Yankees vs. Blue Jays: Andy Pettitte Gets Victory After 5 Scoreless Innings
September 19, 2012 · Doug Rush · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
For the first time in over two-and-a-half months, Andy Pettitte took the mound for the Yankees.
In his first start back since June 27, after fracturing his fibula, the Yankees veteran left-hander gave the team five scoreless innings and won his fourth game of 2012 in a 4-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Pettitte threw 75 total pitches, 46 were for strikes. He allowed four hits, two walks and struck out three batters, while lowering his ERA to 2.97.
Pettitte had a couple of times where he could have gotten into trouble, but was able to escape jams and kept Toronto off the board.
In the top of the second, Toronto had first and third with two outs and Anthony Gose grounded out to first.
In the top of the third, Toronto had second and third with one out and got Adam Lind to ground out into a double play.
Pettitte left the game with the lead at 3-0 in the fifth inning. The bullpen nearly gave the lead back in the bottom of the eighth inning when David Robertson made it 3-2, but Rafael Soriano made sure Pettitte’s win got preserved.
Robinson Cano got the offense going in the bottom of the first with an RBI double to make it 1-0, Alex Rodriguez‘s RBI groundout made it 2-0 and Curtis Granderson’s sac fly made it 3-0.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Nick Swisher’s RBI single made it 4-2 to give the Yankees and Soriano some cushion room trying to close out the game in the ninth inning.
It wasn’t Pettitte’s best performance of the season, but after all the time he spent on the shelf, going five scoreless innings and getting a victory for the Yankees is as good of results as you can get.
If Pettitte can continue this trend for the rest of the month, it will only help the Yankees quest to win the AL East and get to the playoffs.
Pettitte likely will either pitch again on Sunday against the Oakland A’s at Yankee Stadium or Monday against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.
After two-and-a-half months on the shelf, it had to feel good for Yankee fans to see Pettitte, on the mound again, pitch in a meaningful game and pitch well.
Stay tuned, Yankees Universe.
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