MILWAUKEE — Mark Teixeira insists his hamstrings are fine. However, his legs could use a pick-me-up.
When Teixeira scored from second base in the seventh inning of Sunday’s 6-5 loss to the Brewers, he clearly was not running at full speed. When he homered in the ninth to tie the score, 5-5, it took him longer than usual to tour the bases.
“I have been on base a lot this week and [am] just a little tired,’’ said Teixeira, who walked, singled, reached base on a fielder’s choice and homered. “My legs aren’t feeling too good right now. I was telling Carlos [Beltran] I felt like I have two cement blocks on my feet. I am fine but I am just tired.’’
Teixeira was on the disabled list from April 5-20 with a strained right adductor muscle.
The Brewers gave Derek Jeter a $10,000 check for his Turn 2 Foundation, a gold bat and a golf package at Whistling Straits during a pregame ceremony at home plate.
And their fans gave Jeter a standing ovation when he left the field after grounding out to start the ninth inning.
“The fans were great all three games,’’ Jeter said. “It’s much appreciated.’’
A nice touch by the Brewers was having team executive Dick Groch, the scout who signed Jeter for the Yankees, on hand to present Jeter with the gifts.
“It was nice to see Dick Groch out there. He is the reason I had the opportunity to play here,’’ Jeter said.
Also attending were general manager Doug Melvin, players Ryan Braun and Carlos Gomez and owner Mark Attanasio.
The Yankees challenged a play for the 10th time this season and won when John Ryan Murphy’s ground out in the eighth was overturned into a single by a 53-second review. The Yankees are 8-for-10 in challenges.
With Dellin Betances’ relief work perhaps the nicest surprise of the Yankees’ season, Girardi was asked if the native New Yorker would ever be a starter again.
“I guess you could go back to it, but the one thing the bullpen has done for him is to simplify it for him where he is a two-pitch guy, and not try to throw four pitches,’’ Girardi said. “I am sure it’s going to be brought up all the time but he is doing really good where he is at.’’
In seven minor league seasons, Betances experienced control problems before being shifted to the pen last year at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He made the big league club with a terrific spring and has been sensational across the first six weeks of the season.
Betances has worked 15 games, thrown 20 innings, allowed 12 hits, fanned 33 and walked nine.
Sunday, he did allow two inherited runners to score in the pivotal sixth inning.
In Saturday night’s 5-4 loss, he entered the game in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and one out and whiffed Scooter Gennett and Gomez.
Girardi started Ichiro Suzuki in right field for the ninth time this season. It was Ichiro’s 13th start overall.
“It’s something obviously that he has never done,’’ Girardi said of Ichiro being a part-time player. “I don’t think you can go back at any time in his career that he wasn’t an every-day player. He has been great and his at-bats have been outstanding. It’s a nice weapon to have.’’
Ichiro went 0-for-2 with a walk and came close to making a sliding catch on Martin Maldonado’s sinking liner in the sixth, but his legs went out before he went into the slide. Had he caught the ball, Ichiro would have doubled Jean Segura off first. Segura and Maldonado eventually scored.