Javier Vazquez was far from dominant, but came through with a decent outing for the New York Yankees. And that's all the Yankees and manager Joe Girardi were hoping for.
Vazquez had some command issues and never threw the ball as hard as he has in previous years, but he was able to get key outs when he was in trouble. He managed to hold on to the lead the Yankees gave him and left the game ahead 6-3 for his first victory of the year.
He was burned by a rare communication lapse between Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano that resulted in a pop fly dropping in for a hit right before he gave up a second home run. It's often said that pitchers need to pick up their fielders when mistakes like that happen, but Vazquez isn't capable of that.
Here's hoping the victory gives him the confidence he needs to overcome his struggles. A second good outing on the road could also help him prepare for what could be a rough return to Yankee Stadium.
With the offense Vazquez has behind him, he will be a very successful pitcher most of the time if he limits the damage to three runs in five or six innings. That's the thing about being the fourth or fifth starter in the Yankees rotation. No one is expecting dominance. They just want you to pitch well or even decently on a consistent basis. If Vazquez can do that, the Yankees will be breathing a lot easier.
Vazquez had some command issues and never threw the ball as hard as he has in previous years, but he was able to get key outs when he was in trouble. He managed to hold on to the lead the Yankees gave him and left the game ahead 6-3 for his first victory of the year.
He was burned by a rare communication lapse between Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano that resulted in a pop fly dropping in for a hit right before he gave up a second home run. It's often said that pitchers need to pick up their fielders when mistakes like that happen, but Vazquez isn't capable of that.
Here's hoping the victory gives him the confidence he needs to overcome his struggles. A second good outing on the road could also help him prepare for what could be a rough return to Yankee Stadium.
With the offense Vazquez has behind him, he will be a very successful pitcher most of the time if he limits the damage to three runs in five or six innings. That's the thing about being the fourth or fifth starter in the Yankees rotation. No one is expecting dominance. They just want you to pitch well or even decently on a consistent basis. If Vazquez can do that, the Yankees will be breathing a lot easier.
Thanks to chrisjnelson via en.Wikipedia for the photo.
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