ROBINSON Cano went on the DL yesterday with a hammy almost as bad as the moon risen over The Bronx.
Two corner Yankee outfielders, both yearly 120-RBI producers, have been gone now 43 games. Randy Johnson, though better lately, still has an ERA of 4.84. The Yankees have committed the fourth-most errors in the American League – still not reflecting all the plays Alex Rodriguez, converted shortstop, hasn’t making at third, or Bernie Williams, converted center fielder, isn’t making in right.
“I’ve said it before, when someone gets hurt it’s up to someone else to pick it up,” said Derek Jeter.
Winning eight of their last 10 series, the Best Team Money Can Buy has been doing that, more often than not. Despite leaving an average of 9.1 runners per game in their last 12 games, the Yankees had won seven, pushing 12 over .500.
Monday night they stranded 10 and won anyway, when Jason Giambi homered twice.
Last night they lost, 5-2, to Horace Ramirez and the Braves after Jeter couldn’t get the ball out of the infield with runners at second and third and one out in the third; after Johnny Damon struck out with the tying run on second in the seventh; after Rodriguez, now 4-for-19 on the homestand after going 0-for-4, struck out with Jeter on second in the eighth.
Jeter and Damon are clutch guys. Even clutch guys will need more clutch guys behind them as the races, which now have the Yankees trailing by four in the loss column to the Red Sox and six to the White Sox, intensify. No longer is this about stat guys creating indexes that, fairly or not, damn Rodriguez’s contributions late in close games. Most games are won early and in the middle, when A-Rod isn’t producing either.
“I’m trying too hard, but I don’t think it’s because [Hideki] Matsui and [Gary] Sheffield aren’t here,” said Rodriguez. “I’m just forcing it a little bit, got to relax a little bit and let the ball come to me.” It’s no coincidence how Yankee games come more often to A-Rod with two corner boppers out. Of course, it’s no random occurrence either that at $25 million a year, the MVP he won last season cuts him little slack. Let the record show that last night in the eighth, the fans tried reverse psychology, chanting “Let’s go A-Rod!” until he struck out.
Then, of course, they resumed booing.
Rodriguez admitted he is pressing “a little more” later in the games, which he also said he is not enjoying very much, like the booing.
“A little bit,” he said, asked whether it bothering him. “But I got to tune that out.” He can afford a good headset, but can’t take it to the plate, and it wouldn’t drown out A-Rod talking to A-Rod, regardless. Everybody fights it sometimes, but it’s remarkable someone who has achieved so much with so much natural ability can’t use what he’s done to talk himself past his struggles.
“He was in that groove in Washington and all of a sudden that front side is flying open again and he’s reaching,” said Torre. “It left him so quickly after looking like he had grip on it.
“I still know what he’s capable of and what we’ve seen before. And were still going to expect that.” Does Torre have any other options? And does Rodriguez have anyplace in this current lineup he can hide, except behind Giambi?
“Because someone isn’t here, you don’t all of a sudden decide you don’t have enough and can’t win,” said Torre.
“Everybody takes on more responsibility because of the guys we’re missing, but you can only do what you can do, which is to make sure we take and not give [defensively].
“There is less margin when your offense doesn’t have the thumpers.” And no time and space for Alex Rodriguez to look for himself.
