Horry For 3!
10-16-2005, 08:58 PM
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Av5KTOQfzFw19LBo87dwZwgRvLYF?slug=ap-nlcs-astros-pettitte&prov=ap&type=lgns
HOUSTON (AP) -- Andy Pettitte's sore right knee is feeling better and he will start Game 5 of the NL championship series for the Houston Astros on Monday night, with a change in his normal pregame routine.
Pettitte said Saturday he won't run the bases during pregame batting practice, as he was doing before Game 1 in St. Louis when he was struck on the inside of the knee by a sharply hit ball.
``I guess I won't do it, because they'd probably have a nervous breakdown if I do it Monday,'' Pettitte said. ``That's just what I've done for two years here on the days I've started.''
Astros general manager Tim Purpura said the knee was swollen to ``about the size of a grapefruit'' before Game 1. Pettitte still pitched and the left-hander gave up five runs, all earned, in six innings of the Astros' 5-3 loss.
``The hardest thing for him, he has such a ritual, the way he prepares for a game,'' Purpura said. ``It got him out of sync.''
Purpura said Saturday that he was sure Pettitte would start Game 5.
``I think you'd have to chain him down to keep him from starting,'' Purpura said.
``I'm going to be able to make that start no problem,'' Pettitte said. ``There is no concern at all.''
Even though the swollen knee was on his landing leg, Pettitte said the most difficult part was lifting the leg into position, not coming down on it. After treatment, Pettitte went through a bullpen session Friday without any significant problems, and ran more Saturday.
``It's getting better every day as far as the soreness and all that,'' Pettitte said.
Pettitte missed the playoffs last season after elbow surgery. His 14 postseason victories trail only Atlanta's John Smoltz, who got his 15th by beating Houston in Game 2 of the NL division series -- after Pettitte won the opener of that series.
HOUSTON (AP) -- Andy Pettitte's sore right knee is feeling better and he will start Game 5 of the NL championship series for the Houston Astros on Monday night, with a change in his normal pregame routine.
Pettitte said Saturday he won't run the bases during pregame batting practice, as he was doing before Game 1 in St. Louis when he was struck on the inside of the knee by a sharply hit ball.
``I guess I won't do it, because they'd probably have a nervous breakdown if I do it Monday,'' Pettitte said. ``That's just what I've done for two years here on the days I've started.''
Astros general manager Tim Purpura said the knee was swollen to ``about the size of a grapefruit'' before Game 1. Pettitte still pitched and the left-hander gave up five runs, all earned, in six innings of the Astros' 5-3 loss.
``The hardest thing for him, he has such a ritual, the way he prepares for a game,'' Purpura said. ``It got him out of sync.''
Purpura said Saturday that he was sure Pettitte would start Game 5.
``I think you'd have to chain him down to keep him from starting,'' Purpura said.
``I'm going to be able to make that start no problem,'' Pettitte said. ``There is no concern at all.''
Even though the swollen knee was on his landing leg, Pettitte said the most difficult part was lifting the leg into position, not coming down on it. After treatment, Pettitte went through a bullpen session Friday without any significant problems, and ran more Saturday.
``It's getting better every day as far as the soreness and all that,'' Pettitte said.
Pettitte missed the playoffs last season after elbow surgery. His 14 postseason victories trail only Atlanta's John Smoltz, who got his 15th by beating Houston in Game 2 of the NL division series -- after Pettitte won the opener of that series.