"The Yankees are planning on using Russell Martin as much as possible in these playoffs. But with the catcher reaching up to grab Derek Jeter's relay throw from Curtis Granderson in the fifth inning, it looked like Alex Avila had a chance to change those plans.

"It could have been ugly," Martin said of the play that kept the score tied in the Yankees' 9-3 win in Game 1 of the ALDS last night at the Stadium. "I just held onto it long enough. If he hit me harder, he could have knocked it out."

Instead, Martin held on, made the tag and the Yankees responded by erupting for six runs in the bottom of the sixth to put the game away."