Teixeira: day-to-day

Mark Teixeira left tonight’s game with a bone bruise on the base of his right thumb, an injury he said occurred diving for a ball during Friday night’s loss.

Teixeira, his hand heavily wrapped, categorized himself as “day-to-day,” but didn’t sound all that hopeful about being in there Sunday afternoon.

“I’m going to come in early, get some treatment and we’ll see how it feels,” he said.

Teixeira said he woke up sore but thought going through his pregame work might loosen the thumb up.

“I tried to take BP today,” Teixeira said. “It was bothering me in BP. I thought that maybe adrenaline would kick in and I’d be all right for the game but I had nothing. I was swinging with one hand.”

*** Though the victory was ugly, the way this trip had gone, Joe Girardi was happy to take it.

“This was a big game,” Girardi said. “This has been a trip where we’ve had some tough losses. CC did a nice job. He gave up a couple home run balls on some changeups, but then he settled down nicely and got us through the seventh.”

Girardi added later: “You want your team to bounce back after a tough game [Friday] and our team did exactly that.”

Sabathia, who came in 37-10 with a 3.08 ERA in his career in August — he already was
4-1 this month — allowed five runs and nine hits, including a pair of two-run homers, in seven innings. But he struck out nine and walked only one, and after Jones’ two-run shot in the fourth, Sabathia struck out seven of the next 11 hitters.

“Guys were [hitting it] all over the place,” Sabathia said. “My changeup wasn’t really doing anything. I hung it over the plate a couple of times and they took advantage…I just tried to battle and these guys scored enough to get the win tonight.”

The Yankees will try to go 3-3 on this trip Sunday afternoon as it will be Ivan Nova (0-0, 2.16) taking on Gavin Floyd (9-10, 3.91).