Chien music

The Yankees always manage to upstage the Mets. History is made at Citi Field Friday night when Gary Sheffield hits his 500th homer. The Yankees can’t even wait 24 hours before making their own history on Saturday by allowing 14 runs in one inning. And the Yankees even have their own Sheffield connection when six of those runs (and two later runs) are given up by Anthony Claggett, one of the pitchers the Yankees acquired when they traded Sheffield to the Tigers.

Usually, when you see a headline reading “22-4” associated with a pitcher, it’s a good thing. Dwight Gooden: 24-4. Ron Guidry: 25-3. Ah, for the good old days when such numbers referred to season records, not single game scores.

After the Mets played the Chicago song “In the Beginning” during the opening ceremonies at Citi Field, Metstradamus suggested another Chicago song, “25 or 6 to 4,” as a possible song for Oliver Perez, since that could be the final score. Looks like that song, which includes lines like “Wondering how much I can take” could apply to Chien-Ming Wang these days.

I feel a little bad for Nick Swisher. It was only last Monday that most people besides Jorge Posada got a little pleasure out of seeing Swisher on the mound. After all, how many times would the Yankees be blown out so badly that such a move would ever be considered?

Turns out twice in the next five days.

And now, when you hear the fans chant, “We want Swisher,” it is associated with the home team being embarrassed.

But the Yankees could be even more embarrassed if Carl Pavano, who had his own nine-run inning only last week, somehow manages to beat the Yankees today.