Phil Hughes had a good day today and the New York Yankees are both thrilled and relieved.
It wasn’t just about getting his first win or lowering that monstrous ERA for Hughes. The righty had to show Joe Girardi and his staff that he could make his pitches and maintain his velocity and he did both of those things. Hughes gave up only two runs in six innings and made big pitches when he needed to get out of jams, getting plenty of swings and misses. Even more reassuring was his dominance in his last two innings because it’s a sign he is getting his strength back after his lengthy stint on the disabled list.
Hughes didn’t seem as happy as Girardi was with his outing, but I think the pitcher definitely took more positives from this start than his first one back before the All-Star game. Plus, I think the fact that he tried to talk his manager and pitching coach into letting him go out for the 7th inning is a sign that he is regaining his confidence. But I think Girardi was absolutely right to pull Hughes when he did so that the young righty could leave the ballpark feeling good about his outing.
So it was a positive first step for the Yankees pitcher, one that Hughes and the Yankees hope he can build on next time out on the mound.
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