My apologies for being a bit behind the curve on these game recaps over the past week. The Yankees haven’t seemed to mind, as they’ve won seven straight going back to Saturday’s split squad sweep. Yesterday’s patsies were the Blue Jays, who went down 7-4.

Lineup:

S – Jorge Posada (C)
L – Johnny Damon (LF)
S – Nick Swisher (1B)
L – Hideki Matsui (DH)
R – Xavier Nady (RF)
R – Cody Ransom (3B)
S – Melky Cabrera (CF)
R – Angel Berroa (2B)
R – Ramiro Peña (SS)

Subs: Shelley Duncan (1B), Doug Bernier (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Justin Leone (3B), Kevin Cash (C), Todd Linden (RF), Austin Jackson (LF-CF), John Rodriguez (LF), Francisco Cervelli (DH)

Pitchers: A.J. Burnett, Brian Bruney, Steven Jackson, Mariano Rivera, Edwar Ramirez, Dan Giese

Big Hits:

A two-run homer off David Purcey by Eduardo Nuñez in the latter’s only at-bat. A triple by Xavier Nady (1-for-3), and doubles by Jorge osada (1-for-3), Nick Swisher (2-for-2), Ramiro Peña (1-for-3), and Kevin Cash (1-for-2).

Who Pitched Well:

Mariano Rivera needed five pitches to toss a perfect sixth. Edwar Ramirez pitched around a single in the seventh. Steven Jackson retired the only man he faced.

Who Didn’t:

Brian Bruney gave up two runs on a single, a double, and an alarming four walks in a mere inning and a third. Dan Giese gave up four hits in his two innings of work, one of which was a home run by Bradley Emaus. Giese is looking awful homer-prone this spring, allowing four in 12 1/3 innings (or 2.9 HR/9).

Battles:

The only other Yankee to allow four home runs this spring is Alfredo Aceves, who has done so in a mere ten frames. With Joe Girardi recently mentioning Kei Igawa as a long-man candidate for the bullpen, it would seem Giese and Aceves have both punched their tickets for Scranton.

That said, Igawa isn’t on the 40-man roster, nor is long-man leader Brett Tomko, and there’s no longer any obvious dead weight on the 40-man that can be removed to make room for him. The Yankees will also need to clear up a 40-man spot for a reserve infielder with Cody Ransom set to start the season as the everyday third baseman in place of the injured Alex Rodriguez. The only solution I can see would be to drop Juan Miranda, who is something of an afterthought with Mark Teixeira having secured first base. The Yankees would have to eat the $800,000 left on Miranda’s major league contract, but he just might slip through waivers.

Two other ways to clear space on the 40-man would be: 1) a trade; 2) outrighting Melky Cabrera, handing Brett Gardner the center field job without a net and exposing Cabrera to waivers. I imagine the Yankees are agressively shopping Cabrera right now–prompting Joe Girardi’s recent praise for him–though I can’t imagine that anyone would offer them anything beyond a marginal single-A player for him given the impending roster cruch.

Cabrera went 1-for-3 yesterday and has gone 2-for-9 with a double while Gardner has been away attending to a personal issue the last three days.

Here’s the latest on the Nick Swisher extra-base hits vs. Xavier Nady walks battle: Swisher XBH 3, Nady BB 0. All three of Swisher’s extra-baggers have been doubles. That said, with both outfielders getting their averages up to the .280s, Nady’s composite line is starting to look better to GPA (which is like OPS, but adjusted to the batting average scale and with on-base percentage properly weighted):

Nady: .286/.306/.571, GPA: .280

Swish: .281/.415/.344, GPA:.273

Of course, those stats don’t include the two WBC exhibitions, which included the first of Swisher’s three doubles.

Edwar Ramirez has quickly gotten his hat back in the ring with three scoreless, walk-less innings in which he’s struck out three batters.

Finally, I find myself leaning toward Ramiro Peña for the temporary utility infielder job. Angel Berroa continues to smack the ball around, but I’m convinced that once he cools off (likely upon facing better pitching), he’ll stay cold. Peña, meanwhile, won’t hit a lick, but he’s a better fielder and has a better plate approach (14 PA/UIBB, 2.22 K/UIBB in his minor league career vs. Berroa’s 27 PA/UIBB and 3.93 K/UIBB in the majors).

Obviously some part of me is seeing what it wants to see in the small-sample/weak-competition stats compiled by Berroa and Brett Gardner, but that part of me is guided by track record and scouting. Berroa’s just not a good baseball player, even if he gets hot now and again. Gardner, and to far a lesser degree Peña, are good baseball players, and while Gardner will surely cool off, he and Peña both do other things well that will help them retain value when they’re not hitting an unreallistic .415. In Peña’s case, that value is minimal, but it should be enough for three-to-six weeks of riding pine and serving as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement, rolls for which Berroa is a particularly poor fit.

Ouchies:

A.J. Burnett seems to have had no ill-effects from the ball he took off his pitching arm. Because of his tatoos, Joe Girardi can’t even tell if he bruised. Phil Coke does have a bruise from a comebacker that hit his leg on Wednesday, but he’s still expected to pitch over the weekend. Damso Marte (shoulder) threw another bullpen yesterday and is scheduled to pitch in Sunday’s game.

My apologies for failing to do a recap of the Yankees’ 9-2 victory over the Pirates Tuesday night. The news from that game was all good. CC Sabathia was dominant (striking out seven in four innings while allowing just one run on a walk and a hit), as was Mariano Rivera. In his first spring game, Mo worked an 11-pitch 1-2-3 fifth, striking out two. Hideki Matsui had a big day at the plate (2-for-2, 2B, HR, 4 RBI), after which Robinson Cano replaced him as DH and doubled in three trips. Jorge Posada went 1-for-3 and survived a bad throw to third base (he said he had a bad grip, but his arm felt fine). Edwar Ramirez and Alfredo Aceves both pitched well in relief.

The news from last yesterday’s game was all good as well, though to a lesser degree, as the Yankees dropped the Astros 4-1.

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (LF)
L – Robinson Cano (DH)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
S – Nick Swisher (RF)
R – Cody Ransom (SS)
R – Jose Molina (C)
S – Melky Cabrera (CF)
R – Angel Berroa (2B)
R – Justin Leone (3B)

Subs: Juan Miranda (1B), Justin Snyder (2B), Addison Maruszak (SS), Eric Duncan (3B), P.J. Pilittere (C), Shelley Duncan (RF), Austin Jackson (CF), Todd Linden (LF), Eduardo Nuñez (DH), Kevin Cash (DH)

Pitchers: Chien-Ming Wang, Phil Coke, Brett Tomko, Jose Veras, Jonathan Albaladejo

Big Hits:

The Yankees didn’t have an extra base hit in this game, but Robinson Cano went 2-for-4 as the DH, and Jose Molina went 2-for-3. The biggest hit of the game was Eric Duncan‘s two-RBI single in the ninth.

Who Pitched Well:

Everyone. Chien-Ming Wang fixed a flaw in his release point and held the Astros to one run on three hits and no walks over five innings. Twelve of his 15 outs came via strikeout (2) or groundout (10). Jonathan Albaladejo pitched a perfect ninth. Phil Coke and Brett Tomko each pitched around a single for a scoreless inning.

Who Didn’t:

If you want to nit-pick, despite throwing a hitless inning, Jose Veras walked two, the first of whom stole second . . . 0r so the box score would have you believe, but if you check the batting order, the two Astros who walked were too far apart to have both done so in a scoreless, hitless inning.

Battles:

Melky Cabrera went 0-for-3, though he drove in a run on a groundout to second and had an RBI double on Tuesday night. Nick Swisher went 1-for-3. Phil Coke, Jonathan Albaladejo, and Brett Tomko all helped themselves, while Jose Veras didn’t do any significant damage to his cause, no matter which version of his inning you believe. Coke’s 2.00 spring ERA is the highest of that bunch.

Ouchies:

Robinson Cano (shoulder) had a good day at the plate as the DH and is still on schedule to start at second base on Friday. Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada felt fine after playing in Tuesday night’s game. Damaso Marte threw 30 pitches in the pen on Tuesday and felt fine. Ramiro Peña has a tender groin.

