- 11:26 AM ET 08.22
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Ugh. Any Yankee fan had to cringe at last night's disaster. It's one thing to get blown out in the midst of a run, like the 12-0 beating by the Orioles the other week. It happens.
But last night was different. Mussina--for the 2nd straight outing--couldn't find the plate. Vallone walks three and gives up a single before getting ANYONE out, killing a pretty gutsy comeback the inning before.
The postseason is all about magnifying strengths and weaknesses, as we saw against Detroit last year. One great start and you're 1/3 of the way to the next round. One bad start--or one night of sleepy bats--and you can start packing. The worry right now is that the Yanks' weak spots--and though few, they are very real--can kill us if they surface at the wrong time down the stretch.
We're suddenly 2.5 behind Seattle for the wild card and can ill-afford any sort of prolonged mediocrity. To the paranoid (realistic?) fan, last night looked like the highlight film for the "How the Season Ended" DVD.
Must salvage the series tonight. Must continue to beat up on Detroit. Must do well against Boston next week. Must, must, must. The "Plan B" to winning the division is the wild card. The "Plan B" to winning the wild card is a long winter.
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Comments (8) Add A Comment
It didn't surprise me that Mussina got his brains bashed in. He is so inconsistent now in his career. He matches the team. The Yanks couldn't beat the Angels if their lives depended on it. They just can't.
Coletrain
Total Comments (10830)
Well...just before the break the Yankees took two out of three, outscoring the Angels 28-10 in the series. Two nights ago, they lost by one in the bottom of the 10th.
Not exactly a "couldn't" or "can't". Just an "aren't right now".
Yankee64
Total Comments (6746)
Good point, and the Angels are killer at home.
Coletrain
Total Comments (10830)
Another achilles heel that was exposed last night is that for what ever reason, the Yankees are terrible on the road. 29 and 32 as of today. If they don't win the East and get the WC, the get the Angels in the first round having to play 4 in LA.
[The] Coach
Wilmington, NC
Total Comments (4032)
The Yanks just haven't done anything against a Mike Scioscia coached team. Yeah they win one or two here and there, but Scioscia is 38-22 against the Yanks and have beaten them both times they've met in the playoffs ('02 & '05).
seachickenhawk
Sacramento, CA
Total Comments (159)
The Angels are great at home (and sub-500 on the road), and the Yanks are TERRIBLE at Anaheim.
But that's just no excuse for a complete meltdown like last night. There are some holes in this team that, if they come around again at the wrong times, could sink us in a weekend.
Yankee64
Total Comments (6746)
Is Mussina finished? His ERA is almost half a run worse than his worst year ever, but he's coming off a 15-7, 3.51 ERA 2006. And if you look back over the last few years, there's no real trend that shows any of his stats getting worse, including innings pitched.
I mean, Clemens gave up about 100 runs in a really bad start a few weeks ago, then came back with six 2-hit shutout innings before plunking what's-his-name in Toronto. Who knows.
I think when guys are old we look at every bad outing as the beginning of the end. But the truth is that pitchers' lines are rarely straight.
Yankee64
Total Comments (6746)
I'll revise one thing I said earlier...one stat that is WAY down this year--and I mean WAAAAYYYY down--is strikeouts. He's on a pace to record his worst K total ever...he averages about 160/yr but has only 76 right now.
That's not good AT ALL. It'll be his worst K year since his rookie '91 season, when he only started 12 games. It's also his first season ever with no complete games...so far, anyway.
Yankee64
Total Comments (6746)
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