April 28, 2007
Afternoon ERA
Mariano Rivera allowed four runs in a mop up assignment last night, raising his ERA to 12.15:
On Friday, Rivera's biggest problem was control. After Mike Lowell's one-out single, the left-handed-batting Jason Varitek and Coco Crisp laced singles on cut fastballs that Rivera failed to spot under their hands, the way he usually can. A walk to Dustin Pedroia, the No. 9 hitter, brought out Torre.
"I was missing up, missing down, missing everywhere," Rivera said.
Torre quickly dismissed any concern about Rivera. "He hadn't pitched in four days," Torre said. "He just needs to get regular work. Then he'll fall into what he needs to do."
The article mentions the no-save streak, but it's tough to pick up saves when the team doesn't present many chances. With the 11-4 loss to the Red Sox and the Tampa Bay win over Oakland, the Yankees are now 6 1/2 behind Boston and one full game behind the Devil Rays in last place.
Posted by David Pinto at
06:44 AM
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Rivera always struck me as the sort of pitcher for whom things could get ugly in a hurry, e.g., when he starts losing the bite on his cutter. The man is 37 years old, with a lot of high-leverage innings on his odometer.
That said, it's way too early in the season to start asking "What's wrong with Rivera?" He's pitched a total of six innings so far. That's not enough to draw a conclusion on anything, especially when they've been spaced out so far lately.
According to the BP, PECOTA-adjusted playoff odds report, the Yanks' odds have decreased from 59% to 30% over the past two weeks.
It's too soon to write off Rivera, but it might also be irrelevant to the Yankees' chances. Their rotation is in tatters. They need every single question (Are Mussina and Pettitte wearing out? Is Wang going to be a consistent top-of-the-rotation guy or a one-year wonder? Can they get anything out of Igawa or Pavano? Is Hughes ready?) to be resolved positively.
Even if the rotation rounds into shape, the bullpen might be worn to a frazzle by then. If the rest of the staff can't consistently keep the Yankees in games, it won't matter how good their closer is.
