Midnight for the Comeback Kids (Postgame Notes 09 June 2008)

After the dramatic wins on Thursday and Saturday, that today's game should have come down to the ninth inning should not be a surprise.

Alas, despite having the bases loaded with the tying run on third, the Yankees could not even the score, and once again fell back to .500.

The Yankees' loss today can in no way be put on the shoulders of Mike Mussina. Mussina was excellent--beyond, excellent even. Usually, when you pitch eight full innings and surrender only two runs (on one bad pitch), you will win the game.

Like Rasner's performance on Saturday, Moose was excellent, but done in by a lack of run support (which might be more a tribute to Luke Hochevar's pitching than anything else). If it's any consolation (and I'm not sure it is), Moose, at least, was not saddled with the loss.

In what was an uncannily similar performance to Saturday's, Mariano Rivera surrendered the solo home run before getting three quick outs. It is probably only fitting that the hitter of that home run was Jose Guillen, who has been killing the Yankees all weekend. Simply put, the Royals figured out that to win they had to pitch around Jason Giambi and the 'stache in the ninth. The Yankees forgot to do the same with Guillen.

The Yankees did not have a good offensive performance--only four hits--but Alex Rodriguez's home run in the seventh kept them in the game, and they had the bases loaded in the ninth, when Melky Cabrera just missed beating out the relay throw to first.

In the eighth inning, a blown call by first base umpire Ed Montague on a bunt by Melky Cabrera should be noted. Although the Yankees did not lose the game on the call, it may be argued that it took away the best chance the Yankees had at winning the game. Melky threw his helmet off in disgust, and was lucky not to get thrown out.

There's one thing that you can say about the Yankees' recent play--they've begun to show emotion, and life. When Rivera gave up the home run to Jose Guillen, the television replay showed him screaming in disgust (looked like a four letter word, but I don't lipread), before remembering that he was Mariano Rivera, the King of Cool.

When you show emotion like that, and remember to play all twenty-seven outs (as the Yankees have at last seem to be able to do), the wins will not be far off.