The LoHud Yankees Blog

Brian Cashman calls it the “key the kingdom,” and the game treats it as such. Starting pitching is the highest commodity in baseball these days, and the Yankees have made it a priority ever since the winter of 2008 when they signed CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, essentially setting the stage for the 2009 World Series.

It was a priority again last season, and it will be a priority again this winter.

That priority starts with Sabathia. If he opts out, as he’s expected to do, the Yankees will lose their ace. The top starter on the free agent market is C.J. Wilson, who’s been awfully good these past two years in Texas, but that’s the extent of his rotation experience. Sabathia is a proven commodity, even with his so-so last two months of the regular season.

Beyond Sabathia, the Yankees have Ivan Nova, A.J. Burnett and Phil Hughes returning. They also have Hector Noesi and a series of young, minor league starters who could compete for spots.

Otherwise, the Yankees have to choose their targets and decide who rounds out the group.

Freddy Garcia opened some eyes this season, and he could be worth a return trip the Bronx. Bartolo Colon’s second half should raise some red flags, but he certainly gave the Yankees more than they could have expected. It’s probably safe to say Brian Gordon’s time has come and gone.

Is Wilson just the guy to bring some left-handed balance, and a reliable No. 2 behind Sabathia? Is someone like Edwin Jackson worth a middle-rotation spot? Is someone like Rich Harden worth the health risk? Is there a pitcher on the trade market who’s worth dangling Jesus Montero?

Moving forward means answering those questions, but first things first, it means resolving the Sabathia issue and giving the team a legitimate No. 1.

Associated Press photo

YANKEES (2-2)
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

RHP Ivan Nova (16-4, 3.70)
Nova vs. Tigers

TIGERS (2-2)
Austin Jackson CF
Ramon Santiago 2B
Delmon Young LF
Miguel Cabrera 1B
Victor Martinez DH
Don Kelly RF
Jhonny Peralta SS
Alex Avila C
Wilson Betemit 3B

RHP Doug Fister (11-13, 2.83)
Fister vs. Yankees

TIME/TV: 8:07., TBS

WEATHER: It’s starting to get cold, but at least it looks like they’ll play. Only the slightest chance of rain tonight.

UMPIRES: HP Ted Barrett, 1B Bill Welke, 2B Tony Randazzo, 3B Eric Cooper, LF Gerry Davis, RF Dan Iassogna

WINNER TAKE ALL: The Yankees are playing an ALDS Game 5 for the seventh time, their first since their 2005 series loss and the Angels. This is the ninth time the Yankees have played a deciding Game 5 in a best-of-five format (also 1976 and 1977 in the ALCS).

CAPTAIN CLUTCH: Derek Jeter has played in seven winner-take-all postseason games, hitting safely in each one and combining to go 10-for-29 (.345) with four runs, two doubles, a home run and four RBI.

FIRST TIMER? According to Elias, Ivan Nova will be only the second rookie pitcher to make his first postseason start in a winner-take-all game, joining the Phillies’ Marty Bystrom in the 1980 NLCS Game 5 at Houston. Bystrom (5.1IP, 7H, 2R, 1ER, 2BB, 1K) did not record a decision in the 8-7, 10-inning Phillies victory. Don’t forget, Nova technically was not the starting pitcher in Game 1.

GO WITH GARDY: Brett Gardner has gone 4-for-7 (.571) with runners on base during this division series, including 2-for-2 with four RBI with runners in scoring position and two outs.

UPDATE, 8:07 p.m.: Pitches No. 6 and 7 from Nova are solo home runs, one by Don Kelly and one by Delmon Young, who now has three in the series.

UPDATE, 8:24 p.m.: Leadoff double in the top of the second, but Nova’s one out away from leaving that runner stranded. First time through the order, three Tigers have hit the ball hard.

UPDATE, 8:29 p.m.: Nova strikes out pesky utility man Ramon Santiago to leave Ordonez stranded at third. Nova has three strikeouts through two innings.

