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While the Yankee offense has sputtered all season, against lefties, their numbers are particularly brutal. In a combined 186 at bats, the Yanks are hitting .247/.325/.339 against lefties. They’ve managed just three home runs off of southpaws and just nine extra-base hits overall. Against righties, the team is hitting a not-quite-so-robust .267/.332/.454 in 692 at bats.
So after facing a tough lefty yesterday and managing just one run on four hits, the Yanks are in for yet another lefty starter. Tonight, they’re facing Aaron Laffey, a soft-throwing lefty making his 10th Major League start and first against the Bombers. Laffey’s a high-80s guy with a decent sinker. I hope it’s not one of those games where I want to hurl my TV out the window by the end of the third inning.
To counter Laffey, the Yanks are turning to none other than Mike Mussina. Moose threw a great game against Chicago last week. Can he put together back-to-back starts against good-hitting teams? Time will tell. The weather — a game-time temperature of 47 degrees — does not bode well.
Meanwhile, it seems as though Chris Stewart, the Yanks’ fourth-string catcher, will don number 38. I’m not sure what Chris Britton will take in his place, but I do expect fans of Matt Nokes and 1984 Jose Rijo to boo Stewart tomorrow night at the stadium. How dare he takes Randy Choates’ old number? (For more on Stewart, check out this profile.)
Cabrera CF
Jeter SS
Abreu RF
Rodriguez DH
Giambi 1B
Matsui LF
Ensberg 3B
Cano 2B
Molina C
Mussina P
Game Notes: The Shelley Duncan two-day experiment is over. Jason Giambi — 0 for 10 against lefties this year — is in the lineup, and Hideki Matsui’s two-day vacation is over…RAB is now tabloid-free. Find out more in this post.
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YES showed a little stat about Mike Mussina’s splits this year vs. the Red Sox and all other AL teams (TOR/TB/CWS). So I decided to dig a little deeper and what I found was pretty damn encouraging.
In three starts up against the Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay …Rays and the Chicago White Sox Mussina has these numbers:
18.2IP-14H-6ER-4HR-8:4 K:B-30:17 GO:AO.
The ground out to fly out ratio is impressive because it means that two seamer Moose has been featuring this year has been real effective. In his first two starts this year against Toronto and Tampa Bay he has a 22:7 GO:AO which is just amazing. He is also 2-1 with a 2.89ERA with a opponents’ batting average against of a smidgen over .200.
So we can basically agree that any offense other than the Red Sox and Tigers will be of no worrying issue to Mike Mussina. I know it’s a very small sample size but you can’t ignore a 22:7 GO:AO in those first two starts and a 30:17 overall in the non-Boston starts.
I think I might watch this game via ESPN just to be entertained by the utter ignorance and idiocy of Steve Phillips.
You know what’s funny, we’re going to face a fourth LHP in a row in Kenny Rogers. Then a couple games after that I believe Nate Robertson takes the mound. Luckily, we do miss Justin verlander in the next series if I am not mistaken.
Melky Cabrera = OBP machine.
so, was that a typical Melky AB Mike A…
Derek “GiDP” Jeter.
Derek “463″ Jeter
Derek “643″ Jeter
I dunno which one is more accurate
dammit I was hoping to see Jamal do an entire game thread by himself
A-Rod = Anti-Clutch. :p
I could’ve sworn that shot by Giambi was gone. Damn.
I love the avis commercial, freakin hilarious
Our team needs some Cocoa RiSP so we can get hits with runners on.
I miss Shelley
We could learn a few things from the Giants’ offense.
It’s gonna be painful to watch Moose pitch to Pronk. Let’s hope he keeps the ball on this galaxy.
I totally take it back. Moose owns him!
Well it was painful…….for Hafner. Boy Hafner hasn’t been the same since 06. Whats up.
JUICE
Moose may be loose!
Pat Riley officially retiring from coaching…….until the heat gets championship team.
