Well, if you took my odds on Mike Mussina as the game 4 starter, I guess I’ll have to owe ya - I’m good for it, really.
More than ever, I cannot understand what Joe Torre is doing with the New York Yankee pitching staff - why did Roger Clemens start game 3 with Mike Mussina in much better shape and on a roll, if we were not going to "Moose" for game 4? I also was a bit concerned with using Joba so long last night, but I cannot fully bring myself to say that I would have brought in anyone else, so I will let that go - until, of course, we need him tonight. In a game that you are up by 5 or so late, we should only use Joba OR Mariano, but certainly not both.
Let’s hope we need neither of them tonight (in a good way)…
October 8th, 2007
Despite an expectedly poor showing from Roger Clemens, the New York Yankees and Phil Hughes beat the Cleveland Indians in game 3 of the American League Division Series and forced the only game 4 of any divisional series this year.
No official word on the Yankees game 4 starter yet, but good money is on Mike Mussina with Chien Ming Wang available as a stop-gap long reliever on short rest if need be. It was also heartening to see the Yankees bats come alive somewhat, and did anyone else notice that Joe didn’t make the same mistake with runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out like in game 1, and how did that work out again?
One thing that I must get off my chest is the utter uselessness of Jason Giambi, who still refuses to hit the ball the other way - something he did in Oakland back when he was a singles hitter and not so concerned with that short porch in right field (y’know - pre-Balco). At this time, Jason is only useful in pinch hitting situations when men are on base and they cannot shift the entire team to just half the field.
Before today’s game, Mike Mussina addressed the press and advanced the notion that it is the players and not Torre that are responsible for the outcomes of the game, and tonight that was true as the Yankee bats were able to pick apart the #3 starter for the Indians. Facing Byrd tomorrow, the Yankees certainly have a puncher’s chance, and Mussina has been solid of late.
The problem is game 5, when Andy Pettitte will have to battle with either (or both) Carmona and Sabathia, and just as in games 1 and 2 many of Joe Torre’s (in)decisions will heavily affect the outcome.
October 7th, 2007