Sports

Robinson Cano steps up for Yankees in 2-0 victory over Orioles

Ivan Nova wanted to thank Robinson Cano, who wanted to thank Alfonso Soriano … and you probably could have kept that production line of Yankees gratitude going forever yesterday after a 2-0 win over the Orioles.

Nova was masterful on the mound, working with a 1-0 lead that came from Cano’s first inning RBI double. But 1-0 isn’t the most comfortable spot against Baltimore.

“I don’t remember who I told but [I said], ‘I don’t want to pitch, 1-0,’” Nova said. “Sometimes it’s hard with that lineup that they have.”

So Cano did something about it. Cano pulverized a 2-1 slider from Baltimore reliever Troy Patton into the right-field bleachers and Nova had his cushion and his victory. Cano admitted he could not have hit the ball any harder.

“I hit that one pretty good,” Cano said of his 202nd career homer, tying him with Bill Dickey for 15th place on the Yankees’ all-time list.

Cano quickly credited the guys behind him for his recent surge. Early in the season, when Cano was surrounded by the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, pitchers treated him like plague and stayed away. Real far away.

“You can see the difference,” Cano said. “Now they’ve got to throw me a strike because they’ve got to face Soriano, who is really hot, and they’ve got to face [Alex Rodriguez], who’s also doing a great job [though he was sick yesterday].”

“[Earlier] everything was away and they made me chase pitches. Now it’s a big difference because Soriano has what, 12 homers and 30 RBI? That’s the last guy you want to face with runners in scoring position.”

Pitchers aren’t lining up for a crack at Cano, either. In his past 24 games, he is hitting .404 (36-of-89). He sat Wednesday in Toronto after getting plunked on the left hand by a pitch.

“Got treatment for the last three, four days. I’m feeling pretty good,” said Cano, who is 4-for-7 with four RBIs in the first two games of this crucial series against Baltimore.

Now Cano is preparing to potentially carry the Yankees offense in September.

“I sure hope so. He’s swinging the bat great,” manager Joe Girardi said. “In the long run, those couple days off [from the hand] are probably going to help him get some energy back.

“He’s the kind of guy who’s had good Septembers and can carry a club.”

The eighth inning homer by Cano “was huge,” according to Derek Jeter.

“A two-run lead is a lot better than a one run lead,” Jeter said. “Especially when you’re facing Baltimore.”

It showed how special Cano can be. The two-run lead eased palpitations caused when, with a man on, the Orioles’ Chris Davis launched a ninth-inning fly to the warning track in right.

“It was big because you can be more aggressive with Davis,” Lyle Overbay said. “Obviously it would have tied the game, wouldn’t have put them ahead. Those are little things that make a difference and aren’t in the box score.

“You look at the boxscore and he’s 2-for-4 with a homer, but you don’t know when that homer came. He’s hit some big home runs when we needed them.”