Mike Mussina insisted he didn’t really get rocked by the Angels in the second inning yesterday. Even if he did, Mussina was perfect after that.
“Today I had one kind of tough inning and made some very subtle changes,” he said. “Maybe it was simply just getting ahead of more hitters. But from that point on, it was a nice day to pitch.”
Mussina was brilliant in the Yankees’ 8-2 win over the Angels at Yankee Stadium, retiring the final 17 hitters he faced – beginning midway through the second inning. Mussina went seven innings, giving up two runs, but only one earned. And he surrendered a mere two hits and two walks the whole afternoon.
Mussina is now 14-7 with a 3.44 ERA in his incredible renaissance season, and he did a fine job in rebounding from his last turn on the mound. That came against the Orioles on Monday, when he was pounded for six runs. This time out, Mussina came through.
“We really needed a win today,” manager Joe Girardi said, “and he stepped up big.”
After a scoreless first inning, the first two Angels reached base against Mussina in the second on a Garret Anderson single and a Howie Kendrick ground-rule double. One out later, a walk loaded the bases, and two runs came in on a force out and a Wilson Betemit throwing error.
After that, not a single Angel reached base over Mussina’s next five-plus innings.
“I think I was mixing well,” Mussina said. “Same stuff that I’ve been doing.”
With 52 games left, Mussina should get another 10 starts. So he’s hardly getting ecstatic over his 14 wins.
“I hope I’m not done yet,” Mussina said. “I’m going to keep going.”