Maybe Moose is improving since the squirrel game last year? I wonder Bullwinkle’s splits are pre-/post-Rocky’s appearance on the foul pole. :-p
Why the hell is Cano playing in all these games against lefties when he’s mired in a god awful slump? What is Girardi thinking? Give him a blow
Because apparently it’s okay to bench one of our hottest hitters (Matsui) for the last couple of games since he’s had bad numbers, but Cano gets a pass for some reason, even though he’s colder than a witch’s tit.
Witch’s tit, I like that
The Hollywood Knights, baby. IMDB it. It’s much better than it gets credit for.
yes, playing a fantastic defensive 2Bman through a slump is EXACTLY the same thing as sitting Matsui when the guy he shares his position with, Damon, is equally hot.
so yes, Cano gets a pass.
because he plays defense.
Boy Espn just like miling that bug game. ESPN just making fun of the yanks uh.
Wow Jeter looked horrible right there
Moose!
Who is this pitcher and what has he done with mike mussina?
Maybe he finally got his AARP card? :p
Read the first post of this thread.
Sarcasm much?
Another bad play by Jeter
Man, if Jeter can’t field he should at least be a few feet taller to get the line drive
The only reason righties are having such a good success against Moose is because Manny is right handed
68 MPH HEAT!!!!
Girardi can give us his schpiel all he wants about Giambi, he is an atrocious first baseman who is going to cost us in a big spot
It’s a tradeoff between offense and defense
right now, who can play a better 1b regardless?
When Posada hurt his shoulder earlier this year he was still able to play first and hit. You think if the shoulder injury is “long term” the yankees would keep him from catching all year and just use his bat and have him play at first and dh
Onley reports that the Giants will move remove Zito from the rotation and place him in the bullpen. That contract just keeps getting better and better and better for the Giants uh. One of the worst contracts in sports
Do the Yanks even have a hit yet?
Nope, this is getting frustrating
I’d like to see Posada spend some time over at first, he still has the bat to play there
Again A”K”-Rod killed the rally in the first….. pop-out with runners in 1st and 3rd 1 out…. .136 Avg. with runners in scoring position…. WOW thats what they are considering one of the greatest player…. There is a great player, but then there is a GREAT YANKEE PLAYER…. A “K”-Rod is the the first one…..
it’s been 23 ABs. relax.
I believe Chris Britton is wearing #47 right now, previously worn by the great Ron Villone.
Girardi should have had Damon in there. It doesn’t matter who’s pitching but Damon is hitting everything right now.
Don’t throw the fastball 3-1 Moose, please!
Bad move, he’s lucky he got away with the fastball right down the pipe
Is it bad that I hold my breath everytime a ball is hit hard to short?
probably, your organs need oxygen
what is pabe’s deal over at his blog? his sarcastic disclaimers to every post seem a little much. take it easy buddy. get defensive much?
I stole this from Mike.
It’s in response to this Phil Allard piece at NYYFans.com.
thanks for that. i hadn’t seen it.
so is pete being defensive about being criticized for being defensive in response to criticism? I don’t get it.
phil allard has some pretty legit points. I mean, I (as I’m sure all of you do) check out pete’s blog at constant intervals throughout the day and as such, am grateful for the information he provides. but man can his commentary be grating…
only 63 pitches seen through 5 innings? These are not the Yankees of years past and is just another reason we need Bobby back next year IMO
Can someone remind these guys that they are the Yankees?
The Giants moved Zito to the bullpen. That deal just gets worse and worse.
I love Molina, he should have had a pickoff there except Giambi is worthless over there
I should learn to throw lefthanded and make a career of throwing junk to the Yankees
Would you trade IPK & Tabata for Maddux & Nick Hundley?
My thinking is do this at the All Star break, move JOBA to the rotation and Moose to the pen. Have Molina/Hundley at C in ‘09 with Posada at 1B.
Nah, Hundley is nothing special, and Maddux isn’t going to be around much longer. Basically it’s 6 years of IPK and 6 potential years of Tabata for 2 years of Maddux (max) and 6 potential years of Hundley. I think Kevin Towers would be all over that one.
Actually looking at SD’s AAA stats, Luke Carlin looks like he might be a steal if he’s solid defensively.