Sidney Ponson does not hold a grudge against the Texas Rangers for releasing him earlier this season, after a disagreement with manager Ron Washington.
Ponson was quickly signed by the Yankees, who needed an extra starter because of a doubleheader with the Mets. A month-and-a-half later, Ponson is still with the Yankees as they continue their series in Arlington, Texas (8:05, YES, WCBS).
“Things didn’t work out,” Ponson said. “It didn’t work out. They did the right thing with me before the problem got even bigger. It’s in the past. Who cares? I have no hard feelings toward anybody.”
Ponson has gone from stopgap to solidified in the Yankees’ rotation. Thanks to the ineffectiveness of Darrell Rasner and the injury to Joba Chamberlain, Ponson has become the Bombers’ third-most reliable starter. That one sentence could sum up why the Yankees’ run of 13 consecutive playoff appearances may come to an end this season.
Though the 31-year-old journeyman seems to have a job for the rest of this season, nothing is guaranteed beyond that.
“I can do nothing about it,” Ponson said. “I just have to worry about right now. I’d love to stay here. Who wouldn’t? But right now, I just have to stay focused. Every game matters now, so I’ll try to do my part.”
The Yankees are in the early stages of a make-or-break 10-game road trip that has started with back-to-back losses against the Rangers. The Yankees were 6 1/2 games behind the Rays and 3 1/2 behind the Red Sox, who lead the wild-card race, when play began today.
This makes it crucial for Ponson to build on the seven shutout innings he hurled in his previous start against the Angels.
“I’m working hard to have back-to-back good games,” Ponson said. “We’ll see what happens.”
Ponson was the starter in the Yankees’ only win in five chances against the Rangers this season, but that was more thanks to an offense that hammered Rangers pitching in an 18-7 rout.
Tonight’s Pitching Matchup:
Yankees RHP Sidney Ponson (6-2, 4.23 ERA) Ponson gave up all seven runs over five innings in that game against the Rangers.
Rangers RHP Tommy Hunter (0-0, 10.80 ERA) Hunter is making his second major league start tonight. He allowed six runs over five innings in his debut against the Blue Jays. But Hunter sounds more confident heading into his second start, saying, “The nervousness is gone.”
With Fort-Worth Star Telegram and Yankees.com