Yonkers Graded Entries

Post Time: 7:10 p.m.

Best Bet: Romantic Moment (2nd)

FIRST: mile pace; $111,268; N.Y.S.S.

2 ZellwegerBluechip

(GBrnnn)

3-5-2

4-1

1 Vanity Fairest

(PLachance)

2-2-1

5-1

5 BrwnsvilleBomber

(JMorrill)

3-5-1

8-5

3 Heavens Bettorhalf

(BSears)

8-5-10

8-1

4 Double Major

(TTetrick)

2-7-4

8-1

6 Centralia Hnover

(YGingras)

5-3-5

10-1

SECOND: mile pace; $111,268; N.Y.S.S.

5 RomanticMoment

(YGingras)

2-1-3

7-5

2 New York Kitty

(GBrennan)

1-3-5

5-1

4 Jk Fine Art

(JMorrill)

4-2-2

8-5

1 Marinade Hanover

(BSears)

4-2-2

8-1

3 HaywrthBlueChip

(TTetrick)

6-2-6

12-1

6 Sir Lb's Z Tam

(PLachance)

5-6-2

15-1

THIRD: mile pace; $113,268; N.Y.S.S.

2 Handsoffmycookie

(TTtrick)

2-1-2

3-5

7 Eighthunrdolarbill

(GBrennn)

1-1-1

5-1

4 Canamerica

(DDube)

2-8-1

12-1

1 Ramalama

(EGoodell)

7-3-3

10-1

3 Upstroke Hanover

(BSears)

1-5-8

12-1

5 Ryder Blue Chip

(JBartlett)

7-3-4

10-1

6 L Diz

(JMorrill)

1-6-4

8-1

FOURTH: milie trot; $19,250; claiming

3 Ringside Lauryn

(GBrennan)

2-3-1

9-5

6 Speed Hanover

(JBartlett)

4-2-6

6-1

7 Benns Sure Thing

(TButer)

1-1-2

3-1

1 Champion Hill

(DDube)

4-2-1

10-1

2 Rev It Now

(CManzi)

3-2-1

4-1

4 Curly Top

(EGoodell)

8-4-6

12-1

5 Gotta Be Prfect

(LStalbaum)

8-8-1

5-1

8 Fortissimo

(BHolland)

5-5-1

15-1

FIFTH: mile pace; $11,500; claiming

4 Ladybones

(BSears)

8-5-8

10-1

3 Make A Bundle N

(CManzi)

5-8-5

3-1

1 Marie The Artist

(LStalbaum)

2-4-4

5-1

2 Our Girls Chance N

(SSmith)

5-2-5

10-1

5 Rolltideroll

(GBrennan)

2-7-4

4-1

6 SuperstarDream

(EAbbatiell)

9-2-2

8-1

7 So Confusing

(JPantaleano)

8-1-8

6-1

8 Little Mermaid N

(DDube)

8-6-3

20-1

SIXTH: mile pace; $14,500; cond

1 Late Flyin N

(GBrennan)

1-2-1

3-1

4 Speed Mcqueen

(JStratton)

5-3-5

8-1

2 Look Annie Hall

(TButer)

3-2-4

9-5

3 Cape Marj

(LStalbaum)

4-1-1

5-1

5 Peteantnart

(JPantaleano)

7-5-5

12-1

6 Brickyard Nellie

(RBaynes)

8-3-6

15-1

7 Carnivalocity

(JBartlett)

3-4-7

12-1

8 Styx Delight N

(BHolland)

8-8-1

20-1

SEVENTH: mile trot; $19,000; cond

3 Holly Hill Master

(BHolland)

5-7-3

8-5

1 Crypto Man

(GBrennan)

7-4-1

4-1

7 Current Closer

(JDoherty)

6-5-3

8-1

2 Winbak Dream

(PLachance)

2-6-5

6-1

4 Abundasass

(TButer)

9-7-4

SCR

5 Braggart

(BSears)

