New York – The Angels put Randy Johnson in an unusual position Friday – pounding hits, scoring runs, tagging him with his worst playoff start.
Twelve hours after he was booed off the mound at Yankee Stadium, Johnson was asked about going to the bullpen – not as a demotion, but rather as an option as New York attempts to avoid elimination.
“Anything is a possibility,” said Johnson, when asked about working relief for Game 4 tonight and Game 5 if necessary. “It’s not something you embrace. It’s my job. And part of my job is to help us win, isn’t it?”
Johnson’s last playoff appearance in relief was his most famous. He was summoned in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, suffocating the Yankees and paving the way for the Arizona Diamondbacks’ dramatic victory. Game 2 starter Chien-Ming Wang also will be available in relief.
Anyone who watched the Yankees on Friday knows why all possible reinforcements are being considered. New York’s bullpen was torched for six runs, unable to maintain a 6-5 lead.
Girardi attracts interest
When Joe Girardi worked as a catcher for the Rockies from 1993 to 1995, he stood out with intelligence that went beyond his pitching staff to union issues. That acumen has Girardi, the Yankees’ bench coach, on the fast track to become a manager, following in erstwhile Rockie Eric Wedge’s footsteps.
Considered the favorite for the Florida job, Girardi interviewed with Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria last week. Tampa Bay also has received permission to talk with him.
Sympathy for Gaffe-nino
Mark Bellhorn, a key member of Boston’s World Series run last season, took no glee in the Red Sox’s surprising elimination. The Red Sox canned Bellhorn after trading for Tony Graffanino. Graffanino proved a better hitter, but he could be remembered in Boston lore for blowing a double-play groundball in the team’s Game 2 loss to the White Sox.
“I feel for him. We all make mistakes,” Bellhorn said Saturday. “That one play didn’t lose the game or the series.”
Bellhorn enjoyed his time with Boston, explaining he’s never been in a clubhouse where players were closer.
“I will have a hard time ever topping that experience,” Bellhorn said.
Footnotes
If the Yankees win tonight, they face a quick turnaround, with a 5:19 p.m. local start time in Anaheim tentatively set for the series finale.
“You just accept whatever comes down, because if you start getting lost there, you’re going to wind up distracted and using it as an excuse, and this is no time for excuses,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said. …
Both Game 5 starters Bartolo Colon and Mike Mussina were sent to California Saturday as a concession to the scheduling.