CHICAGO — Derek Jeter had joined the other bats in the Yankees’ lineup in an exercise of futility that is known as trying to hit Jeff Samardzija across seven innings Wednesday at Wrigley Field.
He watched the right-hander empty his filthy arsenal, not allow a run and turn a two-run cushion over to the Cubs’ bullpen that six innings later would allow the Yankees to escape Wrigley Field with a 4-2 win in 13 frames.
“He is a handful. He throws 95 to 96 [mph], he has a two-seamer, a cutter, a sinker and a slider. You can see why he is tough to deal with,’’ said Jeter, who singled in three at-bats against Samardzija. “We were fortunate to win this one.’’
Considering some of the contributions the Yankees received from the names delivering them, and a couple of timely gifts from the Cubs, the Yankees were very fortunate to halt a two-game losing streak in front of 34,808 on a picture-perfect day for baseball.
A wild throw on a double-play attempt by Cubs second baseman Darwin Barney allowed the tying run to score in the ninth inning. After Ichiro Suzuki hit a grounder to short with the bases loaded, shortstop Starlin Castro threw to second for the force out. Barney then skipped the relay past first baseman Anthony Rizzo, with a hard slide by Yangervis Solarte contributing to the error. Mark Teixeira scored from third on the fielder’s choice and Brendan Ryan from second on the error.
With the score tied, 2-2, going to the home ninth, manager Joe Girardi opted for Matt Daley over closer David Robertson.
“He is the closer and we needed him to close out the game,’’ Girardi said about not using Robertson with the score tied on the road.
Daley, who started the day with an ERA close to 5.00, was designated for assignment a month ago, and had worked mostly in low-pressure situations. He provided 1²/₃ innings of scoreless relief.
Preston Claiborne, who didn’t make the team in spring training, not only matched Daley on the mound, he got down a crucial sacrifice bunt in the top of the 13th that set up the final two runs. In Claiborne’s first trip to a batter’s box since 2007, when he pitched in the Cape Cod League, his bunt advanced the runners to second and third to set up the go-ahead rally.
“You can’t bunt a ball any better than that,’’ third base coach Rob Thomson said of Claiborne’s gem, which caught the thick Wrigley grass and stopped in front of the plate forcing pitcher Jose Veras to field it.
With the Cubs running the wheel play where Castro easily beat Ryan from second to third, Claiborne’s bunt had to be perfect to get the potential tying run to third, and it was.
“I tried to keep calm, the best I could,’’ said Claiborne, who battled the shadows and Veras’ wildness and bunted the first pitch. “Topper [Thomson] talked to me.’’
Veras, a Yankee for parts of the 2006-09 seasons, then threw a wild pitch that allowed Ryan to score the tying run. John Ryan Murphy dropped a single into right to score Solarte for a two-run cushion.
Robertson worked a scoreless 13th for his ninth save in nine tries, and the Yankees could exhale.
“Everybody contributed, it’s a good win for us,’’ said Claiborne, the winner who improved to 2-0.
The contribution from the bullpen was the biggest. After Girardi decided 4¹/₃ innings and 71 pitches was enough for Chase Whitley’s second big league start, seven relievers, produced 8²/₃ scoreless innings.
Summoned in the fifth with a runner on third and one out, Dellin Betances struck out Rizzo and got Welington Castillo on a fly ball. Betances added two more punch outs in the sixth.
“It’s why we won the game,’’ Girardi said of the pen, which he said he believes will be fresh enough for Thursday’s game against the White Sox when he won’t have to ask a pitcher to bunt.