7-1-1

8-1

6 Donttellmywife

(JBartlett)

6-7-7

12-1

8 Yozhik

(DDube)

4-4-4

12-1

EIGHTH: mile pace; $17,000; claiming

2 Clooney Drmmond

(CManzi)

6-2-7

8-1

5 Midnight Gambol

(BSears)

1-3-8

8-1

3 Hi Ho Steverino

(TButer)

2-1-3

8-5

1 Up Front Jerry

(BHolland)

2-7-6

4-1

4 Distinct Color

(GBrennan)

2-4-4

10-1

6 Mixed Media

(EGoodell)

7-6-2

10-1

7 Gem Heist

(ADavis)

5-1-3

15-1

8 Golden Time

(JBartlett)

8-7-2

15-1

NINTH: mile pace; $17,000; claiming

1 Mcardle Park

(BSears)

3-8-1

8-5

4 Lord Of The Bling

(JStratton)

3-7-6

5-1

3 Game Jocko

(GBrennan)

1-8-3

4-1

2 Sucrose Hanover

(TButer)

5-4-1

12-1

5 Bettors Curse

(JBartlett)

4-8-6

10-1

6 Tinys Million

(LStalbaum)

1-5-5

6-1

7 Print It

(BHolland)

6-7-5

12-1

8 Yuma Hanover

(EGoodell)

2-7-3

10-1

TENTH: mile pace; $19,000; cond

4 Moving Art

(GBrennan)

1-2-1

7-5

7 Britash Redcoat

(TButer)

1-1-4

8-5

6 Latin Lyric

(BSears)

2-4-3

15-1

1 Boots Place

(LStalbaum)

5-7-4

10-1

2 Denyittotheend

(EGoodell)

7-3-6

15-1

3 You Little Rascal

(JStratton)

6-7-3

10-1

5 Sadies Place

(JPantaleano)

1-8-6

5-1

8 Hannah Isabel

(JBartlett)

3-1-6

12-1

ELEVENTH: mile pace; $19,000; cond

6 Ideal In Vegas

(CManzi)

1-9-1

8-5

1 Dysnomia Blue Chip

(BSears)

3-1-6

4-1

3 Whatrugonnado

(LStalbaum)

2-3-3

5-1

2 Gordys Filly Yenta

(JBartlett)

4-5-5

8-1

4 Fantasy Winner

(ADavis)

1-1-1

5-1

5 Look Siera

(GBrennan)

3-5-1

10-1

7 Orphan Annie

(JStratton)

6-2-5

8-1

8 Grounded

(TButer)

4-3-7

15-1

TWELFTH: mile trot; $19,000; cond

3 E L Rock

(GBrennan)

1-1-1

4-5

5 Buck I D

(CManzi)

4-1-6

12-1

7 For You Almostfree

(DDube)

2-6-2

6-1

1 Pilgrims All In

(LStalbaum)

8-2-1

6-1

2 Justa Jersey Boy

(JBartlett)

1-4-8

10-1

4 Lukin At Me Kid

(BHolland)

5-1-2

15-1

6 Samsawinner

(BSears)

1-6-2

15-1

8 Whybabywhy

(TButer)

5-4-4

10-1

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mile pace, Marinade Hanover, Centralia Hnover, Jk Fine Art, Vanity Fairest, New York Kitty, Speed Hanover

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Commissioners facing final hurdle for football playoff

And here's the playoff pitch.

The commissioners of the 11 major college football conferences and Notre Dame's athletic director gathered Tuesday in the nation's capital to present their proposal for a four-team playoff to a panel of 12 university presidents, headed by Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger.

Approval from the BCS presidential oversight committee is the last hurdle to clear for a big-time college football playoff to become a reality. The new format would replace the Bowl Championship Series, starting in 2014.

Former acting Big 12 Commissioner Chuck Neinas said before the meeting at a hotel in the DuPont Circle area of Washington that the commissioners will make about a 30-minute presentation, and then take questions from their bosses.

