The LoHud Yankees Blog

YANKEES
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Nick Swisher RF
Jorge Posada DH
Russell Martin C
Brett Gardner LF

TIGERS
Austin Jackson CF
Don Kelly 3B
Delmon Young LF
Miguel Cabrera 1B
Victor Martinez DH
Magglio Ordonez RF
Alex Avila C
Jhonny Peralta SS
Ramon Santiago 2B

Because of the Tigers right-handed rotation, the Yankees decided that rookie Jesus Montero would be limited to a bench role in this division, but they still wanted him available. They wanted his bat, and Tuesday night he delivered two hits in his first two postseason at-bats.

“That was a thought in our mind when he came up (in September),” Joe Girardi said. “We could use him off left-handers, and he could provide some big offense. But we had to watch him play. We had to see how he handled the situation. I thought he handled it pretty good.

“I go back to his first start in Boston against Jon Lester, his first AB, bases loaded. That’s a tough situation. I’m not sure what the standings were at that time. That’s a pretty tough situation. His first swing was kind of wild. He swung at a pitch over his head. Then he seemed to really bear down. That game told me something, even though I don’t think he got a base hit that day. But that game told me something about him, that he was able to relax in the moment.”

If the Yankees win tonight, Montero’s role could increase in an ALCS matchup against the Rangers. For now, it’s hard to complain about the guy that’s been getting the DH starts for the Yankees. Jorge Posada has been a productive and reliable hitter, once again showing his value in a season that’s been a struggle.

“We looked at what he had done against right-handers during the course of the season,” Girardi said. “We looked at Jorge’s experience in these type of situations and how he’s been productive. I’m sure it means a lot to him. I know it means a lot to all of us. I’m sure it means a lot to him what he’s done these first four games. We all want it to continue.”

Associated Press photo

Ivan Nova’s first start of the year came on April 4, the day after the Yankees season-opening series against the Tigers. His sixth and seventh starts of the year came immediately before and immediately after a four-game series in Detroit.

In other words, before Game 1 of the division series, the Tigers only look at Nova came in May of 2010, when Nova pitched two innings of relief at Comerica Park in his big league debut.

“I think anytime you see a pitcher for the first time you’re really not sure,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. “I think we really got out of the strike zone a little more in this series than I had hoped we would. Hopefully now that we’ve seen him we’ll have a little better idea the second time around. I think that usually holds true. So we’ll see how that plays out. But he’s good.”

That’s part of Nova’s challenge tonight.

He started getting in trouble in Game 1 when the heart of the Tigers order faced him a third time. Two singles and a walk against his last three hitters that night might have been fatigue, it might have been a small bump in the road, and it might have been a sign that the Tigers were starting to figure him out.

“They were real aggressive,” Nova said. “They don’t see me before. It was different. I know, like, they saw me the other day (and) they got another mindset. It’s going to be a good day. I know more (about) the hitters now, and I got late chance to make a mistake. I’m waiting to see tomorrow how they come.”

Good pitching, though, is supposed to beat good hitting. And when Nova’s at the top of his game, he’s pretty tough for anyone to hit.

“A pitcher is who he is,” Joe Girardi said. “I don’t think you abandon who you are because a team is seeing you again. You go through that all the time when you are playing your own division. Everybody knows what he’s got. The bottom line is, he has to make his pitches. He’s got to use them all. He’s got to pitch inside. He’s got to get a breaking ball going and use both sides of the plate and elevate and throw down in the zone. But I don’t think you have to abandon what you did the time before. If you make your pitches, most of the time you’re going to get people out.”

Associated Press photos

One recurring theme of the off day press conferences at Yankee Stadium was the impact of Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild.

Joe Girardi
In his first year with Rothschild as the Yankees pitching coach
“(His contribution) doesn’t go unnoticed in our clubhouse, because we’re with him every day and we understand the value of him every day and the job that he’s done this year. When there were so many question marks about who was going to pitch and who were going to be our starters and you look up and I think we ended up third in ERA in the American League, in a tough division and in a ballpark that can be tough to pitch in sometimes, too. So we understand his value, and he’s been extremely valuable to us.”

