YANKS FALL OUT OF FIRST
BATS GO QUIET AS MARLINS NIP TANAKA
MIAMI— Alex Rodriguez might be Baseball’s Bad Boy, but to the fans in South Florida he will always be viewed with blinders on.
Rodriguez was the child prodigy out of the Boys & Girls Club who developed into one of the game’s greatest players and became involved in the community.
Let other cities smother him in boos and vulgarities for his PED history. Let other cities wear ARoid shirts. The favorite son in the land of the sun is just fine with the populace.
That was on display in the ninth inning of the Yankees’ 21 loss to the Marlins Monday night in front of 33,961 at Marlins Park.
With the Yankees looking for one swing to go ahead in the ninth, manager Joe Girardi turned to Rodriguez, who was on the bench because the designated hitter is not used for interleague games in NL parks.
As Rodriguez emerged from the thirdbase dugout Marlins Park might has well have been Yankee Stadium during the 2009 postseason when Rodriguez led the Yankees to a World Series title.
Marlins fans stood shoulder to shoulder with Yankees fans and cheered for the 39yearold with a stained past and two surgically repaired hips. And they didn’t stop until Rodriguez got in the batter’s box to face righthander A. J. Ramos.
“It was an unbelievable, what an awesome situation to be in,’’ Rodriguez said. “It was exciting and fun and I got a good pitch to hit and just popped it straight up.’’
Rodriguez knew his homecoming was going to be limited to a pinchhitting gig at best and a spectator at worst. As the game unfolded, he was ready.
“I felt good about the situation. Joe put me in the ideal spot,’’ said Rodriguez, whose popup was gloved by right fielder Giancarlo Stanton, the type of player Rodriguez was a long time ago. “I didn’t know the pitcher much. He hung me a slider and I popped it straight up.’’
When it came down the Yankees were no longer in first place since the Rays beat the Nationals to vault over the Yankees into the AL East lead. It is the first time since May 26 the Yankees don’t at least have a piece of first place.
It was the Yankees’ fourth loss in five games and wasted a gutty, if not great, outing by Masahiro Tanaka, who gave up two runs and nine hits in seven innings and is 42.
Even without his best stuff early Tanaka deserved better than a loss against a team that would be in the NL East cellar if not for living in the same division as the Phillies.
As for the lineup that produced just three hits against Bronxborn Tom Koehler, a New Rochelle High School and Stony Brook product, and relievers Carter Capps and Ramos, Girardi insisted bad luck played a big part.
“Good defensive plays on their part,’’ the manager said when asked what made Koehler, who allowed one run and three hits over seven innings, effective. “I counted six or seven line drives that were caught. It’s tough to swing the bats good and have nothing to show for it.’’
Rodriguez, who needs five hits for 3,000, couldn’t blame good defense and was left to wonder how insane Marlins Park would have become had he hit the ball out of the park.
“It’s good to be home, nice to be welcomed back,’’ Rodriguez said on the way out of the clubhouse to see his two daughters who were waiting outside the door. “We need a win [ on Tuesday].’’