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Andy Pettitte rebounded from a rocky outing last week to shut down the Mariners.

(Otto Greule, Jr./Getty)

SEATTLE – Andy Pettitte stepped out of the shower on Saturday and into an intersection of the personal and professional lives he’s juggled for so long.

On the mound, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera was locking up a 3-1 victory over Seattle, the 250th win of Pettitte’s 18-season career. On a clubhouse couch at Safeco Field, Pettitte’s son Josh had just gotten off the phone with Damon Oppenheimer, the team’s vice president of player personnel. The Yankees selected Josh in the 37th round of the MLB draft, rendering this an afternoon for converging milestones.

“It’s a good day for the Pettittes,” Josh said as a throng of reporters surrounded him, with members of the team filming the scene, his father beaming across the room.

Josh, a 6-1, 190-pound right-hander from Deer Park High in Texas, intends to enroll at Baylor. His father is firm on this. But they both acknowledged the “honor” of the moment. Pettitte hugged his son and gave him a kiss. When Rivera retired the side, the day’s events jumbled into one package.

“It’s all tied in together now for me,” Pettitte said. “I can’t separate them. Because they’re both together. It just all happened right here, as the game was ending. It was really cool.”

The game unfolded with a startling symmetry to the first victory Pettitte recorded in the major leagues. On June 7, 1995, Pettitte spun seven innings against Oakland. He gave up one run on four hits. He needed only 92 pitches. He was eight days away from his 23rd birthday.

On Saturday afternoon, 24 hours after the 18-year anniversary of that day at Yankee Stadium, Pettitte bested his former self by one out. He lasted 7 1/3 innings. He gave up one run on three hits. He needed only 85 pitches. He was seven days away from his 41st birthday.

“He’s been a great Yankee,” manager Joe Girardi said. “When you talk about one of the all-time greats, that’s what he’s been. He’s been a pleasure to play with, and he’s been a pleasure to manage.”

For so long, Pettitte has resembled a metronome, a rugged, durable cog in the middle of the Yankees rotation, a pitcher marked by efficiency rather than flash.

As he enters middle age, with his body creaking, the Yankees have suggested he curtail his throwing and running programs as a concession to his age. Pettitte has ignored this advice.

He is a creature of habit, either unable or unwilling to break from the routine that has carried him through a career worthy of Hall of Fame consideration. For this, manager Joe Girardi could not fault him, even if he conceded the disconnect would “be a hot topic.”

“It’s Andy,” Girardi said. “Andy’s going to do what he feels he needs to do. And that’s OK with me. As I’ve said all along, the biggest thing is you need for him to feel prepared when he goes out there.”

Pettitte reaped the rewards of his obstinacy on Saturday. Robinson Cano ripped a first-inning single to give Pettitte a lead. Jayson Nix contributed two RBI singles. Seattle scored a run in the fourth. But Pettitte sailed otherwise. When Girardi removed him in the eighth, the Yankees fans here stood to applaud.

His day would only get better. As reporters talked to Josh, Andy Pettitte watched from 10 paces away. A dreamy smile filled his face. Pettitte presents himself as a conflicted man. During the season, he misses his family. During the winter, the game tugs at him to return.

Yet on Saturday, in what could be his last season, Pettitte witnessed those worlds merge. He would echo the words of his son.

“It’s a good day,” Pettitte said.