The LoHud Yankees Blog

Royce Ring is listed as an available lefty in the Yankees bullpen.

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Lance Berkman DH
Jorge Posada C
Austin Kearns LF
Colin Curtis RF

UPDATE, 3:59 p.m.: Word is Chad Huffman has been designated for assignment to open a 40-man spot for Ring.

The Trop was completely silent except for the whack, whack, whack of Robinson Cano and Eduardo Nunez taking early batting practice with Kevin Long. Out of nowhere came the voice of Michael Kay recording a segment of the Michael Kay Show.

K-Long didn’t miss a beat.

The Yankees hitting coach stopped throwing and yelled, “We’re working here, Michael! Could you keep it down?”

Hilarious. Even better if it makes the show.

By the way, Cano is crushing ball after ball into the right-field seats. It’s impressive to watch, maybe more impressive to hear. Whack. Clang. Whack. Clang.

For four innings, last night seemed to be the high point of Ivan Nova’s already eye-opening debut. He had allowed a two-out single to Carl Crawford in the first inning, but hadn’t allowed another hit leading into the fifth inning. That’s when his night unraveled in a big way.

“We like the kid’s stuff and we like his poise and the way he’s throwing the ball,” Joe Girardi said. “I know he ended up giving up six in that inning, but we still like the way he’s throwing the ball.”

Nova said the fifth inning was about focus. He gave up a lead-off home run to Carlos Pena and tried to be too fine the rest of the inning. The result, to use his words, was “bad location, bad pitch selection.” At the end of the day, though, you take the good with the bad and there was still a lot to like about those first four innings.

“(It was) positive,” Nova said. “I was pitching good. It was one inning. Everybody has one bad inning. That was a long one, six runs.”

Nova has made five major league starts. As a general rule — and this was very much the case last night — he’s been terrific through the first four innings, but he’s had trouble in the fifth. Here are the numbers.

First inning: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 BB, 5 K — 1.80 ERA
Second inning: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 3 K — 0.00 ERA
Third inning: 5 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 2 K — 3.60 ERA
Fourth inning: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 4 K — 3.60 ERA
Fifth inning: 4.1 IP, 11 H, 3 BB, 4 K — 18.69 ERA
Sixth inning: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 0 K — 0.00 ERA

There’s enough good coming from those first four innings to make Nova an intriguing starter down the stretch. Girardi has not announced a rotation beyond tonight’s game, but with Andy Pettitte due back in the next few days, the Yankees have seven options for five spots. In reality, the decision might come down to three candidates — Nova, Javier Vazquez and Dustin Moseley — for one spot.

“We’ll continue to evaluate,” Girardi said. “We’ll evaluate this weekend what we’re going to do.”

Associated Press photo

It was Alex Rodriguez who said what everyone was thinking last night: “Whoever would have thought Greg Golson would make a great play in the middle of a great pennant race?”

There was a lot to be said for The Catch and The Home Run — never thought Curtis Granderson would get there, never doubted Jorge Posada was leaving  the yard — but there was something about the The Throw that made it the most buzzworthy play of last night’s very buzzworthy Yankees win.

“Just a loud, Yes!” Golson said. “Everyone running out to right field, that usually doesn’t happen. They usually don’t run out to right field.”

Last out of the inning, against perhaps the fastest runner in the game, by a guy with 20 games in the big leagues. It was one of those moments, and everyone seemed to be talking about it.

Alex Rodriguez: “Tricky pickup but just an incredible throw. He caught the ball throw flat-footed. I honestly thought he had no chance because he caught it with his momentum going back to right field. It was straight as an arrow. I long tossed with him about a week ago and I could tell he just had a cannon.”

Curtis Granderson: “It all happened prior to that. When Brett Gardner came out there to warm up in the bottom of that inning, he wanted a couple of extra throws. When he normally throws with the guy on the line, he ended up making some throws with Golson. I’m sitting there watching the ball go back and forth thinking, man, Goly’s got a really good arm. Sure enough he ends up getting a ball where he’s got a play.”

Jorge Posada: “We knew he had a good arm so he showed it. I couldn’t believe he was running there to tell you the truth. He would have scored on a base hit. He is that quick. He doesn’t need to get to third base to score really.”

Mariano Rivera: “That was a perfect throw. Short bounce. On target. Won the game.”

Joe Girardi: “Perfect throw and an unbelievable tag by Alex because it’s a short hop and it’s bang-bang. Just a great way to end the game.”

Joe Maddon: “I always tell our guys to take positive risks. If that ball hits him and bounds off of him right there, all of a sudden we score another run. When you’re facing Rivera, you do take chances versus Rivera because he dod not give up many hits, so I was fine with the play. Golson made a great throw. That was a fabulous throw that he made, so we’ll just move on until tomorrow.

