Andy Pettitte Pitched Through Injuries During the Playoffs
October 25, 2010
by Josh Alper
Filed under: Yankees, AL East, MLB Injuries, MLB Playoffs
The only Yankee starter to pitch well in every appearance this postseason was Andy Pettitte, so it is a bit surprising to learn that he wasn’t feeling all that well physically during their abbreviated run.
While doing a postmortem on the season with the media on Monday, manager Joe Girardi said that Pettitte felt tightness in his leg and back during his ALDS start against the Twins, but he pitched through it. He also said the tightness affected Pettitte’s work between starts, which, in turn, helped Girardi make the choice to pitch Phil Hughes in Game 2 against the Rangers.
“We thought we had to give him those extra couple of days,” Girardi said.
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Brian Cashman ‘Absolutely’ Wants Joe Girardi to Return as Yankees Manager
October 23, 2010
by Ed Price
Filed under: Yankees, MLB Playoffs, American League Championship Series, MLB Hot Stove, MLB Free Agency
ARLINGTON, Texas — This time, the Core Four may be broken up for good.
With the Yankees‘ season over, it is time for them to deal with four important expiring contracts, those of manager Joe Girardi, stalwart lefty Andy Pettitte, Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera and face-of-the-franchise shortstop Derek Jeter.
“Winter’s upon us,” general manager Brian Cashman said.
Jeter and Girardi are near-locks to return, with Cashman saying he “absolutely” wants the manager to return. And Rivera certainly seems capable of closing for another year.
“This is where they belong,” Cashman said.
Josh Hamilton Is ALCS MVP | Yanks ‘Absolutely’ Want Girardi Back
Game 6: Rangers 6, Yankees 1 | Box Score | Scouting Notes
But Pettitte sounds closer than ever to retiring, a decision he will grapple with for the fourth straight offseason.
“I wish I could tell you, I really do,” said Pettitte, 38. “I wish I knew. I’m just not sure.
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Yankees Flop in Every Facet of ALCS
October 23, 2010
by Ed Price
Filed under: Rangers, Yankees, MLB Playoffs, American League Championship Series
ARLINGTON, Texas — Other than getting out-pitched, out-hit and out-managed, the Yankees had a fine American League Championship Series.
After his team was eliminated Friday, general manager Brian Cashman was asked if he was surprised …
“… that they whacked us like that?” he said, finishing the question. “Yeah, it’s surprising.
“Do I think we’re better than what we showed in this series? Absolutely.”
The Yankees have to be better than they were against the Rangers. The Yankees got outscored 38-19 in the series, just the fifth time in franchise history they were out-scored by a 2-1 margin in a postseason series.
“They hit better than us,” Derek Jeter said. “They pitched better than us. Overall, they played better than us. I don’t know what the stats are, but they beat us. That’s the best way to put it.”
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FanHouse TV: What Must Yankees Do to Finish Off Comeback?
October 21, 2010
by FanHouse TV
Filed under: Rangers, Yankees, MLB Playoffs, MLB Video, American League Championship Series
The Yankees are alive and heading back to Arlington, Texas for Game 6 of the ALCS. CC Sabathia was solid, and the bats finally awoke as the Yankees slugged three home runs in a 7-2 victory.
FanHouse TV’s Dan Graziano and Ed Price were there. They take a look back at the Yankees victory, and a look ahead to the challenges of winning Games 6 and 7 on the road.
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Rangers vs. Yankees: Cliff Lee Dominates Again in Game 3, Gives Texas ALCS Lead
October 19, 2010
by Ed Price
Filed under: Rangers, Yankees, MLB Playoffs, American League Championship Series
NEW YORK — Cliff Lee did it again.
Lee and Neftali Feliz on Monday shut out the Yankees on two hits as the Rangers secured an 8-0 victory at Yankee Stadium to take a 2-1 lead in the American League Championship Series.
It marked the first time the Yankees have ever been held to fewer than four baserunners in a postseason game and the second time they have been held to fewer than three hits in a home postseason game (they were two-hit by Warren Spahn in Game 4 of the 1958 World Series).
The Yankees are 8-2 at their new ballpark in postseason play, with both losses to Lee, who also won Game 1 of the 2009 World Series for the Phillies.
Josh Hamilton‘s two-run homer in the first inning off Andy Pettitte was the margin for most of the game. Pettitte lasted seven innings, giving up just those two runs on five hits.
