ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — With their AL East lead shaved to one game the Yankees send Freddy Garcia to the mound tonight against the Rays.
Instead of pitching the 36-year-old right-hander last week in his regular turn, the Yankees pushed Garcia back so neophyte David Phelps could face the Orioles this past Saturday.
“They skipped me because they wanted to skip me,’’ Garcia said. “They made their decision, nothing I can do about it.’’
In his last two outings, Garcia has worked a total of nine innings in which he has allowed 10 hits and six walks. He has two no-decisions and a 7.00 ERA. Overall, Garcia is 7-5 with a 4.90 ERA in 25 games (15 starts).
Garcia says the lead, which was 10 games on July 18, being down to one doesn’t put heat on him.
“It’s another game. We know we have a one-game lead. I’ve just got to pitch good. I don’t have any pressure, nothing,’’ said Garcia, who is 9-2 lifetime against the Rays 5-2 at Tropicana Field.
* Mark Teixeira took batting practice on the field yesterday for the first time since suffering a left calf injury Aug. 27.
“The [doctor] told me it was 10 to 14 days and I could be back in 10,’’ Teixeira said. “I don’t want setbacks. I’m being aggressive but smart. If there is any question we will take the extra day.’’
Teixeira, who didn’t take ground balls during batting practice, said running will be the last test.
“That’s the last thing to come and [today] do something light on the treadmill,’’ Teixeira said. “We’ll see how that goes.’’
The Yankees are 2-4 without Teixeira, who leads the team with 83 RBIs.
* Curtis Granderson took batting practice yesterday and was used as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning.
Granderson, who left Saturday’s game with tendinitis in the right hamstring, struck out against Fernando Rodney on three consecutive change-ups to end the game with potential tying run Eduardo Nunez on third.
“If he got on I would have pinch ran for him,’’ said manager Joe Girardi, who hinted before the game that Granderson could return to the lineup tonight.
That could possibly be as the DH if Alex Rodriguez can play third.
Chris Dickerson started in center for the second straight game and survived a collision with right fielder Ichiro Suzuki in the eighth inning on Ben Francisco’s fly to right-center that Dickerson caught.
* Girardi said he believed tomorrow is the day Andy Pettitte will take the next step in returning from the disabled list by throwing batting practice. Pettitte, who played catch yesterday, has been limited to bullpen sessions.
* General manager Brian Cashman was on hand yesterday for the game but not because of the recent slump of his club. Cashman took advantage of the team charter to fly to Florida before going to the east coast for a family matter.
* Ivan Nova will throw batting practice today or tomorrow. Nova hasn’t worked since Aug. 21, the next day before he was diagnosed with an inflamed right rotator cuff and put on the DL.
* Rays third baseman Evan Longoria left the game in the eighth inning with the score tied, 3-3, but it wasn’t due to injury.
Rays manager Joe Maddon cited the club getting home late as the reason he didn’t want Longoria, who was out from May 1 to Aug. 7 with a hamstring problem, to play the entire game.
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The Rays have gained eight games on the Yankees in the last 46 days. Since July 19 they are 26-16 and shaved the Yankees’ lead over them from 10 1/2 games to 2 1/2.
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Yankees woes hitting in the clutch continued yesterday when they went 2-for-7. In the past nine games the Yankees are batting .200 (12-for-60) with runners in scoring position and are 3-6 in those games.
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The Rays certainly didn’t punish David Robertson in the eighth when they collected three singles and scored the eventual winning run. But after dominating the Rays before the start of this season, the right-handed reliever is 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA this year. Coming into the season Robertson was 5-0 with a 2.00 ERA in 18 games against the Rays.
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James Shields started yesterday with a 6-13 record and 4.58 ERA against the Yankees but posted the victory by allowing three runs and eight hits in eight innings.
He is 2-2 against the Yankees in five starts this season.
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Yankees have lost 10 of the last 11 at Tropicana Field.
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Maddon was tossed by second base umpire Bob Davidson in the eighth for arguing a call at second base. It was Maddon’s third ejection this year and extended the club record to 26 for his career.
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Since June 19 the Yankees have held a lead in 19 of 32 defeats.