(more…)

Yanks crush Phils 12-0. Here are the details:

Lineup:

L – Brett Gardner (CF)
R – Cody Ransom (3B)
S – Nick Swisher (1B)
L – Hideki Matsui (DH)
R – Xavier Nady (RF)
R – Jose Molina (C)
R – Angel Berroa (2B)
S – Todd Linden (LF)
S – Eduardo Nuñez (SS)

Subs: Juan Miranda (1B), Luis Nuñez (2B), Ramiro Peña (SS), Justin Leone (3B), Kevin Cash (C), Shelley Duncan (RF), Austin Jackson (CF), Edwar Gonzalez (LF), Robinson Cano (DH), P.J. Pilittere (DH)

Pitchers: Joba Chamberlain, Brian Bruney, Kei Igawa, Jonathan Alabaladejo, David Robertson

Opposition: The Phillies’ B-team

Big Hits:

Brett Gardner tripled and walked in four trips. Angel Berroa and Justin Leone both doubled in three trips. Kevin Cash doubled in two trips. Cody Ransom went 2-for-2 with a walk. Eduardo Nuñez went 3-for-3 with a stolen base. Nick Swisher went 3-for-4. Xavier Nady went 2-f0r-4. Shelley Duncan went 2-for-2.

Who Pitched Well:

Joba Chamberlain and Kei Igawa both gave up two hits and a walk while striking out three in three innings. Jonathan Albaladejo struck out two in a perfect eighth inning. David Robertson pitched around a walk in the ninth.

Who Didn’t:

He didn’t give up a run, but Brian Bruney gave up a single, a double, and a walk in his lone inning of work. He was helped by a double play, but three of the five men he faced reached base.

Battles:

Brett Gardner tripled, walked, scored two runs, and drove in a third in his four trips. He is slugging .781 this spring, not counting a double he hit against the USA. Nick Swisher got his batting average over .200 with a 3-for-4, three-RBI day, though all his hits were singles. He has just one extra-base hit on the spring. Xavier Nady went 2-for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored, but still hasn’t drawn a walk.

Including his three innings against Team USA, Kei Igawa hasn’t allowed a run in 12 innings this spring. Here’s his cumulative line: 12 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 11 K in five appearances. Jonathan Albaladejo and David Robertson are making their case for the opening day roster. The only relief pitcher in camp with a smaller ERA than Albaladejo (1.59) or Robertson (1.69) in five or more innings (not counting the WBC exhibition games) is Anthony Claggett, who has a 1.29 ERA after seven innings, but the 24-year-old Claggett has just six Triple-A innings under his belt.

Ouchies:

Damaso Marte and Robinson Cano‘s MRIs showed no structural damage. Marte, who has been diagnosed with inflamation in his pitching shoulder, will throw in the bullpen today, the first of three before he returns to game action. Cano, who was diagnosed with bursitis in his shoulder, delivered a pinch-hit single yesterday and will play the field on Friday. Mariano Rivera will pitch an inning in tonight’s game on YES.

More:

Andy Pettitte and CC Sabathia will not travel to make their next starts this weekend, rather they’ll throw in minor league or simulated games instead. Phil Hughes will start for Pettitte in the major league game on Friday, and Jorge Posada will stay behind to catch Andy.

The Marlins have returned Rule 5 pick Zach Kroenke. Here’s what I wrote about Kroenke when he was taken by Florida:

A lefty reliever with a 93 mph fastball and a good slider, Zack Kroenke had a solid season at Double-A Trenton this year, but he’ll be 25 in late April, he walks to many men (5.4 BB/9 at Trenton), and he had a reverse split this year. With Damaso Marte and Phil Coke on hand, he wasn’t worth a roster spot, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he was returned by the Fish.

Sure, the Yankees won, 5-1, but the best part of yesterday’s game was having Jorge Posada back behind the plate.

Lineup:

S – Jorge Posada (C)
L – Johnny Damon (LF)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
L – Hideki Matsui (DH)
S – Nick Swisher (RF)
S – Melky Cabrera (CF)
R – Angel Berroa (3B)
S – Ramiro Peña (SS)
R – Doug Bernier (2B)

Subs: Juan Miranda (1B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Justin Leone (3B), Francisco Cervelli (C), Shelley Duncan (RF), Austin Jackson (CF), Todd Linden (LF), Robinson Cano (DH)

Pitchers: Andy Pettitte, Phil Coke, Jose Veras, Anthony Claggett, Steven Jackson

Big Hits:

Nick Swisher (1-for-3) finally picked up his first extra-base hit of the spring, a double off Bob Keppel. The Yankees had four doubles in all, the others by Jorge Posada (2-for-2), Melky Cabrera (1-for-2, BB), and Angel Berroa (1-for-2). Ramiro Peña went 2-for-3, but was both picked off first base and thrown out attempting to steal second, negating both times on base.

Who Pitched Well:

Everyone really. Andy Pettitte pitched around a double and a single for three scoreless frames. Anthony Claggett threw a 1-2-3 eighth, and both Jose Veras and Steven Jackson pitched around lone hits for scoreless innings.

Who Didn’t:

Phil Coke gave up the only run on three singles and a walk, but that was all he allowed in three innings while also striking out two, so it’s hard to say he didn’t pitch well.

Battles:

Three innings for Phil Coke continues to suggest that he’s in the longman battle, which is otherwise being won by Brett Tomko, who is the type of pitcher the Yankees should be avoiding. Nick Swisher‘s first extra-base hit came before Xavier Nady‘s first walk, for whatever that’s worth. Melky Cabrera had a solid day at the plate with a double, a walk, and two runs scored. Jose Veras dropped his spring ERA below 2.00, while Steven Jackson brought his below 3.00.

Ouchies:

Jorge Posada caught in a game for the first time since July 19 of last year. He only caught the first four innings and didn’t have to throw to second during play, but threw to second between innings and said afterwords that he felt strong. He’ll catch again Tuesday and Thursday, taking the days in between off. Robinson Cano‘s appearance at DH suggests the Yankees aren’t to worried about his tender shoulder. His MRI, as well as Damaso Marte‘s have been pushed back to today. Also, Pete Abe reports that Hideki Matsui beat out a double-play ball, which is a good indication that his knees are feeling good.

WBC:

Derek Jeter, the only Yankee left in the tournament, went 0-for-3 with two walks against the Netherlands as the USA’s DH. The U.S. beat the Dutch 9-3. Check out my SI.com liveblog of the game. I’ll also be liveblogging the USA’s double-elimination game against the winner of tonight’s Venezuela-Puerto Rico matchup, which is scheduled for tomorrow night at 7pm on the MLB Network.

Sorry for the lack of a game wrap on Friday night’s 8-4 loss to the Red Sox. I was travelling. Yesterday, the Yankees won a pair of split-squad games against the Pirates (13-10) and Astros (3-1). That’s too many lineups to list here, so I’ll skip right to the Big Hits, etc.

Big Hits:

Jesus Montero hit a grand slam off Chris Bootcheck of the Pirates, and walked in his two other plate appearances over the last two days. Austin Jackson homered off Denny Bautista of the Pirates and went 2-for-6. Johnny Damon hit a solo homer off Wandy Rodriguez, going 1-for-3 against the Astros. Cody Ransom tripled off Tim Wakefield and doubled off Wandy Rodriguez, going 3-for-7. Xavier Nady doubled off Wakefield, went 1-for-6, and still hasn’t drawn a walk this spring. Shelley Duncan doubled of Takashi Saito, going 2-for-4. Kyle Anson doubled in four at-bats. Angel Berroa went 3-for-6.

Who Pitched Well:

A.J. Burnett pitched four perfect innings against the Astros, striking out three. Brett Tomko allowed just two singles in 3 1/3 innings against Boston while striking out five. Ian Kennedy struck out five Pirates while allowing just an unearned run on three hits and a walk (though he also thew wild on a pickoff and hit a batter). Brian Bruney pitched a perfect eighth against Houston striking out two. Steven Jackson pitched a perfect sixth inning against the Red Sox. Jonathan Albaladejo pitched a perfect fourth inning against the Pirates. David Robertson retired the only batter he faced to save the game against Pittsburgh. Edwar Ramirez pitched around a single for a scoreless seventh against the Astros in his spring debut. Jason Johnson pitched around a pair of singles for a scoreless ninth against Houston.

