Injuries could force Happ to the bullpen for the postseason.
Who truly thought Pedro Martinez would pitch well this season?
Who truly thought he would pitch himself into the postseason rotation?
Thanks to the injury bug and three dominating performances, that’s exactly what Pedro has done since donning red pinstripes. The man who once called the Yankees his Daddy could completely lock the fourth spot and make a case for the third spot with another stud performance tonight against the Braves, a team fighting for its wild card life.
Rookie of the Year candidate JA Happ seemed to have secured the fourth spot with an incredible year. At times, he looked like the most consistent pitcher on the staff.
Now, with a strained oblique muscle that has caused him to miss his last two starts and leave last night’s game after just three innings, you have to wonder if he will heal enough to be a starter in October. At this point, middle reliever looks like his role, especially since JC Romero, the team’s best lefthanded reliever, is injured and will likely miss the postseason.
Add to that the fact that the Fightins best long reliever, Chan Ho Park, pulled a hammy this week, and Happ’s presence in the bullpen becomes even more important. Do you want Jamie Moyer in that role when he has never done it before in his career? Happ at least has experience in the bullpen.
As for Pedro, he originally didn’t look much better than Moyer, although two of his starts were interrupted by rain. Then, in his last three games, he has looked like the Pedro of old dropping his ERA from 4.50 to 2.87. His arm is fresh and his mechanics are virtually flawless.
Pedro (left) seen in the good old days, is fighting for a spot in the playoff rotation.
While his last two games were against the Metropolitans and Nationals, two teams who couldn’t beat the Camden Riversharks, tonight he faces a Braves team that has everything to lose. Another strong outing could go a long way toward not only securing a spot in the playoff rotation, but making a push to surpass Blanton for the crucial third slot, which would make him a likely Game 7 candidate.
In late July, who would have thought Pedro would still be in the mix?
