DETROIT – P.U.
No matter what type of positive spin Yankee manager Joe Girardi tried to put on Kei Igawa’s outing last night at Comerica Field, the truth can’t be avoided: Igawa isn’t a big league pitcher.
Nor one who understands what is going on around him.
Minutes after the Tigers survived a three-run Yankees ninth to hang onto a 6-5 victory in front of 44,062 in which they were out-hit, 14-13, Girardi explained why Igawa struggled.
“He couldn’t get his breaking ball [over] and they were able to focus on one pitch,” Girardi said of Igawa, who was recalled from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Triple-A) yesterday to take Ian Kennedy’s spot in the rotation.
“He didn’t make the adjustments, and our defense didn’t help him. We need to correct the offspeed stuff, because you can’t go out there with one pitch.”
That was Girardi’s take from the dugout, from where he watched the Tigers spank Igawa for six runs and 11 hits in three-plus innings. What Igawa, a full-blown $46 million bust, saw from the mound was different.
“My changeup worked well in terms of control and the slider only missed on three pitches,” said Igawa, whose scheduled start Wednesday against the Rays in St. Petersburg has to be in doubt.
“But otherwise it was good.”
Good?
The best thing David Wells has going for him in his quest for Boomer III in The Bronx is Igawa. Though the Yankees didn’t discuss Wells yesterday and are cool to the idea, if Igawa gets the ball Wednesday, Wells could be in Tampa auditioning for a job at the minor-league camp Thursday.
Wilson Betemit, who was charged with one of the three Yankee errors, didn’t make several plays that went for hits. And the Yankees (18-19) didn’t take advantage of the opportunities Kenny Rogers (3-3) gave them across six-plus shaky innings when they scored two runs against their former teammate.
They made it close by scoring three runs in the ninth against Todd Jones and had Shelley Duncan at the plate with two runners on and down a run. Duncan flied to center for the final out.
It was a bad night for Yankees from Japan. Hideki Matsui had a 17-game hitting streak stopped when he went 0-for-4 and was walked intentionally in the ninth when he represented the winning run in front of Duncan. Matsui also was charged with a throwing error.
In addition to Igawa’s putrid outing, the Yankees likely lost reliever Jonathan Albaladejo for a while to a right elbow injury. He is headed for the disabled list and is to undergo tests in New York possibly as soon as today.
As for Igawa starting Wednesday, don’t put it in ink.
“That’s the plan,” Girardi said. “You made the assumption the guy was going to throw well when he came up.”
If Igawa gets the ball – and that would be 7½ against if you are betting on the deal – it’s only because the Yankees don’t have options. Kennedy starts tomorrow for SWB, so he won’t be promoted. Heath Phillips started for SWB last night, and he won’t be recalled.
The best choice at Double-A Trenton is Chase Wright, last night’s starter. After that it’s Daniel McCutchen, who has some backers in the organization.
“You have to be able to throw offspeed pitches for strikes,” Girardi said. “He is not pitching like he is capable of pitching. We need him working with all his weapons, not just one.”