NEW YORK -- Yankees rookie Jordan Montgomery perhaps was pitching to keep his spot in the rotation Tuesday night ... and also an unwanted option back to Triple-A.
True or false, the 6-foot-6 left-hander needed to be better after consecutive rough outings in which too many walks and home runs led to Yankees losses.
Montgomery was better all right.
Much better. He didn't walk anyone and was working on a one-hit shutout through six.
Montgomery was lucky, too ... for awhile.
And then unlucky.
After Montgomery left by far the best of his eight big-league starts with a seventh-inning lead, relievers Adam Warren, Jonathan Holder and Chasen Shreve came on and ruined the night.