Good morning, New York/New Jersey sports fans! Let's get right down to the business of checking the regional sports scene.
↵MLB: The New York Yankees' vaunted bullpen squandered a 4-0 lead Tuesday night in a 5-4 10-inning loss to the Minnesota Twins. Manager Joe Girardi was, of course, second-guessed on how he handled the fateful eighth inning. The biggest question, or problem, though revolved around reliever Rafael Soriano. After imploding, Soriano bolted the the locker room without talking. Not a good sign that the Yankees' key free-agent acquisition would behave like that the first time he failed.
↵The New York Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-1, behind a historic effort from pitcher Chris Young. Young's pitching was OK as he got the win, but it was his hitting that was memorable. He became the first pitcher in team history to get two hits in one inning. Maybe the Mets should find a place for him to play when he's not pitching.
↵NBA: The New York Knicks won their fourth straight, beating up on the Toronto Raptors, 131-118. Yes, the Knicks are taking advantage of soft competition, but that is what a good, playoff team is supposed to do.
↵The New Jersey Nets earned their 24th victory of the season, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves, 107-105. That doubles the Nets' victory total from a season ago and, in many ways, validates this season as a step in the right direction for the franchise.
↵NFL: The 2011 NFL Draft is rapidly approaching, and SB Nation New York has begun breaking down the New York Giants roster to determine potential needs the team could look to fill in the draft. We will be doing the same for the New York Jets. Oh, and we are having a little fun with a Tom Coughlin vs. Rex Ryan poll. Have to give NFL fans something besides the lockout or the draft to talk about.
↵Odds 'n ends: Texas A&M won the NCAA Women's Basketball national championship Tuesday with a 76-70 victory over Notre Dame. ... The Masters Tournament tees off Thursday, and SB Nation New York will have complete coverage for you.
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