Who Didn’t:

Chien-Ming Wang gave up seven runs (though only one was earned due to a Juan Miranda error), on six hits, including home runs by Mike Lowell and David Ortiz, in a mere 1 2/3 innings. Mark Melancon gave up five runs on a walk and six hits, four of them for extra bases, while recording just two outs in the ninth inning against the Pirates.

Battles:

Brett Gardner went 1-for-5 with a walk and a steal. Melky Cabrera went 1-for-4. Nick Swisher went 0-for-2 with a walk and a steal. He still doesn’t have an extra-base hit, while Xavier Nady, who went 1-for-6, doubled but still doesn’t have a walk.

Ouchies:

Robinson Cano (right shoulder tendonitis) and Damaso Marte (left shoulder tendonitis) had MRIs yesterday after returning from the WBC. Cano’s injury is believed to be normal spring training discomfort. Alex Rodriguez is off his crutches. Mariano Rivera threw 40 pitches in batting practice and will get into his first spring game on Tuesday. Edwar Ramirez (shoulder) and Jason Johnson (cancer) each pitched in a game for the first time this spring yesterday; both pitched well.

Cuts:

Ian Kennedy, Christian Garcia, and Michael Dunn were optioned. Don’t expect to see either of them before September, if then.

Kevin Russo, Colin Curtis, Kyle Anson, Austin Romine, Jesus Montero, and Mark Melancon were reassigned to minor league camp. Melancon could reappear in the bullpen as early as April. None of the rest are likely to see the majors this year as Garcia is coming back from an assortment of injuries and Romine and Montero are starting the year at High-A Tampa.

The Yankees didn’t hit much and CC Sabathia and Alfredo Aceves gave up a bunch of runs. Yanks lose to Tigers 7-4.

Lineup:

S – Melky Cabrera (CF)
L – Johnny Damon (LF)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
S – Jorge Posada (DH)
S – Nick Swisher (RF)
R – Cody Ransom (3B)
R – Angel Berroa (2B)
S – Ramon Peña (SS)
R – Kevin Cash (C)

Subs: Juan Miranda (1B), Doug Bernier (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Justin Leone (3B), Austin Romine (C), Todd Linden (RF), Austin Jackson (CF), Colin Curtis (LF), Hideki Matsui (DH)

Pitchers: CC Sabathia, Alfredo Aceves, Brian Bruney, Jose Veras, Mark Melancon

Opposition: The non-WBC Tigers.

Big Hits:

No Yankee had an extra-base hit, but Johnny Damon went 2-for-2 with a walk, and Mark Teixeira, who is hitting .529 this spring, went 2-for-3. The rest of the team had just two singles (by Cody Ransom and Juan Miranda).

Who Pitched Well:

Brian Bruney and Jose Veras each pitched a perfect inning while striking out two. Mark Melancon pitched around a single for a scoreless eighth.

Who Didn’t:

After a scoreless first inning, CC Sabathia gave up five runs on five hits in the second, capped by a Gary Sheffield homer, and was pulled with two outs in that inning. Sabathia said he felt fine, but was having trouble locating his pitches. Alfredo Aceves then gave up a second home run to Sheffield, a solo shot, as well as a solo home run to Triple-A outfielder Wikin Ramirez.He also gave up a walk and a double, but only struck out one in his 3 1/3 innings.

Battles:

Melky Cabrera went 0-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base, and a run scored. Nick Swisher went 0-for-3 with two walks and a sac fly, but left six other runners on base. Angel Berroa went 0-for-3. Jose Veras is locked in. Mark Melancon still hasn’t given up an earned run. Alfredo Aceves has struggled in two of his three outhings this spring.

Ouchies:

Mariano Rivera and Edwar Ramirez both threw bullpens without incident.

WBC:

Derek Jeter and the USA take on Venezuela at 6:30 tonight (that’s now, actually) to decide the seeding for Round 2, but I won’t be liveblogging it this evening. My next liveblog will be of the USA’s first Round 2 game on Saturday.

Did you guys watch the Netherlands vs. Dominican Replublic elimination game last night? The game went scoreless into extra innings. The D.R. got a run in the top of the 11th on a walk and a ball the right fielder lost in the lights that was ruled a triple. Then, with Carlos Marmol on the mound, three outs from elimination, the Netherlands’ sent up a pinch-hitter who led off with a double, moved to third on an out, and scored on a single by Gene Kingsale, the right fielder who lost the ball in the top of the inning. In checking Kingsale at first during the subsequent at-bat, Marmol threw wild to first, sending Kingsale, the winning run, all the way to third due to the large foul territory at Hiram Bithorn Stadium. Marmol struck out the batter for the second out, but with two strikes, Yurendell de Caster hit a cue shot down the first base line that defensive replacement Willy Aybar booted, allowing de Caster to reach safely just ahead of Aybar’s throw to Marmol at first and Kingsale to come home with the winning, and clinching run.

My heart is still racing. I haven’t been that wrapped up in a game since the 2004 ALCS.

Oh yeah. Blah blah Yankees blah 7-1.

Lineup:

L – Brett Gardner (CF)
L – Johnny Damon (LF)
R – Xavier Nady (RF)
L – Hideki Matsui (DH)
R – Cody Ransom (3B)
R – Jose Molina (C)
L – Juan Miranda (1B)
R – Angel Berroa (SS)
S – Ramiro Peña (2B)

Subs: Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Kevin Russo (3B), Jesus Montero (C), Shelley Duncan (RF), Austin Jackson (CF), John Rodriguez (LF), Kevin Cash (DH)

Pitchers: Joba Chamberlain, Phil Coke, Kei Igawa, Christian Garcia, Anthony Claggett

Opposition: The non-WBC Reds

Big Hits:

A three-run homer by Shelley Duncan off Jordan Smith in his only at-bat and a solo shot by Juan Miranda (1-for-3) off Nick Masset. Hideki Matsui doubled and walked in three trips. Ramiro Peña doubled and singled in three trips.

Who Pitched Well:

Joba Chamberlain, finally. After failing to reach 90 miles per hour in his first start and walking four of five batters and not getting an out in his last outing, Joba hit 96 mph, struck out three and walked none in three innings. That he also gave up a run on three hits (one a Chris Dickerson triple) was no big deal. Talking to Alex on the phone this evening I said Joba would have to pitch three solid innings for me to get over the concerns I had following his first two outings. Well, he did, so I’m over it.

Kei Igawa pitched two perfect innings and struck out two. He hasn’t given up a run all spring and would be pitching his way into the long-man race if not for the fact that he’s Kei Igawa. Anthony Claggett pitched a perfect ninth striking out two. Christian Garcia pitched around a walk in the eighth and struck out two. Phil Coke struck out three in two scoreless innings, giving up just three harmless singles.

Who Didn’t:

No one.

Battles:

Brett Gardner went 2-for-3, pushing his spring average back over .400. Xavier Nady broke his string of extra-base hits with a single in two trips, though he still hasn’t drawn a walk. Phil Coke dropped his spring ERA blew 2.00 with two scoreless innings.

WBC:

Francisco Cervelli is on his way back to camp as Italy was eliminated from the WBC by Venezuela. Cervelli was praised for his intensity, leadership, and work behind the plate for Team Italy, but went just 1-for-7 with a walk and a strikeout. I don’t doubt that Cervelli could catch in the majors right now, but from what I’ve seen of him, he has some work to do on his hitting.

Robinson Cano and Damaso Marte are also on their way home due to the Netherlands stunning and thrilling upset. Cano went 3-for-13, all singles, with a walk and a K. Marte pitched a pair of scoreless innings, striking out two and allowing only a single.

Derek Jeter is thus the only Yankee remaining in the WBC. He and the U.S. will play Venzuela to determine the Round 2 seeding tonight at 6:30. If they lose, they’re realy going to screw up my plans for Saturday.

The Yankees only drew one walk yesterday afternoon and Ian Kennedy was awful, thus the 6-2 loss to Toronto. Meanwhile, the Netherlands took a 1-0 lead on Puerto Rico into the bottom of the eighth, putting them six outs from a Round 2 berth. Sadly, Puerto Rico rallied to advance instead, but Netherlands has had one hell of a ride. They re-match with the Dominican Republic at 6:30 tonight on the MLB Network. Loser goes home. Lang levensecht honkbal!