Greg Golson: “I heard a faint Granderson, ‘He’s tagging, he’s tagging, he’s tagging!” But I didn’t think he was going to be going… I was just worried about catching it. I had a little bit of trouble yesterday with the first blooper, and that was all I was worried about. When I caught it, I looked up and he was running, so I just tried to put a good throw on the bag.”

Here’s Golson’s postgame audio.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

This was shaping up to be perhaps the most deflating loss of the road trip. The Yankees six-run lead had disappeared in one disastrous fifth inning. They’d come back to tie in the sixth, but they’d also stranded the bases loaded that inning. They hadn’t had a base hit in the past three innings, and they’d already burned through those reliable setup men they were missing on Monday.

“If you lose the game, yes, it could have been tough,” Jorge Posada said. “But we won.”

Curtis Granderson made his diving catch to end the ninth, then Posada came off the bench to leadoff the 10th with a fly ball that no center fielder was going to catch. B.J. Upton gave chase for a few steps, then stopped and watched.

“On a road trip when we’ve had some real disappointing losses, that’s a huge home run,” Joe Girardi said.

It’s a little hard to believe the last time Mariano Rivera pitched was that blown save in Texas. Rivera allowed the lead-off single to Carl Crawford, but Posada very nearly threw Crawford out stealing second. Instead, the big throw belonged to Greg Golson, who nailed Crawford trying to go second-to-third for the final out of the game. Alex Rodriguez lifted his glove in the air, Brett Gardner started jumping up and down and Robinson Cano ran out to right field to high-five a September call-up.

In the end, it was that kind of night. After all of the disappointment of the past four days, this was euphoria: A brilliant catch, a clutch home run, renewed perfection from the game’s greatest closer, and an unbelievable throw a guy who spent most of the year in Triple-A. On a road trip when everything had gone wrong for the Yankees, things finally went right.

Here’s Girardi’s postgame.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Here’s Posada

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

• The New York Post was the first to report that Mark Teixeira has been playing with a broken toe in his right foot. “It’s just pain,” Teixeira said. “I think the biggest thing for me is I haven’t been able to work out. I haven’t been able to do extra work. More defensively, moving side to side is a little tough.”

• Teixeira broke his toe on August 31 against Oakland. Doctors have told him it won’t get better until after the season. “I didn’t think we would have him the next day,” Girardi said. “He said, ‘No I’m fine. I’m ready to go.’”

• I’ll admit, I never thought Granderson had a chance to catch that ball in the ninth. Not once. Not until it was in his glove. “At the last minute it’s the only way I’ve got a chance to make a play on it, I’ve got to leave my feet,” Granderson said. “It was good to go ahead and end the inning and get out of that.”

• Rivera had perhaps the funniest take on Posada’s home run: “That’s a good shot. That’s a big shot. It was one run only. Too bad.”

• Golson said he never though Crawford would tag up on the fly ball to right, but he heard Granderson yelling, “He’s tagging! He’s tagging!” As Girardi said, you have to give a lot of credit to Rodriguez for making the great scoop and tag, but it’s ultimately the throw that made it happen. “Everybody in the dugout is pulling for the same thing,” Golson said. “Especially the past few days, we want to pick up a little bit of momentum. To be able to help out any way you can, that’s huge.”

• Boone Logan gave up the big home run in the fifth. After that inning, the bullpen went five innings, allowing only the Crawford single off Rivera. They walked one and struck out seven. Chamberlain-Wood-Robertson is really a dominant right-handed trio.

• Speaking of the pen, Kerry Wood pitched today despite pitching three of the past four days. According to Girardi’s rules, Wood shouldn’t have been available. “Kerry’s a little bit more experienced,” Girardi explained. “He’s a little bit older. He’s been through more. He’s more mature.”

• Girardi said Logan was available because he faced one hitter yesterday. “I’ll check with Booney, but I probably won’t use him tomorrow,” Girardi said. “That’s just the nature of the game.”

• Ivan Nova said he lost some focus in the fifth inning. “After the home run I started thinking, I’ve got to be more perfect,” he said. Nova had been terrific for four innings, but his night fell apart in a big way. “I thought he got caught up with the runner at second a little bit,” Girardi said. “He just lost his location a little bit. He was so good for the first four innings and he got in trouble in the fifth and he couldn’t seem to get the third out.”

• Girardi on why he didn’t bring Boone Logan to face Matt Joyce: “The choice is Nova vs. Joyce or Boone vs. (Sean) Rodriguez because they’re going to pinch hit Rodriguez. I liked what (Nova) did the first two at-bats against him and went with that. He got kind of a jam shot on a fly ball to left field that Kearns almost caught, and I decided to make the change after that.”

