Yankees Complete Amazing Comeback to Beat Sox

Joe Girardi spoke with Buster Olney prior to today’s game and made it known that the audition process is in full swing for the guys in the bottom of the rotation with Andy Pettitte‘s return now just 2 1/2 weeks away. And audition or not, Freddy Garcia‘s performance today was definitely not one to remember. He got hit incredibly hard right out of the chute and lasted just 1 2/3 of an inning while allowing 7 hits and 5 earned runs. That puts Freddy at 12.0 IP through three starts so far this season with a total 9.75 ERA. With the off day on April 26th, look for the Yankees to skip Freddy’s next start and reassess their options regarding him the following week.

Clay Rapada threw 1/3 of an inning and allowed 1 ER on 1 hit. David Phelps got some work in today and started out rough, but settled down after an inning. He ended the day with 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB and 2 K in 4.0 IP. And just for those wondering, Girardi said during his in-game interview with Joe Buck that the Yankees “haven’t even considered Phelps for the rotation.”

Offensively, today’s game can be summed in two main points: 1) the Red Sox capitalized early when they put runners in scoring position, and 2) no lead is safe with this Yankees offense. I’ll admit, I was ready to throw in the towel after the 6th inning because the Yankees’ bats looked like they had taken the day off. Plus, even if the Yankees lost by 9 runs, at least they weren’t going to be on the short end of a perfect game like the Mariners. But then the bats came alive and the Yankees started looking like… well, the Yankees.

Mark Teixeira had two homers on the day – one from each side of the plate. Today marked the 13th time Teix has homered from both sides of the plate in the same game, increasing the record he already holds. The seventh inning saw 11 Yankees come to the plate while 8 of them got hits and 7 of them scored. Nick Swisher was 3-6 on the day with a grand slam, a 2-run double, and a single. All-in-all, Swish and Teix combined for 12 RBI between the 6th and 8th innings, during which time the Yankees scored 15 unanswered runs.

And just an FYI: Nick Swisher now has 20 RBI through 15 games. You think he wants a new contract from the Yankees when his current one expires at the end of this season?