Girardi On WFAN: Now Is The Time For Yankees To Make Their Move In Division
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- The Yankees head into a four-game series at Minnesota on Thursday trying to snap another losing streak.
The Bronx Bombers (31-34) have dropped four straight and fallen into last place in the American League East.
It hasn't helped that Carlos Beltran missed the last two contests and manager Joe Girardi could start designated hitter Alex Rodriguez at Colorado because it's a National League park.
"Our lineup misses the guys in the middle. That's the bottom line," Girardi told WFAN's Mike Francesa on Thursday. " ... Other guys need to get it done. We got 10 runs the night before, and we just weren't able to do much yesterday."
Despite all the Yankees' struggles, they are still only six games out of first place. Girardi said his team must make its move soon.
"We went through a little bit of a downturn over the weekend, didn't score a lot of runs yesterday, and you need some consistency," he said. "I think our starting pitching has gotten better. Now (Nathan Eovaldi's) going through a little bit of a tough time, but I think he'll get straightened out. And if we continue to get starting pitching, we should be able to make up ground.
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"I think it's important because we've got to get over the .500 mark, and we have to start to make some ground up on these other teams. And we've had some opportunities because they've been playing each other. And we have not been playing well the last four days. And I've said it's not so much the teams that you're playing, it's you start to run out of months and you start to run out of games, and there are only certain opportunities to catch teams, and this is one of them."
Eovaldi got roughed up Tuesday against the Rockies, allowing six runs over four innings. Francesa asked Girardi if he could chalk up the poor outing to the thin Denver air.
"It's hard for me to figure out because he struggled with his split the last two outings before that, and I think he struggled again," Girardi said. "So I don't know how much of it has to do with Colorado or how much of it has to do with he's just still struggling with it."
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On a positive note, Girardi said he's been thrilled with the season CC Sabathia, Thursday's starter, has been having. Sabathia, who had to win a spring-training competition to stay in the rotation, is 4-4 with a 2.28 ERA.
"What he's done has been outstanding, and it's been minor adjustments that he's had to make along the way," Girardi said. "He's got his cutter improved drastically. He has command of his sinker and his changeup, and he's used his backdoor breaking ball well.
"I think the knee brace has helped a lot, I really do, because it allows him to be mechanically sound every time he throws the ball," the Yankees manager added. "His knee would give out at times or have shooting pains, and this has changed him."
Girardi also said first baseman Mark Teixeria, who is on the disabled list with a knee injury, is hoping to begin a rehab assignment in the minors Tuesday.
"Our hope was three weeks, but maybe it's going to be sooner," Girardi said.
To listen to the full interview with Girardi, click on the audio player above.
