Robinson Cano
ROBBY ROCKET: Robinson Cano is all smiles (inset) after blasting a grand slam in the Yankees’ six-run third inning yesterday as they pounded the Royals, 10-4. (Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post (2))
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — What is the best way to get the Yankees out? Until yesterday opposing pitchers would deposit a runner on second or third base.
That changed yesterday, when Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez finally delivered in the clutch in time to avoid losing three of four to the Royals.
Cano slugged a grand slam that fueled a six-run third and Rodriguez’s three-run blast in the eighth broke open a much-needed 10-4 victory in front of 20,434 at Kauffman Stadium.
The victory sent the Yankees home with a split in the four-game series that will eternally be remembered for Mariano Rivera tearing his right ACL while shagging batting practice fly balls and being lost for the season.
“We couldn’t afford another loss,’’ Rodriguez said. “We had a lot better energy.’’
At the beginning, it didn’t look that way. Derek Jeter (2-for-3 with two walks) opened the game with a double, but Curtis Granderson, Rodriguez and Cano couldn’t move Jeter off second.
That ran the Yankees’ hitless streak with runners in scoring position to 0-for-13 and it looked like the beginning of Saturday night’s 0-for-9.
Two innings later, the slump was busted, first by Granderson’s RBI single, then by Cano’s towering slam to right-center. The homer, Cano’s second of the season, doubled his RBI total.
Cano entered the game batting .115 (3-for-26) in the clutch and had been hitless in his previous 10 at-bats. Rodriguez was batting .185 (5-for-27) with runners in scoring position and was 0-for-7.
Two batters after Cano’s slam, Nick Swisher celebrated his first game in a week with his seventh homer.
After the Yankees scored 13 runs in their previous six games, the 10 runs were a rare sight.
“It was just a matter of time,’’ Cano said of his 2-for-5, four-RBI effort. “It’s not easy to say but I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself.’’
Prior to the victory, manager Joe Girardi challenged starter Phil Hughes to ignore the chatter that Andy Pettitte is going to replace him in the rotation.
“If you don’t want somebody to take your job, go pitch lights out,’’ Girardi said.
Hughes didn’t dominate the Royals, but easily delivered his best performance of the season. While the Yankees finally hitting in the clutch was important, seeing Hughes progress was welcome, too.
“It was a good feeling to not hit that wall after 100 pitches and break through that wall,’’ Hughes said of his season-high 115 pitches. “I feel I put up a solid outing.’’
In 6 2/3 innings, Hughes allowed three runs on six hits, walked one, struck out seven and carried a fastball clocked at 94 and 95 mph into the seventh.
“He located his fastball and he had a good changeup,’’ Girardi said of Hughes (2-4), who is not assured of staying in the rotation because Pettitte could have made his final minor league outing yesterday in Rochester.
“It was just a matter of time, the law of averages,’’ Swisher said of the Yankees breaking out of a slump that had touched everyone but Jeter. “It was a total team effort.’’
When they boarded the charter early last night, the Yankees did so without Rivera, who despite the team’s bullpen depth will be deeply missed. They also stuffed a pedestrian 15-13 ledger into the overheard storage after abusing Luke Hochevar (2-3) and getting a split.
“We lost Mariano, but we got guys who can do it,’’ Cano said. “We have to keep moving forward and keep playing.’’