NEW YORK — Don’t expect Francisco Rodriguez and Brian Bruney to start riding trains together after the Subway Series.
Bruney threw a verbal jab at the New York Mets’ closer, saying his exuberant celebrations on the mound are “a tired act.”
Rodriguez responded Saturday after closing out his team’s 6-2 victory over the Yankees, who expect to get Bruney back in the bullpen Tuesday after activating him from the disabled list.
“He better keep his mouth shut and do his job and not worry about somebody else,” Rodriguez said. “If it came out from somebody big, I might pay attention to it. But somebody like that, it doesn’t bother me.”
Bruney has pitched only once for New York since April 21 because of a strained elbow. He tossed a perfect inning Saturday in a rehab appearance for Class AA Trenton.
Afterward, he was asked about the Yankees’ wild win over the Mets on Friday night, when second baseman Luis Castillo dropped Alex Rodriguez’s two-out popup in the ninth inning. The error allowed two runs to score, giving the Yankees a 9-8 victory and handing K-Rod his first blown save in 17 chances this season.
“Unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like that. I have, but in high school,” Bruney told reporters in Trenton, N.J. “It couldn’t happen to a better guy on the mound, either. He’s got a tired act.”
After converting a save, Francisco Rodriguez often pounds his chest and points to the sky while letting out a roar.
“I just don’t like watching the guy pitch,” Bruney said. “I think it’s embarrassing.”
Bruney’s teammate, Joba Chamberlain, also has irritated opponents with his loud screams and animated fist pumps after inning-ending strikeouts. Baltimore slugger Aubrey Huff even mocked Chamberlain this season with a pair of emphatic fist pumps after hitting a home run off the right-hander.
Francisco Rodriguez, who set a major league record with 62 saves last year for the Los Angeles Angels, didn’t take kindly to Bruney’s comments.
“If it comes out from somebody big like Mariano (Rivera), somebody who has been around and who is good at what he does, I would respect that from him,” the Mets’ reliever said. “But some guy that I don’t even know who it is, hasn’t maybe played a full year in the big leagues, always been hurt …”
Serving as Rivera’s primary setup man, Bruney is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 10 appearances this season. He has 13 strikeouts and two walks in nine innings.
“I’m not going to get into a media war with K-Rod. He’s had a great career. He set the save record and besides, he doesn’t know who I am. So it doesn’t matter what I think,” Bruney said in the Yankees’ clubhouse after Saturday’s loss.
“I stand by what I said. I don’t know that it makes any difference, since the guy’s never heard of me. He may be a great dude, I don’t know. I’ve never met him,” he added. “I was taught to play the game a different way and you won’t see me doing those kinds of things.”
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