Advertisement

Andy Pettitte won’t offer an easy matchup for Angels

Share

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

The Angels go into this afternoon’s third game of the American League Championship Series with their backs firmly against the green padded outfield wall at Angel Stadium, trailing the best-of-seven series 2-0. And if that wasn’t bad enough, they face a pitcher today who has as many postseason wins as any pitcher in history in Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte.

Pettitte picked up this 15th postseason win, tying him with John Smoltz atop the all-time list, in the Yankees’ Division Series sweep of the Minnesota Twins, giving up a run on three hits over 6 1/3 innings. He’s lost just two of his last seven postseason decisions, dating to the 2001 World Series, And he hasn’t lost in the ALCS since 1998.

‘I’m very thankful. I feel fortunate to have been able to have played as long as I have,’ said Pettitte, who won 14 games for the Yankees during the regular season. ‘I never would have dreamed that I would have been able to have been in this situation and be able to do something like that. It’s just an honor.’

However, Pettitte is a mortal 6-7 lifetime at Angel Stadium with a 4.19 ERA. And the Angels beat him soundly the three times they faced him this year, collecting 14 runs and 21 hits in 16 innings.
But none of that counts now, said Angels Manager Mike Scioscia.
‘Andy’s a guy that we faced a ton of times in the postseason. He doesn’t get away from his game plan. If a guy hits a ball hard, he still trusts what he can do and what he needs to do out there, and he’s not going to be scared off of a pitch,’ Scioscia said. ‘He’s not going to be taken out of his game plan because a couple of guys had squared some baseballs up. I think that’s why he’s been able to maybe work around some trouble early in some starts and keep going and pitch well.

‘He just has that veteran presence where he’s not going to get taken out of his game out there. And I think that’s the first lesson in not only being a good major league pitcher, but if you want to pitch in the playoffs; you have to have that make-up, and Andy certainly does.’
-- Kevin Baxter

Advertisement