Tourist attractions

Yankees pitchers Pavano, Hughes impressive in rehab assignment

The most important goal of the night was getting some work in. That Carl Pavano and Phil Hughes came up with five shutout innings was a welcome bonus.

For the first time since signing a player development agreement with the Charleston RiverDogs in 2005, the New York Yankees sent members of their major league roster to Riley Park for rehabilitation assignments. The two helped the RiverDogs to a 4-2 victory over the Asheville Tourists on Tuesday in front of 2,721 fans at Riley Park.

For each of them, it was their first opportunity to shake off some rust in a live game.

"It feels great, especially coming off (Tommy John) surgery," said Pavano, who started the game. "Just to get under the lights and throw some strikes. It was a step in the right direction."

For Hughes, it was a bit of a homecoming. He was 7-1 for the RiverDogs in the first half of the 2005 season before he rocketed through the farm system to make his major league debut in 2007.

"It was fun (to be back). I recognized some of the faces around the park," he said. "When you come back from somewhere, the places you return to seem to get smaller. It's amazing the difference between the New York locker room and here."

Both pitchers were on 35-pitch counts. Pavano lasted two innings and threw 28 pitches, 18 for strikes. He gave up a hit and a walk and struck out four while painting the plate for strikes with a fastball in the upper-80s.

"Command of my pitches is always the most important to me," he said of his progress. "I felt strong, but the true test is to keep going — you've got to be able to get your work in, throwing on the side."

Hughes (1-0) threw in the low 90s and gave up two hits and a walk in three innings as he earned the win. The last time he was in Charleston, he was known as a power pitcher who racked up more than a strikeout per inning. He didn't get the same results on Tuesday, but he was incredibly efficient. He got through each of the first two innings in seven pitches and was able to go out for the third when he recorded his only strikeout of the night.

Hughes, coming off of a rib injury, reported no soreness after the game.

Both expect to make at least another rehab start. Whether it will be with Charleston is up in the air. This is the first time the Yankees have used the RiverDogs as a rehab start. Two of their minor league affiliates are located in Tampa, where their training facility is located, and their Double-A and Triple-A affiliates are located in the northeast, which is more convenient to rejoining the team.

Abraham Almonte hit two triples and scored twice, and Austin Krum also scored two runs as the RiverDogs (17-19 second half, 62-44 overall) ended a three-game losing streak. Asheville fell to 22-16, 68-40.

Ballpark fun

It was Are You Ready For Some Football Night with some football related games played between innings. The most fun was the tackle football in the sumo suits.

Coming up

The RiverDogs and Tourists play their second game of the four-game series today at 7:05 p.m. The scheduled starters are Charleston right-hander Dellin Betances (6-3, 3.62 ERA) and Asheville righty Connor Graham (9-4, 1.91).

It is Prostate Cancer Awareness Night, and there will be free blood screenings in one of the suites for early detection of the disease.

E—Holcomb. DP—Asheville 1, Charleston 2. LOB—Asheville 10, Charleston 4. 2B—Clark, Suttle, Krum. 3B—Davis, Almonte 2. SB—Schaeffer, Cabrera. CS—Krum.

WP—Billings, De La Rosa 2. HBP—by Billings (Laird). PB—Romine.

Time—2:58. Attn.—2,721.

Reach Bill Henley at bhenley@postandcourier.com or 937-5595.