FAR FROM TIRED: Hiroki Kuroda, who pitched a career-high number of innings during the regular season, will start today’s ALCS Game 2 on just three days’ rest — something the 37-year-old never has done in his five-year career. (
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The Yankees are following more rest with unprecedented short rest when it comes to Hiroki Kuroda.
After giving Kuroda two extra days of rest prior to his Game 3 start in the ALDS, which made sense — Kuroda threw a career-high 219 2/3 innings during the regular season and appeared to show fatigue late in the year. Now, Joe Girardi is now doing a rest reversal.
The manager is starting Kuroda in today’s ALCS Game 2 on three days’ rest — something the 37-year-old never has done in his five-year major league career.
“This is probably the shortest rest that I have ever had in my baseball career, but at this point of the season we can’t really be talking about anything but to win,” Kuroda said. “So, I’m just going to prepare myself to win this game, like I always have been throughout the season.”
Not only has Kuroda never started a game on short rest in the majors, but his four career postseason starts have all been on more than normal rest.
Those turns have come on five, seven, 19 and six days’ rest. So this is significantly different from any playoff start Kuroda has made before.
Girardi, whose other option would have been to start rookie David Phelps in Game 2, said Kuroda’s history was addressed.
“It is something we discussed. From what I understand, he has done it in Japan before. And I know that’s a while ago,” Girardi said. “But this time of year guys feel a little bit fresher. That’s the bottom line. You get to this time of year, some life comes back into your body. The cooler weather helps and you just feel fresh. And he’s determined to go.”
Kuroda has pitched one game on three days’ rest since coming to the majors in 2008, that occurring in a 2009 relief outing with the Dodgers. He gave up three runs in 1 1/3 innings against Milwaukee.
Kuroda faced the Tigers twice this season, faring well both times.
He surrendered three runs in 6 1/3 innings on Aug. 9 and two runs in seven innings on June 2.
In his ALDS Game 3 start against Baltimore, Kuroda fired 8 1/3 innings of two-run ball, logging 105 pitches.
“I love the way he threw the ball the last time,” Girardi said. “He didn’t really have too many taxing innings in that game, so we feel good about him.”