Sometimes slow and steady does indeed win the race.
Mike Mussina was rocked early but settled down, Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui banged out three hits apiece and combined for four RBIs and four runs scored as the
Yanks turned back the Twins 6-5 at the Metrodome. The Bombers were down 4-1 after one, but stormed back by scoring four runs in three innings and Joe Girardi used a mishmosh of relievers to get the ball to Mariano Rivera who recored his 14th save of the year. The Yanks finished with 16 hits and crept back to even (27-27) on the year.
The Good:Mike Mussina. The Twinkies jumped on Mike early in this one. Mussina struck out Carlos Gomez to open the bottom of the first, but then allowed the next six batters to reach. Shelley Duncan contributed with a throwing error (his third and the team's seventh when Moose is on the hill) and some were seeing-eye singles, but when the third out was finally recorded the Twins had a 4-1 lead. But Mussina battled back and allowed only two hits the rest of the night. The Moose threw almost 40 pitches in the first frame and had to work to get out of the fifth, moving his pitch count toward the 100 mark, but Joe Girardi sent him out for the sixth inning with the Yanks clinging to a 5-4 lead. Needless to say I was surprised, but I guess Girardi a) believed Mussina still had something left in the tank and b) didn't want to use more relievers than he had to since
Joba Chamberlain is no longer an option. Either way, Mussina made him look like a smart man as he retired Minnesota in order in the sixth. Mussina moved to 8-4 (and is now tied with three others for the most wins in the AL) with this: 6 IP, 6 H, 4 R (2 earned), 1 BB, 4 K.
Bobby Abreu. G.I. Joe penciled Abreu into the No. 2 slot Friday night and it paid off four times. Abreu drew a walk, swiped second (his 300th career stolen base) and then came around to score on a looping single by Matsui to give the Yanks a quick 1-0 lead. Bobby then tripled to lead off the third and scored on Rodriguez's RBI-single to slice the Twin lead to 4-2. In the fifth, Abreu singled and scampered home on A-Rod's RBI-double to put the Yanks up to stay at 5-4. And finally, El Comedulce ripped another triple to start the seventh and scored a big insurance run on Matsui's infield hit to give the Yankees a 6-4 advantage. Not a bad night. Abreu finished 3 for 4 with a walk, a stolen base and 4 runs scored.
Edwar Ramirez. I'm not sure what the pecking order is going to be for the Yankee bullpen now that Joba is gone, but Ramirez could be a major contributor if he keeps pitching like this. Edwar came in for Jose Veras in the seventh with one out and a runner on second and quickly squashed a Twins rally. With the Yanks up 6-4, Ramirez needed just five pitches to dispose of Alexi Casilla and Joe Mauer. Ramirez has yet to give up a run in 14 2/3 innings this season. Keep it up, Urkel. Edwar's night: .2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K.
The Bad:Kyle Farnsworth. It's always an adventure with Kyle. Farnsworth took the mound with the Yanks up 6-4 in the eighth and gave up a leadoff homer to Justin Morneau on an 0-2 count. Very frustrating. It was the eighth dinger Farnsworth has given up in 24 1/3 innings this season. That's not a great ratio if you're going to be counted on to pitch in the late stages of a ballgame. But I'll massage Farnsworth a little (not literally, of course) since he rebounded and retired the next three hitters for his fifth hold of the year. Let's hope for the best. Farnsworth's line: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR.
The Ugly:I can't see so good. Wilson Betemit came into the game to pinch hit for Duncan in the fifth and I noticed that he wasn't wearing his pre-scription eyeglasses. Betemit spent time on the disabled list with conjunctivitis or "pink eye" earlier in the year and said he would be wearing specs once he returned. Anyway, Betemit cracked his bat on a 1-2 pitch and walked back to the dugout to get another piece of lumber. He also grabbed his glasses. I guess he just realized he wasn't wearing them. It didn't help, though. Betemit went down "looking" on the next pitch.
Chien-Ming Wang (6-2, 3.82) will take the hill Saturday night against Boof Bonser (2-6, 6.16 ERA). Bonser has been stinkin it up for the Twins, giving up 22 earned runs in his past 19 1/3 innings, and hasn't won a game since April 29 against the Chicago White Sox. The Yanks have a history of smacking Boof around -- he's 0-2 with a plump 9.31 ERA in two career starts against the Bombers. Wang has been in a bit of a funk lately, too. The Wanger hasn't won since May 2 against the Seattle Mariners, but he has a splendid 1.55 ERA on the road this season. Wang also has terrific career stats against Minnesota -- he's 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA in three starts, including a 1-0 mark with a 2.57 ERA in two starts at the Metrodome.
The pieces are still being moved around the chessboard, but a win on Saturday and the Yanks can call themselves a winning team.
On paper, anyway.
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