Did Joba really have a hitch in his delivery? I thought it was a psychological tactic, but there’s a chance the young rookie might have been out of sync. We’ll find out today as he faces the Seattle Mariners. It should be a five-inning affair for Joba, who has three starts remaining including today. The hope is to get him up to six innings in his next two.
Here’s the thing with addressing a mechanical flaw — whether real or invented — with the media: it’s your last excuse. If Joba falters today, there’s no explaining it away. They “discovered” the mechanical flaw, so it follows that the correction should be forthcoming. Considering how well he pitched against the Angels, it would be a disappointment to see Joba surrender any more than two runs over his five innings.
The Mariners will start Ian Snell, whom they acquired from the Pirates earlier this season. The Yankees pounded Snell in his third start after coming to the big boys’ league, prompting this gem: “That lineup is just stupid. They shouldn’t be allowed to have a lineup like that.” Awesome. Snell allowed eight runs over six innings that game.
He has pitched very well since, going 33 innings over six starts. His ERA in that span is a respectable 3.27, and he has allowed more than two earned runs only once. That was to the Angels, easily the best team he faced in those six starts. The breakdown: Detroit, Oakland twice, Kansas City, L.A., and Chicago. So he wasn’t exactly facing any stupid lineups, and his worst start came against by far the best team.
Lineup:
1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Johnny Damon, LF
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Hideki Matsu, DH
6. Jorge Posada, C
7. Robinson Cano, 2B
8. Melky Cabrera, RF
9. Brett Gardner, CF
And on the mound, number sixty-two, Joba Chamberlain.