And in Game 160 the Yankees lineup was whole — and the team was back in control of its AL East destiny.
As nights in the long season go, this one hardly could have played out better for the Yankees. Mark Teixeira was back in the lineup and the Yankees were back atop the division by themselves. They trounced the Boston/Pawtucket Red Sox 10-2 while Tampa Bay beat Baltimore 5-3. Thus, the Yankees lead by one game over the Orioles with two to play. They can clinch the division as soon as tonight.
And, suddenly, with the playoffs nearing, they are feeling better about an offense that so often this year has flat-lined with runners in scoring position. But in the two most important regular-season games the team has played since Game 161 of the 2005 season, the whole lineup has been the star.
In the final three innings Sunday (seven runs) and the second inning last night (nine), the Yankees batting order was a merciless, relentless beast, a one-through-nine wrecking machine of patience and power and pedigree.
They did this without Teixeira in Toronto. But yesterday you saw the impact beyond his own two-run homer that Teixeira could bring by lengthening the lineup. For all of his strikeout-centric faults, Curtis Granderson did clout his 41st homer. He was hitting seventh. Russell Martin delivered his 21st homer. He was hitting eighth. When this lineup is percolating, there are not a lot of soft places for a pitcher to hunt outs.
“With Tex, the depth of our lineup goes to a different level,” hitting coach Kevin Long said.
And it clearly goes to a different level when Robinson Cano is brilliant. Let’s face it: He is the Yankees’ best hitter. One of the best in the world. For much of this season, though, Cano struggled in clutch situations, which is how he could have 80 extra-base hits and just 88 RBIs.
In the last week, however, those quick hands have come alive again. He has multiple hits in each of the Yankees’ past seven games. Heck, he had multiple hits in the second inning last night, a solo homer and a two-run double. He would add another double. Cano is a best-kid-in-Little-League-ridiculous 18-for-29 with seven doubles, a homer and eight RBIs in this stretch.
“When Robby gets on one of these streaks, there is no one better in baseball,” Teixeira said.
This is how Cano hit during a memorable mano-a-mano battle with Texas’ Josh Hamilton in the 2010 ALCS. And the Yankees sure could use him leading a deep, strong offense now. Because while they control their own destiny, they are not without potholes.
They are starting rookie David Phelps tonight because Joe Girardi simply could not entrust the struggling Ivan Nova with Game 161. Then, if necessary, the Yankees would turn to an operating-on-fumes Hiroki Kuroda tomorrow should they need to win the regular-season finale.
It is possible the dispirited Red Sox could not muster much of an attack against anyone right now. With Adrian Gonzalez traded, David Ortiz, Will Middlebrooks and Dustin Pedroia injured, and Jacoby Ellsbury sitting against lefty CC Sabathia, Boston started six players who began the year at Triple-A Pawtucket.
But the Red Sox sent a real deal major leaguer to start in Clay Buchholz, and the righty lasted five outs. The Yankees had six extra-base hits in the second inning (four off Buchholz). They had just one whole game in September with as many as six extra-base hits.
“We have all the horses in the stall and we are ready to run,” Nick Swisher said.
In fact, it’s possible the Yankees have more players hot at this moment — Derek Jeter, Ichiro Suzuki, Cano, Nick Swisher, Russell Martin and even Eduardo Nunez — than at any other time this year. If Teixeira offers mid-lineup heft or Alex Rodriguez stirs or Granderson could generate some meaningful blows, you can see what a long, problematic order the Yankees can assemble this month.
“If you don’t want to pitch to me, you have to pitch to Teixeira, who hits 30 homers with 100 RBIs every year,” Cano said. “If you don’t want to pitch to him, you have Swisher. It’s good for us, and it can’t be easy on the pitcher.”
For just the second time since Aug. 27, the Yankees had their whole “A” lineup with Teixeira’s return. And they returned to alone atop the AL East. It was a great Game 160 for them.
joel.sherman@nypost.com