The fifth-starter battle continued to fizzle as the Yankees needed a two-run ninth-inning homer from Greg Golson to pull out a 9-8 victory over the Tigers, who scored seven combined runs off Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes in the third and fourth innings.

Lineup:

L – Curtis Granderson (CF)
L – Nick Johnson (DH)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Marcus Thames (RF)
L – Brett Gardner (LF)
R – Mike Rivera (C)
R – Jorge Vazquez (3B)
S – Ramiro Peña (SS)

Subs: Juan Miranda (1B), Kevin Russo (2B), Reegie Corona (SS), Eduardo Nuñez (3B), Austin Romine (C), Jamie Hoffmann (RF), Greg Golson (CF), David Winfree (LF), Colin Curtis (DH)

Pitchers: Joba Chamberlain (2 1/3), Phil Hughes (2 2/3), Jason Hirsh (1), Andrew Brackman (1), Grant Duff (1), Ryan Pope (1)

Big Hits: A game-winning two-run homer by Greg Golson (1-for-2) in the ninth. A solo homer by Mark Teixeira (2-for-3, BB) off former Yankee gopherballer Phil Coke. Doubles by Jorge Vazquez (1-for-2), Mike Rivera (1-for-3), and Jamie Hoffmann (1-for-2). Curtis Granderson singled twice and walked in four trips. David Winfree singled in both of his at-bats. Brett Gardner had a walk and a bunt single in three trips and scored twice.

Who Pitched Well: Jason Hirsh pitched around an error for an otherwise perfect sixth inning, striking out two. Ryan Pope pitched around a single, striking out two in a scoreless ninth, picking up the save. Grant Duff pitched around a single for a scoreless eighth. Phil Hughes gave up a solo homer to Ryan Rayburn and a pair of singles, but in contrast to Joba Chamberlain, his 2 2/3 innings, which included a pair of punchouts and no walks, looked sparkling.

Who Didn’t: Joba Chamberlain got through two scoreless innings allowing just a single and a walk, but melted down in the third. Before he could record a second out in that frame, he gave up six runs on three walks and five hits including a grand slam by Gerald Laird, older brother of Yankee camper Brandon Laird. Chamberlain said he felt fatigued in that third inning, but he also struck out just one of the 15 batters he faced in the game (Austin Jackson on a changeup). Compared to that, Phil Hughes looked fantastic, and he did strike out two against no walks, but also he gave up a solo homer to Ryan Rayburn, two other singles, and needed a spectacular catch from Curtis Granderson to escape the fourth inning without further damage. Joe Girardi said before the game that this was the last “tune-up” start for Chamberlain and Hughes before the fifth-starter competition would begin in earnest. Both should be please by that as Joba has struggled in both of his starts (though he had the flu as an excuse for the first), and Hughes has underwhelmed despite better overall results. LoHud’s Sam Borden provides some explanation for those disappointing performances.

Nice Plays: Curtis Granderson made a running, over-the-shoulder catch on a deep drive by Miguel Cabrera, catching it just shy of the wall, more than 400 feet from home plate. That catch saved Phil Hughes from what could have been an ugly fourth inning. Sadly, the game wasn’t televised, but Borden was so impressed by the catch he dedicated a whole post to it after the game.

Oopsies: Jamie Hoffmann made an error in right field.

Ouchies: Francisco Cervelli caught Andy Pettitte’s bullpen session.

Other: Johnny Damon was out of the Tigers’ lineup after stubbing his toe at home. Austin Jackson played center and led off for Detroit and singled and struck out in four at-bats. Teixeira’s homer was the only blemish on Phil Coke‘s one inning of work.

Just eight games into the exhibition schedule, the Yankees and Pirates met for the third time. The Yankees won the first two 6-3 and 6-0. This time the invading Pirates got their revenge with an ugly 12-7 win.

Lineup:

R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Nick Johnson (DH)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
L – Curtis Granderson (CF)
S – Nick Swisher (RF)
S – Randy Winn (LF)
L – Juan Miranda (1B)
R – Kevin Russo (2B)

Subs: Jorge Vazquez (1B), Reegie Corona (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Brandon Laird (3B), Jesus Montero (C), Greg Golson (RF), Reid Gorecki (CF), Colin Curtis (LF), Jon Weber (DH)

Pitchers: CC Sabathia (2 1/3), Dustin Moseley (1 2/3), Royce Ring (1), Romulo Sanchez (1 1/3), Boone Logan (1 1/3), Hector Noesi (1), Jeremy Bleich (1/3)

Big Hits: A pair of solo homers by Nick Johnson in his only two at-bats, both of Charlie Morton, a wall-scraper in the first and a bigger bomb in the third. A triple by Curtis Granderson (1-for-3) into the right-field gap off D.J. Carrasco (Granderson was stranded at third). Hitting for Johnson in the fourth, Jon Weber (2-for-3) delivered a two-RBI single and later doubled in the ninth. Jorge Posada went 2-for-2 with a walk, and RBI, and a run scored.

Who Pitched Well: Back from the birth of his daughter, Royce Ring pitched a perfect fifth, striking out one. Romulo Sanchez retired four men in a row striking out two before walking the last man he faced.

Who Didn’t: CC Sabathia gave up four runs before getting an out (single, double, RBI double, three-run homer by lefty-hitting Garrett Jones), and gave up another double before escaping the first. He then pitched a perfect second inning, but gave up another run on two hits and a walk in the third before hitting his pitch count with just one out in that frame. He later said he was collapsing his back side (said CC, “I have a big back side”) and thus leaving the ball up. That’s a typical and easily correctable mechanical issue he should be able to fix prior to his next start.

In the process of getting just three outs, Hector Noesi allowed three singles and a walk, with all four runners scoring, three on his watch and one after he was pulled for Jeremy Bleich with two outs in the ninth. Bleich should have stranded that runner, but Jorge Vazquez dropped a throw at first base and Bleich gave up a booming RBI double to the next batter before finally getting the final out of the inning. Boone Logan gave up two runs on a single, a double, and a walk i n1 1/3 innings of work.

Oopsies: For those who skipped the last section, first baseman Jorge Vazquez dropped a throw from Corona at second base for what would have been the final out of an ugly ninth inning. It was in his glove and he just dropped it.

Ouchies: Francisco Cervelli (concussion) worked out at 70 percent effort on Tuesday and said he felt “a little weird,” but better than Monday. He will have a full-speed workout on Wednesday with the goal of playing in Friday’s game.

Other: Those of you checking the box score might notice that the Pirates stole two bases with Jesus Montero behind the plate. They stole them both on the pitcher. Former Yankee farmhand Doug Bernier got a huge jump on Boone Logan, and Argenis Diaz’s steal came on a ball in the dirt. Montero didn’t make a throw in the latter case, but did make a nice, strong, accurate throw to second in the former only to find Bernier already standing on the bag. Throughout the telecast, John Flaherty spoke favorably of what he’s seen and was seeing of Montero behind the plate, feeding my optimism about Montero’ s ability to remain a catcher. My impression is that, with first base blocked, Montero would have to be a total disaster back there for the Yankees to move him off the position.

Finally, I’ve promised to lay off Michael Kay, but Bob Lorenz did play-by-play for YES for this game and it was so pleasant to listen to. Of course, I’m sure if I listened to Lorenz do 150 games a year for a decade and a half things about him would irritate me as well, but I’d be willing to take that chance . . .

The Yankees ended a four-game losing streak with a pair of wins on Monday, their B-team blanking a split-squad Pirates team 6-0 on the road under manager Mick Kelleher, and their A-team eking out a 7-5 win over a full-squad Phillies team at the Boss, six of those runs coming against ex-Yankee Jose Contreras. I’ll break them both down, the A-game first.

Yankees 7, Phillies 5

Lineup:

L – Brett Gardner (CF)
L – Nick Johnson (DH)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
S – Nick Swisher (RF)
R – Marcus Thames (LF)
R – Kevin Russo (3B)
S – Ramiro Peña (SS)

Subs: Jose Gil (1B), David Adams (2B), Russo (SS), Jimmy Paredes (3B), Jesus Montero (C), David Winfree (RF), Reid Gorecki (CF), Colin Curtis (LF), Damon Sublett (DH)

Pitchers (IP): Javier Vazquez (2), Jonathan Albaladejo (1), David Robertson (2/3), Amaury Sanit (1 1/3), Christian Garcia (2), Zach Segovia (1 1/3), Kevin Whelan (2/3)

Big Hits: Nick Swisher cracked two booming doubles, one to each gap, in three at-bats, driving in three runs. Robinson Cano doubled and singled in two at-bats and drove in two. Kevin Russo played the entire game, doubling, singling, and walking in four trips. Split-squad call-up David Adams doubled in in his only at-bat.

