CLEVELAND — Alex Rodriguez is going to hit home run No. 600.
Tonight. Tomorrow night. Maybe the weekend.
The milestone homer is coming.
The same can’t be said about Joba Chamberlain automatically working the eighth inning.
Rodriguez didn’t become the seventh player in baseball history to reach 600 homers last night, and Chamberlain was bypassed for Javier Vazquez, David Robertson and Boone Logan in the eighth inning of a 3-2 Yankees victory over the Indians in front of 27,224 at Progressive Field.
“I am not concerned, it’s going to come,” said Rodriguez, who turns 35 today, and who went 0-for-4 last night.
He is 6-for-17 since home run 599 was hit last Thursday.
“This week. Next week. Next month.”
For the second straight game, Curtis Granderson borrowed Rodriguez’ biceps, crushing a game-winning, two-run homer off former Yankee Jake Westbrook in the eighth that erased a 2-1 Indians lead.
Since Granderson homered twice Sunday, he was asked if he is ready to string homers together.
“It’s too early, it’s two days,” said Granderson, who went 2-for-3 and has 10 hits in 27 at-bats (.370). “But I would like to have it that way.”
Vazquez (9-7) was splendid for seven innings in which he allowed two runs and five hits. When he walked Michael Brantley to open the eighth, manager Joe Girardi opted for the right-handed Robertson, instead of Chamberlain, to face the switch-hitting Asdrubal Cabrera.
Chamberlain has been inconsistent all year and pitched an inning Sunday in which he gave up two runs.
Even though Robertson and Logan were throwing while Chamberlain simply stretched, the move raised eyebrows because, prior to the game, Girardi said he would “lean” toward Chamberlain in the eighth.
However, the manager also said match-ups would be factored into the deal.
“I am not saying I am going to hand it over to Joba every time we go to the eighth,” Girardi said. “I am going to look at what hitters are doing and where they like the ball.”
Cabrera was 0-for-5 with two strikeouts and two walks against Chamberlain and never faced Robertson. Shin-Soo Choo, the lefty Girardi wanted to use Logan for, was 2-for-4 with two walks and a whiff against Chamberlain. Choo had two walks and no official at-bat against Logan.
Had Chamberlain not been scuffling lately, Girardi admitted, he wouldn’t be tinkering with who precedes Mariano Rivera. But . . .
“He has struggled a bit,” Girardi said of Chamberlain, who is 1-4 with a 5.95 ERA, has flushed three of five save chances and given up 51 hits in 42 1/3 innings.
“My hope is they both pitch lights-out. I don’t want to start Who Is My Eighth Inning Guy.”
Yet, Girardi also understands that leads in the eighth can’t vanish. He knows the aura that once surrounded Chamberlain, but the manager is paid to win games — if he believes Robertson, who has been very good after a rough first two months, is the better option, he owes it to the Yankees to use him.
“I will throw whenever he wants me,” said Robertson, who erased the Brantley walk by feeding Cabrera a 6-4-3 double play that was highlighted by Robinson Cano’s spectacular pivot.
Logan fanned Choo and Rivera recorded the final three outs for his 21st save in 23 chances. The victory enabled the Yankees to remain three games ahead of the Rays in the AL East.
Chamberlain?
He understood the eighth has been his, but didn’t appear to be upset about not being used.
“We had two guys up, I was sitting and ready to go,” Chamberlain said. “Javier pitched his tail off and had the opportunity to go back out there. I have to just be ready.”