Lineup:

L – Brett Gardner (CF)
S – Melky Cabrera (LF)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
S – Jorge Posada (DH)
S – Nick Swisher (RF)
R – Jose Molina (C)
R – Angel Berroa (2B)
R – Justin Leone (3B)
S – Ramiro Peña (SS)

Subs: Juan Miranda (1B), Doug Bernier (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Kevin Russo (3B), Kevin Cash (C), Todd Linden (RF), Austin Jackson (CF), Colin Curtis (LF), Shelley Duncan (DH)

Pitchers: Andy Pettitte, Dan Giese, Ian Kennedy, Steven Jackson, Jonathan Albaladejo, David Robertson

Opposition: The non-WBC Blue Jays.

Big Hits:

Brett Gardner‘s third home run of the spring, a two-run shot off Jays’ prospect Brad Mills. Again, this man had three home runs all of last year, including spring training (when he hit none). Mark Teixeira (2-for-3) doubled. Angel Berroa, who is 9-for-18 with five extra-base hits this spring, doubled in two trips.

Who Pitched Well:

David Robertson pitched a perfect ninth inning. Jonathan Albaladejo preceded him by pitching around a single in the eighth while striking out two. Steven Jackson struck out the only batter he faced. Andy Pettitte struck out two in a scoreless inning and two-thirds, though he did walk one and give up a double to Aaron Hill.

Who Didn’t:

Ian Kennedy got beat about the head and neck, giving up five runs on five hits (including three doubles and a Travis Snider homer), a walk, and two wild pitches in 2 2/3 inings. After a poor outing his last time out, Kennedy said that he had lost the feel for his curveball. Clearly, he didn’t get it back before his appearance today.

Battles:

Starting in center, Brett Gardner went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer, while Melky Cabrera, starting in left, went 1-for-3 with a single. Nick Swisher went 0-for-3; he has seven walks, but just two hits this spring, both singles. Xavier Nady, who didn’t play yesterday, has three hits, all for extra bases, and no walks. As a result, Swisher’s line is all on-base percentage, while Nady’s is all slugging. Check it out:

Swisher: .133/.409/.133
X. Nady: .176/.176/.529

Using Gross Production average, which properly weights on-base percentage against slugging and converts the result to the batting-average scale, Swisher is hitting .217 and Nady is hitting .213. That’s a wash, though I would rather have Swisher getting on base regularly than have to wait around for one of Nady’s big hits.

Be afraid: with Cody Ransom starting at third, the Yankees will need a reserve infielder. Among all the players in camp, Angel Berroa currently trails only Gardner in total bases and home runs, and leads all players in hits, more than half of which have gone for extra bases.

On the mound, David Robertson and Jonathan Albaladejo both pitched well. Dan Giese gave up a single and a two-run homer to Russ Adams, but nothing else in 2 1/3 innings, striking out two along the way.

Here’s a quick look at the relievers battling for the last four spots in the bullpen:

Jose Veras: 3.00 ERA, 3 IP, 3 BB, 6 K
Robertson: 2.25 ERA, 4 IP, 1 BB, 6 K
Albaladejo: 2.45 ERA, 3 2/3 IP, 1 BB, 3 K
Phil Coke: 3.00 ERA, 3 IP, 0 BB, 1 K
Melancon: 0.00 ERA, 4 IP, 2 BB, 4 K
S. Jackson: 3.86 ERA, 4 2/3 IP, 1 BB, 4 K
Dan Giese: 6.58 ERA, 8 1/3 IP, 2 BB, 6 K
A. Aceves: 7.36 ERA, 3 2/3 IP, 2 BB, 2 K
B. Tomko: 2.57 ERA, 7 IP, 1 BB, 5 K

Edwar Ramirez has yet to pitch in a game due to shoulder bursitis.

Giese’s ERA is inflated and Aceves has pitched only twice (the first bad, the second good). A lot could happen within that group in the next four weeks.

Cuts:

Pitchers Kanekoa Texeira, J.B. Cox, George Kontos, Eric Hacker, and Wilkin De La Rosa were reassigned to minor league camp. Andrew Brackman was optioned to Single-A Charleston. Of the first group, Cox will land back in Triple-A, and Kontos and Hacker might join him depending on how quickly Scranton’s rotation fills up, but Texeira, who is likely ticketed for Double-A Trenton, is the pitcher to watch. As for Brackman, he posted a 5.56 ERA and 1.44 K/BB in eight starts in the Hawaiian winter league this offseason. Those starts and his three spring innnings (3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 0 K) are the only action he’s seen since making 13 starts for NC State in 2007. He has some work to do.

Ouchies:

Mariano Rivera threw 30 pitches in the bullpen and said he felt “tremendous.” Jorge Posada made a dozen throws to second base and said he “felt great.”

Italy upset Canada in the Pool C “losers” game, so Francisco Cervelli will be away from camp for an extra day as Italy takes on Cervelli’s native Venezuela in a double-elimination game at 5pm tonight on ESPN2. Cervelli went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout in the game against Canada.

Which reminds me, I failed to include the WBC Yankee stats from yesterday. Here they are:

Derek Jeter: 0-for-2 with a walk
Robinson Cano: 1-for-3 with a walk

The Yankees drew ten walks and clubbed six extra-base hits in the process of doing to the Tigers what Team USA did to the Tigers-heavy Venezuelan team in the WBC. The USA won 15-6. The Yanks won 12-3.

Lineup:

S – Melky Cabrera (CF)
L – Johnny Damon (LF)
S – Nick Swisher (1B)
L – Hideki Matsui (DH)
R – Xaver Nady (RF)
R – Cody Ransom (3B)
R – Jose Molina (C)
R – Angel Berroa (SS)
R – Doug Bernier (2B)

Subs: Juan Miranda (1B), Eduardo Nuñez (2B), Ramiro Peña (SS), Justin Leone (3B), Austin Romine (C), Colin Curtis (RF), Brett Gardner (LF-CF), Austin Jackson (LF), John Rodriguez (DH)

Pitchers: A.J. Burnett, Phil Hughes, Brian Bruney, Andrew Brackman, Eric Hacker, Mark Melancon

Opposition: The non-WBC Tigers.

Big Hits:

A three-run homer by Angel Berroa, who also doubled in his three at-bats and drove in four runs. A solo homer by Xavier Nady (1-for-3). A triple by Ramiro Peña (1-for-2). Doubles by Cody Ransom (2-for-2 with a stolen base) and Eduardo Nuñez (1-for-2). Jose Molina also went 2-for-2 with two walks.

Who Pitched Well:

In his Yankee debut, A.J. Burnett allowed just a single in two scoreless innings, though he struck out no one. Phil Hughes then threw three hitless innings striking out four, though he also walked two. Eric Hacker pitched a perfect eighth inning. Mark Melancon pitched around a walk in the ninth.

Who Didn’t:

Brian Bruney gave up a single, a walk, and a two-run homer to Busta Will Rhymes in the sixth.

Battles:

Melky Cabrera went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks, but also was both caught stealing <i>and</i> picked off first base. Brett Gardner went 0-for-3. Nick Swisher walked three times in four trips. Xavier Nady homered in three trips. The OBP/SLG schism continues.With Alex Rodriguez having arthroscopic surgery, Cody Ransom is no longer fighting for the utility infielder job. He has the starting third base job. That could mean Angel Berroa, who had a big day as mentioned above, could make the team as the reserve infielder. If Brian Cashman is going to make a move, it shouldn’t be for a fill-in third baseman, it should be for a better utility man. Phil Hughes isn’t fighting for anything given that the rotation is full, but he’s making damn sure that he’s the first guy to get the call if any of the five starters blows a gasket. Mark Melancon hasn’t given up an earned run this spring in four innings.

Anyone who watched the Yankees snooze against the Braves this afternoon instead of the USA’s nail-biting win over Canada in the WBC missed out big time. For what it’s worth, the Yanks lost 3-1.

