Kenny Guido
Well-known member
Mussina shelled again in 16-0 loss to Tigers
BY KAT O'BRIEN | [email protected] 10:27 PM EDT, August 27, 2007
DETROIT - The Yankees hoped Mike Mussina would deliver a vintage outing Monday night, one that would convince them he still can be a quality starter down the stretch.
Instead, the 38-year-old Mussina looked old and washed-up in a 16-0 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park.
The Yankees return home to face the Red Sox Tuesday night after posting a 2-5 record against the Angels and Tigers, who took three of four games in the series. The Yankees will try to rebound from their worst loss of the season against the 80-51 Red Sox, who have the best record in the major leagues.
The Tigers slapped around Mussina, who allowed six earned runs, nine hits and a walk in three innings. His line would have been even worse if not for spectacular defensive plays by Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera in the first inning.
Even with that help, Mussina was so bad that Joe Torre did not send him out for the fourth inning. And he might not send him out for his next scheduled start against the Devil Rays Saturday.
Mussina (8-10) has given up 19 earned runs in 9 2/3 innings in his last three starts: 8-5 and 16-0 losses to the Tigers sandwiched around an 18-9 loss to the Angels. His ERA has shot up from 4.50 to 5.53.
Mussina wasn't even the worst pitcher who took the mound for the Yankees on a night when the Tigers had 20 hits. Sean Henn gave up nine runs, seven earned, on eight hits and five walks in 2 2/3 innings. Henn, however, was in the game in mop-up duty. Something more is expected out of Mussina, a 17-year veteran.
Perhaps Mussina no longer is capable of more. That possibility certainly must be considered after his last three starts.
Meanwhile, the Yankees managed only three hits and two walks off Justin Verlander (14-5), who pitched seven innings, and Zach Miner.
The Yankees trail Boston by eight games in the AL East and were 21/2 games behind Seattle in the wild-card race entering the Mariners' game against the Angels Monday night.
After Mussina walked the first two batters last week in Anaheim, Torre had talked about needing Mussina to be more aggressive. He walked only one Monday night, but the Tigers punished many of the slow strikes he threw.
Curtis Granderson led off the first inning with a single up the middle on an 0-and-2 pitch, stole second and went to third on Placido Polanco's single. Rodriguez then backhanded Marcus Thames' shot down the third-base line and fired to second; the throw was late, but Cano immediately and alertly fired the ball home to retire Granderson.
After Magglio Ordoñez walked to load the bases, Carlos Guillen smashed a drive to deep centerfield that Cabrera ran down in front of the fence for a sacrifice fly. When Ivan Rodriguez grounded to second, Mussina was out of the jam with only one run allowed.
That was the extent of Mussina's luck, however.
Granderson doubled home a run and scored on Polanco's single to make it 3-0 in the second.
In the third, Guillen doubled with one out and scored on Rod.riguez's single. Ryan Raburn's run-scoring single and Brandon Inge's RBI double made it 6-0.
Edwar Ramirez allowed a run in the fourth on Polanco's leadoff homer, but he did produce the second-best pitching line of the night for the Yankees (with the score 16-0, Brian Bruney pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings.)
Henn was ripped to shreds, but there was no point in removing him with three upcoming games against Boston. Henn gave up three runs in the fifth and six in the seventh, three on a double by Inge.
Granderson, Polanco and Inge each had three hits. Inge had four RBIs and Raburn drove in three runs and scored three.
Granderson was 8-for-18 with a home run, two triples, two doubles, two walks, six RBIs and six runs scored in the series.
BY KAT O'BRIEN | [email protected] 10:27 PM EDT, August 27, 2007
DETROIT - The Yankees hoped Mike Mussina would deliver a vintage outing Monday night, one that would convince them he still can be a quality starter down the stretch.
Instead, the 38-year-old Mussina looked old and washed-up in a 16-0 loss to the Tigers at Comerica Park.
The Yankees return home to face the Red Sox Tuesday night after posting a 2-5 record against the Angels and Tigers, who took three of four games in the series. The Yankees will try to rebound from their worst loss of the season against the 80-51 Red Sox, who have the best record in the major leagues.
The Tigers slapped around Mussina, who allowed six earned runs, nine hits and a walk in three innings. His line would have been even worse if not for spectacular defensive plays by Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera in the first inning.
Even with that help, Mussina was so bad that Joe Torre did not send him out for the fourth inning. And he might not send him out for his next scheduled start against the Devil Rays Saturday.
Mussina (8-10) has given up 19 earned runs in 9 2/3 innings in his last three starts: 8-5 and 16-0 losses to the Tigers sandwiched around an 18-9 loss to the Angels. His ERA has shot up from 4.50 to 5.53.
Mussina wasn't even the worst pitcher who took the mound for the Yankees on a night when the Tigers had 20 hits. Sean Henn gave up nine runs, seven earned, on eight hits and five walks in 2 2/3 innings. Henn, however, was in the game in mop-up duty. Something more is expected out of Mussina, a 17-year veteran.
Perhaps Mussina no longer is capable of more. That possibility certainly must be considered after his last three starts.
Meanwhile, the Yankees managed only three hits and two walks off Justin Verlander (14-5), who pitched seven innings, and Zach Miner.
The Yankees trail Boston by eight games in the AL East and were 21/2 games behind Seattle in the wild-card race entering the Mariners' game against the Angels Monday night.
After Mussina walked the first two batters last week in Anaheim, Torre had talked about needing Mussina to be more aggressive. He walked only one Monday night, but the Tigers punished many of the slow strikes he threw.
Curtis Granderson led off the first inning with a single up the middle on an 0-and-2 pitch, stole second and went to third on Placido Polanco's single. Rodriguez then backhanded Marcus Thames' shot down the third-base line and fired to second; the throw was late, but Cano immediately and alertly fired the ball home to retire Granderson.
After Magglio Ordoñez walked to load the bases, Carlos Guillen smashed a drive to deep centerfield that Cabrera ran down in front of the fence for a sacrifice fly. When Ivan Rodriguez grounded to second, Mussina was out of the jam with only one run allowed.
That was the extent of Mussina's luck, however.
Granderson doubled home a run and scored on Polanco's single to make it 3-0 in the second.
In the third, Guillen doubled with one out and scored on Rod.riguez's single. Ryan Raburn's run-scoring single and Brandon Inge's RBI double made it 6-0.
Edwar Ramirez allowed a run in the fourth on Polanco's leadoff homer, but he did produce the second-best pitching line of the night for the Yankees (with the score 16-0, Brian Bruney pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings.)
Henn was ripped to shreds, but there was no point in removing him with three upcoming games against Boston. Henn gave up three runs in the fifth and six in the seventh, three on a double by Inge.
Granderson, Polanco and Inge each had three hits. Inge had four RBIs and Raburn drove in three runs and scored three.
Granderson was 8-for-18 with a home run, two triples, two doubles, two walks, six RBIs and six runs scored in the series.