MINNEAPOLIS — Yankees fans are frustrated watching their club score runs at a World Cup pace.
How do you think their pitchers feel?
After winning a suspended game 1-0 against the Twins at Target Field in the afternoon, the Yankees eked out a 3-2 victory in the regularly scheduled game that was witnessed by 39,353.
When was the last time a team won two games in one day scoring four runs and going 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position? In their last six games the Yankees are 9-for-53 (.170) in the clutch.
“We have to have better timing,” said Mark Teixeira, who went hitless in three at-bats with runners in scoring position in the two games. “We have to do a better job. We have to make sure we take care of that soon.”
Talking about the first victory that stopped a two-game slide, manager Joe Girardi said, “It was a good win for us. We have not swung the bats well.”
That held true in the nightcap when a brilliant performance by Andy Pettitte almost was flushed. But Nick Swisher’s two-out, bases-empty homer off Jon Rauch in the ninth lifted the Yankees to victory.
Mariano Rivera recorded the final three outs in both games for his ninth and 10th saves.
“There is no time to rest,” said Rivera, who had to sweat J.J. Hardy’s deep fly to left in the first game and worked a perfect ninth in the second. “Rest, I have had enough.”
The last time Rivera posted two saves in the same day was 2007 against the Rangers. He also did it in 2004 against the Twins.
Pettitte (6-1) allowed two runs and eight hits in eight innings and didn’t issue a walk.
The victories combined with the AL East-leading Rays losing to the Red Sox moved the second-place Yankees to within 3 ½ games of the lead.
The Yankees have won 22 of 29 games against the Twins since the start of 2007 and are 45-15 since 2002.
Derek Jeter was the star of the first game, hitting a homer and making a game-saving play in the hole at short.
“That’s what he does,” Pettitte said. “Derek gets big hits and makes important plays. That’s why he is one of the best money players in the game.”
A.J. Burnett, who didn’t pick up a ball yesterday after going five innings Tuesday night before rain stopped the scoreless game, was the winner and is 5-2.
David Robertson, who took a Joe Mauer liner off his back and stayed in the game, combined with Joba Chamberlain and Rivera for four innings of scoreless relief. After Hardy chased Kevin Russo to the wall for the first out of the ninth, Rivera walked pinch-hitter Jim Thome, but ended the game by inducing leadoff hitter Denard Span to bang into a game-ending double play.
The Yankees turned double plays in the first, third and eighth inning to help Pettitte. The third one came when Mauer hammered a grounder at Jeter with runners at the corners and one out that started a 6-4-3 double play.
“I didn’t care if I walked him,” Pettitte said of Mauer, who hit a 3-1 pitch hard to Jeter. “I wasn’t giving in to him.”
If these two wins get the Yankees rolling, they can thank their arms because the bats were on scholarship in each victory.
“I am sure the pitchers are aware we are scuffling [at the plate] at times, but that doesn’t change their mindset because they are a veteran group,” Girardi said.
A group that proved good pitching overcomes bad hitting.