Who Pitched Well: Javier Vazquez, who was given the derogatory nickname “Home Run Javy” during his 2004 stint in New York, gave up home run to Jimmy Rollins on his first pitch back in a Yankee uniform (a fastball right down the middle), but that was the only baserunner he allowed as he struck out four of the other six hitters he faced. Kevin Whelan retired the only two men he faced in the ninth, striking out one of them, stranding the tying runs on base and picking up the save. Christian Garcia allowed a solo homer to John Mayberry Jr. and a walk in two innings while striking out two. Amaury Sanit stranded two inherited runners and pitched around a pair of singles in an inning and a third, striking out two.

Who Didn’t: David Robertson got to 3-2 on Jayson Werth with two outs and the bases empty, but just missed outside with ball four. He then allowed an RBI double, an RBI single, a stolen base, and another walk before getting pulled.

Nice Plays: Robinson Cano made a modest dive to his left to flag down a would-be hit in the first. Ramiro Peña made a nice ranging play to snag a ball behind second base and start a 6-4-3 double play.

Oopsies: Split-squad call-up Jimmy Paredes wiffed on a grounder at third by trying to style rather than square up the ball.

Ouchies: Francisco Cervelli was cleared to resume light baseball activities by the neurologist. He could appear in Friday’s game. Damaso Marte threw a bullpen without issue. Nick Johnson walked in three trips as the DH and said afterwords that he felt no discomfort. Johnson had tweaked his back on Thursday by wearing spikes rather than turf shoes for batting practice. The Yankees use an artificial turf covering to protect the dirt at home plate during BP, and Johnson caught a spike and wrenched his back. Such is Nick Johnson. Speaking of which, Chan Ho Park was scratched from his first BP session due to tweaking a glute during some running, though he reported no pain and will get his session in on Tuesday.

Michael Kay nugget: Recounting the Jose Contreras signing, Kay said, “I don’t know if it’s urban legend or not, but when the Yankees ended up signing him, Theo Epstein took a chair and threw it through a window.” The story is most likely untrue, and there are some similarly unverifiable stories of Epstein breaking a door and a window, but the widely circulated version of the story describes Epstein breaking a chair, not throwing it through a window. Perhaps I’m nit picking, but Kay proved he could even make up made up stuff.

More significantly, Kay referred to David Adams as Eduardo Nuñez in consecutive half innings, failing to correct himself even after Adams was shown in a medium shot after a nifty double-play he turned with Ramiro Peña. Nor did he address the mistake when Adams came to bat a couple of innings later. In Kay’s defense, Adams was wearing Nuñez’s number 94, but, well, click on those links again. Nuñez has been in most of the games thus far, Kay should know what he looks like. He did notice that dark-skinned Dominican third baseman Jimmy Paredes was not Caucasian outfield Jon Weber in the ninth despite similar number overlap.

Yankees 6, Pirates 0

Lineup:

R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Curtis Granderson (CF)
R – Randy Winn (RF)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
L – Juan Miranda (1B)
R – Mike Rivera (C)
R – Jamie Hoffmann (LF)
R – P.J. Pilittere (DH)
S – Reegie Corona (2B)

Subs: Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Brandon Laird (3B), Austin Romine (C), Jon Weber (RF), Greg Golson (CF), Kyle Higashioka (DH)

Pitchers (IP): Alfredo Aceves (4), Ivan Nova (2), Zach McAllister (2), Jason Hirsch (1)

Big Hits: They spread it around pretty well. Four Yankees doubled including Juan Miranda (2-for-4, RBI), Eduardo Nuñez (2-for-2, RBI), Brandon Laird (1-for-2), Kyle Higashioka (1-for-2), and Greg Golson (1-for-2). Not included in those five was Jon Weber, who went 2-for-2 with two RBIs, or Alex Rodriguez, who had a two-RBI single in three trips.

Who Pitched Well: Everyone. The Pirates managed just a single (off Nova) and two walks (off Nova and McAllister) in the game. Aceves struck out three in his four innings, and all four of the Yankee pitchers in this game have 0.00 ERAs in the early going this spring.

Oopsies: Eduardo Nuñez made two errors in half a game at shortstop (one fielding, one throwing), and has three already this spring.

Other: Veterans Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Randy Winn, and Alex Rodriguez skipped the long trip to Fort Myers on Sunday, so they made the shorter trip to Bradenton on Monday.

The Yankees traveled to Fort Myers Sunday afternoon to endure an 11-0 beating at the hands of a Twins split-squad. The Yankees have now been outscored 20-1 over the last two days and have allowed 32 runs in their last three games. Through the first five games of their exhibition schedule, they have scored just two runs prior to the sixth inning.

Lineup:

L – Brett Gardner (CF)
S – Nick Swisher (DH)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Marcus Thames (LF)
R – Jamie Hoffmann (RF)
R – Mike Rivera (C)
S – Ramiro Peña (SS)
R – Brandon Laird (3B)

Subs: David Winfree (1B), Kevin Russo (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Jorge Vazquez (3B), Kyle Higashioka (C), Jon Weber (RF), Greg Golson (CF), Reid Gorecki (LF), Jesus Montero (DH)

Pitchers (IP): Sergio Mitre (3), Chad Gaudin (2), Kei Igawa (1), Ryan Pope (1), D.J. Mitchell (1)

Big Hits: Jesus Montero doubled in his only at-bat. Robinson Cano went 2-for-3. Beyond that, the Yankees scattered six singles, including a bunt single by Brett Gardner, and failed to score.

Who Pitched Well: Sergio Mitre pitched three scoreless innings allowing just three baserunners on a pair of singles and a walk while striking out three. He also hit 93 mph on the gun, which he didn’t do all of last year according to the Star-Ledger’s Marc Carig. The only negative to his outing was that four of his other five outs came in the air rather than on the ground. Ryan Pope pitched a perfect seventh.

Who Didn’t: Well, we needn’t worry about Kei Igawa sneaking up on the Opening Day roster. In his lone inning of work, Igawa gave up five runs on a walk and four hits including a double and a grand slam by Juan Portes, who homered twice in the game. Portes’s other homer came off D.J. Mitchell, who gave up three runs on four hits, including that homer and a double, in the eighth. Chad Gaudin struck out two and only gave up a walk and three hits in his two innings, but all three hits went for extra bases including a double and two solo homers. He was charged with a third run which scored on Igawa’s watch in the sixth.

Oopsies: Gaudin, who had a throwing error in his first start, dropped a flip from Mark Teixeira, which is exactly why Tex takes the ball to the bag himself whenever possible. Ramiro Peña also had a fielding error. Brett Gardner was picked off first base, but the Twins botched the rundown.

Ouchies: Francisco Cervelli seems to be recuperating well from his concussion, though he’ll still have to see the neurologist on Monday. Nick Johnson remains on schedule to play in Monday’s game. Tony Peña is the latest Yankee to come down with the flu

Other: Andy Pettitte threw a simulated game instead of traveling to Fort Myers for his first start.

The Yankees starters again struggled to score in Saturday’s 9-1 loss to the Blue Jays. In fact, the lone Yankee run came on a hit-by-pitch, a single, and a fielder’s choice on a double-play ball, with Francisco Cervelli, Juan Miranda, and Ramiro Peña doing the honors and Austin Romine scoring the run. Romine was in the game because the stray pitch hit Cervelli in the helmet, knocking him out of the game with a concussion. More on that below.

Lineup:

R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Curtis Granderson (CF)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
S – Randy Winn (RF)
L – Brett Gardner (LF)
R – Francisco Cervelli (DH)
L – Juan Miranda (1B)
S – Ramiro Peña (2B)

Subs: Jorge Vazquez (1B), Kevin Russo (2B), Reegie Corona (SS), Brandon Laird (3B), P.J. Pilittere (C), David Winfree (RF), Jamie Hoffmann (CF), Colin Curtis (LF), Austin Romine (DH)

Pitchers (IP): A.J. Burnett (1 2/3), Amaury Sanit (1/3), Boone Logan (2), Jonathan Albaladejo (1/3), Mark Melancon (1 2/3), Andrew Brackman (1), Romulo Sanchez (1), Jason Hirsh (1)

Big Hits: Colin Curtis doubled and walked. That’s about it. The Yankees only had five other hits, all singles, and no other Yankee reached base twice.

Who Pitched Well: Boone Logan worked the equivalent of two perfect innings striking out two. Mark Melancon worked around a single for 1 2/3 scoreless frames. Jason Hirsh hit one batter but retired the other three in the ninth.

