The LoHud Yankees Blog

As I usually manage to do, I got on the security line behind the elderly Eastern European woman who is taking her first flight ever and is trying to take every piece of metal she owns with her through the security line.

Grandma filled up three bins of stuff. She had everything but the family silverware.

The trip to Gate 21 has so far featured an escalator down, a long hallway with two moving walkways (for safety and convenience, please stand on the right and walk on the left) and another escalator up. I’m not sure I’m still in Massachusetts.

At the top of the final escalator was a Dunkin Donuts with a line of 40 people. Seriously, 40 people at 4:40 a.m. I’m glad I don’t drink coffee. Meanwhile, Famous Famiglia Pizza was serving breakfast. The offerings included an egg, cheese and sausage stromboli. There was a medical team standing by to perform bypasses for anybody who needed one.

I went with the cranberry juice.

Every airport looks the same. You could be in Seattle, Boston or Dallas. Same stores, same CNN on TV, same everything.

I’m semi-coherent. I can’t be responsible for what I type at this point.

There is a huge security line. Must be all the people leaving to find a city with something to do at night

Bob the Avis driver cheerfully said “Northwest!” when he dropped me off at the terminal.

But all the signs said Delta. Turns out NWA merged with Delta. So i’m now on the upgrade list as I’m Delta elite.

Just in case, I changed my seat to a window in an empty row in the back.

Returned the car. Maria seemed thrilled to see me.

As far as all-night adventures go, this isn’t exactly a big success. I drove around a bit and everything is closed. Boston is not exactly the late-night excitement capital of America.

So now I’m at the airport, about to return my car. I wish I had more for you.

Nick from the Globe is going to Cleveland at 6 a.m. and is staying up, too. He suggested an 24-hour diner, but I’m not hungry.

So I’m headed to the airport. Here’s a shot of the tunnel.

The good news is the car has XM radio, so I’m listening to some decent music. Joe Jackson on Channel 44 at the moment.

Leaving Fenway now. Here is my car, alone in the lot. If this were Detroit, I’d be mugged by now.

OK, here is the deal:

I have a 6 a.m. flight to Detroit. I’m not sure why I booked that, but I did. Probably doing my part to save the dying newspaper industry.

A 6 a.m. flight means I need to be at the airport around 4:30 as I need to return my rental car. So I have roughly three hours to kill.

When in Boston, I stay with some family who live 30 minutes out of town. I can’t see driving there, sleeping for an hour and driving back. I also can’t see checking into a hotel at this point.

So I’m going to pull an all-nighter. This will be the first all-nighter in my life that didn’t involve either:

• Blackjack

• Driving to Chapel Hill, N.C., to see Bruce Springsteen.

• Studying for a Food Science and Nutrition final I forgot I had junior year.

The plan is to sleep on the plane. Northwest Flight 211 lands in Detroit at 8:15 a.m. I’ll cab to the hotel and catch some more sleep there before getting to the ballpark around 3 p.m. It’s a (relatively) fool-proof plan. Plus my bosses will be thrilled with my economical ways.

In addition, I plan to blog my little adventure. So stick around. And if you have any suggestions on how to kill a few hours in Boston in the middle of the night, let me know.

If only there was a casino.

I was in Toronto on May 29, 2007 when Aaron Hill of the Jays stole home on Andy Pettitte. It wasn’t the back end of a double steal or some other trickery, it was a straight, Jackie Robinson mad dash and Pettitte was furious about it.

“It’s embarrassing,” he said. “I’ll never let that happen again.”

Less than two years later, Pettitte had the bases loaded and a 2-1 lead when he went into a full wind-up against J.D. Drew. Jacoby Ellsbury, watching from third base, joked with third base coach DeMarlo Hale that he should try and steal home.

On the third pitch, he did just that. Ellsbury stumbled as he arrived at the plate, unsure of how he wanted to slide. He went head first and beat the tag of Jorge Posada. It wasn’t close.

“When I saw Andy go into his wind-up the previous pitch, I was thinking, ‘I can make it.’ It’s just a matter of going at that point,” Ellsbury said. “The biggest thing is getting the courage to go.”

Pettitte admitted that Posada told him to watch Ellsbury. He also chastised himself for not pitching out of the stretch. It’s inexcusable given that Ellsbury is one of a handful of players in the game who has the speed to pull that play off.

Joe Girardi, a staunch defender of his players, offered no excuses for Pettitte.

“He needs to check,” Girardi said. “He knows to check and he just didn’t do it. … It shouldn’t happen. It shouldn’t happen and it did.”

Here’s Girardi’s postgame press conference from tonight:

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The Yankees are 9-9, hardly reason to panic. But they tossed away games they should have won on Friday and Saturday and got shut down by a No. 5 starter and three fringy relievers tonight. Hunter Jones has pitched in one game. Michael Bowden was called up earlier in the day and Takashi Saito had a 5.06 ERA.

Now the Yankees very badly need CC Sabathia to be CC Sabathia tonight in Detroit or the wolves will start snapping at the heels of Girardi. It’s unfair to evaluate the Yankees until they get Alex Rodriguez back. Girardi also can’t be faulted for Chien-Ming Wang having a 34.50 ERA.

