Boswell: Short rest, no relaxation

One of the game’s truisms is that you should avoid using your pitchers on short rest in the postseason. Some succeed and become famous for it. But most don’t. Above all, don’t put an entire rotation on short rest unless there is simply no alternative….

You can bet that the Yanks and Girardi convinced themselves that CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte were somehow different and better than other pitchers who have been used on short rest and failed. In the case of all three, Girardi cited past success on three days’ rest, though in Pettitte’s case it was years ago and Burnett’s was in midseason.

Besides, many were quick to remember the pitchers who had succeeded in famous games on short rest, such as Josh Beckett in ‘03 and Curt Schilling in ‘01. Once again, the exceptions merely proved the rule. That’s why they’re so vivid: They’re so rare.

The latest example of a “normal” result is Monday’s Game 5 of the World Series, in which rested Cliff Lee topped short-rested Burnett, who was knocked out by six runs in two innings, equaling his worst start in the last five years.

The next example will probably be a Pedro Martínez victory over Pettitte on short rest in Game 6 on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. Pettitte, who has been getting an extra fifth day of rest throughout these playoffs, said that his win in Game 3 was the grittiest postseason escape of his career.

“It was a battle. I wasn’t able to get ahead. I wasn’t able to get my breaking ball over,” Pettitte said. “It was tough. I’m not going to lie to you. I couldn’t put the ball where I wanted to . . . It was an absolute grind.”

Now he has to do it again? On two less days rest?

Boz tells it like it is.