"The presidents have been pretty well briefed by their commissioners coming in, so it will be a matter of how much they want to discuss," he said.

The presidents will then talk about the plan among themselves. Each of the 11 conferences and Notre Dame is represented on the presidential committee. Approval is expected, but it won't come without some debate.

Nebraska Chancellor Harvey Perlman has said he would prefer to keep the BCS as is or make a small modification to it that would have the championship matchup set after the bowls are played instead of before. The tweaked BCS is referred to as a plus-one.

"I know Harvey Perlman will speak to the plus-one. That's very well documented," Neinas said with a chuckle.

The commissioners have been working on a new postseason format since January. They have held six formal meetings, the last of which was last week in Chicago. At that meeting, they announced that they had come to a consensus on a plan.

The proposal calls for two semifinals played at existing bowl sites on Dec. 31 or Jan. 1, with winners advancing to a title game to be played about 10 days later. The site of the championship game will be bid out the way the NFL does with the Super Bowl. The four teams will be chosen by a selection committee, similar to the way the NCAA basketball tournament field is set.

Who exactly will be on that committee has yet to be determined. The basketball committee has 10 members and is made up of conference commissioners and college athletic directors. Neinas said the football selection committee will probably need to be larger so anyone with ties to a conference or team being discussed can be recused.

Even if the presidents sign off on the commissioners' plan by the end of the day, there are still details to be worked out, beyond how to pick a selection committee.

The semifinal sites will rotate among the four existing BCS bowls - the Rose, Orange, Sugar and Fiesta - and a couple more sites will likely be added to that rotation. Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the new home of the Cotton Bowl, is considered a front-runner to land in the rotation.

A revenue sharing plan between the conferences still has to be finalized, though the commissioners have said a framework for that is in place.

Neinas, whose career in college sports spans more than five decades, said he is not surprised to see major college football on the verge of implementing a playoff for the first time.

"What people forget is the BCS is part of an evolution," Neinas said. "There was the alliance, the coalition, the BCS and now this new (format) would be the four-team playoff."

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Commissioner Chuck Neinas, college football conferences, college football playoff, Notre Dame, commissioners, selection committee, Harvey Perlman, college football, Bowl Championship Series online, university presidents, athletic director

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Calder Results

FIRST-7 fur; $11,000; clm($10,000); 3up

3

Growl (MontrryJr.)

7.20

3.40

2.20

6

Elss'sroylmg (Domnguz)

5.60

3.40

5

Yes He's Innocent (Villegas)

3.00

Scr: Mr. Foxy, Schatt the Bandit.

* Exacta (3-6) $31.60 * Superfecta (3-6-5-1) $153.00 * Trifecta (3-6-5) $136.60

SECOND-1 mile; $13,500; alw; 3up

4

Brr d'Oro (Gonzls)

6.60

3.00

2.40

7

Power Rules (Nunez)

2.20

2.10

1

a-Master Tassel (Saez)

2.10

Scr: Mr. Monarch, King Kitten.

* Daily Double (3-4) $26.60 * Exacta (4-7) $21.60 * Superfecta (4-7-1-2) $58.60 * Trifecta (4-7-1) $34.80

THIRD-1m&70yds; $11,000; clm($10,000); 3up

5

Tke Advntge (Sez)

3.40

2.40

2.10

3

Johnny's Galxy (Gonzles)

3.60

2.80

1

Tour de Comprse (Domnguez)

4.00

* $1 Pick 3 (3-4-5) 3 Correct $22.20 * Exacta (5-3) $10.60 * Superfecta (5-3-1-4) $234.40 * Trifecta (5-3-1) $54.00

FOURTH-7 fur; $10,500; clm($6,250); 3up

8

Vnshng Bck (Snchz)

6.80

3.40

2.40

1

Blandishing (Leyva)

3.00

2.40

5

Tiznow Mytime (Jara)

2.60

* $1 Pick 4 (3-4-5-8) 4 Correct $72.80 * $1 Pick 3 (4-5-8) 3 Correct $29.70 * Exacta (8-1) $20.00 * Superfecta (8-1-5-2) $159.00 * Trifecta (8-1-5) $40.80

FIFTH-1m(T); $22,000; clm($40,000); 3YO

2

Snster Brew (Jara)

6.60

3.40

3.20

5

Peekablue Sue (Panici)

3.60

3.00

8

Criolla Linda (Gonzales)

5.60

Scr: Indy Crown, Oh So Sherri, It's a D'wildcat.

