Let’s Google the hussy: Mistress of Brin a top search on own Web engine

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KNOW-NO: Google founder and billionaire Sergey Brin is separated from wife Anne amid reports he bedded tech sass gal Amanda Rosenberg, an exec who joined the Google team last year and delighted in posing for glamorous photos (pictured).

She bedded two bosses and became the most Googled employee in the Googleplex.

Internet side dish Amanda Rosenberg — outed this week as both the mistress of married Google billionaire co-founder Sergey Brin and former girlfriend of newly departed Google Android exec Hugo Barra — was the fifth-most-queried subject on the search behemoth's Web site after the news broke.

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Sergey Brin Anne Wojcicki last year.

Rosenberg had racked up more than 50,000 hits on Google by Thursday night, besting Patriots quarterback Tim Tebow, college-football Heisman hopeful Jadeveon Clowney and cancer-stricken actress Valerie Harper, according to Google's "hot searches."

The 26-year-old Google Glass marketing manager also found herself under attack on her personal Google+ page.

"Every fellow Googler knows she slept with not one but two bosses within the same 8 months," user Audrey Winters posted in a message on Rosenberg's page.

"OK, Glass, find conniving in the dictionary."

Rosenberg's claim to fame is coining the "OK, Glass" command that starts the firm's new head-mounted computer.

Brin is now separated from his wife, Anne Wojcicki.

A Google spokesman said Rosenberg has not been transferred in the wake of the scandal, while a source in the company said Rosenberg has been moved "further from Sergey in the chain of command" since their affair, first reported by AllThingsD on Wednesday, became known.

Rosenberg had been dating Barra, who resigned this week to take a job with the Chinese phone-maker Xiaomi, after what one source said was a "thorny end" to a romantic relationship.

"She's good at playing men — she played me," said former Rosenberg beau Ewan Butler, who dated the Brit-bred beauty in the UK before she moved to the United States for her high-tech Google gig.

"Amanda's a good-looking girl, and she knows she is," Butler told the Daily Mail.

Rosenberg came to San Francisco in January 2012. She was promoted to the Google Glass job in May that year.

That same month, Brin's wife, who heads Calif.-based DNA-testing firm 23andMe, talked about her seemingly happy marriage and the couple's two young children in an interview with Inc.com.

"Sergey and I like to have dinner together as a family, usually around 6," she said. "Then we'll put the kids to bed, and both of us will work until 11 p.m."

"My perfect weekend is going for a walk with my family in the park. I don't think there's anything better."

Brin and his wife separated about four months ago, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

Neither has filed for divorce.

jeane.macintosh@nypost.com

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Son of drug-smuggling Suriname president busted with coke, bazooka: prosecutors

The son of a notorious South American president smuggled a fat stash of cocaine into the United States — and was busted with a rocket launcher and several guns, Manhattan prosecutors said yesterday.

Dino Bouterse, 40, whose father is the drug-trafficking president of Suriname, pleaded not guilty to the charges at his federal court arraignment.

Bouterse's arsenal included "a light anti-tank weapon, which is a launcher containing a rocket, and pistols," according to an indictment unsealed yesterday.

"Dino Bouterse conspired to send [22 pounds of] cocaine to the United States in a suitcase and brandished a destructive weapon during the act," Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara said.

AP

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON: Dino Bouterse (above), son of drug- smuggling Suriname President Desi Bouterse (below), waits in New York after being caught trafficking drugs and weapons, authorities say.

Reuters

"Bouterse is a significant drug trafficker who allegedly possessed dangerous weapons. Bouterse has a history of drug and weapons trafficking, having been convicted of similar charges in his home country of Suriname in 2005."

Bouterse was collared at a Panama airport for sending the suitcase of coke from Suriname to the Caribbean on a commercial flight — with the plan that the drugs would end up in the United States.

His father, President Dési Bouterse, was convicted in absentia by a Netherlands court in 1999 of smuggling over 1,000 pounds of cocaine into the country — but never served any prison time.

The elder Bouterse is a former military dictator accused of human-rights violations, including the killings of 15 political opponents in December 1982. He ruled the tiny country from 1980 to 1987 and regained power in 2010.

After his son's arrest, Bouterse postponed his opening statement at the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) summit in Suriname's capital by three hours.

"I have heard about the news, but, at this moment, I am concentrating on the UNASUR meeting," he told reporters.

Prosecutors in Suriname charged Dino Bouterse with stealing 50 guns from the government intelligence service in 2002 but later dropped the charges due to lack of evidence.

Police arrested the younger Bouterse again in September 2004 after seizing a large number of assault weapons, ammunition and one kilogram of cocaine from a local auto shop.

He was sentenced to eight years in prison in August 2005 after a judge found him guilty of leading a ring that trafficked in cocaine, illegal arms and stolen luxury cars.

Dino Bouterse was charged yesterday with importing cocaine into the United States and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug-trafficking crime. He could face life behind bars.

He will next appear in court on Sept. 9.

rcalder@nypost.com

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Fatigue catching up with Wheeler

WASHINGTON — Zack Wheeler can feel the burn of a long season, but insists that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

"I'm a little tired," the Mets rookie said before his team beat the Nationals 3-2 last night. "My velocity has dropped a little, obviously, [but] I'm learning to pitch at that level so next year when I come back and my velocity is good to go back up, I'm hoping I pick up where I am right now, command-wise."

Wheeler may pass a milestone of sorts tonight when he faces the Nationals: The right-hander has pitched 145 innings combined between Triple-A Las Vegas and the Mets this season, four short of his career high, established last year.

Anthony J Causi

SLOWING DOWN: Mets rookie ZackWheeler, who admits to feeling "a little tired," is closing in on his innings limit this season.

The Mets expect Wheeler to approach 180 innings overall before receiving a late-September shutdown. Along the way, there is the expectation he will continue to pitch at a high level.

"I think he's found the strike zone," pitching coach Dan Warthen said, assessing Wheeler's growth since his June 18 arrival. "He's reasonably tired, so we're not seeing his high-end velocity, but we're seeing consistent velocity from him."

That consistent velocity has fallen in the 93-96 mph range — still good enough to overpower major league hitters.

Wheeler, 6-3 with a 3.42 ERA in 13 starts, compares how he is pitching lately to the manner in which he was performing for Las Vegas in late May, before collarbone soreness forced him to miss a start. Fatigue has been the common thread.

"I was telling [Warthen] the other day that before I missed that start in Vegas when I had the collarbone thing, leading up to that, the three games were the best three games I pitched because I wasn't overthrowing, because my shoulder was kind of sore," Wheeler said. "I was just out there and like, 'Get quick outs and get out of there.'

"Now that it's later in the season, my velocity is not up like I want it, I'm out there and like, 'Let's get quick outs because I can't throw it by you.' I've just got to pitch. You learn how to pitch with that and hopefully it carries over into next season."

* If David Wright is "lucky," according to manager Terry Collins, he will have a chance to DH in a minor league rehab game on Monday. Wright reported to Port St. Lucie yesterday for rehab on his strained right hamstring.

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Microsoft vs. Amex for Foursquare

Microsoft and American Express are vying for an equity stake in Foursquare, said people with knowledge of the talks.

The companies are competing to invest in Foursquare rather than cooperating on a joint bid, said one of the people. Foursquare is talking with other companies about a possible investment, and the talks may not lead to a deal, said another person with knowledge of the matter.

Foursquare, which lets users check in to show they're visiting a place like a restaurant or shop, is also negotiating with venture capitalists who own convertible debt about turning their holdings into equity, said one of the people.

The discussions suggest that potential investors are more bullish on Foursquare's prospects after it began reaping the benefits of a new advertising approach that lets brands target users when they've checked into a locale.

Those advertisements are bringing in three times the revenue Foursquare had expected, Chief Revenue Officer Steven Rosenblatt said, and Foursquare is on track to beat its sales goals for the year.

None of the companies would comment on a potential investment.

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New plan for LightSquared

Philip Falcone's LightSquared proposed a reorganization in Bankruptcy Court that includes a potential sale of wireless spectrum instead of an auction led with a $2.2 billion bid from a unit of Dish Network.

LightSquared said it will continue to seek approval from the Federal Communications Commission to use its airwaves and weigh a sale of the assets.

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Yankees at death’s door on eve of crucial homestand

The DOA Yankees will spend September paying homage to the great Mariano Rivera and having their postseason dreams stuffed into pinstriped coffins.

The soon-to-be dethroned defending AL East champions open a 10-game homestand tonight at Yankee Stadium against the Orioles and by the time the Red Sox finish a four-game deal next Sunday, One East 161st Street in The Bronx will be the world's largest funeral parlor.

Following Wednesday night's killer loss to the morbid Blue Jays in Toronto, Joe Girardi said, "We have to have a really, really good homestand.''

Paul J. Bereswill

GRAVE SITUATION: CC Sabathia will take the mound for the Yankees tonight as they begin a critical 10-game homestand with three games against the Orioles

David Robertson figures the Yankees need to win nine of the 10 games against the Orioles, White Sox and Red Sox.

Look at the Yankees objectively and do you see them winning nine of 10 against anybody? They just lost two of three to the Blue Jays when Phil Hughes and Hiroki Kuroda got tattooed by a lineup dotted with Triple-A players.

Pitching — especially the bullpen — kept the Yankees afloat for four months, but lately the starters have been digging graves.

On the 2-4 road trip that started with a 1-2 ledger against the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla., the starters were 1-4 with a 5.35 ERA.

Kuroda got beat twice, Hughes' nightmarish season continued and CC Sabathia, tonight's starter, pitched better but absorbed a loss. Andy Pettitte provided seven shutout frames for the group's only victory. Ivan Nova was effective in 62/3 innings in the lone win over the Rays, though he didn't get the win.

"We have to win games, that's the bottom line. We are playing the teams we are chasing for the most part,'' said Derek Jeter, who returned from the disabled list Monday night in Toronto and has gone 3-for-12 (.250) with an RBI and four strikeouts in three games at short. "We need to play well. There is not much room for error. Every game is important. To win games we have to play better. [The homestand] is extremely important.''

