-The Yanks placed Joba Chamberlain on the 15-day DL. Not surprisingly, they didn’t specify what was wrong with the ailing starter. Is this really what it’s come down to with this team? Where the hierarchy who runs it is so paranoid about what could be a serious injury/setback to one of their future stars that they can’t even come out and inform the media what the injury is. It’s just gotten silly. This regime hates criticism so much and many are already counting the Yankees out of October because if their rising ace is out for an extended period or even done, then it becomes awfully difficult to see them making it 14 straight postseasons. As of right now, it appears veteran righty Dan Giese will fill his spot in the rotation later this week out West.

-Already, the first place Rays had a stirring come from behind 10-7 walkoff home victory over the Indians scoring six in the ninth. Eric Hinske’s run scoring double got the comeback started. Gabe Gross followed with a tying two-run home run off no-name Edward Mujica. Masa Kobayashi fared no better retiring nobody and then serving one up to first base slugger Carlos Pena, who hit his 20th sending Tampa Bay to a thrilling win. A night prior, rookie Evan Longoria was the hero hitting his 22nd highlighting a four-run seventh in an 8-4 win. This team shows no signs of slowing down. They’re awfully resilient and deservedly boast the majors’ second best record (68-45)- one half game better than the Cubs only trailing the Angels (70-43) by two. Who thinks they’re not making it?  Something magical is happening in St. Pete.

-Given their rotation troubles, do you think the Yankees wish they had retained Jeff Karstens and dealt away another pitcher instead in the Xavier Nady deal given how unbelievably he’s pitched thus far with the Pirates, having a perfect game broken up in the eighth by Arizona’s Chris Young. Maybe he just needed to get out of New York.

-I still can’t get over how the Twins can be 11 over tied atop the AL Central with the White Sox while Johan Santana hasn’t won 10 games yet with the Mets a couple of games worse in third place two behind the Phillies.

-Alfonso Soriano stayed hot hitting his club-leading 21st driving in three in an 11-4 rout of the Astros. Utility man Mark DeRosa hit a grand slam knocking in five. Remember when he was a bad signing? Not so anymore. He’s hitting .278 with 12 homers and 63 RBI’s. Not bad production.

-If you were Brett Favre, who would you rather play on? The Jets, who remain very much in flux or the Bucs, who were a playoff team the year before. Seems like an easy enough choice.