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Robo-Mussina Shows Emotion
Mike Mussina was stellar for 7 innings tonight, leading the Yanks to a 6-4 win at the Cell. His dazzling array of 83MPH fastballs, 73MPH curve balls and 63MPH change-ups had a powerful ChiSox lineup tied in knots all night. He did give up two long balls, but both were solo shots. You can live with that.
The fact that he went 7 innings was key, especially with the dynamic duo coming up in the rotation and no way of knowing if either will go 5. Most impressive about Mussina's start tonight was his downright shocking display of emotion. Not once, but twice the rusted old robot broke into a smile (see photo above for an example of what a robo-smile looks like). One came after he fielded a pop up because the Yankees stationary first baseman was nowhere to be found. The second came when Joe Girardi tried to remove Mussina from the game in the middle of the bottom of the seventh but Joe was told he did not have permission to make the move by catcher Jorge Posada. Hilarity ensued in the dugout after the inning.
Posada, Damon and the Melk Man provided all the offense the Bombers would need, but Moose was clearly the story of the night. The Giambino also picked up his first stolen base of the season.
Mo came in to bail Hawkins and Traber out of their mess in the 8th tonight and went five up, five down for his sixth save of the season.
Phil Hughes will try to right his own ship and finish off the sweep tomorrow against Gavin Floyd.
Player of The Game: Mike Mussina
Team Record: 12-10
Damon's Broken Bats: Don't ask.
I watched the game and it was cool to hear Joe Morgan recall Moose's near no-hitter at Fenway. I watched that game on TV and it's probably the best I've ever seen anyone ever pitch. Mussina is a poor man's Greg Maddux and in the big picture, that's not half bad. When he has control AND good stuff he's not good, he's great. Most nights he has control. Some nights he has good stuff. The nights when he has both are fewer now at age 39 but tonight was one of those nights.
W - Mussina.
I don't know if you'd ever really classify his stuff as good at this point. He's only going to be effective if he's smarter and realizes how limited his stuff is these days. He was able to do that tonight and he pitched smart, which is very Maddux-esque. If he can do that more frequently, he'll wind up being a big part of the rotation. If he reverts back to nibbling and challenging at the wrong times, it's going to be a long season.
Tonight left me impressed.
Mussina's fastball is shot but he's still got 'good stuff' in the sense that he's got a good curveball and good change off of his now not-so-fastball.
I love Moose for his dry humor.