-The Yanks’ struggles continued against the Angels yesterday in a 5-3 loss at the Stadium. Chien Ming-Wang had his second straight poor outing, giving up five earned on 13 hits in five-plus. While the second-year starter didn’t have close to his ‘A’ stuff, the Yankee hitters were baffled by Los Angeles rookie sensation Jered Weaver. He allowed just a Craig Wilson solo homer and three hits in six innings while striking out eight. Though Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi went back-to-back with two out in the ninth off Scott Shields, it meant little when K-Rod got Jorge Posada to pop out to end it. What it did mean was another loss to a team that seems to have their number. The Angels improved to 4-2 against them this season with one more game tonight as Randy Johnson looks to salvage a split. The Angels of course have eliminated the Bronx Bombers twice in the past four postseasons (2002, 2005). They just are a match-up from Hell for the Yanks. Players such as Chone Figgins give Yankee pitchers fits. And the Halos are pesky and pitch well enough to make life difficult for the team with baseball’s highest payroll.

It’s at that point that you realize that having the most money means squat. If your players don’t execute on the field in the most pressure packed situations, you aren’t going to win when it matters most. One critic likes to point at what the Yanks have coming out there everyday even without Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield. Let’s ask something. Why did the Yanks win four World titles in five years with a much smaller payroll but have had little October success since? Where would the Yankees be without the Melky Cabreras, Andy Phillips, Miguel Cairos and even Aaron Guiels? Not in the position a game up on Boston with the big five-game series coming up later this week at Fenway. Why is it perfectly okay when other teams have role players who help them get through a rough stretch but not when the BIG BAD YANKEES do? Because some critics are hypocrites who only choose to see what they want but look the other way when the lesser names are the ones chipping in for the Pinstripes.

-The latest A-Rod news was reported in today’s New York Post by Joel Sherman that the reigning AL MVP insisted that he played through injuries earlier this season and probably should’ve been DLed. That whatever problems he had helped cause the throwing errors and him to be late on any fastball waist up (that’s the book on him). All this stuff looks like an excuse. Nobody cares why the game’s highest paid player was not performing up to peak. The bottom line is he was out there everyday. So there shouldn’t be any excuses. Players play hurt. On the same team, Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter both played banged up earlier this season. It shouldn’t be a big deal. You’re not always going to be 100 percent. If Rodriguez did the same thing, good. Whatever the problem was, the Yankee third baseman knows that what’s happened to this point means nothing and is ready for whatever challenge lies ahead:

“My season starts now. In this town, it doesn’t matter what happened earlier. No one will remember.“

And he’s absolutely right. Finally sounds like he gets it. Yes, playing in the media circus known as New York can be very trying. This is a Win Now town. If you don’t put up, you’ll hear it. If you do, you can turn things around in the blink of an instant like the Mets’ Carlos Beltran. A-Rod did insist he felt the best he had all year which is a plus. Well, that means he should get back to being the most talented player in the game and start delivering for the Bombers. They certainly need it in this crazy AL playoff race. Rodriguez along with his teammates will be determined on what they do from this point on. If they fail to make their 12th straight postseason this October, it won’t matter how well some played. It will all be for naught. Sherman’s article is definitely worth the read:

http://www.nypost.com/sports/yankees/a_reeling_rodriguez_tosses_injury_card_in_yankees_joel_sherman.htm

-While it should continue to be an uphill battle just to see October again for one New York team, the same can’t be said for the Mets. After yesterday’s 3-1 win over the Nationals in Washington, they ran their NL best record to 71-45. The latest unlikely hero was Michael Tucker, who slugged his first homer in over a year to lift the Amazin’s to their second win in a row and another series victory. Ironically, the veteran outfielder was given his release by the Nats during Spring Training. So it had to be a sweet redemption.