UPDATE, 8:34 p.m.: Sharp double by Teixeira, who’s been needing to drive the ball this series and finally did with a hard-hit ball to the right-center gap.

UPDATE, 8:39 p.m.: That’s a quick hook. Nova retired the last three batters he faced in the second inning, but here’s Phil Hughes out of the Yankees bullpen.

UPDATE, 8:41 p.m.: So Nova pitched 6.1 innings as a reliever this series, and only two innings as a starer. That’s normal.

UPDATE, 9:03 p.m.: The crowd here thought Cano had a two-run double, but Jackson tracked it down for the final out of the third  innings, leaving Granderson and Gardner stranded at first and second. It’s still 2-0 Tigers.

UPDATE, 9:09 p.m.: Playing matchups in the fourth inning. Hughes looked alright to me, but here’s Boone Logan to face Alex Avila, who doesn’t have a hit this series.

UPDATE, 9:12 p.m.: Well, that didn’t work. Avila just singled to right, and now Cory Wade is getting loose.

UPDATE, 9:16 p.m.: CC Sabathia now warming in the bullpen. Maybe try to get two innings out of him to get into the seventh? I’m not sure. We’re well into uncharted water here.

UPDATE, 9:31 p.m.: Gardner up with two outs and the bases loaded in the fourth. No sign of Eric Chavez to pinch hit.

UPDATE, 9:36 p.m.: Pretty good at-bat, and Gardner’s been terrific this series, but he just popped up in foul territory to end the fourth. CC is coming in to pitch the fifth. It’s his first career relief appearance, regular season or postseason.

UPDATE, 9:46 p.m.: The Yankees just announced that Nova left the game with a tight right forearm.

UPDATE, 9:52 p.m.: Victor Martinez makes the Yankees pay for intentionally walking Cabrera. His two-out single scored Austin Jackson — the run was going to score with or without Granderson bobbling the ball — and gave the Tigers a 3-0 lead. Now the Tigers have shifted Kelly to right field and brought Brandon Inge to play third.

UPDATE, 9:58 p.m.: Cano’s eighth postseason home run has the Yankees on the board, 3-1, in the bottom of the fifth.

UPDATE, 10:50 p.m.: Bases loaded for Rodriguez. This is a chance for the heart of the order to make up for a lost series.

UPDATE, 10:56 p.m.: Rodriguez goes down swinging, now it’s Teixeira’s turn.

UPDATE, 11:03 p.m.: Teixeira drew a walk for his first RBI of the series, but Swisher went down swinging and the Yankees still trail 3-2 heading into the eighth.

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

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

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

Joe Girardi said he woke up this morning feeling no different than any other day. He didn’t hear from anyone in the Yankees front office, didn’t change his daily routine. It was just another day, except this one came with the possibility of elimination looming large in tonight’s game.

“You understand that,” Girardi said. “And you think about how hard you worked. With the players, how hard they worked all year long. You don’t want it to end today. You don’t ever want it to end until it’s the last out of the World Series that you get. And that’s hard if it does.”

On the mound, the Yankees have A.J. Burnett, the team’s embattled starter who had a bit of a resurgence in September but ultimately finished with another disappointing season. The Yankees didn’t plan to have him start a game today, but Friday’s rain forced them to use a four-man rotation.

“I’m not underestimating him a bit,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. “He’s got great stuff. A.J. Burnett is capable of going out and throwing a two-hitter tonight. I know that. He has great stuff. You know the scenario is — this is a good situation for A.J., I think, on this stage tonight. People are hot and cold about A.J. and everything. Not us. We know what a great talent he is. If he gets it going, he can wipe you out. We’re very concerned about it.”

Girardi said it’s hard to say how long or short his leash will be. CC Sabathia got into trouble in last night’s third inning, and Girardi it’s “very possible you pull him” if Burnett has a similar third inning tonight.

Phil Hughes is available for roughly 50 pitches. Freddy Garcia has been told to be ready. Ivan Nova is available if things get “crazy” and the Yankees absolutely need innings.

