NEW YORK -- Joe Girardi was reminded by a reporter Wednesday that in a bygone era, Yogi Berra was once fired as the Yankees manager after 16 games.
The year was 1985 and George Steinbrenner was changing managers the way the rest of us change underwear.
Those Yankees lost their first five games against the hated Red Sox, a Bronx tragedy that hadn't repeated itself since Girardi's Bombers did it again this year.
So, does Girardi worry for his job security?
"I don't, I don't," the manager calmly told a dugout full of reporters. "I just focus on doing my job."
That job just got a little harder after the Bombers lost their fourth straight by the count of 4-3 in 10 innings to Tampa Bay, dropping them to 13-14 on the season.
Carlos Pena broke a 3-3 tie by crushing his 12th homer of the season over the right field wall against Phil Coke, to lead off the top of the 10th.
"It is still only one game," Girardi said after the game. "You believe. You keep having the opportunities, this is going to turn around."
The Yankees left the potential tying run in the person of Johnny Damon stranded at third base in the bottom of the 10th inning when both Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui flew out against Troy Percival. Damon hit a one-out ground-rule double and advanced to third on a wild pitch.
"We score four runs tonight before the ninth inning is over we win this game," Girardi said. "But we didn't do it. We didn't score runs."
The loss spoiled a timely bases-clearing, game-tying double by Teixeira with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to tie it at 3.
And it underscored the Yankees continuing bullpen woes.
The pen, which has struggled without Brian Bruney, out with an injured elbow and Damaso Marte, had posted a horrific 6.35 ERA entering the game.
In Tuesday night's 7-3 loss to Boston, the relievers turned a close 4-3 game into a four-run deficit in the final two innings.
Still, Edwar Ramirez, Jonathan Albaladejo and Mariano Rivera combined to shut down the Rays over the seventh, eighth and ninth innings Wednesday.
A.J. Burnett had a solid if unspectacular outing, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out eight and walking two.
Before loading the bases against Andy Sonnanstine and two relievers in the eighth inning in the prelude to Teixeira's
double, the Yankees had managed just four hits over seven innings.
"We're just not getting that huge hit when we need it," Girardi said.
Alex Rodriguez, recovering from surgery on his right hip in March, could return Friday in Baltimore to provide a much-needed offensive boost. He was 1-for-5 with a walk as the designated hitter Wednesday in Florida and slid into second base with no issues. He's scheduled to play six innings at third base Thursday and could suit up for the Orioles opener.
At this rate, the Yankees will gladly take him despite the airport full of luggage -- the steroid charges, the book allegations, the circus-like atmosphere -- that will inevitably come with him.
"We can lengthen our potent lineup even more if we had A-Rod and Posada in there," said Damon, referring to catcher Jorge Posada, out with a hamstring injury. "That moves Melky to the nine hole instead of the seven hole. It lengthens your lineup, lengthens the guys who can supply power to your lineup."
Girardi needs A-Rod in the lineup and a healthy bullpen before this season gets late early, to paraphrase Yogi Berra.
Listen, nobody is suggesting that Girardi is in real jeopardy of losing his job, despite the fans' chants of "We Want Torre" in the late innings of Tuesday's loss to Boston.
"Those fans are impatient," former Yankees and current Dodgers manager Joe Torre told the Los Angeles Times. "I feel for Joe. The kid is a good manager. He's going to be a better manager."
That may be, but now the pressure falls squarely on the shoulders of lefty Andy Pettitte, who once again must halt a losing streak when he takes the mound Thursday against the Rays.
It might be hard to believe, but A-Rod can't get here soon enough.
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