The LoHud Yankees Blog

YANKEES (21-17)

Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Hideki Matsui DH
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera CF
Francisco Cervelli C

Pitching: LHP CC Sabathia (3-3, 3.70 ERA)

Orioles (16-22)

Brian Roberts 2B
Adam Jones CF
Nick Markakis RF
Aubrey Huff 1B
Melvin Mora 3B
Nolan Reimold LF
Lou Montanez DH
Gregg Zaun C
Robert Andino SS

Pitching: RHP Brad Bergesen (1-1, 5.27)

TIME/TV: 7:05 p.m., My9

CREEPING UP: The Yankees have won six in a row and are only one game behind the Red Sox for second place in the AL East. The surprising Blue Jays, at 27-14, are still in first. Doubters of Toronto fairly point to the fact the Jays have played a grand total of three games against the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays. Toronto can start to show it’s for real tonight when it begins a series in Boston.

TEX MESSAGING: Mark Teixeira is batting .458 (11-for-24) with 11 RBI during the Yankees’ six-game winning streak.

CC ON THE RISE: CC Sabathia started his season (and Yankees career) with a stinker against the Orioles and then gave up 16 runs in 21 1/3 innings from April 22 – May 2. In his last two starts, though, he’s thrown 17 innings, allowed just two runs and struck out 13. A win tonight would be Sabathia’s first victory at the new Yankee Stadium.

Back with more later …

UPDATE, 5:12 p.m. Let’s try this Jeopardy! style. Joe Girardi’s answers are:
1. Not yet
2. Not yet
3. We’re not sure
4. Absolutely

The questions?

1. Have you made a move for Bruney yet? (They plan to make one after batting practice.)
2. Do you have a plan for Wang yet? (“There probably won’t be a decision today,” Girardi said.)
3. What will happen with your rotation – read: Hughes – when Wang is ready? (“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Girardi said.)
4. Do you think A-Rod’s return has been a big part of the team’s surge? (“I don’t think it’s a coincidence,” Girardi said.)

Sorry there isn’t more to report yet. Jorge Posada is in the house because of incredibly bad weather in Tampa, and we’re hoping to talk with him once BP is over. Ostensibly we’ll have the much-anticipated reliever move at that point, too. For those Xavier Nady fans out there, Girardi did have a small update, saying he thought Nady would be taking modified BP tomorrow. He also wouldn’t rule out Posada rejoining the team at some point on the upcoming road trip, though Texas – where the Yankees go on Monday – is a tough place to return because of the heat.

Back with more after BP.

UPDATE, 5:22 p.m.: Shameless plug: Some of you may know that in addition to working for the good people at The Journal News and LoHud.com, I also write a weekly column for SNY.tv. As part of my work with the SNY folks, I make appearances on their excellent Internet pregame show “New York Baseball Today,” and today I was on to talk about the Yankees game tonight. The daily show is a quick, 4-5 minute recap of the issues facing both local teams that night and you can watch today’s episode here.

UPDATE, 6:14 p.m.: Still no word on the move. The Yankees are taking their time on this one, apparently.

UPDATE, 6:57 p.m.: And the mystery is solved: Edwar Ramirez is headed back to Scranton. We just got back upstairs from talking to Ramirez and he seemed to calmly accept the decision. “I’m surprised but I have to be better,” he said. “I’ll go back down and work.”

UPDATE, 7:08 p.m.: 61 degrees at first pitch. Nice night in the Bronx. CC is wearing sleeves but most of the other Yankees aren’t.

UPDATE, 7:29 p.m.: That’s homers in four straight games for A-Rod, giving Sabathia a 2-1 lead after he gave up a run in the top of the first. Girardi said before the game he thinks A-Rod’s mobility in the field is improving incrementally; obviously he’s pretty comfortable at the plate.

UPDATE, 8:32 p.m.: CC is settled in. He whiffed Roberts on a 95 mph heater and looked pumped as he walked off the mound. Not sure why the Yankees can’t do more with Bergesen – it’s amazing how much they struggle with pitchers they haven’t seen. That’s been the case for as long as I’ve been around them.

UPDATE, 8:34 p.m.: Forgot to mention this before: Phil Coke had a shaved head when he walked into the clubhouse today. I’m not really sure why. He’s also not available tonight after throwing so many pitches last night. Also, for those who were wondering, Girardi said he prefers to have two infielders on the bench – Berroa and Pena – because there are still some concerns about A-Rod in the field. Having the extra body gives the Yankees more flexibility in terms of sitting Rodriguez (or Cano or Jeter) on any given day and still having someone else available.

