Yankee 21
08-28-2002, 11:04 AM
08/27/2002 6:39 pm ET
MLBeat: Coomer in, Ventura rests
By Mark Feinsand / MLB.com
BOSTON -- Ron Coomer was in the starting lineup on Tuesday for the second consecutive day, as Yankees manager Joe Torre decided to give Robin Ventura another day of rest.
Ventura, who is in a 5-for-27 slump (.185), sat out Monday's 10-3 win against the Texas Rangers. With left-hander Casey Fossum starting for the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, Torre saw another chance to get Coomer in the lineup.
"It gave me the opportunity to give Robin two days off, and I think he needed it," Torre said. "He's a tough guy to manage, because he won't ask for any time off, or answer the question straight if you ask him if he needs a game off."
Ventura is batting .253 with 25 home runs and 86 RBIs in 116 games this season. He has hit 18 of his 25 homers on the road.
Coomer has seen time at first, third and DH this year, batting .287 with three homers and 15 RBIs in 44 games. In limited duty last week, Coomer was 3-for-8 with two RBIs on the homestand, starting two games.
"We'll give him a couple of days, and hopefully get a little life back in his bat," Torre said.
Streak searching: The Yankees are 4-4 in their last eight games, alternating wins and losses since last Sunday in Seattle. After winning five straight games on its last road trip, New York was 4-3 on its homestand.
Torre is hoping that the Yankees can play more consistently on this six-game road trip, as they play two games against Boston and four in Toronto.
"We haven't played particularly well. We've been win-one, lose-one," Torre said. "It's kept us where we were when we started that 10-game run, but I'd like to believe that we're capable of putting on a four- or five-game winning streak. I don't care how good you are or how far ahead you are, you still need to win in order to maintain your confidence."
New York's lead in the AL East stands at seven games heading into Tuesday's game with the Red Sox. The Yankees have led by as many as eight games over Boston this year, but only for one day. With two games against the rival Sox, New York has an opportunity to put even more ground between the two clubs as they enter the September stretch. The two teams meet again next week for three games in the Bronx.
"It may be more important to them in the standings, but I don't think it's more important to them than us to win the games," Torre said. "They're two games on the schedule, and we have to play them again when we go home. With a seven-game lead, obviously we're in better shape than they are in the standings, but we can't let that affect the way we play."
Moose call: Mike Mussina matches up against Pedro Martinez on Wednesday, as the Yankees' right-hander returns to a ballpark where he has had a lot of success throughout his career.
The right-hander has won both of his starts in Boston this year, and is 9-5 with a 3.17 ERA in 17 career starts, including a one-hitter last Sept. 1 in which he took a perfect game into the ninth inning with two outs.
"He's as anxious as anybody to get into this game tomorrow so he can try to get that feeling back that he needs to have," Torre said. "I'm not sure that pitching against Pedro is really the tonic you want, but it certainly gets your attention. He's done it before, and he's done it well."
Mussina is 15-7 with a 4.94 ERA in 2002, having struggled through five months of inconsistency. After winning back-to-back decisions against the Mariners and A's, Mussina was hit hard by the Texas Rangers on Friday, giving up five runs over six innings, including four home runs.
Fantasy Edge: Shane Spencer, who had been swinging a hot bat before the last homestand, snapped an 0-for-11 slump on Monday. Spencer has two hits in his last 23 at-bats, which could mean decreased playing time for the outfielder, especially if Rondell White begins to break out his own slump.
MLBeat: Coomer in, Ventura rests
By Mark Feinsand / MLB.com
BOSTON -- Ron Coomer was in the starting lineup on Tuesday for the second consecutive day, as Yankees manager Joe Torre decided to give Robin Ventura another day of rest.
Ventura, who is in a 5-for-27 slump (.185), sat out Monday's 10-3 win against the Texas Rangers. With left-hander Casey Fossum starting for the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, Torre saw another chance to get Coomer in the lineup.
"It gave me the opportunity to give Robin two days off, and I think he needed it," Torre said. "He's a tough guy to manage, because he won't ask for any time off, or answer the question straight if you ask him if he needs a game off."
Ventura is batting .253 with 25 home runs and 86 RBIs in 116 games this season. He has hit 18 of his 25 homers on the road.
Coomer has seen time at first, third and DH this year, batting .287 with three homers and 15 RBIs in 44 games. In limited duty last week, Coomer was 3-for-8 with two RBIs on the homestand, starting two games.
"We'll give him a couple of days, and hopefully get a little life back in his bat," Torre said.
Streak searching: The Yankees are 4-4 in their last eight games, alternating wins and losses since last Sunday in Seattle. After winning five straight games on its last road trip, New York was 4-3 on its homestand.
Torre is hoping that the Yankees can play more consistently on this six-game road trip, as they play two games against Boston and four in Toronto.
"We haven't played particularly well. We've been win-one, lose-one," Torre said. "It's kept us where we were when we started that 10-game run, but I'd like to believe that we're capable of putting on a four- or five-game winning streak. I don't care how good you are or how far ahead you are, you still need to win in order to maintain your confidence."
New York's lead in the AL East stands at seven games heading into Tuesday's game with the Red Sox. The Yankees have led by as many as eight games over Boston this year, but only for one day. With two games against the rival Sox, New York has an opportunity to put even more ground between the two clubs as they enter the September stretch. The two teams meet again next week for three games in the Bronx.
"It may be more important to them in the standings, but I don't think it's more important to them than us to win the games," Torre said. "They're two games on the schedule, and we have to play them again when we go home. With a seven-game lead, obviously we're in better shape than they are in the standings, but we can't let that affect the way we play."
Moose call: Mike Mussina matches up against Pedro Martinez on Wednesday, as the Yankees' right-hander returns to a ballpark where he has had a lot of success throughout his career.
The right-hander has won both of his starts in Boston this year, and is 9-5 with a 3.17 ERA in 17 career starts, including a one-hitter last Sept. 1 in which he took a perfect game into the ninth inning with two outs.
"He's as anxious as anybody to get into this game tomorrow so he can try to get that feeling back that he needs to have," Torre said. "I'm not sure that pitching against Pedro is really the tonic you want, but it certainly gets your attention. He's done it before, and he's done it well."
Mussina is 15-7 with a 4.94 ERA in 2002, having struggled through five months of inconsistency. After winning back-to-back decisions against the Mariners and A's, Mussina was hit hard by the Texas Rangers on Friday, giving up five runs over six innings, including four home runs.
Fantasy Edge: Shane Spencer, who had been swinging a hot bat before the last homestand, snapped an 0-for-11 slump on Monday. Spencer has two hits in his last 23 at-bats, which could mean decreased playing time for the outfielder, especially if Rondell White begins to break out his own slump.