The A's lost to the Tigers yesterday, so the Yankees are five games back in the race for the AL's second wild-card spot with 29 games remaining.

The Yankees' tragic number to be eliminated from the playoff chase is 25. A combination of Yankees losses and A's wins totaling 25 closes out the Yankees.

"No doubt about that,'' Brett Gardner said about this being a big homestand. "Any time you are playing the teams ahead of you one of two things can happen. You gain on them or fall back. Hopefully we have a good homestand and win series. We have played good at home (38-27). Hopefully we can get on a roll.''

After spending most of the season without Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson and Jeter, the lineup has gone dry lately when all but Teixeira have rejoined the band that also added Alfonso Soriano.

During the six-game trip, the Yankees hit .203 (41-for-202) overall and .162 (6-for-37) with runners in scoring position.

Dead bats plus hittable pitches are a lethal combination.

Even if the Yankees pick it up at home, there is no guarantee they will improve their wild-card chances because the A's, Indians and Orioles are all ahead of them, and it's almost impossible to pass three teams this late in the season.

george.king@nypost.com

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Top-seeded Serena cruises into 3rd round

With Maria Sharapova withdrawing because of a shoulder injury and the second-round elimination of Venus Williams, the women's draw at the U.S. Open has lost a lot of its star power. It hasn't helped matters that two of the top-11 seeds — No. 4 Sara Errani and No. 11 Sam Stosur — already have gone down.

The No. 1 attraction, however, doesn't plan on departing Flushing for at least another 10 days or so.

Top-seeded and defending Open champion Serena Williams, wearing a pink miniskirt, pink sneakers and a bright red top, cruised into the third round yesterday afternoon, routing Galina Voskoboeva, 6-3, 6-0 at Arthur Ashe Stadium. In two matches, she has lost just four games.

"I'm just trying to do the best I can," she said. "Just always trying to get a little better."

Being forced to wait an extra day because of Wednesday's rain and watching Errani get knocked off in straight sets didn't have much of an effect on Williams.

Though Williams was not as sharp as she was on opening night, she still coasted to a straight set victory, dispatching the 77th-ranked Voskoboeva and breaking her serve five times.

She will face unseeded Yaroslava Shvedova, who has yet to drop a set, in the third round.

She finished off the first set strong, winning four of the final five games after a slow start, and cruised in the second. Voskoboeva had no answer for Williams' trademark overpowering groundstrokes or her crisp and well-placed serve.

The road should get tougher for Williams, who seems to be on track for a fourth-round collision course with 20-year-old American Sloane Stephens, the 15th seed many have said is the heir to Williams' throne. First, Stephens, who upset Williams in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, must get past No. 23 Jamie Hampton, another American.

"You have to be ready for everything and every part," Williams said. "We'll see what happens. I mean, all of them have been playing well. Sloane plays excellent, and Jamie has been playing very well.

"Hopefully I can try to keep up."

zbraziller@nypost.com

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Jersey’s McHale drives on at Open

John McHale, father of Christina, no longer has to be her daughter's chauffeur to the U.S. Open.

McHale, tennis's Jersey girl, has stayed at her parents' house in Englewood Cliffs the last four Opens to stay away from the hustle and bustle of the player hotels in Manhattan.

It wasn't until this year the McHales discovered the USTA would provide free transportation service to Flushing because they live within their service radius — five minutes from the George Washington Bridge.

"We were uneducated,'' John McHale said.

McHale, 21, is enjoying the new ride to Flushing and her ride in the main draw continued into the third round with a thrilling three-set victory over Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.

Getty Images

SWING AWAY: New Jersey's Christina McHale returns a shot during her 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 second-round win over Elina Svitolina yesterday at the U.S. Open.

It was a nearly three-hour baseline war on the raucous Grandstand court, marking the second time she's been to the Open's third round. But few could have seen this coming as she had lost five straight matches entering the Open.

Because of an early-season illness related to mononucleosis, McHale's ranking had fallen to 114 after once being as high as 29.

"The electricity you guys gave me was unbelievable,'' McHale told the crowd after the match in an on-court interview. "It was such a hard-fought match. I'm so, so excited to pull this one out. I've had a bit of a rough year. It means everything to do it here [in New York.]''

One fan then shouted a marriage proposal. "Some of the fans say some crazy things,'' McHale said later.

John McHale believes it's beneficial for Christina to stay with her family in New Jersey.

"It definitely helps her confidence, staying with us at night, putting on the Yankees game on TV,'' he said. "She's in a hotel on the road enough.''

"It's quicker than the city sometimes,'' said Christina, who claims she can make the commute in 15 minutes without traffic, 25 minutes with it.

McHale, a baseline grinder, will face former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic of Serbia in the third round. Her father prefers it be on the more intimate Armstrong than Arthur Ashe Stadium.

"It's going to be another tough match,'' McHale said. " I think I'm going to need to play consistent like the way I've been playing.''

McHale, wearing her trademark red dress, was up a set and 3-1 in the second set before she started to spray her forehand, forcing a third set. McHale staved off two break points at 5-5 in the third, but she held to go up 6-5 and then broke Svitolina to take the match.

"I can't ask for a better place to have my first back-to back wins [of the year],'' said McHale, who made the third round in 2011. "My consistency really helped me today.''

marc.berman@nypost.com

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Timing of A-Rod decision has to be just right for cost-saving Yankees

It is not quite wait until next year yet for the Yankees. They are just close enough to a wild-card spot with just enough games against divisional foes remaining to continue a playoff chase that falls somewhere between long shot and delusion.

So they will not be dealing any veterans before the Aug. 31 playoff-eligibility deadline like the Mets did in moving Marlon Byrd and John Buck to Pittsburgh.

But let us not kid ourselves. The Yankees front office could insist the entire organization is invested in only the here and now. However, it is thinking plenty already about next year's club.

Anthony J Causi

Alex Rodriguez

Except here is a key: One of the most important factors in how the 2014 Yankees are constructed and the time frame in which the organization could do the heavy lifting is completely out of its control.

It remains a possibility Alex Rodriguez wants to play the rest of this season and then will be more amenable to working out a settlement of what is his pending 211-game suspension. For now, though, his side has vowed to fight to conclusion and so has the Commissioners Office. And that conclusion, both sides plus the players' union concur, will not come before November and possibly not even December.

And the later the date, the worse and worse for the Yankees.

Look, it is possible the Yankees are going to blow up plans to get under the $189 million luxury-tax threshold for next season. In 2008, the Yanks didn't make the playoffs for the only time in the last two decades and responded by spending $423.5 million on Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett. But they did have the pressure point of opening a new stadium in 2009 with exorbitant prices, which pushed them to field a no-doubt contender loaded with stars.

This time around there is no such overt pressure point. I am hearing even the more financially aggressive members of the organization talk about the significant long-term value of getting under $189 million next year, which — among other things — would save $40 million-ish in 2014 payroll and $20 million-ish in tax.

It also means the next time the Yankees go over the threshold the tax would re-set at 17.5 percent rather than 50 percent. And so, for example, if Clayton Kershaw or Max Scherzer or both actually get out into the free-agent market after the 2014 season, then you would see the Yanks flexing $400 million-ish in muscle again, because the penalty would be so much less.

No single action would make getting under the $189 million goal easier than if Rodriguez's suspension is upheld in full or even is minimized to just next year. That not only would erase $27.5 million from the ledger. But also the threat of a $6 million bonus should Rodriguez pass Willie Mays' 660-homer mark next season. That's right — there are scenarios in which Rodriguez could cost the Yankees zero next year or $33.5 million, which is 17.7 percent of the whole $189 million by itself. Or maybe something in between, if arbitrator Fredric Horowitz lowers the penalty to, say, 50 or 100 games.

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An inside look at Day 4 of the Open

While hundreds of radio talk shows descend on the Super Bowl city for a week, the U.S. Open is more understated. Tennis aficionado Chris Russo has been a mainstay hosting his show on the Open grounds for one day every year, though this Open he will pass because of his father's recent death.

Fordham's station WFUV also does one day from the Open. But the one creating the most buzz is Bloomberg Radio's "The Hays Advantage'' — and it's not even a sports-talk show. The three-hour business show, co-hosted by Kathleen Hays (left) and Vonnie Quinn, is in its fourth year doing a two-day stint at Flushing Meadows.

AFP/Getty Images

Quote of the day: "I was like, why do they want to see a second match after [Andy] Murray. I was like, 'Oh, no, I thought there were going to be two people out there.' Was a pretty good crowd for so late." — Sloane Stephens on taking the court at 11:53 p.m. Wednesday, the second-latest match to start in U.S. Open history.

The interest in conducting their show from the Open is because "Wall Streeters are big fans of the Open and the hedge-fund crew,'' Hays said. Most of the chatter is the business side of the Open. Their guests yesterday included tennis analyst Pam Shriver and power brokers Mike Ballerdi, the CEO of Prince, and Eric O'Toole, president of Danone.

UPSET OF THE DAY

Italy produced one of the biggest upsets of the Open so far. No. 4 seed Italian Sara Errani (right) was a straight-set victim of countrywoman Flavia Pennetta, 6-3, 6-1. Pennetta, the first Italian woman ever ranked in the top 10, had fallen to No. 83 in the world before her fine start in Queens.

TODAY'S FEATURED MATCHES

Arthur Ashe Stadium, day :

Laura Robson (30) vs. Li Na (5)

Novak Djokovic (1) vs. Benjamin Becker

Jamie Hampton (23) vs. Sloane Stephens (15)

Louis Armstrong Stadium

Agnieszka Radwanska (3) vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (32)

Denis Kudla vs. Tomas Berdych (5)

Andy Murray (3) vs. Leonardo Mayer

Arthur Ashe Stadium, 7 p.m.

Lleyton Hewitt vs. Juan Martin Del Potro (6)

Serena Williams (1) vs. Yaroslava Shvedova

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It’s getting close to miracle time for the struggling Yankees

TORONTO — This simply won't work.

You can't produce a game like this, a multi-platform meltdown, when you've given yourself such little room for error. Against an opponent deader than pagers or VCRs.