UPDATE, 8:44 p.m.: Just a reminder: When we say “Cervelli is fast for a catcher” that doesn’t mean he’s actually fast. That had to be a missed sign by someone right?

UPDATE, 8:56 p.m.: That’s a missed opportunity by the Yankees right there. A lack of tack-ons almost hurt them last night and they’re living dangerously again tonight. With only 86 pitches, though, Sabathia could very well take the ball all the way to Rivera (or just finish it himself).

UPDATE, 9:23 p.m.: Remember when Chris Ray was the hot new closer for the Orioles? Me either. Anyway, nice play by Robert Andino – who wears his hat sort of crooked, like Sabathia – gifts the Yanks another run. Now it’s up to Jeter. No one warming in the Yankees pen by the way.

UPDATE, 9:26 p.m.: Big hit by Jeter gives the Yankees some room and gets Bruney up in the bullpen. If you’re interested, Jeter’s hit was scored a double, two RBI and an error on the CF allowing the third run to score.

UPDATE, 9:30 p.m.: Another homer for Teixeira and suddenly this game is a rout. Thanks for coming, Chris Ray.

UPDATE, 9:32 p.m.: Let’s be clear about something: Mark Hendrickson is a tall drink of water.

UPDATE, 9:35 p.m.: Chris Ray’s line: 0 innings, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 HR, 1 teammate’s night ruined (sorry, Brad Bergesen). With the Yankees now up by eight, Sabathia’s night is over and Brian Bruney is making his triumphant return to the mound.

UPDATE, 9:51 p.m.: Yanks clear the decks with Pena moving to short, Berroa going to third and Tomko coming in to pitch. That’s seven in a row for the Yankees and, with Boston beating Toronto, they’re 3 1/2 out in the AL East.

I’m getting ready to head into the city shortly for a TV thing before going over to the Stadium, but here are a few thoughts before we get the game post up and running:

1. CC Sabathia, who starts tonight, wears baggy pants. How does he get them so baggy? I watched yesterday as he spent a solid five minutes stretching one pair out. First he laid the pants on the floor. Then he stepped on the right leg with both feet. Then he grabbed the left leg with both hands and pulled it up and over his shoulder (remember, he’s 6-foot-7) as if he was carrying a sack of laundry or something. Then he reversed the process and did the other side. The pants didn’t stand a chance.

2. I know many of you have been debating what roster move the Yankees should make to get Brian Bruney active, and I can understand why there would be a variety of opinions. The only solid info Joe Girardi gave yesterday was that it was very unlikely the team will go with 13 pitchers, meaning those hoping Angel Berroa gets the ax will probably stay unhappy. If it were my move, I’d ship Jose Veras but the Yankees have shown an odd attachment to him (and to Edwar Ramirez). If I had to make a guess, I’d say Brett Tomko goes but again, that’s just speculation. Check back later for an update.

3. I took a walk on the main-level concourse last night to meet up with a friend and have to say I was impressed by the way the Stadium looked. As great as the old park was – and I would have been in favor of just renovating it and keeping the Yankees in their historic home – being able to see the game and hear the crowd while you’re waiting in line for some tasty garlic fries isn’t a bad experience either. Those walk-around concourses are a great stadium design element.

That said, it can’t be disputed that there have been problems with the new Stadium. Everything from Monument Park to ticket prices, empty seats to the still-not-great batting practice policy, not to mention all the homers and potential for fan interference. Amidst the outcries, the Yankees have generally been defensive about the park, sometimes to the point of arrogance.

Yesterday, though, Yankees senior vice president Felix Lopez was on WCBS and, according to one trusted listener, said this: “There are a lot of things wrong with this building we’re trying to fix. With the help of the fans and the media, we’re looking into everything.”

Understand, Lopez – who is married to George Steinbrenner’s daughter, Jessica – isn’t typically a big player in terms of Yankee machinations, but all the same — “There are a lot of things wrong with this building”? That’s strong. And, given all the heat that COO Lonn Trost and president Randy Levine have taken about the Stadium, it’s hard to imagine the rest of the Yankee brass being too pleased with Lopez’s … uh … honesty.

… to our many, many readers in Turkey. Seriously. Look it up here.

