Thursday, April 20, 2006

Yankees 3 Blue Jays 1

Okay, I have to admit, Mike Mussina looked like a multi-million dollar pitcher yesterday.

From beginning to end, he had very good command over all of his pitches. One change up that had Troy Glaus swing way too early looked like a Bugs Bunny slo-motion pitch. It was amazing to see how badly it fooled big old Troy.

The last time that I remember Moose being that good was when he almost pitched a no-hitter against the Red Sox. Painting the corners, fooling batters with change of speeds, carrying an air of dominance - this is Mike Mussina at his best.

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In other good news, Aaron Small has had two good outings in them minor leages without any problems with his hamstring. If he has one more pain-free outing, he should get called up to join the big club. The Yankees can definitely use his services, both as a fifth starter (or maybe a fourth if Chacon doesn't regain his confidence), and as a solid long reliever. Scott Proctor has been okay, but I just don't feel safe with him yet.

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Hideki Matsui looked somewhat down. After a strikeout late in yesterday's game, he looked very dejected and had his shoulders slumped as he trudged back to the dugout.

I wonder if Hideki is still dealing with the emotional stress of the WBC and how his decision to not represent Japan cause him to lose the respect of many baseball fans in his homeland.

Also, I wonder if he is just plain lonely living so far away from his family and friends. He is known to be a good clubhouse guy, but I'm sure that there is always a bit of a barrier because of cultural and language differences.

Hideki has gone through some low periods before. Let's hope that he climbs out of this one soon.

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Johnny Damon (foot) and Jason Giambi (elbow) are both nursing injuries sustained while playing against the Blue Jays. Both of them plan to get rest and treatment today, with hopes of suiting up on Friday.

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The Yankees have a good homestand coming up. Look for them to climb at least a few games above .500. We'll need some solid outings from Wang and whoever is their number 4 pitcher. We'll also need for the offensive production to continue at its current pace.

- Joshua
InsideTheYankees.com

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