Let's not sit here this morning and declare the Yankees (70-63) are officially out of the American League playoff race, because they aren't. Far greater mathematical miracles have occurred in the wild-card era. But let's assert that last night's 7-2 defeat to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, which set them 5 1/2 games behind Oakland (75-57) — six in the loss column — is symptomatic of why the Yankees' situation looks so bleak.

Reuters

FEELING BLUE: Derek Jeter looks appropriately distressed during the Yankees' 7-2 loss to the Blue Jays last night in Toronto, which further dimmed their fleeting playoff hopes.

Their starting pitching, which has helped them stay afloat in this injury-riddled campaign, is showing serious holes, and the once-brilliant Hiroki Kuroda has sprung a leak at a most inopportune moment. The Blue Jays knocked around Kuroda for seven runs (five earned) and nine hits last night, giving the AL East cellar-dwellers a 2-1 edge in this series.

Kuroda has an 8.10 ERA in his last three starts. Combine Kuroda's downturn with the season-long struggles of CC Sabathia, who starts the Yankees' next game tomorrow night against Baltimore, and the epic problems of Sunday's starter Phil Hughes, and you have a liability where you can least afford it.

Without strong starting pitching, Joe Girardi said, "It's going to make it very, very hard" to pull this off.

PHOTOS: POST COVERS A-ROD THROUGH THE YEARS

In losing their second straight series, the Yankees also suffered a pair of damaging malfunctions that spoke to greater realities. Catcher Chris Stewart, who originally was supposed to be Francisco Cervelli's co-tenant or backup behind the plate rather than the primary occupant, dropped a Kuroda called third strike to J.P. Arencibia in the first inning — the result of crossed signals, Stewart said. With the ball far away from home, Stewart conceded, he should have held onto the ball once he retrieved it. Instead, his throw to first hit Arencibia in the back and went into foul territory in right field. Brett Lawrie (from second base) and Rajai Davis (from first) scored in the "Bad News Bears"-like sequence. Stewart, with a career-high 90 games on his ledger, has been overexposed.

In the top of the fourth, with the Yankees mounting a rally and two runs already on the board, third-base coach Rob Thomson sent Alex Rodriguez (coming from first base) home on Mark Reynolds' blast off the right-field wall. The lumbering A-Rod, 38 with a pair of surgically repaired hips, was thrown out easily on an 8-4-2 play, killing the momentum. Thomson's poor decision — he copped to it, saying he read the play too early — reminded us, not that we needed it, how much the Yankees are relying on older, limited players to make this happen.

And if you want to know the most meaningful sign of all that a September surge ain't happening in The Bronx, just look at these two numbers: 529 and 535. That's the Yankees' runs scored and runs allowed this season. It's to the team's credit, especially Girardi's, they have outplayed their run differential to this juncture. It's difficult to complete that mission, however, even though the Yankees' lineup looks much better than it did in the first half.

Let's examine three of the most memorable late-season runs from the Yankees' neighborhood to the playoffs:

1) In 2011, the Rays were 73-60 after 133 games and trailed the Red Sox (82-51), who led the AL East at the time, by nine games. The Rays' run differential after 133 games was 571-508; they were under-performing their expectations. Tampa Bay was on track for an uptick, and it went 18-11 to claim the AL wild card over collapsing, fried-chicken-munching and beer-guzzling Boston.

2) Also in 2011, the Cardinals were 69-64 and trailed the Braves (79-54) by 10 games in the National League wild-card race. St. Louis had scored 617 runs and allowed 583. Tony La Russa's bunch also should have expected an improvement, and the Cardinals posted a 21-8 mark to leap over Atlanta and subsequently win the World Series.

3) In 2004, the Astros, having lost Andy Pettitte to left elbow surgery for the rest of the season, were 70-63, just like Pettitte's 2013 Yankees. The differences, however, were twofold: 1) Houston trailed the Cubs (73-60) by just three games in the NL wild-card race; and 2) with a 654-584 run differential, the Astros were due for a major improvement. They finished the season with a 22-7 run.

So the Yankees must produce better starting pitching, get more out of their old and tired players and benefit from some luck when they've already received their fair share. That must start pretty much immediately.

A run like that is a terrible bet. Everything you see, both on the field and in the statistical analysis, tells you the Yankees will be home for October. Go with your gut, and your brain, too.

kdavidoff@nypost.com

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Yanks’ fleeting playoff hopes grow more dim

TORONTO — David Robertson understands how deep of a hole the Yankees are in, heading into a 10-game homestand that opens tomorrow night at Yankee Stadium.

"They are the biggest games of the year, I hope we are up to the challenge,'' Robertson told The Post. "We have had our chances. Now we have to take nine of 10. I hope we can do it.''

Robertson was talking after an ugly 7-2 loss to the lowly Blue Jays last night in front of an announced crowd of 36,565 at Rogers Centre.

Coupled with the A's beating the Tigers, the Yankees' fourth loss in six games dropped them 5 1/2 lengths back in the chase for the second AL wild-card ticket.

AP

'RODA TO RUIN: Toronto's Rajai Davis scores from first in front of Yankees pitcher Hiroki Kuroda in the first inning of last night's 7-2 Yankees loss. A passed ball started the play on which two of the Blue Jays' four first-inning runs came across.AP

"We have to have a really, really good homestand,'' said manager Joe Girardi, whose reeling club opens with three against the Orioles, plays the putrid White Sox for three then gets the AL East-leading Red Sox in The Bronx for four.

Watching the Yankees play last night, it's hard to believe they can take nine of 10 from anybody.

Hiroki Kuroda, their best pitcher across the entire season, was punished for seven runs (five earned) and nine hits in five innings.

Chris Stewart committed a costly two-run throwing error in the first inning after a called third strike glanced off his mitt with two outs and two on. Had he been able to glove it, the inning would have been over and the Blue Jays would have scored just two runs instead of four.

Third base coach Rob Thomson tried to score Alex Rodriguez from first in the fourth on Mark Reynolds' double to right-center with the Yankees trailing, 7-2.

Finally, the Yankee hitters whiffed 13 times.

Kuroda was 3-0 with a 0.55 ERA in July and carried a 10-6 record and 2.51 ERA into August.

PHOTOS: POST COVERS A-ROD THROUGH THE YEARS

Yet, when the Yankees needed Kuroda the most because of the struggles of CC Sabathia and Phil Hughes, he has been terrible. In five August starts the right-hander is 1-4 with a 5.12 ERA and has given up 41 hits in 31 2/3 innings.

Kuroda (11-10) has lost his past three starts, in which his ERA is an obese 8.10, and the 38-year-old is wilting in the stretch.

"At this time of the season, there are issues and you have to figure it out,'' said Kuroda, who was doomed by throwing 56 pitches in the first two innings that included Edwin Encarnacion's two-run homer in the second. "I have experienced it before and I have been able to regroup.''

Stewart, who called for a slider down and away and got a fastball to J.P Arencibia, was disgusted he tried to throw the ball to first to get Arencibia.

"I tried to force the issue. I should have eaten the ball,'' said Stewart, who had a compression wrap on his left forearm after getting hit while blocking a pitch. "It was a big blow.''

As for Thomson, he took full responsibility for sending the lumbering Rodriguez home.

"I made my decision too early. It was a bad decision," Thomson said. "I kind of took myself out of position and he got by me, and I couldn't change my mind. So all the way around, it was just a bad decision."

Of course, Thomson understands Rodriguez is limited on the bases due to last January's hip operation.

"Absolutely, that all factors in. Bad decision,'' Thomson said. "I compounded it, instead of staying up the line and letting the play develop, I moved past him. I should've maintained my position and let it play out. It probably would have been a different story.''

Now, according to Robertson, the Yankees need nine out of 10. Watching the Yankees last night, that sounds like a miracle.

george.king@nypost.com

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Simms gets legit shot tonight to steal No. 3 job from McElroy

While the Jets' starting quarterback situation won't get any clearer tonight, their No. 3 quarterback situation will.

With Geno Smith and Mark Sanchez sitting out, incumbent third quarterback Greg McElroy sidelined by a knee injury and Graham Harrell not even signing until last night, Matt Simms will get his chance to shine when the Jets end an eventful preseason schedule against the Eagles at MetLife Stadium.

Those expected absences for the exhibition finale aren't the only reason Phil Simms' son appears to have a legitimate shot to knock off McElroy for the No. 3 job, though.

Paul J. Bereswill

Matt Simms

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Simms has actually had the better camp and outplayed McElroy in the Jets' first three preseason games, completing 11 of his 15 passes (73 percent) for 193 yards and a touchdown without an interception.

That's a big step up from McElroy, who is 11-for-19 (58 percent) for 145 yards and a touchdown. McElroy hasn't thrown an interception, either, but he's been sacked three times to once for Simms.

McElroy also is suffering from a case of bad timing. The third-year pro re-injured his knee in practice this week, according to a source, and is not scheduled to play.

McElroy has been dealing with knee and ankle injuries all month, in fact, and has missed the last two preseason games.

That creates a big opening for Simms, who will start and play most, if not all, of the game against what was one of the NFL's worst defenses last season. Philadelphia also is transitioning to a 3-4 defense this year, and the switch hasn't exactly been a smooth one under new coach Chip Kelly.

McElroy is taking the high road when the subject of possibly losing his roster spot is broached.

"I'm happy for Matt," McElroy said Tuesday. "He's done a great job, and as a teammate, I'm thrilled to see him out there executing as well as he has."

How much Simms plays will be determined by Harrell's availability.

The former Packers backup, released last week after being beaten out by Vince Young, just agreed to terms with the Jets yesterday.

So Harrell will need a crash course in the Jets' offense if he is going to play tonight. But one of the reasons the Jets signed Harrell is because he is familiar with the basics of the West Coast offense used by new Jets offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg from playing in Green Bay.

One thing appears certain: Smith won't play in order to protect him for the regular season, while Sanchez is sidelined with a shoulder injury sustained when Rex Ryan controversially used him in the fourth quarter of last week's 24-21 overtime win over the Giants.

Ryan actually sounds more impressed with the Simms-McElroy competition than he does with what has been an unimpressive pillow fight between Smith and Sanchez for the starting job.