Ivan Nova
In his first year as a full-time big league starter has Rothschild as his coach
“He’s a tremendous pitching coach. Since Spring Training he’s been like a daddy for me. He helped me in Spring Training. He helped me throughout the season all the way. When you have a guy like that, like Larry, he knows a lot of things about this game. He’s a guy with a lot of experience. You feel more comfortable. Sometimes you are losing the game or you not feel good that day, he found a way to help you out, to keep fighting.”

Jim Leyland
Had Rothschild as his pitching coach with the Marlins in 1997
“He’s as good as it gets. He’s got a great demeanor. He’s very bright. The combination of a Major League pitching coach in today’s world has changed a little bit: You have to have a good feel for mechanics, working with guys and all of that type of stuff, but you also have to have a good feel for how to get hitters out. You have to look at much more video than they ever did in the past. He’s tremendous with a game plan. He’s as good as it gets. Plus he has a great demeanor with people. He’s a good people person. Good personality and very, very low-key. He’s the total package for a pitching coach. I thought he was terrific.”

Associated Press photo

While Joe Girardi left no doubt that he expect CC Sabathia to be available out of the bullpen tomorrow, Tigers manager Jim Leyland said the exact opposite about his ace Justin Verlander. Leyland said Verlander will not be an available reliever for Game 5.

“That’s just the way it played out,” Leyland said. “I don’t think it’s disappointing. I’m thankful everybody got to see him. To be honest with you, our fans got to see that game that Verlander pitched. So it worked out pretty good. No problem.”

Of course, that’s easy for Leyland to say now. Hard not to wonder whether his opinion might change if he gets in a big spot tomorrow night. Regardless, it’s clear that Verlander’s impact on this series has been minimized.

“The one thing that you can’t predict is what would have happened in Game 1 if it was Verlander against CC,” Girardi said. “Who knows where we would have stood. So it is what it is. Is it a break? I don’t know, I really don’t, because we can’t go back in time and say what would have happened. ”

It’s interesting that the Yankees, at this point, are not changing plans. As mentioned earlier today, they’re sticking with the Game 5 starter that they planned to use all along. Yes, he’s a rookie, but Ivan Nova won 16 games this season and showed considerable postseason poise in Game 1.

“When I say he’s laid back, I don’t mean there’s not fire inside of him,” Girardi said. “His personality is just not loud. It’s not boisterous. It’s not real emotional. He’ll show a little emotion on the mound, but not a whole lot. I love this kid’s determination. His determination to get better. His determination to be a part of this staff. To never go down again. To win. That’s what I see. He’s a very hard worker, and it’s paid off.”

• Nova on whether he feels pressure for tomorrow’s game: “I don’t see the reason to feel pressure. It’s another game. Of course, it’s the most important game of the season now, but that’s the game that right now a lot of people are waiting for. Everybody, like my family, everybody wants to see that game. Everybody want to see me do a really good job. Like I always say, if you get nervous, you’re going to be in trouble, because you can’t control yourself. You can’t control what you got to do. I don’t see the reason why.”

• Girardi said everyone is available out of the bullpen tomorrow, even A.J. Burnett if things get really crazy. “A.J. would probably be the one guy you would have to be careful,” Girardi said. “But I would say in case of emergency he’s available, too.”

• Jorge Posada leads the Yankees in batting average, on-base percentage and walks through these first four games. “Jorge has been through this so many times in his career,” Girardi said. “And (he) understands the magnitude of each at-bat and how to approach each at-bat. That’s why we went with him.”

• Also making a big impact at the bottom of the Yankees order is Brett Gardner, who’s hitting .385 with some big hits in big spots. “I talked about that with my pitching coach this morning before we left,” Leyland said. “He’s done a great job. He’s been real pesky. I think sometimes you get through that big part of the order and all those big guys, and maybe you lose your concentration a little bit. He’s a bear-down guy. He’s a real hard-nosed player and everything. A real determined guy. We’re going to have to do a better job.”