* $1 Pick 3 (5-8-2) 3 Correct $23.40 * Exacta (2-5) $18.80 * Superfecta (2-5-8-1) $320.60 * Trifecta (2-5-8) $83.20

SIXTH-6 fur; $16,500; clm($25,000); 3up

3

Gbsn Cnty Ln (Grc)

5.40

3.20

2.80

2

Saint Pete (Cruz)

4.80

3.20

1

Prince Liam (Leyva)

8.40

* $1 Pick 3 (8-2-3) 3 Correct $22.30 * Exacta (3-2) $22.40 * Superfecta (3-2-1-5) $1,284.40 * Trifecta (3-2-1) $177.20

SEVENTH-1 1/16m(T); $28,000; alw; 3up

6

Nam's Strke (Sez)

5.00

3.40

2.20

5

For the Luv of Lil (Leyva)

4.00

3.80

7

Storm Warnings (Ferrer)

4.60

Scr: Great Scot, Aussi Austin, Jupiter.

* $1 Pick 3 (2-3-6) 3 Correct $26.20 * Exacta (6-5) $11.20 * Superfecta (6-5-7-4) $85.20 * Trifecta (6-5-7) $55.60

EIGHTH-5 1/2 fur; $39,000; mdn; 2YO(f)

3

Weknd Wrror (Sz)

3.40

2.40

2.10

2

Distinction Lady A (Rios)

4.80

3.80

6

Seretaria (Gonzales)

2.40

Scr: Be My Love, Sweetly Put.

* $1 Pick 3 (3-6-3) 3 Correct $19.50 * $1 Consolation Pick 3 (3-6-7) 3 Correct $12.80 * Exacta (3-2) $18.20 * Superfecta (3-2-6-4) $153.20 * Trifecta (3-2-6) $40.40

Winner picked by Vic C.

NINTH-1m(T); $15,000; clm($16,000); 3up

7

Grove Hall (Saez)

9.40

4.60

4.00

8

Mean Sax (Leyva)

6.80

5.00

6

Bidham (Soto)

5.20

Scr: Surely Sent, General Guti, My Pocket Ace, Tour Ireland, Omar's Tiger, Uffizi, Winner Jak, Joey the Scholar.

* $0.1 Pick 6 (8-2-3-1/2/6-3/7/8-7) 6 Correct $85.17 * $0.5 Pick 5 (2-3-1/2/6-3/7/8-7) 5 Correct $148.25 * $1 Pick 4 (3-1/2/6-3/7/8-7) 4 Correct $74.30 * $1 Pick 3 (6-3-7) 3 Correct $28.90 * $1 Consolation Pick 3 (6-7-7) 3 Correct $11.30 * Exacta (7-8) $63.00 * Daily Double (3-7) $15.60 * Superfecta (7-8-6-14) $2,055.00 * Trifecta (7-8-6) $278.80

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Trifecta, Trifecta, Superfecta, Superfecta, clm, clm, clm

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Parx Racing Analysis

Post Time: 12:25 p.m.

