16, 266 for Mussina
NYT: "Four Yankees home runs overcame a shaky beginning by Mussina, who gave up hits to four of his first five hitters to trail, 3-0. But Mussina allowed only two more hits and no runs the rest of his six-inning stint, retiring his last 14 batters. With his 266th career victory, Mussina (16-7) tied Bob Feller and Eppa Rixey for 34th place on the career list."
Strategic Failure, on surpassing Jim McCormick on the list: "McCormick, a right-hander born in Scotland in 1856, enjoyed his best years with Cleveland of the National League from 1879 to 1884, winning 40 or more games twice during that span (though also losing 30 or more three times)."
MLB: "He fell into an early hole Saturday, giving up three runs and six hits to the first nine Royals batters he faced. They weren't hitting the ball hard off of him, as three of the hits came on well-placed ground balls, but Mussina wasn't satisfied. 'It still looked like they were comfortable at the plate,' he said. 'And when they're standing in there comfortably, that's something you don't want to see.' So Mussina adjusted. He concentrated on his pitch selection and what he was throwing to certain batters."
Newsday: "Yesterday left him looking for four more wins with 38 games left to play – roughly seven more starts, if all goes according to schedule. His ERA dropped from 3.39 to 3.35. Mussina (16-7) has won five of his last seven starts, with a loss and a no-decision. The Yankees, meanwhile, have depended on him heavily, going 17-9 in games that he starts."
NYT Bats: "Whenever he retires, Mussina will make for a fascinating Hall of Fame argument. If people dismiss him, they will cite the usual tired arguments about his never winning 20 and his never pitching for a champion. … Mostly, though, they will have to ignore this compelling fact: only six pitchers in major league history have as many victories as Mussina (265) with a better winning percentage (.637). They are Lefty Grove, Christy Mathewson, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Grover Cleveland Alexander and Jim Palmer. That’s the kind of company Mussina keeps."