• The middle of the Yankees order finally showed some signs of life last night when Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher all got hits during that big eighth inning. “When it’s the postseason, you’re supposed to get a hit every time,” Girardi said. “The superstars are supposed to do no wrong, and you’re supposed to be able to ride on their backs. But that’s not the way the game works… What happens is if you continue to have good at-bats, you’re going to get your hits.”

• Leyland said he has Max Scherzer available tomorrow night, but ultimately his bullpen will be a little thin. “I would like to get through this game tomorrow with Fister, Coke, if necessary, Benoit and Valverde,” Leyland said. “There’s no secret to that. That’s what we would like to get through the game with.”

• Leyland announced that Don Kelly will be the Tigers starter at third base tomorrow night. Kelly will be the Tigers third different starting third baseman this series. Leyland said he would like to to shift Kelly to right field for late-inning defense, with Brandon Inge taking over at third.

• Give the final word to Girardi about tomorrow’s must-win situation: “This is what we fought so hard for during the course of the season. You have two very good teams playing tomorrow night. Unfortunately, one of us is going to go home. And that’s the hard part about this game, because your season is going to end so abruptly, in a sense. But we’ve worked hard to get to this point. We feel good about our starter. They probably feel good about their starter. And time is going to tell.”

Associated Press photos

Joe Girardi said today that his plan is unchanged. He expects CC Sabathia to be an available part of his bullpen.

“It doesn’t matter how he feels today,” Girardi said. “It matters how he feels tomorrow. I would expect I would have him.”

Ultimately, tomorrow’s must-win could change the bullpen strategy in more ways than one.

“I can’t tell you what my bullpen strategy is going to be because I can’t tell you how my starter is going to be,” Girardi said. “And I can’t tell you if he does get in trouble, where he’s going to be in the lineup. Because there are certain match-ups you look for. Spikes, yes. Have your spikes on and be ready to go. That’s the bottom line.

“The one thing about using starters out of the bullpen, you have to understand you have to give them a little bit more time to get ready. So you have to look a little bit further ahead. As far as bullpen strategy, it would be what it would be any other day. Hope your bullpen shuts the other team down. That’s the bottom line.”

The big question comes at the very end, with Mariano Rivera. He’s not going to be limited to one inning tomorrow night.

“He’s the one-plus guy tomorrow,” Girardi said. “Yes.”

Associated Press photo

Derek Jeter said this last night, but I’m not sure whether it’s true:

“I think the thing you have to realize it doesn’t make a difference what you’ve done in the past,” Jeter said. “Every opportunity, especially in the postseason, every opportunity you play, you have an opportunity to do something good. (A.J. Burnett) was able to do that.

“No one is thinking about what’s happened prior to tonight’s game. We wanted him to go out there and pitch well. Trust me, I’m pretty sure all New York fans will remember this game as opposed to some of the other games.”

Is that true? Burnett wasn’t good this season, but for the Yankees, the regular season is only important in that it gets the team to the playoffs. These are the games that matter, and when it mattered, Burnett gave the Yankees what the needed.

“A.J. expects a lot out of himself,” Jeter said. “He’s hard on himself, which I think is good at times. But today, like I say, you couldn’t ask for him to do anything more.”

Is that enough to wipe out a season of disappointment? Is it enough to build some trust, and some confidence, for a potential start in the ALCS?

Associated Press photo

Derek Jeter said he wasn’t surprised. He wasn’t surprised to see Curtis Granderson finally get a good read on the ball in the first inning, wasn’t surprised to see him start to go back on it, and wasn’t surprised to see Granderson make a leaping catch that might very well have been the turning point of the entire game.

“I think he’s made that catch against me here when he played for Detroit,” Jeter said. “He’s very familiar with this ballpark, but that was a very, very important part of the game. If that gets over his head, three runs score. It was definitely a very, very important part of the game.”

Before last night’s game became a blowout, two Granderson catches changed everything. The leaping catch in the first inning might have saved an inside-the-park grand slam. The diving catch in the sixth took away what might have been an RBI double that would have brought the tying run to the plate with a runner in scoring position.