Who Didn’t: Jonathan Albaladejo faced nine batters, eight reached base (one via walk, six via singles) and five scored, three of them on a home run by Adam Lind. Andrew Brackman gave up three hits including a two-run homer by J.P. Arencibia in his lone inning of work. Albaladejo and Brackman also both uncorked a wild pitch. A.J. Burnett had his fastball in the mid-90s, but didn’t have much command of it and intentionally stayed away from his curveball. The result was three singles, two doubles, a walk, two runs allowed, and a hook before he was able to finish his second inning.

Nice Plays: Reegie Corona made a nice ranging play at shortstop coming well across the second-base bag. Brandon Laird, at third base, made a nice back-handed stab and strong throw from the foul line. There were some other nice plays, but those two were the best.

Oopsies: Corona has nice range, but his arm makes him a second baseman, as demonstrated when he made a back-handed catch in the shortstop hole and bounced the throw to first base.

Ouchies: The most significant event in the game came in the third inning when birthday boy Francisco Cervelli was hit on the top of the helmet by a pitch from Zechry Zinicola. The pitch actually came in around neck high, but rather than fall backward and away from it, he ducked and the ball hit him on the crown of his helmet, giving him a concussion and leaving stitch imprints on his helmet. A CT scan was negative (which is a positive, that is to say, they scanned his head and found nothing), but Cervelli was hit in the same spot by a backswing in winter ball in November and suffered a concussion, so the team will be cautious. He’ll be checked again Sunday and see a neurologist on Monday. If all checks out well he could return to game action mid-week. Nick Johnson took batting practice and said he “felt loose.” He should play on Monday after skipping Sunday’s long bus ride.

Other: Michael Kay nugget of the day: a kid in the stands puts his cap on backwards and Kay explains, “Hat goes on in the Griffey style. Ken Griffey Jr. started that.” Oh he did, did he?

The fifth starter battle started with a fizzle on Friday as Phil Hughes underwhelmed and Joba Chamberlain, weakened by the flu, was flat-out awful. Things didn’t get much better after that as the Rays scored in six different innings. The Yankees, meanwhile, haven’t scored prior to the fifth inning in any of their three games this spring, though their subs put together a nice rally in the seventh on Friday. After the smoke cleared, the Rays had won 11-7.

Lineup:

R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Curtis Granderson (CF)
R – Mark Teixeira (1B)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
R – Marcus Thames (LF)
R – Robinson Cano (2B)
S – Nick Swisher (RF)
R – Francisco Cervelli (C)

Subs: Juan Miranda (1B), Reegie Corona (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Kevin Russo (3B), Jesus Montero (C), Jon Weber (LF), Greg Golson (CF), Reid Gorecki (LF), Jorge Vazquez (DH)

Pitchers (IP): Phil Hughes (2), Joba Chamberlain (1 1/3), Kevin Whelan (4 batters), Kei Igawa (1 2/3), David Robertson (1), Hector Noesi (1), Grant Duff (1), Dustin Moseley (2/3), Jeremy Bleich (1/3)

Big Hits: Robinson Cano (2-for-2) doubled in the fifth and scored on a single by Francisco Cervelli (2-for-2), who “tripled” in his previous at-bat on what looked like a single into the left field gap that was misplayed by Sean Rodriguez.  In the Yankees’ six-run seventh, Eduardo Nuñez, Juan Miranda, Kevin Russo, and Jorge Vazquez each doubled in a run, all were 1-for-2, save Miranda who was 1-for-3. Russo’s double came on a 70 mph changeup from lefty sidearmer R.J. Swindle that he flinched at twice before lacing to the opposite field. Nick Swisher (0-1) drew the Yankees first walk of the spring.

Who Pitched Well: Kei Igawa entered with the bases loaded and one out in the fourth and stranded all three runners, then pitched a perfect fifth. He struck out two along the way. David Robertson threw a perfect sixth striking out one. Jeremy Bleich threw one pitch, but it came with runners on base and resulted in an inning-ending groundout in the ninth.

Who Didn’t: Have a seat. Grab a snack . . .

Phil Hughes gave up just one run on a wind-blown solo homer, but he didn’t strike anyone out, wasn’t locating his breaking stuff, didn’t break 91 mph on the gun, and was generally less impressive than his results. He was still far better than what followed. Joba Chamberlain, having just recovered from a flu which carved eight pounds off his frame, gave up five runs on a double, two triples, and three walks and was pulled two outs short of his intended two innings. He looked awful, but I doubt anyone’s going to hold it against him. The important thing is that he got his throwing in and didn’t fall behind schedule due to his illness.

Two of Chamberlain’s runs scored after he left the game. Kevin Whelan came in with men on first and second, bounced a pitch to move them up, then gave up a single to score them both, though I’d argue that Derek Jeter should scooped up that worm-burner to his left. Whelan then gave up a double and issued a walk and got the hook.

In the eighth, Grant Duff gave up three runs on two walks, a single, and a triple. In the ninth, Dustin Moseley gave up another run on two hits and two walks and was pulled with two outs.

Nice Plays: Derek Jeter made a nice backhanded play on a hotshot to shortstop to start the game. Robinson Cano made ranging, over-the-shoulder running catch in shallow left, then later backed up a bad throw from catcher to first base, spun and threw out the runner at second. In the seventh, Juan Miranda made a nice back-handed grab of a foul ball near the stands and quickly fired back in to hold the runner at second.

Oopsies: On the very next play, Miranda booted a low throw from Eduardo Nuñez. Nuñez got the error. In the third, Nick Swisher fell down after taking too large of a secondary a lead off first base and was doubled off.

Ouchies: Swisher appeared to jam his right wrist on that fall, but stayed in the game. Nick Johnson (back) thinks he can play, but the Yankees are going to give him Saturday off and leave him off the bus trip on Sunday. He should return to game action on Monday.

Other: Thanks to everyone who joined in for my liveblog of the game.

This early in spring training, the latter innings of games tend to be played by a parade of high-number subs while the starers who might actually contribute to the big league club not only out of the game, but on their way out of the ballpark. In the Yankees’ first two games this spring, however, those late innings have contained all of the action.

Wednesday’s opener was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth and Alex Rodriguez was the only Yankee to get a hit in the first five frames. On Thursday, the Yankees and Phillies went scoreless into the bottom of the seventh. Wednesday’s game saw the home team take a small lead, blow it, then win in a walkoff. Thursday’s followed the same pattern, but it was the Phillies who were the home team. The walkoff hits themselves were the biggest difference between the two contests. The Yankees won Wednesday on a three-run homer by Colin Curtis. The Phillies won Thursday on a Wilson Valdez comebacker that ricocheted off pitcher Wilkin Arias for an infield hit that allowed the winning run to score from third, 3-2 Phillies.

Lineup:

L – Brett Gardner (CF)
R – Jamie Hoffmann (DH)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
S – Nick Swisher (RF)
S – Randy Winn (LF)
L – Juan Miranda (1B)
S – Ramiro Peña (SS)
R – Brandon Laird (3B)

Subs: Jose Gil (1B), Eduardo Nuñez (2B), Reegie Corona (SS), Jorge Vazquez (3B), Austin Romine (C), David Winfree (RF), Reid Gorecki (CF) Colin Curtis (LF), Jesus Montero (DH), Greg Golson (PR)

Pitchers: CC Sabathia (2), Zach Segovia (1), Zach McAllister (1), Ivan Nova (1), Mark Melancon (1), Romulo Sanchez (2/3), Boone Logan (1 1/3), Wilkin Arias (2/3)

Big Hits: David Winfree and Jose Gil gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead with RBI singles in the ninth, but no Yankee had an extra-base hit or more than one hit in the game. The Yankees have yet to draw a walk after two games.

Who Pitched Well: Zach McAllister and Ivan Nova pitched perfect third and fourth innings, respectively, and Boone Logan retired all four men he faced, three of them lefties. None of those three pitchers recorded a strikeout. Mark Melancon struck out two, including Jayson Werth, while working around a single for a scoreless sixth. Zach Segovia worked around a walk for a scoreless third.

Who Didn’t: Romulo Sanchez started the scoring in the seventh by giving up a run on a walk and two hits, the big blow being an RBI double by Ozzie Chavez. After the Yankees took a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth, Wilkin Arias blew the game by giving up a pair of runs on three hits including a Paul Hoover double.

