HOUℱSTON — Andy Pettitte hadn’t thrown a 𓆉complete game since leaving the Astros in 2006.
Seven years later, with his body aching, the 41-year-old Yankee𝐆s left-hander found a way to 🍬go the distance once more as he headed into retirement with a 2-1 win over Houston on Saturday.
The finish exceeded Pettitte’s expectations.
“There’s no way I dreamed of a complete game,” Pettitte said. “I just thoug𓃲ht it would be me scuffling out there and [manager] Joe [Girardi] would have to come out there and get me. I was hoping it would be with a lead.”
Instead, the only time Girardi went to the mound was after Pett😼itt🤡e gave up a two-out single in the ninth to Chris Carter.
Girardi told ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ🤡ᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚPettitte he still could finish the game if he wanted.
“He said ‘It’s your call,’ ” Pettitte said. “It’s usually never my call. Today for a couple ওinnings, it was my call.”
Such is the reward for 18 se💝asons and now 256 career wins.
It all added up to Pe༒ttitte improving to 11-11 in his last season, ensuring that he leaves the game having never finished a season under .500.
“I knew I had a losing record,” Pettitte said. “I wanted to 𒈔win. I hadn’t thought about what that means. I’m not used to ha🧔ving a losing record. I’m not used to losing.”
Not surprisingly, Pettitte was able to close it out, get꧟ting J.D. Martine꧟z to ground out to third.
While not as stirring as Mariano Rivera’s Bronx sendoff Thursday, it hardly dꦡisappointed.
Both teams streamed out of the dugout, as Pettitte doffed his cap to the crowd while still on the field. Pettitte spent three years in Houston, leaving the Yankees following the 2003 s🌳eason and returning to The Bronx in 2007. He also helped pitch the Astros to the 2005 World Series.
“The only way it could have worked out better was [if I didn’t] leave a couple of cutters up on Sunday on Mo’s day,” Pettitte said, referring to his 🦩Yankee Stadium finale. “Other than not winning that ballgame, it was almost a fairy tale.”
Now, if only the Yankees pitchers who are coming back in 2014 finished the season as well as th꧋e two ෴who are retiring.
“That was his game,” Rivera said. “It w🐲as up to hiꦦm to close it out.”
“I love this game and I love competing,” Pettitte said. ♎“I realize now I’m nevꩲer going to lose that because I’ve already retired once. It’s a shame we’ve got to get old and can’t continue to play this game.”
The Yankees no doubt feel the same.
The Astros, losers of 14 in a row, were gracious hosts in more ways than one. They took a 1-0 lead in the fourth, but the Yankees inched in front in the sixth in incredible faꦦshion.
After Robinson Cano singled in Chris Stewart to tie the game, the Yankees went up 2-1 when catcher Matt Pagnozzi thought about throwing to second, but instead spiked the ball directly off home plate. The ball bounced away, Pagnozzi 🍸was unable to locate it and Eduardo Nunez got to the plate before Pagnozzi’s toss got there.
That was all Pettitte needed.
“What did yℱou expect?” Derek Jeter said. “Andy’s a competitor. It’s fitting.”
Jeter said he had the same🅠 thought as most others when Gi🔴rardi visited Pettitte in the ninth.
“Don’t take him out,” Jeter said. “Leave him in and let 🍎him finish it. Joe deserves credit for that.”
So does Pettitte, who had lasted eight innings just once this season, his first outing of the year. He was even better Saturday against Houston right-hander Paul Clemens, no relation to Roger Clemeᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚns, throwing a season-high 116 pitches.
Pettitte said he goes out with no regrets.
“I feel like I milked every ounce of talent out of this body,” ♋Pettitte🐠 said.