First inning
Low line drive to center field by Don Kelly
“Right away I thought he hit it right to me,” Granderson said. “I took a step in and froze. It started to get some air. At least for my perspective, it kind of went up. I was like, ‘Oh man.’ I was able to go ahead and not be committed one way or the other. I ended up having to leave my feet, which I didn’t want to. I ended up reeling it in finally at the end. Don Kelly came up to me later in the game and he goes, ‘How did you do it?’ I said, ‘You hit it that hard. If you didn’t hit it that hard, it would have fell in and been a base hit.’”

Sixth inning
Hard-hit ball to the left-center gap by Jhonny Peralta
“The (catch) with Peralta started just because of positioning,” Granderson said. “I flet he was a guy that was going to hit the ball to the right-center gap, so that’s where I was shading him. Sure enough, he ended up hitting the ball to the left-center cap, so I ended up having to go a lot further for it. Looked a Brett Gardner, he wasn’t there yet, so I decided to a lay out for it, ended up holding onto the ball. The reason I was slow getting up, I ended up knocking the wind out of myself, and I think I hit my head a little bit because I had a little headache afterwards.”

Here’s Granderson talking about his big night with the glove.

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Associated Press photo

At this point, it seems the rain might have helped the Yankees.

Leaving Detroit with the division series tied heading into a decisive Game 5, the Yankees are moving forward as planned. It was their expectation all along that Ivan Nova would start Game 5, and now they have Nova pitching with CC Sabathia available out of the bullpen — on two days of rest, not one — should things get crazy.

“(Nova)’s been pitching well for us all year,” Derek Jeter said. “He pitched well the first playoff game. He’s got good stuff. I think the thing with him that stands out is his demeanor. He doesn’t seem like he’s fazed by too much. Maybe because he doesn’t speak fluent English and I don’t know it, but it appears to me like he’s pretty comfortable out there.”

It’s the Tigers who have changed plans. Originally, it was supposed to be Justin Verlander starting for Detroit on Thursday. Because of the rain, it’s Doug Fister. As good as Fister has been in the past two and a half months, he’s no Verlander.

“We have an opportunity,” Joe Girardi said. “We have an opportunity to win a series. We fought all year long to have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Hopefully we can get it done on Thursday.”

Associated Press photo

It took A.J. Burnett exactly six pitches to walk his first batter tonight. Larry Rothschild went to the mound after five hitters, Cory Wade was throwing in the bullpen before the third out, and the only thing that let Burnett escape the first inning was a leaping, falling catch by Curtis Granderson.

That was the beginning of Burnett’s biggest start of the year, a game that saved the Yankees season and salvaged some of Burnett’s.

“That’s A.J.,” Russell Martin said. “He wasn’t that erratic. That’s just how A.J. is, really. I didn’t have to say anything to him. I gave him a little neck message, and he went back to work … Gave him a little rubdown, sort of like a boxer in his corner.”

It was occasionally a high-wire act, but like Martin said, that’s A.J. He walked four and gave up four hits, but he also gave the Yankees 5.2 innings on a night they gladly would have accepted four. After Wade got loose in the first inning, the Yankees didn’t have to use a reliever until the sixth.

“A lot of times, for starters, that first inning is the toughest inning to get through, and you kind of get your feet wet,” Joe Girardi said. ” He hadn’t started a game in a while, in about eight or nine days. But he got through it, and then he pitched really well.

“… I was proud of what he did. In a must-win situation for us, he pitched one of his best games of the year. I’ve said all along, the Tigers swing the bat. To be able to shut them down, he gave up the one solo homer and gave up a double and proceeded to get out of that inning. We were all excited for him and very proud of what he did.”

For Burnett it was redemption. No one rips A.J. Burnett quite like A.J. Burnett, and even tonight he was a little bit hard on himself — said he should have pitched deeper, gave the defense a ton of credit — but he also stuck with his mantra of staying positive.