Oopsies: With Brandon Laird on first, none out, and the game still scoreless in the top of the sixth, Brett Gardner dropped down a bunt, but ball hit the dirt and stopped, allowing Phillies catcher Paul Hoover to pounce on it and get Laird at second base. Later that inning, Jorge Posada made an ugly half swing missing a Jose Contreras split finger on a hit and run thus hanging Jamie Hoffmann out to dry on his way to second.

Ouchies: Nick Johnson (surprise!) was supposed to DH but was scratched due to a stiff lower back. Johnson played first base on Wednesday. Someone should hide his glove to reduce the chances of further injury. But seriously, folks, Johnson will be out again on Friday but said he’d have played both days if this were the regular season. Joba Chamberlain (flu-like symptoms) is expected to pitch in Friday’s game. Kevin Russo is also recovering from the flu-like flu. Royce Ring is away from the team because his wife had a baby. Yeah, that counts as an “ouchie.”

Other: More on the new spring training/batting practice caps. Every team seems to be doing their own thing within the new template. The Pirates had the standard piping outlining the face, along the bill, and over the MLB logo in the back. The Phillies have blue piping outlining the face and over the logo on their red cap, but the brim piping is red to match the cap (though it is still raised piping as part of the template). Meanwhile, the Yankees have road caps, which have no piping on the crown (or, rather, blue piping on a blue cap), but instead of piping on the bill and over the logo, they’ve turned the entire area outside/beneath that piping gray. Those areas are blue on the home cap, though the gray piping remains. I think it’s despicable that the Yankees have started wearing something other than their standard cap as part of MLB’s marketing gimmicks, be it the BP cap or patriotic holiday caps. I never thought I’d see the day when the Yankees wore four different caps. Hey, BP caps, get off my lawn.

Line of the day from Chad Jennings of Lo-Hud: “Jesus Montero singled in his first spring at-bat. I was in the clubhouse at the time, but I assume it circled the globe before dropping into right field.”

Reminder: I’ll be liveblogging Friday afternoon’s game against the Rays, which will feature Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes on the mound.

The Yankees kicked off 2010 in classic 2009 style with a walk-off win in their first spring training game of the year, a 6-3 win over the visiting Pirates. It was a typically colorless spring training game. Neither team drew a walk, and the Yankees sent just three men to the plate in each of the first four innings, failing to get a ball out of the infield in those 12 at-bats. Alex Rodriguez got the first Yankee hit leading off the bottom of the fifth. Ramiro Peña and Nick Johnson got the Yankees a lead in the sixth. Jonathan Albaladejo blew that lead in the seventh, and Colin Curtis delivered the game-winning three-run homer in the ninth. Here are the details:

Lineup:

R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Curtis Granderson (CF)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
R – Alex Rodriguez (3B)
R – Marcus Thames (DH)
R – Jamie Hoffmann (RF)
L – Brett Gardner (LF)
R – Francisco Cervelli (C)
R – Ramiro Peña (2B)

Subs: Nick Johnson (1B), Reegie Corona (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Brandon Laird (3B), Mike Rivera (C), David Winfree (RF), Greg Golson (CF), Colin Curtis (LF), Jon Weber (DH)

Pitchers (IP): Chad Gaudin (2), Sergio Mitre (2), Alfredo Aceves (2), Jon Albaladejo (3 batters), Royce Ring (1 1/3), Jason Hirsh (2/3), Amaury Sanit (1)

Big Hits: A solo homer by Ramiro “Boom Boom” Peña off former Yankee Steven Jackson to lead off the bottom of the sixth and break the scoreless tie. An RBI double by Nick Johnson later in that inning. A three-run walk-off homer off Virgil Vazquez by Colin Curtis with one out in the bottom of the ninth. All three men went 1-for-2 in the game.

Who Pitched Well: Chad Gaudin pitched around an infield  single by Andrew McCutchen and his own error for two scoreless frames including a 1-2-3 second. Sergio Mitre and Alfredo Aceves each worked two perfect frames while striking out one. Royce Ring allowed an inherited runner to score on a groundout, but he entered with that runner on third and none out and retired all four men he faced, striking out two. Jason Hirsh struck out both men he faced. Amaury Sanit worked a perfect ninth. Those six pitchers allowed just one baserunner, McCutchen, and no runs while getting all 27 outs, seven by strikeout.

Who Didn’t: Jonathan Albaladejo started the seventh by hitting a batter on the thigh, then giving up a single and a two-run double, then got pulled.

Nice Plays: Nick Johnson made a nice, soft-handed pick at first base on a wide and low throw by Eduardo Nuñez.

Oopsies: Chad Gaudin fired a pickoff throw past Mark Teixeira in the first. Greg Golson threw wild on Erik Kratz’s RBI double in the seventh, missing two cutoff men and allowing Kratz to move to third, from where he was able to score on an groundout to first.

Ouchies: Francisco Cervelli was hit by a pitch on the meaty part of his left forearm in the third, but wasn’t injured, though is pride might have been when he tried to avenge the HBP with a steal and was thrown out. Joba Chamberlain (flu-like symptoms) threw his scheduled bullpen before the game, but looked tired and was sent home immediately after, in part to avoid his infecting his teammates, though Kevin Russo is already feeling sick. Joba is still expected to pitch in Friday’s game.

Other: It took Michael Kay less than a minute to annoy me . His narration over footage of Jeter breaking Lou Gehrig’s Yankee hit record during the YES broadcast’s opening montage included this sentence: “The record book was assaulted as milestones were etched into forever.” That’s the verbal equivalent of a Michael Bay explosion, making the similarity between two names seem like more than a coincidence. The inanity and wrong-headedness of his and, to a lesser degree, Ken Singleton’s commentary throughout the game reminded me why I started blogging. On the other hand, Jack Curry made his YES debut as a field reporter and brought some logic, wisdom, and restraint to the proceedings. I’m encouraged by his addition.

The new spring training hats worn by Pirates (the Yankees wore their regular season home duds) look really stupid, though less obnoxiously stupid than the ear-cutout caps they’ve replaced.

Curtis Granderson said he’s experimenting with contact lenses this spring, which suggests that he took his poor showing last year pretty hard.

The Yankees’ home opener may not be until April 16, but the first baseball game ever played at the new Yankee Stadium took place last night, as did a number of other firsts, which though they may be unofficial, will always be the ones I count because I was there.

Because of the rain yesterday afternoon, neither team took batting practice. I arrived at the park a bit after 5:30 and the Cubs took the field too loosen up soon after. Here are some photographs from before the game (as always, all of my photos can be enlarged with a click).

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You may have heard that the Yankees, who beat the Phillies today 8-5, finished their spring training schedule with the Grapefruit League’s best record. That’s not terribly meaningful, but it is pretty cool. Save for Alex Rodriguez’s hip and assorted other off-field issues, there was nothing but good news out of Yankee camp this March. Here’s hoping things go as well in the regular season.

Lineup:

R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Johnny Damon (LF)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
L – Hideki Matsui (DH)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
S – Nick Swisher (RF)
R – Cody Ransom (3B)
L – Brett Gardner (CF)

Subs: Shelley Duncan (1B), Angel Berroa (2B), Ramiro Peña (SS), Justin Leone (3B), Jose Molina (C), Todd Linden (RF), Melky Cabrera (LF-CF), John Rodriguez (LF), Kevin Cash (DH)

Pitchers: CC Sabathia, Jose Veras, Damaso Marte, Phil Coke, Brian Bruney, Jay Stephens, Steven Jackson

Opposition: The Phillies’ B-team

Big Hits:

Two-run homers by Mark Teixeira (3-for-3) and Hideki Matsui (2-for-3), a triple by Robinson Cano (1-for-2, BB), and a double by Nick Swisher (1-for-1).

Who Pitched Well:

Jose Veras, Damaso Marte, Phil Coke, Brian Bruney, and Steven Jackson combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings allowing just one hit (off Veras), and two walks (by Veras and Marte). CC Sabathia allowed two runs on six hits in his 3 2/3 innings (one on a Jayson Werth homer), but he also struck out five against just one walk. For an abreviated warm-up start, that’s just fine.

Who Didn’t:

Poor Jay Stephens, who was a swing-man in A-ball last year and was brought over to major league camp for this game only, was in over his head and it showed as he gave up three runs on three singles and two walks while getting just two outs.

Battles:

Angel Berroa and Ramiro Peña combined to go 0-for-3, but Berroa scored a run as a pinch-runner, while Peña was caught stealing in his stint as a pinch-runner.

Don’t read anything into Nick Swisher starting over Xavier Nady in what otherwise looks like the Opening Day lineup. Nady was hit in the elbow with a pitch on Tuesday and was held out of the game as a precaution. He’s fine and will start on Monday.

