The Yankees lost their 4th straight game Saturday afternoon, 4-1 to the Rays, but Mike Mussina made positive strides towards getting ready for the regular season. Mussina, an umpire's questionable call preventing him from completing 3 full innings, left after 2.2 innings, having allowed a run on 2 hits. He also walked 2 batters and struck out 5.The veteran right-hander allowed a windblown solo home run to Jonny Gomes in the 2nd, but was in control of all his pitches, and had a fastball that was clocked consistently at 89 mph. Mussina was quite pleased with his day.
"You try to throw up a zero every time you pitch, whether you want to admit it or not," Mussina said. "You erase it when March is over, but you want to get everyone out, the same way you would if it was July. The first step in doing that is being able to control where the ball is going."This game may also have ramifications later in spring training or during the regular season. That's because Tampa prospect Elliot Johnson steamrolled Yankees' catcher Francisco Cervelli in a 9th inning play at the plate, breaking Cervelli's right wrist in the process.
Johnson was on 1st base when Willie Aybar doubled to left. Cervelli blocked the plate with his left leg as he caught the relay that came in from Jason Lane and Wilson Betemit. Seeing he would probably be out with a slide, Johnson barreled in to the catcher. Johnson defended his actions after the game.
"I'm not trying to hurt anybody, especially in a Spring Training game," Johnson said. "I hope he doesn't lose his job. But I'm trying to show these guys what I can do. I'm just trying to score the run. Looking back on it, I'd have to say I'd probably do the same thing."The opposing managers had opposing views; Joe Girardi was clearly agitated after the game and didn't hold back his opinion with reporters.
"I think it's uncalled for," Girardi said. "It's Spring Training. You get people hurt, and that's what we've got -- we've got Cervelli hurt. I know they had an incident four or five days ago. I'm all for playing hard, but I don't think it's the time when you run over a catcher in Spring Training."Girardi also mentioned that one of his players had earlier asked him if such a play was acceptable and Girardi strongly told him, "Absolutely not."
Rays manager Joe Maddon applauded his team's aggressive play. Earlier this week, Carl Crawford ran over Houston Astros catcher Humberto Quintero.
"I loved the hardball," Maddon said. "We're playing it hard, we're playing it right. It was a bang-bang play at the plate. I couldn't tell exactly where the catcher was in regard to the plate. He was trying to score a run right there, and that was part of the game."With 19 regular season meetings and 2 more contests this spring, there is definitely an opportunity for the Yankees to retaliate. It remains to be seen whether or not Johnson will play those remaining spring games or make the Rays regular season roster.
The injury topped off a tough day for Cervelli, who earlier had been hit with a David Price 97-mph fastball above the left elbow. Price was impressive in his professional debut, striking out the side (Shelley Duncan, Lane, Betemit) after hitting Cervelli.
The Yankees managed just 5 hits on the day, with Jason Giambi picking up the only RBI. Chris Britton, Kyle Farnsworth, and Jon Albadalejo combined for 3.1 scoreless innings, but Jeff Karstens and Ross Ohlendorf gave up 3 runs (2 earned) in 3 innings of work.
| NY Yankees | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | LOB | AVG |
| Damon, LF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .333 |
| Lane, LF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .267 |
| Jeter, SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .214 |
| Betemit, SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .235 |
| Abreu, RF | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .533 |
| 1-Castro, B, PR-2B | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .200 |
| Rodriguez, A, DH | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .444 |
| a-Miranda, PH-DH | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
| Giambi, 1B | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .333 |
| 2-Christian, PR-CF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Cano, 2B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | .500 |
| Tabata, J, RF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 |
| Ransom, 3B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .167 |
| Green, 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| Molina, C | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .083 |
| Cervelli, C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 |
| Anson, C | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 |
| Cabrera, CF | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .417 |
| Duncan, 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .467 |
| Totals | 32 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 18 | |
a-Grounded out for Rodriguez, A in the 6th. 1-Ran for Abreu in the 6th. 2-Ran for Giambi in the 6th. | ||||||||
BATTING 2B: Damon (4, Garza). TB: Damon 2; Abreu; Rodriguez, A; Giambi; Cabrera. RBI: Giambi (5). Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Cano 2; Ransom 2; Jeter. Team LOB: 7. FIELDING PB: Anson (1). Outfield assists: Lane (Johnson, E at home). | ||||||||
| NY Yankees | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
| Mussina | 2.2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 9.64 |
| Britton | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Farnsworth | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.00 |
| Karstens (L, 1-1) | 2.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1.80 |
| Albaladejo | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.45 |
| Ohlendorf | 1.0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3.38 |
HBP: Cervelli (by Price).
Ground outs-fly outs: Mussina 3-0, Britton 1-2, Farnsworth 1-2, Karstens 2-3, Albaladejo 1-1, Ohlendorf 1-1.
Batters faced: Mussina 12, Britton 4, Farnsworth 3, Karstens 10, Albaladejo 4, Ohlendorf 5.
Inherited runners-scored: Britton 1-0.
Umpires: HP: Mark Carlson. 1B: Marty Foster. 2B: Andy Fletcher. 3B: Dan Iassogna.
Weather: 62 degrees, partly cloudy.
Wind: 15 mph, L to R.
T: 3:07.
Att: 10,869.
Sources: Yankees.com
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