Which development from this afternoon’s 7-6 loss to the White Sox was worse:

Javy Vazquez’s continued ineptitude pitching in pinstripes or the Yankees losing Curtis Granderson for (at least) 15-days with a strained groin?

Your gut might tell you missing Grandy for two weeks, but what about the possibility of Vazquez NEVER coming around for the Yanks??

Alright, let’s not go all Doomsday on Javy just yet (though I’m sure plenty of fans and columnists will do just that tomorrow morning), but the guy’s gotta get his act together – and fast.

With that being said, here’s reaction from today’s debacle from the postgame locker room.
You’ll hear from Javy, Nick Swisher (coming to his defense, yet again) and Vazquez’s catcher, Jorge Posada.

Check it:

Today was day two of the Jets rookie minicamp. It ends tomorrow. Between two-a-day practices, Rex met with the media to discuss all things Jets, with specific emphasis on the newcomers.

Seeing how it’s Rex, and pretty much everything he says is either enlightening, cringe-worthy or hilarious, we’ve put the text of his entire press conference below.

Want to know about a specific rookie??...trust me, it’s here. Wilson, McKnight, Duccasse, Conner, Basped (who?).

(Plus a bonus: Find out the Former Pro Bowl QB the Jets are interested in signing....)

Check out “Rex: Unplugged”:

Phil Hughes made sure the Yankees’ weekend losing streak halted at one, dominating the White Sox throughout seven scoreless innings.

Hughes hasn’t allowed more than four hits in any of his starts this season. He’s 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA.

Also of note, Brett Gardner hit a home run…over the fence, for a change. It’s the fourth home run of his career, and if I remember correctly, only two of those are NOT of the inside-the-park variety.

Mark Teixeira also swung the bat well today, continuing his resurrection from his April swoon. Tex had four hits including a two-RBI double in the 7th that made it 12-0 Yanks.

And then there’s Robinson Cano. Typical day for Robbie – HR, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored.

We were in the locker room after the game and you’ll hear from Hughes, Gardner, Nick Swisher and manager Joe Girardi.

Enjoy:

So... what is this now??? The third ESPN Sunday night Mets game??? Enough already... Selfishly, I'm annoyed beacuse I can't show the highlights unless the game is over. But seriously, do we even need to have a Sunday night game? I know that TV has taken almost every baseball tradition away, but isn't it comforting to watch baseball on a Sunday afternoon? By habit... I turned the TV on today at one o'clock and couldn't find the Mets game. I was thinking, is it a rain delay? No... The game wasn't on.

ESPN has a finite amount of times it can televise each MLB club so I guess they're thinking was...let's get the Mets early while they're still in contention. Who knew they'd be in first place? I have to say, waiting all day to see Johan Santana knocked around for 4 homeruns and 10 runs is no fun.

ESPN wants whatever games they are televising to mean something. So that's probably why the Mets have been on so often, so early. I guess they're clearing the way for the inevitable bunch of Yankees-Red Sox games to be televised on ESPN. The first of which will be a week from tonight.

Have you ever seen anything like the 4th inning in tonight’s Mets game?

Mets fans, ever-so fragile as you are, what do you make of this??!! Are we jumping off the bandwagon or just chalking it up to “one of those nights?”

When Johan walked Jamie Moyer I said to myself, “I’m guessing Santana might consider that the worst at-bat, given the situation, he’s ever pitched in his career.” I think I might be right.

Of course it was a sign of the disaster to come. Johan walked Moyer to force in a run and then surrendered a grand slam to Shane Victorino.

After Victorino, Chase Utley took Johan yard.

Joe Morgan, whatever you may think of him, I think hit it on the head – Johan’s fastball had ZERO movement. He was throwing meatballs up there…and don’t say those bombs had anything to do with Citizen’s Bank Park being a launching pad.

So what do we think, Met fans? You have to admit, that inning was a disaster.

I've had about 19 hours to absorb the horror that was last night's Mets game. As a lifelong Mets fan and frequent contributor to this blog, you know that I was counting on the Mets to take two out ofthree from the Phillies in order to make a statement both to the Phils and to their fan base. Instead, fans are left questioning the health of their supposed ace, and the managerial smarts of their skipper. Jerry Manuel gets plenty of blame for last night's debacle.

