Pavano looks to carry momentum

[BuckFoston]

The Yankees kicked off the season in dominant fashion on Sunday, pounding the Red Sox on Opening Day in front of a packed house in the Bronx.

Tuesday, the two teams will continue the three-game series with a pair of rivalry newcomers on the mound, as Carl Pavano takes on Matt Clement in a Bronx matinee.

Pavano will be facing the organization with which he started, not to mention one he spurned in the offseason. The 29-year-old right-hander chose the Yankees after visiting with a number of teams, and he'll have his first taste of pitching in pinstripes at Yankee Stadium.

"I'm sure the electricity from the fans and the coverage will be different," Pavano said. "But when I get out on the mound, that's when it's really going to hit home the most, I would think."

Pavano had a good spring, going 1-1 with a 2.88 ERA in six exhibition outings. He feels that his stuff got better as the spring went on, giving him the expectation that Tuesday's outing will be a step beyond his last one in the Grapefruit League.

"I think it was a great progression as far as strength and getting my pitch count up," Pavano said. "I felt really good about it."

Pavano will be backed up by an offense which scored nine runs in the season opener, led by Hideki Matsui's three-hit, three-RBI performance.

"It was a good, complete game. From pitching to defense and clutch hitting, we did it all today," Tino Martinez said. "Hopefully we can do that a lot this year."

Despite the impressive performance in the opener, manager Joe Torre knows that it only counts as one game. With 161 to go -- including 18 against the Red Sox -- the Yankees' long journey is just beginning.

"Good teams don't let one game affect them," Torre said. "It certainly helped us, because it's the first game we won since Game 3 against these same guys." http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASAp...=.jsp&c_id=nyy

[BuckFoston]

I think Pavano will go out and pitch a very good game, I think that he is one of the underrated pitchers in the league. I think the Yankees will win this game also.

[bwitty24]

I hope he does well...like perfect game well haha