Yankees 4 – Orioles 2
It looked like rain again yesterday, meaning Andy Pettitte’s start was in jeopardy, again. When the veteran left-hander arrived at Yankee Stadium, he sought out Joe Torre.
“What does it look like?” Pettitte asked his manager.
As it turned out, it ended up looking pretty good. The skies cleared, the game was played, and the Yankees beat the Orioles, 4-2.
That’s what it’s come to at this point in Pettitte’s career: The only thing that can keep him from the mound is the weather.
Last night Pettitte officially established a level of consistency unmatched in the last 77 years. After winning his 12th game of the season, Pettitte has won at least a dozen games in each of his first nine seasons. Nobody’s done that since Hall of Famer Stan Coveleskie from 1916-26.
“Anytime you do something like that, it’s special,” Pettitte said. “It’s definitely something to be proud of.”
So was last night’s performance. Baltimore came in having won six straight; so did Pettitte. Something had to give, and it sure wasn’t Pettitte. He was masterful, carving up the Orioles with four-seamers and cutters, allowing two runs and five hits in seven-plus innings.
“He was terrific,” Torre said, and he was right.
Pettitte actually was trailing for most of the game, having allowed a second-inning run that put the Birds up, 1-0. Then the Yankees, held scoreless by Baltimore’s Rick Helling through five innings, put together a three-run sixth to surge ahead for good.
Alfonso Soriano led off the inning with a sharp single to right; he then stole second without a throw. Derek Jeter lined a fastball into left for an RBI single and a tie game.
One out later, Bernie Williams singled to center to send Jeter to second. Hideki Matsui chopped a high fastball back up the middle, his bouncing single scoring Jeter to put the Yankees in front, 2-1. Robin Ventura, mired in a 5-for-37 slump, ripped a shot into right for another RBI single and a 3-1 lead.
Raul Mondesi produced the insurance with a seventh-inning solo homer to left.
It stayed 4-1 until the eighth when the first batter of the inning against Pettitte, Deivi Cruz, homered to left. Torre brought in Armando Benitez, who teamed with Mariano Rivera to throw two scoreless innings.
Pettitte has won seven straight decisions this season, tying the longest winning streak of his career (done in 2000). Simply, he is a different pitcher than he was earlier this season, when he began 4-5 with an unflattering 5.28 ERA. During that stretch, Torre said Pettitte was “all over the place as far as not being sure what he wanted to do.”
Now?
“Now he has a plan and he stays with that plan, even if he walks somebody or gives up a hit,” Torre said. “He stays within himself and understands that he needs to pitch down.”
“Bottom line is, I just feel stronger,” Pettitte said. “When I was going through the rough stretch, I wasn’t feeling great with my command and my velocity and my pitches. When you feel good, it makes everything a lot easier.”
He’s feeling good now. Seven straight wins? Nine straight years with 12 wins?
Nobody’s been more consistent.