Pettitte Pitches Into 7th, but Yanks Need 14 Innings to Top Nationals

Pettitte Pitches Into 7th, but Yanks Need 14 Innings to Top Nationals

By DAVID WALDSTEIN
Published: June 16, 2012
WASHINGTON — Andy Pettitte has accomplished many great things in his career, winning five World Series rings, winning 21 games twice, and pitching in two All-Star Games. But in all his 537 previous games, including 42 in the postseason, he had not pitched at age 40.
On Saturday he showed he could do that, too.

One day after his 40th birthday Pettitte threw seven impressive innings, allowing only two runs. But by the time this game ended, it seemed as if Pettitte was another year older.



Pettitte was replaced by Cory Wade in the eighth inning and Wade surrendered a game-tying home run to Ian Desmond that changed the complexion of the lengthy day.

Six innings later Mark Teixeira hit a two-run double off Brad Lidge to lead the Yankees to a 5-3 victory over the Washington Nationals in 14 innings.

It took 4 hours, 49 minutes, but the Yankees finally won a game without hitting a home run.

The game lasted so long that Freddy Garcia, who had not pitched since June 5 and had thrown only that once since May 21, pitched two scoreless innings of relief to earn the win.

The victory preserved the Yankees winning streak, which stretched to eight games, and they have now won 18 of their past 22 games.

In the top of the 14th, with Lidge on the mound, Jayson Nix reached on an infield single and stole second. He went to third when Derek Jeter, in a terrific at-bat that started with him in an 0-2 hole, punched a single through the left side of the infield.

Curtis Granderson struck out, but Teixeira ripped a double into the right-field corner, scoring Nix and Jeter. Teixeira went to third advanced to third when Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper, who had a challenging day striking out five times, threw home to try to get Jeter. After he slid into the bag he pumped his first toward the exuberant Yankees dugout.

Rafael Soriano pitched around two singles in the 14th for his 12th save.

In the eighth, two batters after Desmond’s home run, the Nationals almost took the lead when Adam LaRoche singled to right with Tyler Moore on second base. But Dewayne Wise, who had just moved to right field from left field on a double switch, fired home to catcher Russell Martin, who applied the tag to the sliding Moore to end the inning.

The Yankees took the lead in the sixth when Eric Chavez drilled a double to the wall in right-center, scoring Martin from first. Robinson Cano led off the inning with a single down the right-field line that eluded Moore at first base.

Cano went to third on Nick Swisher’s double and scored on a ground out to the right side by Raul Ibanez. Swisher then tried to score on Martin’s comebacker to the mound. Nationals starter Jordan Zimmerman fielded it and threw home to catcher Jesus Flores, who applied the tag to the sliding Swisher.

Swisher popped up awkwardly, looking as if he had hurt himself. When the inning was over, he did not emerge from the dugout and Andruw Jones replaced him in right field.

The next batter was Chavez, who was playing third base in place of Alex Rodriguez. Joe Girardi said before the game that he just wanted to Rodriguez a day off. Chavez provided the power that Rodriguez might have, and Martin scooted around the bases for the two-out run, giving the Yankees the 3-2 lead.

The Nationals scored first when Flores, batting in the No. 8 spot, shattered his bat, but still ended up driving the ball to the wall near the 377-foot mark in left-center field for a two-run double. Michael Morse led off with a single when Cano could not catch his medium hard liner up the middle.

Pettitte got Ian Desmond to pop up to Cano, but then he walked Moore before striking out Xavier Nady. With two outs he had the choice of loading the bases by walking Flores to throw the pitcher. But consider this: Flores was batting .243 coming into the game, and Zimmerman was hitting .300, including a home run.

He chose to go after Flores, who laced the broken bat double to give the Nationals a 2-0 lead.

The Yankees received a gift run in the fourth when Desmond failed to make a play on Chavez’ easy ground ball to short. Yankees had runners at first and third with two outs when Chavez hit the ball, and Swisher scored from third on the play.

Swisher has been hitting very well lately, with seven hits in his past 14 at-bats, including two doubles and a home run. He is batting only .262, but has 10 home runs and 40 runs batted in on the season.