The Yankees and Twins go back at it tonight at Yankee Stadium. Phil Hughes is on the mound for the Bombers and Brian Duensing is on the bump for Minny. Game time is 8:37 despite how badly I would love the game to start at 7:37.
Here are some notes:
- Going to a playoff game at the stadium this season? Don’t drive. Parking is $40.
- There is no innings restriction at all on Hughes in the playoffs.
- Joe Girardi confirmed that CC Sabathia is starting game 4 if the Yankees lose tonight.
- Girardi’s response to Mayor Bloomberg’s early ticker-tape planning: “I hope the mayor is right.”
- Dave Eiland said that Andy Pettitte experienced “normal soreness” after pitching in game 2.
- Brian Cashman is tired of hearing Nick Johnson to Johnny Damon comparrisons. He said that realistically the Yankees replaced Damon with Curtis Granderson.
So the best news is that Pettitte is completely healthy. This was expected, but still, you want to hear the good news. This gives the Yankees the option to pitch Pettitte on short rest if they get to the ALCS.
No innings restrictions means they have the option to pitch Hughes on short rest too. Personally I’d rather see them both pitch on short rest than give A.J. Burnett another shot.
On the price of parking, yeesh and double yeesh. My brother-in-law said that around Wrigley Field, $40 for easy-access parking (coming and going) is $40, while it's $23 around US Cellular. I took my son to the Yankees-White Sox game when Nova got the win–and Thames homered–and the lots were full, so I had to park a good walk away on S. State St., which I would have reluctantly done at night. Saving that $23 made dinner on house money an even bigger joy.
On Cashman; translation: please stop saying the name Nick Johnson!