With Sense of Urgency, Pettitte Cuts His Losses

危機意識讓帥派中止了他的連敗
Derek Jeter had three hits, including a two-run homer, raising his average to .298.

Yankees 5, Blue Jays 1
By TYLER KEPNER
Published: August 20, 2008

TORONTO — When the Yankees stormed into the playoff race last summer, it seemed they could always count on Andy Pettitte. He won all six of his starts in August by reeling off his usual string of steely performances.
去年夏天，當洋基正在為季後賽奮戰的時候，帥派似乎是他們唯一可以依靠的對象。在八月份，帥派強硬的投球表現替自己贏得了所有八月份的先發比賽。

This season has been different, of course, for Pettitte and the Yankees. Before Wednesday night’s start at the Rogers Centre, the Yankees had lost each of Pettitte’s last four outings. He had pitched well at times, but not well enough.
然而這個球季對於帥派和洋基來說，已經變的不一樣了。星期三晚上在Rogers Centre先發之前，洋基在帥派過去的四場先發出賽中，全都輸了球。有時候他投的不錯，有時候則是表現的不盡理想。

“I’m hard on myself,” Pettitte said. “I don’t really come away from seven-plus innings and three runs saying, ‘Way to go.’ It’s a loss. But yet, you still want to build on it. You realize you’re throwing the ball decent.”
「對此我感到很自責。」帥派說，「我沒有投完七局（或七局以上）並將失分壓在三分之內的表現。這是一種挫敗。但即使如此，你還是希望可以拿出這樣的表現。你知道自己可以投出一場像樣的球賽。」

Pettitte went from decent to excellent this time, throttling the Toronto Blue Jays for seven innings of a 5-1 victory. He allowed five singles and no other base runners, and Derek Jeter helped with three hits, including a two-run homer.
帥派這場比賽的表現棒極了，七局的投球徹底壓制住藍鳥的打線，並帶領洋基以5比1拿下勝利。他被敲出的五支安打全都是在壘上沒有跑者的時候，而隊長也適時提供了火力的支援（三支安打，其中包括一發兩分打點全壘打）。

Pettitte improved to 13-9, and Jeter, with 16 hits in his last 26 at-bats, raised his average to .298. It has not been that high since the series in May when Baltimore’s Daniel Cabrera hit him on the hand with a pitch.
帥派本季的戰績來到了13勝9敗，隊長在過去26個打數當中敲出16支安打，也將他的打擊率提升到2成98。自從五月份，金鶯投手Daniel Cabrera觸身球砸中了他（Jeter）的手以來，這是他本季打擊率最高的時候。

“They know what it takes, and they’ve been there, and they understand what we have to do,” Manager Joe Girardi said, referring to Pettitte and Jeter. “Those are two of the leaders in here. Leaders have to step up, and that’s what they’re doing.”
「他們都了解洋基現在的處境，也仍然持續的奮戰著，他們都知道應該怎麼做。」老吉談到帥派和隊長時這麼說。「他們兩個都是洋基的領導人物。身為領導者，就必須帶頭替球隊做出貢獻，而這也是他們今天所做的。」

The victory was Pettitte’s first since July 26, the last game in the Yankees’ eight-game winning streak after the All-Star break. Since then, they are 9-14, 10 games behind Tampa Bay in the American League East and five and a half behind Boston for the wild card.
這是從7月26號，洋基自明星賽八連勝最後一場以來，帥派的首場勝投。從那之後，洋基的戰績為9勝14敗，在美聯東區落後光芒10場勝差，在外卡也落後紅襪五場半。

If the Yankees had lost, they would have been tied with the Blue Jays for third place in the division. They were facing a starter they needed to beat, and they handled him with ease.
假如洋基輸球，那麼他們將會和藍鳥並列分區第三。洋基面對的是他們必須擊敗的投手，而他們也輕鬆的做到了。

The Toronto rookie David Purcey, a former Yankees draft pick with a 6.55 earned run average, lasted four innings and allowed five runs. His start was sandwiched between two aces, A. J. Burnett and Roy Halladay. Burnett humbled the Yankees on Tuesday, and Halladay usually does the same thing.
藍鳥的菜鳥投手David Purcey是洋基之前經由選秀挑中的，本季防禦率為6.55，在四局的投球當中掉了五分。他的先發夾在兩位ACE（A. J. Burnett和Roy Halladay）之間。Burnett在星期二讓洋基吞下了敗仗，而Halladay也經常幹這種事（讓洋基吃敗仗）。

“You know what you get when you’re facing Halladay,” Girardi acknowledged after the game. “You’re getting one of the best pitchers in all of baseball.”
「你知道當你遇上Halladay的時候會是怎樣的情形，你要面對的是全大聯盟最好的其中一位投手。」老吉在賽後這麼說。

From the beginning, the Yankees played with urgency. At least, that was how it looked against Purcey, whose poor fastball command kept him from showing off his slider. He gave up singles to the first three hitters he faced, loading the bases.
從比賽一開始，洋基就帶著危機意識在打球。至少，看起來這讓他們擊敗了Purcey，而Purcey快速球控球的不理想，也讓他的滑球無用武之地。他面對的前三位打者都從他手中敲出一壘安打，也因此造成滿壘的狀況。