The way I see it...the resignation of Tim Welsh should serve as a reminder to all of us that one mistake can bring disappointing and detrimental results. It should serve as a reminder to think before we act and though we are not perfect, to try and do the "obvious" things. When you drink, don't drive. If you are tired, don't drive (nap in the car or at your desk or wherever) . If you think you shouldn't do something, then don't. Look, I'm not grandstanding and I don't necessarily think Welsh should have had to resign. I believe because he was not established at Hofstra just yet, there was no way to rebound (excuse the pun) from this one. Hopefully, Welsh will use this situation to come back, stronger and wiser, at another school and once again, get the opportunity to coach.

Leonard Marshall is back in football... Decades after he helped the Giants win two Super Bowls, he's poised to help some high school students learn the fundamentals of the game. Marshall is the new head coach at Hudson Catholic in Jersey City. He takes over a program that was just 2-7 last year and almost closed down three years ago amid money problems. At 49, this is Marshall's first coaching job. We spoke to him today and got his thoughts on his new position. Listen in after the jump.

Where can you get a Cup O'Joe? Anywhere... But a Box O'Joe?? Only at Dunkin Donuts... Now I'm not on the Dunkin Donuts payroll so I won't advertise for them, but a nice partnership for a good cause has been formed. Dunkin Donuts has teamed up with Joe Girardi's "Catch 25" foundation. It's involved with cancer and Alzheimers research among other worthy causes. I could tell you all about it, but I'll let the Skip do it... Listen to Girardi... after the jump!

17 year old Phillies fan Steve Consalvi has 15 minutes of fame. He'll be a Youtube star for a long time after running onto the field last night at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia. Young Consalvi has also sparked a debate: His antics got him tased by a police officer, resulting in his being apprehended.

People are arguing over whether or not excessive force was used by using the taser to capture the kid. Here's my answer: Cops did what they had to do,

The taser incident isn't the only thing wrong in Philly. Ryan Madson is headed for surgery on his right big toe and will be out an estimated 8 weeks. Kicking a chair after a blown save in April...was it worth it? Did someone ruin a batch of cheese steaks and hand them out recently? (Please don't do it! Too delicious) Here's the thing Mets fans let's captilize on this! Okay so the call really is for the METS to capitilize on the rough period the Phillies are going through. With Madson out, looking for a closer and setup man in their bullpen won't be easy: beyond righthander Jose Contreras, there is closer Brad Lidge (will be activated on Friday-elbow) and lefty setup man J.C. Romero (activated on April 22) to rely on for the late innings of tight games. Good luck! Pedro Feliciano, Jenrry Mejia and Fernando Nieve sound pretty sweet to me. I say the Mets should take advantage...here are the upcoming team schedules:

PHILLIES:
Wed, May 5 St. Louis
Thu, May 6 St. Louis
Fri, May 7 Atlanta
Sat, May 8 Atlanta
Sun, May 9 Atlanta
Mon, May 10 @ Colorado
Tue, May 11 @ Colorado
Wed, May 12 @ Colorado

METS:
Wed, May 5 @ Cincinnati
Fri, May 7 San Francisco
Sat, May 8 San Francisco
Sun, May 9 San Francisco
Mon, May 10 Washington
Tue, May 11 Washington
Wed, May 12 Washington

Andy Pettitte followed his five innings of work that led to his fourth win this season with an MRI on his left elbow. It showed mild inflammation and now there are question marks. He "will be treated conservatively and will be evaluated on a daily basis at this point," say the Yankees. So what does this mean? He could possibly miss his next start in Detroit, an option GM Brian Cashman has already alluded to. Manager Joe Girardi spoke about how the ailment began rearing his ugly head. One thing you got to love about Andy: he is a trooper, total competitor, but rest that 37-year old elbow, PLEASE! Listen to the Skipper after the break:

Since the euphoria of the 8 game winning streak that saved Manager Jerry Manuel's job, the Mets have lost 4 of their last 5 games, Another day, another putrid showing by the offense in the clutch, and strategic moves by the skipper that leave you shaking your head.

Tigers Hall of Famer Al Kaline was in town today to accept – on behalf of legendary broadcaster Ernie Harwell - WFUV’s Vin Scully Lifetime Achievement Award In Sports Broadcasting.

Harwell of course passed away yesterday at age 92.

Even before Harwell's death, Kaline was scheduled to accept the award at tonight’s gala at Gotham Hall in midtown.

That made my conversation this afternoon with “Mr. Tiger” all the more poignant.

Check the interview below:

GameChanger is the newest, coolest app on the IPhone...for now! As a mother who works full time and nights, I miss A LOT. Knowing that I won't miss my kid's action on the field is such a comfort and will definitely make me feel like I am apart of things, even when I am physically not there. Thanks to Ted Sullivan, Kiril Savino and the rest of the developers...check out how it works from Ted's interview after the break:

The Scarlet Knights introduced new men’s basketball coach Mike Rice today at a press conference in Piscataway.

