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River Ave BluesMike Mussina is, whether we like it or not, a key cog to the Yankees’ success this season. Until the team is ready to move Joba Chamberlain out of that 8th inning role — and if he keeps doing what he did last night, that won’t be anytime soon — Mussina will be starting every fifth day. He needs to give the Yankees innings, and he needs to keep them in the game.
2007 will not be one for the ages for Mike Mussina. He hurled a career, full-season low of 152 innings while turning in a 5.15 ERA, a mark 1.40 runs above his career average. He failed to reach 100 strike outs for just the second time since 1992 and gave up 36 more hits than innings pitched.
If Mussina can keep his ERA around 4.50 this season, the Yankees will win his games. This a team that will score a lot of runs in many different ways, and if Moose can go 5-6 innings and allow 3-4 runs a start, the Yanks can find a way to win. Mussina is optimistic about his season. He knows that he needs to turn in a solid 2008 if he wants a contract somewhere in 2009. Let’s see if he’s true to his word.
The Yankees will go with the same lineup as last night. The Blue Jays have some changes.
Yankees
Damon LF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez SS
Giambi 1B
Cano 2B
Posada C Matsui DH
Matsui DH Molina C
Cabrera CF
Mussina RHP
Blue Jays
Eckstein SS
Stewart LF
Rios RF
Wells CF
Thomas DH
Overbay 1B
Hill 2B
Scutaro 3B
Barajas C
Burnett RHP
Notes: A.J. Burnett is 3-2 with a 3.20 ERA in six career starts against the Yanks. In 39.1 innings, he’s given up just 27 hits while striking out 35…Please consider donating to the Big Three Ks Craniosynostosis fund drive…Last night, we had over 200 posts on the game thread. That’s a RAB record.
Update 6:30 p.m.: Jorge Posada out; Jose Molina in. Jorge reportedly is day-to-day with a stiff right shoulder. He tweaked it yesterday and could not get loose enough to play in today’s cold weather. With 160 games left, there’s no point in running Jorge out there this early if he’s not feeling up to it.
The thing about Mussina is he runs smoking hot then ice cold. In the past he started of ok and improved till the all-star break. After the break he went in the tank, and gradually pulled himself out of the funk so at the end of the season he was pitching well again. He’s 40, but that doesn’t nessacarily mean he’ll pitch a stinker. Wang didn’t have his best last night, and he perservered, look at the results.
Besides, who had the milkman delivering last night?
If Moose pitches well in the first half, that will be a big boost to the Yanks chances. Young pitchers will be ready to step in if he then fades.
Looking at the Sox-Athletics game in the 8th…
never has “fuc*in’ A’s” ever been so appropriate. Who gave up the game for Boston? Hmmm…..Alan Embree and Lenny DiNardo. Just sayin….
mussina doesnt pitch hot and cold anymore. he pitches well against bad teams. he has become nothing more than a junkballer and not even an effective one alla david cone late in his career. good hitters will crush him all season because his fastball, which has always been straight as an arrow, can barely touch 90 on a good day.
lay off the knuckle curve and he is a dead man walking. i was for a santana trade, but at the least the team should have looked at some insurance in the offseason - i would rather have fat assss bartolo colon on this team than moose. i say he goes about 3-8 in 15 starts before he is removed from the rotation
AHHH I hope I’m not stuck with the espn feed.
Unfortunately for Posada, we are playing in cold weather untill the 14th. Get well soon Jorge.
And if games are on ESPN you can still get the feed from MLB Extra innings. In the words of the great Borat, “VERY NIICE”
Game started, where is everyone? lol.
WOW, Giambi. =|
GJ Mike, get to that bag.
Now there’s the Yankee defense we know and love.
So let’s see, Moose breaks down after an error in an inning. I expect nothing less that 3 unearned this inning. Even though that was 100% his own fault.
That was Giambi’s, he took too long to pick it up. Here we go again with the cheap hits.
I always thought that if the pitcher committed an error it should be and earned run if that baserunner touches home.
Bobby Abreu has such a great arm but I’ve never seen it in a game.
Error was on Giambi, but Mussina is throwing BP fastballs out there, so it doesn’t matter.
Can no one field the ball on this team? Eckstein was out by ten feet if Molina comes up with that.
Its too cold for most of these Latino’s to be comfortable(No offense, not trying to be racist)
and gidp.
racists don’t really need to try.
it was racist dude
Why does his fastball have so much movement? It looks like a cutter almost.
