Tampa, FL., March 27 — The first sight greeting fans arriving at Legends Field on Sunday at a certain time (roughly 11:30) was that of “new” (even though his age matches the number 41 on his back) ace Randy Johnson getting in some throwing under the watchful eyes of Mel Stottlemyre and Billy Connors. Ninety minutes later, it was “old” Yankee southpaw Andy Pettitte warming up down third in the visiting bullpen. Minutes later he was greeted by raucous applause and cheering as he took the mound with a 2-0 lead. If there is anything Yankee fans love more than members of the current 25, it’s ex-Yankees with a successful resume in the Bronx.

Pettitte pitched around a leadoff walk to ex-teammate Derek Jeter and a one-out second-inning single by ex-batterymate Jorge Posada to get eight fairly harmless outs, while second-year “new” (once again, not to say young) Yankee hurler Kevin Brown struggled with his control and his defense in falling behind, 3-0. Kevin threw balls to his first four batters, and hits by Willy Taveras, Luke Scott, and (almost ex-Yank) Mike Lamb, each on a 1-0 count, put him down 1-0, a deficit doubled when right fielder Jason Lane hit a sac fly to Damian Rolls in center.

Jeter threw away Chris Burke’s leadoff second-inning grounder for an error, and when Eric Bruntlett and Raul Chavez followed with singles, the rout could have been on if Gary Sheffield’s throw from the right field corner had not nailed Bruntlett, who was trying to score after having stolen second, at the plate. But Brown settled in, retiring the next 11 of 13 on 51 pitches, even if he was nicked for another tally on a one-out walk, single, single in the sixth.

Pettitte, meanwhile, fell into a little trouble with two outs in the third, as Jeter powered a 2-1 triple to the wall in right center, and A-Rod pounced on the next pitch and blasted it off the scoreboard in left to bring the home team within 3-2. But the game Astros lefty coming off a year wasted with injuries finished his four frames with two foul pops and a grounder around a called third strike (that did seem both high and inside) to Giambi. Pettitte finished his Legends visit having surrendered a walk, with a strike out and seven of 15 first-pitch strikes on 59 pitches; he allowed two runs on three hits.

Houston closer Brad Lidge pitched around a leadoff walk in the home fifth, but ex-Met Dan Wheeler ran into immediate trouble in the sixth. Rodriguez powered a single to right for his second hit, and a signature Sheffield vicious liner to the wall in left center plated him. Giambi continued to show power the other way as his long drive to just left of center moved Shef to third, and Posada’s first-pitch line-out into the right-field corner tied matters at four runs apiece.

But in spring games, sometimes the most significant moves are not ones that affect the game’s final score.