Overbay? Try Over There

"I'm playing where?"

Who's on first? Lyle Overbay. Not this time. Overbay has played 1,272 games at the not-so-hot corner in his 13 year Major League career. Tonight marks the beginning of an experiment to keep him in pinstripes.

With Mark Teixeira back at first base after he sat out nearly two months of the season with an injured wrist, there isn't a whole lot of room for a first baseman that has no big league experience at other positions. On top of that, Overbay is left-handed, so the other infield spots are out of the question. (Unless you're Don Mattingly and your team is in a situation where you need to play third base.)

In attempt to make Overbay more serviceable and therefore an asset to keep on the roster, Joe Girardi has him starting in right field tonight against the Cleveland Indians. Overbay has had a number of clutch hits this season and the current right fielder, Ichiro Suzuki, has slumped all season. While Ichiro is still a superb defender, Girardi is hoping to add some punch to a lineup that has scored one run or less in five of their last seven games. It's no coincidence the Yankees have won only one of those games, a 4-1 triumph in the middle game of the just completed three game series with Boston.

Overbay's .750 OPS is his highest since 2009, the last time the state of Washington native played in more than 100 games. (He's at 51 this season.) 21 of Overbay's 44 hits have been for extra bases. By comparison, only nine of Ichiro's 46 hits have been more than a single.

The Yankees are expected to send Brennan Boesch back to Scranton in order to activate Andy Pettitte for tonight's contest.

Mariano Exchanges Gifts With Mets

Prior to last night's Yankees - Mets game at Citi Field, the Mets gave Yankees closer Mariano Rivera part of an FDNY firehose for being the "ultimate fireman". He also had the honor of throwing out the game's first pitch to former Mets closer John Franco. Hours later, Rivera returned the gift by blowing his first save opportunity of the season in a 2-1 Mets win. I believe he was contaminated by the Mets.

The fact that Mo blew a save and the Yankees lost was no amazing feat. It's happened before and will happen again. What was truly amazing was the fact that it was the first time in his Major League career that the game's greatest closer blew a save or lost a game without having retired a single batter. THAT is remarkable.

The game was excellent pitcher's duel between Yankees veteran Hiroki Kuroda and Mets phenom Matt Harvey. Lyle Overbay's RBI single was the game's lone run through eight innings and happened in part because Marlon Byrd played Brett Gardner's single like Pele, allowing Gardner to advance into scoring position.

The Yankees couldn't get an insurance run though - Ichiro Suzuki got picked off first base in the 9th and was thrown out as he tried to advanced to second - and it came down to Rivera against the Mets trio of Daniel Murphy, David Wright, and Lucas Duda.  Wright had the game winning home run in Monday's opener of the four game set.

Murphy, who was robbed by Gardner of a home run on Monday and an extra base hit in Tuesday's contest, reached out on and poked a Rivera cutter to left for a ground rule double. Wright followed with a single to center that plated Murphy ahead of Gardner's throw. To compound matters, Rivera got caught watching the play and forgot to back up home plate. Sure enough the ball skittered through catcher Chris Stewart to allow Wright to grab the extra base.

Duda's single to right followed and the Mets had done the unthinkable, beaten the game's greatest closer without having recorded an out.

Notes

Though in my opinion it was blown out of proportion by the media, Jeff Wilpon's words during the pre-game presentation to Rivera, annoyed a lot of Mets fans and baffled the media. Basically Wilpon said that it would be the last time Rivera would face the Mets at Citi Field. Mo responded, "You never know." But instead of being let off the hook, Wilpon added something to the effect of "It would take some big turnaround."  I guess Mariano felt bad for him last night.

The series moves to Yankee Stadium Wednesday and Thursday for a pair of games.

Brian Cashman was brutally honest Tuesday when ESPN radio's Don LaGreca asked him if there was room on the team  for Overbay with Mark Teixeira about set to return. Cashman said he wasn't really sure, given the fact that Overbay can only play one position. (All of Overbay's play in the field - 1,270 games - has been at first base.)

A Long Time Partnership Rights the Yankees Ship

Appreciating the time left as teammates

Some things go perfectly together. Hamburgers and hot dogs, Laurel and Hardy, spaghetti and meatballs. When it comes to the Yankees though it's Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera.

Needing innings from his starter, Joe Girardi let Pettitte go a full eight innings before Rivera came on in the 9th for the first time in his final season. The result was a 4-2 Yankees win over the Red Sox to salvage the finale of the three games series. (It was the 69th all-time win that Rivera preserved for Pettitte.)

Pettitte was extremely efficient and finished with a 94 pitch count. He scattered eight hits, allowd a run, walked one, and struck out three. I thought for sure Girardi would take him out after a bit of a shaky 7th inning and again when Pettitte gave up a lead off single to Jose Iglesias in the 8th. Pettitte made the non move pay off with one of his patented double play grounders, Jacoby Ellsbury the victim of a 3-6-3 DP between Lyle Overbay and Eduardo Nunez.

Rivera got squeezed by home plate ump Mike DiMuro and issued a walk to Dustin Pedroia to start the top of the 9th. One out later Jonny Gomes doubled to bring the tying run to the plate. Youngsters Will Middlebrooks and Jackie Bradley Jr. got schooled though by the all time saves leader.

Middlebrooks grounded out to Overbay to allow a run to score, but it was the second out of the inning. Then it was welcome to the Majors Mr. Bradley, as he watched a called third strike end the game.

The Yankees had their first lead of the season when Overbay singled in a pair of runs off Ryan Dempster in the 2nd inning. It was Dempster's debut with his new team. The right-hander was normally a quick worker in the National League, but Thursday night he channeled slow poke Josh Beckett on the mound. He walked four batters and threw 101 pitches in just five innings of work.

Brett Gardner hit a solo shot off of Dempster in the 3rd inning and Francisco Cervelli added a big insurance run in the 7th when he hit a 400-footer off Clayton Mortensen. (How did the Red Sox find two pitchers named Clayton, Buchholz being the other.)

Notes:

The supposedly popless Yankees now have four home runs in three games.

Brett Gardner got a gift single off the first base bag, but was gunned down by right fielder Shane Victorino when he tried to stretch it into a double.

Nunez had a nice night in the field and at the plate, with two hits and a run scored. Both he and Gardner were thrown out attempting to steal second base by backup catcher David Ross.

Ichiro Suzuki is off to a slow start - 1-9 (.111)

The Yankees released relievers Clay Rapada and David Aardsma after both had been DFA'ed earlier. I can only think that Rapada's bursitis is much worse than originally diagnosed or there's something more than bursitis. I figured that Vidal Nuno might have a shot at the other lefty spot in the pen, but I spoke to Scranton beat writer Donnie Collins who said Nuno would be a starter in Triple-A and has not looked as effective as a reliever in the past.

The Yankees travel to Detroit now for a weekend series, with day games Friday and Sunday. The highlight of the series will be Sunday when CC Sabathia faces Justin Verlander.