With one out in the sixth inning yesterday, Carl Pavano had enough.
Had enough of staying healthy, that is.
The perpetually-injured Pavano left yesterday’s game thanks to a stiff left hip. It was in the middle of just his 24th start in four years in The Bronx, and he heard some boos when he left, though there were also some cheers.
“That’s probably from his past,” manager Joe Girardi said of the boos, though apparently they’re also from his present. “He did not want to come out, though. He told me he was fine.”
Indeed, Pavano downplayed the hip, saying, “I feel all right. Just that inning, a couple of pitches I felt it. . . . They saw me favor it a little bit and I told them what was going on and we decided to take no chances. But there’s no soreness.”
Pavano, who got the win by allowing three runs in his 51/3 innings, added that he was “not concerned at all.”
There was news on two important Yankee pitchers yesterday, as Chien-Ming Wang (on the DL with a torn tendon) threw for the first time, and Phil Hughes will start Wednesday against the White Sox.
It’ll be the first major league start for Hughes since April 29. He’s 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA and missed time with a stress fracture in his rib.
“I’m excited to pitch any time I can, so it’ll be good,” Hughes said.
After racking up yesterday’s save, Mariano Rivera is now tied with Lee Smith for the second-most saves in history with 478. The Padres’ Trevor Hoffman is tops with 552, as of yesterday.
“I wish with that save I could have tied being in first place for the team,” Rivera said.
Girardi on Hideki Matsui playing first base next year: “That’s something we’ll talk about in the winter.”
Tampa lefty David Price made his major league debut yesterday, giving up two earned runs in 51/3 innings while striking out four. Price, who hit 97 mph, was the first pick in last year’s MLB draft. Said Jason Giambi, “He’s going to be a special guy in this league.”