Pettitte delivers, ‘feels good’ after minor-league start
BALTIMORE — Andy Pettitte’s comeback got off to a strong start Monday as the lefthander threw three innings in a Class A game for Tampa in the Florida State League.
Pitching against the Phillies’ Class-a team in Clearwater, Pettitte allowed one run on two hits in three innings, striking out two without issuing a walk. He threw 26 of his 32 pitches for strikes.
“I felt good with everything,” Pettitte told The Associated Press. “Just another good step.”
Joe Girardi planned to check in with Pettitte either Monday night or Tuesday morning. “I’ll be more concerned with how he felt than anything,” Girardi said.
Pettitte, who threw an inning in the Yankees’ final spring game last Wednesday, said he would get an extra day off before making his next start, which is scheduled for Sunday with the same Tampa team at Steinbrenner Field.
“This is a process,” Pettitte said. “It’s going to take a little bit of time. My legs felt really good under me. We’ll bump it, probably to 50 pitches hopefully next time, and we’ll see what happens from there.”
VOTE OF CONFIDENCE
Despite making an error in his first start of the season, Eduardo Nunez was back in the lineup Monday against the Orioles, starting at third base while Alex Rodriguez served as the designated hitter.
“I think he has to . . . for this team to be successful I think he has to play well,” Girardi said. “I think he’s a big part of it.”
Monday night, Nunez was spared another error in the third inning when the official scorer awarded Nolan Reimold a base hit after Nunez failed to field the ball cleanly while charging it. Nunez made up for the play, driving in a run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth, then saving a run with a diving catch in the bottom half.
“He played well,” Girardi said. “Nuney is exciting for us. We like some of the things that he offers us with the speed and we can move him around, we can play him all over the place. He had some good at-bats tonight and did his job.”
POWER SURGE
After going 21 games and 75 atbats without a home run to start last season, Nick Swisher needed only two games and eight at-bats to go deep in 2012. . . . David Robertson, who turned 27 Monday, threw a scoreless eighth.