Now, there are several other holidays being celebrated around the world today (including Malcolm X Day here in the United States), but given the Yankees’ current situation I thought it was particularly appropriate for us become honorary Turks . Think about it: The Yankees are on the greatest run of their season and they certainly wouldn’t be enjoying such a roll without their youth (or, for that matter, sports).

Last night was just the latest example. I wrote last night about Phil Coke’s breathless four-out save (and subsequent awe over the closer’s role), and Melky Cabrera joined Robinson Cano in showing some 2007-style offensive prowess. It’s worth mentioning Cano also dazzled in the field, too.

But holiday cheer is also owed to Francisco Cervelli, the 23-year-old catcher who has suddenly found himself as the Yankees’ starter. Thrust into an incredibly high-pressure situation where he must deal with several veteran pitchers as well as a slew of unproven rookies, Cervelli has shown poise behind the plate and unexpected pop at it (2-for-2 yesterday, 9-for-24 overall).

Late last night, Andy Pettitte heaped praise on Cervelli, who helped guide the lefty through a game in which it was obvious early on that he had little bite on his pitches. “As soon as Josie (Jose Molina) went down (injured) in my last start, I grabbed (Cervelli) and said, ‘Look, you’re in the middle of the fire right now, buddy,’” Pettitte said. “He’s handling it very well though. He’s very confident.”

So how does Cervelli, who has played in exactly 12 big league games, know what to say to guys he’s still getting to know? “I ask a lot of questions,” he said. “I just try to make them comfortable.”

So far, it’s working. Obviously no one expects Cervelli to continue hitting at a .375 clip and, once Jose Molina or Jorge Posada is healthy, it seems likely Cervelli will return to being a bit player, but who knows? There’s no doubt that he’s impressing and, frankly, if you’re looking to honor a Venezuelan who played for the Italian WBC team, what better day is there than Turkish Youth & Sports Day?

It wasn’t the party atmosphere of the past few days, but there was an obvious confidence and satisfaction in the Yankees clubhouse after the game; this is a team that knows it’s on an important run.

Phil Coke had some great lines about getting his first save, which he said was an incredibly draining experience. “I might sleep right here,” he said, gesturing to the clubhouse floor. “I might not even get changed.”

Coke said he was so amped up that he spent the time in between the eighth and ninth innings trying to trick himself into thinking he was just pitching some random middle inning instead of getting ready to close out the game. “I was trying to play mind-games with myself instead of thinking, ‘Where’s “Enter Sandman?”‘ he said. Then, when the game was over, he went up to Mariano Rivera, who wasn’t available after working three innings the past two days, and told the closer, “Hey, you’re better at this than me.” Rivera laughed and told Coke he did a good job.

It’s also worth noting that Coke took a different approach on what may have been the most crucial at-bat of the night. In the eighth inning, with Justin Morneau up representing the tying run, Coke refused to throw a slider since Morneau had homered on one in Saturday’s game. With Morneau – who 4-for-4 at that point – looking for another one to smack, Coke gave him “all fastballs, as straight as I could throw ‘em” and Morneau struck out to end the inning.

A few other notes:

1. Andy Pettitte took a grounder off his thumb but said he was fine. He said his stuff was so bad tonight that “I don’t know how I got anyone out” and praised Francisco Cervelli for helping him battle through. Cervelli is definitely impressing both in dealing with the pitchers and handling the bat.

2. Whether it’s really a factor or not, Mark Teixeira believes A-Rod’s presence is helping him. Teixeira is 13-of-36 with five home runs since A-Rod came off the DL. “I think I’ve seen better pitches and it’s an extra hitter in the lineup that the pitcher has to worry about,” Teixeira said.

3. No word yet on what roster move the Yankees will make to get Bruney active. I know there’s a large contingent hoping Jose Veras is the one to go and he’s certainly a real possibility. Check back tomorrow afternoon and I’ll update as soon as we know something.

With that, I’m heading home. Great job everyone tonight as we went over 1,000 comments on the game post. Not bad for a Monday in May, though perhaps everyone was just in a talkative mood because it was International Museum Day. It goes without saying that you should all be sure to come back tomorrow morning as we celebrate another holiday.

