The Restoration of Sanity

Yankees 6, Orioles 1
Yankees 7, Orioles 1

Amazing what a little pitching will do. I saw Saturday's game. Today's, I'm relying on the box score.

Chacon apparently remembered how to pitch and shut down a pretty good-hitting Orioles team. The offense did more than enough and it was a nice routine win over a team we should beat regularly (I see the Orioles finishing last in the East this season).

Today, Randy must've been totally un-stiff. 8 innings, 3 hits, 1 run. 94 pitches. Could I'm sure have pitched the 9th but Mariano needed the work. In fact, aside from Tejada (4-4) the Orioles were no-hit today.

Two homers for Giambi and 5 RBI. One I heard was an absolute bomb into the upper deck. I'll have to hold my nose and watch Baseball Tonight to see if I can catch the replays of the home runs.

An off day tomrorow (it feels like the Yankees have had about 17 off days already this season) and then Tampa comes to town. A large part of the Yankees having to take down to the final series of the season was becasue of their ineffective play against Tampa Bay last year. Psychologically, I think it's important for the Yankees to make a little statement against the Rays early on.

Mussina pitches Tuesday. Moose and Joe discussed the upcoming start prior to today's game.

Mussina: Skip, if it's OK I'd like to fly down to Tampa today so I'm ready and rested to pitch Tuesday night.
Torre: Err, Mike. The game Tuesday night is at home.
Mussina: Damn!
Torre: What's wrong?
Mussina: This is not good, Skip. My biorhythms, my horoscope, and my personal brain-wave meter all indicate that Tuesday is an ideal day for me to pitch in Tampa.
Torre: Ummmmm . . .
Mussina: (whispering) Plus I odn't like pitching at home. There's an usher in Section 11 who is sending me subliminal messages from Bill Gates telling me that I have to kill every 17th person who asks me for an autograph.
Torre: Ahhhhhhhhh . . . ummmmmm . . .
(Mussina at this point drops a 2 for 1 drink ticket from Big Melons Gentleman's Club in Tampa.)
Torre: Mike, I really can't do anything about the schedule . . . it's . . .
(The phone rings)
Torre: Thank God! . . . I mean, hello?
(Torre covers the mouthpiece) Mike, I've got to take this. it's George wanting to know why Jeter's only hitting .375 and if Proctor is still eiligble for Rookie of the Year.
Mussina: (Leaving the office, picking up the ticket, grumbling) Great, just fucking great. How am I supposed to pitch in New York when I'm supposed to pitch in Tampa? 2 innings, 7 runs, here we come . . . hmmmm . . . I wonder if this thing has an expiration date . . .