New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte had a rough game in Triple-A ball on Sunday in his start for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (via Democrat and Chronicle).
Pettitte went five innings, allowed eight hits and five runs (three earned) while throwing just 59 strikes out of 92 pitches. Pettitte also walked two and struck out five. He did finish his last inning by going 1-2-3 in the fifth.
Pettitte played in front of a crowd of 13,584 (a regular-season record) at Frontier Stadium. After the game, Pettitte said
""I did not expect it," he said of the packed house. "I didn't realize there were so many people here, or even that the game had been moved from Batavia. Tell everyone I said ‘thank you.' I wish I had pitched better.''
While the speed on his fastball was fine, Pettitte pointed to his off-speed pitches as the source of his trouble on Sunday.
"I got my work in, but the feel for my off-speed stuff was just not there,‘' said Pettitte. "It's good to get into trouble and have to work my way out."
Pettitte is scheduled to fly to New York tonight. The Yankees begin a series at home against the Rays on May 8.
See Pinstripe Alley for more discussion and analysis of the Yankees.