Imagine this: Extra innings of Game 5 in the ALCS, tie game, and Alex Rodriguez’s spot in the lineup is due up. But instead of the slugging All-Star A-Rod stepping to the plate, it’s light-hitting speedster Freddy Guzman.
Had the Yankees managed to tie Thursday night’s game in the ninth inning, manager Joe Girardi might have encountered just such a disaster.
Down 7-6 in the ninth, Angels closer Brian Fuentes issued a two-out, intentional walk to Rodriguez. Girardi wanted to ensure the Yankees would score on an extra-base hit, so he sent in the speedy Guzman to pinch-run for Rodriguez — focusing on the immediate dilemma at the expense of a future crisis.
It was a decision the manager said was “extremely hard.”
“That’s one of the few situations that you know you have to do it,” Girardi said. “Because if there’s a ball in the gap, you have to make sure that guy can score. Alex runs the bases very well, but sometimes it’s that extra step that can tie or win a game for you.”
It was all for naught. With Guzman on first, Hideki Matsui walked, and was subbed for pinch-runner Brett Gardner. Then Robinson Cano was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Nick Swisher’s pop fly ended the game.
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Girardi said there are no plans to move CC Sabathia into a Game 6 start if tonight’s game is rained out and rescheduled for tomorrow.
Andy Pettitte is scheduled to pitch tonight’s Game 6, with Sabathia scheduled for a possible Game 7 tomorrow on regular rest.
“We plan on Andy starting our next game for us,” the manager said. “We don’t really have any plans of changing our rotation.”
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The Yankees, already looking to improve for next season, are scheduled to meet with Cuban left-hander Aroldis Chapman this week. The free-agent hurler threw a 101-mph fastball during the World Baseball Classic.
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George Steinbrenner will not be on hand for tonight’s game or tomorrow’s Game 7, if it is necessary, but if the Yankees advance to the World Series, The Boss plans on attending Game 1 next Wednesday at Yankee Stadium.
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Pettitte has not committed to pitching in 2010. With that in mind, if the Yankees lose tonight and tomorrow, it is possible that tonight could be the last start of his career.
“I really hadn’t even thought about it. Seriously, I haven’t, just because I’m so up in the air,” the 37-year-old said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I haven’t brought myself to really think about that.”
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Yesterday’s workout at Yankee Stadium might have been optional, but the Yankees had a strong turnout, with more than half the team showing up. According to Jorge Posada, who was in attendance, it wasn’t really up for debate.
“You want to be here and you want to get yourself going,” he said. “Optional is a word that in the playoffs, it’s not optional ever.”
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Nick Swisher, who made Thursday’s final out, is batting just .103 in the postseason (3-for-29) and just .118 against the Angels (2-for-17).
“One swing, man. Back on track,” Swisher said. “Maybe [the Angels] got my number for right now. But I felt pretty good against [Joe] Saunders last time, so we’ve got him coming in here [tonight] and we’ll be ready to go.”
Asked if he’d consider using someone else in right field, Girardi said, “Yeah, we’ll talk about our lineup [today]. We’ll sleep on it and we’ll make a decision what we’re going to do. Obviously he has struggled. But Swisher is a good player and Swisher has done a lot of good things for us this year.”
Girardi also said that Swisher has had success against Saunders — he’s 5-for-21 (.238) with a homer in his career.
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Pitching coach Dave Eiland on Mariano Rivera physically: “He’s good. This is his time. This is when he’s at his best.” . . . Derek Jeter, who has been suffering from the flu, had a scratchy voice yesterday but said he’s “fine.”
— Additional reporting by George A. King III