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Andy Pettitte Valiant Loser to Cliff Lee in What Could Be His Final Start
October 19, 2010
by Ed Price
Filed under: Rangers, Yankees, MLB Playoffs, American League Championship Series
NEW YORK — If this was Andy Pettitte‘s last hurrah, and that certainly seems possible, it was a valiant one.
One mistake Monday, a misplaced cut fastball that Josh Hamilton deposited into the right-field seats, kept Pettitte from matching Cliff Lee zero-for-zero in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.
And after pushing himself through seven innings, Pettitte allowed himself to consider whether he had pitched for the last time.
“When I’m out of the game, sitting in the clubhouse, you kind of think about that,” he said. “But then there’s a lot of baseball to be played. And I feel real good about our team and about the club that we have.
“And we plan on coming out here and winning the ballgame tomorrow here. … Hopefully I’ll have a few more starts besides this one.”
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Playoff Pulse: Roy Oswalt Triumphs, Postseason Aces Face Off in New York
October 18, 2010
by FanHouse TV
Filed under: Giants, Phillies, Rangers, Yankees, MLB Playoffs, MLB Video, Playoff Pulse, American League Championship Series, National League Championship Series, Executive Take
The Phillies won a game with must-win feeling on Sunday night, locking up their NLCS with the Giants at one game apiece. As FanHouse TV’s Steve Phillips predicted, Roy Oswalt was the key, but who needs to step it up when the series shifts to the West Coast for Game 3?
In the ALCS, two of the most successful postseason pitchers ever will lock horns on Monday night when Cliff Lee takes on Andy Pettitte. In this edition of the Playoff Pulse, Phillips tells us why neither lefty will be the key figure in this pivotal Game 3. So who is, and is it possible that he plays for neither the Yankees nor the Rangers? Click to watch:
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Specter of Short Rest Enough for Yankees to Stick With A.J. Burnett
October 17, 2010
by Ed Price
Filed under: Rangers, Yankees, MLB Playoffs, American League Championship Series
NEW YORK — Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Monday pits the best postseason starter of all time (Cliff Lee, who is 6-0 with a 1.44 ERA in seven playoff starts) against the winningest postseason pitcher of all time (Andy Pettitte, who is 19-9).
Yet the overarching storyline is who starts for the Yankees in Game 4.
With CC Sabathia having thrown only 93 pitches in Friday’s Game 1, and having pitched well twice last postseason on short rest (1-0, 2.45 ERA), some wonder — or suggest, or demand — the Yankees bring him back on three days’ rest again.
But this isn’t last year, for a number of reasons.
One similarity to 2009: The team with the $200 million payroll, after six-plus months, has little confidence in anyone to be its fourth starter in the postseason. Pretty amazing, that.
Last year, it meant shipping Joba Chamberlain to the bullpen and using a three-man rotation of Sabathia, Pettitte and A.J. Burnett. But the postseason schedule was different last year; the Yankees were able to choose the Division Series with the extra off day and the ALCS included an off day between Games 4 and 5.
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So Much for Worry About Yanks Rotation
October 15, 2010
by Ed Price
Filed under: Rangers, Yankees, MLB Playoffs, American League Championship Series
ARLINGTON, Texas — Way, way long ago, when a bunch of Chilean miners were trapped underground and Brett Favre‘s privates were private, the Yankees rotation was a mess.
Remember?
For weeks leading up to the postseason, as Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett struggled on the mound and Andy Pettitte had setbacks in his return from a groin strain, the Yankees looked vulnerable once their postseason opponent got past CC Sabathia.
The conventional wisdom fell apart in the span of four days.
“We were better than what we showed down the stretch,” general manager Brian Cashman told FanHouse.
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Twins vs. Yankees: Lance Berkman’s Hits Lift Andy Pettitte to Game 2 Win
October 8, 2010
by John Hickey
Filed under: Twins, Yankees, MLB Playoffs, American League Division Series
Andy Pettitte, who hadn’t thrown as many as seven innings since July 8, had the Twins as docile as possible in a 5-2 win that has the Yankees one win away from advancing to the American League Championship Series.
Lance Berkman doubled home the eventual winning run and also homered and scored twice as the Yankees nicked former teammate Carl Pavano, the Twins’ starter, until they made him bleed.
o. Turning Point: A ball call by umpire Hunter Wendelstedt that could have been strike three against Berkman in the seventh inning was the pivot in this one. Berkman, who had already homered, hit the next pitch for an RBI double, breaking a 2-all tie and igniting a two-run rally.
o. Stud: Yankee DH Berkman broke two ties. His solo homer in the fifth gave New York a 2-1 lead. And his double in the seventh made it 3-2 Yankees.