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The Yankees are down to just 26 players in camp and are using non-prospects as late-game subs. They’re also cruising through their spring schedule, having won seven in a row and 16 of their last 18, including today’s 6-3 win over the Reds. They are very much ready to come north.

Lineup:

L – Brett Gardner (CF)
S – Nick Swisher (LF)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
R – Xavier Nady (DH)
S – Melky Cabrera (RF)
R – Cody Ransom (3B)
R – Angel Berroa (SS)
S – Ramiro Peña (2B)

Subs: Chris Malec (1B), Mitch Hilligoss (3B), Kevin Cash (C), Dan Brewer (RF), Taylor Grote (CF), Eric Fryer (LF), Francisco Cervelli (DH)

Pitchers: Joba Chamberlain, Brian Bruney, Edwar Ramirez, Phil Coke, Dan Giese

Opponent: The Reds’ starters

Big Hits:

Doubles by Melky Cabrera (1-for-2), Mark Teixeira (1-for-2), and Angel Berroa (2-for-4). Brett Gardner went 3-for-4 from the leadoff spot.

Who Pitched Well:

Phil Coke and Dan Giese each struck out two in a perfect inning. Brian Bruney retired the only two men he faced, striking out one of them. Joba Chamberlain allwed two runs on five hits (four of them singles) and three walks in 5 1/3 innings, but also struck out six and two of those three walks, and one of those runs came as he was running out of gas in the sixth. He’ll pitch in a minor league intrasquad game in Tampa on Sunday before joining the rest of the team in Baltimore on Monday.

Roster News:

With Xavier Nady and Brett Gardner officially declared the staring right and center fielders, the Yankees have finalized their Opening Day bullpen by reassigning Brett Tomko and optioning Alfredo Aceves and Dan Giese to Triple-A. That leaves Jonathan Albaladejo as the last man in the Opening Day pen which will look like this:

R – Mariano Rivera
R – Brian Bruney
L – Damaso Marte
R – Jose Veras
L – Phil Coke
R – Edwar Ramirez
R – Jonathan Albaladejo

I still want David Robertson in there, but he’ll likely be the first man up if any of the above struggles (though only Coke, Ramirez, and Albaladejo have options left).

The Yankees also reassigned Kevin Cash, guaranteeing that they won’t cary an extra catcher.

With Alex Rodriguez headed for the 15-day disabled list, the last spot on the roster is down to Angel Berroa and Ramiro Peña, and the Yankees will have to open a spot on the 40-man roster to make room for the winner, with Giese and Juan Miranda the top candidates to be dropped from the 40-man to make room. It seems likely that both players will travel north with the team for this weekend’s two-game preseason series against the Cubs, and the loser will then head over to Scranton to be the starting shortstop.

Meanwhile, the Scranton rotation will be Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy, Alfredo Aceves, Kei Igawa, and Jason Johnson. Tomko will pitch out of the pen, but to his displeasure, though he doesn’t have an out in his contract until June 1. More importantly, why on earth are the Yankees wasting Triple-A starts on Johnson when George Kontos has nothing left to prove in Double-A?

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Andy Pettitte was fantastic in his last full spring start as the Yankees beat the Blue Jays 3-1. He’ll pitch the second-half of Saturday’s game against the Cubs at the new stadium, and will then start the fourth game of the season against the Royals in Kansas City.

Lineup:

R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Johnny Damon (LF)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
L – Hideki Matsui (DH)
S – Nick Swisher (RF)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Cody Ransom (3B)
R – Jose Molina (C)
L – Brett Gardner (CF)

Subs: Eric Duncan (1B), Justin Snyder (2B), Ramiro Peña (SS), Angel Berroa (3B), Kyle Anson (C), Jack Rye (RF), Melky Cabrera (LF-CF), James Cooper (LF)

Pitchers: Andy Pettitte, Damaso Marte, Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez

Opponent: The Jays’ starters

Big Hits:

Moonlighting minor leaguer Justin Snyder tripled in his only at-bat. Mark Teixeira (2-for-3, BB), Derek Jeter (1-for-2, BB, SB), and Angel Berroa (1-for-1) doubled.

Cody Ransom went 0-for-2 with a walk, but was both caught stealing and picked off first base (I assume he reached on a fielder’s choice at some point). He made up for that with a great play in the second when Scott Rolen tried to go from first to third on a single to center. Brett Gardner’s throw was strong, but way high. Ransom lept in the air and, in the process of making a half spin, caught the ball and reached across his body to apply a blind tag right at the bag that nabbed Rolen. Good stuff.

Who Pitched Well:

Andy Pettitte allowed just one run on five hits (four of them singles) and no walks in 6 2/3 innings while striking out seven. Edwar Ramirez pitched a perfect ninth inning. Jose Veras pitched around a double for a scoreless eighth.

Who Didn’t:

Damaso Marte faced two batters. One of them (Adam Lind) doubled, the other flew out.

Battles:

Ramiro Peña went 0-for-2 with a strikeout, leaving two men on base. Angel Berroa delivered an RBI double in his only at-bat.

Yankees 9, Pirates 8, blah blah blah.

Brett Gardner won the center-field job!

Sez the skipper: “It’s not going to be day by day. Gardy is our center fielder.”

Lineup:

R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Johnny Damon (LF)
S – Nick Swisher (1B)
L – Hideki Matsui (DH)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Xavier Nady (RF)
S – Ramiro Peña (3B)
L – Brett Gardner (CF)

Subs: Justin Snyder (2B), Carmen Angelini (SS), Angel Berroa (3B), Jose Molina (C), Melky Mesa (RF), Melky Cabrera (LF-RF-CF), Seth Fortenberry (LF), Eric Fryer (DH)

Pitchers: A.J. Burnett, Damaso Marte, Mariano Rivera, Phil Coke, Jose Veras

Big Hits:

Robinson Cano (1-for-4) hit his third homer of the spring. Xavier Nady (2-for-3, BB), Nick Swisher (1-for-3, 2 BB), and Johnny Damon (1-for-3)  all doubled.

Who Pitched Well:

Mariano Rivera pitched around a single for a scoreless sixth by striking out the side. Phil Coke struck out four and allowed only a single in two scoreless innings .

Who Didn’t:

A.J. Burnett got lit up by the Pirates starters, allowing seven runs (six earned) in his 4 1/3 innings on three walks and ten hits, including home runs by Eric Hinske, Ryan Doumit, and Adam LaRoche. He struck out just one. After the game he said his mechanics were out of whack, but his arm felt fine. Damaso Marte finished the fourth for Burnett by allowing a run on two hits, one of them an Andy LaRoche double.

Battles:

With Xavier Nady and Brett Gardner having been named the starters in right and center, respectively, the only suspense remaining concerns the reserve infielder and last man in the bullpen. Jonathan Albaladejo now seems like the favorite to complete the bullpen of Rivera, Brian Bruney, Marte, Veras, Edwar Ramirez, and Coke. In today’s game, Ramiro Peña started at third and later moved to shortstop, then second base. He went 1-for-3 with a walk and made a great bare-hand play on a bunt at third base. His one hit was a bunt single. Angel Berroa pinch ran for Johnny Damon, then replaced Peña at third base and went 0-for-1.

Who Dat?:

Lightening round on the five players the Yankees brought over from minor league camp for this game:

Eric Fryer is the catcher/outfielder obtained from the Brewers for Chase Wright. He was a tenth-round pick ouf of Ohio State in 2007 and hit .335/.407/.506 with 15 steals in 18 attempts in the Sally League last year.

Seth Fortenberry is a center fielder taken in the 11th round in 2006. He hit .263/.372/.434 for High-A Tampa last year.

Melquisedec “Melky” Mesa is a 22-year-old Dominican outfielder who has yet to play in a full-season league and has a career .221/.272/.395 line after three minor league seasons.

Carmen Angelini was a highly-touted tenth-round pick out of high school in 2007. The 19-year-old shorstop hit .236/.302/.295 in the Sally League last year.

Justin Snyder was a 21st-round pick out of the University of San Diego in 2007. Primarily a second baseman, he has played all four infield positions and center field in his two minor league seasons and hit .288/.371/.407 in the Sally League last year.

Also, the Padres returned Rule 5 pick Ivan Nova. Here’s what I said about him when the Friars took him:

A 21year-old Dominican righty starter [now 22], he spent [last] season at High-A Tampa where he posted a 4.36 ERA with unimpressive peripherals. Baseball America says he, “has flashed three plus pitches at times but lacks consistency and deception.” I can’t see how he could stick even on the Padres 25-man roster.

