Rays-Yankees: Pitching Matchup Part Two—James Shields Vs. Andy Pettitte

Thursday's matchup is definitely a good one featuring Andy Pettitte and James Shields.

Another hard winner to pick because Pettitte has been so good and Shields has greatly improved since the last time he faced this Yankees lineup.

JAMES SHIELDS (TBR) vs. ANDY PETTITTE (NYY)

JAMES SHIELDS

PROS

James Shields has some experience against the Yankees, so he knows what to expect. As 2010 moves along, so does Shields, who has pitched for eight innings in two of his last three starts. He throws a lot of strikes with a fastball that averages at 92 mph. He maintains great velocity on his change-up and good curveball. If he can stay in control, Shields can dominate a game.

CONS

Shields tends to use his change-up too much, and hitters start to read it, which leads to a lot of hits. Also, his control can get wild at times and drive up his pitch count. Robinson Cano has crushed Shields in the past. Cano in his career against Shields is batting .462, with four doubles, two triples, two homers, one walk, and six RBI in just 27 at-bats.

ANDY PETTITTE

PROS

Andy Pettitte has been dynamite this season so far and has lifted the Yankees with each start. Pettitte thrives in situations where he knows the team needs to win. The swollen elbow that had him skip a start to rest is not an issue anymore, as Pettitte said it gave him no problem in his win against the Twins. His ERA is 1.79 with 29 strikeouts—only nine earned runs in 49.1 innings. WOW!

CONS

This season, not really anything. Hopefully Pettitte’s elbow doesn’t come back to haunt him. Pettitte is too vital for a team that is riddled with injuries at the moment.

WINNER/LOSER

Pettitte because he hasn’t been this good since he was 24 years old.