Girardi piecing together bullpen ravaged by injuries
NEW YORK -- Manager Joe Girardi goes into every game knowing who he has available to him in the bullpen. On Saturday, Girardi knew which relievers could pitch, he just didn't know what he was going to get.
David Robertson, Boone Logan and Shawn Kelley are hurt, and Joba Chamberlain and Preston Claiborne were unavailable after pitching on back-to-back days, so Girardi's options were limited after starter David Huff lasted just 3 1/3 innings in a 13-9 loss to the Red Sox.
"That's a little bit different of a feeling," Girardi said before the game. "But I have confidence in the guys that they can go out and get the job done, or I don't think they would be here. … My belief is they can get it done."
Huff didn't get it done in his first start of the season, as he surrendered nine runs on eight hits, and Girardi's first option out of the bullpen didn't fare much better.
After getting called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before the game, Jim Miller entered the game in relief of Huff and allowed one inherited runner to score before allowing three more of his own to score on three hits over 1 1/3 frames.
"We haven't pitched too well the last three games, but that can change quickly," Girardi said after the game. "The bottom line is we have to pitch better, because we are scoring some runs. We have to figure out how to get them out."
Brett Marshall was impressive in long relief, though, pitching the final 4 1/3 innings of the game and giving up just one run -- a solo home run from first baseman Mike Napoli in the ninth inning -- on three hits while striking out three and walking one.
Girardi said he will continue to use Marshall as a long reliever out of the bullpen.
"I knew I had a chance to get in once we gave up a few runs, and I was like, 'All right, here we go. Let's get mentally prepared,'" Marshall said. "It's kind of exciting, but at the same time, you don't want to be down like that. So it was a tough situation to come into, but I just wanted to make good pitches."
Miller was 3-5 with six saves and a 3.55 ERA in 43 appearances with the RailRiders this season, and hadn't made a Major League appearance since Sept. 28, 2012, when he was with the A's.
For his career, the 31-year-old is 2-3 with a 2.42 ERA over three seasons between the Orioles, Rockies and A's.
To make room for Miller on the 40-man roster, the Yankees reinstated pitcher Vidal Nuno from the Minor League seven-day disabled list, recalled him from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and placed him on the 60-day Major League disabled list. Nuno is recovering from a strained left groin.