Opening Day is a week from tomorrow, and the Yankees are heading up to the new stadium for a workout on Thursday. With just four Grapefruit League games remaining, the Yanks look ready for the season. They won again yesterday, beating the Braves 6-4, then trimmed the number of players in camp down to 31.

Lineup:

R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Johnny Damon (LF)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
R – Xavier Nady (RF)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
S – Melky Cabrera (CF)
R – Cody Ransom (3B)
R – Kevin Cash (C)
R – Brett Tomko (P)

Subs: Shelley Duncan (1B), Angel Berroa (2B), Ramiro Peña (SS), Justin Leone (3B), Chris Stewart (C), Todd Linden (RF), Brett Gardner (LF-CF), John Rodriguez (LF)

Pitchers: Brett Tomko, Alfredo Aceves, Dan Giese, Edwar Ramirez

Ouchies: Derek Jeter bruised his left pinky in a collision with Greg Norton at first base. He’s playing today.

Big Hits:

Homers by Mark Teixeira (2-for-2, BB) and Robinson Cano (1-for-3). Xavier Nady and Melky Cabrera were both 3-for-4.

Who Pitched Well:

Brett Tomko tossed three scoreless innings, allowing three hits and a walk. Alfredo Aceves only allowed two singles and a walk in three innings, but did allowe a run. Both struck out one. Edwar Ramirez retired the last two men of the game to earn the save.

Who Didn’t:

Dan Giese gave up three runs on three hits and two walks in a mere 2 1/3 innings, though he did strike out three and only one of the runs was earned.

Battles:

Take another look at those pitchers. This was something of a final battle for the long-relief job. Brett Tomko (1.17 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 6.0 K/BB) has been by far the most effective of the three candidates, but he’s not on the 40-man roster, which could be enough of a barrier for the Yankees to look elsewhere. Dan Giese has posted great strikeout and walk rates (9.77 K/9, 2.30 BB/9), but has also allowed a team-worst five home runs along with a 1.66 WHIP and a 6.89 ERA. That would seem to leave Alfredo Aceves, but Aceves has allowed four home runs of his own and has an awful 7:6 K/BB ratio to go with his uninspiring 4.60 ERA. That could push the Yankees back to Tomko or back to their senses, as Pete Abe reports:

Joe Girardi threw a change-up after the game, saying it was “possible” they could start the season without a long reliever. That means Jon Albaladejo could make the squad instead of Alfredo Aceves, Dan Giese or Brett Tomko.

That is what happened last season and don’t bet against it this time around.

Pete is (likely correctly) assuming that Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez, and Phil Coke already have the team made.

In other news, don’t look now, but Melky Cabrera, coming off a 3-for-4 day, is hitting .346/.434/.500 to Brett Gardner‘s .367/.436/.673. Also, Ramiro Peña is hitting .320/.370/.400 to Angel Berroa‘s .365/.377/.596.

Cuts:

The Yankees have cut the fat on their remaining non-roster invitees, reassigning Shelley Duncan, John Rodriguez, Todd Linden, Doug Bernier, Justin Leone, Chris Stewart, and P.J. Pilittere. Don’t count on seeing any of those guys again this year.

The Yanks also optioned David Robertson to Triple-A. I was disappoined by that move given howe well Robertson pitched this spring (1.35 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 13.5 K/9, 0 HR). Still, Robertson was out-pitched by Jonathan Albaladejo (0.93 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 8.0 K/BB), and has outstanding control, which stands in stark contrast to Robertson (4.05 BB/9 this spring). If Albaladejo does indeed make the bullpen over Tomko, I won’t mind that Robertson got farmed out. Farming both out, however, would be inexcusable.

The only non-roster invitees still in camp are Tomko, Berroa, Peña, and third-string catcher Kevin Cash. The players on the 40-man roster remaining in camp who are still on the bubble are Aceves, Giese, and Albaladejo. Two of those seven will make the Opening Day roster. I’m hoping for Albaladejo and Peña.

More:

When the Twins claimed 26-year-old Double-A righty starter Jason Jones in the Rule 5 draft, I said he was unlikely to stick on the pitching-rich Twins. He didn’t, but the Twins wanted to keep him anyway, so they turned the claim into a trade, sending the Yankees a younger righty arm in San Diego State product Charles Nolte. The 23-year-old Nolte is a relief pitcher with an extreme groundball rate (4.82 GO/FO last year) who posted a 2.05 ERA in low-A last year. He’s a bit wild (4.4 BB/9), but has solid strikeout rates and has allowed just one home run in 94 2/3 innings as a pro.

Each team only managed just four hits in this game, but the Yankees also drew to walks, stole two bases, and won 4-1.

Lineup:

R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Johnny Damon (LF)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
L – Hideki Matsui (DH)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Xavier Nady (RF)
R – Cody Ransom (3B)
L – Brett Gardner (CF)

Joe Girardi has said he’ll name his starting center fielder this weekend so that he can play his regular season lineup over the final week of spring training. Looks to me like he’s already doing that.

Subs: Shelley Duncan (1B), Doug Bernier (2B), Angel Berroa (SS), Ramiro Peña (3B), Jose Molina (C), Todd Linden (RF), Melky Cabrera (CF), Nick Swisher (LF), Justin Leone (DH)

Pitchers: CC Sabathia, Damaso Marte, Mariano Rivera

Opponent: The Reds’ C-team.

Big Hits:

The Yankees actually only had four hits in the whole game: Doubles by Derek Jeter (1-for-4) and Xavier Nady (1-for-3), and a pair of singles by Mark Teixeira went 2-for-3. Jorge Posada and Brett Gardner both walked in three trips.

Who Pitched Well:

CC Sabathia allowed just one run on four singles and no walks while striking out seven in 7 2/3 innings. Damaso Marte then came in to get one man to end the eighth, and Mariano Rivera pitched a perfect ninth, striking out one, and using just five pitches. Oh man, I’m looking forward to more of that this season.

Battles:

Brett Gardner walked and stole a base in three trips. Melky Cabrera didn’t come to bat.

For the second game in a row, the Yankees broke a close game open with a late surge, this time in the form of five eighth-inning runs keyed by Nick Swisher’s first home run of the spring. Final score: 10-2 Yanks.

Lineup:

R – Derek Jeter (SS)
L – Johnny Damon (LF)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
L – Hideki Matsui (DH)
S – Nick Swisher (RF)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Cody Ransom (3B)
R – Jose Molina (C)
S – Melky Cabrera (CF)

Subs: Justin Leone (1B), Doug Bernier (2B), Angel Berroa (SS), Ramiro Peña (3B), Kevin Cash (C), Todd Linden (RF), Brett Gardner (CF), John Rodriguez (LF), Shelley Duncan (DH)

Pitchers: Joba Chamberlain, Phil Coke, Edwar Ramirez, Brian Bruney, Jose Veras, Jonathan Albaladejo

Big Hits:

Homers by Hideki Matsui (1-for-4), Cody Ransom (1-for-3), and Nick Swisher (1-for-3, BB). Doubles by Derek Jeter (2-for-4), Robinson Cano (1-for-2), Todd Linden, and Kevin Cash (both 1-for-1). Melky Cabrera went 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

Who Pitched Well:

Phil Coke struck out the only two men he faced. Edwar Ramirez struck out two in a perfect sixth inning. Jonathan Albaladejo pitched a perfect ninth. Brian Bruney worked around a double for a scoreless seventh. Jose Veras pitched around a pair of singles for a scoreless eighth.

Joba Chamberlain walked three in his 4 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on a pair of solo homers. But he only gave up one other hit, struck out three, and the homers were by Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.

Battles:

Melky Cabrera had a nice day, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs while Brett Gardner went 0-for-1 as a sub. Nick Swisher put something in the bank with his first spring homer and yet another walk. Ramiro Peña went 1-for-2 while Angel Berroa went 0-for-1. Phil Coke, Edwar Ramirez, Jose Veras, and Jonathan Albaladejo combined for this line: 3 2/3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

More:

Joe Girardi shocked the world by naming CC Sabathia the starter for both Opening Day of the season and Opening Day of the new Yankee Stadium, but the real news is that Girardi is leaning toward swapping Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter in the batting order. Some folks have derided Peter Abraham’s analysis, but Pete is all over this one:

Let’s look at this dispassionately.

Derek Jeter’s career’s OBP: .385

Johnny Damon’s career OBP: .354

Derek Jeter GIDP the last two years: 45

Johnny Damon GIDP in last two years: 9

So Jeter should get on base more often and have fewer opportunities to ground into a double play. This would seem to make sense.

