Bronx, N.Y., June 4, 2013 — With Andy Pettitte back from the DL, Ivan Nova being stretched out in Scranton, and Vidal Nuno the flavor of the month, the skids were well greased for David Phelps’s exit from the Yankee rotation. Six days ago, with the Yanks poised to pounce on the crosstown Mets in Yankee Stadium after two losses in Flushing, Phelps threw 32 pitches and recorded one out, surrendering five ugly runs in a 9-4 loss while failing to finish the first inning. Combined with Adam Warren’s ugly late line in an 11-1 loss to Boston, the time seemed ripe for David to reassume the long man job he held on the Yankee staff for much of last year.

Ripe, perhaps, everywhere but in the mind and the right arm of Phelps, who took the mound vs. a charging Cleveland squad Tuesday in what was clearly the best 2013 Bronx night for baseball. The weather was cool, the night was pretty, and Phelps was in control against a lineup dotted with .290 and .280 hitters; the Tribe hitters battled him from pitch one. He would strike out seven visiting batters over six frames, but walk four as well. His nine-pitch sixth was the outlier of the group; he was pushed to 20-plus pitches twice, and 17 and 15, respectively, in the third and fourth. His second walk led off the fourth, and he issued free passes to the first two Indians batting in the fifth.

Which could have been a huge problem if not for two factors: First baseman Mark Teixeira gave the team its second four-run inning in two days with a multiple-run homer, again in the third inning; and the darting fastballs David was having trouble keeping in the zone were evading Cleveland bats like they were stealth missiles. Phelps struck out a batter an inning, and two in the second, and the only base hit he allowed was an almost routine grounder to short that the speedy Drew Stubbs barely beat out with one down in the third.

A liner to Lyle Overbay, again in right, and a swinging strike out of Jason Kipnis brought the Yanks up for a loud inning. Ex-Met, Ray, et al southpaw Scott Kazmir had struck out two in the first, and would again to end the home third, but not before five straight hits gave the Yanks the quick 4-0 lead. Overbay’s double into the right center gap easily cleared speedy center fielder Michael Bourn, and Chris Stewart singled but was caught in a rundown between first and second. Ichiro and Jayson Nix singles to left, then right center, scored a run and set it up for Tex, who delivered a three-run shot one deck up in left and 10 or so feet inside the foul pole.

Phelps still had three walks in him, but no hits, and despite the fact that the team had surrendered one three-run lead the night before, the righty seemed the master of his domain. But walks and strike outs invariably add up to a lot of pitches, and Phelps left, having thrown 102 pitches through six.

“In control” left the building with David, however. Joba Chamberlain came on for the seventh, as he had the night before; he walked his first batter, again like last night. A strike out and infield popup got him close, but Mike Aviles singled with two down, and Stubbs homered just over a game Ichiro try in right, to close the score to 4-3. The Yanks threatened in their half, but lefty Nick Hagadone coaxed a double play from Robbie Cano.

The usually reliable setup man David Robertson got off to an even shakier start in the eighth, with a walk and a single, but ex-Yank Nick Swisher lined hard to Nix at second, and Kipnis was doubled off second. Carlos Santana bounced to second, and Mariano Rivera came on for a three-batter, one-inning save, striking out Mark Reynolds and Jason Giambi swinging in the process.

The return of Mark Teixeira, out all year with a wrist injury, has been looked on hopefully for three months, then through one hit over three games vs. Boston he’s been castigated on New York sports radio as a failing and flawed player. But two days later, he’s now driven in seven runs with two big home runs, and a Yankee team that has been scoring a run a day has beaten one of the league’s hottest team with seven and four runs, respectively. The bullpen carried them to victory Monday, but they just survived in this one. The Yanks prevailed Tuesday night because

Mr. Phelps accepted and delivered on a Possible Mission.

BTW,TYW
YANKEE BASEBALL!!!