Major League Baseball

Yankees get message before stretch run

Published Aug. 2, 2010 1:00 a.m. ET

Bob Klapisch

You’d have to be embarrassingly out of touch to miss what happened in the AL East this weekend, when the Rays took 2-of-3 from the Yankees. Although the division lead didn’t change hands, the message was as in-your-face as it gets in August (which in this case felt like October).

Tampa Bay is within a game of first place, having made it clear the race will be tight from here on out. CC Sabathia told reporters after Sunday’s 3-0 loss, “(The Rays) have been there. It’s not like they’re an inexperienced team. They know how to get it done.”

The assessment was neither grim nor panicked; the Yankees are supremely confident in their winning pedigree, but no one’s kidding themselves about holding a psychological advantage over the Rays. The Bombers lost this series despite not having to face David Price, Tampa Bay’s best pitcher, and with Sabathia, their own ace, on the mound in the deciding game.

Turns out Sabathia was out-pitched by James Shields, who struck out 11, including six in a row at one point. Rays manager Joe Maddon called the right-hander’s performance, “the best game of his career” although the Yankees were more concerned about Sabathia, who’s 1-2 since the All-Star break with a 3.67 ERA.

The big left-hander, who’s usually a perfect storm of mid-90s heat on the corners, has inexplicably lost his control within the strike zone. When asked about his command, Sabathia said, “I know it’s just not there.”

The Yankees have to assume Sabathia will self-correct, given his career 33-9 record and 3.14 ERA in August. But it’s worth noting that Sabathia had thrown 120 and 123 pitches, respectively, in his previous two starts, which could be a red flag for Joe Girardi. Only three other American League starters have thrown more pitches than Sabathia this year; he was the AL’s No. 3 workhorse in 2009 and led both leagues in 2008.

As much as Sabathia insists he’s immune to the yearly workloads, his inability to dominate the Rays will likely convince Girardi to keep him under 120 pitches throughout August. That’s because September will be like Armageddon, as the Yankees and Rays play each other seven times in the last month. If that isn’t daunting enough, the Bombers finish the season with six of their final nine games against Boston.

Overwork was indeed a key issue on Sunday for Girardi, who had to defend his decision to keep Alex Rodriguez out of the starting lineup. While the manager has tried to rest A-Rod at least once a week this season, he kept his entire starting lineup intact against the Indians and Royals and picked a pivotal game against the Rays to go to Plan B.

Not only did A-Rod begin the day on the bench, but newly acquired Austin Kearns replaced Brett Gardner in left and Lance Berkman took over first base as Mark Teixeira assumed the DH spot.

The plan backfired as Shields shut out the Yankees. Rodriguez finally arrived in the seventh inning as a pinch-hitter, looking at a called third strike and extending his homer-less drought to 10 straight games.

Girardi said the move to rest A-Rod had nothing to do with being stuck at 599 HRs, although the third baseman is building towards another gargantuan dry spell. Rodriguez went 62 at-bats without a home run in May, which almost matched his record of 72 set in 2009.

The manager, however, said it was just about the grueling schedule.

“I’m just playing so I don’t blow somebody out,’’ Girardi said after Sunday’s game. “I had talked about giving Alex a day off, and I can’t play Tex 37 out of 38 days or I’m going to break him down. People . . . they’re going to question it, but I’ve got to think about the long haul.’‘

As for the Rays, they begin a three-game series against the streaking Twins, although they’ve got plenty of momentum of their own. Tampa Bay has won 21 of 28 and feels certain the message to the Yankees was heard loud and clear.

“They know that we’re not going anywhere,” Shields said. “Everyone knows what we’re all about. We’re here to stay."

NEWS ITEM: Mets on the edge of collapse.

On the day Doc Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, Davey Johnson and Frank Cashen were inducted into the franchise’s Hall of Fame, the Mets proceeded to embarrass themselves in front of their home crowd, getting blown out 14-1 by the Diamondbacks.

Without any realistic shot at the playoffs now, the Mets travel to Atlanta and Philadelphia for six games that can only be described as desperate. Barring a 6-0 run, the Mets are probably looking at spring training as their next meaningful calendar date.

If nothing else happens this week, though, it’s almost certain Oliver Perez has thrown his last pitch for the Mets. He was clubbed again on Sunday, this time for four runs in the final two innings, inflating his ERA to 6.70. Perez has an estimated $15 million owed to him through 2011, but it’s inconceivable the Mets will use him much longer, given the abysmal lack of performance and the animosity both parties have for each other.