[snip]

Beyond the numbers, this move reflects what we all know to be true: Jeter has become more of a singles hitter. He had 39 extra-base hits last season. His previous seasons:

2007: 55
2006: 56
2005: 49
2004: 68

[snip]

It also seems that this decision is related to another. Brett Gardner is almost certainly the center fielder and will hit ninth. Hitting Jeter first separates two left-handed hitters in Gardner and Damon. Girardi considers matchups critical to his lineup decisions and tries his best to make decisions tougher on the opposing manager.

So now the lineup is:

Jeter R
Damon L
Teixeira S
Matsui L
Posada S
Cano L
Nady R
Ransom R
Gardner L

And when Alex Rodriguez returns, the back-to-back righties at the bottom will go away.

I took an in-depth look at the Jeter/Damon batting order issue back in March 2006, concluding that it was really a non-issue as the difference between batting first and second was a mere 18 at-bats over a full season:

By the most basic logic, a line-up that puts Jeter ahead of Damon is a better line-up because of Jeter’s reliably superior on-base percentage. However, based on a projection using Jeter’s career OBP of .386 (his 2005 mark was .389) and Damon’s road OBP from 2005 of .342, the difference between the two line-ups is a grand total of less than 0.8 outs over the course of 162 games. That’s zero-point-eight, or a fraction of one out. Bear that in mind the next time you find yourself getting worked up over the top two spots in Torre’s batting order.

Still, as Pete points out, the move makes a lot of sense for a variety of reasons. Jeter will get on base, avoid double plays, and protect Gardner from lefty-on-lefty matchups. Damon will hit for more power and drive Jeter and Gardner in, which also benefits Damon in his walk year.

We may have the WBC and Jorge Posada’s shoulder to thank for this as it was with Jeter away from the team and Posada leading off to maximize his at-bats in games he was catching that Girardi noticed Damon’s viability as a number two hitter. Jeter’s always been praised for his ability to hit behind the runner because his natural stroke is to right-field, which for him is the opposite field. Well, Johnny Damon is a similarly skilled lefty pull hitter with better wheels. Works for me.

For what it’s worth, Jeter has put up almost identical batting averages and on-base percentages in the first two spots in the order over the course of his career, but he’s slugged 12 points higher from the leadoff spot. Then again, Damon’s down about 20 points across the board in the two-hole. Not that any of that means anything.

This game was far closer than it looked. The two teams were held scoreless on just three combined hits through five innings and heading into the bottom of the eighth, it was tied 1-1. The Yankees then broke it wide open, a grand slam by Austin Jackson doing the heavy lifting. Thus the 7-1 final.

Lineup:

L – Johnny Damon (LF)
R – Derek Jeter (SS)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
L – Hideki Matsui (DH)
S – Jorge Posada (C)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Xavier Nady (RF)
R – Cody Ransom (3B)
L – Brett Gardner (CF)

That looks a lot like the Opening Day lineup.

Subs: Shelley Duncan (1B), Doug Bernier (2B), Ramiro Peña (SS), Angel Berroa (3B), P.J. Pilittere (C), Todd Linden (RF), Melky Cabrera (CF), Austin Jackson (LF), Eduardo Nuñez (DH)

Pitchers: A.J. Burnett, Jonathan Albaladejo, Mariano Rivera, Damaso Marte, Edwar Ramirez

Opponent: The Red Sox’s B-team.

Big Hits:

Brett Gardner (1-for-2) tripled off Jacoby Ellsbury’s glove in center, setting up the first Yankee run. Angel Berroa (1-for-1) broke the 1-1 tie in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI double. Austin Jackson (1-for-1) crushed a Devern Hansack pitch over the left-field foul pole for a game-breaking grand slam.

Who Pitched Well:

A.J. Burnett dominated for five innings, allowing just one hit and issuing one walk while holding the Red Sox scoreless. In the sixth he allowed an infield hit and hit a batter before giving up an RBI single to David Ortiz. He then walked a man and was pulled after 81 pitches (he had been scheduled to throw 75). Jonathan Albaladejo came in with two outs and the bases loaded and got Rocco Baldelli to ground into a force out to end the inning. Mariano Rivera was perfect again, striking out two in the seventh. Edwar Ramirez, who is no longer wearing his prescription goggles, pitched around a single and struck out two in a scoreless inning and a third.

Who Didn’t:

Damaso Marte allowed a walk and a single and committed an error in the eighth while recording just two outs.

Battles:

Brett Gardner created the first Yankee run by himself by turning a misplay by Jacoby Ellsbury into a triple, then scoring ahead of the throw home on a groundout to first base that didn’t leave the infield grass. Melky Cabrera walked in his only plate appearance. Ramiro Peña was credited with an infield hit on an attempted sacrifice bunt on which the Red Sox’s pitcher flattened the first baseman as he attempted to field the ball. Angel Berroa delivered a tie-breaking RBI double in his only at-bat. Jonathan Albaladejo retired the only man he faced to escape the bases-loaded, two-out jam he was brough into. Edwar Ramirez has likely firmed up his bullpen spot as he’s struck out six against just one walk and no homers in 5 1/3 spring innings, posting a 1.69 ERA, though Alabaladejo and David Robertson‘s spring stats are even better. If it were me, I’d take Robertson, Albaladejo, and Coke, and make Edwar and Jose Veras battle it out for the last spot. Instead, we’re likely to see Ramirez, Veras, Brett Tomko, and Coke head north, though Tomko’s non-roster status and the Yankees additional need to make room for a non-roster infielder could save us from that decision.

Cuts:

Juan Miranda, who could be the player dropped to make room for a non-roster player, was optioned to Triple-A. Austin Jackson and Eduardo Nuñez were reassigned to minor league camp. Nuñez will head to Double-A where he’ll try to prove he can hit, though he never has before. Jackson will be the starting center fielder in Scranton. Should Gardner and Cabrera fall on their faces, Jackson could be given a shot at the major league job mid-year, but I expect he’ll be a September call-up and will battle (and likely defeat) the incumbent for the major league job in camp next year. He’s just 22, so I wouldn’t mind seeing things play out that way as he could use a full year at Triple-A.

Ouchies:

Jorge Posada threw out Jacoby Ellsbury stealing last night. It wasn’t a perfect throw. Derek Jeter had to make a leaping swipe tag to get Ellsbury on the helmet (which he missed, by the way, but Jeter got the call). Still, Posada reported no discomfort afterwords and the throw was fast, strong, and straight, if a bit off-target. Phil Coke, who has been out due to a bruise suffered when a combacker hit him in the leg, is scheduled to pitch tomorrow.

My apologies for not recapping the Yankees’ 5-0 loss to the Rays yesterday. The big news from that game was that Damaso Marte pitched around a walk for a scoreless fifth inning and said he felt good afterwards. Less significantly, Kei Igawa finally gave up a run, Brett Gardner was finally caught stealing, and Robinson Cano went 2-for-3 as the DH. Meanwhile, Jorge Posada caught CC Sabathia in a minor league came and threw out three of four attempting basestealers, saying his shoulder felt 100 percent, which was the best news of all.

This afternoon, the Yankees lost to the Phillies 8-3.

Lineup:

S – Jorge Posada (C)
L – Johnny Damon (LF)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
R – Xavier Nady (RF)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Cody Ransom (3B)
S – Melky Cabrera (CF)
S – Ramiro Peña (SS)
R – Chien-Ming Wang (P)

Subs: Juan Miranda (1B), Doug Bernier (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Angel Berroa (3B), Jose Molina (C), Nick Swisher (RF), Brett Gardner (CF), Austin Jackson (LF), John Rodriguez (PH)

Pitchers: Chien-Ming Wang, Brian Bruney, Dan Giese, Brett Tomko

Big Hits:

Mark Teixeira doubled in three at-bats. Ramiro Peña went 2-for-3.

Who Pitched Well:

Brett Tomko pitched around a single for a scoreless eighth inning. His spring ERA is 1.46. Chien-Ming Wang gave up just one run in his first four innings, then was pulled after the first two runners reached base in the fifth.

The Yankees had wanted Wang to pitch in a minor league game in Tampa so as to avoid having to bat against the Phillies, but the Tampa game was rained out, as the Triple-A game in Dunedin. Wang and Jorge Posada traveled from Tampa to Dunedin to Clearwater, arriving just minutes before game time. Two of the runs Wang allowed came as he tired in the fifth. As for his hitting, under instructions not to swing. Wang struck out looking three times, though Phillies starter J.A. Happ started him off 3-1 and 2-0 in his first two at-bats according to Pete Abe.

