Postgame notes: Just like old times
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Notes, Podcast on May 15, 2010 
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The last time Andy Pettitte was 5-0, he was also 24 years old, pitching his third season in the major leagues. His 1.79 ERA and nine runs allowed are the lowest of his career through seven starts.
“I always believe that Andy can be great every time he takes the ball,” Joe Girardi said. “I’ve caught him. I’ve coached him. I’ve managed him. To me, he really has what it takes inside to be a consistent player. At times he’s hard on himself, but he expects a lot every time he goes out there. Whether he’s feeling great or not feeling great, he’s always been a team player, willing to say I might be a little cranky but I’m still taking the ball. I would never put a limitation on Andy because of what he’s got inside.”
At 37 years old, Pettitte has been as good as ever. Or, according to the numbers, maybe even better than ever. He said he was hesitant to let his pitches go in the bullpen — some lingering concern about the elbow — but he put it out of his mind when he got to the mound.
“I went out there for the first inning and I was telling myself, just throw the ball,” Pettitte said. “If it starts hurting, we’ll deal with it.”
It never started hurting, and Pettitte was able to roll through 6.1 scoreless innings, getting some huge plays from his defense and getting a huge out when Joe Mauer flied to center to strand two runners in the sixth inning. Pettitte is now 5-0 for the first time since he was Francisco Cervelli’s age.
“Young pitchers, they’ve got to realize it’s not speed, it’s not how hard you throw,” Cervelli said. “Everything is mental. It’s where you put every pitch. He’s able to throw every pitch in every count. That’s it.”
Here’s Pettitte.
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• Curtis Granderson felt “very encouraged” after eight sprints of roughly 60-yards. “Each one was progressively faster and harder,” he said. Granderson estimated that he was up to 70 or 75 percent for the last sprint, and he hopes to take batting practice on the field tomorrow.
• Brian Cashman said Chan Ho Park remains on scheduled to be activated tomorrow.
• Joe Girardi let Nick Swisher bat left-handed in the middle of today’s game, but he’s not sure he’ll let Swisher start against a right-handed pitcher tomorrow. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do tomorrow because it was left-handed that hurt him to swing,” Girardi said. “We’ll discuss it. He’s day to day every day. I have some concerns about him going out there left-handed, though.”
• A lot of great plays by the Yankees today: Brett Gardner’s catch, Alex Rodriguez’s throw, Nick Swisher’s catch, Robinson Cano’s double play, Andy Pettitte spearing a line drive. “They put the ball in play, they don’t strike out a ton, and you have to play good defense behind your pitchers when you face the Twins,” Girardi said.
• Gardner said that first inning fly ball is normally a tough play because it was hit off the bat and the first step is usually tough to gauge, but this one stayed low enough that he knew off the bat he had a chance to make the play. “It was low enough that I was able to get a good jump,” he said.
• The Yankees have now won 25 of their past 28 regular season home games against Minnesota.
• Gardner snapped his 16-game on-base streak.
• Jorge Posada has doubled in his past three games… Alex Rodriguez has driven in a run in 12 of his past 16 games… Mark Teixeira has six multi-hit games in May… Derek Jeter’s two hits matched his total from the previous six games in which he went 2-for-25.
• Mike Ashmore talked to Christian Garcia about being released. Garcia indicated that he’d like to rejoin the Yankees organization.
Associated Press photos
nice win today…hopefully serg can keep us in the game tomorrow with nova? backing him up
Tied up 2-2 top of 9th Mariners vs Rays.
ahhhhhh sea bunt!!!!!!!!!!
# Jerkface May 15th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
This might sound silly, but why does Phil somtimes lick his fingers after he throws a pitch?
–
Tasting the sweet tears of the hitter
————————————-
even sweeter than the tears of gypsies?
If ever there was a TIME THEY NEED Jesus (Colome that is,) it’s now!!
Too late Aybar walked off.
Walkoff HR by Willy Aybar of the Rays.
Lots of great news coming out of the Yankees clubhouse – particularly about Granderson and Andy.
As to whether the Yankees SP can keep this up, well Phil won’t pitch to a 1.38 ERA all year, but then know SP in baseball will do that. I see no reason why he can’t pitch very well all year, though – the fact that his ERA will jump up is no big deal. Who’s to say AJ can’t pitch this well? He sure has the ability. CC is CC…..
Chad – “Gardner snapped his 16-game on-base streak.” But he stole a base today. At least that is what the box score says. Please explain.
Yanks and Tampa will draft off each other all season. Good luck to other East teams staying close.
(look to the run differential, my son.)
Pat Burrell DFA’d by Rays. The contract of Hank Blalock will likely be purchased from AAA Durham Bulls by tomorrow.
Where is the Cervelli 2009 Hype Leader Trisha to send bad vibes to the Sox tonight?!!!
“Gardner snapped his 16-game on-base streak.” But he stole a base today. At least that is what the box score says. Please explain.”
Gardner reached on a fielder’s choice, not a walk, HBP, or a hit. It is probably a misnomer to be called an on-base streak, but that is what it is.
Hope the Tigers show up tonight
Not likely though, with Lester on the mound and Lackey going tomorrow. Leyland must be proud – his team exhausted all its energy to play us, then turn around and get spanked by BOS in front of their great fans.
Pettitte is reminding me of Mussina in his last season. Simply amazing so far.
Love it:
Ortiz, 0 for 1
A. Jackson, 0 for 1
LOL
The Tigers brought Casper Wells up to face the Sox!!!