"That's great competition," Ryan said Monday when asked about the Simms-McElroy duel. "We've said there's different levels of competition on this football team, but certainly that is a tremendous competition."

As with his starter, Ryan isn't showing his hand with the No. 3 job.

"I feel confident in Simms because, I'll tell you what, he's earned respect and everything else," Ryan said. "The thing about Greg is, he thinks he's the smartest guy in the building because he is. Obviously, I feel good about those guys."

bhubbuch@nypost.com

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Tonight’s game final shot to impress for roster spot

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Those who use words such as "meaningless'' and phrases such as "waste of time'' about the fourth and final preseason game have never been one small but significant step away from securing a place on an NFL roster.

Not many will remember who wins and who loses tonight's Giants-Patriots game at Gillette Stadium, but there will be winners and losers, with the final tabulations coming through Saturday, when NFL teams must trim rosters from 75 to 53 players. What so many players do in this game will have direct bearing on how much longer they get to stay around, with the regular season beckoning next week.

Anthony J Causi

Charles James

"The message is this,'' coach Tom Coughlin said. "There's … a game, look at the tape and cut to 53. That's where we are. If you're going to make a move, if you're going to show something, someone who is looking to make our team that hasn't made it before, I'd say that you need to get about the business of doing it.

"It's time. There's not a lot of time, but what opportunity you get to step on the field Thursday night, I'm hoping for your benefit that it's a good one.''

This game is far more about the bottom half of the roster than the top half. The starters will be on the field for 12-15 plays and Coughlin hopes that means two extended and productive drives from an offense that has stumbled out of the preseason gate. That would allow Eli Manning and Co. to take the rest of the night off knowing they are on the right track heading into the Sept. 8 season opener against the Cowboys.

The bulk of the evening belongs to the backups. Among those hoping this last preseason game is not his swan song:

CB Trumaine McBride: With 48 NFL games under his belt with the Bears, Cardinals and Jaguars, he's not a youngster. He had a strong training camp, but the comeback of Terrell Thomas makes the numbers at cornerback problematic.

DE Justin Trattou: The Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) product spent the entire 2012 season on injured reserve after getting in six games in 2011 as a rookie. He's been his usual productive self in the summer (two sacks in the preseason) and appears to have an edge on Adewale Ojomo — last year's summer sensation — and Matt Broha.

CB Charles James: The rookie from Charleston Southern has caught Coughlin's attention — "I've been impressed by the kid going back to catch punts'' — and it's very possible he's done enough to stick around on the practice squad.

RB Ryan Torain: David Wilson and Andre Brown are set as the 1-2 punch in the running back stable and rookie Michael Cox, helped greatly by his status as the No. 1 kickoff returner, seems to have made the team. Torain has experience with the Broncos and Redskins; a good showing would help dissuade the Giants from searching the waiver wire for another back.

WR Ramses Barden: He believes he's in no danger of getting cut and based purely on the numbers he's correct, unless the Giants look to upgrade at receiver from outside the organization. Louis Murphy hasn't done much, but figure he sticks; Jerrel Jernigan appears safe; and Barden likely rounds out the receiver position, unless the decision is made to go with only five.

C Jim Cordle: He started against the Jets, but the coaching staff was not satisfied with his performance, which is why Kevin Boothe was moved from left guard to center and James Brewer gets an audition at left guard. Now Cordle has a fight on his hands to make it into his third year with the team.

DT Marvin Austin: The 2011 second-round pick came into his third training camp having to prove his worth because even very high draft picks aren't on scholarship forever. Austin has stayed healthy, which was a prerequisite, and is coming off an impressive showing against the Jets, no doubt tempering any doubts about his job status.

TE Larry Donnell: Coughlin takes notice when a guy gets carted off the field with what looks like a serious knee injury and he's practicing two days later. That's what Donnell did, and the Giants like his great size. But unless fullback Henry Hynoski isn't ready for the opener, Donnell again seems practice squad-bound.

paul.schwartz@nypost.com

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An inside look at Day 3 of the Open

DUVAL SCORES ON SOCIAL MEDIA

The social media seeds are in and U.S. Open sensation Victoria Duval has soared to No. 2 in the women's draw behind Serena Williams through yesterday afternoon. Rafael Nadal is

No. 1 for the men though Roger Federer has closed the gap since the Open began.

Synthesio is compiling the social rankings by listening software monitoring mentions of a player's name through the English language social media outlets. The current rankings are based on mentions 30 days leading into the tournament and through the first three days.

Reuters

Agnieszka Radwanska

Duval moved up the charts out of nowhere after her stunning upset of former Open champion Samantha Stosur Tuesday night and her wild story from the Haitian earthquake was retold. Synthesio hadn't even been tracking Duval's name before Tuesday. Williams leads with 11,212 to Duval's 6,111. Unseeded Venus Williams is third at 4,842.

The software updates every 15 minutes and counts the player's name combined with several U.S. Open keywords. Synthesio is typically hired by big marketing companies for popularity testing by monitoring Facebook, Twitter, blogs and forums.

"We are curious how enthusiastic the public is about the players and to see if their popularity on the court determines their popularity online," said Loic Moisand, founder and CEO of Synthesio. "Our initial data finds this to be true, and we are excited to see how it plays out throughout the tournament, especially if there is an upset like with Duval.''

THE NAKED TRUTH

No. 3 seed Agnieszka Radwanska beat Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor, 6-0, 7-5 to advance to the third round. Radwanska has never advanced past the fourth round at the U.S. Open, and recently dyed her hair blonde and posed nude for ESPN's "The Body Issue". The 24-year-old was dropped from one of her partnerships with a Catholic youth group in Poland.

RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY

For the second time in three days, rain again played havoc in Flushing. There were two rain delays totaling almost four hours combined, causing the cancelation of 28-of-65 matches during the afternoon sessions. All women's singles matches, as well as women's, men's and mixed doubles matches that had not started, were postponed until today.

TODAY'S FEATURED MATCHES

Arthur Ashe Stadium, day session

Flavia Pennetta vs. Sara Errani (4)

Serena Williams (1) vs. Galina Voskoboeva

Roger Federer (7) vs. Carlos Berlocq

Louis Armstrong Stadium

Silvia Soler-Espinosa/Carla Suarez Navarro vs. Serena Williams /Venus Williams

John Isner (13) vs. Gael Monfils

Arthur Ashe Stadium, 7 p.m.

Caroline Wozniacki (6) vs. Chanelle Scheepers

Rogerio Dutra Silva vs. Rafael Nadal (2)

TODAY'S TV SCHEDULE

Tennis Channel,

11 a.m.-7 p.m.

ESPN2, 1-11 p.m.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

'I don't know if I can afford that.' — Coco Vandeweghe when asked about possibly hiring Jimmy Connors as her coach. The 191st-ranked Vandeweghe, who lost 6-3, 6-4 yesterday to Carla Suárez Navarro, recently fired her coach.

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Fifty years ago today in Washington, DC, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. electrified the nation

They boarded buses, climbed into cars and rode the rails in the pre-dawn darkness to become a part of history.

Fifty years ago today, tens of thousands of New Yorkers stood in Washington's National Mall to hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s stirring "I Have a Dream" speech — and it forever changed their lives.

"When I listened to him, I felt trembles going down my spine," recalled retired sanitation worker Robert Walton, 88, of Far Rockaway.

"It touched me. I felt empowered. It made me feel like I was an American citizen. As long as I live I will never forget that day."

G.N. Miller

Robert Walton and his daughter Emily Francis Walton

Lewis Phillips, 85, of Harlem, was serving as an Army reservist in upstate Watertown when he learned about the March on Washington the night before and begged his captain to let him go.

"He said, 'You can take off,' so I took off. I had a Mercedes 190, and I shot down there and got to Washington at about 8 o'clock in the morning," he said.

It was so packed that "it took me about a half-hour to go a block's distance," Phillips added.

Natan Dvir

Lewis Phillips, 85, of Harlem, was serving as an Army reservist in upstate Watertown at the time of King's speech.

"I was weaving around the crowd, trying to get as close as I could. Then I got an idea that I could climb up this tree . . . So I climbed the tree. No big deal.

"On people's faces, you could see hope that everything was going to be all right. And there was singing, and all that. A lot of people were crying. It was an emotional thing."

Harlem drugstore worker Elliot Ferebee belonged to Local 1199, whose members were excited to join the march and decided to go as a group, taking a five-hour ride on a stifling train from Penn Station.

And while Ferebee, now 90, was initially just looking forward to a day off from work, the enormity of the event hit him once he arrived.

But after four hours standing in the crowd under the blazing summer sun, Ferebee and several pals couldn't stand the heat any longer and pushed their way back to return to the railroad station.

Shortly after they settled into a train car, King's speech was broadcast over the loudspeakers.

"It wasn't just the heat of that day — his words made me melt inside," Ferebee said. "It was very emotional, even for a bunch of tough union men. We didn't cry though!" he said with a chuckle.

Matthew McDermott

Elliot Ferebee, 90 - with Virgie Blake, 88 - took a five-hour train ride with fellow union members to attend King's speech.

One group of activists from the Congress of Racial Equality in Brooklyn arrived in Washington after walking the entire way. Among them was Lawrence Cumberbatch, who, at 16, was the youngest.

"It took 13 days. It was an adventure really," said Cumberbatch, now a lawyer. "I went to Sammy's Army and Navy store and bought my quote-unquote walking shoes — these semi-construction boots that were worn out by the time I made it to Washington."

When the hikers — wearing sweat shirts hand-lettered with the words "Freedom Now" — got to the Washington Monument, "officials announced us and escorted us to the podium," Cumberbatch said.

"We were so amazed by seeing this massive, massive amount of people. . . None of us even really absorbed any of the speeches, we were so taken aback."

Gabriella Bass

Lawrence Cumberbatch went to Washington in his 'walking shoes.'

Former model Audrey Smaltz, who was working at Bloomingdale's, traveled in style after asking for two days off to attend the march.

Although her boss was "very afraid for me to go," he gave her $30 to fly round-trip on Eastern Airlines from La Guardia Airport to Washington, where she met her boyfriend, who was one of King's lawyers and got her a reserved seat.

