MILLER SILENCES EX-YANKS MATES
Ex-mate locks down save as Bombers offense fails
When the Yankees traded Andrew Miller to Cleveland for prospects before last week’s nonwaiver trade deadline, they knew his presence would be missed at Yankee Stadium.
Unfortunately for the Yankees, it didn’t take long for Miller to get back on the mound in The Bronx, this time to close out a 5-2 Yankees loss to the Indians with a scoreless ninth.
“He’s got great stuff,” said Mark Teixeira, one of Miller’s victims in the ninth. “There’s no doubt that about that. I wish him nothing but the best, but if he wanted to give up four runs in the ninth, we wouldn’t have been unhappy about that.” Not likely. After being shut down by Corey Kluber for the second time in less than a month, the Yankees lineup had to face their former teammate.
“It’s a lot easier just to focus on executing pitches when there’s no relationship or anything like that and especially with all of it going on,” Miller said. “This last week’s been pretty hectic, and like I said, [I’m] happy I survived and found a way.”
CC Sabathia, after a torrid stretch during which he went 4-2 with a 0.82 ERA over seven starts in May and June, wasn’t terrible, but he couldn’t match Kluber.
Sabathia entered Saturday 1-4 with a 6.85 ERA over his past eight starts and surrendered three runs in 5 2/3 innings Saturday.
He also has gone back to giving up home runs. After surrender- ing just two over his first 11 starts, Sabathia now has allowed 11 in his last nine, including two more Saturday.
It was the third straight outing in which Sabathia has coughed up a pair of homers. He’s one of several veterans still adjusting to the Yankees’ new reality.
“It’s up to us to be professionals and keep going out and win games, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Sabathia said.
Kluber faced the minimum 19 batters after Hicks’ RBI single in the second. Then Miller finished it.
“He’s obviously got a real good arm,” said Gardner, who had a leadoff single in the ninth off Miller. “It’s tough seeing him in another uniform. He’s one of my all-time favorite teammates, not just on the field and how good of a pitcher he is, but how good of a teammate he is.”
Or was.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Brian McCann will go back to taking ground balls at first base now that Gary Sanchez is set to get more playing time behind the plate.
“I’m not worried about next year, but I have told Brian he should take some grounders at first, just to give us options as we move forward here,” Girardi said. “He’s done it before, and he’s pretty comfortable over there.”
The manager wouldn’t rule out the possibility of McCann being asked to intensify his practice there in the offseason.
“That’s probably a discussion to have over the winter,” Girardi said after the Yankees’ 5-2 loss to the Indians on Saturday. “It’s not something we’ve talked about. I’m focused on this year. Next year is a long ways away, and we’re a long ways away from spring training and Opening Day. I’m not really worried about it.”
McCann said: “It won’t be that big a transition.”
Despite being down by three runs, Girardi used Dellin Betances to get the final two outs in the top of the ninth inning, because he hadn’t worked since Monday.
“I’m not going to change my theories on how I use him,” Girardi said. “If I need him for multiple innings, I’m going to do it.” Chasen Shreve pitched a scoreless 1 ¹/3 innings in his return from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Johnny Barbato was sent back to SWB.
Brett Gardner made a baserunning gaffe in the sixth, breaking from first base on Jacoby Ellsbury’s fly to right with no one out. He was doubled off first by right fielder Abraham Almonte.
“I was almost positive it would fall, and obviously it was a bad read by me,” Gardner said. “It’s one of those things where I got a little bit greedy and paid the price for it.”