After Rafael Soriano coughed up a four-run lead in Tuesday’s implosion against Minnesota — and duck out after that failure without facing the media — seemingly every other Yankee told him to keep his head up, shake it off and come back strong next time. He did just that in yesterday’s 4-3 Yankees win over the Twins.
Two days after issuing three walks and surrendering a 4-0 eighth-inning lead in a game the Yankees lost in ten innings, Soriano pitched a scoreless eighth in a redemptive outing he admits he needed.
“Oh yeah, because that’s why they pay me. That’s one of the things I’m supposed to do when they give me the ball,” said Soriano. “A lot of people [talked to me]: the manager [Joe Girardi], the pitching coach [Larry Rothschild], the GM [Brian Cashman]. Everybody came to me and say bad day, but it’s happened to everybody here. Come back tomorrow ready for the game.”
He clearly was, helping A.J. Burnett get the victory and helping seal the series for the Yankees.
“That’s him,” Burnett said of Soriano. “We’ve all have bad games, but he’s such a competitor out there, you can just see it. He takes every pitch so seriously. To bounce back the way he did is big for him.”
Soriano — who had 45 saves last year for the Rays but signed a three-year, $35 million contract to be Mariano Rivera’s setup man — was shockingly wild Tuesday. But after Wednesday’s game was washed out, Girardi went right back to him clinging to a 4-3 eighth-inning lead, and Soriano came through.
“The other day we saw something that I didn’t see last year; for whatever reason, he walked three people,” said Girardi. “His command was what we’re accustomed to seeing and that was the difference.”
Soriano gave up a leadoff single to Joe Mauer, but came back to retire Minnesota’s 4-5-6 hitters. For his part, Soriano blamed tightness in his shoulder for Tuesday’s uncharacteristic outing, but said that after starting to loosen up in the sixth inning yesterday his arm felt better. It showed in the results.
“The weather was a little better today,” said Soriano. “I feel much better, because when I was there in the bullpen, I go outside early and play catch. I feel my arm getting more loose, so I feel better.”
Catcher Russell Martin saw a difference.
“The elements were a little better,” Martin said. “His fastball had good jump on it. He looked ready to go.”