“I don’t think there’s no exact science,” Girardi said. “You look at how (Burnett)’s pitching, getting outs. You can walk a guy, get a double play and then roll. You’ve just got to manage the game, and if you think there’s a time you need to pull him or you think there’s a time you leave him in, you go with your gut.”

• As he so often does, Girardi said he trusts his players who have track records. That’s why the lineup remains unchanged despite struggles by Alex Rodriguez, Nick Swisher and Mark Teixeira. “Everyone wants to throw stuff out, but it’s a couple of games,” Girardi said. “Adrian Beltre was 0-for-9 before today. Ron Washington didn’t move him, and he hit three homers. I don’t think you can make too much of a few games. You (can’t) start shaking up your lineup. These guys have done it all year long, and you expect them to do it.”

• Girardi on Mark Teixeira: “I think he’s just missed some balls in this series, I do. I think he’s had some pretty good swings and I think his at-bats have been pretty good. I thought he missed a ball the other day at home, I thought he hit a ball hard yesterday. I think sometimes you can get caught up in the numbers and not necessarily look at the at-bats. I think his at-bats have been OK.”

• Basically, the Girardi quote is the exact same for Swisher.

• Asked about Derek Jeter’s late-inning outs the past two games, Girardi pointed to the guy on the mound. “That’s why they get paid the big bucks, the closers, to get those big outs,” Girardi said.

• Girardi called the mood in the clubhouse “loose and relaxed” and said he felt no need to address the team before tonight’s game. “It’s not like I have a bunch of kids,” he said. “I have guys that understand what this is about.”

• The only pitcher no available tonight is CC Sabathia. “If he could throw right-handed he’d be available,” Girardi said. “If he was Mr. Venditte, he’d be available.”

• Nova threw a bullpen yesterday to prepare for a Game 4 start. “If you get in a crazy game you might have to (use him tonight),” Girardi said. “Then I’ll figure it out Thursday.”

• Obviously Hughes is the go-to long man tonight, but Girardi said he won’t necessarily got to Hughes first if Burnett struggles. “You might choose to bring someone in who’s used to coming into the middle of the inning a little more,” Girardi said. “That’s a decision I’ll have to make. I’ll look at some things and who they’re facing.”

• In case you missed it, Texas wrapped up the other division series this afternoon. If the Yankees come back in this series, they’ll head for an ALCS rematch against the Rangers.

Associated Press photos

Ivan Nova was feeling nervous, and he usually doesn’t feel nervous standing 60 feet 6 inches from batters. Only this angry Blue Jays’ batter, Jose Bautista, was getting a little closer after watching a pitch sail by at head level three innings after homering.

“Because when he came to me, I don’t know what to do,” said Nova, who didn’t back down in that incident during his first major-league start for the Yankees last August in Toronto.

Nova has been calm all this season. But now the 24-year-old rookie will be under the hot glare at Yankee Stadium, taking the ball tonight as the Game 1 “reliever” against the Tigers after originally being selected to start Game 2. Since Friday night’s opener was suspended because of rain after an inning and a half and the score 1-1, Nova gets to take over for CC Sabathia.

“I don’t really see the difference,” Nova said. “It’s not like they’re going to throw me out there. I’m going to have time to warm up and do all the stuff I usually do.”

Joe Girardi said: “The big thing is for him to just control his emotions, and we’ll watch for that early. If we have to talk to him a few more times early in the game, we will.”

The supremely confident Nova doesn’t think this is going to be a problem at all. He arrives after going 16-4 with a 3.70 ERA in the regular season.

“I had big games this year; it wasn’t difficult to do,” Nova said. “Why is it going to be difficult (tonight)?”

Girardi factored his poised demeanor into the original rotation decision, among other things.

“It all plays into it,” Girardi said. “The year he’s had. His ability to pitch when he got in trouble this year. He did a much better job than he did last year managing innings.”

Nova said he came back from spending most of July in the minors as a more aggressive pitcher, trying to get ahead on counts every time.

“I came (back) here with another mind-set — I don’t want to go back to the minor leagues,” Nova said. “I was making sure to do everything possible to not go back to the minors again.”

