The win was as sweet as candy.
Sidney Ponson bounced back with a solid effort, Jason Giambi had an RBI-single on Mustache Day and Bobby Abreu doubled in the game-winning run as the
Yanks clipped the Rays 2-1 in 10 innings at The Stadium. The bullpen trifecta of Jose Veras, Kyle Farnsworth and Mariano Rivera also came up big time with four innings of shutout ball to help secure the victory.
The win gives the Bombers a sweep of the two-game set and moves them to within 6.5 games of Tampa Bay in the AL East.
I was listening to this one at work, but I was in a meeting for the first hour and my duties kept me from giving this ballgame my undivided attention throughout the afternoon. Hence, no roundup. It would be silly -- nay -- dishonest if I tried. Plus, I'm feeling a bit fatigued. But enough of my complaining.
Thursday was supposed to be an off-day, but the Yanks will travel to Pittsburgh and make up a rain out against the Pirates. And strangely enough, the same two pitchers from that June 26 game will square off once again. Mike Mussina (11-6, 3.64 ERA) will go against Paul Maholm (5-5, 4.05 ERA). The Bombers jumped on Maholm for three runs in the first before the rain came. Maholm pitched well in his last start against the Milwaukee Brewers (8 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K), but picked up a no-decision in the Pirates 2-1 loss. The Moose was dynamite in his last start against the Boston Red Sox and is holding lefty batters to a .225 average this season. Mussina has a perfect lifetime record against teams that play in his home state of Pennsylvania (1-0 with a 0.00 ERA against the Pirates and 4-0 with a 2.93 ERA against the Philadelphia Phillies).
The Moose doesn't have to be perfect on Thursday night.
A win will do.
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Missed the game myself but a great win. Amazing that Mussina could get win 12 before the break. Should be going for win 14. I don't think he made the All-Star team, right? All-Star voting is a joke.