Oh well, go get’em tomorrow.
Ben, I think I know what the issue here is:
You guys spent all your time beating up on Melky (wow that was strike 3 to Thomas) and not enough beating up on Mussina. I’m not saying…I’m just saying.
For the rest of the season, I want no less than 3 posts per week detailing Mussina’s uselessness. You’ll thank me later.
1 run, none earned.
and I agree with Rich. Melky helps once and a while. Moose just intimidates batters with his 2 strike battlecry from the fans.
For the record, I loved the Melky bashing. I didn’t love that it was Melky they were bashing because I like him, but I thought the arguments were generally pretty decent and not just “Melky will fail because he has dimples” kind of stuff. I just want Moose to not suck, and it seems like they have some sort of charm that makes them eat their hats about certain topics.
Being wrong about Melky is more than likely something everyone here would love to do. Not like some bloggers…
Bah, the two hits were shitty little nubbers. He hardly got knocked around.
Mike, he’s throwing 86mph. Kids on your high school team threw that fast. Let’s just say he’s not missing many bats tonight. I love Moose, but he’s lost even more mph on that fastball. Color me worried.
“Let me ask you Paul, why does Derek Jeter have that natural ability to hit the ball to right field?”
Because it’s natural ability you retard. That’s what makes Jeter Jeter and Kay an idiot.
After last night, I’ve muted the in-game “analysis.” I can’t hang with Michael Kay. It’s like every few minutes he realizes he’s been talking non-stop so he just randomly says, “Let me ask you Paul…” and then asks something so stupid I can just see Paulie O glaring at him in amazement.
Nice stolen base attempt by Frank Thomas … oh wait, that was Abreu.
moose playing with fire, yet to get burned.
Mike Mussina is a groundball pitcher. When did this happen?!
I wonder how often Mike Mussina will struggle to put hitters away when they have two strikes.
Erin Andrews….’nuff said.
Word.
This umpire is pissing me off now. Moose doesnt get jack while hes calling those loopy pitches at arods shins for strikes.
SHIT, 3-1. Vernon wells HR.
Wouldnt have happened if that strike 3 was actually Strike 3.
…and now he has gotten burned.
That was unexpected. I thought he was going to blow that 85mph gas right by him.
There goes the neighborhood. Vernon just HAD to start his Comeback Player of the Year compaign against the Yanks.
I don’t think the umpire is squeezing Moose that much. That 2-2 pitch was outside, just off the “black”.
The most games AJ Burnett has won in a season is 12. Unbelieveable.
why dont all the rich dudes with the 3rd-7th row seats behind home plate just sell their tickets if theyre not gonna show up????
They need them to shoo way homeless people I hear.
“Molina not blessed with speed”
I LOL’d.
46 pitches for Moose
40 for Burnett
Almost a repeat of the error.
and yet it seems like Moose has been out there the entire time.
Giambi’s new defensive technique: let the grounders hit him in the chest. lol, i love it because it actually works.
Considering it has a surface area the size of the empire state building it works.
Nice throw/tag for the putout.
It’s more than Ortiz does.
“Heartattack” Giambi.
Posada who?! J/K. Nice throw by Molina to catch the runner trying to steal second.
Better tag. I hate when Jeter lets the runner pass the base and he does a swipe tag. STICK WITH IT. Don’t swipe and stare at the ump.
Apparently Canoe learned the phantom swipe from Jeets
Fuck the heck was that Jeter???
that was a bit strange. He never had a chance to make 2nd
Terrible, terrible baserunning.
I agree.
oh god, let him be injured just so we can get back in this game
LOL, Burnett is a poptart and soft in the middle. He can never stay healthy!
Burnett is probably intimidated by the heat that Moose has been throwing, so he’s overstriding to try to match his power. No shame in that.
Should have given him a “ha!”
I screamed one outloud
Orel Hersheiser is a cool dude.
HAHAHHA GIAMBI
Jeter was being aggressive, as he normally is; it is just that Rios made a great play backing the play up.
This is going to be a long season watching Mussina take the ball every 5th day.
Probably should have intangibled his way to first a little faster. I guess he didn’t want it badly enough.
I know they had a few weird moments earlier in the game, but the Yanks look like a much better fielding team this year. Guess showing up to camp in shape and doing all that running is paying off.
Too bad the offense is anorexic.
Matsui looks terrible, I would put Duncan.
AGAIN with the hotshots right to people.
The beginning of the end for Moose.
just get him out of there.
Hes pushing 90 pitches.