Maybe if those two had pinch hit for Posada and Cano in the ninth, the Yankees would have come back to beat the Marlins. Anybody would have been better than Jorge, who popped up with Tex on first, and Cano, who grounded into a double play (which he also did in the ninth against the Nationals on Wednesday).

Instead, the Yanks went down 2-1. It was a pitcher’s duel between the Marlins’ hard-throwing young giant, who was actually good as opposed to lucky,

and AJ, who was very good but very unlucky.

Not only were his teammates’ bats silent, but his three outfielders had adventurous interactions with fly balls due, supposedly, to Land Shark Stadium’s bright lights.

Swisher caught Coghlan’s line drive in the first but was clearly blinded.

In the fourth, Melky let Ramirez’s ball drop in front of him for a single, which made him look awfully clumsy.

And Damon was charged with an error after failing to catch Cantu’s liner in the sixth, turning a routine out into an interesting slide.

The game did have its positives:

Posada nailed Ramirez and Bonifacio trying to steal second.

AJ went six-plus, striking out eight.

Coke and Hughes threw perfect innings in relief.

I’m really beginning to appreciate Phil Hughes in the pen. He seems much freer, less of a nibbler, as a reliever. What an asset he could be down the stretch.

I’m not sure why A-Rod was pinch-hitting in the eighth. I thought he was resting, which means not picking up a bat or going in to play third base. Is it really that hard to follow doctor’s orders?

And what was up with those cowbells the Marlins handed out to fans at the game? Aren’t they a Rays thing?

The funniest line of the game came from YES’s Paul O’Neill: “I love sports. They’re so much better than reading a book because you never know what’s going to happen.”

I love sports myself, Paulie, but memo to you: books have surprising plot twists too. Have you ever heard of Ludlum? Grisham? Jane Heller?