Opportune Time
October 7, 2010 — The Yankees came back from a 3-0 deficit last night. They beat Francisco Liriano. They beat the Twins ace on the road. And most significantly, they took a 1-0 lead in the best out of five ALDS.
The vibe around the team after last night’s game and in the hours leading up to tonight’s tilt can best be described with the word opportunity. The Yankees put together a gutty performance last night, and they know that a win tonight will put Minnesota against the ropes.
Think about it… Tonight presents the Yankees with an opportunity to go back to New York needing one more win to advance to the next round.
With that said, putting Andy Pettitte on the mound tonight was the right decision. Pettitte has won more postseason games than any other pitcher in history, and he’s gotten it done in the harshest road environments. Even if Pettitte is not throwing the ball as hard as he did in the first half of the season, his playoff pedigree figures to keep him and the Yankees in the game. And if the Yanks are in this game during the middle innings, Carl Pavano and the Twins bullpen — which got lit up last night — will have their hands full.
Pettitte gets it. He knows what’s at stake, and he knows how to compete. And in a few minutes, you’ll see one of the great competitors take the ball.
–Alfred Santasiere III
Alfred Santasiere III
