Davidoff: Golson’s perfect throw takes load off Yankees

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.

It was the sort of night in which, upon the game’s completion, Greg Golson returned to his locker and eyed his cell phone.

“I got in here,” the Yankees’ reserve outfielder said, “and it was lighting up.” The numerous text messages were prompted by one of the best Yankees victories of the season.

With a fantastic throw by Golson leading to the final out, the defending World Series champs outlasted the Rays, 8-7, in 10 innings at Tropicana Field, to reclaim first place in the American League East.

And to remind the baseball world that, though they may look like a broken-down, unwieldy luxury liner at times, you’d be a fool to discount them.

“It’s more exhausting,” a smiling Joe Girardi said. “Probably more aging, as well. But it’s a great win.”

In trying to end a four-game losing streak, the Yankees jumped out to a 6-0 lead, only to see rookie starter Ivan Nova and reliever Boone Logan give it all back in a seven-run bottom of the fifth.

The Yankees responded with a run in the top of the sixth, however, then the managing Joes — Girardi and his Tampa Bay counterpart, Joe Maddon — got to play bullpen chess against one another.

Girardi drew some grief Monday night for declining to use Joba Chamberlain and David Robertson, explaining that both young relievers needed another day of rest. Those decisions looked wholly justified, as each righthander threw a strong inning. Curtis Granderson ended Robertson’s work shift in the ninth by laying himself out to dive and catch Ben Zobrist’s line drive to right-center.

When Jorge Posada pinch hit to lead off the 10th and launched a mammoth home run, hitting the top of the restaurant in centerfield, the Yankees set themselves up for Mariano Rivera to get the save.

Rivera didn’t look sharp at all; Carl Crawford led off with a single, and Evan Longoria followed with a blast that initially looked like a possible, winning homer before it settled into Granderson’s glove on the warning track.

Crawford stole second base, then Matt Joyce hit a high pop fly to rightfield that Golson caught, and Golson fired a perfect, one-hop relay to Alex Rodriguez, who tagged Crawford to end the game.

“I can’t believe he was running,” the always forthright Posada said of Crawford, and that’s a question for the Rays to answer. Yet the Yankees had far greater questions looming over them heading into the night.

One game doesn’t cure all that ails them, especially when that one game features a blown, six-run lead. Nevertheless, considering all of the people who contributed to this one — A-Rod also blasted a homer, the 606th of his career, and Robinson Cano contributed three RBIs — it felt profoundly important.

“We kept fighting,” Posada said. “It says a lot about the team.”

“Who ever would’ve thought that Greg Golson would make a huge play in the middle of a pennant race?” A-Rod asked. “It’s a big win for us.”

We’ve seen 21 innings over two nights now, and the Yankees and Rays play each other five more times en route to deciding which team wins the division and which qualifies for the AL wild card.

With no disrespect intended toward the Rangers or Twins, how could you not want to see the Yankees and Rays face off for the AL pennant? Just think of the text messages that drama would produce.