YANKEES (20-17)
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Nick Swisher RF
Robinson Cano 2B
Melky Cabrera CF
Ramiro Pena 3B
Francisco Cervelli C

Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (3-1, 4.00 ERA)

TWINS (18-20)
Denard Span LF
Brendan Harris 2B
Joe Mauer C
Justin Morneau 1B
Joe Crede 3B
Jason Kubel DH
Michael Cuddyer RF
Carlos Gomez CF
Nick Punto SS

Pitching: LHP Glen Perkins (1-2, 4.27)

TIME/TV: 7:05 p.m., YES/ESPN

ROLLING: After losing four games in a row from May 4-7, the Yankees have won seven of their last nine games including the past five straight. It helps that the Twins are the anti-Angels (of Anaheim) when it comes to playing the Yankees: The Yanks have beaten Minny 22 out of 25 times in the Bronx since the start of the 2002 season and their last three wins have all been of the walkoff variety.

A LA MODE: Along with a silly fastball and plentiful body ink, A.J. Burnett has brought a good clubhouse tradition with him to the Yankees: pies. Game-winning hits are now rewarded with whipped-cream pies-in-the-face and even the unflappable Mariano Rivera has embraced the concept. He encouraged Burnett to get his pie ready before Johnny Damon’s dramatic homer on Sunday. “Don’t mess with karma,” Rivera said.

CLEAN AND COMFORTING: Yankees relievers have allowed three runs in 11 1/3 innings during the past three wins and struck out 11 hitters. Yankees fielders haven’t made an error in 35 innings, dating back to Wednesday’s game in Toronto.

BELLY TO BELLY?: Andy Pettitte pitched well up in Toronto but the last time he recorded back-to-back victories was July 20 and 26, 2008.

UPDATE, 4:50 p.m.: Sorry for the delayed lineup but it didn’t come out until just before Girardi addressed the media. Here are a few news items:

1. Brian Bruney will be activated from the DL tomorrow assuming he continues to be pain-free. Of the potential pitchers to come off the roster, Jonathan Albaladejo, Edwar Ramirez and Alfredo Aceves have options left. Girardi said “that’s my plan” when asked if Bruney would immediately return to his 8th inning role.

Bruney said he was looking forward to getting back and pointed to the 8 1/2 minute review of Jorge Posada’s seventh-inning home run on April 19 as a cause of his injury. Bruney was throwing in the bullpen when Posada hit the homer and continued to throw throughout the lengthy delay, not knowing how long it would take for the video review to be completed. By the time he came into the game (he pitched a scoreless inning), he’d already thrown more pitches than he expected.

Bruney said he spoke to the players’ union about the incident to find out why the review took so long and learned that it isn’t the umpires on site who are doing the reviewing; it’s a central office in New York that handles all reviews. “I don’t know if somebody was on a lunch break or what,” he said, but 8 1/2 minutes “is a long time for anybody to be throwing.”

2.  Chien-Ming Wang will be in the Bronx tomorrow to throw a side session in front of the Yankees staff. Girardi said the team would like to see Wang’s sinker be a little sharper than it was in his last minor-league start and was non-commital about when he could return to the rotation. Wang’s velocity in Scranton was a bit slower than it’s been (88-92 mph), but Girardi said he was less concerned with that and more concerned with the quality of the sinker.

3.  Brett Gardner is “day-to-day” with a contusion of his right rotator cuff, Girardi said. Gardner didn’t feel any pain after his collision with Joe Mauer at home plate Sunday but woke up hurting today. He had an MRI which showed the contusion.

4.  Steven Jackson was claimed by the Pirates, joining his good buddy Ross Ohlendorf on the team.

UPDATE, 6:07 p.m.: Just talked to Brett Gardner, who said he didn’t feel any pain when he got home yesterday but woke up in the middle of the night hurting. After looking at the MRI results, the doctor was encouraged, Gardner said, and he thinks it will only be an issue for a day or two. With Joe Mauer diving at him from one side and the bat laying on the ground on the other, “it could have been a lot worse,” Gardner said.

UPDATE, 7:12 p.m.: Chilly night here at the Stadium (54 degrees) and it’ll get even colder. The crowd booed a little when Teixeira tried to cut off Cabrera’s throw to the plate, but Melky’s throw was way off-line (and late) anyway. Then Morneau lined a clean single up the middle to make it 2-0. Morneau is a hitter – some of the Yankees were saying they heard Morneau hit a ball into the third deck at the Stadium during batting practice earlier this series.

UPDATE, 7:26 p.m.: Ladies and gentleman, Glen Perkins. Single, single, balk, three-run homer for Mark Teixeira. Yanks up 3-2.

