The Yankees gave the ball to veteran lefty Andy Pettitte in Game 2 of the ALDS. On the mound for The Twins, was former Yankee Carl Pavano. The Twins needed Pavano to come through for them but the Yankee offense was too much for Pavano.
Pettitte went seven innings giving up five hits while allowing just two runs, and just one walk. Pettitte delivered as he always does, earning his 19th victory during the postseason, which is the most all time.
The Twins got on Pettitte in the second inning when rookie Danny Valencia hit a sacrifice fly to score Delmon Young, giving the Twins a 1-0 lead. The Yankees responded in the fourth inning off an Alex Rodriguez sacrifice fly, scoring Curtis Granderson. The Bombers got one more in the fifth from an unlikely Lance Berkman. Berkman belted an opposite-field home run, giving the Yanks a 2-1 lead.
Pettitte continued to pitch well, and allowed his only other run in the sixth inning on an Orlando Hudson home run. The Twins tied the game at two, but it was only a matter of time before the Yankee lineup came alive. After a controversial pitch that was called a ball, Lance Berkman hit an RBI double, scoring Jorge Posada. Derek Jeter then singled in Berkman, extending the Yankee lead to 4-2.
Pettitte pitched a scoreless seventh, which would be his last inning of work. Kerry Wood entered the game in the eighth inning, resembling the Kerry Wood from his early days with the Chicago Cubs. Wood pitched a scoreless eighth, setting it up for Mariano Rivera.
The Yankees tacked on one more run in the ninth inning off a Curtis Granderson single. Granderson continued his hot hitting going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Mariano Rivera relieved Wood and gave up one hit in the ninth inning, but got out of it without allowing a run. Mo earned the save giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the series.
The Yankees head back home, where 18-game winner Phil Hughes will go head to head with Brian Duensing.
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