ANAHEIM, Calif. — Melky Cabrera stood up for the bottom of the batting order last night, reminding everyone the Yankees were much more than the Alex Rodriguez show this season.
True, Rodriguez again did his thing, launching his fifth home run of this postseason. But the best sight for the Yanks in their 10-1 victory in Game 4 of the ALCS was Cabrera spraying the ball throughout Angel Stadium.
Cabrera, who entered the game batting .200 for the playoffs, finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs — for his first runs batted in this postseason.
Maybe the biggest hit of the game was Cabrera’s two-run single in the fourth inning that gave the Yankees a 3-0 lead.
“That was big,” manager Joe Girardi said. “It seemed the first three innings we had runners. They had a guy on every inning and didn’t score. We’ve had some frustration with runners in scoring position. But tonight we were excellent in those situations from the fourth inning on.”
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Cabrera, who bunted for a single leading off the third but did not score, stroked a two-run double in the ninth to complete his big night.
For Cabrera, the fourth-inning hit resonated the loudest.
“I felt really good, because it was the bases loaded and I got a big hit,” he said.
It was a small step forward for the bottom of the order. The Yankees still are waiting for Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher to get rolling in this postseason.
“Melky had a huge game for us,” said Swisher, who went 0-for-2 with a walk last night. “He’s done a great job for us all year long. He’s a guy hitting in the bottom of the lineup, and it’s a lot of fun to watch him play.”