UPDATE, 7:28 p.m.: Solo shot for A-Rod. Now the Twins pitching coach is at the mound for a talk. What is he saying? Try to get an out? Please? That was the fifth time this the Yankees have hit back-to-back homers.

UPDATE, 7:35 p.m.: Cano doubles, Melky singles and it’s 5-2 with R.A. Dickey warming in the Twins pen. If he comes in, that’ll be interesting; I believe he throws a hard knuckleball.

UPDATE, 7:39 p.m.: And that’ll be all for the illustrious Glen Perkins. Given a two-run lead before he went to the mound, he leaves trailing 6-2 with a man on first and two outs. Dickey coming on now to face Jeter, who led off the inning about an hour ago.

UPDATE, 7:45 p.m.: That was 11 batters, eight hits and six runs (all earned) if you’re scoring at home. That was the most runs scored in a first inning since Aug. 17, 2008 against Kansas City.

UPDATE, 8:19 p.m.: That could have been a missed hit-and-run sign by Melky – pretty rare to see Cano running on a straight steal.

UPDATE, 8:54 p.m.: It’d be good for the Yankees to add some runs if they can. Pettitte is doing a good job getting in and out of trouble, but Bruney isn’t back until tomorrow so the bullpen behind him is still shaky. Meanwhile, Dickey is doing a great job – three scoreless innings and counting.

UPDATE, 9:18 p.m.: That’s a rough inning for Jeter — he should have kept going back on Span’s pop-up instead of stopping and trying to jump (the ball hung up longer than he expected) and then in the bottom of the inning he goes down looking with two RISP. Nice job by Luis Ayala to escape unscathed after a rocky start to the inning. Now we see if Pettitte can get through the heart of the order one more time.

UPDATE, 9:27 p.m.: With two righties (Jose Veras and Edwar Ramirez) warming in the pen, Girardi couldn’t just hold up his arm to signal for the reliever. So, to indicate he wanted Veras, he held up his right arm and then raised it higher – as if showing he meant the taller one. Big spot for Veras here.

UPDATE, 9:35 p.m.: How about that. Gotta be honest, I wasn’t expecting a fly to center as the result there. Mazel tov, Jose Veras.

UPDATE, 9:37 p.m.: Second-deck shot for Teixeira, his second of the night. It’s the second time he’s hit two homers in a game this season (the other was May 4 vs. Boston) and 23rd multi-homer game of his career. It’s also the seventh time he’s hit homers from both sides of the plate in the same game (the May 4 game was also one of the seven).

Much has been made of the deconstruction of old Yankee Stadium and the memorabilia sales that will result. A week ago, the Yankees – along with New Rochelle-based Steiner Sports – had a big press conference to showcase all of the different things they’ll be selling. I’ve never quite understood the fascination with memorabilia (or autographs, for that matter) but I certainly accept that many people feel differently.

Even the souvenir-lovers among us, though, must recognize the insanity here. Near the bottom of this column, written by Bloomberg’s Scott Soshnick, we find an amazing quote from a Steiner Sports executive, who says that, if it was possible, he’d like to sell Yankees “clubhouse air.”

“It would be a cool idea if we could do it,” said A.J. Romeo, director of Yankees Steiner Collectibles.

Um, no, A.J. It really, really wouldn’t.

… though I certainly wish it was. It’s just one of the most famous baseball paintings of all time. Since the museum discussion is going so well – thanks for contributing, everyone – I thought I’d give us something baseball-related to ponder.

The great Norman Rockwell tried to capture the Chicago Cubs on May 23, 1948, during an ugly afternoon in Boston when they played a doubleheader against the Braves. Pretty excellent, no? We can only assume that Angel Berroa, who was no doubt a veteran presence on that ’48 team, is sitting just out of the frame.

In other news, I just went for a run and it’s ridiculously cloudy here at my palatial estate – which looks sort of like this – in Connecticut. Forecast for tonight in the Bronx is only a 20 % chance of rain but cooler temps in the 50′s. Also, since I forgot to mention it before, feel free to email me this week – or anytime, really – at sborden@lohud.com. Back with more from the Stadium later on.

Hey everyone, Sam Borden here. Long time no speak — the last time we spent a week together was when A-Rod’s steroid use became public. One can only imagine what silliness the next seven days will bring.

First, a few housekeeping notes: There will still be a game thread – hopefully posted early and with the lineups – every day, just as usual. So rest easy, those who (rightfully) love the in-game conversations. They’ll continue unabated.

