One run over… another about to begin
The Yankees bid farewell to their slim chances of securing the AL East when Mariano Rivera faltered in the ninth inning on Friday, but as Mike Mussina said, they hadn’t been thinking about catching Boston for some time. With the playoffs now set to kick off next week in Cleveland, the Yankees have much more on their plate.
"We were written off – we were firing everybody, we were releasing everybody, we were finished according to everybody," Mussina said. "We climbed back from obscurity."
You never expect Rivera to struggle — channeling the thoughts of Derek Jeter — and you’re always surprised when he does. But this time around was just a tuneup, and Rivera said he wasn’t concerned about any carryover into the playoffs. Just a matter of missed location, he said.
"A bad day, that’s what it was," Rivera
said.
At least the Yankees’ bad day didn’t compare to the Mets’. Some of us were watching the last inning on MLB.tv in the press box here… that was grim. Torre has been saying for a while that he intends to call Willie Randolph to offer his congratulations for wrapping up the postseason. The clock may have just about run out on that one.
Alex Rodriguez’s remarkable season continued as he hit the 1,500 RBI and 1,500 runs scored marks in the same evening. Rodriguez said that he felt "blessed" to have played the game at such as high level for so long. He was a little taken aback when told the Yankees now had their first-round opponent, Cleveland, finalized.
"Cool," he said.
Bryan Hoch
So now we’re 85-2. I’ll take those odds. Moose wasn’t as sharp but still pitched well enough. Ohlendorf and even Farnworthless looked good. THOSE are the things that have to happen in the post season. It’s not Mo I worry about. ARod seems to be swinging the bat better of late.
Yeah, it’s better Mo have his bad day yesterday than next week. Moose didn’t pitch badly, but he was definitely shaky. I think if he’s going to start in the postseason, Torre should have Ian Kennedy ready to comein for long relief just in case. I like the way Ohlendorf is pitching, and he’s pitched a couple of big innings now. Who knows; maybe after the playoffs he’ll be a postseason hero. If he can pitch every inning the way he has in his first four outings, then Ohlendorf – Chamberlain – Rivera would be a very formidable bullpen force next season (providing the Yanks resign Rivera).
What about Hughes in relief? It all depends on which ALDS schedule the Yankees get. If it’s the longer one, Torre would prefer to do this…
Wang
Pettitte
Clemens
Wang
Pettitte
Thus putting Mussina in relief. But let’s say Clemens can’t go. I would think Hughes has to make the roster over Kennedy. Kennedy hasn’t even thrown off a mound yet since he strained his back.
I hadn’t thought of a three man rotation, but I guess if there are three men who can handle it, Clemens, Pettitte, and Wang are they. How is the decision regarding scheduling made? And is there really a chance Kennedy won’t make the roster with all the bullpen problems the Yanks have been having? I would think that they would use the three man rotation to strengthen the bullpen with Hughes, Mussina, AND Kennedy. That combined with Vizcaino, Chamberlain, Ohlendorf, Rivera, and maybe Veras (just in case, haven’t quite forgiven him for giving up those four runs to Toronto), and the Yankees would have a pretty formidable bullpen all of a sudden. Is there a chance that Kennedy won’t be ready for the postseason?
And one more question. If Clemens can’t go, after this last unconvincing start against a non-contending team, does Mussina get the nod because of a strong September and postseason experience, or does Hughes get the nod because of a Strong September and Mussina’s shakiness this year?
Mussina was definitely awful again last night. It would be better to keep out of the rotation, and in the pen. If he is to be part of the rotation, he needs to be at the tail end of it.
Matt,
You’re absolutely right, Mussina was absolutely horrible again. You ask a good question which Mussina would the Yanks be seeing in the playoffs? I would rather see Hughes in the line up than Mussina, and his inconsistencies. I think you got it right with the bullpen Matt, there is no way Ohlendorf will make it on the roster since he has barely pitched I would rather see Veras in the pen than him. Without a doubt Mussina is very mediocre
My question would be, what would Torre do if we were (for some unfathomable reason) down 2 games to 1 and Mussina was to pitch Monday? Would you alter it and force Wang on short-rest or start Hughes? I love Moose as much as the next guy but in an elimination game I’m not quite as confident..
Depending on whether the Yanks go with 11 or 12 arms in the DS, I would do the following (but I’m a MLBlogger/HS Coach, not Torre!):
Wang, SP
Pettitte, SP
Clemens, SP
Mussina, SP
Hughes, SP/RP
Rivera, CL
Chamberlain, RP
Vizcaino, RP
Veras, RP
Ohlendorf, RP
Villone, RP (token lefty)
Kennedy, LRP*
*would be odd-man out if the Yanks go with 11 arms.
I would leave Farnsworth as far away as possible, especially in a shirt 5-game series, because one bad inning could literally screw the whole series for the Yanks. At least in a 7-game series there’s some ‘slight’ wiggle room…