Since the Yankees don’t have another option, get ready to see Kei Igawa in Detroit.
With Ian Kennedy being sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre yesterday, the Yankees need a starter Friday or Saturday against the Tigers. Whatever game Darrell Rasner doesn’t work will go to Igawa, the $46 million disaster.
“He is the leading candidate,” Joe Girardi said before the lefty went seven innings, allowed five hits, four earned runs, walked four and fanned eight against Durham yesterday. He is 3-3 with a 3.68 ERA for SWB.
“That’s the way we are leaning right now,” said GM Brian Cashman, who is willing to look for an answer inside the organization first.
With Andy Pettitte starting tomorrow night against the Indians, Chien-Ming Wang Wednesday and Mike Mussina Thursday, the Yankees decided Rasner will work Friday or Saturday in Detroit.
According to Cashman, Rasner and Igawa were SWB’s two best starters. Igawa went 2-3 with a 6.25 ERA in 14 games (12 starts) last year for the Yankees and never coming close to proving he can be counted on consistently or was worth the investment.
As for making a deal, Cashman said it’s difficult this early in the season.
“The time of the year is not conducive; you have to make sure we don’t have the answer within,” Cashman said.
Girardi used Kyle Farnsworth for an inning yesterday because the reliever might not be available until Friday. His appeal of a three-game suspension is tomorrow.
“I hope it’s not three games,” Girardi said of the possible ban Farnsworth faces for throwing behind Manny Ramirez’s head on April 17.
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Jason Giambi said he was hiking his pants up and showing a lot of blue nylon for a second day, but if he didn’t start to escape the funk he was in at the plate the pants were going back to being worn like Dockers.
“One more day and that’s it,” Giambi said. “If it doesn’t work I will try something else.”
Considering he went 0-for-3 with a sacrifice fly, Giambi will likely let the pants down tomorrownight if his frigid wood doesn’t get him a seat on the bench.
Giambi is batting .150 (12-for-8) overall, .074 (2-for-27) with runners in scoring position and is hitless in 16 at-bats against lefties.
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The Yankees were sorry to see the dead-beat Mariners split The Bronx. Yesterday’s victory was their 14th in 19 games against the Mariners at the Stadium. They return for three games May 23-25.
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Hideki Matsui (2-for-4; 2 RBI) extended his hitting streak to 14 games in which he is batting .327 (17-for-52). Johnny Damon (2-for-5) has reached base in 19 straight games. According to Elias Sports Bureau that’s the longest streak in the majors this season. Since returning from a strained left quad problem, Derek Jeter (4-for-5) is hitting .341 (30-for-88).
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Pettitte (3-3; 3.93 ERA) opens a three-game series against the Indians tomorrow night at the Stadium. RHP Fausto Carmona (3-1; 2.60) starts for the Indians. Wang (6-0; 3.00) draws LHP Cliff Lee (5-0; 0.96) Wednesday night and Mussina (3-3; 4.73) faces RHP Paul Byrd (1-2; 3.74) Thursday afternoon.