• Andy Pettitte’s final rehab start: 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. Girardi didn’t quite commit to Pettitte starting on Sunday. “That’s something we’re going to have to discuss and see how he feels on Thursday, which would be his throw day,” Girardi said.

• Some more picture from tonight are in our daily Yankees online gallery.

Associated Press photos

With one ruinous inning, the Yankees blew a six-run lead and were on the verge of another devastating loss. Instead, Robinson Cano tied the game with a sixth-inning double, Curtis Granderson made a remarkable diving catch to end the ninth and Jorge Posada led off the 10th with a solo home run for an 8-7 Yankees win that broke a string of four straight losses and gave the Yankees first place in the American League East.

Associated Press photo of Cano with Alex Rodriguez and Lance Berkman

YANKEES (87-57)
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Lance Berkman DH
Austin Kearns LF
Colin Curtis RF
Francisco Cervelli C

RHP Ivan Nova (1-0, 2.92)
Nova has not faced the Rays

RAYS (87-56)
John Jaso C
Ben Zobrist 2B
Carl Crawford LF
Evan Longoria 3B
Matt Joyce RF
Dan Johnson DH
Carlos Pena 1B
B.J. Upton CF
Reid Brignac SS

RHP Matt Garza (14-8, 3.68)
Garza vs. Yankees

TIME/TV: 7:10 p.m. / MY9 and MLB Network

UMPIRES: HP Ron Kulpa, 1B Lance Barksdale, 2B Ed Rapuano, 3B Tom Hallion

WEATHER: Oh the weather outside is weather. Forgetting Sarah Marshall? Anyone?

HIP HIP JORGE: Jorge Posada has been named the AL East finalist for the 2010 MLBPA Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award. The award is given to a player who inspires others to higher levels of achievement by their on-field performance and off-the-field contributions to the community. Each division chooses one nominee.

TOUGH TO SWALLOW: The Yankees have suffered five walk-off losses this season, three in the past four days. They had four walk-off losses last year. The Yankees last had three walk-off losses on the same road trip in 2003 when they lost in Boston and Oakland. That was during a nine-game trip.

PUTTING UP ZEROS: The last time the Yankees played in a game in which both starters pitched eight scoreless innings was June 18, 2003, also against Tampa Bay. That day it was Roger Clemens and — of all people — Victor Zambrano who traded zeros. The Yankees won the game on Alfronso Soriano’s walk-off single in the 12th.

THE SHOW GOES ON: Last night was the first ever concert at Yankee Stadium. It featured Jay-Z and Eminem performing to a sold-out audience. They will perform again tonight. That’s an AP shot of Jay-Z on the right.

UPDATE, 7:48 p.m.: Had some computer issues for a while, but things are back online. The Yankees got two on with no outs in the second inning, but the bottom third of the order left both runners stranded. Now Nova is trying to strand a runner in the bottom of the second.

Also, in case you didn’t see it, the New York Post is reporting that Mark Teixeira has been playing with a broken little toe.

UPDATE, 7:57 p.m.: Derek Jeter walked, Curtis Granderson hit his second double of the night and Mark Teixeira hit a sac fly for a 1-0 Yankees lead. It’s just that easy, folks.

UPDATE, 8:05 p.m.: This is the lineup the Yankees remember. RBI single by Rodriguez and now a two-run home run by Cano. It’s a 4-0 Yankees lead in the third inning.

UPDATE, 8:10 p.m.: That’s a four-run inning for the Yankees, and a 30-pitch inning for Matt Garza.

UPDATE, 8:30 p.m.: Four scoreless innings from Nova. Meanwhile, Andy Pettitte’s night is finished in Altoona. He went five innings and allowed two runs, one of them on a leadoff homer in the first inning.

UPDATE, 8:35 p.m.: Home run A-Rod, 5-0 lead Yankees.

UPDATE, 8:43 p.m.: Jake McGee is a pretty big left-handed prospect in the Rays system, and he’s making his big league debut here against Colin Curtis. Garza is finished after 4.2 innings.

UPDATE, 8:47 p.m.: McGee walked Colin Curtis to load the bases, then walked Francisco Cervelli to bring in a run, now he’s facing Derek Jeter. Think this is how he imagined it?

UPDATE, 9:05 p.m.: Looks like Joe Girardi was trying to find out something about Ivan Nova here. He had Boone Logan up, but let Nova stay in to face the lefty Matt Joyce. When Joyce singled in another run — the third straight Ray to reach with two outs — Girardi pulled the trigger. Nova threw only 74 pitches. Logan’s in with Johnson and Pena due up.