“Maybe it took me 25 to 30 (pitches) to get loose,” he said. “Maybe. I don’t know. I was just letting it go, and if it didn’t go for a strike, it didn’t go. I wasn’t worried about it. I got the ball and was able to do it again. I was able to find somewhat of a rhythm after that. It was a little nerve-racking in the first. I hadn’t been out there in a while.”

The Yankees didn’t plan to have him out there this time, but Friday’s rain forced their hand, and Burnett forced a winner-take-all Game 5. It started out nearly as bad as the Yankees could have imagined, but on night of redemption and second chances, Burnett got it going and kept the Yankees alive.

“I knew I was overthrowing, but I wasn’t going to think about it,” he said. “When you think about it, that’s when it goes more south… I wasn’t going to let little things bother me. I didn’t care if I walked eight, whatever. How many hits, how many homers you give up, I was just going to get the ball back and let it fly. I took that approach tonight, and it worked.”

Here’s Burnett.

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Here’s Girardi.

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• Burnett said it more than once, and it was true every time: “We don’t win tonight without defense.” A double play, Derek Jeter snagging a line drive, a few nice plays by Alex Rodriguez and — of course — Curtis Granderson’s pair of run-saving catches in center field.

• Granderson said it was his second catch, the Superman dive into left-center, that was the more difficult of the two. “Because of the distance I had to go,” he said. “The first one, I didn’t have to move too far, but I did have to freeze on it. It does make that play very difficult. Once you end up on your heals, now it’s hard to go ahead and generate some speed. For the second on, to have to go as far as I did and then to have to leave my feet like that, the good thing I thought if I do miss that one, Gardner is there. For the first one, if I miss that one, there’s nothing there but the wall back there and some ivy.”

• No surprise, but Girardi committed to Ivan Nova absolutely getting the start on Thursday.

• Girardi also said CC Sabathia will be in the bullpen on Thursday. “I plan on him being available to us,” Girardi said.

• With Cory Wade up in the first inning, Girardi said he was fully prepared to make a move that early. “I can’t tell you that I was going to take him out, I can’t tell you I was going to leave him in,” Girardi said. “But I had the guy up in case that first inning got away from us a little bit.”

• Girardi wasn’t sure what he would have done if there were another base runner after Jhonny Peralta’s double in the fourth inning. “Very possible I make a change there, yes,” Girardi said. Burnett struck out the next two batters and stayed in the game.

• How wild was that first inning? Girardi said he thought it was Wade he had getting loose, but he wasn’t sure. After all that happened tonight, he was perfectly willing to believe it was Phil Hughes.

• Speaking of Hughes, he finally got in a game with a scoreless eighth inning. Jesus Montero also saw his first division series action with two hits, including a pinch-hit RBI single in his first career postseason at-bat.

• Alex Rodriguez got his first two hits of the division series. They both came in that six-run eighth when struggling Mark Teixeira and Nick Swisher also had hits. “I said our guys are having decent at-bats,” Girardi said. “They have a pretty good pitching staff here. There was a lot of talk about it. I talked about Adrian Beltre today. It doesn’t take much for a guy to be a huge impact. I thought Al had a huge RBI after getting down 0-2 in the count, I thought that was a big RBI.”

• Jeter on his two-run double that put the Yankees on the board: “I actually thought he caught it. After seeing the replay, the ball bounced right back up to him, and he bare-handed it. From my vantage point, all I saw was his back. That’s why I stopped at second. I thought he had caught it and that was double play. Austin has run down a few of my fly balls over the years. But fortunately for us, that one fell in.”

• Two more hits for Brett Gardner who’s having a nice series. His batting average is up to .385 in these first four games.

• We’ll give the Captain the final word tonight: “We enjoy playing at home,” Jeter said. “If you are going to win a championship, you have to play well at home, you have to play well on the road. We were fortunate to get a split here and bring it back to New York on Thursday. I’m pretty sure our fans will be vocal, excited and so will the Tigers. It’s going to be a challenge for us. Hopefully we can win one more game.”

Associated Press photos