Losing The Big One

Well, the Hated Yankees are certainly up against it now, having lost last night with Randy Johnson on the mound and having drained the bullpen to do it. I knew the Yanks were really in trouble when Scott Proctor and his 6.04 ERA came trotting out, although of course by then, Al Leiter (6.13) had already done his share of damage in one of his last steps on the way out of the majors. One thing that struck me last night was the extent to which the game felt like an elimination game, and the managers approached it with that urgency. One thing you have to say about Joe Torre as a playoff manager is that he has a great sense of what games and moments are really important, and throws everything he has at them. If the game had been at all close at the end, we would have seen Mariano Rivera.
That leaves the Yankees’ season in the hands of Shawn Chacon, an unthinkable turn of events six months ago. Chacon isn’t a terrible pitcher, just a mediocrity (career ERA of 4.39 away from Coors Field), but like last night’s losing pitcher, Aaron Small, he has won the trust of Yankees fans by a few months of solid pitching. Against Jarrod Washburn, fourth in the AL in ERA and the winning pitcher in the Game 4 elimination of the Yankees in the 2002 ALDS, the Yankees will probably need to depend on their bats and Mariano.

6 thoughts on “Losing The Big One”

  1. I am 100% sure that the yanks have enough in their tank to win two games in a row. Shawn Chacon is actually just the man for the job tomorrow because he regularly throws complete games… I won’t give up on them just yet.

  2. I see no reason to think Cacon can’t throw a decent game – he may turn back into a pumpkin eventually, but he’s been good quite a few times in a row. Obviously, the fact that the Yankees need to win two in a row is not good for them, however.

  3. INSIDE “INSIDE BASEBALL”

    WHITE SOX PITCHER ORLANDO HERNANDEZ, AKA “EL DUQUE,” PUMPS HIS FIST IN TRIUMPH AFTER STRIKING OUT JOHNNY DAMON TO END THE 6TH INNING IN THE CHISOX 5-3 SERIES CLINCHING VICTORY OVER BOSTON
    The box score and even most news reports that te…

  4. Yes, the hated yanks will prevail, if and only if, joey has the balls to announced Small as his game 5 starter. JT is not being smart, and he ain’t dancing with the one who brung him. yankee dark ages have begun. greenspan says it is so.

Comments are closed.