Rice comes to Jersey by way of Robert Morris, who you might remember nearly knocked off No. 2 seeded Villanova in the first round of this year’s NCAA tournament.

He’s been signed for five years at $650,000 per.

Rice takes over for another four-letter first name, four-letter last name head coach, Fred Hill, who resigned two weeks ago after an incident at a Rutgers baseball game.

No word on if Rice is a baseball fan.

But, there are plenty of other topics touched upon in the COMPLETE press conference that you’ll find below.

Scarlet Knight fans, go crazy:

The case against Lawrence Taylor has progressed plenty since this morning, but nevertheless we were out pounding the pavement for some reaction from former teammates on Taylor’s arrest.

We caught up with former tight end and current Giants’ broadcaster Howard Cross (a teammate of LT’s from ’89 – ’93) to get his thoughts on his troubled former teammate.

Note: Tom Coughlin was at this same event – a charity function by a Wall Street brokerage firm (no, that’s not an oxymoron) - and declined to speak about Taylor.

Just thought you should know.

Here’s what Cross had to say:

Long story short, it’s over. Some guy from Alabama pulled it off on the FIRST DAY the game came out!

It took so long for him to be recognized as the winner because a lot went into the verification process (he had to video tape himself playing the entire game, etc.).

Anyway, the reason I bring it up is this: as one of the many rules in the contest, the guy had to play on “MLB Today” mode, meaning he had to choose a team based on the actual games (and starting pitchers) scheduled for that day.

The day he bought the game, there were only TWO teams scheduled to play a Spring Training game.

And that’s why we’re here. Who do you think he pitched a perfect game against?:

When he was on the football field, Lawrence Taylor was the perfect player, blessed with athletic ability few mortals have ever imagined. With no apologies to Dwight Howard of the NBA's Orlando Magic, Taylor was Superman. I have never seen a better defensive football player. On the gridiron, Taylor knew no fear and very few obstacles he couldn't overcome.That player, that persona will forever be known as "LT."

But Lawrence Taylor the man has played Clark Kent to LT's Man of Steel. Managing his life off the field has been a struggle for Taylor, dating back as far as his days at the University of North Carolina. He has a post football legal rap sheet as long as my arm. He fought a well publicized battle with drugs-one that may or may not come into play now. Taylor's latest legal mess could sack him-for good.

Masters champion Phil Mickelson can overtake Tiger Woods for the No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Rankings this week if he wins the Players Championship and Woods finishes outside of the top 5.

Both are 3 under par going into the weekend, nine shots behind the leader Lee Westwood. Lefty has never been a World Number One and I think he TOTALLY DESERVES it! Not only has he transformed his physical form to become healthier and a more capable golfer, Mickelson demonstrates what it means to be a professional on and off the course. Here is to Mick...go get 'em!

Mark Teixeira after third HR as seen on FX

Yankees/Red Sox. You know what that means, we don't need to go over it again.
This afternoon's game from Fenway started at 3pm on as part of FOX's GAME of the Week.
However, the skies opened up with 2 outs in the 5th inning, and it started raining cats and dogs. An hour later came the big announcement, when the game resumed, FOX was switching the game off of FOX and kicking it over to FOX's sister station, little watched FX. The reason, to show NASCAR. In New York? Huh?
Yankees/Red Sox vs NASCAR in New York.
No way! Never should happen! Yes, I know NASCAR is huge, but not up against Yankees/Red Sox IN NEW YORK! And trust me, I know a ton about racing, in fact my grandfather is in the racing Hall of Fame as an owner, so don't think I'm some idiot who doesn’t know what he's talking about. I have covered plenty of NASCAR racing in my career, and fan or not, it is something everyone should go see, it's awesome, but in this case Yankees/Red Sox is bigger and the racing wasn't even starting.
I also know TV and eyeballs equals advertising dollars, but in New York, you would get all the eyeballs you need on the Yankees Red Sox, not NASCAR. Any other part of the country, except Boston, go put your NASCAR on the big station, but not in NY. There would've been plenty of eyeballs waiting out the rain and coming right back after the hour and 14 minute rain delay.
Bad decision FOX !

