A look at the first 10 of '09: Inconsistency all around.

At the 10 game mark, I felt it's worth taking a look at how the Yankees got to where they are now, with five wins and five losses.

The Yankees have been hot and cold. They lost two games to open the season, won the following three, lost the next two, won the next two, and then lost yesterdays opener to the Indians. The Yankees look to stop this trend today at the Stadium...

STARTING PITCHING.
The starting pitching has actually been pretty solid. Nearly two full times through the rotation, 3 of the 5 Yankee starters have ERA's under 3. While Chamberlain, Pettitte, and Burnett have done their part, Wang has allowed 7 and 8 runs in his two starts. Sabathia allowed 6 in the season opener. This has left them facing insurmountable deficits early in 3 of their 10 games.

BULLPEN
The bullpen was supposed to be a strength for the Yankees, and still may be during the 09 season. But they have gotten downright horrendous performances from almost everyone not named Rivera or Bruney. Phil Coke, Jose Veras and Damaso Marte have combined for a 14.84 ERA in 9.1 innings of work. Marte has been worst of all, beyond the inflated 27.00 ERA is this fact: he has faced 13 batters, and has struck out none. If the results keep up for some of these guys, Dave Robertson and Mark Melancon may be knocking at the door.

LINEUP
While Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher are off to wild starts, there are some players stumbling out of the gate for the Yankees. Mark Teixeira is hitting just .160, and Hideki Matsui is hitting .154. The Yankees have persevered despite the slow starts and have put up 5.3 runs per game, or 53 runs over the first 10. If they keep up this pace, they'll be fine, but with Teixeira's wrist injury and Matsui's always balky knee, there is cause for concern. Good news? A-Rod's ahead of schedule.

Overall here, it's pretty clear. Inconsistency has an above average team hovering at an average 5-5. Obviously the season is still young, but they need more than 4 guys hitting well at a time. The same goes for the bullpen. They need more than two reliable arms. And obviously, Wang needs some fix'n.

Got this done just in time for game 11, the second at the new stadium in the Bronx: Anthony Reyes(6.00 ERA) @ Joba Chamberlain(1.50 ERA)