Joe Girardi

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff Yankees manager Joe Girardi, a former catcher, had this to say to reporters in Tampa about the retirement of Jason Varitek: "He was a big part of their club, the way he ran that pitching staff and being a switch hitter that produced offensively. I thought he was a big part of their club, just like Jorge [Posada] was. The unfortunate thing is, when you have great players like that, the unfortunate thing is they get older. You can't keep them 25, 26 their whole career because we all love having them around.

Joe Girardi was frustrated. Six losses in seven games left the New York Yankees last in the AL East. "I'm hoping this is rock-bottom," the manager said. No, that's not this week. That was on May 20, 2008, 45 games into Girardi's first season as the Yankees manager — and the only season since 1994 that New York failed to make the playoffs. As Yogi Berra says, it gets late early — especially in the Bronx. For a team that likes to constantly refer to its history, 2012 is starting to resemble 2008, when the Yankees started 20-25 and never really contended.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Red Sox and Yankees played a 4-4 tie on Thursday night, the game ending after nine innings when New York manager Joe Girardi told the umpires he was out of pitchers. Sox manager Bobby Valentine didn't buy it. "They had plenty of pitching. Probably too long of a ride," Valentine said. "They could have known that going in. " The Red Sox tied the game in the bottom of the ninth on a suicide squeeze by Jason Repko. Ryan Sweeney, who had singled and gone to third on a double by Mike Aviles, scored easily.

Dropped as low as seventh in the batting order for the first time in eight years, Mark Teixeira didn't think it would make much a difference on what pitches he'll see. "I'm still Mark Teixeira," the New York Yankees first baseman said. "I still put up some pretty good numbers in my career, so I don't think they're going to just start underhanding it to me. I wish they would, but I don't think that's going to happen. " Bothered by coughing and a bronchial illness since the first week of the season, the two-time All-Star is batting .226 — 54 points below his career average —...

Johnny Cueto pitched effectively into the eighth inning, Ryan Ludwick delivered two big hits and the Cincinnati Reds closed out their extended visit to New York by beating the Yankees 5-2 Sunday. The Reds rallied late against CC Sabathia, sending the Yankees to their fifth loss in six games. Aroldis Chapman closed it out as Cincinnati took two of three at Yankee Stadium, right after splitting a pair at Citi Field against the Mets. Cueto (5-1) gave up a two-run homer to Raul Ibanez in the sixth.

Joe Girardi was frustrated. Six losses in seven games left the New York Yankees last in the AL East. "I'm hoping this is rock-bottom," the manager said. No, that's not this week. That was on May 20, 2008, 45 games into Girardi's first season as the Yankees manager — and the only season since 1994 that New York failed to make the playoffs. As Yogi Berra says, it gets late early — especially in the Bronx. For a team that likes to constantly refer to its history, 2012 is starting to resemble 2008, when the Yankees started 20-25 and never really contended.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff NEW YORK — Joe Girardi said today that the Yankees would start Freddy Garcia (11-8, 3.77) A.J. Burnett (10-11, 5.28) and Ivan Nova (16-4, 3.62) against the Red Sox this weekend. The Sox are starting Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield and Somebody Else. I asked my cab driver just now and it's not him.

New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi says closer Mariano Rivera has a torn right knee ligament, an injury that could potentially end his career. The 42-year-old right-hander was carted off the field after twisting his right knee shagging flyballs during batting practice Thursday night before the Yankees played the Kansas City Royals.

OTTAWA - There are 23 first-round picks among this season's NHL All-Stars. Then there's Dan Girardi. The Rangers defenseman is New York's equivalent to the Bruins' Rich Peverley - an undrafted and unheralded Ontario kid who rode buses in the ECHL before hitting the big time. Girardi is the only undrafted All-Star. So far this season, he is proving to 29 other clubs that he was worthy of at least a low-round pick. Girardi leads all players by averaging 27 minutes 22 seconds of ice time per game, more than two minutes more than Bruins strongman...

NEW YORK - The New York Yankees picked experience over popularity, offering the manager's job to Joe Girardi yesterday at the risk of watching Don Mattingly walk away from the franchise. Beloved as team captain, "Donnie Baseball" was the early favorite to replace Joe Torre and openly coveted the spot. After finding out he didn't get it, Mattingly told the Yankees he had no interest in returning next year as bench coach or in any other coaching position. "Don was extremely disappointed to learn today that he wasn't the organization's choice to fill the managerial vacancy," Mattingly's...

