BALTIMORE – When Andy Pettitte told the Yankees in early December he wanted back in pinstripes they had no way of knowing he would be pitching a crucial game in April.
Everybody understood Pettitte’s big-game attitude and how he halted slides across his splendid career. But is there such thing as a colossal April game?
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Pettitte came through again yesterday at Camden Yards when he hurled the Yankees to a 7-1 victory in front of 37,501 customers who endured two 37-minute rain interruptions in the eighth and ninth innings.
“I didn’t want to over-stress how important this start was,” said Pettitte, who is 3-1 overall this year, 14-4 lifetime at Camden Yards and has 23 career wins against the Orioles.
Still, the Yankees had lost three straight and were headed for a miserable off day if the slump reached four.
The victory evened the Yankees’ record at 10-10 and may have been costly because Alex Rodriguez left with a strained right quad in the sixth.
“It’s a little sore, a little tight,” said Rodriguez, whose RBI double in the fourth provided the first run. “I am concerned with any type of injury.”
After scoring two runs Friday and nothing Saturday, the Yankees didn’t really punish Steve Trachsel and four others. However, consecutive doubles by Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui in the fourth staked Pettitte to a 2-0 lead. Johnny Damon’s two-run homer in the seventh upped the advantage to 4-0. Derek Jeter, who went 2-for-5, sealed it with a three-run double in the ninth.
After Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy were spanked by the Birds in the previous two games, it was important Pettitte restore order to the Yankees’ pitching universe.
As usual, Pettitte responded. In seven innings he didn’t allow a run or a walk and gave up four hits. Pettitte retired the first 14 batters before Jay Payton singled to left in the fifth.
“I believe any of our starters can do that, but Andy always finds a way to do this for the club,” Joe Girardi said.
Pettitte worked out of a small jam in the sixth when Brian Roberts singled with one out, swiped second and got to third on a wild pitch. But Pettitte retired Melvin Mora on a grounder and fanned Nick Markakis. Kevin Millar’s leadoff double in the seventh provided Pettitte with his next and last test. He responded by getting Luke Scott on a grounder to second, breaking Payton’s bat on a pop to short and inducing Adam Jones to ground out to third.
As for the mini-perfect game, Pettitte said he was concentrating on holding the 2-0 lead.
“I knew I didn’t give up any hits but I just assumed somebody was going to get a hit,” said Pettitte, who traveled to Dallas for a family funeral Friday.
The Yankees had a strong chance to provide Pettitte with extra oxygen in the sixth and failed when Jason Giambi banged into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.
Damon made sure another chance wasn’t wasted in the seventh when he clubbed a two-run homer off reliever Chad Bradford and hiked the lead to 4-0.
“I knew the (starters) haven’t thrown a lot of innings,” Pettitte said. “I wanted to make sure I got to the seventh or eighth inning.”