Good AJ, Yanks rally to thwart Indians

One day after an embarrassing 13-11 loss, the Yanks bounced back for a thrilling 7-3 victory over the Tribe.

Jeter:

"There’s going to be games that you feel as though you should win and you lose and there’s going to be games that the other team feels as though they should win and we come back. You can’t carry one day into the next."

AJ was wheeling and dealing, going eight innings (116 pitches) and giving up three runs (one earned) on five hits with eight punchouts while not issuing any free passes. His eight Ks matched a season high and it was the first time since he became a Yankee that he did not issue a walk, though he did bean a pair of batters. His last no-walk game came on July 23, 2008.

"I know they’re an aggressive team and they can hit. I was just trying to attack and get early contact. Not trying to blow it by them or get in strikeout counts so I can strike them out. It was pretty much attacking guys and pitching to contact and trusting my stuff."

AJ’s two unearned runs were a load of BS. Valbuena was hit by a pitch on his back foot with two outs and a 2-2 count (even though it looked like he swung), and stole second before a Jeter throwing error allowed him to score and Lou Marson to reach first. A Jason Donald triple then made it 3-0, but the inning should have been over when it was still 1-0.

"You keep your team in it the best you can and hopefully they come out of it, and they did."

Mo came in for the ninth and retired the side in order — striking out two of three — to seal the victory, though it was not a save situation.

"That was my main goal coming into today…hand the ball over to Mo in the ninth because I knew our (bullpen) needed a day (off). I was trying to go one pitch at a time…and give those guys a break."

Unfun fact: 14 of the last 18 runs scored against the Yankees have come with two outs.

The offense was dormant for the first six innings, but awoke in the seventh. Jeter came through with a HUGE two-out, two-run double, Grandy kept it going with a double (AGAINST A LEFTY — Tony Sipp) that Jeter inexplicably didn’t score on, and Tex made it 5-0 with a bomb to the right-field bleachers. Miranda added an RBI double in the eighth and Cervelli capped off the scoring with a sac fly later in the frame.

"It was a good home run. I was really trying to hit the ball up the middle and score the two runs but he hung a slider a little bit and I put a good swing on it."

Cano went 2-for-4 and scored to extend his hitting streak to 13 games…Jeter is now 15-for-32 over his seven-game hitting streak and recorded his 1,099th RBI, tying him with The Hitman for ninth place on the franchise’s all-time RBI list…It was Tex’ first homer since May 15 against the Twinkies, but he still only has five extra-base hits over his last 19 games and four RBI in his last 12 games…Every starter except A-Rod and Chad Moeller recorded a hit Sunday.

More good news:

• Posada could be close to returning. Possibly as early as Friday.
• David Huff is feeling good one day after taking an A-Rod liner off his head and thinks he could make his next start. However, he must have some serious brain damage as he referred to A-Rod as a “class act.”
• The Rays lost to the ChiSox Sunday, so the Yanks (30-20) moved to 3 1/2 back in the AL East.

Pettitte will take the hill against Mitch Talbot in the Memorial Day finale at 1:05 tomorrow. LET’S GO YANKS!!!!