All Horses appear in post position order

1. 5f; $25,000; str alw; 3up; (f&m)

GABRILICIOUS trounced in turf sprint stakes at Belmont after closing in the slop in claiming start to win by a half. Barn winning at 35% clip here. FUMING been battling at this level in last three and owns a 8 1/4-length romp in the mud before two third-place finishes. FOURTEENKAROTPRIZE third start off layoff and third attempt at this level while switching to bug rider.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Trainer

Odds

1 Gabrilicious(L),108

J Ortiz

9-1-5

Rodriguez

3-1

2 Queen Cleopatra(L),118

A Castillo

2-9-5

Lake

7-2

3 Patriot Princess(L),113

K Frey

6-1-4

R Preciado

10-1

4 Fuming(L),111

J Acosta

3-3-1

Guerrero

2-1

5 Fourteenkarotprize(L),113

K Pellot

4-2-4

G Preciado

4-1

6 Full Moon Frolic(L),118

V Molina

7-1-8

McNeely

8-1

2. 1m; $25,000; str alw; 3up; (f&m)

WADE COUNTY stepped up from game place finish against claimers and won going wire to wire at today’s conditions. LADY S first start since April after two third-place finishes at this level and gets barn switch for trainer who is 22% with new horses. KEIRALICIOUS was extremely wide before offering no match for winner and taking place spot in last at today’s level.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Trainer

Odds

1 Arcina(L),118

F Pennington

2-8-4

Reid

6-1

2 Wade County(L),115

A Castillo

1-2-3

LeBarron

2-1

3 Keiralicious(L),110

J Acosta

2-3-1

Guerrero

4-1

4 Lady S(L),111

A Canchari

3-3-4

Walder

3-1

5 Sweet Dispute(L),118

K McManigell

4-2-4

Guerrero

10-1

6 Where There's Love(L),118

A Suarez

1-1-9

Aristone

7-2

3. 7f; $24,000; cl($10,000); 3up

OFFICER WARRIOR ran very wide and was caught in state-bred allowance start and settled for place spot, now drops in class. JAMBONIED makes second start since September and drops in class after beating two in last. VARBOROUGH has been dropping steadily and was wide in last and finished fourth before getting claimed from barn that returns to win at 26%.

PN Horse, Wt.

Jockey

Last 3

Trainer

Odds

1 Double Dutch Bus(L),112

R Moya

5-1-3

Bedard

12-1

2 Varborough(L),105

L Villanueva

4-6-2

McMahon

7-2

3 Jambonied(L),119

J Acosta

4-7-3

Guerrero

8-5

4 Officer Warrior(L),114

R Rosado

2-7-1

Calderon

2-1

5 West Birch(L),121

A Castillo

1-8-10

Andrade

8-1

6 Mr. Ventura T(L),117

P Hrndz Ortga

4-5-2

Aro

12-1

7 Minute(L),119

V Molina

5-9-2

Conrad

15-1

4. 6f; $28,000; mdn cl($25,000); 3up; (f&m)

STRIKE A PUNCH made debut with blinkers in last and had nothing else after gunning on lead in fast fractions. Drop today should help. APPEALING LUCY makes second career start after a wide trip where she came up empty late and makes first start off claim for barn that fares well with these. KIWI GAL has been beating half the fields he’s run in now drops to lowest level thus far and gets blinkers today for shake up.

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2

3

horses, horses, Queen Cleopatra, Horse, place spot

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Wall’s not lost for Mets' Bay

Jason Bay is still undergoing tests, but there are early indications the concussion he sustained last week is not as severe as the one that cost him the final two months of the 2010 season, a team source said Friday.

The Mets left fielder visited with teammates before Friday night’s 6-4 win over the Yankees at Citi Field — his first trip back since hitting his head on the left-field fence eight days ago and staggering from the field with a concussion.

The source said many of Bay’s symptoms have subsided, and there is a sense of optimism he won’t need to miss the remainder of the season — as some within the organization had originally feared. But Bay is under continued evaluation by doctors.

Bay’s previous concussion came in July 2010, when he smashed into the left-field fence at Dodger Stadium.

***

Johan Santana received the key to the city from Mayor Michael Bloomberg to honor the lefty’s June 1 no-hitter.

