AL East

I figured since no one has decided to defend the Captain, then it was only fitting that I would step up to the plate and do it myself.

It has been three days now since Derek Jeter picked up the nickname, "Cheater Jeter," or "Jeter the Cheater." Either way you slice it, majority of those people either hate the New York Yankees or Jeter. He could hit a home run and people still would find a way to criticize him and his teammates.

Derek Jeter cheated.

Derek Jeter—the ultimate role-model, leader, and winner—cheated.

So people say.

However, it really is just part of the game.

For those who haven't seen or don't know about the incident in the Yankees-Rays game at Tropicana Field on Wednesday night (and if you call yourself a Yankees fan and haven't, I'm guessing you live under a rock), Derek Jeter came to bat in a crucial divisional game with his Yankees down by one in the late innings.

No, I'm not just excited because Alex Rodriguez hit a three-run home run with two strikes and two outs in the ninth inning of last night's game to claim a dramatic, 4-3 come-from-behind victory for the Yankees in Baltimore.

The Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 in Camden Yards last night behind a pair of homers by Alex Rodriguez—including a three-run homer in the top of the ninth with two strikes and two outs to turn a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead—and a decent pitching performance from starter A.J. Burnett.

Here are some highlights:

Last year, I thoroughly enjoyed laughing at the expense of starting pitcher A.J. Burnett, who was all over the map in his first season with the New York Yankees after the team signed the then-31-year-old to a five-year, $82 million contract.

He had his fair share of solid outings, as his 4.03 ERA suggested, but he would also toss in a terrible start here and there; he allowed five runs or more eight times in 2009.

The Tampa Bay Rays are once again a half game behind the New York Yankees. In the first of their three game series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Yankees defeated the Baltimore Orioles 4-3.

If Joe Girardi decides he had enough of the Yankees experience and goes to the Cubs, the Yankees can forget about Don Mattingly managing them.

The Dodgers hired Mattingly as their new manager after Joe Torre announced he won't return as the Dodger manager next year.

It is a good thing the Rays play the Yankees for a four-game series next week at Yankee Stadium.

After watching three exhilarating games between both teams at Tropicana Field this week, baseball can not have enough of both teams facing each other.

It may not be Yankees-Red Sox, but Yankees-Rays is anything but unwatchable. If anything, Yankees-Rays is better than watching that age-old rivalry.

This past week, Major League Baseball witnessed one of the best three-game, going-for-the-division slug fests in history.  Three one-run games.  Two extra inning games.  Cy Young caliber pitching.  Heavy hitting.  Seven lead changes.

The New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays clash featured playoff-caliber baseball, a preview of next week's four game set in New York, and a preview of the potential ALCS opponents.