The 35-year-old right-hander pitched six scoreless innings Saturday in his last regular-season outing, helping New York beat the Boston Red Sox, 9-1, and improving his chances of earning a postseason start.
“I (needed) to pitch good today,” the former Mariners ace said. “I was really happy about it, and now I look forward to my next start. I don’t know when, but hopefully, they will make a decision and let me know. … Hopefully, they will give me the ball and I’ll be there to pitch. That’s what I do.”
The Yankees so far have a first-round playoff rotation of CC Sabathia and rookie Ivan Nova. Phil Hughes tested his bad back in a bullpen session and was very positive, but he could end up in a relief role because of his experience there. A.J. Burnett has struggled in the second half and Bartolo Colon has faded.
“He’s definitely one of the guys that we’re considering. Freddy is a guy who’s been there and done all that,” manager Joe Girardi said. “So, as we move forward, we’ll continue to look at all these things. But today, he pitched great.”
ASTERISK, PLEASE
Fifty years have passed and others have since broken the single-season home run record. But to the families of Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle, Maris’ 61 in 1961 remains the legit number.
“The family feels that it’s his record, also knowing that is arguable with a lot of people,” Roger Maris Jr., said Saturday before the Yankees culminated a season-long commemoration of the Maris-Mantle home-run chase with a ceremony at Yankee Stadium.
Among those attending were Maris’ widdow, Pat, and six children, along with two of Mantle’s sons and 1961 Yankees Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Moose Skowron, Bobby Richardson and Bob Cerv.
“I think there needs to be a distinction,” Randy Maris added when asked whether steroid allegations in recent years should cause his father’s achievement to be considered the record. “Unfortunately, I think MLB turned an eye to that era. We’re baseball fans first and foremost. After the strike in ’94, we wanted to see baseball come back, and, obviously, with (Mark) McGwire and (Sammy) Sosa, (1998) was a phenomenal year.
“We appreciate everything Mark did, respecting my dad and stuff like that,” he said. “But it’s got to be noted. Since they started drug testing, where are the numbers now? So, there’s got to be some kind of distinction.”
JAIL TIME POSSIBLE
The Florida pitcher known as Leo Nunez will be criminally charged in his home country for using a false identity, after making a startling confession earlier this week to Dominican authorities: his real name is Juan Carlos Oviedo, the prosecutor’s office said.
The relief pitcher, who returned home Thursday, was placed on MLB’s restricted list and removed from the Marlins’ roster.
A spokeswoman for the Dominican attorney general’s office, said Oviedo faces jail time if convicted but did not know when he would be charged. With a false identity and possible conviction on his record, he could have problems obtaining a United States visa to return.
