While general manager Brian Cashman told Alex Rodriguez to shut his mouth about a rehab schedule, the Yankees survived another frustrating evening when it came to hitting in clutch situations.
Ichiro Suzuki’s two-out, solo homer in the ninth off right-hander Tanner Scheppers lifted the Yankees to a 4-3 victory over the Rangers Tuesday night that was witnessed by 41,674 at a sweltering Yankee Stadium.
Nevertheless, the Yankees were fortunate missed chances early in the game didn’t result in a loss.
After going 3-for-20 in the previous two games with runners in scoring position, the Yankees had just one hit — that didn’t drive in a run — in seven at-bats in the clutch against right-hander Yu Darvish in the first five innings.
They loaded the bases with one out in the first and didn’t score. Following Travis Hafner’s leadoff homer in the fourth, the Yankees stranded two. The next inning they had runners at the corners with one out after Brett Gardner’s leadoff homer and Lyle Overbay whiffed and Zoilo Almonte grounded out.
Jayson Nix’s leadoff homer in the sixth tied the score, 3-3, and was the first one hit by a right-handed Yankees hitter in 254 at-bats. The last homer by a righty was switch-hitter Mark Teixeira’s on June 4 against Indians left-hander Scott Kazmir.
Having given up two homers to Leonys Martin, Hiroki Kuroda was removed with two outs in the seventh, the bases empty and Martin on the way to the plate.
Manager Joe Girardi called for Boone Logan, his lone left-handed reliever, to face the left-handed hitting Martin. Logan required three pitches to whiff Martin and keep the score tied.
Darvish left in the sixth without a chance to win. His last victory was May 16 against the Tigers. In seven starts since then he is 0-2. He allowed three runs and seven hits, including three homers.
In 6²/₃ innings Kuroda allowed three runs (two earned), five hits, issued a walk and fanned six.
After David Robertson hurled a scoreless eighth inning, Girardi brought Mariano Rivera in to work the ninth, and he was the winner after Ichiro’s home run in the bottom of the inning.
Kuroda has one win in the last seven starts. That was in his previous outing against the Dodgers on June 19 in the first game of a double-header.
george.king@nypost.com