When was the last time the Yanks won a 3-2 game this year? You can't find one this season. I looked and correct me if I'm wrong, but there isn't one. That sums up the season so far. The Yanks had been built on pitching during our great run and looking at the other playoff contenders this year we are the weakest in that department. (except for Rivera and Gordon).
Mike Mussina muscled his way through six inning to get his eleventh win of the season. I saw him at times throw his fast ball more than usual (seven strike outs ) and that is the key for him the rest of the way. A-Rod hit another big home run and the bullpen did it's job to cement the victory..
This is how it will play out this season. If the starters can dig deep and get to the seventh inning of most games we'll have a shot to overtake Boston because they have pitching woes of their own. I see the wild card coming out of the west so the question becomes can Small, Chacon, Leiter, Mussina and an iffy Johnson get us there? I've been really encouraged by Chacon, surprised by Small, scared by Leiter, luke-warm with Mussina and pissed at Johnson.
The rest of the beat up starters which includes Wang, Pavano or Wright ( Has Brown been cut yet?) are able to give us any help at all, it'll eat up some innings to help the bullpen for the home stretch. Sturtze, Felix, Embree, Gordon and Rivera will be strong if they are rested for September. I can see Joe pitching Mariano more than three outs a game in the last month of the season because he hasn't pitched as many innings as he usually does.
I was encouraged by Tanyon's after game interview. He said he was happy that Joe called on him after he stunk up the joint in Toronto. That shows that he has guts and wants the ball, a quality some pitchers lack when they get to N.Y. Torre said they might have found a flaw in something he was doing and maybe it was corrected. We can only hope.
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