Ervin Santana calls Yankee Stadium a joke
By Jason Evans
Yankee Stadium is a joke? So says Ervin Santana after another rough outing for the embattled starter.
The New York Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday afternoon with a 4-3 victory. The day did not go well for Minnesota starting pitcher Ervin Santana, who allowed a pair of home runs to Yankees’ first baseman Greg Bird, the first of his career. Coming into the start, Santana was 0-7 in his past 10 starts vs. the Yankees with an ERA over 7.00 with 18 homers allowed.
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Santana was frustrated after the contest, evidenced by his feelings toward Yankee Stadium when talking about the homers allowed to Bird, per Brendan Koty of NJ.com.
"“The other one was a very good pitch, out and way, and he just hit it very good,” the pitcher said. “I know, probably in another park that’s a double. But here, it’s a joke.”"
Bird’s first homer went 384 feet. His second? 420 feet. Somehow, that is the blast Santana is talking about.
The Yankees have a short 314′ porch down the line in right field. The Green Monster at Fenway Park is only about 315′ away in left. Does that make Fenway a joke? Is Coors Field a joke because of the thin air? How about Rogers Centre, where balls notoriously fly out of the stadium with the roof open?
Santana was suspended for the first 80 games of this season because of steroid use after signing a four-year, $54 million deal in free agency. It is the largest contract the Twins have ever doled out to a pitcher. Since coming back from suspension, Santana is 2-4 with an ERA of 5.54 and has given up 59 hits in 55.1 innings. He now has an 8.87 ERA at Yankee Stadium in his career.
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