Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
Though the Yankees are still alive with just six games left to play, a single loss or a single Red Sox win will eliminate them from the postseason for the first time since 1993. Elimination is all the more likely because the Yankees will be facing both A.J. Burnett and Roy Halladay yet again in this series, having already gone 2-7 in games started by those two this season. Of the Yankees' 18 games against Toronto this season, 11 will have been started by Halladay or Burnett. The Yanks are 5-1 against Toronto this year in games started by other Blue Jay pitchers.
Fortunately, Mike Mussina has drawn Jesse Litsch tonight as he goes for this 19th win of the season. Mussina, who will start the final game of the season in Boston, has won 19 games in a season twice in his career, but never for the Yankees. The Yankees are 21-11 in Mussina's starts this year, the fourth time in his eight years with the Bombers that the team has won 20 or more of the games he has started.
Toronto Blue Jays
2008 Record: 83-73 (.532)
2008 Pythagorean Record: 89-67 (.572)
Manager: Cito Gaston
General Manager: J.P. Ricciardi
Home Ballpark (multi-year Park Factors): Rogers Centre (100/99)
Who's Replaced Whom:
Brad Wilkerson (DL) has replaced David Eckstein
25-man Roster:
1B - Lyle Overbay (L)
2B - Joe Inglett (L)
SS - Marco Scutaro (R)
3B - Scott Rolen (R)
C - Gregg Zaun (S)
RF - Alex Rios (R)
CF - Vernon Wells (R)
LF - Travis Snider (L)
DH - Adam Lind (L)
Bench:
R - John McDonald (IF)
R - Jose Bautista (UT)
L - Brad Wilkerson (OF/1B)
R - Kevin Mench (OF)*
R - Curtis Thigpen (C)*
R - Rod Barajas (C)**
Rotation:
R - Roy Halladay
R - Shaun Marcum*
L - David Purcey
R - Jesse Litsch
R - A.J. Burnett
Bullpen:
L - B.J. Ryan
L - Scott Downs
R - Jason Frasor
L - Jesse Carlson
R - Shawn Camp
R - Brandon League
L - Brian Tallet
L - John Parrish
R - Brian Wolfe*
R - Scott Richmond*
*September call-up; **Likely out for the season with a hamstring tear
15-day DL: R - Dustin McGowan, R - Jeremy Accardo
60-day DL: R - Aaron Hill (2B), R - Casey Janssen
Typical Lineup:
L - Joe Inglett (2B)
R - Marco Scutaro (SS)
R - Alex Rios (RF)
R - Vernon Wells (CF)
L - Adam Lind (LF)
L - Lyle Overbay (1B)
R - Scott Rolen (3B)
S - Gregg Zaun (C)
L - Travis Snider (LF)
Gardner CF
Damon LF
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Giambi 1B
Nady DH
Cano 2B
Ransom SS
Molina C
Damon LF
Cano 2B
Abreu RF
Rodriguez 3B
Giambi 1B
Nady DH
Ransom SS
Molina C
Gardner CF
Dream big, etc.
It's going to take me a long, long, long time to come to terms with this.
It'll be over sooner than this weekend. Maybe tonight even.
I'm just glad this team had it in them to stay alive through the final game at YS, if nothing else.
eh. Keep at em', Moose,
no more pop-ups.
But Cliff Lee didn't seem to get the memo, unfortunately, and is crapping the bed spectacularly.
Any shots at who was the last American Leaguer to lead in batting avg. 2 years in a row. (no cheating, even though I had to)
UPDATE, 7:58 p.m.: Mussina got through the inning. The ball appeared to hit him in the right triceps. The question now will be whether it stiffens up on him between innings.
Moose has been brilliant so far, striking out five of the 10 batters he has faced.
UPDATE, 8:44 p.m.: Mussina's arm must have tightened up. But he certainly pitched a great game for five innings. Now we'll see if the Yankees can hold the lead for him.
It must be a helpless feeling for him in the clubhouse.
answer: nomar in 1999 and 2000
40 That's a lot of 4 inning starts. : (
Meanwhile, it will be a major bummer if Joba blows this lead for Moose.
I'm digging the away (YES) feed on mlb.tv ;)
56 If a Cairo falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it matter when your All Star catcher and #1 starter are lost for most of the season?
clutch-clutch-clutch-clutch-clutch
Let's go Mo.
Whenever I get sad about this season, I thank my stars the Yankees are not the Mariners.
Ah shit, sawx won.
66 watched a LOT of Mariners games over here this season..you are right, twas painful at times...
Ah, well. Maybe Moose gets a cheap one at the end of the season if the playoffs are all set.
The important thing now is to get Moose his 20 wins.
Travis Snider is supposed to be a heck of a hitter. I wonder what he's thinking facing Mo for the first time?
Let's hope Moose is healthy enough to beat the Sox for 20.
Uh, ya guys, those were strikes, nice try though.
Just never gets old.
MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE
Go Giants!!!!
Go Knicks!!!! (sorry I even said that)
Go Hot Stove Season!!!!
Go No Panic Moves!!!!
Go 27th!
I would rather fish for someone like Zaun, who is a switch hitter and put up comparable offensive numbers. Of course, looking over his stats he did not play nearly as much 1B as I had thought, so in the end Zaun is probably no better than Pudge.
In the end, it probably doesn't matter all that much, because of Molina or Pudge or Zaun have to start 100+ games at C, things will not be good next season.
Oh, and also. . . OK I was absolutely positively wrong about Moose this season, ALL season. And yes, I want him back, in an incentive laden 2 year deal.
Bye bye: Giambi and Abreu.
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