After a shallow fly to right by Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi drove in Johnny Damon with a sacrifice to deep center. Xavier Nady followed with a single to right to make the score 2-0.
在阿肉擊出右外野軟弱的飛球之後，大吉打出了中外野深遠的高飛犧牲打，送回大門。奶弟隨後敲出一支安打，將比數改寫為2比0。

The way Pettitte pitched, that was a comfortable lead. He retired 13 of the first 14 hitters, attacking the lower half of the strike zone and working quickly.
帥派今天的投球表現也讓洋基安穩的領先。攻擊好球帶下半區的投球策略非常管用，這也使得他所面對的14位打者，其中13位全都無功而返。

“You don’t let the hitter think, that’s the main thing,” José Molina said. “Me as a catcher, you don’t let the pitcher think. A lot of things happen when pitchers think.”
「你不能讓打者有機會思考，這是最主要的一點。」摸二哥說。「身為一位捕手，你也不能讓投手想太多，很多事情就是在投手胡思亂想的時候發生的。」

Pettitte said he wanted to stay aggressive. He had issued a season-high four walks in his last start, against Kansas City, and two turned into runs. For this game, Pettitte gave himself more credit.
帥派說他要保持投球的攻擊性。上次面對皇家的先發，他送出了本季單場最多的四次保送，也造成了兩分的失分。而這次，帥派給自己更多的信心。

“Some guys I don’t need to be walking,” Pettitte said, and the weak-hitting Blue Jays met that description.
帥派說：「有些人我根本不需要對他們投出保送。」藍鳥軟弱的打擊說明了這點。

Toronto bunched three singles in the sixth inning, scoring a run with one out. But Pettitte recovered to strike out Vernon Wells, jamming him with an inside fastball, and a lazy fly to left ended the threat.
藍鳥在六局下半一人出局時，敲出了三支安打得到一分。但是帥派隨即回穩，塞了一記內角速球，讓Vernon Wells擊出軟弱的左外野飛球，結束了這個半局的危機。

Pettitte raised his arms as the ball settled into Nady’s glove — more out of relief, it seemed, than showmanship. The second half has been frustrating for Pettitte, who had gone four second-half starts without a win for the first time since 2001.
當球被奶弟穩穩地接進手套時，帥派舉起了他的手臂，這樣的舉動與其說是表演，其實看起來更像是鬆了一口氣。下半季（指明星賽之後）對於帥派來說的確是讓他感到挫折，自從2001年以來，他第一次在下半球季先發出賽四場卻一勝未得。

That season turned out well enough for Pettitte, who helped guide the Yankees to another pennant. When they lost the World Series to Arizona, it was considered a failure.
雖然那個球季（2001的賽季）對於帶領洋基打進季後賽爭取世界大賽冠軍的帥派來說，已經是非常好了。但是當他們在世界大賽輸給響尾蛇的時候，一切都被認為是失敗的。

The expectations are different now, as the Yankees scramble to simply make the rest of their games relevant. They need more efforts like this to meet that goal, and Pettitte has not lost faith.
可是現在情況不同了，洋基面臨這最後搶勝的階段，每一場比賽非常重要。他們必須像今天一樣，付出更多努力來達成目標，就像帥派沒有失去信心一樣。

“We were able to do it last year, and there’s no reason we can’t do it again,” he said. “The teams that are ahead of us, we have to play still. I really believe we can pull this thing off.”
「去年我們能夠辦到（指賽季末努力搶勝，最後闖進季後賽），沒有理由我們不能再做到一次。」帥派說。「這些戰績領先我們的球隊，我們都還必須跟他們對戰。我真的相信我們可以拋開這一切，闖進季後賽。」

INSIDE PITCH

Carl Pavano threw in the bullpen for Class AA Trenton on Wednesday and is in line to start for the Yankees on Saturday. Phil Hughes, another candidate, is listed as the Friday night starter for Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Yankees have not confirmed their Saturday starter, but General Manager Brian Cashman said, “Both players are fine and in line with their next start.” ... Derek Jeter’s homer was his 203rd, passing Bill Dickey and tying Roger Maris for 11th place on the Yankees’ career list.... Mariano Rivera’s son MarIAno Jr. wore his father’s No. 42 and served as the Yankees’ bat boy.
痛痛人星期三在2A Trenton的牛棚進行了練投，他也是洋基表訂在星期六的先發投手。另一個選擇，大帝，也表訂在星期五晚上替3A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre出賽。雖然洋基尚未確定他們星期六的先發人選，但現金人說：「這兩位投手都很健康，也將按照計畫在表訂的場次先發上陣。」（編按：那痛痛人說他脖子僵硬又是怎麼回事？　=.=||）

隊長今天的全壘打是他生涯的第203號，超越了Bill Dickey也追平了Roger Maris，並列洋基隊史上的第11位。

MO的兒子MarIAno Jr.穿上了自己父親42號的球衣，並且在洋基球場擔任球童的工作。

News source：http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/sports/baseball/21yankees.html?_r=1&ref=baseball&oref=slogin

PS：文章落落長，看的我眼睛都花了　@@~~

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