Jorge Posada called his situation "tough" several times Saturday in the moments after a game in which he gave Phil Hughes and his teammates goosebumps.

"They've been so supportive," Posada said of the noisy reaction he received at each at-bat and, especially, after his fifth-inning grand slam. "The fans are a big reason why I love playing the game and especially here. They deserve a lot of credit. They've supported me all through my career. I think after the first hit they really played a big part for me today. They were a big part." 

Joe Girardi, who told Posada before last Sunday's game in Boston that his days as DH were basically over, said he's very much still rooting for his former teammate and wasn't surprised at the performance, one in which Posada drove in six runs for the first time since Sept. 6, 2006 at Kansas City.

"Jorgie's very professional, that's the way Jorgie's always been," Joe Girardi said. "I knew he was dying to get back in there. I knew that. It's tough not to put him in the lineup, it is. Jorge and I have a long history together. We were teammates and won together and I think he's a great player and great man. It's difficult because I know how much he wants to play. And I want him to have success, that's the bottom line. We want him to drive in runs and do all that. And at times it's been a struggle this year. Sometimes I have to make tough decisions. But I know he was itching to get back in there. Jorgie will be 60-years-old and he'll be itching to get back in there. That's the type of guy he is." 

Phil Hughes pitched well, but he seemed to speak for the team when he said the highlight of the day came in the fifth.

“I got goose bumps sitting in the dugout,” Hughes said of Posada’s grand slam. “When he got the count to 2-and-0 you knew he was going to do something special.”

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