The New York Yankees have treaded water despite being without one of their top bats for almost two months, though recent results suggest that Jacoby Ellsbury’s absence is starting to take its toll.
Advertisement
“Tremendous”, Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of Teixeira. “We’re created to do that here”.
Stephen Drew, who entered as a late-game defensive replacement in a 1-for-24 slump, homered off Fernando Abad in the eighth to give New York a 5-2 lead.
The Yankees got one back in the second against Kazmir on Didi Gregorius’ RBI double after an error by Lawrie at third base on Young’s leadoff grounder.
A throwing error by Yankees’ third baseman Gregorio Petit got the tying run to second base before the comeback ended. “Especially after the play before, to be able to step up and do that is huge”, Miller said. He earned that honor for his power and his glove – he was the one who converted a first-inning liner into a double play.
After that rocky start, though, Sabathia settled in to pitch into the sixth inning without allowing another run.
SAN FRANCISCO – All-Star Jacob deGrom allowed two hits over eight innings, Eric Campbell hit a two-run homer and the New York Mets beat the San Francisco Giants to win consecutive road series for the first time this season.
Back on May 27 in a start against the Tigers in Oakland, Kazmir had to leave after three innings with what was then described as left shoulder tightness. Teixeira’s two-homer performance was the 39th of his career and second multi-homer effort this season.2.
Oakland Athletics pitcher Scott Kazmir delivers against the New York Yankees during the first inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, July 8, 2015, in New York. Although the last-place A’s haven’t said he’s available, with the trade deadline coming up July 31 and Kazmir’s contract with Oakland up at the end of the year, the assumption is that he’s available for the right deal.
“That’s kind of what it felt like – just a little bit of tightness, maybe like cramping or something like that”, Kazmir said.
New York had six hits in Tuesday’s 4-3, 10-inning loss to the A’s, with Dellin Betances surrendering the deciding home run to Brett Lawrie. Betances slid back into the setup role with Miller’s return.
“It’s hard to say that now because I have been so bad, but no, ” Sabathia said.
Jose Pirela’s sacrifice fly later in the inning gave the Yankees their first lead of the night.
Girardi skipped Sabathia on Sunday.
Sabathia wasn’t particularly good, with the Athletics knocking him around for seven hits and drawing two walks in 5.1 innings, but he was enough. Hits by Josh Phegley and Mark Canha chased the runs home, but with men on the corners and one out, the A’s could get no more, and it would wind up costing them.
Of course, no Yankees game would be whole without big help from the bullpen.
Sabathia also said he had his right knee drained since his last start and that helped him last night.
Smolinski was called up Tuesday, and it was his first hit for Oakland.
Advertisement
“I think [it was] just command of both sides of the plate”, Sabathia said of what changed after the second. “The most frustrating part for me is that I feel good”. Instead, he pitched 5 1/3 frames of two-run ball, allowing nine baserunners on seven hits and two walks but working out of trouble in nearly all instances.
