When Ian Kennedy was demoted to triple-A the Yankees told him that his return was entirely up to him. Pitch well and his minor league stint could be as little as two starts, but if you stumble it could be as many as 15.

Last night Kennedy he prefers to keep his stay in Scranton as short as possible by taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning.

“I’m trying to say it humbly, but it doesn’t matter what I say, it’s going to come out cocky,” he said. “You just know. I woke up today and told my wife, I just have a feeling I’m going to make these guys look stupid.”

Kennedy’s final line was 7.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K.

“That was a better game tonight than any game he pitched here last year,” said Yankee pitching guru Nardi Contreras.

Kennedy reiterated after the game that he felt like his stuff was getting better in his last two starts at the major league level and felt that it was foolish for the Yankees to have demoted him.

“It felt like it was getting better and better the last two outings, and then I got called into the office and told I was coming here,” Kennedy said. “I knew it was time, one of these times it was going to come out and I was going to have an outing like this, because I know it’s in me.”

Kennedy attributed this good start to his improving location. The most impressive thing about him facing major league hitters last September was his location. This year he has not quite had it which has lead to his manager Joe Girardi to become openly frustrated with the 23-year-old pitcher. In his start last night Kennedy seemed to have his groove back.

“I just felt like I could do no wrong,” Kennedy said. “Whether it was 2-0, I didn’t care, I could place a fastball away. I’ve been working on it every start, getting my mind set in the big leagues. I felt like I was getting better and better every time. It just led up to this. It was inevitable for me to do well. It was just a matter of time.”

After the start Kennedy brushed off the idea that he was pitching this way simply because he was facing minor league hitters. He said it wouldn’t have mattered who the batters were he was locked in and would have made any hitters look silly.

“It’s not so much here, it’s that I know what I can do,” he said. “That was the main thing I was battling with. It goes back to trying to be too perfect. You’re giving them too much credit in the big leagues. These guys in Triple-A aren’t much different. They could be big leaguers tomorrow, and some of them have played in the big leagues. It’s not so much the hitters, it’s myself.”

Talking this way is sure to get Kennedy a trip back to the Bronx in no time. The next time the Yankees will need a fifth starter is on May 10 and Kennedy’s next day to pitch is May 11. Unless the Yankees want to pitch him on short rest he’ll probably have to wait until May 15 against the Tampa Rays or more likely until May 25 against the Seattle Mariners.

When he does return it looks like the Yankees will give him a chance to start again with no hesitation.

“I heard he was great,” Girardi said. “I have a lot of belief in this kid, that he has the ability to pitch here. For whatever reason, it didn’t really work out, but this kid is going to be back. I think he’s going to have a very successful career.”