Angels (69-40) v. Yankees (59-50)
The Yankees knew going into this that it was going to be a rough one. The Angels are arguably the best team in baseball and, at least during this series, they've been playing like it. After the blowout on Thursday and the game they had a number of chances to win yesterday, the Bombers will have to regain their footing (especially with that big road trip coming up) if they don't want this to be the shortest post-season run ever. While today isn't a must-win, they'll absolutely have to prove they can defeat the Angels in some capacity if they want to have some sort of shot of advancing past a possible Wild Card berth.
Mike Mussina (13-7, 3.56 ERA) will take the mound trying to bounce back from a tough previous outing and (wonder of wonders) trying to emulate Sidney Ponson's masterful performance yesterday. Moose has had excellent control all year, his previous start notwithstanding, and has been aces for the Yankees when they needed him. Still, he's got to be nursing some wounds from his last game - where he went five innings (his shortest appearance of the season), allowing six runs in the loss to a last place team. The Angels know Mussina well, and he'll particularly have to watch out for Garrett Anderson, who's pretty much owned him. Anderson has three home runs and 10 RBIs over 16 at-bats against Moose - a .438 average.
The Halos, meanwhile, send Jered Weaver (9-8, 4.11 ERA) up to pitch. The Angels have especially strong starting pitching (the entire rotation is on track for 15 or more wins) and Weaver is no exception. He was good against his last start against the BoSox, where he went 5 2/3, with three earned runs and six hits allowed. He's also won both of his career starts against the Yanks, both coming at the Stadium. The lineup, though, hasn't seen all much of Weaver, and, when they have, haven't been all that successful. Jason Giambi is by far their biggest threat, a career 3-for-4.
Laura Albanese here to take you through it. Back soon with the liveblog...
FINAL: 8-2, YANKS
Top of the ninth
Christian stays in left. And here comes Brian Bruney to pitch for the first time in a long time. Teixeira flies out to center. Vlad walks and Anderson lies out. Kendrick flares a single to right. Guerrero goes to third. Rivera flies out to center.
Bottom of the eighth
Justin Christian batting, and he pops out. A-Rod strikes out swinging. Cabrera flies out to center.
Top of the eighth
Jose Veras pitching. Matthews strikes out looking on the breaking ball. Mathis stirkes out swinging. Figgins walks and Aybar strikes out looking.
Bottom of the seventh
Molina singles to left. Damon walks. Jeter muscles the ball to right. Molina scores and Damon goes first to third. Abreu hits into the force at second. Damon scores. PITCHING CHANGE: Darren O'Day. A-Rod strikes out swinging. Sexson hits into the force at second.
SCORE: 8-2, YANKS
Top of the seventh
Richie Sexson goes to first. Anderson grounds out to second. Kendrick grounds out to short and Rivera lines out to left.
Bottom of the sixth
A-Rod hits a solo home run to left-center. Giambi walks and Weaver is out. PITCHING CHANGE: Justin Speier. Sexson pinch runs for Giambi. Nady hits into the 6-4-3. Betemit singles but Cabrera strikes out swinging.
Top of the sixth
Aybar flies out to center. Teixeira grounds out to second and Guerrero does the same.
Bottom of the fifth
Molina hooks a shot right around the leftfield foul pole for his first homer of the year. Damon grounds out to second and Jeter flies out to center. Abreu flies out to center.
SCORE: 5-2, YANKS
Top of the fifth
Matthews flies out to center. Mathis strikes out swinging. Figgins strikes out swinging and that's 11 straight.
Bottom of the fourth
Nady grounds out to short. Betemit strikes out swinging and Cabrera flies out to center.
Top of the fourth
Anderson grounds out to second and Kendrick hits it back to Mussina, 1-3. Rivera flies out to right.
Bottom of the third
Molina singles down the leftfield line and Anderson holds him to a single. Damon singles to right and Molina goes first to third. Jeter ground into the 6-4-3, and Molina chugs home to score. Abreu smacks a solo home run to right (and he's been on fire with that lately, huh?). A-Rod singles. Giambi grounds out to short.
SCORE: 4-2, YANKS
Top of the third
Aybar bunts out, 1-3. Teixeira grounds out and Vlad skies out to center.
Bottom of the second
A-Rod strikes out swinging on the changeup. That's four in a row. Giambi puts it in play. He pops out to shallow right. Nady hits a soft single to center. Wilson Betemit ties the game with a two-run shot to right-center. Cabrera flies out to left-center, and his offensive woes continue.
SCORE: 2-2
Top of the second
Garret Anderson grounds the ball through the hole in right for a single. Howie Kendrick smacks a curveball into the rightfield corner and bounces back into the crowd for a groundrule double. Anderson to third. Juan Rivera hits a bouncer to third and Anderson holds; Rivera is out. Gary Matthews, Jr. up, he walks on a 3-2 count. That's already his second walk of the game. Mathis grounds into the possible 6-4-3, but Matthews goes in hard at second. Betemit throws a little wide and Giambi can't hold on; Mathis is safe at first and two runs score on the play. Figgins strikes out.