But a new Stadium with empty premium seats, a huge payroll and memories of finishing third last season won’t give Girardi much of a cushion. The Yankees need to actually get off to that good start they keep talking about.

YANKEES (9-8)
Gardner CF
Jeter SS
Teixeira 1B
Swisher LF
Cano 2B
Posada C
Matsui DH
Cabrera RF
Berroa 3B

Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (2-0, 2.53).

Pettitte vs. the Boston hitters.

RED SOX (11-6)
Ellsbury CF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Youkilis 1B
Drew RF
Bay LF
Lowell 3B
Varitek C
Green SS

Pitching: RHP Justin Masterson (1-0, 3.18).

Masterson vs. the New York hitters.

GAME THREE: The Yankees will and avert a sweep in an 8 p.m. ESPN game. Meanwhile fans will try and avert listening to Joe Morgan. … The Yankees lost 5-4 in 11 and 16-11. … It’s off to Detroit after the game. I have a 6 a.m. Northwest flight and may just stay up all night.

THE STOPPER: Good note from Elias via the Yankees: Tonight marks the 24th time in Andy Pettitte’s career as a Yankee that he will start in the final game of a series with the Yankees trying to avoid a sweep. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, in his Yankees career, has gone 17-1 in those starts – including one win in an abbreviated two-game series. Went 4-0 with one no decision in 2008 in such starts, including four road starts.

HISTORICALLY BAD: Saturday’s loss at Boston marked just the third time in franchise history that the Yankees lost a game by at least five runs in a game in which they had once led by at least six runs. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it had not happened since June 5, 1956 vs. Cleveland, when the Yankees let a 6-0 lead slip and lost 15-8. It marked the largest lead blown against Boston since May 16, 1968 at Fenway Park (led 9-3 in the fourth, lost 11-10).

WHO’S HOT: Jeter is 8 of 21. … Damon is 9 of 21. … Swisher has reached base safely in all 17 games. … Phil Coke has thrown four scoreless innings in a row. … Matsui is 7 of 18.

WHO’S REALLY HOT: Robbie Cano (.366/.410/.634) is having the best April of his career. He has hit safely in all but one game and had five homers along with 15 RBI. He takes a 12-game hit streak into the game.

CLUTCH IN SHORT SUPPLY: The Yankees have left 27 men on base in two games and are 7 for 36 with runners in scoring position.

ON THE SOX: Remember, for news from the other side, visit WEEI.com and the Full Count Blog.

Back later with much more.

UPDATE, 5:44 p.m.: Nick Swisher just showed up in a black suit with red pinstripes. It zips up the front. He also had on a gray fedora. He looks like one of Al Capone’s henchmen.

UPDATE, 6:24 p.m.: Johnny Damon is out of the lineup with a sore right shoulder, a sore knee and a sore back. Girardi said he hopes Damon will be available tomorrow.

UPDATE, 7:14 p.m.: Alex Rodriguez just had physical therapy today. Girardi said “there is a chance” the third baseman would get in a minor-league game this week. That is Girardi-speak for he will get in a game this week.

UPDATE, 8:25 p.m.: No score through one inning. It was 60 degrees at game time, a drop of about 20 degrees from what it was this afternoon in Boston. All the seats are full between the dugouts. What a concept.

UPDATE, 8:52 p.m.: Nice situational baseball there by the Yankees. Two singles, a bunt, a sacrifice fly.

I’m not sure I’m bunting in the third inning of a scoreless game at Fenway Park. But it worked out for now.

UPDATE, 9:05 p.m.: As was widely predicted, using Angel Berroa at third base is not proving to be a great idea. He has made two errors so far this inning and cost Andy Pettitte a run.

This is a guy who up until yesterday had played one-third of an inning at third base in the majors. People used to complain all the time about Joe Torre going with the experienced player instead of the rookie. There is no difference in this case. Joe Girardi is using Berroa because he knows who he is. Ramiro Pena would be a much better choice. He won’t hit, but at least he’ll make the basic plays at the position.

UPDATE, 9:15 p.m.: Another hit for Robinson Cano. He has a 13-game hit streak. He also has hit safely in 27 of 28 games dating back to last season.

UPDATE, 9:56 p.m.: Pettitte is pitching well. But you can’t walk Varitek to start the inning. You knew that would come back and bite him.

Now it’s 2-1 Sox with the bases loaded for Drew as Girardi calls for the intentional walk of Youkilis.

UPDATE, 9:58 p.m.: Ellsbury just stole home on Pettitte. That is inexcusable.

But Pettitte does not hold runners well. If you remember, Aaron Hill of Toronto did the same to him two years ago.

Now the game is getting away from the Yankees.

UPDATE, 10:40 p.m.: That at-bat was No. 8,102 for Jeter. That ties Mickey Mantle for the most in franchise history.

Hey, it’s Mark Melancon.

UPDATE, 10:44 p.m.: Wow, a relief pitcher who can get three outs in a row. What a concept.