PHILADELPHIA — Dellin Betances had his first at-bat since high school on Monday — and it showed.
The right-hander came up with runners on second and third and one out in the eighth inning of the Yankees’ 4-2 win over the Phillies and struck out against Yacksel Rios.
“That was the first time I picked up a bat in 12 years,’’ said Betances, who hadn’t hit since he was at Grand Street Campus in Brooklyn.
Unlike some of his bullpen counterparts, Betances had no desire to hit and said he hadn’t taken batting practice since signing with the Yankees in 2006.
But Aaron Boone let him hit in the eighth and Betances found a helmet his size, grabbed Masahiro Tanaka’s bat and went to the plate, where he showed off a Gary Sheffield-type bat wag.
“I was praying and hoping I didn’t get hit or anything,’’ Betances said. “[My teammates] gave me some credit for the hacks. I was just missing. That was the only bad part.”
Boone said he didn’t consider asking Betances to bunt, hoping the 6-foot-8 reliever might find a way to make contact and drive in a run.
After seeing Betances’ approach, as well as Tanaka on the disabled list with strained hamstrings suffered while running the bases, the manager has seen enough of his pitchers hitting in interleague play.
“I’m in favor of this DH thing, that’s what I’m thinking,’’ Boone said of what he thought with Betances at the plate. “That said, I thought he had some pretty good swings. They were violent. My heart has skipped a beat about seven times watching our pitchers swing the bat. I don’t love it. … At the end of the day, they’re athletes, but maybe there’s a conversation there about smoothing it out a little bit.”
David Robertson had a brief dustup with home plate umpire Joe West in the seventh when West wanted to take a ball out of play and Robertson wanted it back.
“I was frustrated,’’ Robertson said. “I know that sounds ridiculous. I can laugh about it now, but I was really mad. When the ball is hit, it’s softer and I want to throw it. We’ve had this battle for years. I feel like you get a new baseball with every pitch.”
West did throw the ball out of play.
Luis Cessa is listed as the Yankees’ starter Wednesday night against the Phillies with CC Sabathia set to open a colossal three-game series against the Red Sox on Friday evening.
However, with a bullpen that provided eight innings of relief in Sunday’s 7-6 loss to the Rays in 12 innings, Cessa was being looked at a possible reliever on Monday and Tuesday nights. But he wasn’t needed Monday night.
If Cessa is needed Tuesday night, Sabathia — who started Friday night against the Rays — could start Wednesday.
“It is still possible that it could play out that way,’’ Boone said. “We are hopeful we don’t have to that route and we can keep CC with the extra days [of rest] and kick off the Boston series, but CC is prepared to go if we need him.’’
Since Boone was trying to stay away from Jonathan Holder (2 ¹/₃ innings Sunday), Chad Green (two innings) and Adam Warren (1 ¹/₃ innings), the Yankees added right-handed reliever Giovanni Gallegos to the bullpen Monday night. That left the Yankees with 14 pitchers and a three-man bench that consisted of Neil Walker, Aaron Hicks and Kyle Higashioka.
“It was a very difficult decision that we spent the last 24 hours on,’’ Boone said. “Basically feeling with a few guys being down tonight in the pen, Cessa would be an option in the pen.”
Cessa has appeared in four big-league games this season, all in relief. Sabathia threw a bullpen session Monday and afterward was smothered in wraps that covered his left shoulder and right knee. He said it was simply maintenance.
Since the Yankees were looking for a reliever to provide length, Tommy Kahnle wasn’t an option because the right-hander at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is viewed more as a one-inning arm.
Clint Frazier prepared all week to be a pinch hitter when the Yankees faced the Phillies in interleague play. When Gary Sanchez went on the DL Monday with a right groin problem, the Yankees sent Frazier to SWB so they could add Gallegos and Higashioka to the roster.
“Having to send [Frazier], who we really like as a pinch hitter in the National League park, was a very difficult decision,’’ Boone said.
Frazier got a pinch-hit at-bat in the ninth inning Sunday against the Rays at Tropicana Field and believed he got robbed of a homer when his fly ball collided with a speaker that was hanging from the rafters in fair territory.
Tanaka worked out in Tampa on Monday, where he played catch and participated in fielding drills. He is expected to throw a bullpen session Tuesday in Tampa. If there are no setbacks he will throw a simulated game Friday. From there the Yankees could require a minor league rehab outing, another simulated game or activate him off the DL.
Tanaka has been on the shelf since June 9 with two strained hamstrings suffered while running from third to home on a sacrifice fly against the Mets on June 8 at Citi Field.
Boone’s early years were spent in Philadelphia where his father, Bob, was a Phillies catcher.
“I always enjoy coming to Philly. I had some of the best times of my life growing up with those teams,’’ Boone said of the late 1970s and early ’80s. “Getting to run around across the street at Veterans Stadium, I got to grow up with some great teams and great players. To finally win that [World Series] in ’80, I was 7 years old, it was a lot of fun.’’