There will also be significant blogging every day, though it won’t always be from me. The game coverage will feature myself as well as a few other excellent Journal News colleagues, and I’ll do my best to pop in on the blog at least a few times even on days I’m not at the park. We’ll all pitch in to keep you updated on everything that’s going on with the Yankees.

Lastly, since everyone blogs a little differently and I happen to like themes — remember my “food” theme from one day last time, in which the vaunted “pancakes for the table” concept became famous? — I decided to look at various holidays this week. Obviously Memorial Day is next weekend, but in case you didn’t know (and, if you did, I’m a little afraid of you) today is International Museum Day. Along those lines, let’s get the week started off with a few museum-related Yankees lists for the first seven weeks of the 2009 season:

Works of Art:
1. Johnny Damon: If A-Rod gets hurt again, he could legitimately hit clean-up.
2. Robinson Cano: Cooled some lately, but looking more 07 than 08, which is a good thing.
3. Melky Cabrera/Francisco Cervelli: One is a small sample size, the other is even smaller but give them both credit for rising to the occasion when called upon. Cabrera, in particular, could have sulked but showed mental toughness.

Monets (good from far, but far from good when you get up close):
1. Nick Swisher: The power numbers are still impressive this early in the season but he’s 5-for-42 with 19 strikeouts in May.
2. Brett Gardner: He’s done some great things and made some big plays, especially in the past week, but the production is still below what you need from a CF.
3. Edwar Ramirez: Actually, he doesn’t even look good from afar.

Abstract art (beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?):
1. Joba Chamberlain: His starts have been erratic, to be sure, but this is what hard-throwing young pitchers have to go through. He’s a starter – and yes, that’s the best place for him – so he’s got to learn how to be the best at that job. This is part of that learning process.
2. Hideki Matsui: Remember when he was a consecutive-games-played ironman? It seems like forever ago. But even with his falling-apart knees, it seems like he’s still good for two or three big-time hits a month (if not more).
3. Mariano Rivera: Doubters say this is the year he starts to fade. Sure it is. Just like 2005. And 2004. And 2003 …

As you probably know, the newspaper business is changing and not always for the better. Papers in Denver and Seattle closed this year and the recession has cut down the space in most every newspaper in the country.

My paper, The Journal News, is part of the Gannett Company. As part of their cutbacks, all employees are getting furloughed for one week this financial quarter. This coming week is my turn.

Under the rules, I can’t work at all. No blogging, no e-mails, no phone calls, no nothing.

As I love what I do, this week is going to be painful. As the Yankees gets on a roll, I want to be there to chronicle it. The good news is that several co-workers, including Sam Borden, Kevin Devaney and Joe Erwin, will update the blog. The lineups and breaking news will be here, just like always.

As for me, I may go catch a game or two as a fan and see the Stadium from somewhere other than the press box. Hit me up for a beer if you see me. Or buy me a beer, I could use one.

Catch you next Monday from Texas. If anybody needs a temporarily unemployed sportswriter, I’m available.

Via Chad Jennings, here is what Brian Cashman said about the two rehabbing righties in Scranton:

On Wang: “Performance-wise he was terrific. This was a much better hitting club. Columbus is a much better offensive club than the team he was facing last time, but his stuff was better last time to be honest. Although he performed great in both outings, he didn’t have the slider that he had last time. His changeup was better today than last time. His fastball velocity was a little bit lower this time than it was last time.

“At the same time, he handled the lineup and got a lot of groundballs. Facing guys like (Travis) Hafner kind of tells you a little something you want to know. I know Hafner is on a rehab assignment and he’s a guy who can really do some damage if you’re making mistakes, not making some pitches, and he made his pitches. That tells you a lot.

“What you’d love to see are all pitches working at optimal levels, but that’s not always realistic. Obviously the most important thing is performance and he has performed in his two starts here, there’s no doubt about that.”

“Ultimately, with him, as long as he’s getting sink, he can pitch and be successful, there’s no doubt about that. And he feels good about himself. I had a chance to talk to him in the trainer’s room, so these are two trips well worthwhile for me. Our team is winning in New York and we are getting closer to being healthy and adding guys like a Bruney and a Wang and that’s a great thing for us.”

On Bruney: “He looked healthy, which is the biggest thing for him. Unlike Wang, he’s coming off of an elbow injury, so you want to see health, and I saw health.”