Joe Girardi juggles lineup for Nick Swisher's hot bat
Photo credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams, Jr. | Nick Swisher smiles for a photographers after the Yankees clinched the AL East. (Oct. 3, 2012)
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Joe Girardi said dropping Mark Teixeira in the lineup Wednesday had more to do with Nick Swisher's hot bat than Teixeira's cold one.
"Swish is just swinging really well," Girardi said. "And it keeps some space between our lefthanders [Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson] with the two switch-hitters [Swisher and Teixeira] between them. But I love the way Swish is swinging the bat."
Girardi had Cano batting cleanup Wednesday, followed by Swisher fifth and Teixeira sixth.
While he's been overshadowed a bit by Cano's scorching stretch (24 for his last 39), Swisher hasn't been too bad, either. Entering Wednesday, Swisher was 24-for-59 (.407) with four homers and 15 RBIs in his last 16 games.
Teixeira, meanwhile, in his second game back from a strained left calf, went 0-for-6 Tuesday and 0-for-3 Wednesday night, stranding a total of 14. Teixeira did hit a two-run homer in his first game back Monday.
Sori: OK as Mo setup
Rafael Soriano excelled after taking over for Mariano Rivera but said if the legendary closer, who is a free agent after this season, indeed is back next season, he'd be OK setting up for him.
"He's the greatest closer in the world," said Soriano, who went 42-for-46 in saves with a 2.26 ERA. "If I can do the same thing as last year, I'd do it."
Hasty departure
Raul Ibañez, the hero of Tuesday night's come-from-behind victory, had to bolt early on from the champagne celebration in the clubhouse. His wife, Teryvette, went into labor with the couple's fifth child.
With David Lennon
