IN THERE! Alex Rodriguez is safe at third ahead of Chipper Jones’ tag. A-Rod then scored on a wild pitch. (Getty Images)
ATLANTA — Ivan Nova’s fastball command was missing, closer Rafael Soriano wasn’t available and, of course, the Yankees failed to hit with runners in scoring position.
A month ago, those would have been the ingredients for a loss. But last night it didn’t matter as the sizzling Yankees moved into a tie for first place in the AL East by hanging a 3-0 loss on the Braves in front of 42,669 at Turner Field.
“It’s nice to be back in that spot,’’ said Nick Swisher, who robbed Brian McCann of a two-run homer in the fourth by reaching over the right-field wall. “This is where we feel we belong.’’
After pulling even with the Rays, the Yankees have a share of the top spot for the first time since April 24, when they were tied with the Blue Jays.
As of May 22, they were 22-21 in fourth place and 5 1/2 games back. Since then the Yankees are 13-4 to improve to 35-25, tied with the Rays for the best record in the AL.
“Who would have thought it?’’ Joe Girardi said of being in first place after dropping the first three games of the season to the Rays, losing Mariano Rivera on May 3 to a season-ending knee injury and not having David Robertson since May 11 due to a left rib cage problem. “We have had a lot of key injuries and guys have stepped up. Our starting pitching has been good, and that’s how you put streaks together.’’
Judging from the numbers, Nova appeared very good, but to him, it was a battle for all seven innings. He gave up five hits, walked one and whiffed six. Nova’s second-inning single was his first big league hit.
“I was behind in the count, and sometime the pitch was not where I wanted it and they swung,’’ said Nova, who is 8-2 overall and 4-0 with a 2.83 ERA in his last four starts. The eight wins is tied for the most in the AL. “It’s easy to pitch with your best stuff, but without it, you have to fight it.’’
With a 3-0 lead to protect in the ninth, Girardi could have summoned Soriano for a third straight game. However, a blister that surfaced on the right-hander’s index finger while he was flushing a save Sunday against the Mets gave Girardi a reason to avoid the closer.
“I didn’t feel it until after the game [Sunday night],’’ said Soriano, who said he never previously had a blister on that finger and hopes to be available tonight.
With Soriano watching, Cory Wade fanned Martin Prado for the first out of the ninth. Then Boone Logan retired McCann on a liner to first and struck out Freddie Freeman to secure the Yankees’ fourth straight victory.
Robinson Cano, who had two hits and saved a run in the fourth with a back-handed stab of a Freeman bullet, drove in a run in the first with a two-out single. Raul Ibanez’s 10th homer leading off the second made it 2-0, and Alex Rodriguez raced home on a Randall Delgado’s wild pitch in the third.
The Yankees left the bases loaded in the third en route to stranding 11 in the game.
Girardi is so tired of talking about the streaking Yankees’ failures with runners in scoring position, he let out a yelp when asked about it.
“Let’s kill it,’’ Girardi said.
george.king@nypost.com