After the speech, Smaltz attended a house party where "we ate and danced in the basement," then went to the Dupont Plaza hotel, where she ran into King in the lobby.

"He asked me what did I think of his speech, and I said I loved it," she said.

Time & Life Pictures/Getty Image

More than 200,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 28, 1963 to listen to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech.

Retired Sarah Lawrence College professor Arnold Krupat recalled singing "We Shall Overcome" while in a parking lot across the Potomac River in Virginia.

"As we marched, I had my arms crossed over my chest, and both of my hands were clutching the hands of black people," said Krupat, 71, who is white. "I can't say if I was in tears or near tears, but I had never had that feeling, before or since."

As his bus left Virginia hours later, it was fired upon by a bunch of white men on an overpass.

"It was a reminder that there were people who weren't going to take our peaceful protest lightly," Krupat said. "There were people who didn't want to see us holding hands and singing."

Additional reporting by Frank Rosario and Lorena Mongelli

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WATCH: Racer's car engulfed in flames - with him stuck inside

Now that's a hot lap.

A Pennsylvania race car driver faced a scary situation in a recent race when flames engulfed his car - with him stuck inside.

Mike Stofflet was racing at the Mahoning Valley Speedway in Lehighton, Pa. Saturday, when his car flipped. Gasoline started to drip, drip, drip, pooling inside the car's frame.

Stofflet clawed, trying to escape.

No luck.

Workers came along and attempted to flip the car - and that's when the flames spread, leaving Stofflet sitting in a fire box. A video camera captured the tense, heated moments.

Somehow, Stofflet escaped serious injury - and then he went on to finish fifth in the 25-lap race.

Stofflet later uploaded the video to YouTube. He's learned a lesson from his ordeal.

"Thanks everyone for your concern I'm doing well just my neck is a little stiff," he wrote, "and no I was not wearing a head sock. Thinking about getting one never thought I would need it."

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Amid the chaos, Alex Rodriguez closes in on Willie Mays

TORONTO — From reviled to reborn. From saboteur to sparkplug.

From Joe Tacopina to Willie Mays.

Whatever you may think of Alex Rodriguez, you've got to give the dude points for versatility.

After captivating us off the field last week with some of the screwiest public relations maneuvers this side of Dennis Rodman, A-Rod now entertains us with another mini-renaissance, and makes us wonder: Can he reach the Say Hey Kid — and collect his $6 million bonus for 660 career home runs — before his day in baseball court?

It's a long shot, even after Rodriguez's second homer in two nights, putting him at 651, helped the Yankees pound the Blue Jays 7-1 last night at Rogers Centre. Then again, many informed medical people thought it to be a long shot the 38-year-old would ever again play in a major-league game after undergoing left hip surgery in January. And many informed baseball people didn't think the Yankees could even fantasize about the playoffs with less than week before Labor Day.

Getty Images

A-ROD AGAIN: Alex Rodriguez is congratulated after hitting his second home run in as many nights.

"These games are so important for us," Rodriguez said, pooh-poohing a question about Mays. "We need to win like oxygen."

With a .284/.369/.473 slash line in 20 games, A-Rod has joined the reacquired Alfonso Soriano — whom the Yankees of course dealt to Texas for Rodriguez in 2004 — as the founders of a reconstructed Yankees offense. He blasted a seventh-inning homer to center field off Blue Jays righty reliever Esmil Rogers.

Winning pitcher Andy Pettitte, who enjoyed his own brush with greatness by passing Jack Morris on the all-time victories list with 255, admitted to being surprised by A-Rod's output.

"You just don't know what to expect. He missed half of the season," Pettitte said. He looks really good at the plate. … Alex is a great hitter. If he's healthy, he's going to hit."

Said manager Joe Girardi of A-Rod: "He's impacting the baseball. That's what we wanted to see."

Soriano went deep twice last night, the second one career number 400, and has 11 home runs in 120 at-bats since rejoining the Yankees.

With 30 games left on the Yankees' schedule, A-Rod would need to go deep at a less ridiculous pace than Soriano's to match Mays this year, yet nine home runs in about a month still seems like a pretty tall order. The Yankees would love to see their least favorite player go on such a roll. It would naturally aid the team's playoff run, and it also would get the contracted $6 million bonus out of the way before 2014, when Hal Steinbrenner still wants to get the team payroll under $189 million.

Of course, Rodriguez might not play at all for the Yankees next year, as the appeal hearing for his 211-game suspension is likely to occur during the offseason. That drama looms, but A-Rod's smart decision to shut down Tacopina, the blustery attorney, has inoculated the Yankees' clubhouse from the extracurricular activities involving the team's front office and medical staff and Major League Baseball.

While he performed pretty well during the height of the lunacy, A-Rod agreed with a question that he, too, was benefiting from the lack of noise emanating from his camp.

"I love the game of baseball," Rodriguez said. "We need 100 percent and focus on the game of baseball."

Imagine the Yankees, in serious conflict with their highest-paid player, having to honor A-Rod in a pregame ceremony for tying Mays. Imagine the screaming by the finger-wagging moralists who would conveniently ignore John Milner's 1985 testimony that Mays had "red juice" — liquid amphetamines — during his final days with the Mets.

Shoot, as long as we're getting crazy, imagine Bud Selig handing A-Rod the World Series Most Valuable Player trophy. The commissioner could qualify for the Guinness Book of World Records' "fakest smile."

Nights like this make you envision all sorts of scenarios. Because we never thought we'd be seeing what we're seeing now. Even in all sorts of trouble legal and physical, A-Rod can still catch us off guard like no one else.

kdavidoff@nypost.com

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Yanks built like S.A., but don’t have margin for error

The more and more you watch this version of the Yankees, the more and more you see elements of the San Antonio Spurs.

Think of Robinson Cano as the Yanks' Tony Parker, a prime-aged star who stands apart in current skill from his mates. Then the rest of the roster is filled with role players and the Tim Duncan/Manu Ginobili-esque aging stars.

Remember how Ginobili, at age 35, reached into his past to offer the type of clutch all-around brilliance of his prime in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, pushing San Antonio to the brink of a championship. That sapped him and he played poorly as the Spurs lost Games 6, 7 and the title to Miami.

Don't we now kind of see similar stuff in, for example, Alex Rodriguez?

He can have a time-machine game like he did two Sundays ago at Fenway Park, but then look old and clunky in subsequent games. The consistency of genius is gone.

You witness flashes of virtuosity from an A-Rod or an Ichiro Suzuki or an Andy Pettitte. But what made them stand out — unwavering brilliance — has been lost to wear and tear and time. Enough muscle memory, will and lingering talent remain to produce throwback performances. But not enough to evoke day after day of sustained excellence.

And like Gregg Popovich with his graying Spurs roster, Joe Girardi constantly is trying to rest and nurse his players through the long season, working to navigate decline and injury and just plain exhaustion. Even in a phase when there is desperation to win daily, Girardi has backed away from the oldest player in the majors, 43-year-old Mariano Rivera, in a few save situations.

On Sunday, with A-Rod in a 1-for-15 slow-motion slide and having played two straight games at third on turf at Tampa Bay, Girardi sat him. The reward came with A-Rod homering on Monday and Tuesday.

The same night Derek Jeter returned. Sure, it was good to have Jeter back. But for Girardi it meant integrating yet another veteran whose best games and physical condition already have come and gone. Jeter has had four major leg/foot issues in less than a calendar year.

Girardi is going to have to continue to be crafty in how he uses off days, rest days and the DH slot.

As opposed to Girardi, Popovich knew he had the playoffs made in preseason, what with eight teams in each conference qualifying. Thus, he could be judicious with court time the whole regular season. It was not until the postseason, particularly The Finals, that he pushed his aging squad to its point of collapse and simply hoped the season was finished before his players were.

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Yanks enjoy laugher after Cano avoids a bad break

TORONTO — The Yankees' bats spoke loudly and Andy Pettitte pitched as if it were a decade ago.

Yet, the best development to come out of Rogers Centre last night was an X-ray of Robinson Cano's left hand that didn't reveal a season-ending injury.

"Every hand that has been X-rayed has come back poorly,'' said manager Joe Girardi, who lost Curtis Granderson twice and Mark Teixeira for most of the season to hand injuries. "We had to go to a foreign country to get a good one.''

The positive news on Cano meant the Yankees could enjoy the 7-1 laugher over the Blue Jays in front of 34,047 that was fueled by two homers from Alfonso Soriano, one apiece from Mark Reynolds and Alex Rodriguez and seven shutout innings from Pettitte.

AP

DRILL & THRILLS: The Yankees got a scare when Robinson Cano (above with trainer Steve Donohue) had to leave the game after getting drilled in the first inning, but Alfonso Soriano and Andy Pettitte did more than enough to ensure a 7-1 victory over the Blue Jays. Soriano hit two homers, including No. 400 of his career, and made a leaping catch in the eighth inning, and Pettitte pitched seven shutout innings.

Soriano clubbed a three-run homer in the first against lefty J.A. Happ, who fractured Granderson's right forearm in spring training, and got him for a solo blast in the third for Soriano's 400th career homer.

"I didn't want to happen what happened around 2,000 [hits],'' said Soriano, who slumped as he approached that milestone. "When I got the first one I thought, 'Get it out of the way.' Thank God it happened.''

Armed with a 4-0 lead before he took the mound without Cano at second, Pettitte cruised to a third straight victory and improved to 10-9.

"Everything was working pretty good,'' said Pettitte, who allowed five hits in his seven frames. "Obviously, getting the lead early helped me be aggressive. You get a lead like that and the last thing you want to do is walk guys. My command was good and my stuff was pretty good.''

Cano believed he was in trouble when Happ's 90 mph fastball caught him on the fatty part of the outside of the hand.

"It was a lot of pain. I was a little concerned,'' said Cano, who remained in the game, scored on Soriano's three-run homer but exited before the home first and was replaced by Eduardo Nunez. "I was hurt. It missed the bone by an inch.''

