D-Rob vital part of Yankees’ pen

THIS was walking into a familiar house, but with all the furniture rearranged — something so recognizable, yet so different.

The Yankees and Rays played two games in Tokyo in 2004 and that in many ways was not as strange as what occurred Monday night when the team from Tampa was designated as the “home” squad in New York, the locale for this series shifted from St. Petersburg, Fla. to Flushing due to Hurricane Irma.

That led to a DH being used at Citi Field, a roll call for the Yankees from the left-field bleachers in the Mets’ stadium and not a person in attendance above the lower deck. The “home” team was booed, which is not unfamiliar to the Mets for a variety of malfeasance, but this was when the Rays took the field.

But it was the uncommon usage of David Robertson — early and often — that resonated the importance to the Yankees of both the righty and the games right now.

Robertson entered as early as the fifth inning for the first time since April 15, 2011 and recorded more than six outs for the first time in his 577th career game.

“I came here with an open mind,” Robertson said. “I told Joe [Girardi] the day I got here to pitch me whenever he needed.”

That was in the fifth inning Monday as Girardi saw Sabathia struggling to finish off hitters and saw Evan Longoria coming to bat, and even Sabathia recognized “he is batting like .900 against me.” It is a little less than that. But there are eight career homers in that matchup and there were two men on base, and Girardi saw this as something akin to a save situation and so he asked a guy with 132 saves to get the biggest outs of the game, which just happened to be in the fifth inning.

“I look at that spot in the fifth inning, like the same as the eighth,” Robertson said. “We needed to stop the momentum.”

Robertson did. He struck out Longoria and cleanup hitter Lucas Duda, who got to dress at his old Mets locker. With Adam Warren hurt and Chad Green having thrown 2 ¹/3 innings Sunday, Robertson was also needed for length. He kept his pitch count economical, three groundouts around a double in the sixth, two more strikeouts in a 1-2-3 seventh.

Those eight precious outs helped the Yankees win 5-1 on a night when Sabathia lasted just 4 ¹/3 innings and the offense managed just four hits — only one outside of their five-run fourth inning.

Robertson rejoined the Yankees on July 19 with Todd Frazier and Tommy Kahnle in a trade from the White Sox, and Kahnle was the piece most desired because he was having a breakout year, is still young and is low paid. But there have been moments when Kahnle has had some Jay Witasick in him, looking like a guy who succeeded outside the bright lights and big city and who has had the game speed up on him here.

That is just not going to happen with seen-it-all Robertson, who has clearly been the most valuable return so far from that deal. He has not only outpitched Kahnle, he has pretty much emerged with Green as the most dependable cogs in the Yankee pen.

He understands from his seven previous seasons with the Yankees the rules of engagement around here, the consta-urgency to win.

“David Robertson has been here before,” Sabathia said. “He knows what the goal is and what we are trying to do. He’s all in for that. It shows his character.”

So when the bullpen phone rang in the fourth inning and coach Mike Harkey told Robertson to be alert to possibly be used in the fifth, Robertson was gung-ho.

“This is just like when Andrew Miller accepted his role here,” Sabathia said. “They both know they don’t have to close to have great value.”

Robertson has been invaluable in his ever-changing role, his ERA now 1.35 in 22 games in his second Yankee tour.

His efforts Monday helped the Yanks pull within three games of Boston in the AL East, opened a four-game lead on the Twins for the first wild card. Robertson’s only regret was pitching so long — in parts of three innings — in an NL park and “I didn’t get an at-bat.”

It was part of the weirdness of the Yankees being 10 miles from their stadium, the Rays 1,168 and yet Tampa was the home team. It was Robertson entering in the fifth and staying through the seventh. You know what, though, both as a Yankee and in any role, he looks quite at home.

“I don’t care when I pitch,” said Robertson, a Yankee champion in 2009. “I’ll do whatever it takes to get us back to the playoffs and give us a chance to get another ring.”