There aren’t many baseball players Mark Teixeira can outrun. But he was smarter than the Orioles last night and it resulted in two heavy legs — the left with a calf problem — stealing a base that helped produce the first of three Yankees runs against the Orioles in the deciding 3-1 Game 5 victory in Friday’s ALDS.
With the game scoreless in the fifth, Teixeira led off with a single against Jason Hammel. Earlier in the series, when the calf wasn’t good enough to run, Teixeira noticed the Orioles played first baseman Mark Reynolds behind him.
“It was my call. I talked to [manager] Joe [Girardi] and Mick [Kelleher],’’ Teixeira said. “If I didn’t make it I would have been the goat or blown [the calf] out. I felt like we needed a spark. I felt good enough to take a chance. If the situation presented itself I was going to take a chance.’’
Raul Ibanez followed with a single by a diving second baseman Robert Andino that scored Teixeira and the Yankees led, 1-0.
* Joba Chamberlain said he is healthy enough to pitch tonight when the Yankees open the best-of-seven ALCS against the Tigers.
In fact, he explained that if needed last night in Game 5 of the ALDS he was ready one day after being hit in the right elbow by the barrel of a shattered bat.
“I could have pitched [Friday],’’ said Chamberlain, who like the other relievers wasn’t needed because CC Sabathia went the distance. “It’s a little swollen but [trainer] Stevie Donohue did a good job with ice and the compression wrap.’’
* Because he remains one of the biggest names in baseball Alex Rodriguez not being in the starting lineup for last night’s deciding Game 5 of the ALDS against the Orioles at Yankee Stadium created a huge buzz.
Nevertheless, had Girardi searched for other dead bats to sit he had multiple choices.
Girardi could have benched Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher as well since they all had a hand in the Yankees miserable .216 team batting average. through the series’ first four games
According to hitting coach Kevin Long, Granderson chased 16 pitches out of the strike zone in 16 at-bats during the first four games when he fanned nine times.
“His mechanics are fine, the pitches he is taking are fine but he is swinging at not good ones,’’ Long said of Granderson who went 2-for-3 with a homer in the victory. “That leads you to believe that he is trying to do too much.’’
Granderson said the homer was a matter of swinging at strikes.
Asked if he gave thought to sit Granderson, Girardi pointed out Brett Gardner, his other option, had three at-bats at the end of the season after being out since April with an elbow injury.
“I don’t think it’s fair to put him in that situation because we don’t know what we are going to get from Gardy,’’ Girardi said.
Swisher batted .111 (2-for-18) in the series but, before the game, Girardi and Long said they were satisfied with his at-bats. Swisher went 0-for-3 yesterday, struck out twice, grounded into a double play and was booed in his final two at-bats.
Cano finished the ALDS 2-for-22 (.091) and according to Long had chased 15 pitches out of the zone heading into Game 5. Cano’s struggles continued with a 0-for-4,two strike-out night and hitting into a double play.
Rodriguez, who was benched for Eric Chavez against righty Jason Hammel, swung at 14 pitches that weren’t strikes.
Chavez got the nod because Girardi liked his at-bats against right-handers. But he went 0-for-3, fanned twice and didn’t show much to think he will remain in the lineup tonight in Game 1 of the ALCS against Tigers right-hander Doug Fister.
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The Yankees are 11-3 in ALCS action all-time. Their starters went 2-1 with a combined 2.04 ERA in five starts against the Orioles.