BRADENTON, Fla. – To blame all of Phil Hughes’ problems on the strong wind blowing out at McKechnie Field last night would be wrong. Yes, the three homers he gave up to the Pirates were helped by the howling wind. Still, the Yankees’ third starter had other issues working against him.
Such as over-striding that flattened his fastball and a misbehaving change-up.
“I have to make sure I finish the fastball and get it where I want,” said Hughes, who gave up seven runs (six earned) and seven hits in four-plus innings in which he needed 76 pitches. “I was trying to add on and I was overthrowing and over-striding. When I did that, the ball leaked back over the plate.”
Thanks to the Yankees raking 13 hits against Pirates starter Matt Morris, they won, 12-9.
Hughes sports a 7.72 ERA and has given up 16 hits in 11 2/3 innings in four spring outings. But he isn’t alarmed.
“It seems I get roughed up every spring,” said Hughes, who figures to fall in behind Chien-Ming Wang and Andy Pettitte in the Yankees’ rotation.
Joe Girardi wasn’t bothered by the outing.
“It was tough conditions to play in. It was one of those Florida nights,” Girardi said. “I am not sure the first or second homers were homers on normal evenings.”
As for yesterday’s news that Joba Chamberlain will open the season in the bullpen, Hughes said it’s nice for a starter to know that type of arm is ready to protect leads.
“We were all expecting that. He did a great job last year,” Hughes said. “He has four-plus pitches, so he can start, but it’s a good feeling to have a guy like that down there who can go two or three innings.”
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When the Yankees went to Japan in 2004, they didn’t encounter the problems that almost sacked the Red Sox trip yesterday.
The Yankees took the pool of money offered by MLB and split it up among players, coaches and support-staff members. According to a former staffer, everybody on the trip received between $25,000 and $30,000.
Yesterday, the Red Sox threatened not to board a plane to Japan for their series against the A’s unless the coaches received the same $40,000 the players were getting from MLB. Eventually, the situation was resolved.
“Anybody who went got the same,” Mike Mussina said. “I don’t remember the number or the total in the pot.”
Like a lot of other players, Mussina applauded the Red Sox supporting their coaches.
“We are all in this together, the coaches and the support staff,” Mussina said. “They do a lot more than the players. They are here for a lot longer hours. They deserve it as much as anybody on the field playing.”
Jason Giambi agreed with Mussina.
“The players are the [ones who make] the money, and it’s good they are looking out for the coaches and staff guys,” Giambi said.
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Pirate lefty reliever Damaso Marte worked last night against the Yankees. While it was in turn, it was also a chance for the Pirates to showcase Marte to the Yankees, who are likely looking to upgrade over Billy Traber, the leading candidate to be their lone lefty in the pen.
Traber, who was recently added to the 40-man roster, has moved ahead of Sean Henn, who is out of options.
Ian Kennedy and Chamberlain will pitch against the Blue Jays today in Dunedin. Kei Igawa will start against the Blue Jays Saturday in Tampa and Pettitte will throw in a minor league game. Yankees don’t want Pettitte to face the Blue Jays so close to the start of the regular season since Pettitte will likely start the second game against the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium.
Special instructor Frank Howard was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome after experiencing numbness in his hands yesterday. … Yankees were offered and accepted pitcher Michael Gardner back from the Padres, who took Gardner in last December’s Rule 5 minor league draft.