05/21: A-Rod Homers in Return, But Yankees Get Crushed by O's
Posted by: Patrick
Mike Mussina has been great this year, given all of the surrounding factors. However, on Tuesday, he turned in a real clunker of a performance. He lasted just 2 outs and threw 42 pitches. He walked 2 guys and allowed 5 hits. He allowed 7 runs but only 1 of them was earned. How is that possible? Well...
To start the game, he walked Brian Roberts. Following this, he got a ground out that moved Roberts to second. And then a strike out. So, two outs, runner on second - no score. Train wreck time: the next seven batters would all reach base. Single scoring one run. Single. Runner safe on throwing error by Derek Jeter (this is why the runs are unearned). Jeter makes the play, inning over. At the same time, you don't have to allow the next 4 batters to reach base just because Jeter makes an error, either.
Bases loaded walk. Double, scoring three runs. Single (batter advances to second thanks to the throw in), scoring a run. Wild pitch, allowing runner to advance to third. Triple, scoring a run. And that was the end of Moose's day. Ross Ohlendorf came in and got the first batter he faced to ground out to end the bloodbath.
In the second, the Orioles added two more runs. Both of them were unearned, thanks to a Johnny Damon error, committed with two outs. Both the Jeter and Damon errors were on balls off the bat of the same player - Luke Scott. Kevin Millar took Ohlendorf deep for the Orioles tenth run of the game. Ohlendorf worked 3 and 1/3, allowing 3 runs (1 earned), 2 walks and 3 strikeouts.
So, yeah, A-Rod returned. He drove in all of the runs that we scored in this one, thanks to a two run home run in the sixth inning, scoring Bobby Abreu. He was 1 for 3 on the night.
Orioles pitcher Daniel Cabrera hit Jeter with a pitch in the third and he was taken out of the game. It was 93 miles per hour and hit the captain in the hand. X-rays afterward revealed no damage - he's day to day with a bruised hand.
Bobby Abreu (2 for 4, 1 run), Jason Giambi (2 for 3), Johnny Damon (1 for 4) and Hideki Matsui (1 for 4) were the other Yankees that collected hits. As a team, the offense walked a total of zero times. So, 7 hits, 0 walks and 1 hit batter. The team runners left on base was only 4 - because there wasn't all that many runners. The bottom 3 hitters - Cano, Melky and Molina - were particularly brutal, going 0 for 9 in all.
LaTroy Hawkins pitched a very effective 1 and 2/3 innings, retiring every batter he faced until Luke Scott came to the plate. He threw up and in - the ball was going for Scott's head and he ducked - and Hawkins was ejected (video). Hawkins said that he expects to be disciplined by Major League Baseball, based upon Kyle Farnsworth's recent suspension.
Edwar Ramirez came in after the Hawkins ejection and, after a walk and single, got out of the inning without any runs crossing the plate. Ramirez pitched a scoreless seventh, as well. Jose Veras took a turn in the eighth. He struck out the first hitter he saw, walked the next and struck out the next. Unfortunately, with two outs, Luke Scott homered. Veras retired the next batter to get out of the inning.
Mariano, who hadn't pitched since May 14, came in and got some work. He allowed a single, followed by a grounder's choice that cut that runner off at second. And then Luis Hernandez lined a ball back at Mo, which he caught and threw to first to double off the runner.
The Yankees are 20-25 and dead last in the AL East, 7.5 games back of the division leading Red Sox. Tonight at 7:05 PM, Darrell Rasner (2-0, 3.00) will make third start of 2008 against Garrett Olson (3-0, 3.47).
To start the game, he walked Brian Roberts. Following this, he got a ground out that moved Roberts to second. And then a strike out. So, two outs, runner on second - no score. Train wreck time: the next seven batters would all reach base. Single scoring one run. Single. Runner safe on throwing error by Derek Jeter (this is why the runs are unearned). Jeter makes the play, inning over. At the same time, you don't have to allow the next 4 batters to reach base just because Jeter makes an error, either.
Bases loaded walk. Double, scoring three runs. Single (batter advances to second thanks to the throw in), scoring a run. Wild pitch, allowing runner to advance to third. Triple, scoring a run. And that was the end of Moose's day. Ross Ohlendorf came in and got the first batter he faced to ground out to end the bloodbath.
In the second, the Orioles added two more runs. Both of them were unearned, thanks to a Johnny Damon error, committed with two outs. Both the Jeter and Damon errors were on balls off the bat of the same player - Luke Scott. Kevin Millar took Ohlendorf deep for the Orioles tenth run of the game. Ohlendorf worked 3 and 1/3, allowing 3 runs (1 earned), 2 walks and 3 strikeouts.
So, yeah, A-Rod returned. He drove in all of the runs that we scored in this one, thanks to a two run home run in the sixth inning, scoring Bobby Abreu. He was 1 for 3 on the night.
Orioles pitcher Daniel Cabrera hit Jeter with a pitch in the third and he was taken out of the game. It was 93 miles per hour and hit the captain in the hand. X-rays afterward revealed no damage - he's day to day with a bruised hand.
Bobby Abreu (2 for 4, 1 run), Jason Giambi (2 for 3), Johnny Damon (1 for 4) and Hideki Matsui (1 for 4) were the other Yankees that collected hits. As a team, the offense walked a total of zero times. So, 7 hits, 0 walks and 1 hit batter. The team runners left on base was only 4 - because there wasn't all that many runners. The bottom 3 hitters - Cano, Melky and Molina - were particularly brutal, going 0 for 9 in all.
LaTroy Hawkins pitched a very effective 1 and 2/3 innings, retiring every batter he faced until Luke Scott came to the plate. He threw up and in - the ball was going for Scott's head and he ducked - and Hawkins was ejected (video). Hawkins said that he expects to be disciplined by Major League Baseball, based upon Kyle Farnsworth's recent suspension.
Edwar Ramirez came in after the Hawkins ejection and, after a walk and single, got out of the inning without any runs crossing the plate. Ramirez pitched a scoreless seventh, as well. Jose Veras took a turn in the eighth. He struck out the first hitter he saw, walked the next and struck out the next. Unfortunately, with two outs, Luke Scott homered. Veras retired the next batter to get out of the inning.
Mariano, who hadn't pitched since May 14, came in and got some work. He allowed a single, followed by a grounder's choice that cut that runner off at second. And then Luis Hernandez lined a ball back at Mo, which he caught and threw to first to double off the runner.
The Yankees are 20-25 and dead last in the AL East, 7.5 games back of the division leading Red Sox. Tonight at 7:05 PM, Darrell Rasner (2-0, 3.00) will make third start of 2008 against Garrett Olson (3-0, 3.47).
