Mariano's Mournful Month

My name is Jamie, and I'm a Yankees fan. I bleed pinstripes, which is even more impressive than it sounds. This means that I worship no Gods before Mariano Rivera. After all, Mo saves.

Or at least he usually does.

Just about every single season, Mo has a stretch of games we'd all rather forget ever happened. In fact, he had one yesterday. He had one last Monday, too - the last time he pitched. And he had one the day before that.

The sky isn't falling. Mo didn't forget how to pitch and his expected velocity is there, so I don't think there is an injury concern. He's just not locating right now. He'll get his control back; he always does. But that doesn't make this game log any easier to look at. The month of September has been a disaster for Mo: 6 earned runs in 10.2 innings pitched. That's a 5.06 ERA, which is not only astounding, but its all the more painful because of the pace he'd been on. Through July, his ERA was under 1. After August, it was barely over 1. Even now, it's .15 under 2, so it's still been a great year for Mo.

Mo will get his game back. He always does - the only question is, will he get it back in time? I say yes; nobody shines brighter in the spot light of October playoff baseball than Mo. Joe Girardi will make sure he gets enough work to tune up, and when the leaves call and a championship beckons, Mo will answer.

"Pay Joba no botha"

I've been writing about Joba Chamberlain over at BomberBanter.com, and I see I'm not the only one. If you wander around the Yankees Blog Universe, you'll see posts about him everywhere. I understand that Joel Sherman is reporting that Joba isn't the setup man anymore... did anybody hear Joe Girardi say this? I don't have a problem with the move, I just don't think it's official. I think Girardi just doesn't want to bring Joba into the game in the middle of an inning. David Robertson has been Girardi's fireman - always getting the call in the middle of an inning in a high pressure situation in tight games; I think right now, Joba starts innings, and isn't brought in to finish them. However, if he's been demoted, Joba deserves it. His 2010 numbers are atrocious. he gives up too many hits and walks, not to mention the runs. I think Joba can be a great pitcher, but I've always believed he's a starter - this doesn't have anything to do with why he's performing poorly this year (I think it's mechanical), but I don't think he's a career reliever, and the sooner they get him out of that role, the better.

As for tonight's game, the Yankees are facing a pitcher who's been called up from triple A for his first start - ever, I believe - so that means the Yankees have no chance of scoring any runs off him. Now if they get to face him again this year, they'll destroy him, but I think this is the last series with the Indians of the year. Anyway, it almost always seems to go this way in this situation. New pitcher, no hits - seen the pitcher before, and they hit him like he deserves to be hit. Go figure.