Just how much better are the Mets than their NL competition? They are now 9.5 games better than the reeling Cardinals, who somehow got swept by the NL worst Pirates this past weekend and saw their NL Central lead over the Reds dwindle to 1.5. Okay. Maybe the Cards no longer count as primary competition. Outside of Albert Pujols, Chris Carpenter, Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds, they stink! There’s no other way around it. This team was never going to be as good as anyone thought. Their pitching staff is on life support. Mark Mulder has been DLed since June with a problem with his left shoulder. Jason Marquis somehow has 12 wins with almost a 6.00 ERA. So desperate were the Cards that they went from Sidney Ponson to Jeff Weaver. What the heck is the difference? Jason Isringhausen can still get the job done out of the pen but is no longer automatic. And Braden Looper doesn’t exactly strike fear into opposing batters. So what’s keeping them alive? Well, aside from the usual Pujols heroics, rookies such as Chris Duncan and Adam Wainwright have done a solid job. And of course the fact their division just isn’t that good. It’s amazing that the Reds haven’t passed them yet.

The third best team (really second due to how they’ve played lately) is the NL West-leading Dodgers. They just swept the pathetic Giants (somewhere WFAN’s Chris Russo is crying) to improve to six games over .500. Despite having played extremely well for three weeks now, they only lead the Padres by 1.5 and Arizona by 2.5. Even the Colorado Rockies sit 4.5 out. If the Dodgers continue to pitch and hit well, they should run away with that division. They might be the only team capable of making the Mets work for a series victory. They have enough bats to compete. It all depends on the health though of Nomar Garciaparra, Jeff Kent and J.D. Drew. Greg Maddux, Brad Penny and Derek Lowe give them a puncher’s chance. They’ve also gotten contributions from rookies Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Broxton, Takashi Saito and Andre Ethier. Toss in vets such as Rafael Furcal, Julio Lugo, Kenny Lofton along with Danys Baez and they certainly have enough balance to make some noise if they make the postseason. There’s one thing that hurts them. They’re managed by Grady Little.

-The wildcard race continues to be wacky with the four over Reds leading the Padres by half a game and Arizona by 1.5. Colorado and Houston trail by 3.5 while the Phillies are four off the pace. Even seven under Florida and Milwaukee are only 5.5 out. And Atlanta is six out despite being eight under! You can’t make it up.

-With two more home runs this weekend against the Mets, Alfonso Soriano continued his march to becoming just the fourth player to 40/40:

Official Soriano Watch: HR-38   SB-28   GR-45

-If the Phillies win the wild card, does Ryan Howard win MVP? Just wondering.

-While things remain tight in the Senior Circuit, it’s heating up in the AL Central after the White Sox swept the Tigers to send them to their season worst fifth straight defeat to suddenly pull within 5.5 games. Oh. At the beginning of last week, they trailed by a season high 10. So is the impossible happening? Detroit still has the majors’ best record coming in with a cool 35 games over .500 (76-41). It won’t get any easier for them as they travel to Boston for three starting tonight. So can Jim Leyland right the ship? Meanwhile, the White Sox host Kansas City for four. Uh. Want to bet it’s down to three by Friday?

-Should we be surprised that Kate Hudson and Chris Robinson broke up after six years? Such is life in Hollywood. Ah. Well at least she’s finally single!

-I’m still wondering what that comeback Giants 17-16 preseason win over Baltimore is going to mean for them a month from now. But it was HUGE! Jay Feely is back!

-When does Eric Mangini finally admit that Patrick Ramsey is a flop and that either Chad Pennington or rookie Kellen Clemens is his QB? Even Brooks Bollinger is miles better than Ramsey. Well at least they got a running back today by acquiring Lee Suggs from Cleveland for cornerback Derrick Strait. Guess that spells the end for Curtis Martin.

-In hockey, tough news for Rangers forward Jed Ortmeyer. The 27 year-old PK specialist was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism. For those who don’t know, it’s the sudden blockage of an artery in the lung which is likely caused by blood clots. What ashame. The fan favorite will be sidelined indefinitely. According to his agent Mark Witkin, it’s not considered to be career threatening and can be treated with medication. Hopefully for Ort and the Blueshirts, he’ll be able to return later this season. I wouldn’t expect him back too soon.