Boston forecast today calls for sunny skies and temperatures soaring into the 80s. And while the saying goes that nothing changes faster than the weather in New England, Andy Pettitte probably rested easy last night.
No one had a more bizarre spring training than the Yankees’ elder left-hander. Pettitte had two of his spring training starts rained out in otherwise-sunny Florida, limiting him to just 8 1/3 official innings. Though Pettitte shined in his two outings, posting a 2.16 ERA — including 4 1/3 scoreless innings against Baltimore last Friday — it was hardly the way he wanted to enter the regular season, which he does against the Red Sox tonight at Fenway.
“I feel good about everything,” Pettitte said before yesterday’s game. “I got to make that last start and I have a pretty good feel for my pitches. I’m ready to go. Good or bad, however I start out, it’s not going to be because of spring training.
“It’s a matter of making my pitches and I’m controlling myself out there and getting the ball where I need to get it.”
Pettitte will become one of six pitchers to make at least one start in 13 different seasons for the Yankees. Tonight’s 2010 debut comes against a Red Sox team that scored 13 runs on him in 24 innings in ’09.
“It’s a tough lineup, yeah,” Pettitte said. “Hopefully we’ll keep the pitch count down and not be in too much trouble and have to use too many pitches too early. I’m ready to get that first start behind me.”
