Robinson Cano's 18th homer helps Yankees beat Indians
Robinson Cano is greeted at the dugout after hitting a two-run home run in the sixth inning to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead. (June 27, 2012) Credit: David Pokress
Oh, right. The game.
Joe Girardi has talked all season about the need to move on after injury setbacks, hardly blinking an eye when Mariano Rivera and David Robertson went down in early May.
The manager knows he can come off as cold but, as he's often repeated, "No one's going to feel sorry for you."
And so, even after losing CC Sabathia before Wednesday's game and Andy Pettitte, for a much longer stretch during it, the Yankees continued to win, posting their fifth straight win with a 5-4 victory over the Indians at the Stadium.
"I've said this is a resilient club," Girardi said afterward. "It's what you have to do. It's a long haul and you're going to go through your injuries, and you have to find a way to get through them."
The Yankees (46-28), who won for the 15th time in their last 18 games, gave up two runs in the fifth -- the inning in which Pettitte was injured -- to fall behind 3-2.
But Robinson Cano's seventh home run in his last 10 games, a two-run shot off Ubaldo Jimenez, made it 4-3. It was Cano's 18th homer of the season.
Eric Chavez, getting the start at first as Mark Teixeira was used as the designated hitter, went 2-for-3, driving in two runs with a double in the fourth inning and a run-scoring single in the eighth.
The latter hit gave Rafael Soriano a two-run cushion that proved important as he allowed a run in the ninth. After walking in a run, he left the bases loaded to record his 17th save in 18 chances.
Soriano has worked four of the last five days and Girardi said his inclination will be to rest the closer tonight against the White Sox.
"He might be a little fatigued," Girardi said. "Looked like he was just missing today."
Pettitte was pitching well until getting hurt, striking out seven and walking one. An unearned run scored after an error by Alex Rodriguez in the second and an inherited runner came home, charged to Pettitte, in the fifth.
Pettitte, like Sabathia and Girardi, expressed confidence the Yankees will continue to win without the injured lefthanders.
"We just have to weather the storm," Pettitte said. "Nobody's going to feel sorry for you as far as the injuries and stuff. We have a lot of good stuff going on here, we have plenty of guys who can fill in and do the job, so it's time to put my pom-poms on and be a cheerleader for six weeks or so."