Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
In his final year in pinstripes, Jeff Nelson compiled a 6-0 record out of the bullpen by May 9, putting him on pace for 31 relief wins. He won two more games all year, finishing with an 8-4 record. In his seventh start of this season, Chien-Ming Wang ran his record to 6-0, putting him on a 30-win pace. Since then he's gone 0-2 in five starts. Mike Mussina enters tonight's game with eight wins, putting him in a five-way tie for third place in the majors behind Brandon Webb (10-2) and the surprising Joe Saunders (9-2). I'd still be surprised if he wins more than 15 on the year.
Moose has eight wins because he's had 5.28 runs of support per game thus far and has earned the decision in every one of his 12 starts. Despite his eight wins, Mussina has just five quality starts (four if you use the stringent < 3 R rule rather than the looser < 3 ER standard). In his last three outings he's allowed 15 runs in 11 2/3 innings, but eight of those runs were unearned (all scoring after Mussina failed to pick up his defense following a first-inning error) and he's gone 2-1 in those games. Mussina has exceeded expectations beyond his 8-4 record, but that is largely due to how low the expectations were for him entering the season.
Twenty-three-year-old Jesse Litsch is 7-1 on the season and didn't allow a run in either of his last two starts, totaling 16 innings. Over his last six starts he's posted a 1.67 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, averaged over seven innings per start, and walked just two men in 43 innings.
The Yankees need to snap their sudden three-game losing streak, but unless Mussina's luck keeps up (I though it had ended three starts ago when he failed to get out of the first inning, but I was clearly wrong), tonight might not be their night.
Jorge Posada has been activated with Dan Giese getting farmed out to make room (so much for repeating the Joba-Giese tandem on Sunday), but he's not in the lineup. Moose will pitch to Jose Molina with Wilson Betemit at first base subbing for Jason Giambi who's getting a day of rest after fouling a pitch off his foot late in last night's game. Both Giambi and Posada are expected to start tomorrow afternoon's series finale.
It's nice that tomorrow, we have our team back. But then there will be no excuses. Emotionally, I have all but given up on the team, although I think there is still a reasonable shot at the PS due to how the rest of the league is playing. I will guess they have not given up in Cleveland and Detroit.
Derek is still the leader of this team. If he is injured, he needs to take himself out. If not, he needs to step up. I don't expect a great year from him, but he needs to lead by example, and he has certainly not been doing that.
I'm not sure why Melky and Cano are not on short leashes. They are young and not playing well. Joe G., or someone, needs to step in and give them some guidance. At this point, a full week at AAA with the AG at 2nd might give Cano something to think about.
And while I never thought coaches had a big effect on a team.... MAN! I miss Larry Bowa!
Maybe he's from one of those "lineup orders don't matter" advanced sabermetric camps.
Moose is dangerously close to lowering his ERA under 4.
i thought the pattern was if cano was sucking melky did well and if melky was sucking cano did well, although a somewhat frustrating pattern - this other pattern is much worse
I don't know, this whole frustrates the hell out of me. I haven't seen such bad hitting from the Yanks in many seasons ...
... after some quick team OPS+ research: in 2001 - how odd - they had a worse team OPS+ (100 to 105).
Way to go, Wilson.
I'm gonna grow a mustache next.
38 i agree oyf - it is not that easy to have to adjust who you are as an athlete
66 me neither. who knows what will happen with pettitte and with hughes and ian's injuries and hence probably not going to get enough innings and having some rough patches - it might make a lot of sense. also it might be a bit like glavine where it looked like (to me at least) no shot at 300, but then it eventually becomes a more realistic possibility
this would be a good time for the bullpen to have a good game
86 what have we done to deserve this?
Also, it's part of the "formula."
I say bring in Mo for two. Or which ever starter's throw day it is.
Man is Kay annoying and he sure can suck the wind out of a booth. I think the Red Sox and Mets have the best announcers. Remy and Mex are pretty good. Kay has got to go.
94 Igawa and Farnsworth in the pen together would give me gout..
there really is nothing like the feeling of seeing mo warming up and running in
Mike Mussina: Yankees Ace.
I got home just in time for the dessert.
I gather from the comments that Kyle has disappointed us all by earning himself another dozen appearances? And Moose must have pitched well. Any summary remarks for a latecomer?
Kyle, sadly was good. Robbie had a nice double and made good contact. Melky had a clutch hit. Jeter passed the Mick (wow, that's insane).
Mo is G-d.
And thanks be to Mo.
Tommy, I can't believe Lisa survived another round. Hasn't she been the second worst on just about every show?
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