D. Willis threw 24 first inning pitches. Guess how many of those were strikes.
And John John Damon aint in the lineup facing the lefty Lester. Damon out, Casper in! LOL
I hope for injuries on both teams in the game.
Chad-
confused how is Gardner’s on base streak snapped he was on base and had a SB.
What I want to know is does Pettitte play 4 more years after this one to shoot for 300 wins.
If he gets to 244 this year, and averages 14 wins a year for the next four years he’ll be at 300 on the nose at the end of his age 42 season.
I’d like to see him try.
Damon played all 4 games versus us, facing the tough lefty CC. Played 3 games in 24 hours time with his calves also.
But gets sat out for Casper Ghost Wells!! Good Stuff!! I couldnt make this stuff up if I tried.
At 7:34 mark in movie “In Bruges,” Pete A b r a h am makes a cameo wearing a Yankees hat.
gayle
Read Mark’s 7:07 pm comment.
“confused how is Gardner’s on base streak snapped he was on base and had a SB”
see my 7:07 comment
Mark
Jinx!
Thanks Mark and CR hadnt read comments yet just Chad’s post
Just like with on-base percentage, reaching on a fielder’s choice doesn’t count in an on-base streak.
hey don’t h@te on casper wells!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
he came from my high school!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CR9,
What do you expect? The Tugers played their heart and soul out against us, used Zumaya for like 5 innings in 2 games, made diving catches, got big 2 out hits, Bosche turned into 2004 Bonds.
Now they see the “B” on the jersey and they played like scared kittens.
Umps are also not helping Willis.
hope Youkilis smack one out on the losers from Sh1tTown.
Hate to say it. come on Big P00p, hit one out.
Yes!!!
Tigers are flopping.
Amazing how awful they look against the Red Sox.
And Willis gives up an RBI to Ortiz. Awesome.
Way to carry over the momentum from taking 3\4 from us, Tigers. Another case of a team playing hard against us and laying down for the Sox. It’s no conspiracy – the box scores don’t lie.
Of course they go down weakly against Lester, yet they had the gall to score 6 runs against CC while .150 hitters like Gered Laird gets clutch 2 out hits and that loser Bosche hits monster shots.
This is nothing new. The other teams in the league are going to single handedly keep Boston in the race. Baltimore was an anomaly. Teams just melt when they see Boston. They can’t play us and Tampa every series. The other teams in the league don’t feel like beating them, I guess.
The Red Sox have the best record of any Comerica Park guest (26-16), including five straight since 2008.
Kinda seems like Minny is melting…..
against us.
I thought the Sox were supposed to suck on the road? What happened?
I wish Valverde could get into the game and get spanked back to Dominican Republic.
Watching this performance is excruciatingly painful.
Austin Jackson was playing shallow for JD Drew, when JD Drew can drill balls to deep center field. And what happens, JD Drew drills one over Austin’s head for a Game Ending 2 run double.
But Austin Jackson and Maggles were making catch after catch against us to deprive us of runs.
Such is life. Im not going to get angry over this, ESPECIALLY not after what the Flyers did for me yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When we were in Detroit the weather was taking away more XBH’s than their D was.
CR 9 exactly. Do not let this showing upset you, it was to be expected. The Tigers are a disgusting team, one that takes pride in beating us yet shows no fight against Boston. We are the measuring stick and Boston is just another team that they roll over for. We have the Twins to roll over for, which is nice, but the Sox have the whole league except Tampa/NY that rolls over for them!!
But you are right, we can still hang on to the 3-0 Bruins choke for the rest of our lives. We can also hang on to #27 as well. The rest of baseball will make sure Boston stays in this race as long as possible, but we are a better team and we will combat against the corruption and the umps and the city of criminals, rats, thiefs, etc. and rise above it and win it all again!
“The rest of baseball will make sure Boston stays in this race as long as possible, but we are a better team and we will combat against the corruption and the umps and the city of criminals, rats, thiefs, etc. and rise above it and win it all again!”
You guys MUST be pulling my leg! Nobody has ever believed what I’ve believed! Even so, it’s still fun to read and hope that I have and will win more people over with the beliefs I know to be true!
And I know what you meant, but I only want to hang on to Number 27 until later this year, when we take Number 28!
I read somewhere that the Flyers had their backup golie in and most of their players suck and they still blew a 3-0 lead to them. Is that true?
I think it might be closer to true to say the Yankees had a lousy series in generally lousy weather against a Detroit team that just isn’t very good. Bottom half of their lineup stinks and after Verlander, the starting pitching is well below average, and they play bad defense.
“I read somewhere that the Flyers had their backup golie in and most of their players suck and they still blew a 3-0 lead to them. Is that true?”
Half truth. Backup goalie did play part of Game 5 and all of Games 6 and 7, but the Flyers skill players are light years better than Boston’s, especially after Gagne came back. Boston was exceedingly lucky to be up 3-0 and their luck ran out in a big way. Blowing the 3-0 lead last night was a bigger crime than losing 4 straight, IMO.
Just back from the stadium a little while ago. What a wonderful day for baseball. Andy looked amazing, DRob not so much. LOL. But overall a great day!
“Damon out, Casper in!”
Saved ‘em one run on defense. No way Damon throws the Elf out at home on that Ortiz single.
Yankee fans whining about the Red Sox kicking the Tigers butts is too funny. The only thing the Yankees have to do to help remedy that is beat their butts starting on Monday.
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