Cano guessed he could play Friday. Even though the Yankees must have his bat and Gold Glove defense if they are to catch the A's for the second wild-card spot, they will be extremely careful with their No. 3 hitter.

"It's swollen right now. The last thing you want to do is aggravate it,'' said Cano, who had a compression wrap on his hand to reduce the swelling.

The victory allowed the Yankees to stay 4 1/2 games behind the A's and 7 1/2 lengths back of the AL East-leading Red Sox.

Rodriguez's 651st homer and second in as many nights was to center field, and landed in the level beyond the Rogers Centre wall. He is nine home runs away from tying Willie Mays for fourth place on the all-time list, and receiving a $6 million bonus from the Yankees for doing it.

"I'm starting to get my legs under me,'' said Rodriguez, who laced a single in the ninth. "So far, so good.''

When Nunez caught a spike in the artificial turf in the eighth inning, Girardi moved Reynolds from first to second and will play Reynolds there tonight if Nunez can't play.

"I thought I broke my knee,'' said Nunez, who stayed in the game but was lifted for a pinch-runner in the ninth after singling.

The offensive support came after the Yankees scored nine runs in their previous four games — three of them losses. During that stretch they batted .212 (28-for-132) overall and .087 (2-for-23) with runners in scoring position.

The power shower was effective, and if this is what Pettitte will be like the remainder of the season, it will be a big benefit. Yet, the news Cano didn't suffer a season-ending injury trumped all of that.

george.king@nypost.com

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Geno flops, Sanchez hurts shoulder after Jets play him in garbage time vs. Giants

Neil Miller

Jets quarterback Geno Smith reacts after throwing an interception during Saturday's preseason game.

You didn't think the Jets' decision on a starting quarterback would go smoothly, did you?

After rookie Geno Smith basically handed Mark Sanchez the job with three interceptions and a boneheaded safety, the competition was turned upside down when Sanchez injured his right shoulder in the fourth quarter of the team's preseason 24-21 overtime victory over the Giants at MetLife Stadium.

It was an incredibly short-sighted decision by coach Rex Ryan to insert Sanchez into the game behind the second-team offensive line with 11 minutes 21 seconds left in regulation. Sanchez lasted two series, exiting after Giants tackle Marvin Austin delivered a bone-rattling hit to Sanchez that he could not get up from.

Sanchez had X-rays on the shoulder and will undergo an MRI exam today, according to a source. The source said Sanchez's shoulder was extremely sore. Sanchez left MetLife Stadium without speaking to reporters.

AP

Mark Sanchez stood on the sidelines with his shoulder wrapped after he left the game.

Ryan was defensive after the game when pressed on why he would put Sanchez in harm's way when he appears to be the team's best option at quarterback to start the season. Ryan said the Jets were trying to win the game, a dubious stance considering the cast of players around Sanchez. Ryan repeatedly said the Jets were competing and that is why he played Sanchez.

"Why compete period? We're there to win," Ryan said. "We had our starting offense out there for three quarters because we're trying to win the game. That's what we wanted to do. We're trying to compete. Injuries are part of the game. Obviously, we'll see the severity of Mark's injury and others as well. You can get hurt in practice."

Smith and the starting offense played into the fourth quarter. The rookie was a disaster in his first start and made it clear Sanchez needed to start Week 1 against the Buccaneers in two weeks. Smith went 16-of-30 for 199 yards with one touchdown and the three picks. He capped off his night by stepping out of the back of the end zone for a safety.

When the second-team offense prepared to take the field, it appeared Matt Simms would be at quarterback. He had his helmet on and was talking to offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. Then, Sanchez grabbed his helmet and warmed up hastily. He ended up completing 5-of-6 passes for 72 yards. He fumbled a shotgun snap to end his first series. Then, Austin ended his night with a brutal hit.

"I was hurt when I hit him, I felt it like in my chest," Austin said. "It was a pretty hard hit."

Even Austin was surprised Sanchez, who will make $8.75 million this season, was in the game at that point.

"They got a huge investment in him so I was a little surprised," Austin said. "I just looked at it as I got to go out there and get him."

Smith did not need much help from the Giants in blowing up his chances of winning the starting job cleanly. To steal Ryan's line … he was brutal.

After throwing a touchdown to Ben Obomanu, Smith's night went downhill. He threw a ball behind receiver Ryan Spadola and Giants cornerback Prince Amukamura picked it off. Smith threw another interception on the next drive, this one to Giants safety Stevie Brown who was playing deep and Smith's pass went right to him.

The turnover gave the Giants the ball at the Jets 23, but they were only able to muster a Josh Brown 40-yard field goal to make it 10-7.

Smith's third interception went to defensive end Justin Tuck on a terrible throw.

The turnovers overshadowed any good things that Smith did. Turnovers have been the Jets' biggest problem with Sanchez under center and Ryan desperately wants his team to stop turning the ball over.

"I think this is just another learning experience for me," Smith said. "Lots of teaching tape."

brian.costello@nypost.com

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Rex Ryan's awful decision leads to Sanchez injury — then he loses his cool

Steve Serby

So here was Rex Ryan facing the firing squad, for what absolutely would have been considered a fireable offense by cult followers of Boss Steinbrenner — exposing his starting quarterback to harm in Garbage Time, and sure enough, watching his starting quarterback's throwing shoulder harmed playing behind the Jets' backup offensive line.

Ge-NO Smith (45.7 QB rating) had thrown three interceptions, absent-mindedly stepped out of the back of the end zone while chased by Mark Herzlich for a safety, and somehow, some way, Ryan had a worse night.

As Wrecks Ryan.

Call this one the brainfumble.

Neil Miller

Jets head coach Rex Ryan had a bizarre night.

Sanchez had already won the starting job by default, and yet Ryan decided it would be a good idea to have him work off the rust in the fourth quarter.

Except a hungry Giants defensive tackle named Marvin Austin, who is fighting for a job, knocked the rust off Sanchez, and nearly knocked him into Jets West.

Sanchez writhed in agony flat on his back for several minutes before walking off to have his shoulder iced on the sideline. A source told The Post's Brian Costello the shoulder was sore and would undergo an MRI exam today.

"The severity of it we don't know yet," Ryan said.

Welcome to yet another showing of Stupid Jets Tricks.

AP

Quarterback Mark Sanchez grabs his shoulder after getting hit during Saturday's game.

The prestigious Snoopy Trophy was lugged into the press conference room and positioned to the left of the podium where Ryan would stand.

When he arrived, he posed with a MetLife Foundation check for $42,500 and acted and sounded as if his Jets, 24-21 overtime winners over the Giants, had just captured the Lombardi Trophy.

Then the inquisition of Wrecks Ryan began in earnest: Whose decision was it to play Sanchez in the fourth quarter?

"That was my decision all the way," Ryan said. "All week you talk about winning the game and competing. That was my decision."

Irresponsible decision. Bonehead decision.

"If it wasn't important I would not have put him in there," Ryan said.

AP

Mark Sanchez stood on the sidelines with his shoulder wrapped after he left the game.

Apparently the prestigious Snoopy Trophy was more important than the health of the quarterback who deserves to open the season — shoulder permitting.

When Ryan was asked why risk injury to Sanchez in the fourth quarter, he bristled: "Well, why compete, period? We were there to win. We had our starting offensive line out there for three quarters because we were trying to win the game."

He didn't come up with an adequate answer as to why he was trying to win the game in the fourth quarter with the rest of his offensive team on the bench. In other words, leaving Sanchez naked (insert joke) on Sanchez Island.

"I understand being second-guessed when injuries happen," Ryan said.

"But that's football."

No, that's Jets football.

Did Ryan have any reservations about putting Sanchez out there behind offensive linemen who will never be confused for the Five Blocks of Granite?

"Well, after an injury you always have reservations," he said, "but we're competing. I tell my players we're trying to compete to win the game."

Super Bowl XLVIII, everyone would have understood.

But the Snoopy Bowl?

Austin himself was delighted that Sanchez was available for the walloping.

"They got a huge investment in him, so I was a little surprised," he said.

At least Ryan saw the play, a 23-yard completion deep left to Mohamed Massaquoi.

"Unfortunately the best play he made all of preseason he ends up getting hurt on it," Ryan said. "It's very unfortunate that he was injured."

Ryan became so agitated with one line of questioning he bizarrely turned his back to one reporter while providing an answer and turned sideways to another while giving another answer to make some kind of point.

The one answer he should have given — that Sanchez had won the job by default — was not forthcoming.

"From Day 1, I said we will make the announcement on the starting quarterback when we think it's appropriate," Ryan said.

Sanchez, who entered with 11 minutes 21 seconds remaining in regulation, had reminded everyone why there has been a quarterback competition in the first place when he fumbled away a shotgun snap on his first series.

Smith needed a Phil Simms in Pasadena night to win the job, and he showed up as Richard Todd in the Mud Bowl, even with no mud, instead.

"I don't think one game, one practice, one day will tell you the type of quarterback I am," Smith said.

Neil Miller

Jets quarterback Geno Smith reacts after throwing an interception during Saturday's preseason game.

He may be the Quarterback of the Future, just not the Present.

"Obviously there were some good moments and there were some low moments," Ryan said.

The most brutal moment belonged to him.

steve.serby@nypost.com

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Yankees swung best deal yet in lineup of deadline power plays

If you are having a case of déjà bat with Alfonso Soriano, it is understandable.

You have seen a version of this movie before. Actually, Soriano represents the sixth time in 19 years the Yankees obtained an established slugger in midseason who had at least the following season left on his contract. In each case, this served as a form of midseason free agency — because dumping as much of the future salary obligation as possible was essential for the dealing team.

And each previous time — Ruben Sierra, Cecil Fielder, David Justice, Raul Mondesi and Bobby Abreu — the obtained player helped the Yankees surge to the playoffs before, in most cases, becoming problematic the following year.

Soriano was fueling a playoff surge. His nine homers since his July 26 Yankees reunion were tied for the major league lead with Miguel Cabrera, Chris Davis and Paul Goldschmidt. That means Soriano could be in the discussion for the best of this type of trade during the wild-card era.

