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Derek Lowe Pitches Four Scoreless Innings, Earns Save in Yankees Debut

Derek Lowe's debut in pinstripes was a roaring success.

The veteran right-hander, who was signed by the Yankees over the weekend, pitched for the first time for New York on Monday night and was very impressive. Lowe worked four innings and earned the save in an 8-2 win over the Texas Rangers.

The 39-year-old pitcher was happy with the debut, but he knows it's just the first step in helping the Yankees down the stretch.

"So far, so good," Lowe said after the game, according to Yankees.com. "I'm not going to do jumping jacks tonight because you pitch one good game. We're in this for the long haul, and we've just got to continue to work."

Lowe was able to throw 44 pitches, his first appearance since July 31, when he appeared in his final game with the Cleveland Indians before being released. Lowe lasted just 2 1/3 innings in that final Cleveland start, allowing seven runs on eight hits.

His first game with the Yankees obviously went much better, this time out of the bullpen. It marked Lowe's first relief appearance since 2007, his final season with the Dodgers. Catcher Russell Martin, who played with Lowe in Los Angeles, liked what he saw in the sinkerballer's first game with the Bombers.

"That was the same guy that I caught in L.A. a couple of years ago," Martin said after Monday night's game. "[He had] great stuff today, and it just kept getting better every inning."

Lowe, who wore No. 34 for New York, allowed just two hits in four scoreless innings of work and struck out four. Manager Joe Girardi told reporters after the game that he still has to talk to Lowe about when his next appearance may be, but Girardi said Lowe could need up to three days off before seeing the mound again.