TAMPA — When Mariano Rivera hit Felix Pie in the leg yesterday and forced the outfielder to leave the game, the Orioles’ dugout started barking at the Yankees’ closer.
Uncharacteristically, Rivera took a few steps off the mound toward the third-base dugout then climbed back on the hill.
Manager Joe Girardi felt compelled to visit his closer.
“Something came from their dugout, and Mo walked off the mound and back on the mound,” Girardi said.
Rivera is respected throughout baseball and doesn’t have the reputation of a pitcher who throws at hitters. However, Girardi had an idea the Orioles were getting back at him because he yelled at O’s right-hander Jeremy Guthrie on Monday night in Sarasota, when the right-hander drilled Mark Teixeira in the elbow and Francisco Cervelli in the hand. Teixeira was forced out of the game but is fine now.
“It might have been in response to my frustration the other [night],” said Girardi, who instructed Guthrie to start throwing strikes. “This is the time of year you don’t want to see that kind of stuff.”
Rivera, who is suffering from a head cold and allergies, described his stroll as, “I was just walking.”
Rivera’s sixth and final spring outing was easily his worst. In one frame he gave up three runs (none earned), two hits and a walk.
“I don’t know how many pitches, but it felt good,” Rivera said.
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After having two games canceled and another affected by rain, Andy Pettitte made his second and final appearance of the spring yesterday in a 6-6 tie with the Orioles.
“I felt good, my command could have been better with the fastball, and I got tired at the end,” Pettitte said of his 4 1/3-inning stint in which he didn’t allow a run, gave up seven hits and walked one.
The rain forced Pettitte to work in simulated games.
“The biggest reason for today was to build stamina, you can’t build stamina in a simulated game,” said Pettitte, who will start against the Red Sox on Wednesday night in Boston.
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Some of the Yankees are so annoyed at not being in Fenway Park today for a workout instead of playing a game against the minor leaguers, they refuse to talk about it in order not to get in trouble with ownership, which scheduled a game against select minor leaguers.
“For the position players, it would have been ideal to get a workout there,” Pettitte said.
The idea to play the “Yankees Future Stars” isn’t going over well in the clubhouse. Many would prefer adapting to Fenway before opening the season there tomorrow night.
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Nick Swisher‘s strong spring training continued with a 1-for-2 game that included two RBIs.