In order of success here are the stories of the five others. Note that Soriano hardly represents the first time a Yankees general manager did not want to make a deal for the big bat (as Brian Cashman did not want to do with Soriano). Also, check out how many times Soriano was a coincidental side player:

1. FIELDER

You could pick Fielder or Justice — both were essential to winning titles. But Big Daddy's 1996 acquisition helped trigger a dynasty.

The Yankees led the AL East, but were doing it with a power deficiency that beset the 2013 club. And that made George Steinbrenner uneasy. He would say, "We are not winning in Yankee style. These are not the Bronx Bombers."

So a few days after then-GM Bob Watson repeated "he doesn't fit" five times about Darryl Strawberry, Steinbrenner gave himself a July 4 birthday present by signing Strawberry anyway.

But what worried Watson more was — again, like this year's club — those Yankees' susceptibility to lefty pitching. Watson talked to Oakland about Mark McGwire. But en route to a then-franchise record 109 losses, Detroit was looking to rebuild by moving Fielder, who was making $7.2 million in 1996 and due the same in '97. Former Yankees executive David Sussman once told me the myth about those Yankees was they were flush with money because of their MSG deal. But much of the MSG money was distributed to the club's partners, and the Yankees did not yet have staggering attendance or a new stadium.

So the morning after obtaining Fielder, when informed the Yankees had indeed made the trade, chief financial officer Barry Pincus, worried about the lack of cash flow, told Sussman, "Are you [bleeping] crazy? How can we afford this? The only way we can afford this is if Fielder eats the other players on our team."

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Position too deep to reach for Graham early

Drew Loftis

The recent heyday of tight ends may not be over, but it is taking a sabbatical for a season. Though Jimmy Graham remains as a symbol of the way things were way back in 2012, he is the last remaining dominant force in the TE galaxy.

Injuries, age, changing offenses and a deep talent pool have provided an expanded list of fantasy draft options — prompting the Tracker to wait until the last third of the draft to address this position, often just before turning our attention to defense/special teams, and, finally, kickers.

ONE-STAR SYSTEM

The gap between Jimmy Graham and the next best TE may be larger than even the one between Adrian Peterson and the second-best running back. But that is not enough to make us spend a second- or third-round pick on the Saints star. We would rather have a strong second RB or premier No. 1 wide receiver.

AP

Jared Cook

BRIGHT, BUT FADING

The second wave of TEs has some solid picks in Rounds 6-8. Tony Gonzalez, Jason Witten and Vernon Davis are nice to have, nevertheless we will continue to wait in favor of building depth at the primary spots — RB, WR, QB.

In this vicinity, you might also find Rob Gronkowski. When healthy, he is on the level with Graham, but coming off back surgery and with his availability to start the season in question, we're not willing to gamble on him with a fifth-round pick.

TARGET LOCK

Barring a surprising slip of one of the aforementioned stars, the first guy we have realistic aspirations to nab is Greg Olsen in Round 10. A landmark for Olsen is Owen Daniels. Once Daniels is selected, Olsen is not far behind.

Though Olsen is our initial TE of interest, he is not our favorite. For value, we like Jared Cook in the 11th round. With a crop of young WRs and RBs in St. Louis, it is easy to envision QB Sam Bradford leaning on his newly acquired TE, particularly near the goal line.

Still searching? New Giants

TE Brandon Myers is a nice find in Rounds 10-11. The trick is, he often goes in front of Cook. So if you bypass Myers, make sure you nab Cook.

Let someone else take Antonio Gates around this time. Despite Danario Alexander's injury, Gates and his QB, Philip Rivers, have seen better days.

TIGHT SPOT

Still looking in late, late rounds, steer your attention toward Tyler Eifert and Jordan Cameron.

DEFEND YOUR HONOR

You don't need a top defense/special teams to win your league. You can add/drop from the waivers each week and survive. But that's not ideal. While you don't want to waste an early or middle pick on DEF/ST,

landing a weekly starting unit is preferable.

Figure you are not going to get the Seahawks, 49ers, Broncos or Bears. And that's fine. And we often miss on the Bengals, Patriots and Steelers ... still comfortable.

We're going to wait until our final three or four picks to address this spot, and take the best remaining, often among the Rams, Ravens, Dolphins, Cowboys or Cardinals.

Of these, the Ravens are our favorite.

THE LAST PICK YOU MAKE ...

... should be a kicker. Only in the rarest of circumstances should this rule be avoided.

Kickers are wildly inconsistent from year to year, and the difference between the best kicker and, say, the 14th best last season was 2.2 points per game. If you know who the best kicker is going to be this season (Hint: you don't), it still would not be worth 2.2 points a week to select him any higher.

Next week in Episode VI: A late sleeper pick can ignite your fantasy season, almost as much as an early bust can ruin one.

dloftis@nypost.com

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First lady holds court

Can first lady Michelle Obama revive the crash of American men's tennis with her "Let's Move!'' campaign?

Obama appeared at Arthur Ashe Kids Day yesterday, on stage with the young American tennis hopefuls, and was introduced to the crowd by reigning U.S. Open champion Serena Williams.

Obama gave a five-minute speech with American prospects Jack Sock, Sloane Stephens, Ryan Harrison, Christina McHale, Madison Keys, Donald Young, Melanie Oudin and Denis Kudla standing alongside her at Ashe Stadium.

She announced the new initiative between her program and the USTA that will include 5,000 new kid-sized tennis courts, training 15,000 new coaches/teachers and engage 300,000 youth in after-school, summer programs and donating tennis equipment to schools. She hugged all of the American players upon departing.

Obama said she's not very good at tennis because it wasn't available to her growing up. The American men's tennis scene, meanwhile, has hit a new low, and this likely will be the second straight year no man advances to a Grand Slam quarterfinal.

One drawback to her appearance was the Secret Service shut down several entrances to the stadium, during her appearance, making it very difficult to get to lower-bowl seating.

* Heavy favorite Serena Williams admitted the irony in that she's playing more tournaments now than when she was young.

Williams would be the oldest women's player to win an Open. She'll turn 32 next month.

"I feel completely recharged,'' she said. "To play more matches now later in my career than earlier, it's interesting how good I feel.'' Earlier this week, Serena said she felt 23.

* Top seed Novak Djokovic gave a speech to the United Nations to proclaim April 6 the International Day of Sport. "It was quite incredible,'' Djokovic said. ... No. 13 John Isner on breaking the 10-year American Slam title drought: "It has been a long time but I know and Andy [Roddick] knows how deep and tough the game is.''

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Ex-Knick dead of ‘overdose’

Dean "The Dream" Meminger, a key player on the last New York Knicks team to win a title, was found dead of a possible drug overdose yesterday — with his gold championship ring still on his finger, sources said.

A fully clothed Meminger, 65, was discovered on his bed in the Casablanca Hotel on West 145th Street near Broadway after hotel staff went to talk to him after he didn't check out as expected, sources said.

"There was white stuff oozing out of his nose," one source said about the troubled ex-Knick. "Looked like he had a seizure after using cocaine, but the medical examiner will have the final say."

DEAN MEMINGER Was wearing champ ring.

The point guard was a Knicks first-round draft pick in 1971 and played a key role in their march to their last championship in 1973, when he played alongside the legendary Willis Reed, Walt Frazier and Earl "The Pearl" Monroe.

But he fell on hard times in recent years, nearly burning himself to death in a 2009 fire in The Bronx rooming house where he was living while allegedly smoking crack.

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Summer's too hot to cool off just yet!

HAVE A BOOZY DESSERT

With summer cut short due to a criminally early Labor Day this year, there's a lot of ground to cover. That's where Havana Central comes in — offering three times the booze to squeeze into one sitting. Now that's what we call multitasking!

The Cuban throwback's famed "Frozen Mojito Sorbet Trio" (inset right) has found a rabid fan base since its summer launch last year. The decadent dessert, perfect for humid days in Havana, is the brainchild of CEO Jeremy Merrin: "We love the idea of 'adult desserts,' " says Merrin, who built upon his previous hit, the boozy empanada. Using the three most popular mojito flavors — classic, mango and guava — it's made in small batches "to ensure the sorbets have the same flavor profile as the cocktails," says Merrin. Hand-made with fresh mint, lime, sugar, rum and tropical fruit pulp, you'll need friends to help polish it off. A few sips and you'll swear you're in old Havana. $10.50 apiece.

Two Manhattan locations: 2911 Broadway (between 113th & 114th streets); 212-662-8830

151 West 46th St. (between 6th and 7th avenues); 212-398-7440

Illustration by Leah Tiscione

HAVE A LUNCHTIME DANCE PARTY

Bored of your lunchtime Chipotle rut? Take the energy of a nightclub and the psychology of weekday lunch-break ennui and smush them together between two slices of bread. Add a little DJ Questlove and serve chilled. "Absolut Lunch Break," a daytime dance party running on Fridays from 1 to 2 p.m. at hot venues such as Marquee and Avenue, has been the smash hit of the summer for worker bees who need to blow off some summertime steam or just get an early start on their weekend. Free lunch with PB&J sandwiches, fruit and granola bars are included. Hosted by Flavorpill Media. Always held in a secret location.

Next event Sept. 6, location secret — but check the site for updates: thehookup.flavorpill.com/lunchbreak_landing. Free. Through Sept. 20.

Tamara Beckwith/New York Post

This French bike carousel was built for the 1889 World's Fair.

FRENCH IT UP AT FÉTE PARADISO

Francophiles (or just plain fun-o-philes) should hop on the ferry to Governors Island, which is the staging ground for Fête Paradiso, a vintage French fair, with some rides dating back to the 19th century.

The main attraction is the bicycle carousel (above): Built for the 1889 World's Fair in Paris, it's one of only two left in the world. To set the romantic scene, actors serenade visitors with "La Vie en Rose" and French fare from Robert Arbor of Brooklyn eatery Le Gamin is served. And while the rides are $3 each, the ambience is free.

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3-year-old boy wounded in Brooklyn shooting: report

A 3-year-old boy was shot in the head early this morning in Brooklyn, according to reports.

The shooting happened at about 3:30 a.m. in Flatbush, CBS2 reports.

