Mussina hasn't won since Aug. 8, but he's pitching well. He gave up two runs in seven innings Thursday vs. Kansas City, and as long as he pitches like that, the Orioles will have no problem. The Yankees are getting good pitching from starters Andy Pettitte and David Wells and the bullpen, around Mariano Rivera, has been as good as last season, but the question with the Yankees have pitching questions surrounding David Cone and Hideki Irabu, the import from Japan. Dwight Gooden, Pettitte and Wells pitch this weekend against Montreal, but after that Torre isn't sure what to do. Irabu has been terrible, and in his last outing in Oakland, he gave up eight hits and five runs in three innings.
Cone has shoulder tendinitis and is on the disabled list.
Cone could be ready Thursday when the Orioles come to town, but he isn't hurrying. He said he needed the two week off. In fact, Cone's arm was hurting so much before being disabled, he admitted it prevented him from sleeping at night. If Kenny Rogers and Ramiro Mendoza were pitching better, it would be easy to bump Irabu from the rotation. It'd be a shame that if the Braves' bats fell apart and wasted all the Braves' pitching.