Just Another Day at the Office For Jeter

The people who say Derek Jeter is overrated must not watch Yankee games.

For the second day in a row, the Captain played an integral role in New York's win over the defending American League champion Tampa Bay Rays.

On Tuesday, the shortstop's opposite field single in the eighth got the go-ahead run to third with less than two outs.  His three-run homer in the ninth put the game out of reach.

In Wednesday's 4-3 victory, Jeter led off the eighth with a double to deep center and scored the tying run on Johnny Damon's extra base hit.  The following inning, the Captain stepped to the plate with two outs and promptly singled home the game-winning run.

But this is nothing new for the first ballot Hall of Famer.  For the past 14 seasons, Jeter has been one of the most clutch players in baseball.  In his career, he's hit .319 with two outs and runners in scoring position and .362 with the bases loaded.

And this year is no different.  The Captain is an astounding 4-4 with two outs and runners on second or third.

Here are the grades from the rubber game win over the Rays.

Joe Girardi, Manager: (A-) I was pleased to see Girardi send his starter out to the mound to pitch the eighth inning for the second straight day, but disappointed when he pulled Andy Pettitte after he got the first batter.  Pettitte had retired nine of the last 10 guys he faced and threw only 96 pitches, but Brian Bruney continued to dazzle in relief, striking out both hitters he faced.

I liked sending the speedy Brett Gardner with one out in the fourth despite the fact that he was thrown out, but Girardi continues to miss bunting opportunities.  Damon definitely should have bunted after Jeter led off the eighth with a double.  It worked out this time as Damon doubled in the tying run, but this is the type of gambling that cost the Yankees a ton of runs last season.

The skipper also should've had Mark Teixeira lay one down after Damon doubled.  Don't tell me he doesn't know how; he's a Major Leaguer.  Instead, Teixeira struck out to drop his average to .174.

Derek Jeter, SS: (A+) The Captain was 2-4 with a double, a run scored, a walk and that game-winning RBI.

Johnny Damon, LF: (A+) Damon was 2-5 with a game-tying double.

Mark Teixeira, 1B: (F) Teixeira was 0-4 with three strikeouts and three men left on base, dropping his average to .174, but we sort of expected this because he's a career .254 hitter in April.

Nick Swisher, RF: (C) Looks like we'll be seeing a lot more of Swisher this season now that Xavier Nady has gone down with a serious elbow injury.  That's fine with the Yankees.  Even after a 1-4 day, the right fielder is still hitting .429.

Jorge Posada, DH: (D+) Posada was 0-3 with a walk and a strikeout, and you know he can't be happy about DH'ing for the second day in a row.

Robinson Cano, 2B: (A+) Cano's two-run homer in the fourth tied the game.  Don't look now but Robbie is batting .382.

Brett Gardner, CF: (F) Not a good game for Gardner who went 0-4 with two K's and was caught stealing after he reached on an error.

Ramiro Pena, 3B: (F) Alex Rodriguez can't return soon enough.  Pena's 0-2 drops him to .167 on the year.

Jose Molina, C: (D) Another good job behind the plate, but at it, he was again 0-4.

Melky Cabrera, RF: (C+) Cabrera entered for defensive purposes in the ninth and did just that, making a nice running catch on a ball in shallow right.

Hideki Matsui, PH: (C+) Godzilla drew a pinch-hit walk for Pena in the seventh.  With A-Rod and Nady injured, Matsui needs to step up and get his .125 average heading north quickly.

Cody Ransom, PR-3B: (B+) Ransom picked up a huge double and came around to score the game-winning run on Jeter's single in the ninth.  Maybe that's the big hit that will get him going.

Andy Pettitte, SP: (A-) Pettitte was perfect through two but unraveled in the third and fourth.  Still, he settled down to pitch a very solid 7.1 innings, surrendering just three runs on six hits, striking out four and walking just one.  He didn't get the win, but he put his team in position to do just that while keeping his ERA at an impressive 2.51.

Brian Bruney, RP: (A+) Bruney has faced five batters over the past two games and struck out all of them.  For his troubles, he earned a win Tuesday.  He is the eighth inning guy that should quiet those ridiculous Joba to the bullpen rumblings.

Mariano Rivera, RP: (A+) Retired three guys without giving up a run.  Congrats.

Yankees Overall Grade: (A) Great pitching and good timely hitting give the Bombers a road series victory over last year's AL champs.  Going 5-4 in the franchise's longest ever road trip to start a season is another plus, but most important is that four of New York's five starting pitchers are locked in.