The calendar doesn’t hit September until tomorrow, but it may as well be October for the Yankees right now — having put themselves in a sizable hole for the stretch run.
Last night, the Yankees began a crucial 10-game homestand with an 8-5 win over the Orioles in The Bronx.
The evidence of urgency was everywhere: From the relatively early hook of CC Sabathia to David Robertson being used for more than an inning for just the third time this season — and second appearance in a row.
The four-out outing was fine with Robertson.
“Whatever it takes to win ballgames,” Robertson said. “It’s getting tight, so I have to be prepared to come into games in the seventh inning the rest of the year.”
Manager Joe Girardi was in a position to go to Robertson because of the rejuvenated lineup’s performance against the Orioles.
A pair of two-run homers, one from Alfonso Soriano and another from Ichiro Suzuki, helped bail out Sabathia, who improved to 12-11 despite giving up five runs in just 5 2/3 innings.
Soriano’s blast was the Yankees’ first hit and came in the fourth inning, as Sabathia and Baltimore starter Miguel Gonzalez got off to fast starts only to collapse in the middle innings.
Sabathia surrendered three runs in the fifth, but the Yankees answered in the bottom of the inning with five of their own.
They led off with four consecutive extra base hits, including an RBI double from Mark Reynolds and then Ichiro’s homer put the Yankees up 5-4.
After Gonzalez then loaded the bases, he was replaced by T.J. McFarland, who promptly allowed a two-run single to Robinson Cano.
The Yankees failed to put the Orioles away, though, as Soriano grounded out and Alex Rodriguez hit into an inning-ending double play.
They added a run in the seventh on an Alex Rodriguez single, but couldn’t score again when Curtis Granderson laid down his second two-out bunt of the night and reached on a single, but a stunned Soriano wound up being caught off third.
But Shawn Kelley, Boone Logan, Robertson and Mariano Rivera combined for 3 1/3 shutout innings, with Rivera earning his 39th save.
“You can’t do it every day because you’ll wear them out,” Girardi said of going to the bullpen early and often.
But he acknowledged that since they have to pass three teams to make the playoffs, Girardi won’t be afraid to go to the pen often.
“There are days you don’t have to make as many moves and those days are fine, too,” Girardi said.
Ivan Nova will try to make life easier for Girardi today, but if Sabathia doesn’t at least approach his old form, the Yankees’ pursuit of the postseason is a futile one.
Still, the Yankees will take the win, especially against one of the teams in front of them in the wild-card race.
“These guys are used to playing in October and that’s the goal,” Girardi said.
It’s clearly Soriano’s goal. He’s homered three times in the last three games and Girardi said the outfielder has played at an “MVP level” since arriving from the Cubs before the trade deadline.
With Cano back in the lineup after missing a game with a bruised left hand, the Yankees continued to pound the ball.
While Sabathia was far from his best, he sounded confident the sense of urgency surrounding the team will help in its playoff push.
“I think we have the guys in here that know what’s at stake and know what we’re trying to do,” Sabathia said. “I think that plays on our side. Hopefully we can just keep it going.”
That would be fine, but they would like to figure out Sabathia, as well.