The Yankees can’t wait to roll out the pinstriped red carpet from Cleveland Hopkins International to the visiting clubhouse at Progressive Field today for Derek Jeter.
It isn’t the simple fact that young Ramiro Pena, filling in for young Eduardo Nunez — out with a sore hamstring, let the Yankees’ seven-game winning streak deflect off his shortstop’s glove in the 10th inning immediately before Jason Bay beat Hector Noesi with the RBI single that gave the Jose Reyes-less Mets an improbable 3-2 victory after the great Mariano Rivera could not get a 27th out with nobody on in the ninth.
It isn’t about the way the baseball crackled off the bat of Nunez during Jeter’s absence.
Old Man Derek Jeter is not the same Derek Jeter New York has come to know and love. But he still means what he means to his teammates. He is still The Captain of Yankees shortstops.
“It feels like he’s been gone a long time,” Brett Gardner said. “The main thing is while he was gone, we played really good baseball. It didn’t have anything to do with him not being here, or somebody else getting the playing time. The team’s been playing well, and we’re looking forward to getting him back and . . . be a lot of fun.”
Curtis Granderson said, “It’s always good to have him come back. Derek Jeter is arguably one of the best players ever to play the game, and to have him back on the team, in the lineup, is always a good thing.”
Russell Martin said, “It’ll be good to have him back. I think [Nunez] did a great job while he was gone trying to fill that role. But it’s always nice to have Derek back. He’s a winner. Every time he’s in the lineup, you love him there.”
Robinson Cano said, “Can’t wait for [today]. We all know what kind of person Jeter is and what kind of player. So it’s good to be around him.”
Pena’s first nightmare had come in the ninth. A roar from Yankees fans who could be heard loud and clear went up when the bullpen door opened and out stepped Rivera, who immediately went into his Hall of Fame trot, undoubtedly eager to sweep the Mets, down 2-1, out of their misery.
“When you got two outs in the ninth inning and he’s on the mound, you feel pretty good about your chances,” Gardner said.
Except that was not Mariano Rivera. It was some imposter wearing No. 42.
Carlos Beltran, batting right-handed, looked at strike three. Daniel Murphy rolled out to Rivera. But then Rivera walked Bay.
Next up, Lucas Duda: line single to center, Bay takes third.
“Just a cutter in,” Martin said. “Not many hitters can stay inside the baseball like he did. Normally you get a broken bat.”
Next up, pinch-hitter Ronny Paulino. Who is down to his last strike.
Single to right! 2-2!
Next up: Ruben Tejada.
Ground ball through the legs of Pena.
“As soon as I went to put the glove down, the ball already passed me,” Pena said. “I’m like, ‘Oh my God!’ ”
Third-base coach Chip Hale waves Duda home, and Gardner comes up throwing.
“Just a case of not giving up on it, back him up in case something happens, and sure enough, something did happen,” Gardner said.
Martin fields the one-bounce throw slightly to the right of home plate.
“He got the ball, threw it in as quickly as possible, and it gave me enough to put the tag on the runner,” Martin said.
Martin reaches across the plate to tag the sliding Duda. No one felt better than Ramiro Pena.
10th inning.
Boone Logan enters for Luis Ayala and strikes out Beltran with Mets on first and second. Murphy taps a slow roller to Pena. It hits off the heel of his glove. Bases loaded.
“I think I got a bad read,” Pena said. “It was in between [hops].”
Bay beats Noesi with a single to right, and it’s over. No one feels worse than Ramiro Pena.
“It’s really a bad feeling, but I have to let it go and keep going,” Pena said.
Pena, known for his soft hands and accurate arm, committed three errors at third base in Cincinnati 12 days ago.
“Maybe I’m thinking too much,” he said. “Maybe it’s in my mind right now.”
The return of Derek Jeter is in the Yankees’ mind right now.
As in: Welcome Back, Derek Jeter.