Depressed Fan

Paul Bako, Yankee killer.

I got home from Philly, immediately turned on the TiVo and sat down to watch the Yanks. I was greeted by an A-Rod bomb (joy) and pretty much nothing else to get excited about (sorrow). The Yanks were undone by Paul Bako, ostensibly, but really they were undone by their pitiful rotation, again.

Darrell Rasner took the hill today, delivered 4.1 innings of unacceptable ball, then yielded to the same bullpen that’s averaging a hair under 5 innings per game so far this season. How bad have things gotten for the Yanks, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you. Andy Pettitte worked out of the pen today, in the snow. That’s a great sign. The aged $16M free agent signing is pitching on his off day, in the friggin snow, because the pen is completely over-worked 5 games into the season.

Fear not, dear Yanks fans, because Carl Pavano gets the start tomorrow, and rumor has it Mike Mussina will be available for an inning, if need be. That’s a joke, there’s no way Mussina would mess with his precious routine to help the team out, even though need will definitely be. The Yanks travel to Minnesota tonight for a three-game set with the Twins. The only good news is that they’re facing Sidney Ponson tomorrow night. If I were a betting man, I’d take the over.

Matsui was placed on the DL before today’s game, Cairo started in left. Expect the Bernie Williams talk to reach epic levels in the coming week. It wouldn’t shock me if the Yanks brought him back at this point.

Player of the Game: Sean Henn, I’m giving it to Henn because he came into a tough situation in the fifth and worked his way out of it, keeping the score 5–3. Henn hasn’t allowed an a run in 4.2 innings thus far this season.

Tomorrow’s “On Deck” will come sometime before the game.