START…

Bottom 1st: 

Wang’s first pitch was a strike to Eric Bruntlett and he got him to ground out softly to Mark Teixeira at first…he took it himself…one down…Jayson Werth now up…and he flew out to Johnny Damon in left….now its Chase Utley’s turn… and Utley flies out to Johnny Damon in shallow left center field.  Inning over…three up three down for Wang…very economical with his pitch count…End of 1…Yankees 0 Phillies 0

Top 2nd:

Cody Ransom led off the inning and struck out swining on three pitches.  Melky Cabrera still in a battle with Brett Gardner for the centerfield job singled into right field from the right side of the plate.  Joe Girardi told the media earlier in the week, it IS possible for both Cabrera and Gardner to make the trip north.  Ramiro Pena popped out in the infield for the second out…and now Chien-Ming Wang is up…standing on the fringe of the batters box as far out as you can be…basically standing there with the bat on his shoulder…saw six pitches and didn’t swing and struck out looking on a 3-2 pitch.  Yankees 0 Phillies 0

Bottom 2nd:

Ryan Howard leading off for the defending World Champions and the big fella was down 1-2 and worked out a walk…Raul Ibanez the former Mariner singled into right on a baltimore chop over the head of Mark Teixeira at first…Ryan Howard moved over to third…and now former Blue Jay Matt Stairs stands in…3-1 now the count to Stairs and he grounds into the 4-6-3 DP…Cano to Pena to Teixeira.  Ryan Howard scores…no ribbie for the not so fleet of foot Stairs…now rookie Jason Donald 6’1″ 190 out of Clovis, CA…playing short with Jimmy Rollins on his way back from the WBC…both of these teams are without their star SS’s because of the Classic.  Donald drew a walk and the theme to “The Greatest American Hero” blared over the PA as he made his way down to first, “Believe it or not, I’m walkin on air.”  Donald stole second, on an 0-1 count to catcher Ronny Paulino – Posada’s throw was a little high and Donald slid in safe…but Paulino struck out swinging.  End of the 2nd.  Yankees 0 Phillies 1

Top 3rd:

Jorge Posada to lead things off as the Yankees order flips over…Posada leading off today…he grounded out to third his last time up against J.A. Happ batting from the right side…this time Posada worked a walk bringing Johnny Damon to the plate who singled in his first at bat…and Damon keeps his perfect day in tact working a four pitch walk…Mark Teixeira now at the dish…and the rain is starting to come down again…1-2 count on Tex…and he grounds into a 5-4-3 DP with Posada making his way over to third.  Xavier Nady hit a hard ground ball to third…it ate up Eric Bruntlett andn Nady beat the throw to first…Posada scores…we’re tied at one…Robinson Cano ended the inning on a FC 4-6.  Yankees 1 Phillies 1

Bottom 3rd:

Wang and Posada are still the battery….
Leading off for the Phillies J.A. Happ the starting pitcher…and he strikes out swinging…next batter, the third baseman Eric Bruntlett and he singles into right center…one out one on for Jayson Werth, Werth flew out to left…this time he grounds into the 5-4-3 DP to end the inning…started by Cody Ransom…Wang throwing some ground balls and Joe Girardi has to like that.  We head to the 4th…Yankees 1 Phillies 1

Top 4th:

Cody Ransom struck out in his last at bat…this time he flies out to medium LF for out number one…Melky Cabrera was next and first ball swinging he grounded out to third…Bruntlett to Howard…Melky 1-2 on the day with a single.  Ramiro Pena getting the start at shortstop today and singles on a looping liner over the second baseman’s head into right…one on two out…again Happ having some issues as Wang is standing basically in the Phillies 3rd base side dugout…he is so far to the left in the right hand batters box…and once again the at bat is six pitches long…it went from 3-0 to a backwards K this time.  It looks like Wang is under orders not to swing because the bat is not coming far off his shoulder. Yankees 1 Phillies 1

Bottom 4th:

Chase Utley led off and grounded out weakly to Teixeira at first…Ryan Howard walked his last time up…in the box once again…Howard is looking very slimmed down this spring training…he is still a big guy…but looks to be in terrific shape…with a Jason Giambi like shift on…Cody Ransom playing short instead of third made a TREMENDOUS leaping snow cone grab on a hard hit liner that was on its way into left for a base hit…two outs and now Raul Ibanez up he singled in his last at bat…and this time he paints the left field line with a ground ball and has himself a two out double…Matt Stairs grounded one high towards the mound…Wang got up grabbed the ball and threw out Stairs at first…End of 4…Yankees 1 Phillies 1

Top 5th:  HAPP STILL PITCHING

Jorge Posada still in and leads off the inning…Posada grounded out to third in his first at bat…walked and scored the only run in his second…and grounded out to short here to lead off the 5th…one out…and now Johnny Damon is up 2-2 count…3-2 count now and Damon hits a fly ball that almost brought the rain back into RF…Matt Stairs camped under it and made the catch…Mark Teixeira now up…he popped out in his first at bat…and grounded into a 5-4-3 DP with runners on 1st and 2nd in his second at bat…but this time doubles on a line drive down the left field line and he is promptly brought in by Xavier Nady as he singles on a liner into left…Robinson Cano flew out to left and the inning is over…but the Yankees pick up a run to take the lead…Yankees 2 Phillies 1

Bottom 5th: WANG STILL CHUCKIN

Jason Donald flew out to right…a lazy fly ball that Melky Cabrera easily put away…Ronny Paulino followed with a worm burner back to Wang who made a nice play to throw him out…at first…two away and now pinch hitting for the pitcher J.A. Happ Geoff Jenkins and he flies out to Johnny Damon in left…one, two, three for Wang…We head to the 6th…Yankees 2 Phillies 1 

Happ’s Line 5IP 5H 2R 1ER 3BB 3K’s –  Clay Condrey starts the 6th and will face Cody Ransom, Melky Cabrera, and Ramiro Pena

Top 6th:

Ransom grounded out to Chase Utley as well as Melky Cabrera.  Now Pena comes in, a switch hitter batting left…he is 1-2 today with a single…make that 2-3 with another single on a looping liner over the shortstops head…Chien-Ming Wang only saw three pitches this time…good morning, good afternoon, and good night…Wang with the hat trick…in hockey good…in baseball bad…and he will head out for his sixth inning of work…Yankees 2 Phillies 1

Bottom 6th: Jose Molina now catching…

Eric Bruntlett leads off…he is 1-2 with a single…make that 2-3…he hit a grounder right over the third base bag…for a lead off double…after a brief meeting between Molina and Wang…we are set for Jayson Werth 0-2 today…he singles into center field on a line drive…the ball was bobbled by Melky Cabrera and Bruntlett scored…Bruntlett would have scored anyway…single and an RBI for Werth and we are tied at two…and that ends the day for Wang…Brian Bruney will make his way in from the pen…
Wang’s Numbers as the rain begins to come down in buckets again…
5IP 5H 1BB 2K’s
Bruney got Utley swinging…and Ryan Howard now up 2-2 count…the rain is REALLY coming down now…and Howard gets punched out on a check swing by home plate umpire DJ Reyburn…he didn’t like it…but its March…he didn’t really put up too much of a fight..Ibanez with his bat soaking wet took a swing on a 2-1 pitch…lost the bat and it flew out to first base…Teixeira had to run to get out of the way…with a smile on his face…no harm no foul…Ibanez back in the box…2-2 count and Ibanez loses the bat again on a swing it settles right at the lip by first base and the ball found some grass down the right field line for an RBI double…Phillies go on top 3-2…Matt Stairs just crushed a 1-2 Bruney offering just to the left of dead center field next to the batters eye…for two more Phillies runs…Donald flew out to left though to end the inning…Phillies four runs on four hits…Yankees 2 Phillies 5

Top 7th: BRAD LIDGE PITCHING

Molina strikes out swinging in the lead off spot for probably the last time this season…Jorge Posada led off the game for the Yankees and Molina replaced him…Brett Gardner was next subbing for Damon and Gardner hit a slow roller to third and beat it out for an infield hit…what else is new…Gardner lightning in a bottle to first…even on a muddy track…he’s a mudder…
now Nick Swisher stands in…he hits a hard liner to second…its caught by former Yankee Miguel Cairo who took over for Chase Utley…and he doubles off Brett Gardner at first…inning over…Yankees 2 Phillies 5