Girardi was impressed with the way he took the news flash of his demotion to Triple-A (making room at the time for Phil Hughes’ return to the rotation).

“Extremely impressed,” Girardi said. “It would have been easy for him to storm out or to talk to his buddies and tell them how unhappy he was, and I never heard anything. I never heard a word about his displeasure with anything that we did. He just went to work, and that’s unusual, because usually you hear something through the grapevine. But not this time.”

Nova went 12-0 with a 3.25 ERA in his last 16 starts. He’s in line for a possible Game 5, too.

“Nova had a lot of talent and I was pleased with what he did last year,” Girardi said. “It’s just been the maturation of him that’s gotten him to this point. He wasn’t rushed, and he got a chance to throw a lot of innings. He kind of flew under the radar, and it probably helped him because when you come up a lot of times in a Yankees rotation, you’re not asked to be the second starter or third starter. You’re asked to be a fourth or a fifth just because there’s that experience. And that can help as well.”

And to think, Nova’s family only wanted 10 wins out of him this season.

“I tell them I don’t want 10,” Nova said. “I don’t think 10 is enough. They are really happy with me. I’m so happy with what I did this year. Everything I do this year was especially for my family (and) for my grandfather. He died last year. He wanted to see me in the playoffs. He doesn’t have a chance to see me right now. I know he’s happy with me right now.”

A.J. Burnett, who could be the Game 4 starter now, if necessary, has been a friend and mentor to Nova, helping him with personal stuff and pitching stuff, like when Nova struggled at times last season and early this season.

“Before I pitch, he always was telling me, don’t give them a reason to take me out of the game,” Nova said. “During the game, I was thinking when I have a situation that could be trouble with me, that’s what I was thinking.”

Tigers manager Jim Leyland expressed some concern over facing Nova, something they haven’t done this season. Nova did make his big-league debut in May 2010 with two innings of scoreless relief against Detroit.

“The tapes I’ve looked at, he’s very impressive,” Leyland said. “It’s something our hitters will have to contend with.”

Here’s Nova speaking before Friday’s game was rained out.

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This post was written by Brian Heyman

Associated Press photo

I’m leaving for the airport in four hours, so I’m going to try to make this quick.

After 14 innings that left the Yankees oh-so-close to a doubleheader sweep, the biggest postgame news involved a player who had nothing to do with either of today’s games.

Joe Girardi announced that Phil Hughes will be moved immediately to the bullpen, and the plan is to leave him there into the postseason.

That’s what we’re going to load at during the playoffs,” Girardi said. “That’s how we’re going to look at him.”

Hughes was informed of the decision in between today’s games. He admitted being disappointed, but also recognized that, because he hasn’t pitched since September 12, the Yankees couldn’t be completely confident that he could be counted on as a starter.

“I did it to myself,” he said. “I had the back issue coming off a good start in Seattle, so therefore I didn’t have an opportunity to pitch. They had to make a decision… I’ve done it before. Just go down there and look to help out any way I can.”

Here’s Hughes talking very briefly about the move to the pen.

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• One of the looming questions throughout tonight’s game was why veterans Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Andruw Jones were never given a chance to pinch hit in key situations. “To me it’s not the right thing to do,” Girardi said. “Their bodies were shutdown since 4 o’clock.” Girardi said he was worried someone might pull something trying to get ready in a hurry, and it wasn’t worth the risk.

• The Yankees rotation against Tampa Bay:

Monday: Hector Noesi
Tuesday: Bartolo Colon
Wednesday: TBA

• Girardi when asked who he’s considering to start Wednesday: “It might be a bullpen day.”

• Girardi was ejected for arguing with first-base umpire Tim McClelland in the 13th inning. McClelland had clearly blown a call at first base, and Nick Swisher — playing first at the time — had gotten into a short argument. “I thought he went at Swish, and I didn’t think that was right,” Girardi said.

• Francisco Cervelli had another concussion test today and was cleared to travel with the team to Tampa. Girardi said he might catch a bullpen this week.