Henry Blanco gets mobbed by Mets teammates after HR

Break up the Mets!!! Citi Field is really starting to be a home field advantage for the Amazins. Saturday afternoon, they won their 9th straight home game as they knocked off the San Francisco Giants 5-4 in 11 innings. A lot of good things to talk about. Even though he didn't get the win, Johan Santana bounced back with a good performance after he was shelled in Philadelphia. The Mets bats are really coming through when it counts. Saturday's win is their third win in their last at bat. All three wins coming off of homeruns by Mets catchers bats, Saturday it was Henry Blanco's turn. His first homerun as a Met. After the jump... listen to Blanco, Santana, and Jerry Manuel talk about the exciting Mets win.

OK.... I know merchandising is a big business... But the Cleveland Cavaliers take it to another level. How many uniforms do they have?? It's crazy... I have to give credit to my little brother who posed this question as his facebook status awhile back... As I sit here and watch the Cavaliers/Celtics game, I notice yet another uniform that I don't remember... Right now... I think we're at nine uniforms... Do you like any of these?

Oakland A’s pitcher Dallas Braden finally made a name for himself for something OTHER than feuding with Alex Rodriguez.

The pitcher famous for yelling at A-Rod for running across his mound threw a perfect game today against the Rays (who were perfecto’d by Mark Buehrle last July).

For the record, I was on Braden’s side in the whole “un-written rule” fiasco with A-Rod. I thought A-Rod made himself look stupid pretending at first that he didn’t know what he did and then wondering why Braden was mad.

Then A-Rod further made himself look like a fool when he said Braden shouldn’t talk because he hadn’t accomplished enough in the league.

Well, A-Rod can stuff all that in his hat today, because Braden tossed only the 19th perfect game in MLB history.

Only two days ago Rodriguez was quoted as saying this: “I really don’t want to extend his extra 15 minutes of fame he already has.” Well, whatever A-Rod’s intentions in saying that, Braden’s performance ON THE FIELD today puts their feud back in the spotlight.

Sir Strikes-Out-a-Lot finally blew his top today, and David Wright’s resulting tantrum (and eventual ejection in the 9th inning) resulted in the following picture showing Wright’s near-Roberto Alomar moment:

Of course the spittle was scream-related, but still, I was a little bit shocked when I saw it in photo-form. The argument was really heated live on TV, but to see it captured thusly makes you stop and think for a minute.

About what, I’m not too sure. But still, a pretty wild picture of a very rare moment. How many more times do you think you’ll see ‘Mr. Met’ explode like he did today?

Take a picture….a moment like that doesn’t come around very often.

Matt Estreich for The Huddle

Mother’s Day in MLB means players having the option of using pink bats in celebration of both Mom’s and breast cancer awareness.

So this begs the question, which local players used the pink bats (love their moms) and which have chosen instead to use their usual lumber (hate their moms).

Below you’ll find a list of today's starting lineups for both the Mets and Yankees. Check for yourself and see who loves mom and who definitely didn’t call home this morning:

How much longer can we take this guy??? Oliver Perez is stinking up the joint, not coming anywhere close to earning that big contract he got awhile back. Sunday at Citi Field against the Giants, the Perez line looked like this: 3.1 IP, 4 runs, 3 earned, 2 hits, 7 walks, 1 HBP, 2 K's. He threw 98 pitches, only 44 were strikes... He got a no decision as the Mets lost 6-5. We were in the locker room after the game and we hear from Jerry Manuel, Rod Barajas, Ike Davis and David Wright. Listen in after the jump.

The Mets are set to start a series with the Washington Nationals Monday Night at Citi Field. The Amazins have developed a nice home field advantage, winning nine of their last ten games in Flushing. But one of the biggest question marks is the viability of Oliver Perez. In Sunday's blog, I called him "Awful Ollie" and he has been just that. He's 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA. In his 30 innings of work so far, he's walked 25 batters. So should Ollie stay in the rotation? Jerry Manuel says he'll get at least one more start. Manuel also talks about losing Henry Blanco for an unspecified period of time as he tends to his sick mother. Listen to the Mets Manager after the jump.

The above photo shows us where Kevin Ferguson, aka Kimbo Slice, spent most of UFC 113-on his back with nowhere to go. UFC 113 may have marked the end of the MMA trail for Slice. Saturday night, the Internet street fighting sensation, catered to by the now defunct Elite XC and then Dana White and the UFC was easily defeated by Matt Mitrione. It looks like Dana White has seen the error of his ways by bringing in a guy just for the publicity.

Now that Nose Tackle Kris Jenkins, Offensive Tackle Damien Woody and Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan are in a race for "Biggest Loser: Jets Style", I have an idea on what to do with all that food they WON'T be eating these days.