Johnny Cueto pitched effectively into the eighth inning, Ryan Ludwick delivered two big hits and the Cincinnati Reds closed out their extended visit to New York by beating the Yankees 5-2 Sunday. The Reds rallied late against CC Sabathia, sending the Yankees to their fifth loss in six games. Aroldis Chapman closed it out as Cincinnati took two of three at Yankee Stadium, right after splitting a pair at Citi Field against the Mets. Cueto (5-1) gave up a two-run homer to Raul Ibanez in the sixth.

NEW YORK - Andy Pettitte repeatedly shook his head, smiled and glanced down at the table in the interview room while he tried - in his "aw shucks" manner - to find one thing that made his return to the big leagues feel strange. Pettitte was back on the mound Sunday for the Yankees, getting lavished with adoration while pitching into the seventh inning despite giving up a pair of two-run homers in New York's 6-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners. It was as if he never left.

CC Sabathia twirled on the mound, gave a shout and violently punched the air. Far from a must-win, it certainly was a welcomed one for the New York Yankees and their ace. Sabathia outpitched David Price for the first time in six career matchups between the All-Star lefties, Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson homered and the Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 Thursday night. "CC seems to be the big guy right now," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. Sabathia (5-0)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Leave it to CC Sabathia and Derek Jeter, a couple of grizzled veterans, to give the New York Yankees an uplifting performance when they need it the most. Jeter hit a two-run homer to break open a close game, Sabathia went eight innings for the third straight time, and the Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals, 6-2, on Friday night. They snapped a three-game skid while also taking a bold first step after losing closer Mariano Rivera to injury. "We lost three in a row. We didn't finish up the homestand the way we wanted.

New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi says closer Mariano Rivera has a torn right knee ligament, an injury that could potentially end his career. The 42-year-old right-hander was carted off the field after twisting his right knee shagging flyballs during batting practice Thursday night before the Yankees played the Kansas City Royals.

Having seen the New York Yankees make the first change to their rotation, Phil Hughes knows he could be the next to lose his starting job. Hughes improved from his awful April only marginally Tuesday night. Given an early lead, he allowed home runs to Chris Davis and J.J. Hardy that boosted the Baltimore Orioles over New York 7-1, giving Brian Matusz his first victory in 11 months and Buck Showalter his 1,000th win as a big league manager. "Overall, tonight was the best stuff I had all year," Hughes said.

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Red Sox and Yankees will go at it for the first time in spring training Tuesday night in Tampa. It'll be the first Bobby Valentine vs. Joe Girardi chapter of the rivalry. "I'm sure there will be a different excitement level in the stands. I'm sure it will feel a little bit different, but I'm not so sure our players will get too caught up with it. I try to tell them not to get too caught up in it during the season. You have to go out and play. There's always a different atmosphere in the stands," Joe Girardi told reporters in Tampa.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Red Sox and Yankees will go at it for the first time in spring training tomorrow night in Tampa. It'll be the first Bobby Valentine vs. Joe Girardi chapter of the rivalry. "I'm sure there will be a different excitement level in the stands. I'm sure it will feel a little bit different, but I'm not so sure our players will get too caught up with it. I try to tell them not to get too caught up in it during the season. You have to go out and play. There's always a different atmosphere in the stands," Joe Girardi told reporters in Tampa.

In one clubhouse at Yankee Stadium, a young pitcher celebrated his first major league win in his fourth start. Over on the home team's side, Freddy Garcia contemplated start No. 331. It did not appear to be a pleasant exercise. For the second straight time, he didn't make it out of the second inning. The New York Yankees couldn't come back Saturday against the Detroit Tigers and lost 7-5, their third loss in four games. "I don't know what's going to happen next," Garcia said.

The New York Yankees got good news about two injured outfielders. Curtis Granderson went 1 for 4 after missing two games because of right elbow soreness but the Yankees lost 4-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night. "Curtis was great," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. Granderson, the designated hitter, singled in the third. The center fielder could play defense on Friday night. "I hope so," Granderson said. "Everything is good. " New York right fielder Nick Swisher, out with a groin injury, hit in a minor league game for...