• Austin Romine was hit in the head by a back swing, but he said he’s fine. “I got smacked around a couple of time,” he said. “My head’s fine. I’ve been hit before.”

• Romine on his tag at the plate when Pedroia tried to fly over him: “I’ve never seen anybody try to jump over me before.”

• Girardi on Ivan Nova: “I was pleased with the way he threw the ball tonight.” He really didn’t get into much more detail than that. Neither did Nova, to tell the truth.

• The Yankees fell to 4-11 in extra-inning games this season.

• Forgot to mention after the first game that Brandon Laird was getting a lot of credit for his work at first base in Game 1. “He saved me a couple runs, for sure,” A.J. Burnett said.

• First time through the order against John Lackey, the Yankees went 4-for-7 with two doubles a walk and a strikeout. The went 1-for-13 with two walks and three strikeouts against Lackey the rest of the game. They had just two hits over their final 45 batters.

• At five hours and 11 minutes, this was the Yankees longest game since September 10, 2010 against Texas.

Associated Press photos

YANKEES (97-61)
Eduardo Nunez SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Nick Swisher RF
Eric Chavez 3B
Jesus Montero DH
Chris Dickerson LF
Austin Romine C

RHP Ivan Nova (16-4, 3.62)
Nova vs. Red Sox

RED SOX (88-70)
Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Carl Crawford LF
Dustin Pedroia 2B
David Ortiz DH
Adrian Gonzalez 1B
Jed Lowrie 3B
J.D. Drew RF
Marco Scutaro SS
Jason Varitek C

RHP John Lackey (12-12, 6.49)
Lackey vs. Yankees

TIME/TV: 6:30., YES Network / MLB Network

WEATHER: Cooling down a little bit, but still very nice out for the last regular season home game of the year.

UMPIRES: HP Ted Barrett, 1B Tim McClelland, 2B Marvin Hudson, 3B Mike Everitt

TAKE TWO: This is the first time since 1996 that the Yankees are playing a doubleheader on the final day of the home schedule… This is the fifth doubleheader of the season, the Yankees most since 2006 (also five)… The Yankees have gone 2-0-2 in doubleheaders so far this season.

DUE FOR A LONG ONE: The Yankees and Red Sox played a three-hour game yesterday, and today’s first game lasted just two hours, 59 minutes. It was the first time since 2008 that these two teams played consecutive games in three hours or less.

UPDATE, 6:33 p.m.: A 1-2-3 first inning for Nova, and we’re off and running in Game 2.

UPDATE, 6:41 p.m.: My gosh, the Red Sox are really playing terrible baseball right now. Teixiera’s two-run double turns into a third run because Tex took third on the throw home and scored on Varitek’s awful throw to third base. It’s a 3-0 Yankees lead in the bottom of the first.

UPDATE, 7:11 p.m.: Nova strikes out Ellsbury to end the third with a runner left at second. He looks as good as ever right now.

UPDATE, 8:05 p.m.: Sorry, been writing during much of this second game. Nova just allowed a run in the fifth and another in the sixth, Austin Romine managed to turn a wild pitch into an out with a diving tag — more of a sliding, lunging tag — at the plate. It’s a 3-2 Yankees lead heading into the bottom of the sixth. Nova’s thrown 88 pitches, and there’s no activity in the Yankees bullpen.

UPDATE, 8:18 p.m.: Obviously Girardi wanted Nova to get through to the lefties at the top of the Boston order, but sticking with Nova until now led to two more runs and a 4-3 Red Sox lead in the seventh. Boone Logan is now in to face at least Ellsbury and Crawford.

UPDATE, 8:25 p.m.: Logan strikes out Ellsbury and picks off Gathright to get out of the seventh.

UPDATE, 8:29 p.m.: Chavez leadoff single. Gardner in to pinch run. Aceves coming out of the bullpen for the Red Sox.

UPDATE, 8:39 p.m.: Dickerson’s sac fly has tied the game at 4 heading into the eighth. Soriano coming in to pitch.

