Yanks over Minnesota 6-to-5

Well, what do you know? Another win for Mike Mussina. Now if you have been reading my blog you know that I have been a strong advocate for the Moose. No, I don't think that he is an ace for the Bombers. He is not a "sure win" kind of pitcher. He comes with baggage. But, as he has shown so far this season, he has worked hard to work on his delivery, has begun to pitch to different zones, including inside, and is capable of setting the team up for a win. Last night's 6-to-5 victory over the Twins was no exception. The Moose struggled a bit in the first inning but then quickly regained control to go 6 complete innings with a notable 109 pitches (73 of them strikes).

Let's take a quick look at pitching records so far this season:

Mussina.... 8-4
Wang....... 6-2
Pettitte... 5-5
Rasner..... 3-1
Kennedy.... 0-3
Hughes..... 0-4

Rather interesting, I think. Of course a significant factor in the ability for a pitcher to secure a win is whether the team is hitting on any given night. Yesterday, the Yanks were hitting.

Abreu was the most impressive with 3 hits (2 of them triples!) and a walk. Bobby brought in four of the six runs for the team. Matsui and A-Rod continue to be successful at the plate, both of them going 3-for-4 from the box.

As well as some of the Yankees were hitting, some were not... Jeter was 0-for-5, and Duncan and Betemit continue to be a waste of space for the team. Nine runners were left on-base last night and that is unacceptable.

Fartsworth came in as the set-up man in the 8th inning (something that apparently he will supposedly do quite frequently now that Joba has left the bullpen) and it was not surprising to me that he allowed a home run. What Girardi is thinking by considering Fartsworth for this spot is beyond me.

The Yankees got the win and have now leveled themselves in the standings once again at .500 with a record of 27-and-27. Tonight's game two of the four game set will begin with first pitch at 7:10pm.