September 28th @ The Orioles

When you throw 6 pitchers out there, including Mike Mussina and Mariano Rivera, and Kyle Farnsworth is the one who gives you the best performance, you know things are not good.

Moose was strange in this one. Some innings, he looked great - yet, in others, well, not good at all. At this point, you do have to wonder which Mussina will show up in October? Will it be the one that got pounded by the Tigers and Angels and lost his spot in the rotation? Or, will it be the one that was great when he returned to the rotation after losing his spot? We saw a little of both those Mussinas in this game.

Rivera? Well, let’s just see how he does in his next game. I would guess that he’ll get one more inning in, somewhere, before the ALDS. It will be interesting to see if he has issues again there.

What about Edwar Ramirez? Well, at this point, if it’s not clear that he has no business whatsoever being on the post-season roster, there’s no other way to convince anyone of it. He’s just been awful lately.

Hey, it was not nice to lose this game. But, look at it this way: It’s not as painful as the Mets loss in Shea on this date, is it? Plus, in a way, it’s probably a good thing. (Wow, look at me saying that a Yankee loss is a good thing!) If they Yankee had finished first in the A.L. East, there was a chance that they would have faced the Angels in the ALDS. Now, that’s moot - thanks to losing this game.

Yes, there can be serendipity in suckiness sometimes, even in Yankeeland.

September 29, 2007 | Filed Under Game Commentary 09/07

Comments

5 Responses to “September 28th @ The Orioles”

antone on September 29th, 2007 10:21 am

I’m not completely sold it’s better for the Yankees to face the Indians instead of the Angels. If there’s any edge, I think it’s a mental one, but on the field I think both will be tough to beat, as is any team in the AL. I’m not exactly thrilled to have to play the Indians just because they aren’t the Angels. Usually when you hope to play a different team, that team ends up biting you in the ass anyway.

Any chance Hughes starts over Mussina and Mussina is sent to the bullpen???
rbj on September 29th, 2007 10:31 am

I don’t think the home plate ump was very good last night — so Mussina didn’t know where to throw the ball.

Edwar looked lights out on one batter, then awful the next. Bizarre.
Steve Lombardi on September 29th, 2007 10:48 am

~~~Any chance Hughes starts over Mussina and Mussina is sent to the bullpen???~~~

If this was the 1996 Joe Torre, yes. But, with the 2007 Joe Torre? No way.
JeremyM on September 29th, 2007 11:36 am

To be fair, it’s a tough call. Hughes has been a little better, but it’s not like it’s been a huge edge. Now if we get the same performances the last turn through the rotation, it’s a no-brainer for Hughes, but it’s not that easy.

Now I’m a Mussina fan, but my gut feeling tells me Hughes would have a better start against Cleveland. But it’s far from an easy decision, it’s not like choosing between Joba and say Jeff Karstens right now.
Travis G. on September 29th, 2007 2:00 pm

Hughes did go 6 ip, 1 er in his start in Cleveland. But Moose went 7.2 ip, 2 er. tough call, but I’d go with Hughes - last night looked like Mussina was returing to 16-0 form. if he cant have like 10 days of rest, he’s shot, whereas Hughes is coming off his best start since the no-hitter.