According to CBS2, the boy is hospitalized in critical condition.

One man is reportedly in custody – but there's no word on any charges.

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State of emergency declared for San Francisco as wildfire continues to grow

EPA

A wildfire burns near the border of Yosemite National Park in California Friday.

FRESNO, Calif. — A giant wildfire raging out of control grew to nearly 200 square miles and spread into Yosemite National Park on Friday, as California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for the city of San Francisco 150 miles away because of the threat to the city's utilities.

The fire hit the park at the height of summer season, as officials geared up for a busy Labor Day weekend. It has closed some backcountry hiking but was not threatening the Yosemite Valley region, one of California's most popular tourist destinations that features such iconic sights as the Half Dome and El Capitan rock formations and Bridalveil and Yosemite falls.

The blaze did, however, pose a threat to the lines and stations that pipe power to the city of San Francisco, so Brown, who had declared an emergency for the fire area earlier in the week, made the unusual move of extending the emergency declaration to the city across the state.

San Francisco gets 85 percent of its water from the Yosemite-area Hetch Hetchy reservoir that is about 4 miles from the fire, though that had yet to be affected. But it was forced to shut down two of its three hydroelectric power stations in the area.

The city has so far been able to buy power on the open market and use existing supplies, but further disruptions or damage could have an effect, according to city power officials and the governor's statement.

The declaration frees funding and resources to help the city and makes it eligible for more federal funds to help with power shortages and outages or water problems.

The weeklong blaze on the timbered slopes of the Western Sierra Nevada has spread to 196 square miles and was only 5 percent contained. It continued to grow in several directions, although "most of the fire activity is pushing to the east right into Yosemite," said Daniel Berlant, spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Smoke blowing across the Sierra into the state of Nevada forced officials in several counties to cancel outdoor school activities and issue health advisories, especially for people with respiratory problems.

Authorities urged more evacuations in nearby communities where thousands have already been forced out by flames.

The fire was threatening about 5,500 residences, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The blaze has destroyed four homes and 12 outbuildings in several different areas. More than 2,000 firefighters were on the lines and one sustained a heat-related injury.

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Port Authority cop helps stop man from jumping off bridge - just weeks after he nabbed purse-snatcher

This Port Authority cop is on a roll.

Just a few weeks after he thwarted a purse snatching while on vacation on Boston, PA Officer Frederick Corrubia helped save a drug-addled man threatening to jump off the George Washington Bridge, sources said.

The unidentified New Jersey man, 46, was threatening to leap off the southbound lanes of the Hudson River span yesterday about 2:30 p.m. when Corrubia and five other cops distracted him by talking to him.

They then grabbed man - who told cops he had swallowed a bottle of muscle relaxers - and hauled him to safety.

Corrubia and his girlfriend were on vacation in Massachusetts on Aug. 6 when he witnessed a man steal a woman's purse from an outdoor cafe tabvle. He chased the suspect down and Boston cops arrested him.

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Thanks, Ryan! Yankees win fifth straight since A-Rod plunking

At this point, the Yankees should start figuring out what kind of share Ryan Dempster gets if they make the playoffs.

The Yankees won their fifth straight yesterday, a 5-3 victory over the Blue Jays in The Bronx, the turnaround starting when Dempster, the Boston right-hander, drilled Alex Rodriguez with a pitch Sunday night, sparking a win — and the ire of teammate David Ortiz.

"We've got Tampa right on our heels and that pitch woke up a monster in the Yankees' team at that moment," the slugger told USA Today. "You're talking about a good team that you can't wake up."

N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg (2)

GOING STREAKING: Alex Rodriguez, making a play on a grounder at third base.

N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg

2014 PREVIEW? David Robertson, pitching in the ninth inning with Mariano Rivera unavailable, recorded his second save of the year in a 5-3 win over the Blue Jays yesterday.

Consider the Yankees awake — and now just 3 1/2 games out of the second wild card and on their way to St. Petersburg, Fla., to face the Rays with a chance to pick up more ground.

David Robertson, who earned his second save of the season yesterday, believes Ortiz is on to something.

"It definitely feels like it," Robertson said of the effect of hitting Rodriguez. "That game in Boston, we were playing hard before that, but it definitely ignited us. Guys really wanted to win that game and it's just carried over."

Apparently it's having an effect on other teams.

"I sure hope they fear us," Robertson said. "We're going to give a good push here at the end and if there's a little fear, that's good. That can change the outcomes of games."

PHOTOS: POST COVERS A-ROD THROUGH THE YEARS

After the start of the game was delayed by 3 hours 32 minutes, the Yankees relied on a solid start from Andy Pettitte and a five-run outburst over two innings.

Curtis Granderson's homer to lead off the fifth tied the game at 1-1 and the Yankees took the lead on a bizarre play that started when Vernon Wells hit a fly ball to shallow center.

Rajai Davis appeared to make a sliding catch, but the umpires ruled the ball had dropped — although no one seemed to realize it.

When the play was over, Eduardo Nunez had scored from third.

The Yankees added three more runs in the sixth, two coming on a Nunez single. Those runs came in handy when Shawn Kelley gave up a pair of runs in the seventh. Boone Logan struck out Adam Lind with two runners on to end the inning.

Preston Claiborne pitched a scoreless eighth and with Mariano Rivera unavailable because he'd pitched three times the previous two days, Robertson tossed a perfect ninth.

It made a winner of Pettitte (9-9), who gave up just one run in six innings and is looking forward to the next month.

"It's going to be hard," Pettitte said of reaching the postseason. "You knew this was going to happen. It was just a matter of when. You hope it's not too late. And it's not too late."

As for Ortiz's words, Rodriguez wasn't sold.

"I don't know about that," Rodriguez said. "I know we feel pretty good, but we've got to keep getting better. We've got a lot of work to do and every game is precious. We just want to keep taking small bites."

Since the Yankees have a pair of series left against the Rays, Orioles and Red Sox, Robertson isn't solely focused on the wild card.

"We'd like to take a run at the division," Robertson said. "We have an opportunity to make up a lot of ground and the standings will change if we win. If we do that, we have a good chance."

Pettitte agreed.

"We're right there," he said. "If we play good ball the rest of the way, we're going to pull this thing out."

dan.martin@nypost.com

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Yankees stay hot following Dempster's beaning of Alex Rodriguez

It Was Day Two of the truce, the whole truce and nothing but the truce in the matter of Alex Rodriguez v. the New York Yankees after the appealing athlete (alternate meaning) on Wednesday disclosing he had instructed his camp to turn off the spigot.

So with the flow of raw sewage having ceased as the Yankees completed a four-game sweep of the hapless Blue Jays, 5-3, to extend their winning streak to five and move within six games of the division-leading Red Sox and 3 1/2 behind the second wild card-holding A's, it was all and only about baseball in The Bronx.

A-Rod being greeted back in the dugout yesterday, helped the Yankees pick up their fifth win in a row, a 5-3 victory over the Blue Jays.

Except it was also at least indirectly about Boston DH David Ortiz telling USA Today he took issue with teammate Ryan Dempster's apparent attempt to extract vigilante justice against A-Rod by throwing at and ultimately hitting the pinstriped pinata on the left elbow with a pitch Sunday night at Fenway.

It wasn't a matter of morality to Ortiz, but rather a matter of judiciousness. Or as Big Papi put it: "That pitch woke up a monster in the Yankees' team at that moment."

The Yankees had actually begun to stir the previous weekend by taking two-of-three from the Tigers and had already won six-of-nine even as they trailed 2-0 when Rodriguez strolled to the plate Sunday to lead off what would become a fateful second inning.

"I don't know about that," Rodriguez said when asked about Ortiz's take on the matter. "I have a lot of respect for Big Papi but for me, I'm laser-focused on the mission at hand, which is the three games coming up."

PHOTOS: POST COVERS A-ROD THROUGH THE YEARS

Again, it is not as if the Yankees were exactly sleeping dogs before Rodriguez pounded a homer to center leading off the sixth to key that four-run rally in which his team surmounted a 6-3 deficit on the way to a 9-6 victory; not at all.

But make no mistake: If the Yankees, 10-2 in their last 12, can pull this off, this unlikely charge to the postseason, the episode in Boston will be marked for all time as the season's flash point and Dempster will be remembered as the individual who, even if unwittingly, detonated the charge that ignited the comeback.

"I know everybody was fired up and as a club we felt we would win that game no matter what," said Andy Pettitte, who threw six innings of one-run ball yesterday. "I feel we've handled [everything] well as far as focusing on baseball and keeping [anything else] out of the clubhouse."

Rodriguez was cheered enthusiastically each time he came to the plate yesterday, Yankees fans apparently having no interest in defending the honor of team president Randy Levine, who has led the counter-attack on A-Rod from the executive suite. No roll call chant of "Ran-dee" from the bleachers.

The third baseman went 0-for-3 on three infield grounders, reaching on a throwing error and a walk. But he did make a couple of nifty plays in the field that likely saved three runs, first charging a soft grounder in the fourth to retire Brett Lawrie with two out and a runner on third before his backhand stab on a Rajai Davis drive started an inning-ending 5-5-3 double play with the bases loaded and one down in the fifth.

"He smoked it right down the line and I got my glove down and stopped it," said Baseball Only A-Rod. "It was a big play."

Rodriguez, who stole second base in the sixth, sure looked spryer than he did a year ago, benefiting from a day off on Wednesday that followed Tuesday's day/night doubleheader. Imagine if his surgeon had actually tried to repair the torn labrum. (Legal disclaimer: that is a joke).

"I definitely felt better today," Rodriguez said. "My body felt pretty good."

Things have settled down around the Yankees, who have stirred but have not been shaken by the controversial return of Rodriguez that pretty much came in conjunction with the acquisition of Alfonso Soriano, the activation of Curtis Granderson and the revival of Pettitte.

So there is surely more to this than Dempster's act of vigilantism last Sunday night in Boston, but it sure didn't hurt and it sure seems to have galvanized the Yankees at least for the short-term.

Now it's on to Tampa Bay for three before three more in Toronto as A-Rod and his team pursue truce, justice and the American way.

larry.brooks@nypost.com

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