San Juan, Puerto Rico – While I am blessed with the sounds
of birds where I am and have the opportunity to do some bird watching, the bird
watching taking place – along with baseball fans keeping tabs on the races for
first place and Wild Card berths – is particularly the one of the AL East where
the Baltimore Orioles, in their hunt for first place, are chirping down the
necks of the New York Yankees. The Orioles have been acting like the Puerto
Rican bird el Pitirri, a small bird that beats up on a larger Guaraguao.
The Yankees won their first of three against the Minnesota
Twins (6-3), while the Baltimore Orioles split a double header (W 4-1; L 9-5)
and as Monday came to the end; the one run lead the Yankees had turned into a gain
of half a game. Andy Pettitte turned out six inning of shut out ball in his
second game from the DL.
While there may be for NY fans some comfort in the Yankees schedule
playing against under-.500 teams the rest of the season, let’s not forget how
the ball bounces in baseball when scrubby teams suddenly become a formidable
challenge.
While the Yankees put away the first of three against the
Twins with a win, just recently the Detroit Tigers (as of this writing are one
game behind), chasing the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central, much as
Baltimore is on New York, lost a double header against the Twins before the
Yankees came to town.
And at Baltimore, interestingly enough, bird watchers, the
Orioles were overpowered by the Toronto Blue Jays in that second game of their
twin bill.
Baltimore’s schedule is seen a slightly tougher because the
face Tampa in the last three games of the season.
On the other hand, the third place six games back Tampa
Rays, , have a shot at the Wild Card. They are three games behind there. Their
schedule, besides the Baltimore series to end the season, has them playing
three games against the AL Central first place Chicago White Sox.
The Yankees face Minnesota, Toronto and end at home against
their distant once rivals Boston Red Sox.
New York fans keep your binoculars on hand as there may be
birds of prey circling the skies. The Orioles relentless in building a first
place nest. The Blue Jays being spoilers, while not having Yunel Escobar call the
Yankees’ Latino players a bunch of … have his bat, as he did earlier in a game
at the Stadium in September, do the talking.
