Joe Torre inserted Jason Giambi into his dead lineup last night for Game 3 of the ALDS against the Indians at Yankee Stadium. But instead of using Giambi for the ice-cold Hideki Matsui as the DH, Torre played Giambi at first base instead of Doug Mientkiewicz.
“I am trying to get the offense going,” said Torre, whose club batted .121 (8-for-66) in the first two games. “[Giambi] has good numbers and Matsui has good numbers [against Indians starter Jake Westbrook].”
Torre’s Dead Bat Society disbanded for the evening as the Yankees collected 11 hits and went 4-for-10 with runners in scoring position. However, the move he didn’t make – leaving Matsui in the lineup – was better than inserting Giambi, who went 0-for-2, and was pinch hit for by Mientkiewicz in the sixth in an obvious bunting situation.
Mientkiewicz got the bunt down and helped fuel a four-run rally that was highlighted by Johnny Damon’s three-run homer.
Giambi, who had a garbage-time, pinch-hit single in Game 1, was 6-for-14 (.429) against Westbrook, who got him on a grounder and a whiff.
Normally, Torre may have used Giambi as the DH instead of Matsui since Matsui was hitless in seven at-bats in the first two games. Matsui, however, was 5-for-11 (.455) versus Westbrook.
Mientkiewicz was 5-for-21 (.238) against Westbrook. Matsui rewarded Torre with an infield single that led to a run in the third and a line-drive single that started the fifth-inning rally.
The only other change Torre made from Game 2 was move Jorge Posada into the fifth spot behind Alex Rodriguez. That’s where Posada batted in Game 1. He hit sixth in Game 2.
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While the Yankees broke out of a two-game hitting funk, Derek Jeter suffered through a dismal evening. He hit into a 6-3 double play in the first, a 5-4-3 double play in the third, flied to left in the fifth and fanned in the seventh.
Jeter’s .083 (1-for-12) is the lowest among Yankee regulars. He played in his 49th ALDS game and 121st postseason game and passed Bernie Williams into first place on both lists.
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As for Rodriguez, Reggie Jackson is in the box with the slumping cleanup hitter.
“I feel him,” Jackson said of Rodriguez, who was 0-for-6 with three strikeouts before going 2-for-4. “In the saying of 2007, ‘I feel you my friend.’ I am right there in the box. When he strikes out or gets hits, I am right there.”
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George Steinbrenner was in a cranky mood when he left his Manhattan residence yesterday for a drive to Yankee Stadium.
Surrounded by security, The Boss was annoyed at 10 photographers and several autograph seekers. When they got aggressive, Steinbrenner said, “Get out of my way.” He didn’t respond to questions regarding the future of Torre or Brian Cashman.
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The Yankees are 4-for-4 under Torre when facing a 0-2 postseason deficit.