Yankee Stadium, the Braves and Andy Pettitte are a combustible combination in the World Series.
Pettitte was terrible last night, surrendering five runs in 32/3 innings on 10 hits. The Braves bombarded him and took a 5-1 lead. In his two World Series starts at Yankee Stadium, Pettitte has allowed 16 hits and 12 runs. It was enough, he said, “to give him flashbacks to 96.”
This time, though, Pettitte was rescued by his amazing teammates. Chad Curtis crushed a game-winning home run in the bottom of the 10th for a 6-5 victory.
Pettitte was in the clubhouse, beside himself, but happy his teammates picked him up. That’s the Yankee way, he said.
“I just couldn’t believe I got out of my game plan,” said Pettitte, who bounced back in ’96 in Game 5, to pitch one of the greatest World Series game in Yankee history after his stinker of an opener.
“I’ve always been a guy who’s given up hits, but I usually get a ground ball to get out of the inning.
“You work so hard, your first game at home in the Series, the fans are all here and the place is rocking and then this happens,” Pettitte said.
But the Yanks never lost faith.
“Every inning guys would walk by me, give me a pat on the leg and say we’re going to pick you up,” Pettitte said. “This is a special team. That’s the way we’ve been here the last five years I’ve been here. I think everybody knew we were going to win; it was really an amazing feeling how we would add a run here, a run there. And then Chad, a backup all year, but toward the end of the year, Skip [Torre] recognized he was getting locked in and I think that’s why he put him on the roster and he sure had some great at-bats tonight. That’s just awesome for him.”
Pettitte also was deeply appreciative of the bullpen, Jason Grimsley, Jeff Nelson and Mariano Rivera, who got the win.
“They did a great job; a big key was Jason and Nellie to shut them down in the middle innings and for us to get a few runs,” Pettitte said before looking around the room and adding, “There’s some kind of magic here.”
That’s why it’s Yankee Stadium.