MLB

Pedro: Father time might get in way of Yankees run

Pedro Martinez is younger than Mariano Rivera. Had he and Andy Pettitte gone to school together, they could have been in the same grade. Ichiro Suzuki and Derek Jeter could have been two years behind, toiling for the junior varsity. And Hiroki Kuroda and Alex Rodriguez wouldn’t be too far away, either.

Now a special assistant to Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington, Martinez knows his rival’s roster just as well as his own. As he stood in the visiting dugout at Yankee Stadium Friday night, the three-time Cy Young Award winner expressed admiration for the Yankees, yet he also sounded a familiar warning for Joe Girardi’s group.

“They’re veterans, yes, that can help them down the stretch, if they find a spot to get into,” the 41-year-old Martinez said before the Yankees’ 12-8 loss to the Red Sox Friday night at the Stadium. “But at the same time, age takes a toll on people. I think some of those guys are just victims of being in a steady decline towards age. Age does not lie.

“But the team’s still good. Don’t make a mistake, that team is really good. And it’s dangerous. So I wouldn’t take them lightly.”

Despite the Yankees’ age problems, Martinez, who threw his last major-league pitch at 38 — for the Phillies, against the Yankees, in the 2009 World Series — expressed faith that the team he loved to hate might overcome its long odds.

“I think they could [make the playoffs],” he said. “They have plenty of chances. They have plenty of time to actually make it.”

Martinez also keeps an eye on the Mets, for whom he pitched from 2005 through 2008. “I’m extremely sad for [Matt] Harvey. I was rooting for that kid so bad,” Pedro said. “To see him hurt a little bit, I think they’ve got to be cautious, because they have something special with him. I hope that they control him on time and they keep him healthy.”

Health is a challenge for ballplayers, no matter the age. As a retiree not far removed from his playing days, though, Martinez understands how it gets harder with time. Like the rest of us, he’s curious whether the Yankees can overcome not only the Rays, Orioles and Indians, but also Father Time.