It was far from perfect for Andy Pettitte, but his second rehab start for Double-A Trenton led him to the conclusion that Yankees fans wanted to hear.
"I'll pitch in Baltimore and that will give me three starts," Pettitte said after his five innings of work in the Eastern League Championship against Altoona.
Pettitte began the game by giving up a leadoff home run to Chase D'Arnaud, but he thereafter settled in, even if he had to work his way out of trouble at times, ESPN.com reports.
"I didn't feel like I was quite as sharp tonight as I was the other night," he said, referring to his first rehab, in which he pitched four shutout innings . "But it was good to get into some trouble and have to make some pitches to get out of it. Whether here or in the big leagues, that's something you've got to do, and I was able to do it tonight."
"I still got work to do," Pettitte also said. "But all in all, I felt good. Unless they tell me I'm not starting, I feel like I'm ready to get into a big league game and get going up there."
Pettitte surely had his command, throwing 49 strikes out of 68 pitches.
He will throw a bullpen side session this week, after which manager Joe Girardi will make his decision about Pettitte's potential Sunday outing.
The Yankees surely could use a healthy Pettitte, who wanted to return after three weeks but has been out for eight. Their rotation currently features only one truly reliable starter, C.C. Sabathia.
Pettitte also holds the record for postseason starts with 40, four times Sabathia's tally and over double the total for the rest of the rotation.
