-The Yanks have dropped two straight after coming out of the All-Star Break winning their first eight to get back in the AL East race. Last night, Mike Mussina didn’t have it giving up two second inning home runs to Yankee killer Kevin Millar and Ramon Hernandez putting the home club in a four-run hole they wouldn’t climb out of against O’s starter Jeremy Guthrie, who allowed just one run on Xavier Nady’s solo shot in the seventh which broke up a shutout. In five innings, Moose allowed six earned on eight hits walking two and striking out four to fall to 13-7. Rookie David Robertson was even worse getting tattooed for five runs on four hits in just a third of an inning. Rookie Adam Jones took him yard for a grand slam in the sixth putting the game out of reach.

Fortunately for the Yanks, both Tampa Bay (3-1 loss to Jays) and Boston (7-5 loss to Angels) lost meaning they lost no ground in the race remaining two behind the Red Sox for the wild card and three in back of the Rays for the division.

-As radio broadcaster John Sterling pointed out, Mussina was due for a bad outing as he had been lights out for a while. However, the way he and partner Suzyn Waldman made Guthrie sound was like the second coming. You would’ve thought he had 11 or 12 wins and a sub-3.00 ERA the way they gushed over him instead of winning his seventh and lowering his ERA to 3.49. The 29 year-old late bloomer out of Stanford has developed into a good pitcher but come on. They made it sound like it was mission impossible for the Yanks to comeback. Sorry but this wasn’t Roy Halladay.

-The Mets fared no better in their first game down south losing to the Marlins 7-3. The story was John Maine, whose right shoulder stiffened up forcing him to leave with one out in the fifth leading 2-1. A couple of batters following John Baker’s leadoff homer which broke up the shutout, the Mets staff took no chances taking out the 27 year-old righty taking precaution as they don’t want to lose him for any extended period. The Met pen couldn’t hold a 3-2 lead in the eighth allowing five Marlins to come across. After Dan Uggla’s single tied it, Cody Ross put Florida ahead with a base hit to right off Scott Schoeneweis, who replaced Joe Smith after starting the inning. When it looked like he’d escape a bases loaded no out situation down only a run, he uncorked a wild pitch allowing insurance to come in. Pinch hitter Robert Andino, who earlier this year beat the Amazin’s on a walkoff homer delivered a two-run double making the Marlins 7-3 winners to pull them within a game of first while the idle Phillies are just half a game back.

Tonight, the resurgent Oliver Perez goes up against fellow lefty Scott Olsen while Philadelphia begins a three-game series in Washington.

-It’s hard to fathom how white hot Fernando Tatis is with the bat. Last night, the 33 year-old veteran left fielder had two more hits knocking in two of the Mets’ three in defeat. Once a power hitting third baseman for the Cardinals after coming over from Texas near the beginning of his career, Tatis fell apart after being dealt to Montreal and eventually was out of the bigs altogether in 2004, 2005 and even last year. Over the past month, he’s been unbelievable for the Mets sparking them into first with clutch two strike hits which would make Alex Rodriguez jealous. Following a quiet June in which he did essentially zilch hitting .236 with three RBI’s while fanning 16 times in 55 plate appearances, Tatis is hitting a ridiculous .415 (27-for-65) with six homers, 14 extra base hits and 18 RBI’s. How does one explain the meteoric turnaround for a veteran who hardly played four of the past five years? It’s a great comeback story. Given how we can’t take things for granted anymore these days,  you just hope it’s on the up and up.

-C.C. Sabathia threw 124 pitches (77 strikes) in earning a no-decision in second place Milwaukee’s 4-3 loss to the Cubs to start a big four-game set. I just thought you should know.

-Isn’t it something how good buddy John Giagnorio’s favorite Cub Alfonso Soriano comes back and immediately starts contributing in a big way in the last two wins to stay two up on the Brew Crew?

-They might have lost last night to the Pirates but I still say the Rockies if they play their cards right are coming back to take the NL West because the two teams in front of them just aren’t that good. That’s also why Matt Holliday shouldn’t go anywhere the next few days.

-Don’t ya think either the Yanks or Mets would love to have as scrappy and heady a player as Pitt’s Nate McLouth manning their center field a few years from now?!?!?!?!?!?!

-Reported on the Bottom Line: Brett Favre just crossed the street into town to have lunch with his family.

-I just don’t get how they can have another 90210. That Tori Spelling’s Donna character is being brought back doesn’t say much for her career. Though Shannen Doherty’s Brenda character should still be interesting. Is Jennie Garth’s Kelly really coming back too? Got to say she still looks good on these What I Like About You repeats.

-It was interesting listening to discussion on WFAN in New York about Carlos Delgado’s sudden resurgence. Perhaps Staten Island Yankee official scorer Kevin Nasta is onto something about the Met first base slugger not putting out much effort for former manager Willie Randolph. And isn’t it odd how Jose Reyes went from a basket case who would’ve worked for that classic Green Day video to suddenly back to being the most dangerous leadoff hitter in the game with MVP consideration? Players are pampered way too much these days. I could just see Delgado and Reyes getting away with that in the Yankee locker room.

-I was talking with fellow Giant blogger Ryan Kratz just the other day about how little respect Big Blue is being given despite pulling off three of the biggest upsets en route to a third Lombardi Trophy. Here they are without the retired Michael Strahan, who will be missed due to his veteran presence and headache Jeremy Shockey, who won’t be missed in the least as they head into camp. They still got Eli, Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer and the two-headed ground attack of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. Plus second-year players Steve Smith and Kevin Boss. Then there’s the D which still boasts one of the most dangerous pass rushers Osi Umenyiora, riser Justin Tuck and a healthy Mathias Kiwanuka. Who isn’t excited to see how rookies Kenny Phillips and Mario Manningham fit in to help bolster both sides of the ball? Plus Aaron Ross and Corey Webster in the secondary.

Will it be tough for Tom Coughlin’s group to defend their title? Absolutely. But when you see the same so-called experts who had them losing last January to Dallas, then Green Bay and then the big bad Belichick Pats already writing them off behind the Cowboys and Eagles for the division, it’s maddening. What do they have to do to garner respect? Maybe they’ll have to win it all again to silence the doubters.

-I’m no expert but this Renaldo Balkman trade to the Nuggets moving one of your best energizers who can rebound and defend as well as anyone for more guards. Is this really what the new plan is for the Knicks? Just more proof that it doesn’t matter who’s running the Dumb and Dumber Clown Mgt 101 franchise.