Garcia still not missing many bats

BOSTON -- Say this about Freddy Garcia: He kept the Yankees in the game Saturday.

Of course, that's true only because the Yankees scored 15 unanswered runs to overcome a 9-0 deficit in their 15-9 win over the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Garcia put the Yankees in a 5-0 hole in a 12/3-inning stint. Though the Yankees were giddy about their incredible comeback win, they didn't forget about the struggles of Garcia, whose ERA is 9.75 after three starts.

"No excuses," Garcia said. "I just can't get anybody out. Make some pitches, everything I throw is hit, but like I say, no excuses. I need to step up and pitch the way I know how to pitch. That's the bottom line."

Garcia allowed seven hits, four of them doubles. In 12 innings this season, the 35-year-old has given up 20 hits. That's a numerical way of saying Garcia has been too hittable this year. He certainly was Saturday.

"He didn't have his velocity today and I think it caused the other pitches to roll a little bit," manager Joe Girardi said. "He was up in the zone. He just didn't have his stuff. I asked him, 'Are you OK physically?' and he said, 'Yeah.' Sometimes pitchers go through these type of things, and you just got to find a way to work through it."

It started with the second batter of the bottom of the first inning when Ryan Sweeney doubled. Adrian Gonzalez doubled home a run two batters later and scored on David Ortiz's shift-beating double inside the third-base line.

SEE PHOTOSLong Island in the pros: MLB edition

In the second inning, Cody Ross singled and Darnell McDonald doubled with one out. Mike Aviles singled to make it 3-0 before Sweeney hit a line-drive sacrifice fly to right for another run.

Girardi tried to squeeze some more outs and innings from Garcia, but Dustin Pedroia singled home the Red Sox's fifth run, and Girardi called on lefthander Clay Rapada.

The struggles of Garcia, a surprise 12-game winner last year, underscore the Yankees' potential weakness in the starting rotation. Hiroki Kuroda and Phil Hughes have been underwhelming so far, and Michael Pineda was shut down Saturday with shoulder pain and might not throw a pitch for the team this season.

Andy Pettitte still is a few starts away from returning to the big leagues. Rookie David Phelps pitched four innings Saturday and allowed three runs. His ERA is 2.92. Phelps could be next in line if Garcia continues to falter. Or Garcia could be skipped with a day off Thursday and the threat of a rainout Sunday night.

"Joe and I will talk about what we're going to do with the off day," pitching coach Larry Rothschild said. "But unless it's going to help him get on track, we probably wouldn't do that [skip him]. If there's something we need to do to help him get on track, we'd consider that if it's open."