Manager Joe Girardi checks to see if Jeter’s OK. (Getty Images)
CLEVELAND — No one has been able to slow down Derek Jeter for the past month, but Indians starter Corey Kluber came dangerously close to seriously injuring the shortstop last night.
Jeter got drilled in the brim of his helmet with a 92-mph fastball from the Cleveland right-hander in the second inning of the Yankees’ 3-1 win over the Indians.
“It’s scary when it’s coming,” said Jeter, whose helmet cracked and was quickly tended to by manager Joe Girardi and trainer Steve Donohue.
“But I’m fine.”
The famously mild-mannered Jeter was clearly upset by the pitch and chastised the 26-year-old Kluber, who is still looking for his first major-league win.
When asked what he told Kluber, Jeter said: “Be careful when you throw up and in.”
Jeter stayed in the game and Girardi said the shortstop was able to answer all his questions.
“You worry that it’s the side of the head,” Girardi said. “You could be dealing with a concussion or even worse.”
That’s not what the Yankees need as they try to hold off the Rays while dealing with injuries to their starting rotation. With last night’s 2-for-4 effort, Jeter is hitting .385 (47-122) with 26 runs, six homers and 16 RBI in his last 28 games.
So it was no surprise that, like Jeter, the manager wasn’t pleased with Kluber.
“Guys need to pitch inside, but you’ve got to be careful,” Girardi said. “You try to teach your guys not to go that high. I really don’t think the kid tried to hit him there.”
Jeter agreed there was no intent.
“That’s a dangerous area,” Jeter said. “But I don’t think anyone throws at anyone’s head on purpose.”
Especially with Ichiro Suzuki on first and Kluber having barely survived a rough first inning.
Jeter was able to shake off the pitch enough to make two excellent plays in the hole in the bottom of the inning, throwing out Carlos Santana and Matt LaPorta.
CC Sabathia drew a warning in the third when he threw a ball behind Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, who then homered on the next pitch to tie the game at 1-1.
“I was cutting a lot of balls,” Sabathia said. “That was one of them. It cut a lot and got away from me.”
Jeter helped the Yankees get the lead back in the seventh when he sparked a rally with an infield single. He advanced to second on a throwing error by Cabrera and scored on Nick Swisher’s home run.