AL East

When you’re lucky enough to grab front row seats at Busch Stadium along the first base line, it means you’ll be only a few feet from what is likely the best player to wear the Birds on the Bat since Stan Musial. 

While it can be exciting just being within shouting distance of a Cardinal legend, when that same legend comes charging toward your seat chasing a foul ball, things get taken up a notch.  And when things get taken up a notch in the stands, it’s "Faces In the Crowd time…"

It looks like the Yankees' Xavier Nady will need surgery, although the team hasn't released an official statement yet.

If he has surgery, that will pretty much end his season and the Yankees will have to call someone up to take his place.

It could mean an opportunity for Shelly Duncan, or John Rodriguez, who knows, but it won't be Austin Jackson. I will be back later with more as it develops and the lineups for today's game.

One more quick note, Evan Longoria is out of the lineup for Tampa today due to a family matter.

Sample size, sample size, sample size!

Remember the thing that increases the accuracy of whatever the available data happens to be? 

The offense has stunk it up, there is no denying that, but the hitters have had to face some pretty good pitching so far too.

Matt Garza has great stuff. Scott Kazmir may have a little Dice-K in him, but he too flashes brilliance at times. James Shields is either a good pitcher or a great pitcher.

Joe Saunders is solid, maybe better. Jered Weaver is above-average, and he too might be better. 

Not only is Daisuke Matsuzaka's arm fatigued, but Red Sox Nation is also after suffering through a 12 inning, four hour and 24 minute, 6-5 extra innings loss to Oakland.

Matsuzaka went just one inning—citing arm fatigue after being taken out of the game—giving up five runs on five hits, two walks and no strikeouts.

Boston spotted Dice-K a 3-0 lead after the first inning. It was the only lead the Red Sox would have.

The Tampa Bay Rays successfully threw-out the argument for a minimum payroll last year —winning a pennant with an opening-day payroll of $44 million (compared with the Yankees’ $209 million)— but the residual cost of winning the pennant is clear (since a title is only that much further).

After getting trounced last night by the Rays 15-5, the Yankees face the Rays tonight in the second of the three-game set at 7:08 p.m.

The Yankees look to prove themselves to the AL East and to the majors, and to show that last night's loss was a fluke.

Toronto Blue Jays:

Don't look now but the Toronto Blue Jays are 6-2 and leading the revamped American League Eastern division. My first Bleacher Report article outlined this possibility when upon the re-hiring of former manager Cito Gaston on June 20, 2008 the team proceeded to finish last season on a 51-37 clip.

The Red Sox claimed second baseman Travis Denker off waivers from the San Diego Padres; the Padres nabbed him from the San Francisco Giants last year.

Denker, 23, has a .243/.333/.486 line in 37 at-bats with the Padres this year. It was his major league debut, and TSN.ca says he is "a true gamer with some pop in his bat, decent speed and pretty good plate discipline. Has solid gap power."