“I know it won’t open any doors or anything, but we’ll take it,” Santana said. “I really want to thank everybody and all the fans and all of New York City for being very nice to me and my family.”

***

Citi Field’s new dimensions were kind to the Yankees, who blasted three homers after hitting four Bronx bombs in the last game of their homestand Wednesday.

“I was glad to hear they moved the fences in,” Mark Teixeira said. “I’m all for a pitcher’s duel, but there were times when you would hit a ball 420 feet and it would either be a double or an out. That’s too much. It seems like it’s more fair now.”

YANKEES-METS BOX SCORE

PHOTOS: SUBWAY SERIES MOMENTS

Robinson Cano, Andruw Jones and Alex Rodriguez all went deep. Rodriguez hit homers in consecutive games for the first time this season.

Cano has 12 homers over his last 31 games following last night’s moonshot to right field after hitting just three in his first 38, but insists he hasn’t made any major changes.

“I was saying all along, the home runs would come because I felt good at the plate the whole time,” Cano said. “But it’s good to get some results.”

***

As R.A. Dickey remains a strong candidate to start the All-Star Game for the National League, the veteran knuckleballer said finding a catcher to handle his signature pitch shouldn’t be an issue.

“There’s always a first time for people to catch the pitch,” Dickey said.

NL manager Tony La Russa has suggested it might be more beneficial to use Dickey early in the game — perhaps as the starter — so there will be time to recover from any potential catching mishaps.

“I’ll do whatever anybody asks me to do,” Dickey said. “I don’t have an ego in this thing.”

***

The Yankees saw their season-high, seven-game road winning streak snapped. It was their longest streak away from The Bronx since 2009. … The team signed its third-round pick, high school first baseman Nathan Mikolas, for a reported $400,000.

***

Ronny Cedeno (1-for-3) was activated from the disabled list and was in the lineup for the Mets at shortstop. Elvin Ramirez was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to clear roster space, leaving the Mets with six relievers. Manager Terry Collins said if the team encounters a bind in the bullpen, Ramon Ramirez (on the disabled list with a hamstring injury), Pedro Beato and Jenrry Mejia are among the options that could be a phone call away.

mpuma@nypost.com

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Jason Bay, Mets, the Yankees, concussion, Alex Rodriguez, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Mark Teixeira

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Homer-reliant Yankees may never get clutch

Ken Davidoff
Follow Ken on Twitter
Blog: Baseball Insider

I’d steal from Dennis Green and say that, in last night’s second Subway Series opener, the Yankees and Mets were who we thought they were. But there’s no need, thanks to Joe Girardi.

“We are who we are,” the Yankees manager said after his team dropped a 6-4 decision to the Mets at Citi Field. “There are basketball clubs that are built around 3-point shooting, and when they don’t make their 3s, they don’t win. We’re a home run-hitting club. If we hit two- and three-run homers, we usually win games.”

Hmm. That’s not the most encouraging logic, looking forward in this so far successful Yankees’ season.

N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg; Anthony J. Causi

UNLUCKY STRIKES: Curtis Granderson is in a rainy-day mood after striking out with runners on in the ninth inning of the Yankees’ 6-4 loss to the Mets last night at Citi Field, just as Robinson Cano had in the first inning.

The Yankees hit three more homers last night, extending their major-league-leading total to 108. And they went hitless in four at-bats with runners in scoring position, including two failures in the ninth inning against Mets closer Frank “Chicken” Francisco, giving them 125 hits in 577 at-bats for the season in those situations, a woeful .217 batting average.

The Mets, meanwhile, created a five-run first inning against Andy Pettitte because they came through with two huge hits with two outs and runners in scoring position.

You wonder whether the Yankees can ride such terrible situational hitting all the way to the division title, or whether that skill must improve to prop up other areas that have compensated for the clutch deficiency so far.

“It’s going to change one day,” said Robinson Cano, one of the team’s worst offenders with a .145 batting average (9-for-62) with runners in scoring position.

