That guy, manager Joe Girardi said afterward, was the Bryan Mitchell the Yankees saw at the end of spring training and before a season-ripping injury.
Mitchell, with seven scoreless two-hit innings in the Yankees’ 5-3 win over the Red Sox, “pitched his best game of the year,” according to Girardi.
It was Mitchell’s longest outing and his curveball worked effectively.
“I definitely feel good about that. It was the plan early on because when I get that going it’s usually one of my better games,” Mitchell said of his curveball. “It helps my fastball. I was just throwing as hard as I could, throwing every pitch with conviction.