UPDATE, 8:49 p.m.: Austin Romine is this year’s Greg Golson, throwing out Carl Crawford in a key spot in September.

UPDATE, 9:41 p.m.: Pitching change gives me a few seconds to look away from my running game story… Big moment for Romine in the bottom of the ninth, but he’s probably never seen a pitch quite like that one from Papelbon. Girardi gave the kid a chance, and Romine went down swinging.

UPDATE, 10:41 p.m.: Laffey still in for the 13th inning. It’s officially getting late, and the Yankees haven’t had many great chances to score since that bases-loaded opportunity in the ninth. I’m really regretting the decision to book a 6:30 a.m. flight.

UPDATE, 11:30 p.m.: Ellsbury three-run bomb off Scott Proctor. It’s a 7-4 Red Sox lead in the 14th.

Pretty quiet day here at Yankee Stadium. The first person I saw in the clubhouse was Yogi Berra, dressed in a sharp suit for today’s Roger Maris ceremony. The last person I talked to in the Yankees clubhouse was Phil Hughes, having just sat down after a morning bullpen.

“I didn’t even feel it,” he said.

In this case, Hughes was referring to his lower back, which started causing him problems last weekend and cost him a start this week. Hughes threw 35 to 40 pitches and he remains on schedule — assuming no setbacks — to pitch next week in Tampa. There’s no date scheduled for that appearance.

“I think you really have to wait and see how he feels tomorrow and decide what we’re going to do,” Joe Girardi said.

Given the fact he hasn’t pitched since September 12, there’s a very real possibility that the Yankees will decide to simply move him into the bullpen for the division series.

“I think you have to think about that,” Girardi said. “I think that’s one of the things you have to think about just because he hasn’t thrown in a while and we’re not sure how it’s going to play out in the next couple of days after throwing this bullpen. Just a lot of decisions to be made by Friday.”

• Francisco Cervelli ran for about 10 minutes today. He’s still not ready to begin baseball activities, but he’s making progress. “I still would be a little bit surprise if we got him back,” Girardi said. “But, you know, maybe it stays away and maybe he’s able to help us.”

• Without Cervelli, the Yankees have to consider a postseason roster without a traditional backup catcher. “It changes the way that maybe you think about your roster a little bit,” Girardi said. “You know, when you think about your roster, the expectation is that Russell is going to play every day. You really have to think about how you’re going to do things and the combination of guys. There’s a lot of thought that’s going to go into this. The one thing about making a roster is you try to guard against everything, that’s what you try to do, but you really can’t.”

• A.J. Burnett will start the first game tomorrow. Ivan Nova will start the second.

• Girardi was asked today about the impact of Mark Teixeira’s defense at first base: “He saves us errors,” Girardi said. “Saving errors to me is important. It saves runs, No. 1. No. 2, it saves pitches for our starter. An inning ends up being prolonged and a pitcher throws 12 extra pitches, and it takes an inning away from them, and it affects your bullpen. It’s just kind of a trickle effect. So, being able to save pitches by saving errors is extremely important to me, and he does a wonderful job.”

• I actually have not yet seen Manny Banuelos, but I know he’s here. I’ve seen Adam Warren and David Phelps hanging around the past two days. They’re here to observe for the weekend, just to get themselves used to the big league environment.

“This is something that our club has done in the past where we bring young kids up that we think could have an impact either next year or the year after,” Girardi said. “(They) kind of get a feel what it’s like to be in our clubhouse, see all the media, understand our clubhouse — our clubhouse is something you have to learn – so when they do get here, they’re more comfortable. We all know that those first couple days as a big league player, a lot of times, there’s a lot of butterflies, but you try to get rid of some of that. But these are kids that we believe are going to help us, and that’s why they’re here.”

RED SOX
Jacoby Ellsbury CF
Carl Crawford LF
Dustin Pedroia 2B
David Ortiz DH
Adrian Gonzalez 1B
Mike Aviles 3B
Marco Scutaro SS
Josh Reddick RF
Jarrod Saltalamacchia C

Associated Press photos