I love how it has become a contest to eat well and be healthier EVEN among the pro athletes who are supposed to be a bit chunkier than most. EVERYONE should be eating healthy despite having to put on weight. Today, Jenkins protested that Ryan and Woody carry their weight on top and have more body fat than he, insinuating it will be harder for him to lose weight because "I'm more muscle". And don't worry Jets fans, being in the middle of the D-line, I know you WANT him to be big. We are talking from 360 pounds to 340-345, his weight in college. Big Jenks will still be there. Let's just get him and his knee back healthy.

Okay so what to do with the food: DONATE IT! All those burgers, steaks, extra sandwiches you would have wolfed down, give it to area soap kitchens or shelters and feed others. Novel idea, considering one of their meals could probably feed a family (well, at least, one adult and two kids) . Just saying.... The Jets are generous and the prize for the "biggest loser" is a donation to his favorite charity. Keep on giving throughout the process though...11 weeks is a long time and would feed plenty.

OK... someone has photoshopped a Knicks uniform onto LeBron James' body... Wishful thinking by the folks at New York magazine, I'd say. If it were me, I would photoshop a Nets uniform onto him. Why? Because I'm a Nets fan of course... Also because the NBA board of Governors approved Mikhail Prokhorov as the new principal owner of Nets Basketball. That means the Brooklyn thing is going down... As you know Prokhorov has deep pockets and the Nets have the cap room to spend big. Can they lure LeBron here? Can Jay-Z talk his boy into donning the Nets red, white, and blue rather than the Knicks orange and blue or the Cavs whatever. Again, how many uniforms do they have? But I digress. Nets fans like myself have something to look forward to. And you thought you'd be reading a blog about LeBron coming to the Knicks... Ha!

Chris Carter is called "The Animal" by Mets Manager Jerry Manuel. Carter is intense, no doubt about it. I love Manuel's story about telling Carter that Alex Cora arrived before he did, one day in Spring Training and how incensed Carter was about the whole thing. Carter was the first one in the clubhouse almost every day. 7AM...even if practice didn't start until two hours later.

The guys say they love him in the clubhouse because he is always "up". I remember seeing him super focused sitting on his chair before workouts. I almost thought I would be interrupting if I tried to speak with him. I appreciate that he can manifest that intensity onto the field and be a good motivator and bat off the bench. Let's face it this Mets team needs the latter desperately. Bring on the Animal ! It will be the Mets own version of the rally monkey or tomahawk. I would love a sea of Animal Muppets throughout Citi Field and hear "ANNNIIIMALLL"!

If you watched this afternoon’s game (or read about it, or listened to talk radio about it, etc.) you know he’s Roger Bernadina and that he single-handedly beat the Mets today.

Fact: Before today’s game, Bernadina had ZERO career home runs.

Fact: Washington Nationals outfielders consistently find heartbreaking ways to rob Mets’ hitters of go-ahead and/or game winning hits.

Today Bernadina used a little from column A and a little from column B to rip the hearts out of Mets’ fans and, yes, haunt your dreams tonight.

We got this press release earlier this evening. If I can say so, this is an amazing pairing!! A home and home series of rap talent...Eminem on the comeback...pretty cool...they promoted the concerts, yes two of them, on tonight's Yankees-Detroit game. Read the release below:

The new Yankee Stadium will hold its first-ever concert on Monday, September 13, with a doubleheader of JAY-Z and Eminem.

“We are thrilled that two of today’s most exciting music artists will headline the first-ever concert at Yankee Stadium,” said Chief Operating Officer Lonn Trost. “Yankee Stadium was built with this kind of mega-event in mind. It will undoubtedly be a memorable occasion for music fans around the world.”

While this event will serve as the Stadium’s first official concert, JAY-Z has previously performed at Yankee Stadium, singing his hit “Empire State of Mind” with Alicia Keys on October 29, 2009, prior to the Yankees’ 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2 of the World Series.

The September 13 concert will be the second of a home-and-home series of shows for New York City-native JAY-Z and Eminem, who was raised in the Detroit metropolitan area, as the pair will also perform at Detroit’s Comerica Park on September 2.

An announcement will be made regarding the ticket on-sale date and ticket availability in the near future.

So Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel denies that the Phils were trying to steal signs the other night in Colorado when their bullpen coach was caught with binoculars. Manuel had the nerve to say that the METS should be investigated because they've played well at home this season.

Manuel then went on to say that if the Phillies were to steal signs, they'd do it "legally" by just stealing obvious signs from another team. Ah, we need theHot For Words chick from Fox News to bring out her dictionary and thesaurus and explain that there is nothing "legal" about stealing an opposing team's signs. The fact that Charlie brought up the Mets on his own leads to to believe that something may be afoul here.