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (LF)
S – Melky cabrera (CF)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
L – Hideki Matsui (DH)
R – Xavier Nady (RF)
R – Cody Ransom (SS)
R – Justin Leone (3B)
S – Ramiro Peña (2B)
R – P.J. Pilittere (C)

Subs: Shelley Duncan (1B), Doug Bernier (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Kevin Russo (3B), Kyle Anson (C), Todd Linden (RF), Austin Jackson (CF), John Rodriguez (LF), Austin Romine (PH), Jorge Posada (DH)

Pitchers: Chien-Ming Wang, Brett Tomko, Phil Coke, Kanekoa Texeira, Wilkin De La Rosa, Michael Dunn

Opposition: The non-WBC Braves starters.

Big Hits:

The Yankees scattered six singles. No one had two. No one even reached base more than once. Justin Leone singled in the only Yankee run of the game with two outs in the fourth.

Who Pitched Well:

Chien-Ming Wang and Brett Tomko both turned in similar three-inning performances, both allowing one run on a solo homer (Casey Kotchman off Wang, Greg Norton off Tomko), two other hits, no walks and striking out five between the two of them. Wang threw 27 of 33 pitches for strikes, an absurd 82 percent. Michael Dunn pitched a perfect ninth striking out one.

Who Didn’t:

No one, really, but Phil Coke gave up a solo home run to lefty Brandon Jones, as well as another hit, in his lone inning of work and didn’t strike anyone out. That was the worst Yankee pitching performance of the day.

Battles:

I doubt Phil Coke‘s inning is going to hurt him much, but worry that Brett Tomko‘s outing will help him in the long-man battle. Melky Cabrera went 0-for-2 with a walk. Xavier Nady went 0-for-3. Cody Ransom went 1-for-3.

Ouchies:

Hideki Matsui went 1-for-2 in just his second game of the spring and will start again tomorrow. Jorge Posada remains on schedule to catch next weekend. Jesus Montero had no lasting effects from his groin strain the other day. He’s fully available.

WBC:

Derek Jeter doubled and singled in the USA’s win over Canada. Jimmy Rollins pinch-ran for him in the fifth, Davey Johnson’s subtle way of using Rollins as a defensive replacement with the USA leading in the game. For more on the Jeter-Rollins quandry for Team USA, see my liveblog at SI.com.

Robinson Cano went 1-for-5 in the Dominican Republic’s stunning 3-2 loss to the Netherlands. Damaso Marte pitched a perfect inning in that game.

Francisco Cervelli flied out in his only at-bat in Italy’s 7-0 loss to Venezuela.

The Yankees won their first game since February 26, beating Justin Verlander and the Tigers 7-3 with the help of new ace CC Sabathia.

Lineup:

L – Brett Gardner (CF)
L – Johnny Damon (LF)
S – Nick Swisher (1B)
S – Jorge Posada (DH)
R – Shelley Duncan (RF)
R – Cody Ransom (3B)
R – Jose Molina (C)
R – Angel Berroa (2B)
S – Ramiro Peña (SS)

Subs: Juan Miranda (1B), Doug Bernier (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Kevin Russo (3B), Jesus Montero (C), John Rodriguez (RF), Austin Jackson (CF), Colin Curtis (LF), Kyle Anson (C)

Pitchers: CC Sabathia, Alfredo Aceves, Steven Jackson, Jose Veras, Anthony Claggett, David Robertson

Opposition: The Tigers’ B-team.

Big Hits:

Five doubles, one each by Cody Ransom (1-for-3), Johnny Damon (1-for-2, BB), Jorge Posada (1-for-3), Jose Molina (2-for-3), and Jesus Montero (1-for-1). Ramiro Peña went 2-for-2, stole a base, and delivered a sacrifice bunt.

Who Pitched Well:

In his first game action as a Yankee, CC Sabathia allowed two hits and one unearned run in two innings of work. The run came after Shelley Duncan turned a pop-up into a double and Angel Berroa booted a ball. Sabathia struck out two, and got his other four outs on the ground. Alfredo Aceves allowed a single and a walk in 2 2/3 scoreless innings. David Robertson struck out the side in order in the ninth. Jose Veras struck out two in the seventh allowing only a walk. Anthony Claggett pitched around a single in the eighth.

Who Didn’t:

Steven Jackson gave up two runs on a pair of singles and a walk in an inning and a third.

Battles:

Cody Ransom, who is now battling to be the Yankees’ replacement third baseman, went 1-for-3 with a double. Angel Berroa went 1-for-3 and made his third fielding error of the week (though his first official boot as the other two came against WBC teams in games that don’t “count”). Scary thought: if Ransom does become the third baseman, does that make Berroa the utlity infielder? Doug Bernier and Kevin Russo have one hit between them this spring. Eduardo Nuñez hasn’t hit in A-ball yet, and Ramiro Peña hit .266/.330/.357 in Double-A last year? Justin Leone doesn’t have the glove for the job. Then again, neither does Berroa. It’s worth noting that the slick-fielding Peña has been getting a lot of starts with Rodriguez, Jeter, and Cano away from camp.

Brett Gardner went 1-f0r-3 and made a great catch in center. Nick Swisher walked in three trips. Jose Veras‘s decision to skip the WBC to solidify his bullpen job is paying off. David Robertson is coming on strong as well. If the season started today, the pen would likely be Rivera, Bruney, Marte, Veras, Coke, Robertson and a long man, though I’d rather the Yankees take Albaladejo or Melancon. As for the long-relief competition, Alfredo Aceves threw his hat back in the ring with his outing yesterday, though the five-day gap between his appearances suggest the  Yankees are prepping him to startin Triple-A and focusing on Dan Giese and (sigh) Brett Tomko as the long-relief candidates.

More:

Mariano Rivera will join the Panamanian WBC team over the weekend for ceremonial purposes only. Panama’s game against Puerto Rico follows the US v. Canada matchup that I’ll be liveblogging for SI.com starting at 2pm today. (Was that plug subtle enough?)

The Yankees managed just four hits against the pitching-deprived Team Canada. Meanwhile, the first five men in the Canadian order reached base against Joba Chamberlain as Canada scored sixth in the top of the first. There was no scoring after that as Canada won 6-0

Lineup:

S – Melky Cabrera (CF)
S – Nick Swisher (LF)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
L – Hideki Matsui (DH)
R – Xavier Nady (RF)
R – Cody Ransom (SS)
R – Angel Berroa (3B)
S – Ramiro Peña (2B)
R – Kevin Cash (C)

Subs: Juan Miranda (1B), Doug Bernier (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Justin Leone (3B), P.J. Pilittere (C), Todd Linden (RF), Austin Jackson (CF), Colin Curtis (LF), Jorge Posada (DH)

Pitchers: Joba Chamberlain, Jonathan Albaladejo, Kei Igawa, Brian Bruney, Christian Garcia, J.B. Cox

Opposition: The big-hitting, weak-pitching Team Canada.

Big Hits:

Xavier Nady (1-for-3) and Doug Bernier (1-for-2) both doubled of reliever T.J. Burton, a Double-A reliever from the Indians’ system. The Yankees had just two other hits, both singles.

Who Pitched Well:

Kei Igawa struck out two while allowing just a single in three scoreless innings. Brian Bruney pitched a perfect sixth striking out two. J.B. Cox pitched a perfect ninth striking out one. Christian Garcia allowed a single and a walk in two scoreless innings, striking out two and getting his other four outs on the ground.

Who Didn’t:

Joba Chamberlain faced five batters. Four of them walked, the other, Russell Martin, singled. With that, Chamberlain was pulled from the game. He told Pete Abe after the game that he felt great and that the problem was purely mechanical, but this comes after he he topped out at 88 miles per hour on the YES gun in his poor first outing.

Battles:

Melky Cabrera went 0-for-3. Cody Ransom drew two walks in three trips. Angel Berroa singled in three at-bats and booted a ball at third base. Fortunately for him, both of his errors have come in exhibitions against WBC teams, so neither will show up on his official spring training stat sheet. Xavier Nady doubled in three trips. Nick Swisher drew two walks in three trips and stole a base. Those two are playing to their strengths to an extreme degree. Neither is getting many hits, but Nady’s are all for extra bases and Swisher is drawing a lot of walks, so that the former’s stat line is all slugging and the latter’s is all on-base percentage. Jonathan Albaladejo gave up a run on three hits (including a Matt Stairs double) and two walks in two innings and didn’t strike anyone out.

