It's On, And We're Going

Wright’s performance on Thursday was not what we needed the day before a day night double-header followed by three games Saturday through Monday. It’s not just the loss (although every game does count the same – the unpopular truth is that even April games count just as much as September games) it’s that Mr. Torre had to go to the bullpen so early and, because the game didn’t get out of reach until later, he burned Villone for two innings (as I said, and I’m talking to you Olney – I’m assuming this is what you were referring to in your ESPN insider article which I didn’t read because I’m not paying extra to read your and your cronies’ B.S. – a win in that game would have counted just as much as that win in the afternoon game today did, plus – was it Casey Stengel who said it? – I believe that you should always play to win today, tomorrow it might rain). In any event, Villone bears some of the responsibility for the O‘s game getting out of hand. The use of Myers for two and a third innings might have been a little puzzling, especially with the certainty of the threat of late inning heroics by “Ortez” (thank you Mr. die-hard Sox fan John Kerry), but someone had to pitch those innings and Myers has been relatively underused. [Funnily enough, just after I started writing this earlier today Myers made an appearance and retired the should be reigning MVP - UPDATE: he did it again in the nightcap].

Now it’s the bottom of the fourth in the night cap. When this half-inning started and the Yankees had their two run lead, I was thinking if Ponson can just get through the sixth, the strain on the bullpen resulting from Wright’s short outing would be completely undone. Well that didn’t happen, but the Red Sox advantage of having a day off on Thursday is now gone and the two bullpens equally taxed (giving the Yankees the pitching advantage for the rest of the series by virtue of their, I never thought I’d be saying this earlier in the season, superior staff) since the Red Sox didn’t get length from either of their starters today.

By the way, while I’m on the subject of bullpens, how about that Brian Bruney, showing something with that dominant ninth in that O’s game. It looks like we’ve found our closer in blowout games.