Every game now carries postseason implications
By Glenn Giangrande / Special to YESN
07/24/2006
http://0rz.net/dc1DX
Losing three of four to a potent division rival like Toronto is not the end
of the world, but the Yankees' series against the Blue Jays demonstrated just
how tough it will be for the eight-time defending champions of the American
League East to qualify for the postseason.
At the time of this article's publication, only 2 1/2 games separate them
from Boston in the divisional race. The Yankees also trail by that margin in
the wild card hunt as they pursue the defending world champion White Sox, who
were swept in the Bronx earlier this month before dropping four of their next
five games. The standings paint an optimistic picture, but the schedule is
not as cooperative.
Beginning August 1st, the Yankees will play a grueling stretch of 30 games in
31 days, mostly against elite competition. They'll see Toronto again in the
Bronx. Detroit will come looking to make a statement after losing three of
four to the Yanks earlier this year. Chicago will have its chance for
revenge. Tack on the five-game series with Boston to go along with a six-game
West Coast trip, and it is clear that the fate of the Yanks could be decided
in the Dog Days of Summer.
With the calendar turning closer to October, pitching will continue to be the
most important factor in determining whether or not the Yankees make it to
their 12th straight postseason. A lot has been made about the struggles of
their relievers this season, but even after Sunday's blowout loss, the club
still owns a 3.81 bullpen ERA — fifth best in the American League. Kyle
Farnsworth has allowed just one run over his last 10 innings of work while
frequently hitting triple digits on the radar gun. Left-handed hitters remain
perplexed by Mike Myers and Ron Villone. In what could be the biggest lift
for the 'pen, Scott Proctor appears to have put his problems behind him.
Since getting five straight days of rest in mid-July, the righty has recorded
11 strikeouts over six scoreless frames.
"I'm just kind of in a groove now," Proctor said after Saturday's 5-4
come-from-behind win at Rogers Centre. "It's just a matter of...knowing
what's working for you. I'm staying back and throwing the ball, hitting my
spots and hitting with all my pitches. You're hoping when that happens,
you're going to get guys out. If not, you need to check your stuff."
While the main components of the relief corps have been on point lately, the
starters have had some problems. Despite being the two most consistent
pitchers on the staff this year, Mike Mussina and Chien-Ming Wang continue to
show that they are susceptible to the big inning. Moose still allows
circumstances beyond his control — like close umpire calls or errors behind
him — to snowball, and Wang can be noticeably rattled if batters reach base.
Those matters are just part of why the Yankees have lost 26 games this year
in which they once held a lead. The duo has more than 20 wins between them,
so there has certainly been more good than bad from both Mussina and Wang,
but a loss of focus is magnified now, since every game the Yankees play now
carries playoff implications.
Could Randy Johnson join Mussina and Wang as a reliable starter? For most of
the first half this year, Joe Torre never knew which Johnson he was getting —
the dominant future Hall of Famer or the 42-year-old with the flat slider.
It has been a different story over the last month though. In striking out 11
Seattle Mariners on July 19 — a season-high in Ks — Johnson turned in his
sixth quality start over his last seven outings. Take out the lone bad game
in that stretch, when he allowed eight runs to the Mets on July 1, and the
Big Unit has posted a 2.51 ERA dating back to June 14. Last year, Johnson
went 8-2 after the All-Star break, holding opponents to a minuscule .208
batting average; the Yankees will need him to have the same post-break surge
in '06.
Regardless of what moves the club makes at the trading deadline, the Yankees
will add talent as time passes and injured players return from the disabled
list. Robinson Canó is hoping to come back from his strained left hamstring
in early August. Hideki Matsui's recovery from a broken left wrist has
encouraged him to shoot for a return later that month, ahead of his original
target time of September. Gary Sheffield is eyeing a September 1 return from
his wrist injury on. All three need to hit the ground running. If they are
all good to go upon re-entering the lineup, they will provide the consistent
offensive support the team has lacked, which would help the mindset of Yankee
pitchers when they happen to be on the mound without their best stuff.
Speaking of pitchers, Octavio Dotel's chances of helping the Yanks this year
are in peril due to repeated setbacks in his recovery from Tommy John
surgery, but if Carl Pavano can shock fans by returning to active duty, he
might be able to supplant Jaret Wright as the fourth starter and provide the
Yankee rotation with some sorely needed depth.
The Yanks have other issues that need to be addressed too, most notably the
woes of Alex Rodríguez. However, Torre wants his club to focus on the two
most important statistics in baseball: wins and losses.
"We're concerning ourselves with our record," Torre said after the Yankees
completed their sweep of the White Sox. "I think once we get to the last
month of the season, then we can start measuring our chances with our
competition and who we play and who they play and stuff like that."
But before the Yanks get there, they'll have to make it through August.
Glenn Giangrande is a production assistant for YES Network's Yankees Pre and
Post Game Shows. He can be reached at ggiangrande@yesnetwork.com.
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