MLB

Teixeira needs to catch up at the plate

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Mark Teixeira is so good defensively at first base, the Yankees can live with his slow start to the ALCS at the plate. However, at some point the No. 3 hitter will need to produce.

In yesterday’s Game 3, 5-4 loss to the Angels in 11 innings, Teixeira was flawless around the bag with his glove but 0-for-3 at the plate. He is 1-for-13 (.077) in the series and 3-for-25 (.120) in six postseason games.

“He has gotten some big hits late for us,” manager Joe Girardi said.

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Teixeira’s biggest hit was his leadoff homer in the 11th inning of Game 2 of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium that produced a 4-3 victory over the Twins.

“You expect them to pitch him tough,” Girardi said. “You expect he will get going.”

Teixeira isn’t alone in his offensive struggles. Nick Swisher is 2-for-10 (.200). Even Derek Jeter (4-for-16) and Alex Rodriguez (3-for-12), both of whom homered yesterday, are batting .250 for the series.

Hideki Matsui leads Yankee regulars at .444 (4-for-9).

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Andy Pettitte let a 3-0 lead slip away when he gave up a solo homer to Howie Kendrick in the fifth and a two-run blast to Vladimir Guerrero in the sixth.

“It’s no good, you hate to lose one like this,” said Pettitte, who went 6 1/3 innings, allowing three runs and seven hits. “I never want to come out of the game, but you know how Joe [Girardi] feels about the bullpen.”

Like a lot of other Yankees, Pettitte was encouraged about the Yankees starting CC Sabathia in tonight’s Game 4.

“This is a tough series and a tough place to play,” Pettitte said of Angel Stadium. “Obviously, it’s frustrating as a starter to give up the lead. We will come out [tonight] and have CC on the mound.”

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Mike Scioscia couldn’t forget the sight of Rodriguez hitting a game-tying home run off his closer, Brian Fuentes, in Game 2 Saturday night at Yankee Stadium.

So with two outs in the ninth inning of a 4-4 game yesterday, the Angels’ manager had Fuentes intentionally walk Rodriguez. The move worked when pinch-hitter Jerry Hairston Jr. fanned.

“I can just think of Barry Bonds, that’s the only time I think I remember doing anything like that,” Scioscia said. “The ball was carrying pretty well. Alex can go down and backspin some pitches like nobody’s business, and we just wanted to take our chances.”

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Jeter and Rodriguez are battling flu-like symptoms.

“Don’t get too close to me,” Jeter said on his way out of the clubhouse.

The Yankees were 30-0 in ALCS games in which they led by three or more runs until yesterday.

All seven Angels wins in the ALCS (2002, 2005 and 2009) over the Yankees have been come-from-behind victories.

The Yankees and Angels combined to tie an extra-inning ALCS record by hitting six homers (four by Yankees, two by Angels).

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Plate umpire Bill Miller continued the shoddy job his brethren have done in the postseason in the second inning yesterday when he gave a strike-three pump of his right arm on a Jered Weaver strike to Jorge Posada.

There was no doubt the 2-1 pitch was a strike, but Miller wrongly believed it was the third strike, not the second.

Posada eventually walked to give the Yankees runners on first and second and no outs, but they did not score.

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Brian Bruney‘s arrival at Angel Stadium yesterday wasn’t part of a plan to replace an injured pitcher on the Yankees’ ALCS roster. Instead, Bruney’s workout program in Tampa ended and joining the club gave him a better chance to continue the throwing program he has been on since being left off the roster for the ALDS.

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With each postseason win the Yankees draw more comparisons to their 1998 club. Prior to yesterday’s game, Girardi, the starting catcher on the 1998 world champions, was asked how his current team compares to the one 11 years ago that some believe belongs in the “Best Team Ever” argument.

“I think you have to win a World Series before you can compare the two teams,” said Girardi, using the line he has all season. “Because the ’98 team had an exceptional regular season and an exceptional playoff where we won the World Series.”

Girardi did recognize the clubs’ similarities.

“I think there was a resiliency on that team and I think this club has it as well,” Girardi said. “The bullpen on that club was very good and I think the bullpen on this team is very good. But I think it’s unfair to compare until the playoffs are done and you see where you end up.”

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Chad Gaudin has not thrown a postseason pitch, but according to Girardi the veteran right-hander has provided support by simply being in the bullpen. With Gaudin available to provide length late in the game, Girardi can use his other relievers according to the matchups that present themselves. Yesterday Girardi got burned by the match up gods.

Saturday, in Game 2 of the ALCS, Girardi used seven relievers with Phil Coke throwing 11 pitches, Joba Chamberlain 10, Phil Hughes nine and Damaso Marte four.

“Having Chad allows us to do that,” Girardi said of the multiple-pitcher, low- pitch-count plan that is tethered to the matchup reports.

Yesterday Girardi employed seven more relievers.

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With today’s Game 4 and a possible Game 5 slated for Thursday being played in the late afternoon, shadows between the pitcher’s mound and home plate could be an issue. The game is slated to start about 5 p.m. local time and yesterday the shadows started to cover the plate at 3 p.m.

“You do worry about that a little bit,” Girardi said. “I don’t know if it will be overcast. I saw one forecast there was even going to be drizzle late night. The important thing for me if there is shadows, turn the lights on.”