Bottom 7th: CHANGES: DAN GIESE PITCHING/JUAN MIRANDA AT FIRST/EDUARDO NUNEZ AT SS/AUSTIN JACKSON LF/DOUG BERNIER AT SECOND/ANGEL BERROA AT THIRD

Giese started the inning by striking out Ronny Paulino – Paulino 0-3 with 2 K’s – next batter – pinch hitter Jason Ellison singled on a hot shot that ate up Angel Berroa at third – it was ruled a base hit…then Eric Bruntlett split Brett Gardner and Nick Swisher in center and right for a ribbie double…6-2 Phillies…now Rich Thompson who took over for Jayson Werth in CF is up 2-2 count…and Giese got him with a nasty curve ball swining for strike three…Miguel Cairo followed and the former Yankees utility man hit a blast up near the Tiki bar in left here at bright house field…a two run dinger…8-2 Phillies…Marcus Giles lined a double over the head of Nick Swisher in right as the Phillies hit parade continues…as the rain continues to steadily fall…its been heavy at times during the game here today…but its a light drizzle at the present time…Carlos Ruiz is now up and he is hitting for Raul Ibanez…Ibanez was perfect today with a single and two doubles…Ruiz struck out looking on an outside breaking pitch and the inning is mercifully over…after taking a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth…the Phillies have scored seven unanswered…Yankees 2 Phillies 8

Top 8th:  SCOTT EYRE PITCHING FOR THE PHILLIES

Angel Berroa made the first out of the inning in his first at bat of the day…Juan Miranda now in…he absolutely destroyed a home run in the Yankees win Thursday against the Blue Jays…full count on Miranda and he skied one to the first base side…a tough play…and Bruntlett makes it on the run sliding on the grass to make the catch…Now Austin Jackson who took over in LF stands in…Jackson was in Trenton last year and is one of the best prospects in the minor league system…Jackson caught looking on a knee buckling breaking pitch…Eyre goes three up three down…Yankees 2 Phillies 8 

Bottom 8th:  BRETT TOMKO NOW PITCHING FOR THE YANKEES

First batter up is Matt Stairs he hit a mammouth blast in his last at bat just to the left of dead center field…this time he hits a looping liner and Nunez puts it away for the first out…Donald was next…and he picked up his first hit of the day grounding a single into center…Ronny Paulino made the second out…and Jason Ellison flew out to left to end the frame…good inning of work for Tomko…first time in three innings the Yankees left the field without giving up a run…Yankees 2 Phillies 8

Top 9th:

Eduardo Nunez leads it off against new Phillies pitcher Mike Koplove…works a lead off walk…to start the ninth…now  Doug Bernier he took over at second base for Robinson Cano…this is Bernier’s first at bat…and he hits a seeing eye single into left between short and third…first and second…no one out for pinch hitter John Rodriguez…Rodriguez hitting for Brett Tomko…and he singles into center…Nunez scores…and the yankees with no one out…runners on first and second…and now trail by five..Jose Molina though grounds into a 5-3 double play…now two down…and Gardner up with a runner on second…and Gardner flew out to left field for the final out of the game…

Final Score

Yankees 3
Phillies 8

Yankee Pitching Lines

Wang   5IP 5H 3R 3ER 2BB 3K
Bruney 1IP 2H 2R 2ER 0 BB 2K – He struck out the first two batters he faced (Howard,Utley)
Giese   1IP 4H 3R 3ER 0BB 3K – Struck out the side – but all the damage was around those
Tomko  1IP 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 0K

Thanks for hanging with me today for the game and braving the rain…It has been a pleasure for me to bring you all the action from Clearwater today…Don’t forget to check out the site later tonight for the interviews we got before the game with Brian Bruney, Nick Swisher, Cody Ransom, Jim Kaat, and Hal Bodley from MLB.com who has been covering baseball since 1958.  He is a senior correspondent for MLB.com and a legend in the business and we appreciated a couple minutes with him today.  Tomorrow its the rivalry renewing itself once again…The Red Sox invade The Boss tomorrow night for a 7:00 game on YES.  I will be back in the radio booth watching the game as John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman provide the call for WCBS 880AM.  Until tomorrow boys and girls.  Have a great night!