The New York Yankees relied on the track record and good luck charms of Andy Pettitte in beating the Minnesota Twins 5-2 in Game 2 of the American League Division Series Thursday.
The Twins were unable to make use of their home turf as the Yankees demolished their game strategies with offensive play; Twins lost the first game 6-4. Pettitte, who has a track record of most wins as a pitcher in postseason history with a tally of 19, came in handy for the Yankees as they had little alternatives with Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett being relegated to the last positions, if any.
Coach Joe Girardi decided in favor of Pettitte in the Game 2 and it ultimately paid off as the Yankees sailed to victory with little impediments. Pettitte allowed two runs in seven innings and this played a crucial role in the team's victory.
There were issues with Pettitte's inclusion as he struggled with groin injury but the coach decided in his favor for the Game 2. His prospects of participating in the Game 3 at the Yankee Stadium are still dimmer as there are concerns about a relapse of his groin injury. He sit out two months recuperating from the injury and then made just three major-league starts and rose up to 88 pitches in his final regular-season outing.
The playoff is unlikely to transition to a five game challenge as Game 3 is expected to seal the deal in favor of the Yankees. If that does not happen, Girardi will have to decide about Pettitte's participation in the all-out series.
