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Saturday's Game
2006-03-26 07:56
by Cliff Corcoran

Despite Mike Mussina's decision to take his turn with the minor league campers, the Yankees had no problem handling the Devil Rays, dancing all over them to the tune of 10-1.

Lineup:

Johnny Damon CF
Derek Jeter SS
Jason Giambi 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Gary Sheffield DH
Hideki Matsui LF
Bernie Williams RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Wil Nieves C

Subs: Miguel Cairo 1B, Andy Cannizaro 2B, Felix Escalona SS, Russ Johnson 3B, Omir Santos C, Kevin Reese RF, Bubba Crosby CF, Kevin Thompson LF, Luis A. Garcia DH

Pitchers: Matt Childers, Colter Bean, Matt Smith, Ramiro Mendoza, Matt Corey, Frank Brooks

Big Hits: A no-doubt-about-it homer by Alex Rodriguez (1 for 4), a triple by Derek Jeter (1 for 3), and doubles by Giambi (1 for 3), Sheffiled (1 for 3), Reese (1 for 2) and Thompson (1 for 1) (Sheffield's hitting off the top of the left centerfield wall). Amazingly, the Yankees collected 13 hits by thirteen different hitters.

Who Pitched Well?: Matt Smith threw two perfect innings, Matt Childers, a swing man in the minors, pitched three scorless innings striking out two, though he did walk one and allow four hits. Childers' brother Jason pitched in the game for the Devil Rays.

How'd Moose Do?: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 K, 92 pitches, 61 percent strikes

Ouchies: Johnny Damon played the field for the first time since the beginning of the WBC, Jaret Wright threw 21 pitches from halfway up a bullpen mound and 13 more from the rubber. Aaron Small also threw from halfway up a bullpen mound, while Scott Erickson had a regular bullpen session. Carl Pavano was supposed to throw a bullpen but the weather, which was in the high 50s and low 60s, was deemed to cold for him. Jorge Posada has rejoined the team today and will participate in workouts before today's game.

Comments
2006-03-26 10:42:00
1.   Zack
Carlos Pena was released by the Tigers. He's about the same age as Choi, also a lefty, and also never lived up to potential, why not sign him?
2006-03-26 11:16:17
2.   singledd
It about time Torre found the corect 3-4-5-6 in the batting order.
2006-03-26 11:26:41
3.   Jeteupthemiddle
I don't know...I think there are great merits to keeping Giambi behind Arod and Sheffield...well at least Arod...namely, Giambi is the slowest guy in the history of the world, and takes Arod's speed away.
2006-03-26 11:34:46
4.   Yankee Fan in Chicago
Giambi's an obp god. He needs to be hitting higher in the order.
2006-03-26 11:40:30
5.   David
I'm worried about Mussina's effectiveness. He got bombed in his prior start, and he wasn't too good at getting minor leaguers out yesterday.
2006-03-26 11:52:52
6.   yankz
Ditto 5. If Moose is ineffective, the season looks a lot longer...
2006-03-26 12:19:57
7.   brockdc
5, 6: Why worry? That's why we picked up Erickson for insurance.
2006-03-26 12:22:19
8.   brockdc
...This year's washed-up veteran charity case.
2006-03-26 14:17:01
9.   yankz
True dat. How could I have forgotten?
2006-03-26 14:22:38
10.   yankz
Doesn't sound serious- but worries me none the less: http://tinyurl.com/hj68z

I really hope that if Torre reads this site, he realized we were just kidding about Erickson.

2006-03-26 14:38:09
11.   mikeplugh
Moose worries me as well. He gets more inconsistent as he gets older....at least it seems that way....maybe one of the saber guys around here can check that out.

Year by year, I feel like Moose strings together longer and longer stretches of ineffectiveness, to the tune of one bad month here, and one decent month there. It's not start to start as much anymore.

By the way, I posted a "Matsuzaka Watch" piece over at Canyon of Heroes before bed last night, and when I woke up this morning there were a couple of comments about my Matsuzaka in a Yankee uniform graphic. The race is on already for the hearts of the fans. One guy thinks I should have put him in a Red Sox uni and the other an Angels' uni.

Start the Cashman lobbying campaign now. Let's not get beat out!

2006-03-26 15:06:05
12.   Zack
Beckett tried to start a fight with Ryan Howard in the Yanks-Phils games today. Man, how stupid can the country boy be? Howard would eat him for lunch, and then wouldn't all those Sox fans be bummed!
2006-03-26 15:23:06
13.   Levy2020
I like it when the Red Sxo are jerks on the field. It makes the rivalry that much better on our end.
2006-03-26 15:47:45
14.   brockdc
ESPN News just reported that Wang was hit by a ball in the leg during the game today. Hopefully it was his thigh or ass. Does anyone have an update?
2006-03-26 16:10:49
15.   brockdc
I checked the Lohud blog, brockdc. Wang's x-rays were negative. God, you worry too much.

Oh, and yeah: Thompson and Reese were optioned down and Bubba's staying. I like Bubba and realize he's out of options, but either Thompson or Reese would make a better 4th outfielder. Oh, I forgot, Bernie and his howitzer-like arm will be our 4th outfielder.

2006-03-26 16:55:24
16.   Zack
Oops, meant the Sox-Phils game, not Yanks=Phils...

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