Ervin Santana, Tuesday’s scheduled starter for Minnesota against the Yankees in the AL wild-card game, has made six career starts at the current Yankee Stadium. His record there: 0-5.
“I know how many games … I pitch here. Do you know?” Santana asked when his lack of Bronx success was discussed Monday. “And how many wins?”
The answer put back by a media member was almost one, as in “none.”
“So [Tuesday] is going to be one,” Santana said optimistically, despite pitching in a ballpark he once called a “joke” for its penchant to turn routine fly balls into homers.
And it didn’t sound as if fastball-curveball-slider reliant Santana has grown enamored of The Bronx ballpark.
“The ballpark’s small. Balls carry here. You can see that any fly ball is going to be a home run or off the wall,” said Santana, who faces fellow Dominican Republic product Luis Severino. “There’s nothing you can do about it. They’re not going to change it anyway. Anything I say or not say, they’re not going to change it. So just have to deal with it.”
Santana, including time with the Angels and Royals (he also pitched for Atlanta in 2014), is 6-10 lifetime against the Yankees. And he went 1-2 against the Yankees as an Angel in the postseason, beating them in relief in the 2005 ALDS and going 1-1 in the 2009 ALCS. He was the Twins’ best starter this season, going 16-8, including a loss to the Yankees at — where else — Yankee Stadium two weeks ago.
“Ervin Santana’s had a really good year, and he’s a tough at-bat for us. But we have a good idea of how he’s going to pitch us,” said Brett Gardner.
Twins manager Paul Molitor hopes Santana gives him length. But in the age of quick-change relievers, Molitor is ready for all scenarios.
“Obviously, a guy like Ervin, you’re optimistic that he can get you at least until the middle innings and in a position to challenge to win the game,” Molitor said. “If he’s pitching well and we’re looking at fifth, sixth inning and he’s still rolling, you’re going to probably give him an opportunity to keep going. Obviously, in a one-game scenario, it might be a little quicker [hook] than normal knowing you have fresh arms … and he’s 210 innings into the season.”
Getting on top early is crucial for Santana, according to one rival executive.
“With Santana, you need to get him a lead by the sixth inning otherwise the Yankees are going to shut it down,” the executive said, stressing the danger of the Yankees’ lefty bats as much as those of righties Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez. “You’ve got to keep the lefties in the yard. If I were Ervin, I wouldn’t necessarily change what I do because it’s the Yankees. I’d go right at them with what I do. I’d pitch to my strength. He needs to stick with what he does.”
The Twins are viewed as underdogs. So Santana took to Twitter to put out a positive vibe.
“Anyone who doesn’t believe in miracles is not a realist,” he posted.
“That tweet is just trying to be positive,” Santana said, “and just create good things for me and for our team.”
In a small ballpark or not.