Ouchies:

Hideki Matsui made his first appearance in a game this spring and went 0-for-2 as the DH. Mariano Rivera and Edwar Ramirez both threw in the bullpen. Both sessions went well. Oh,and one of the guys named Rodriguez hurt his hip or something, but I can’t seem to find a report on it.

Playing not only without their WBC participants, but without Mark Teixeira and without a DH, the Yankees fell to the Braves 3-2, dropping their spring record to 2-5-1 (including their “unofficial” loss to Team USA).

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (LF)
L – Brett Gardner (CF)
R – Xavier Nady (RF)
L – Juan Miranda (1B)
R – Angel Berroa (2B)
R – Jose Molina (C)
R – Kevin Russo (3B)
S – Ramiro Peña (SS)
R – Ian Kennedy (P)

Subs: Doug Bernier (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Justin Leone (3B), Austin Romine (C), Todd Linden (RF), Austin Jackson (CF), John Rodriguez (LF), Jesus Montero (PH)

Pitchers: Ian Kennedy, Dan Giese, Andrew Brackman, Mark Melancon

Opposition: The Braves’ non-WBC starters.

Big Hits:

Triples by Johnny Damon (1-for-2, BB) and Xavier Nady (1-for-3), a double by Eduardo Nuñez in his only at-bat, and a single by pitcher Dan Giese (1-for-2), whose last hit was in 2007.

Who Pitched Well:

Andrew Brackman pitched a perfect seventh inning. Mark Melancon pitched around a double in the eighth. Dan Giese gave up a run on two hits and a walk in three innings, but also struck out three.

Who Didn’t:

Ian Kennedy gave up two runs on three doubles and a walk in his three innings, failed to strike anyone out, and said after the game that he didn’t have command of his curveball, which is the pitch he had made so much progress on in Puerto Rico this winter.

Battles:

Xavier Nady‘s triple was just his second hit of the spring, though both have gone for extra bases. He has yet to draw a walk. Brett Gardner went 0-for-2, but drew a walk. Angel Berroa went 1-for-3 and was caught stealing. Dan Giese‘s outing was among the better performances by the aspiring long-relievers. He’s now pitched thrice, while Alfredo Aceves has only pitched once, and poorly at that. Mark Melancon has yet to allow an earned run in three spring innings.

More:

Pete Abe had a couple of posts from earlier this week that are worth checking out if you missed them. First this on Phil Hughes. Then this random thoughts post full of behind-the-scenes observations.

The Yankees–without Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, or Robinson Cano–nearly beat the All-Star-quality Team USA (which did have Jeter) yesterday afternoon, and likely would have if not for some poor play in the field by the New York reserves. As it was, they led the US in hits 13 to six, didn’t allow an extra-base hit, and the only member of the US squad who had a multi-hit day was their captain, Derek Jeter, who went 2-for-4 with a run scored, two RBIs, and a walk against his real team. In the end, John Rodriguez flied out with the tying run on base and the Yankees lost 6-5.

Lineup:

L  – Johnny Damon (LF)
L – Brett Gardner (CF)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
R – Xavier Nady (RF)
R – Cody Ransom (2B)
R – Kevin Cash (C)
R – Angel Berroa (SS)
R – Justin Leone (3B)

Subs: Nick Swisher (1B), Ramiro Peña (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Doug Bernier (3B), Kyle Anson (C), Shelley Duncan (RF), Melky Cabrera (CF), Colin Curtis (LF), John Rodriguez (DH)

Pitchers: Phil Hughes, Phil Coke, Eric Hacker, Michael Dunn, David Robertson, Jose Veras

Opposition: The USA All-Stars.

Big Hits:

Brett Gardner went 3-for-3 with a double and a stolen base. Nick Swisher (1-for-2) delivered a two-RBI ground rule double that bounded over the outfield wall. Jorge Posada and Cody Ransom both went 2-for-3; Ransom also stole a base.

Who Pitched Well:

Everyone but Hacker. Michael Dunn, David Robertson, and Jose Veras combined to hold the US hitless over the final four innings, striking out seven and walking one man each. Phil Coke allowed just a single in 2 1/3 innings and struck out Adam Dunn and Ryan Braun swinging. Phil Hughes faced the minimum for the first two innings, getting Jeter to ground into a double-play in the first, striking out David Wright and Dunn looking back-to-back in the second–Wright on a fastball on the inside corner, Dunn on a curve that dropped into the zone. In the third, Braun reached on a broke-bat single and with one out Hughes threw inside under Curtis Granderson’s hands and clipped his jersey, putting him on base. The runners move up on a 400-foot fly ball to center tracked down by Gardner before Jeter hit a bouncer past Berroa at short to drive them both in and end Hughes’ day.

Who Didn’t:

Eric Hacker allowed two singles, walked two men, and uncorked two wild pitches without getting an out. Angel Berroa botching a backhanded grounder didn’t help anything but Hacker’s stat line, which shows four runs allowed, but only three earned in zero official innings pitched.

Battles:

Melky Cabrera went 1-for-2 and stole a base, the hit and steal coming during the Yankees’ ninth-inning rally against Matt Lindstrom which fell a run short. Unfortunately for Melky, Brett Gardner had already gone 3-for-3 in the game with a steal of his own and a double down the left field line. Adding insult to injury, during a remote from the dugout with the YES Network former Yankee and current Cubs and Team USA lefty Ted Lilly complemented Gardner’s swing and asked if he was going to be the Opening Day center fielder. Xavier Nadywent 1-for-3 and hit into a 2-6-3 double-play. Nick Swisher went 1-for-2, his one hit being a booming two-RBI ground-rule double. Cody Ransom went 2-for-3 with a stolen base and a great diving play to his right at second base, while Angel Berroa went 0-for-3 and made an error at a ball hit to his backhand at shortstop. Jose Veras, having passed on the Dominican team to fight for his bullpen spot, turned in a second strong outing. David Robertson turned in his first strong outing of the spring. Phil Coke‘s 2 1/3 innings suggest he is indeed in the long-relief battle and his dominance in those inning suggest he’s got a good lead in that battle.

Ouchies:

Jorge Posada went 2-for-3 as the DH. His shoulder soreness seems to have already been forgotten about. Across the state with the Dominican team, Alex Rodriguez was diagnosed with a cyst on his right hip. It’s not enough to keep him from working out, and shouldn’t threaten his availability for Opening Day, but it could give the Yankees and excuse to recall him from the WBC.

More:

The Yankees’ games against the USA (yesterday) and Canada (Thursday) won’t count in the spring statistics, which doesn’t make much sense to me, as all of the spring games are exhibitions, the US is an All-Star team and Canada is at least as good as a split-squad team (more hitting, less pitching).

The Yankees and Astros played to a 5-5 tie this afternoon, with the Yankees jumping all over Mike Hampton in the early going.

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (LF)
S – Melky Cabrera (CF)
S – Nick Swisher (RF)
S – Jorge Posada (DH)
R – Cody Ransom (SS)
R – Jose Molina (C)
L – Juan Miranda (1B)
R – Angel Berroa (R)
R – Doug Bernier (3B)

Subs: Justin Leone (1B), Kevin Russo (2B), Ramiro Peña (SS), Eduardo Nuñez (3B), P.J. Pilittere (C), Colin Curtis (RF), Austin Jackson (LF-CF), Tod Linden (LF), Kyle Anson (DH)

Pitchers: Chien-Ming Wang, Brett Tomko, Anthony Claggett, Wilkin De La Rosa, George Kontos, Steven Jackson

Opposition: All but two of the Astros’ starters.

Big Hits:

Angel Berroa (2-for-3) hit a solo homer off Russ Ortiz and doubled off Hampton. Melky Cabrera (2-for 3) tripled off Hampton (and the glove of center fielder Michael Bourn) and later added an RBI single.

Who Pitched Well:

Chien-Ming Wang, in his first action since breaking his foot against, coincidentally, the Astros on June 15, threw two scoreless frames allowing just two singles. That said, four of his six outs came in the air and one of them would have been a double if not for a nice running play by Nick Swisher. Wilkin De La Rosa recovered from his rocky first outing to pitch a scoreless seventh, allowing only a single.

Who Didn’t:

George Kontos allowed three runs on three hits and a walk while only managing to get one out in the eighth.