I realize I am in the minority here, but I'm NOT on board with a local Super Bowl at the new Giants/Jets stadium. Chances are the Big Game with the Roman Numerals will get to the Big Apple, but I am opposed for a few definite reasons.

Ok, so now we know. LeBron ISN’T winning a championship this year in Cleveland.

So the question for you now, Knick fans: is that a good thing or a bad thing as far as James’ pending free agency is concerned?

Plenty of people were in the “if he wins, he’s gone” camp. But seemingly just as many believed that if he didn’t win, he’d have unfinished business in his home town.

Now that it’s official, what do you think?

Me personally, I think the way that series ended does not bode well for Knick fans. These last two games – game five in particular – will leave a very bad taste in LeBron’s mouth.

In fact, if he were to leave for New York (or anywhere else, for that matter), you get the sense that he will be HATED in Cleveland and viewed as a loser who couldn’t win the Big One.

The way I see it, in the immediate aftermath, he’s not going anywhere next year.

Sorry to say Knick (and to a lesser degree, Net) fans, but LeBron’s staying in Cleveland.

And those terrible last two games will have everything to do with it.

Matt Estreich for The Huddle

Everyone is doing just about ANYTHING to get Lebron James to notice them! New Yorkers are flooding the web with mashup pictures of Lebron in and around the Big Apple. If he loves hot dogs, there are plenty of carts on pretty much any corner...

...one guy suggested renaming the Brooklyn Bridge: King James Bridge.

One person even made a connection to Captain Sullenberger, the pilot behind "Miracle on the Hudson". Our very favorite in the sports office: a video, ala "We Are the World", created by locals in Cleveland. Oh, it's great and of course there is a HUGE diss to all of us. Check out the following links and tell us how you think we should woo Lebron to the Knicks OR the Nets....I say MONEY will get James and others (and it will come down to the supporting cast)! The Nets new Russian billionaire owner has a lot of that....have a good weekend, Lolita~

http://www.break.com/usercontent/2010/5/13/we-are-lebron-1836763

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/957RRX/bit.ly/b8Ht9n/r:t

You knew it would happen. It was just a matter of when. The Mets have taken Oliver Perez out of the starting rotation. Next Wednesday's starter in Washington has not yet been named but it will most likely be Hisanori Takahashi. Perez has struggled mightily this year with a 0-3 record and 5.94 ERA. Friday night in Florida, Perez allowed four homers and seven runs in just 3 and a 1/3 innings. The Mets did think about sending Perez to the minors but he would have to approve that move.

By Caroline Kovach

Despite a slow road trip, the Yankee lineup has now scored 15 runs in 2 games since coming back to the Bronx. Mark Teixeira and Jorge Posada with a 1-2 punch in the 7th, both smacked 2-run jacks in the inning. Andy Pettitte is off to his best start since 1997. Pettitte pitched 6.1 scoreless innings, gave up just two hits, and improves to 5-0 with a 1.79 ERA. Yankees beat the Twins 7-1. We were in the locker room after the game. Take a listen.... after the jump...

We’ve got some MUST LISTEN stuff in today’s postgame after the Yankees’ wild game with the Twins this afternoon at the Stadium.

Mariano pulled a rare two-fer (and not of the good variety). Mo walked in a run with the bases loaded – only the fourth time he’s done that in his career – and then gave up a grand slam to the next batter.

He hasn’t given up a granny since 2002.

Mo’s meltdown of course cost the Yanks the game; the 6-3 win for the Twins was their first in the Bronx since 2007.

Afterward we were in the locker room to get reaction to Mo’s uncharacteristic day. Listen to Mariano himself, Derek Jeter and A-Rod on today’s weird happenings:

Interesting timing for Jon Niese to go down with an injury considering the Mets’ rotation was voluntarily thinned out this week with the demotion of Ollie Perez.

Jerry Manuel said today after the game that re-inserting Perez back in the rotation in light of the uncertainty surrounding Niese was NOT an option.

He’ll remain in the ‘pen for the foreseeable future.

So who will start Wednesday against the Nationals in place of Perez? And now that the Mets possibly need to replace TWO pitchers in their rotation, how deep are they willing to dig to come up with that starter?

