When it comes to making multiple moves to shake up the Dead Bat Society, Joe Torre’s hands are handcuffed to the termite-infested bat rack.
Torre isn’t going to sit Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Robinson Cano or Johnny Damon. Even if they are a combined 3-for-37 (.081) and the main reason the Yankees are in an 0-2 ALDS ditch and one game away from being eliminated by the Indians.
Nevertheless, there is a change Torre can make and yesterday he sounded as if he would alter a lineup that is 6-for-88 (.121) across the first two games.
“I am not sure where, but we are thinking possibly Jason (Giambi),” Torre said. “We will look and see what we are going to do. We will look at the matchups and stuff, but we will probably shake it up a bit.”
Torre said he wasn’t sure if he would be replacing ice-cold Hideki Matsui (0-for-7) as the DH or Doug Mientkiewicz (0-for-4) at first base.
“I don’t know, I am just thinking about getting his bat in there and the fact of what he brings to the table,” Torre said of Giambi, who is 1-for-1 with a garbage-time, pinch-hit single in Game 1. “Just because he hasn’t played doesn’t mean we necessarily ignore what he can do for us. I think the fact that we have been struggling a little bit offensively, you may want to (use him) at first base or DH. We will see.”
Though Matsui has looked bad swinging at the plate, he is 5-for-11 (.455) against tonight’s Tribe starter, Jake Westbrook. Giambi is 6-for-14 (.429) with two homers and six RBIs against the right-hander. Though Torre isn’t likely to sacrifice Mientkiewicz’s defense in the early innings by playing Giambi at first base, Mientkiewicz is a .238 hitter (5-for-21) versus Westbrook.
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Based on what the Yankees did against elite pitchers this season, their putrid hitting in Games 1 and 2 wasn’t a surprise. In 32 games against pitchers scouts rate above average (Josh Beckett, Roy Halladay, Johan Santana, John Lackey, etc.), the Yankees were 12-20 and those hurlers worked to a 2.96 ERA.
Fortunately for the Yankees, Westbrook wasn’t on the list of elite hurlers. Nor is Paul Byrd, the Tribe’s Game 4 starter if the Yankees can capture Game 3 tonight.
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One thing the Yankees are hanging their hats on tonight is they were 52-29 at home compared with 42-39 on the road, where they dropped the first two games.
“That stuff usually pays off,” Torre said of being at home, where the Yankees batted .300 with 107 homers and 499 RBIs. On the road they hit .280 with 94 homers and 430 RBIs. “We are used to it here and we like it here. We play well here and we are certainly capable. We feel good about ourselves. We need to get more than three hits (that they got in Game 2). But being at home where the fans have been so good to us, we certainly look forward to (tonight).”
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Mientkiewicz, Matsui, Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens were the Yankees players at the Stadium yesterday after Torre cancelled a workout. Mientkiewicz (left foot) and Matsui (right knee) received treatment. Pettitte and Clemens addressed the media.