SCORE: 2-0, ANGELS
Bottom of the first
Johnny Damon strikes out looking on the breaking ball. Jeter striks out on the foul tip. Abreu strikes out looking.
Top of the first
Chone Figgins hits it back to Moose, 1-3. Erick Aybar strikes out looking. Mark Teixeira walks. Guerrero strikes out looking on a slider (outside corner).
Comments (12)
Wow....What a great job by Moose, especially when his team absolutely needed him.
Nice to see the bats getting going as well after they took the night off last night. I'm still seething about that game though....
Rasner tomorrow.....oh man.
Outstanding outing from Moose! Finally some bats too.
Bad news is Rasner tommorrow...Does this make any sense?
How 'bout Joba tommorrow,Rasner Monday...Surely Joba could deal with that,he's still young and he's a better match up against LAA.
They aren't going to pitch Joba on short rest. You can forget it.
They are taking no chances with that kid's arm.
Viper.....
SPOT on.
But I would bring him back in a short series right now...
Just not this one..we SHALL talk again.
Hughes pitched last night for Charleston was once again lights out.He'll be back very soon.Pavano pitched 3 innings giving up a run.
Ruse, boy is that good news about Hughes! I hope one day we'll be calling him "Good News Hughes" every time he takes the mound!
What's the consensus about re-upping Moose for next year? I'm liking this guy more and more. To be honest, a Wang, Joba, Moose, Pettitte, Hughes rotation, with IPK in the wings for the injuries that are bound to take place, is looking pretty darn good to me - especially with the pen that the Yanks have constructed.
Of course if they can lure CC away from the coast or add Sheets, I certainly won't be fussed!
yanks61,
Moose could easily win 20 games the way he's been pitching yankee management would be foolish to let him walk.I would rather NY spend the 16-20 mil on Sabathia than Pettitte but I'm sure that is an unpopular view.
Ruse,
I'm with you on all counts, sure, I'd like to see Pettitte return but if I have to choose between he and Sabathia, sorry, I'll take CC.
I don't think the Yanks will choose though, I can see them really going for it and trying to get both, as long as Milwaukee doesn't pitch Sabathia's arm completely off. Has anyone seen what they are doing to him? They know they are only renting him for two months and they are riding him like it's 1975. He has been averaging 8+ innings every time out and you just don't see that anymore.
Moose is definitely earning himself a contract for next year and as we all know, you can't have enough depth in the starting rotation so I think it's wise if Moose continues to pitch this way.
Next year:
Sabathia
Joba
Hughes
Pettitte/Durvish?
Kennedy/Moose
While on the subject of unpopular thoughts, I am thinking the Yanks need to try to keep Abreu next year and probably for two more after that. They don't seem to have much in the minor leagues and the FA market doesn't look so hot so unless they will be willing to trade some pitching for a good young outfielder, I think Abreu should stay. I know that crowds the DH/OF platooning, but let's face it, someone is always injured. Maybe I'm jumping the gun here but Abreu's bat is nice in the 3 hole.
Jim A.
Ditto
Jim,
We agree on a lot of issues, but I'd stay as far away from Abreu as possible.
Let him walk. He's going to be 35 years old next season.
He's part of the problem - not the solution.
Pettitte will return if his elbow feels good. He's already said that he wants to pitch in the new yard and you can bet the Yanks want him back.
They will definitely go hard after Sabathia, but let's hope he wants to come to NY.
A rotation of Sabathia, Wang, Pettitte, Joba, and Hughes would be one of the best in baseball on paper and it would give them a pretty good chance to win almost every night.
If they do find a way to get Sabathia, they can trade some of their excess starting pitching in the minors for another bat. A younger bat.
I'd let Moose walk. He's been spectacular this season but - no doubt - but there's no room for Moose with Sabathia and Pettitte and he's never going to come close to duplicating this kind of success again.
Viper,
I only bring up the idea of Abreu returning because I don't see another option out there unless someone wants to trade a young, somewhat established OF to the Yanks. I certainly don't want the Yanks doing anything with Abreu that goes beyond a year, but he may have them over a barrel unless they just say the heck with it and go with Damon in LF, Melky in CF and Nady in RF. Then they will not be getting much of anything out of their OF.
Jim,
Well, that's one of the reasons why Cashman has stockpiled so many arms the last few years.
Not only to help the big club, but to also use as trade chips to fetch other pieces they need.
Young pitchers are like cigarettes in prison. Use them as currency to get what you need to survive.
But here's what I don't want to see happen - the Yanks decide to sign Abreu for a one-year deal (which I don't think there's a chance it will happen) and they would then have four outfielders (or three outfielders and one DH) who are all free agents at the end of 2009 with Damon, Matsui, Nady, and Abreu.
That's a lot of holes to fill in one area, so I'm thinking the best thing to do would be to find a trading partner and get one of those outfielders this season to make part of their long term plans, so they won't be behind the 8-ball at the end of 2009 and desperate for outfielders.
Nady is already in the plans for next season, so it’s likely that Abreu may be on his way out anyways.