It wasn’t the best start of Phil Hughes’ career, but it probably was one of the most satisfying. Not only did the Twins’ right hander shut down his former team, but he did so at Yankee Stadium, which had become a house of horrors for Hughes over the past few seasons.
Phil Hughes Road/Home Splits, 2007-2013
Source: Baseball-reference.com
The weakened Yankees’ lineup probably made it easier for Hughes to dominate in his old haunts, but by exercising the demons of Yankee Stadium, he also added validation to his 2014 turnaround. Hughes’ outing also made a little bit of history. The righty’s game score of 72 was the fourth highest by a former Yankee (minimum 750 innings in pinstripes) in his first start against his ex-mates. Hughes had a pretty good relationship with the Yankees, so “sweet revenge” isn’t the best way to describe his triumphant return, but you can bet there were some feelings of vindication.
Ex-Yankees in First Start Against Former Teammates, 1901-2014
Note: Includes the first start by a pitcher after throwing at least 750 innings for the Yankees.
Source: Baseball-reference.com
More important to the Twins than Hughes’ place in former Yankee history is how the right hander will pitch going forward. Has Hughes’ finally turned the corner? During his time in the Bronx, the righty had occasional flashes of brilliance, but they never lasted very long. Still, Hughes’ seven straight starts with a game score of at least 50 is the longest such streak of his career, and his peripheral numbers suggest the best may be yet to come. You can’t blame Yankee fans for being a little skeptical, but so far, at least, the Twins have to be happy that Hughes was never able to put it all together in pinstripes.
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