So far all signs point to any of the following five candidates getting the start Wednesday:

The Boston Red Sox make their first trip into Yankee Stadium this season for a brief two game series. In Monday's game, Phil Hughes (5-0, 1.38 ERA) will face Daisuke Matsuzaka (2-1, 6.35 ERA) while C.C. Sabathia matches up against Josh Beckett on Tuesday. The Yankees are in an unfamiliar position, looking to bounce back after a Mariano Rivera bad outing. The Red Sox are trying to right themselves on the road after losing 5 of 6. We caught up with both managers before the game and they previewed the series. Listen in after the jump...

I had the best time EVER at the Every Woman Matters Walk yesterday at Jones Beach. The event raised funds for the Katz Women's Hospital and the Women's Health Institute. However it was so much more than just a fundraiser. The event showed how wonderful and generous people can be. From my co-workers who gave a little here and a little there, no questions asked, to all the "new" friends I met at the walk, there was a sense of togetherness and compassion.

Nearly 3000 moms, sisters, brothers, husbands etc etc walked the three miles on a beautiful Sunday morning. The Jones Beach boardwalk was a fantastic venue and made for a picturesque scene.

There was a nice warmup yoga, even my mother-in-law Margie joined the fun and several booths for people to peruse.

Volunteers were everywhere and on hand to help with just about anything. As always, it's about those that give of their time freely. Where would we be without them?!?

There is still time to give!!! Donations, keep them coming!!!: www.everywomanmatterswalk.com

No... He's not running for President again... term limits took care of that. But former President Bill Clinton is lending his name to get the World Cup back to the United States. It was a smash hit back in 1994. It really helped interest in soccer, or should I say football, here in the USA. There is an online petition going, he'll tell you about that after the jump. Trivia question: Who won the 1994 World Cup? Answer: also after the jump.

The Mets are in a free fall, and if they don't get things straightened out in a hurry, manager Jerry Manuel could soon be on the unemployment line.

Nowadays, women are just as rabid sports fans as the fellas are. For years, the guys have been showing support for their team wearing hats, jerseys, shorts, etc. The ladies now can support their team in style with the MLB/Victoria's Secret Pink Collection. Yankee First Baseman Mark Teixeira was at the launch in So-Ho... Check out some of the merchandise... maybe get an idea for a gift for yourself or your lady... and hear from Teixeira after the jump.

OK Nets fans, you didn't win the NBA Draft Lottery. I could argue all day that the team with the worst record in any sports should AUTOMATICALLY get the top pick. At the very least, the worst team in the NBA should have AT LEAST a better than even chance of winning the top pick. But I wouldn't be too disheartened with getting the third pick in the draft. Quite the opposite. There should be better days ahead.

I just listened to a half-hour power-house introductory press conference for new Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov.

Most striking about the guy was his top-notch sense of humor. He’s was riffing and wise cracking like a Russian Rodney Dangerfield.

He’s got more one-liners than Rubles (ok, not quite as many).

Anyway, I listened to the entire presser and whittled it down to a minute and a half’s worth of the Best of the Best.

This is a MUST LISTEN. The guy was spitting gems left and right and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Mr. Steinbrenner – you’ve met your match.

Check him out:

**Just throwing this out there: 10 years from now, any possibility the Nets are a bigger deal in NY than the Knicks? After listening to this guy, I'm starting to think so....**

It’s always funny when pitchers try to hit. It’s even funnier when American League pitchers try to hit during Interleague games.

We were at Yankee Stadium this afternoon and spied a trio of Yankee pitchers taking hacks in anticipation of their weekend series at Citi Field.

Some were better than others; namely pitchers with a NL pedigree like Javy Vazquez and Sergio Mitre (Mitre has a HR-hitter's swing).

Phil Hughes was the other guy we filmed and he was terrible.

Unfortunately for Yankee fans, Hughes starts Saturday. He has zero career at bats.

On the good side, Vazquez has 104 career hits and CC Sabathia (who starts Sunday) has three career home runs.

However, they’re still pitchers, and they’re still bad. Across the board, just bad.

How bad…see for yourself.

**By the way, I can talk smack because I was 6-7 in my co-ed softball double-header this Sunday. 3 HRs, a triple and two singles.

I can't say I am totally surprised that Floyd Landis has admitted to using performance enhancing drugs. He was dogged with allegations for years. What I have trouble with is that this guy is such a lowlife that he willingly has dragged other riders, (a la Jose Canseco and baseball players) into the mix.

New Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes met the media for the first official time at Jets OTAs today, and of course he was asked to tell his side of the “not shutting off his iPod on the airplane” story.

Holmes, who has a history of repeatedly “not getting it,” appears to still “not get it.”

