The Yankees now can relate to LIRR commuters.
The Amtrak train that was taking the Yankees back from Baltimore early yesterday morning experienced a breakdown, and the players did not get back to New York until 6 a.m.
After arriving at Baltimore-Penn Station at 1 a.m. following a 3-2 Game 2 loss to the Orioles, the Yankees’ departure was delayed because of an electrical problem with the train. After leaving, the train encountered the same issues and it coasted into a station in Aberdeen, N.J., where the Yankees were forced to switch to a bus to ride home.
“Well, I think our guys made the best of it and kind of laughed at it,” manager Joe Girardi said on a conference call. “It’s just something you have to deal with, similar to getting in from the West Coast some days is what it was like.”
The Yankees lucked out that their bus company was on its way to another job in Atlantic City from Baltimore, so it was not difficult to meet up with them and get directed toward New York.
“Amtrak employees were very good, very honest,” Yankees president Randy Levine said. “They said, ‘We have no idea when this is going to get fixed.’ ”
The Orioles were not so lucky. They had to order buses and did not reach New York until as late as 8 a.m.
“We got here,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “Reminded me of those days of riding buses. Everybody took it well.”
The Orioles canceled their workout at Yankee Stadium, and the Yankees switched press conferences with Girardi and Game 3 starter Hiroki Kuroda to conference calls.
Levine does not think the Yankees were in any type of danger.
“Andy Pettitte said he smelled smoke, but there was no smell in our car,” he said.
— With George A. King III
jterranova@nypost.com