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 And the Oakland Athletics don't have a right fielder.
That was the conclusion Thursday night after right-hander Ivan Nova
pitched the Yankees to a 4-1 victory in a game that saw the A's lose
Josh Reddick to a fractured left thumb.
Nova and three relievers combined to limit the A's to six hits, and
Carlos Beltran drove in three runs with a double and a home run,
helping the Yankees gain a first measure of revenge after having
been swept at home by the A's in a three-game series last month.
"He's pitching great. I really like what he's doing," Yankees
manager Joe Girardi said of Nova, who entered the starting rotation
on May 9 after left-hander CC Sabathia went on the disabled list.
But with Sabathia having recovered from a groin strain and scheduled
to come off the DL to pitch Friday, Girardi figures to have a
decision to make next week when Nova's turn in the rotation comes up
again.
The manager was noncommittal after Thursday's game, and Nova
insisted he wasn't going to lose any sleep over the decision,
either.
"The important thing is winning," he said. "I just want to help us
win."
 Reddick won't be doing that for a while for the A's. He caught his
left thumb on the spike of leaping Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius
on successful steal attempt in the seventh inning, and was removed
from the game when Oakland took the field in the top of the eighth.
He has been scheduled to see a hand specialist Friday to determine
the immediate course of action.
"I didn't get lucky on that one," Reddick assured. "Frustrating
isn't even the word. I'm having a great year and then something so
simple can be so damaging."
Reddick provided the A's only run of the game with a solo home run,
his fifth of the season, in the top of the fourth inning. The injury
occurred after his second hit, a leadoff single in the seventh that
raised his May average to .413 (24-for-58).
Nova (3-1) continued his impressive work as a starter for the
Yankees, limiting his third consecutive opponent to just one run.
He allowed only three hits other than the homer -- all singles -- in
six innings, his longest stint as a starter since being promoted
from the bullpen May 9.
He struck out three and did not walk a batter, enabling him to
record 18 outs while throwing only 62 pitches.
Nova was so economical, Girardi had to defend his decision to pull
the starter and go with his three-man bullpen wrecking crew --
right-hander Dellin Betances and lefties Andrew Miller and Aroldis
Chapman.
"There's a reason we've got those guys lined up down there," Girardi
said of his bullpen. "It's my call when I want to use them."
Taking over in a 2-1 game, Betances, Miller and Chapman slammed the
door on the A's, each pitching a scoreless inning.
The hard-throwing Chapman struck out two of the four batters he
faced in the ninth inning to record his fifth save in six
appearances since serving a 30-day suspension that ended May 9.
 Chapman's job became easier after Beltran belted a two-out, two-run
home run off Fernando Rodriguez -- the A's fourth pitcher -- in the
ninth, increasing New York's lead to 4-1.
The home run was Beltran's ninth of the season and 401st of his
career.
It came after an earlier baserunning blunder that cost the Yankees a
run.
"It tells you about Carlos. He doesn't hang his head," Girardi
praised. "Carlos has the ability to move on."
Right-hander Kendall Graveman (1-6) took the loss for the A's
despite allowing fewer than four runs for the first time since April
20, a stretch of four starts.
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His thoughts were with Reddick after the solid effort.
"Red's a big part of the lineup. He brings energy every day,"
Graveman said. "I hope for a quick recovery. We need him."
Beltran, Brett Gardner and Chase Headley had two hits apiece for the
Yankees, who outhit the A's 10-6. Gardner scored twice.
Reddick and Stephen Vogt had two hits apiece for the A's, who had
won four in a row and were coming off a three-game home sweep of the
Texas Rangers.
Graveman was pulled with two outs in the sixth inning, and he was
somewhat lucky to get either of them.
The game was tied 1-1 before Graveman surrendered three singles and
a double to the only four Yankees he faced in the sixth.
That produced more outs (two) and runs (one), however, because
Headley was picked off first base following his leadoff single, and
Gregorius was gunned down at second after his single had advanced
Dustin Ackley, who also had singled, to third.
When right fielder Reddick's throw to third was too late to get
Ackley, third baseman Danny Valencia fired to second to get
Gregorius, who was attempting to move up on the throw.
With two outs and Ackley on third, Aaron Hicks slashed an RBI double
to left, giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead.
Graveman allowed only two runs in his 5 2/3 innings despite giving
up eight hits and three walks. He struck out five.
The Yankees also gave a run away in the third inning after Beltran's
RBI double brought home Gardner to open the scoring.
Reddick dropped Brian McCann's liner to deep right field. Beltran,
not realizing there were two outs, got a late break and advanced
only to third.
"It happens," Girardi noted. "You're not happy about it, but it does
happen.
"I'm going to bet that doesn't happen the rest of his career."
Graveman stranded the two baserunners by getting Starlin Castro to
pop out.
Reddick made up for the blunder with his game-tying solo shot in the
fourth inning.
NOTES: The Yankees have won nine of their last 14 games. ... Yankees
LF Brett Gardner, who had two hits and two walks in five plate
appearances, has reached base 27 times in 16 games in May. ...
Yankees LHP CC Sabathia (strained groin) is scheduled to come off
the disabled list to start Friday's game against A's ace RHP Sonny
Gray. Sabathia, a San Francisco Bay Area native, said he expected to
leave between 75-125 tickets for family and friends. ... Gray will
enter the game with a 5.84 ERA, which is 3.11 higher than his season
figure for 2015. Only Arizona Diamondbacks RHP Zack Greinke (3.42)
has seen his ERA increase by more among regular starters. ...
Yankees DH Alex Rodriguez (strained hamstring) ran the bases without
incident before the game, but manager Joe Girardi expressed
skepticism the veteran would be activated from the DL by the end of
the weekend.
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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