While he was calm and straight forward in his account of what happened that night, he still managed to look bad calling out a flight attendant during his story.

You’ll have to listen for yourself (video is below) to see what I mean, but once you watch it I think you’ll agree.

Santonio, take the high road. You don’t need to drag this thing on.

You are entitled to tell your side of the story, but don’t start dragging someone else through the mud. Dude, just let it go.

Hopefully - and though there is little evidence to suggest he will - Holmes grows up during his Jets tenure.

Check out the video:

Mark Sanchez and D’Brickashaw Ferguson were guests at last night’s White House State Dinner and talked about it today with the media.

Sanchez – who is of Mexican descent – was a guest at the dinner honoring the President and First Lady of Mexico.

He chose to bring along his left tackle as his “date.”

Check out the video below for each guy’s thoughts on the evening, including why Sanchez chose ‘Brick and the special surprise the First Lady of Mexico had for Sanchez when she met him.

It’s a good story…check it out:

If anyone saw how Jerry Manuel walked away from John Maine in tonight's game against Washington, you know he is POed...to say the least. BUT can you blame him? I mean seriously, he seemed to have been completely blindsided by the fact Maine was even having problems. What?! No one decided to tell the Manager who let's face it, is in boiling water at this point, and needs everyone to be completely upfront with him. Where is the communication?

A similar event occurred when Joe Girardi was asked about NIck Swisher's injured biceps. I am paraphrasing but he said something like, I don't know I was just told about this. Shouldn't the managers know pretty much EVERYTHING that is going on with the guys? Should Pitching Coach Dan Warthen have said more? Was John Maine trying to be the big man and play through the pain? Either way, let's get real and COMMUNICATE! Joe and Jerry are looking out for their teams' best interests...HELP them out!

Love love love...Laura Posada! What a sweet lady but more than that, she is intelligent (attorney barred in Puerto Rico and the US Federal Court), humble and honest about her fears, mistakes, achievements, and her husband, Jorge's baseball future!!

Listen to our in depth interview about what Jorge and Laura have been up to, including a new book and a new drink. The Jorge Posada Foundation is still going strong, raising awareness about Craniosynostosis, Little Jorge's condition at birth. With proper treatment and care, a child can grow to be a beautiful and happy 10 year old like Jorge and beyond. Get more info below and check out the interview!

http://jorgeposadafoundation.org/

To find out check out the video below!

We were at pregame this afternoon before tonight’s finale of the Subway Series.

It seemed like the hottest topic during manager Jerry Manuel’s press conference was Jenrry Mejia.

What did Jerry think of Mejia’s 7th inning last night? Why did the Mets decide to keep him on the big league roster? Will they start grooming him for a spot in the starting rotation?

The answer to all those questions – AND MORE – lie one click below.

You know what to do…

I recently had the pleasure of shadowing (not in the ring!) Super Welterweight Champion Yuri Foreman at his "second home", the famous, Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn.

I was so pleased to see how humble and genuine he is. In a world where so many professional athletes have an entourage and a huge crowd around them, Yuri is the same old guy who came to this country with dreams of being a pro boxer. He doesn't feed into the spotlight and doesn't shy away from it either. A healthy balance. He walks the same streets in Brooklyn and takes the same subway train to the gym he has taken for years. I asked him that if he thinks winning this title, against Miguel Cotto, will really change his life. He says he will still be the same person he has been, with the same trainers, the same friends, the same lifestyle so rich in faith. I believe his rabbinical studies are more difficult than his work in the gym and ring and applaud his efforts with both.

(with Trainer, former Olympic boxer Pedro Saiz)

I hope one day to meet his wife who I hear is just as awesome as Yuri. Maybe one day she can teach me some boxing moves. Listen to my entire interview with Yuri and forgive some pauses...we were in the gym you know!

As for the fight, this is a tough one for me...Cotto is from my little hometown in Puerto Rico, Caguas...but I have been a New Yorker now for so long...ahhh...both guys, who I have met and have the pleasure to speak and hang out with are so great! This is tough! I will be lame and just hope for a good fight!

I couldn't let the day go by without one final contribution to "The Huddle." Two years after starting this blog as "Bobby vs. The World", today marks the end of a significant chapter in my life, and I exit WPIX with sadness but a grateful heart.

According to People.com, Nick Swisher is engaged to actress Joanna Garcia.

Read on at http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/05/28/2010-05-28_yankees_outfielder_nick_swisher_engaged_to_privileged_star_joanna_garcia_report.html?r=sports&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nydnrss%2Fsports+%28Sports%29&utm_content=Twitter