Yankees' Teixeira exits with strained hamstring

NEW YORK - Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira left Game 4 of the AL Championship Series with a strained right hamstring in the fifth inning Tuesday night. The Yankees said Teixeira was headed for New York's Presbyterian Hospital for an MRI exam.

He hurt his leg while running to first on a ground ball. Teixeira stumbled and slid awkwardly into the base. He was safe on a wide throw but stayed on the ground as a trainer checked on him.

Teixeira was helped off the field. Nick Swisher moved from right field to replace him at first.

Yanks ace CC Sabathia looks forward to getting back to his usual routine.

Sabathia began the postseason by earning the win in a 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins in the opening AL division series game on Oct. 6.

He didn't return to the mound until Friday, lasting just four innings and getting a no-decision in the Yankees' comeback 6-5 win over the Texas Rangers. Sabathia allowed five earned runs on six hits and four walks. He threw 93 pitches, just 51 for strikes.

Now Sabathia returns to his normal schedule when he starts Wednesday's Game 5 in a 4:07 p.m. game at Yankee Stadium.

Sabathia feels he will be much more effective on regular rest. "Still no excuse for the way I pitched the other night, no time off or whatever, but I felt like I was ready throwing out of the bullpen - but, obviously, I wasn't," Sabathia said Tuesday. "I threw a good bullpen [session] two days ago and look forward to being ready [Wednesday]."

Sabathia's regular-season record is 157-88 with a 3.57 ERA. In 12 postseason appearances, the lefthander is 6-4 with a 4.79 ERA.

He was 0-1 with a 3.29 ERA in two World Series games last year against the Phillies. In 2008 with Milwaukee, Sabathia lost to the Phils, 5-2, in the NLDS, allowing five earned runs in 32/3 innings.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi has one less worry, and depending how one looks at it, one fewer bidder for his potential services after the Cubs named Mike Quade their manager on Tuesday. Quade, who took over for Lou Piniella on Aug. 23, was signed for two years with a club option for 2013.

Girardi was born in Peoria, Ill., attended Northwestern and is a former Cubs catcher. His Yankees contract expires after this season, and because of this situation, Girardi was the subject of managerial speculation with the Cubs.

When Girardi was asked about the hire, he replied, "Congrats to Mike."

Girardi insisted that the Cubs' situation was the furthest thing from his mind. "As I've said all along, I'm focused on what we are trying to do here," he said. "I'm not worried about next year."

The Yankees were beaten, 8-0, in Game 3, which based on statistics shouldn't be that surprising. In their postseason history, the Yankees have been shut out 21 times. One-third of those shutouts have come in Game 3.

Former Phillie Cliff Lee has appeared in eight postseason games and has the third lowest ERA (minimum five postseason games) of all-time. Lee, who pitched five postseason games with the Phillies and now three with Texas is 7-0 with a 1.26 ERA. The only two pitchers with better postseason ERAs are Sandy Koufax (0.95) and Christy Mathewson (1.06).