YanksBlog.com » Yankees hold on to win first game of series vs. Texas 8-7

05/06: Yankees hold on to win first game of series vs. Texas 8-7

Posted by: David

At the start of the eighth inning it looked as though the Yankees had a laugher on their hands. Mike Mussina was sailing with an 8-1 lead. He surrendered a single to the first batter and was replaced by Aaron Small. Small gave up three hard hits while retiring only one batter and left with the score 8-3. Kyle Farnsworth entered next and was able to strike out Mark Teixeira with the bases loaded for the second out but walked Phil Nevin to make the score 8-4. Rivera replaced Farnsworth and was immediately greeted with a two run single from Hank Blalock and then a RBI single by Kevin Mench to make the score 8-7. Rivera hit Brad Wilkerson with an 0-2 pitch but then retired Rod Barajas on a bouncer near the bag at second which ended the inning. Rivera held on in the ninth with the aid of a slick fielding play from Derek Jeter to save the game.

The Yankees got two runs in the first when Vicente Padilla was wild and threw 39 pitches. A-Rod got an RBI force out and Posada drew a bases loaded walk for the second run. The Rangers came back with a run from a triple by Brad Wilkerson and an RBI groundout from Barajas. The Yankees opened it up with a five run fourth inning which featured a two run single from A-Rod. Jeter added another RBI single later to extend the Yankees lead to 8-1.

Mussina was brilliant through seven innings allowing only two hits and one run, but left after the leadoff single in the eighth. The Yankees bullpen imploded but as stated above got the huge outs when they needed it most. The series resumes tonight with Shawn Chacon on the hill for the Bronx Bombers.

Comments

MTQ wrote:

Moose should never have started the 8th. Farny needs to be given a longer leash. As for Small, with any luck the NYY will be forced to make some decisions in the coming weeks about who stays and who goes and Aaron may not be around very long.

05/06 10:13:43

Michael wrote:

I'm not so sure Small will be gone. He seems to be a better starter than coming out of the bullpen. Plus, you know it is only a matter of time before we having a pitching injury of some sort...remember last year?

05/06 13:32:04

MTQ wrote:

Last year is never far from my mind and that's why I always end up defending Jaret Wright lately - at least he's freaking healthy (cough Carl cough Pavano). I'm not trying to run Small out of town but last year was a mirage and Joe seems really detremined to use the guy (he was dying to use him that first game in Fenway) and he will learn eventually that there was reason Small was on the scrap heap to begin with. Small can contribute as a spot (perhaps more when the injuries come) but he shouldn't have the ball in his hand in the late innings.

I'm a big fan of Farnsworth and Joe needs to invest the same trust in him that he had in Gordon.

05/06 13:52:11

Michael wrote:

Jaret Wright is just a start away from being injured.

I think of Aaron Small as an insurance policy with the age of our starters. Perhaps last year was a mirage with Small, but Small coming out of the bullpen is not the best situation for him. I agree Small in late innings scare me! So the best solution is long middle relief or spot start, leave it at that please Torre!

And why not use Villone more? Saving his arm for fall Joe? Who knows?? I like the Villone/Farnsworth solution for the seventh-eighth innings

05/06 14:17:04

Mike A. wrote:

I agree Michael, Villone/Farnsworth in the 7th/8th matching up were necessary.

As far as Wright, he's always one pitch from an extended DL trip. When Pavano gets healthy I hope they can pawn off Wright by paying the remainder of his salary, hopefulyl getting a half-decent prospect in return.

Small could have been a 1 year wonder, but he's a tough dude and doesn't seem like he's intimidated by playing in the Bronx, but neither does Wright.

It's never a bad thing to have too many pitchers, and hopefully Cash will solve the problem by cutting Sturtze lose sooner rather than later. Of course, whenever he's cut lose he'll turn into the bullpen version of Balki Arroyo, slamming the door for the Pirates or something like that.

05/06 19:29:47

Mariano Apodaca wrote:

As a long time (over 50 years) Yankee fan from the arid Southwest I have got to commend Mr. Johnny Damon for his outstanding mannerisms during his return to Boston. Well Done!

05/07 11:30:31

James wrote:

I agree about the injuries situation but the pitching situation this year is far rosier than it was last year.

-We have Chacon for the whole year.
-There are just plain better arms in the pen than last year (Myers & Villone is far better than some of the crud we had to trot out there last year - Embree, Quantrill, Stanton and I could def. go on)
-Dotel is coming back soon and if not, we have PLENTY of bullpen depth at AAA right now (is it good depth - debatable). I mean, you could easily replace Small & Sturtze with say...Mendoza, Erickson, Smith, or God forbid he gets a shot...Colter Bean and have no dropoff (probably an uptick in performance).

and Mariano, I have to begrudgingly agree with you - to date, Damon has been nothing but classy, engaging and a solid performer. I honestly thought that it would take much, much longer for me to warm up to him...but he's making the transition pretty easy...

05/08 09:44:11

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05/06: Yankees hold on to win first game of series vs. Texas 8-7

Comments

MTQ wrote:

Michael wrote:

MTQ wrote:

Michael wrote:

Mike A. wrote:

Mariano Apodaca wrote:

James wrote:

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