“I tell you, I’ve been here a month and a couple of days, and I’ve seen some crazy things,” said Bobby Abreu, who broke a 5-5 tie with a double to deep center. “This team has come back at any time, no matter what.”
(Tyler Kepner, N.Y. Times)

Well, it was just a matter of time, I guess. The Yankees left runners on base in the first six innings last night in Kansas City and had just one run to show for it. They were retired in order in the seventh and then broke out for ten runs against the Royals’ bullpen in the eighth, turning a 5-1 deficit into an 11-5 lead. The final score on “Star Wars” night in KC: Evil Empire 12, Royals 5. Chien-Ming Wang was not great though he did not pitch poorly either (Wang was victimized by a botched double play and a missed call at the plate in the sixth). Luke Hudson was what they like to call “effectively wild.” His hard change-up was particularly sharp and he struck out ten Yankees. He also brushed a few Yankees back. In the third, Hudson knocked Jeter down with a pitch around the shortstop’s noggin; after shooting Hudson a dirty look, Jeter lined the next pitch right back through the box, into the pitcher’s body. You can only dream about stuff like that.

But KC’s bullpen was awful in the eighth and the Yankees pounced. Forty-four pitches were thrown, ten runs scored, and when all was said and done, the Yanks remained nine ahead of Boston, who beat the White Sox in extra innings last night at Fenway Park. The magic number to clinch the division for the Bombers stands at 17. I wonder if Giambi and Damon partied with any Wookiees after the game.

Mike Mussina returns tonight, while Hideki Matsui will play in Trenton tomorrow.