BALTIMORE -- Yankees manager Joe Girardi believes Saturday's "suspicious" pitch from Baltimore right-hander Josh Rupe created a bonding experience for his team.  Rupe plunked Yankees' catcher Russell Martin in the upper back with two outs in the ninth inning of a 15-3 New York romp. Martin had homered twice in the game and Alex Rodriguez, the first batter Rupe faced, had hit a grand slam in the eighth inning (moving him ahead of Lou Gehrig into second on the all-time slams list).  "Alex made a good point about it," Girardi said Sunday. "(A situation like that) brings teams closer together. (You sense) the resolve, the energy. Everybody is on the top step (of the dugout) now."  Martin was not pleasd. Girardi said he was happy that Martin didn't charge the mound or do anything that might result in a penalty from Major League Baseball.  "The last thing you want is your starting catcher suspended," Girardi said. "I'm proud of the restraint he showed."  The best response, he said, came from outfielder Brett Gardner, the next batter, who hit his first homer of the season on a 2-1 pitch from Rupe.  "That's the best way to make your point," Girardi said.  Girardi stopped short of calling out Rupe.  "You don't (know for sure it wasn't accidental)," he said. "That's why I don't ever really accuse anyone. I might say, it was 'suspicious.'  "(My anger) is about where he was hit -- 2-3 inches from his skull. I believe making hitters uncomfortable.is all part of the game. I encourage our guys to make hitters uncomfortable and pitch inside. What happened last night is ugly. Russell gets hit close to his head which is very dangerous."  Rupe insisted to reporters after Saturday's game that he was not head-hunting.  Girardi dismissed discussion about possible ways his team might retaliate on Sunday. "If I did, I wouldn't tell anyone here," he said. "Those type things are meant to stay in a clubhouse."  He did, however. stress the importance of teammates looking out for each other.  "As a team, you have to take care of each other," he said. "I think it's important that your players have each others' backs during a long season."  See photos of: New York Yankees, Alex Rodriguez, Baltimore Orioles, Joe Girardi, Brett Gardner  To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor  . For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to  . Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to
Yankee manager Girardi says beanball brought his team together - Daily Pitch: MLB News, Standings, Schedules & More - USATODAY.com