Javier Vazquez is putting his slow start in the rearview mirror, and that is good news for the New York Yankees.
Vazquez threw seven innings of two-run ball against the Blue Jays, allowing only one hit during his outing. Vernon Wells’ two-run homer looked like it would be enough to hand Vazquez yet another tough-luck loss, but the Yankees rescued him with four runs in the eighth, getting him the win to even his record at 5-5. A game like that should be enough for the non-believers to start believing, shouldn’t it?
“I’ve been feeling like that the last few starts,” Vazquez said. “I’m feeling better with my command, and it feels good to do it against an offense like the Blue Jays.”
After his 1-3 start, in which he posted a 9.78 ERA, Vazquez is 4-2 with a 2.73 ERA in his last six outings, five of which were starts. In 33 innings, he’s allowed 19 hits and 12 walks, striking out 32 batters. Not bad for a guy many Yankees fans wanted to run out of town a month ago.
“He’s back on track,” Joe Girardi said. “This is the guy we thought we were getting.”
One bad start against Boston — or in a playoff game — and Javy will be right back in the crosshairs of fans at Yankee Stadium, though.