UPDATE, 9:11 p.m.: Aybar pinch hits for Johnson and takes Logan deep, a three-run home run that has given the Rays a 7-6 lead in the fifth.

UPDATE, 9:28 p.m.: Robinson Cano doubles in the tying run on a broken bat drive to right. The Rays have intentionally walked the bases loaded for Austin Kearns. Here comes Chad Qualls.

UPDATE, 9:33 p.m.: Kearns struck out, Curtis flied out and the game remains tied at 7 in the middle of the sixth.

UPDATE, 10:01 p.m.: Big inning from Joba Chamberlain. Heart of the order has a chance now in the eighth.

UPDATE, 10:08 p.m.: Kerry Wood has pitched three out of the past four days. Maybe the Yankees ran out of red stars during last night’s game.

UPDATE, 10:17 p.m.: Robertson is up in the Yankees bullpen. This is at least the second time he’s started throwing, maybe the third.

UPDATE, 10:32 p.m.: At no point did I believe Curtis Granderson had a shot at that ball. Not once. An incredible catch that left Robinson Cano standing with both arms raised on the infield dirt. Even the Rays fans here at the Trop gave him a standing ovation. One of the best I’ve ever seen.

UPDATE, 10:40 p.m.: Mariano Rivera was already getting loose, but Jorge Posada has given him a chance to close out a big win for the Yankees.

Every day, the Yankees make a card that lists the weekly workload of each reliever in the bullpen. The card tells Joe Girardi everything, including whether a pitcher was “hot” in the bullpen. Depending on that workload, some pitchers are given a red star.

“Lately I’ve had a lot of red stars on my card,” Girardi said.

As you might imagine, after last night’s game, the bullpen — who’s available, who’s not, and how the Yankees decide — was a lengthy topic during Girardi’s pregame session this afternoon at The Trop.

Dave Robertson was not available last night because he’d thrown three out of four days, including 36 pitches on Saturday, which was nearly a season-high. Girardi likes to give his relievers two days off after they’ve gone three out of four.

Joba Chamberlain was also considered a three-out-of-four guy. He had only pitched Wednesday and Friday, but Saturday night he got “hot” in the bullpen. That meant he was loosened up enough to enter the game, and the Yankees count that when they count a player’s workload. Girardi had been specifically asked about Chamberlain’s availability on Saturday night, and Girardi said he didn’t pitch enough in the pen to be unavailable. Girardi said it was only later that he learned Chamberlain was completely ready to go, and that’s why he was out of the mix last night.

“You don’t want to give them two days off, and you want to be able to use them in the game last night,” Girardi said. “But I’ve said that a guy’s health in his career and the future of this organization is more important than one game. I’m not going to jeopardize that. People might disagree. These guys have worked really hard to get into this situation, and I don’t want to be the one to hurt them. Sometimes players don’t know how to say no.”

• Girardi said every reliever except Chad Gaudin should be available tonight.

• There is some hope that Brett Gardner could be back in the lineup tomorrow. He said his wrist feels considerably better today that yesterday, and Girardi told him not to swing because he wasn’t going to let him hit in the game anyway. “We’ll shoot for tomorrow,” Girardi said. “I wouldn’t give you odds, but he did say he felt better today. I told him not to take any swings today, because I don’t think it makes sense to try to swing today if we’re trying to rest it.”

• Nick Swisher probably won’t play until Baltimore. “I wouldn’t think we’ll have him tomorrow, and then we’ll just continue to evaluate,” Girardi said.

• As long as Andy Pettitte comes through tonight’s rehab start without a setback, he should be ready to return to the big league rotation. “I would imagine,” Girardi said. “As long as he feels good and says he’s ready to go. I think it’s going to be hard to find places for him to pitch after today.”

• To have a chance to win this series, the Yankees need to win tonight behind rookie starter Ivan Nova. “This is no doubt his biggest test,” Girardi said. “It seems that every test he’s had so far, he’s done pretty well.”

Associated Press photos of the bullpen — Robertson and Chamberlain at the top — and Gardner

Nick Swisher was smiling when he walked in the clubhouse this afternoon. His MRI showed the same thing as last time, but this time they were able to pinpoint the location of the inflamation. He got a cortisone shot and sounds as hopeful as he’s been in weeks.

“It was just exciting to get the answers you were looking for,” Swisher said.

Swisher was told it might take 48 hours to feel the full effect of the shot. He’s not sure whether he can pinch hit tonight, and he’s not sure when he’ll be back in the lineup.

“When I can be out there, I promise you I’ll be out there,” he said.

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Lance Berkman DH
Austin Kearns LF
Colin Curtis RF
Francisco Cervelli C