Battles:

Melky Cabrera finally threw his hat into the ring in the center-field battle with a pair of RBI hits, one of them a triple. He had gone 1-for-8 without an RBI or a run scored in his previous three games. Cody Ransom went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and a double play. He entered camp with the utility infield job in his pocket, but he’s going to have to perk up to keep it there as he’s now 2-for-12, both hits singles, while Angel Berroa is 4-for-7 with a double and a homer. Nick Swisher walked and scored in three trips and made a running catch on a would-be double in the right-field corner. Brett Tomko only gave up one run on a walk and a Carlos Lee double, which would put him in the lead for the long-relief job unless Phil Coke is also being considered as a long-relief candidate, which he should be. Steven Jackson didn’t allow a run of his own, but seems to have let a few inherited men score after taking over for Kontos in the eighth. Jackson allowed three singles in 1 2/3 innings.

Ouchies:

Jorge Posada delivered an RBI single in three at-bats as the starting DH, so I guess his shoulder’s feeling better. Chien-Ming Wang reported no discomfort in his foot after throwing two innings and considers it a non-issue at this point.

More:

My laptop didn’t show up today, so my intended liveblog of the game against the USA tomorrow is listed as doubtful.

The 24 runs scored by the Yankees and Reds this afternoon included eight home runs. Think the wind was blowing out? In the last game before the World Baseball Classic participants departed, the Yankees lost 13-11 and dropped their spring record to 2-3.

Lineup:

L – Brett Gardner (CF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Xavier Nady (RF)
L – John Rodriguez (LF)
R – Cody Ransom (DH)
R – Kevin Cash (C)

Subs: Juan Miranda (1B), Kevin Russo (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Justin Leone (3B), Jesus Montero (C), P.J. Pilittere (C), Shelley Duncan (RF), Austin Jackson (CF), Todd Linden (LF), Doug Bernier (DH)

Pitchers: Alfredo Aceves, Johnathan Albaladejo, J.B. Cox, Damaso Marte, Brian Bruney, Christian Garcia, Mark Melancon

Big Hits:

Robinson Cano went 3-for-3 with a single, a double, and a solo homer. Brett Gardner went 2-for-3 with a double and a solo homer. Alex Rodriguez doubled twice in three trips. John Rodriguez added a solo homer in three trips.  Derek Jeter went 3-for-3, all singles. Mark Teixeira and Kevin Cash both went 2-for-3, with Cash picking up a double, but also getting caught stealing following his single. Three of the Yanks’ five doubles came off Yankee punching-bag Arthur Rhodes.

Who Pitched Well:

No one really. Mark Melancon allowed an unearned run on a triple, a walk, and an error in the eighth. Brian Bruney allowed just a solo home run to Laynce Nix in his one inning of work. Those performances qualified as “good” in this game.

Who Didn’t:

Starter Alfredo Aceves gave up three runs on a walk and two hits in his only inning of work. Two of the runs came on a Chris Dickerson homer. Christian Garcia entered with an 11-8 lead in the seventh and blew the save by allowing four runs (three earned) on two singles, an error, and a grand slam by Craig Tatum. Damaso Marte gave up a pair of solo homers to straight-away center in the fifth, both to lefties as Dickerson hit his second of the game and Joey Votto also took him deep.

Battles:

Brett Gardner is hot as hellfire, having hit his second homer in four spring games after hitting a total of three between spring training, the majors and minors last year. Gardner leads the Yankees in homers, extra-base hits, total bases, and is slugging 1.300 on top of a .500 batting averge. That said, Gardner’s double today came when he hustled out a pop-up that happened to fall in, then got thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple. Xavier Nady went 0-for-3 with a strikeout and a rally-killing double play. Jonathan Albaladejo didn’t help himself by giving up a run on four hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings, needing J.B. Cox to get him out of a third-inning jam, but he did well to bury that performance in a 24-run game. After Dan Giese opened up the long-man battle with an awful two-inning performance yesterday, Alfredo Aceves did almost as bad in a single inning today.

Ouchies:

Jesus Montero strained his right groin sliding after a passed ball. Jonathan Albaladejo was hit in the back of his left leg by a comebacker and is day-to-day. The soreness in Jorge Posada‘s shoulder is disappating. Edwar Ramirez has not resumed throwing since being diagnosed with bursitis in his pitching shoulder. He will skip the World Baseball Classic as a result.

More:

The World Baseball Classic participants have departed for their respective teams. Francisco Cervelli (1-for-6) joins the Italian team, which means he should be back in camp in a week, as Italy is likely to be eliminated on March 9. Derek Jeter (5-for-11, all singles) is likely to be gone much longer as the US are the favorites in the tournament despit their early exit last time. Jeter hit .450/.522/550 in the 2006 WBC, then went on to have an MVP-worthy season (.343/.417/.483). Here’s hoping he’s similarly inspired this year (though it’s worth noting Jeter was just 32 in 2006 and is 35 this season). The largest Yankee contingent will be on the Domincan team (even without Edwar Ramirez and Jose Veras, who made the final roster, but won’t be participating). Damaso Marte (2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 HR, 0 BB, 2 K), Alex Rodriguez (.429/.545/1.143 in 10 PA), and Robinson Cano (.556/.636/1.111) will all likely be away for most of March as the Dominican team looks like the best non-Asian team after the US.

Speaking of the WBC, I’ll be liveblogging most of the USA’s game’s for SI.com, and if my new laptop shows up tomorrow like it’s supposed to, I’ll liveblog Tuesday’s game between the USA and the Yankees here at the Banter.

The Yankees’ starters touched up Francisco Liriano this afternoon, but the next six Twins hurlers, including former Yankee farm hands Jason Jones and Sean Henn, held the line as the Twins beat the Yankees for the second straight day, this time by a score of 7-3 at Steinbrenner Field. The big story, however, was that Jorge Posada was a late scratch after reporting soreness in his surgically repaired shoulder.

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (LF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
S – Nick Swisher (RF)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Jose Molina (C)
R – Shelley Duncan (DH)
S – Melky Cabrera (CF)

Subs: Juan Miranda (1B), Doug Bernier (2B), Ramiro Peña (SS), Angel Berroa (3B), Francisco Cervelli (C), John Rodriguez (RF), Austin Jackson (CF), Colin Curtis (LF), Jesus Montero (DH)

Pitchers: Joba Chamberlain, Dan Giese, Jose Veras, Michael Dunn, Kei Igawa, Kanekoa Texeira, David Robertson

Big Hits:

The Yankees’ only extra-base hit of the game came off the bat of Mark Teixeira (1-for-3) as he shot the opposite field gap for a double while batting righty against the lefty Liriano. The only multi-hit game was by Shelley Duncan, who singled twice in three trips.

Who Pitched Well:

Jose Veras worked a perfect fourth inning, striking out two, mixing his slider and curve nicely and sitting around 93 with his fastball on the YES gun. Kanekoa Texeira pitched a perfect eighth. Kei Igawa pitched two efficient, soreless innings allowing just one baserunner on a single.

Who Didn’t:

Joba Chamberlain was leaving his pitches up in the zone and didn’t hit 90 mph on the YES gun. He did uncork one typically nasty slider for a swing-and-miss, but oherwise he used up his 22 pitches in the first inning and only threw 11 of them for strikes. In total, he allowed two runs on three hits, two of them booming doubles by Delmon Young and Jason Kubel, and didn’t strike out a batter. Dan Giese followed Joba by giving up four runs on four hits, including a Carlos Gomez homer, and a walk in his two frames.

Battles:

Jose Veras made up for his rough first outing with an impressive inning, but David Robertson was again disappointing, giving up a run on two hits in the ninth and getting his third out on an appeal because a baserunner left second base too soon on the warning-track sac fly that scored the run. Dan Giese hurt his candidacy for the long-relief job. Nick Swisher went 0-for-3. Melky Cabrera went 1-for-3.

Ouchies:

It’s impossible to say right now if Posada’s shoulder soreness is simply a typical post-surgical ache likely to pass with a couple of days of rest or a major red flag. Jorge, of course, is downplaying it, but that’s the sort of behavior that landed him on the DL to begin with last year. Posada tweaked the shoulder stretching in the on-deck circle before his first at-bat (the one in which he homered) on Thursday and played in both that game and Friday’s before mentioning it to anyone. To me, this is the key sentence from the above linked story:

Posada said he performed one stretching exercise that he was not supposed to, bringing the bat up over his head and behind his neck, when he felt something in his shoulder.