“It’s kind of an individual thing,” Mark Teixeira said. “If you swing at bad pitches, probably be a little less aggressive. If you’re taking a lot of strikes and getting down in the count, you probably want to be more aggressive.”

It was Teixeira who stepped up to the plate with two outs in the ninth and teammates Derek Jeter and Raul Ibanez on first and second. Curtis Granderson had struck out looking to pass the baton to Teixeira, who swung at a 1-and-1 Francisco fastball and skied it to short left field, where Mets shortstop Omar Quintanilla settled under it and made the game-ending catch.

“I had my chance,” Teixeira said. “I got the pitch I wanted, took a good swing on it and just missed it. Just popped it up. It happens. ... [Francisco] throws me a lot of sinkers. If that ball sunk a little bit, I might be walking around the bases with a game-winning home run.”

Earlier in the game, Cano stranded teammates at first and second with a first-inning strikeout, and the Yankees put runners on second and third with two outs in the second only to see Jeter ground out to shortstop.

The Yankees’ home-run prowess, starting pitching and bullpen all deserve credit for making the hitting with runners in scoring position problem more of a curiosity than a crisis. But every component hits a speed bump at some juncture. And on a good team, every component should eventually shine.

When will the Yankees’ clutch hitting shine? It didn’t during their 10-game winning streak. It hasn’t in the subsequent three-game losing streak. These hitters are so talented, and there’s little reason to press, given their standing. There is, in short, no common-sense explanation for the Yankees’ continued struggles here.

Girardi’s basketball analogy is flawed. A basketball team that relies on 3-point shooting probably lacks the big guys capable of scoring in the paint. A baseball team that relies on home runs doesn’t necessarily lack the ability to come through in clutch moments. Shoot, there’s nothing better than a crucial home run, of which the Yankees have a few.

Maybe the other strengths can carry the Yankees all the way through this liability. Perhaps the law of averages will finally work to the Yankees’ favor.

For now, though, it ranks as a major annoyance in a generally pleasurable Yankees’ season.

“We ask this question every day,” said Girardi, expressing his fatigue. “You keep putting them on, it’s eventually going to change.”

Unless, of course, this is just who the Yankees are.

kdavidoff@nypost.com

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France out to be Spain in the neck

DONETSK, Ukraine — Spain is looking for a little history and a little revenge today in its European Championship quarterfinal against France.

Spain has never beaten the French in six major competitions, the most recent loss coming at the 2006 World Cup. Spain hasn’t been eliminated from a major tournament since, and defender Sergio Ramos doesn’t want another French victory to end his team’s bid for a third straight major title.

“Football offers up something nice, which is you always get a chance at revenge, and [today] we get that chance,” said Ramos, who played in that 3-1 second-round loss to Les Bleus in Hannover, Germany.

Since that result, Spain has gone on to hone the quick-touch, possession game that led to triumphs at Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup. Between those title wins, the French claimed the fifth of its six wins over Spain.

“There are facts that can’t be denied, and we will strive to change that,” Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque said. “We’re favorites since we’re world and European champions, but in the prior matchups France has been superior to us. Let’s see if we are capable of changing that precedent by extending the success we’ve achieved.”

Del Bosque said he had doubts about his lineup after the unconvincing 1-0 victory over Croatia, which helped Spain finish first in its group.

Spain’s attack has been led by striker Fernando Torres or midfielder Cesc Fabregas, and there was no further clarity over which way Del Bosque would lean in the team’s first match in Ukraine. Striker Fernando Llorente, who impressed this season with Athletic Bilbao, remains unused at Euro 2012.

Spain was not letting news of France’s locker-room outburst following the loss to Sweden soften the team’s approach.

“In every household of every family, there are arguments,” Ramos said, “and that doesn’t necessarily mean the unit is affected.”

The Spanish are the masters of keeping possession, but the French have the likes of Samir Nasri, Franck Ribery and Yohan Cabaye. They are comfortable on the ball, making the match potentially one for the purists.

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