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Jayson Nix had a run-scoring single in the first inning to put the Yankees ahead Wednesday night in the Bronx in the finale of their three-game series against the Houston Astros. The Yankees were looking to avoid losing the series against the Astros.
Moments before Houston Astros pitcher Wesley Wright threw the pitch, the Yankee first-base coach Mick Kelleher told Lyle Overbay to be careful. Kelleher, a former major league infielder, had noticed something seemingly small, but big enough to determine the outcome of the game.
With one out and Overbay at first and Eduardo Nunez at third in a tied game in the sixth inning, Kelleher observed that Astros second baseman Jose Altuve had inched in a step closer to home plate. So he reminded Overbay that if the ball were to be hit to Altuve, he could not allow himself to be tagged, or else Houston would turn a quick double play and Nunez would not have a chance to score.
Sure enough, Ichiro Suzuki hit a soft grounder to second and Altuve fielded it. His first impulse was to tag Overbay, who remembered Kelleher's advice and halted in his tracks long enough to allow Nunez to score, making the play of the game in the Yankees' 5-4 victory over the Astros.
"As soon as he hit it, I knew I wasn't going to be able to get by him," Overbay said. "So I just stopped and waited."
Unable to apply the tag, Altuve had to throw to first base or risk not even getting the fleet Suzuki, but that removed the force play at second base and required the Astros to tag Overbay. Nunez, sprinting home on contact, touched the plate well before the tag on Overbay, securing the go-ahead run.
A typical nine-inning game is replete with slight adjustments, whether it is a catcher noticing a hitter inching forward in the batter's box, or an outfielder moving two steps to his left before a ball is struck. On Wednesday, Kelleher's acute observation was the difference in the Yankees taking two out of three games from the Astros.
"It was funny," Overbay said. "Right there, and it was the next pitch. We had talked about it before, but then he noticed that he had gotten closer. He just refreshed it in my mind, and it worked out."
Altuve could have thrown home in a risky attempt to nail Nunez, but he was not positioned for that. And there was almost no chance of the Astros getting Suzuki if they had attempted the traditional 4-6-3 double play.
Once the Yankees had the lead, the bullpen took care of the rest, notching the final nine outs for the victory. Mariano Rivera earned his 11th save in 11 opportunities, but he had a big assist from Robinson Cano, and perhaps the baseball gods, as well.
Brandon Barnes singled to left field leading off the ninth and was attempting to steal with Matt Dominguez at the plate. Dominguez lined a ball up the middle headed for center field, a potential first-and-third situation with nobody out. But Cano was covering near second base on the play, and that carried him toward the ball.
Cano snared the ball and easily tagged Barnes for the second out. Rivera took care of the rest by striking out Marwin Gonzalez.
Cano also hit a home run, his eighth of the season. It came in the third inning, and Ben Francisco followed two batters later with his first as the Yankees expanded their lead to 4-0. But starter David Phelps got sloppy in the top of the fourth and gave it all back.
With one out, he allowed seven straight batters to reach base, including two in a row that he hit with pitches. That was particularly upsetting to Phelps, who was filling in for the injured Ivan Nova. Phelps said he felt that if he pitched exceptionally well in Nova's absence, he could earn a spot in the rotation.
"I definitely do," he said. "That's one of the reasons I'm frustrated with today. I felt like I really could have grabbed the reins and taken care of things. But it's baseball. Stuff happens and you've got to go out and do better next time."
The victory ended a streak of 16 games in 16 days for the Yankees, who went 11-5 during that period. As with Wednesday's game, things were not always pretty. And occasionally, even the slightest adjustment proved the difference, where it was actually better for a runner to stop so that a game could be won on a slow double-play ball.
"You're going to have to win some ugly ones, too," Overbay said.
INSIDE PITCH
In need of another right-handed hitter, the Yankees acquired the infielder Chris Nelson from the Colorado Rockies for cash considerations and transferred Francisco Cervelli to the 60-day disabled list to make room on the 40-man roster. ... Dave Robertson, who pitched a scoreless eighth, injured his left hamstring but said he would be fine. ... Curtis Granderson played in an extended spring training game in Tampa, Fla., Manager Joe Girardi said. Granderson, who is recovering from a broken right forearm he sustained in the first spring training game in February, says he needs between 50 and 70 at-bats before he is ready to rejoin the Yankees. ... Mark Teixeira hit balls off a tee in the batting cage for the first time since injuring his right wrist.
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