Anyone else get the sense that the obstianance of the aging Posada and Jeter is going to be as much of an injury threat as their advancing ages? Guys, follow your doctor’s orders and take the day off when you’re hurting. Please. Do it for the team.

Pete Abe did some pre-game reporting on Posada and has some audio from Jorge here.

The Yankees took their first loss of the spring this afternoon in the first game in which they faced an opponent’s major league starters. Twins win, 5-4.

Lineup:

L – Brett Gardner (CF)
R – Cody Ransom (2B)
S – Nick Swisher (1B)
S – Jorge Posada (DH)
R – Xavier Nady (RF)
S – Melky Cabrera (LF)
R – Angel Berroa (SS)
R – Justin Leone (3B)
R – Francisco Cervelli (C)

Subs: Juan Miranda (1B), Ramiro Peña (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Doug Bernier (3B), Austin Romine (C), Todd Linden (RF), Austin Jackson (CF), Kevin Russo (LF), John Rodriguez (DH)

Pitchers: Ian Kennedy, Eric Hacker, Anthony Claggett, Andrew Brackman, George Kontos, Wilkin De La Rosa, Steven Jackson

Opposition: The Twins’ starters minus Joe Mauer.

Big Hits:

Justin Leone (1-for-3) homered off Twins’ starter Scott Baker. Brett Gardner (2 for 2, BB, 2 SB) singled and doubled off Baker. Jorge Posada and Nick Swisher were both 2-for-3 with a pair of singles.

Who Pitched Well:

Ian Kennedy struck out three in his two scoreless innings while allowing just two baserunners on a walk and a single. Anthony Claggett pitched two scoreless innings of his own, stranding two inherited runners in the fourth and allowing just one of his own on a single.

Who Didn’t:

Eric Hacker failed to get an out in the fourth, giving up a run on three hits before getting pulled in favor of Claggett. He also walked two men in the third. George Kontos blew the save in the seventh by allowing a run on three hits. Wilkin De La Rosa gave up two runs on two walks and two singles in the eighth before Steven Jackson was brought in to get the last out.

Battles:

In a game they both started Brett Gardner (who got the nod in center) went 2-for-2 with a double, a walk, and two stolen bases, while Melky Cabrera (starting in left) went 0 for 3 and stranded three runners. Gardner led off the game with a single, stole second, and scored on a Cody Ransom single. That after homering leading off the first game of the schedule. Who does he think he is, Rickey Henderson? Nick Swisher went 2-for-3.

The Yanks made their home and broadcast debut with a 5-1 win over the Rays this afternoon. They’ve now won their first two spring games by a combined score of 11-2.

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (LF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Xavier Nady (RF)
S – Jorge Posada (DH)
R – Jose Molina (C)
S – Melky Cabrera (CF)

Subs: Cody Ransom (1B), Angel Berroa (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Doug Bernier (3B), Francisco Cervelli (C), Shelley Duncan (RF), Brett Gardner (CF), Colin Curtis (LF), Kyle Anson (DH)

Pitchers: Phil Hughes, Phil Coke, Brian Bruney, Damaso Marte, J.B. Cox, Mark Melancon, Jonathan Albaladejo

Opposition: Carl Crawford and spare parts

Big Hits:

Jorge Posada (2-for-2) hit the first pitch he saw this spring into the right field bleachers, then hit a 405-foot RBI ground rule double in his next at-bat that likely would have gone out to dead center if not for a strong head wind. Shelley Duncan (1-for-1) crushalated a Calvin Medlock pitch in the seventh, dropping a three-run homer into the pond beyond the left field fence. Together, Posada and Duncan drove in all five Yankee runs.

Who Pitched Well:

Everyone. The seven Yankee pitchers didn’t allow an extra base hit and walked only one man. The one Rays run came off J.B. Cox in the seventh on a pair of infield singles and a stolen base. Phil Hughes issued the one walk and hit two other batters in his two innings, but he wasn’t wild. Both HBPs came when pitches inside and under the hands clipped the jersey of a left-handed batter, and the walk was on a full count. Hughes actually looked to be throwing a lot of strikes (Pete Abe had him throwing 67 percent of 33 pitches for strikes). He used his changeup and curveball, didn’t allow a hit, broke two bats, and struck out two men with fastballs (sitting around 92 miles per hour per the YES gun), one of whom was Carl Crawford, who went down on three pitches.

Nice Plays:

Robinson Cano made a nice ranging play on a hopper far to his left. Mark Teixeira saved a wild throw by Alex Rodriguez and got the out call, though his foot appeared to leave the bag before the catch.

Battles:

Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner both went 0-for-2, but Melky’s two were weak groundouts, while Gardner was robbed of a double in the right field gap in his second trip when the swirling winds blew his hit back toward a diving Ray Sadler in center. Gardner tried to bunt for a hit in his first at-bat, but didn’t get the ball far enough away from home plate and was easily thrown out by former Yankee farmhand Michel Hernandez. Gardner also showed good range in the field. Xavier Nady hit a ground rule double down the right-field line in two at-bats. Phil Coke pitched two scoreless innings, suggesting he might be in the mix for the long-man position, which would be a good solution to that problem. Mark Melancon and Jonathan Albaladejo both pitched perfect innings late in the game. Melancon got two outs on the ground and the third by strikeout, but didn’t look terribly impressive to me, pitching deep into counts and sitting around 90-91 mph with his fastball. Albaladejo got two of three outs on the ground and had a few extra ticks on the gun.

(more…)

The Yankees kicked off their exhibition schedule this afternoon with an easy 6-1 win on the road against the Blue Jays, though neither team played their full set of starters.

Lineup:

L – Brett Gardner (CF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
S – Nick Swisher (RF)
R – Shelley Duncan (DH)
L – Juan Miranda (1B)
S – Todd Linden (LF)
R – Kevin Cash (C)

Subs: Justin Leone (1B), Cody Ransom (2B), Ramiro Peña (SS), Kevin Russo (3B), P.J. Pilittere (C), Colin Curtis (RF), Austin Jackson (CF), John Rodriguez (LF), Jesus Montero (DH)

Pitchers: Brett Tomko, Jose Veras, Dan Giese, Kei Igawa, Christian Garcia, Michael Dunn, Steven Jackson, David Robertson

Opposition: The Jay’s B-squad

Big Hits:

Brett Gardner (1-for-3) led off the game by hitting Brett Cecil’s second pitch over the right-field wall. Alex Rodriguez (1-for-1, 2 BBs) added a two-run jack off Rickey Romero in the fourth. Robinson Cano and Austin Jackson (both 1-for-2) both doubled. Todd Linden (1-for-3) picked up an RBI single against B.J. Ryan. Kevin Cash went 2-for-3 and stole a base.

Who Pitched Well:

Everyone except Jose Veras. The other seven pitchers combined for eight shutout innings, allowing just three hits and a walk.

Who Didn’t:

Jose Veras gave up the lone Blue Jay run in the third on a one-out John McDonald double, a hit batsman, a wild pitch, and a sac fly. He then walked two batters before getting out of the inning.

Battles:

Gardner‘s home run was no small thing. Last year he hit just three home runs between the minors and majors, spring training included. Cecil, meanwhile, allowed just six in 118 1/3 innings. Kevin Long’s been working with Gardner to get his legs into his swing. If Gardner can hit for power this spring, he’ll take the center field job with ease. His throwing error came on a strong throw to the plate that just happened to hit the runner. Swisher affirmed his ability to reach base at a high rate by drawing two walks, but didn’t hit a ball fair in three trips, striking out in his other turn at-bat. Veras put himself in an early hole in the bullpen battle, but David Robertson was also wild in his one inning of work (issuing a walk and uncorking a wild pitch). Pete Abe reports that Robertson loaded the bases in the ninth. I assume two of the Yankees’ other three errors (one by Leone, the other two on throws by Peña and Russo) were involved. Veras and Robertson did combine for four of the Yankees’ seven strikeouts, but  Steven Jackson was perfect, getting two groundouts and a strikeout.

More:

• Melky Cabrera has switched to Bobby Abreu’s old number 53.
• I’ll be on Kenrick Thomas’s Real Sports Talk podcast tonight at 10pm. Give a listen.