Who Didn’t:

Dan Giese gave up three runs on four hits, including a two-out, two-run home run by Miguel Cairo. Brian Bruney allowed the two runner he inherited from Wang to score, then gave up two of his own on a Raul Ibañez double and a Matt Stairs homer, though he also struck out two in his lone inning of work.

Battles:

The big news is that Kei Igawa was reassigned to minor league camp and Joe Girardi has said that Xavier Nady is leading the right-field battle. Nady had an RBI single in two at-bats this afternoon and, more importantly, drew his first walk of the spring. Nick Swisher went 0-for-1. Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner both singled (in three and two at-bats respectively), though Gardner was thrown out stealing.

Roster moves:

Kei Igawa was reassigned to minor league camp. As well as he pitched this spring, don’t expect to see him in the majors at any point this season unless it’s with another team.

As Diane reported this morning, the Yankees have reacquired catcher Chris Stewart, who went 0-for-3 with a strikeout in one start behind the plate for the Yankees last year. The 27-year-old Stewart is a career .188/.235/.229 hitter in 54 major league at-bats and a .256/.318/.363 hitter over seven minor league seasons. Originally drafted by the White Sox in 2001, he spent 2007 in the Rangers’ organization, last year in Triple-A Scranton, and had been back with the Pale Hose this spring before the Yankees acquired him for “future considerations,” which could be a player to be named later or cash. The return for Stewart will be insignificant, but even that seems a waste given that Stewart is actually a less productive catching option than Kevin Cash.

In a see-saw game, the Yankees beat the Tigers 4-3 for their ninth-straight victory.

Lineup:

S – Melky Cabrera (CF)
L – Johnny Damon (LF)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
L – Hideki Matsui (DH)
R – Xavier Nady (RF)
L – Robinson Cano (2B)
R – Cody Ransom (3B)
R – Jose Molina (C)
R – Angel Berroa (SS)

Subs: Juan Miranda (1B), Doug Bernier (2B), Eduardo Nuñez (SS), Justin Leone (3B), Francisco Cervelli (C), Todd Linden (RF), Brett Gardner (CF), John Rodriguez (LF), Shelley Duncan (DH)

Pitchers: Joba Chamberlain, Jonathan Albaladejo, Mariano Rivera, Edwar Ramirez, Jose Veras, Zach Kroenke

Big Hits:

Juan Miranda hit a two-run homer in his only at-bat. Melky Cabrera went 2-for-3 with a double and a stolen base. Mark Teixeira (1-for-2, BB), Johnny Damon (1-for-3), and Francisco Cervelli (1-for-1) all doubled.

Who Pitched Well:

Joba Chamberlain struck out five in 3 1/3 innings, walked no one, and allowed just one run on a quartet of singles. Returned Rule 5 pick (from the Marlins), Zach Kroenke pitched a perfect ninth inning. Mariano Rivera struck out two while pitching around a single for a scorless fifth inning.

Who Didn’t:

Edwar Ramirez vultured the win by giving up a run on two hits and a walk in the seventh to blow a 2-1 lead. The Yankees then scored two in the bottom of the seventh, and Jose Veras gave one right back in the top of the eighth on a solo home run by first-base prospect Jeff Larish.

Battles:

Melky Cabrera had a good day as the only Yankee with a multiple-hit day, going 2-for-3 with a double and a stolen base. Brett Gardner then singled in his only at-bat in relief of Cabrera. Xavier Nady went 0-for-3 and left four runners on base. Angel Berroa went 1-for-3 and is still hitting over .400 (.409 to be exact in official spring games).

Jonathan Albaladejo allowed three singles in just 1 2/3 innings, but didn’t allow any of those runners to score, dropping his official spring ERA to 1.08. Edwar Ramirez and Jose Veras didn’t help their causes, but didn’t do themselves all that much harm either. Steven Jackson was optioned to Triple-A.

Cuts:

There have been a bunch over the last day or two, the most notable being Phil Hughes. Due to the Yankees’ flurry of offseason activity, the rotation is full, and with CC Sabathia, Chien-Ming Wang, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, and Joba Chamberlain pitching deeper into games now that we’re just two weeks from Opening Day, Hughes had to go to minor league camp to continue the fine work he’s been doing this spring. His spring line, including his start against the USA’s WBC team, was 15 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 2 HR, 7 BB, 10 K, 3 HBP, 0.93 WHIP, 3.00 ERA. His strikeout and walk rates aren’t quite in the right place, but he was nonetheless impressive, showing good command of all of his pitches, rediscovering his groundball tendencies, and busting lefties under the hands (thus those three HBPs). Brian Cashman has said he’ll be the first man called upon in the event of an injury to one of the other five starters, and if Hughes can build on what he’s done since returning from his broken rib last year (including ditching his slider for a very effective cut fastball, a solid Arizona Fall League performance, and his good work this spring), he’s a shoo-in to take Andy Pettitte’s spot in the rotation next year.

Others: Francisco Cervelli, Anthony Claggett, Steven Jackson, Humberto Sanchez, Sergio Mitre, Jason Johnson.

Jackson was a longshot candidate for the underside of the bullpen. He pitched well (2.57 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 6K, 1 BB in 7 IP), but everyone already ahead of him pitched as well or better. Claggett, who finished 2008 in Double-A, was not a candidate for the bullpen, but got everyone’s attention with a 1.13 spring ERA and 0.65 WHIP. Add him to the list of potential in-season replacements as he’s headed for Triple-A to start the year. Mitre is coming off Tommy John surgery. Sanchez is to, in a way, and didn’t pitch this spring due to tightness in his right forearm and is ticketted for Double-A. Johnson endured treatments for optical cancer and managed to throw 2 3/3 fairly effective innings, but really never should have been in camp to start with, and was rendered irrelevant by Brett Tomko’s success.

As for Cervelli, he went 4-for-19 with a double and a walk between Yankee camp and playing for Italy in the WBC. Having finally gotten a look at Cervelli between his cup of coffee last September and his work this spring, I fear he’s going to be yet another solid defensive catcher who can’t hit in the majors. The good news is he’s just 23 and will now get to have the season in Double-A he missed last year. Give him that year to work on his hitting and check back in on him in September.

Again, nothing but good news as the Yanks beat the Twins, 4-2.

Lineup:

L – Brett Gardner (CF)
R – Robinson Cano (2B)
S – Mark Teixeira (1B)
L – Hideki Matsui (DH)
R – Jose Molina (C)
R – Shelley Duncan (RF)
R – Austin Jackson (LF)
S – Eduardo Nuñez (SS)
S – Ramiro Peña (3B)

Subs: Juan Miranda (1B), Doug Bernier (2B), Justin Leone (3B), Frank Cervelli (C), Todd Linden (RF), Seth Fortenberry (LF), P.J. Pilittere (DH)

Pitchers: Phil Hughes, Jason Johnson, Anthony Claggett, David Robertson, Kei Igawa

Big Hits:

Solo homers by Mark Teixeira (1-and-3), Austin Jackson (1-for-4), and Todd Linden (1-for-2), and a double by Shelley Duncan (1-for3). Teixeira’s name hasn’t popped up much in my recaps, and this was his first home run of the spring, but he’s hitting .414/.455/.621 on the spring. This is what I expect from Teixeira, not that batting line, but that sort of quiet, almost stealthy excellence.

Who Pitched Well:

Phil Hughes didn’t strike anyone out in his 4 1/3 innings, but he also only allowed one run on three hits and a walk and got 10 of his 13 outs on the ground, which is an especially good sign, as Hughes major league struggles have often been accompanied by a spike in his flyball rate. David Robertson struck out three of the five batters he faced, the other two walked and flew out. Anthony Claggett pitched around a walk for a scoreless seventh inning.

Who Didn’t:

Jason Johnson allowed a run on two doubles, a single and a walk in 1 2/3 innings.

Battles:

Brett Gardner went 1-for-3 with a stolen base. David Robertson helped his cause yet again. Kei Igawa loaded the bases in the ninth before stranding all three runners to end the game.

Ouchies:

Robinson Cano (shoulder) played the first five innings at second base and went 1-for-3. He said he felt fine. Catching Andy Pettitte in a minor league game, Jorge Posada (shoulder) made three throws to second base. All three runners were safe, but two of the throws beat the runner, and the third attempting thief stole the bag off Pettitte (at least according to Pete Abe‘s account). The third throw, chronolocially speaking, was the best, which was a good sign. Posada had made just one throw in his three prior games behind the plate, that one going to third base, but again failing to catch the runner. MLB.com’s Brian Hoch has a full story on Posada’s day and the state of his throwing arm.