Rieber's analysis: Yankees need to get Joba right

There were a few culprits during the Indians' seven-run seventh inning and the Yankees' 13-11 loss yesterday.

First was CC Sabathia, who needed 113 pitches to get through six innings against a lineup that had scored the third-fewest runs in the American League and had Shelley Duncan as the fifth hitter. No offense to Duncan, but the lovable big galoot who broke in as a Yankee should be the fifth hitter only in a Triple-A lineup.

Next was David Robertson's lower back. When he had to leave after allowing Austin Kearns' RBI single, it set in motion a chain of pitching changes that led to Joba Chamberlain coming in to protect a 10-6 lead with two on and two outs.

There's no bigger culprit than Joba. He faced six batters and allowed four hits, a walk and four runs, not including the two inherited runners he allowed to score. A 10-5 lead entering the inning became a 12-10 deficit.

Fans can gnash their teeth all they want about the "bullpen problems.'' But it's really a Joba problem, and it's one of the few things that could derail the Yankees' march to the postseason.

"He's had some bad outings,'' Joe Girardi said. "Players aren't going to be bullet-proof. That's the bottom line. Joba's our eighth-inning guy and he needs to get it done for us.''

Let's assume a few things: Sabathia will get himself straightened out. Mariano Rivera will continue to be an elite, if occasionally fallible, closer. The middle relievers will be good sometimes and bad sometimes (or they wouldn't be middle relievers).

That leaves Joba. Once a feared setup man, then an inconsistent starter, Chamberlain is now an inconsistent setup man, with a 1-3 record and 5.82 ERA.

Remember when Joba used to hit 100 mph? Fans at the Stadium Saturday treated his entry from the bullpen as if he still were that pitcher. But Joba hasn't been that guy since soon after the Lake Erie midges swarmed him in 2007. There's no hard evidence that the club ruined him with the experiment known as The Joba Rules, but it's at least a possibility.

And here's hoping Joba is a little more introspective in private than he was in discussing his woes afterward. He's polished at taking responsibility when he lets a game get away. But does he have an idea what's wrong and is he capable of fixing it?

"I let the team down,'' he said moments after Sabathia, his lockermate, took the blame for letting the Indians back in the game in the first place.

"It was just bad location,'' he said. "My arm felt good, my stuff felt good . . . It's frustrating, but you have to understand and keep everything in perspective and understand that you've got to get better for tomorrow because you might get that chance to go back in there tomorrow and help the team win.''

The Yankees took off last year when Phil Hughes became their eighth-inning guy. Now he is developing into the top-notch starter they thought he'd be. So the eighth-inning savior will have to be someone else this time.

It's best for the Yankees that it be Joba. But if it isn't - and we're not ready to say it isn't - you can bet Brian Cashman will use some of his surplus minor-league talent to address it. The Yankees' season may depend on it.