The LoHud Yankees Blog

YANKEES (43-32)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Posada C
Matsui DH
Swisher RF
Cabrera CF

Pitching: RHP Joba Chamberlain (4-2, 3.81).

MARINERS (39-36)
Ichiro RF
Branyan 1B
Lopez 2B
Griffey LF
Sweeney DH
Gutierrez CF
Woodward 3B
Johjima C
Cedeno SS

Pitching: RHP Brandon Morrow (0-3, 5.64).

TIME/TV: 7:05, YES.

STATE OF THE ‘STRIPES: The Yankees return home having won five straight and finishing 10-8 in interleague play. They’re 11 games over .500, matching the high-water mark of the season.

PITCHING PROWESS: The Yankees have a 2.50 ERA in their last four games. Over 36 innings they have allowed 30 hits with 15 walks and 46 strikeouts.

FATIGUED NO MORE: Alex Rodriguez in the last seven games: 8 of 23 (.348) with two homers, 11 RBI, five runs scored and nine walks.

MO MOTORS ON: In his lasts seven appearances, Mariano Rivera has allowed one run on two hits over 7.1 innings. He has walked 1 and struck out 11. Just FYI: Mo has a WHIP of 1.01 and Jonathan Papelbon is at 1.35.

WHAT A RELIEF: Phil Hughes has appeared in seven games out of the bullpen. Over 12 innings he has allowed two runs on five hits with three walks and 15 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .122 against him.

CANO’S SLUMP: Robinson Cano is 8 of 37 (.216) with no RBI over his last nine games.

OFF THE MARK: Mark Teixeira has gone 55 at at-bats since his last home run, which came on June 12. He is 12 of 54 (.222) with six RBI over his last 14 games.

MATSUI MISSING: Hideki Matsui is 2 of his last 16 with no RBI over 11 games.

Back with more later.

UPDATE, 4:15 p.m.: Hinske’s plane is delayed in Pittsburgh. He may or may not be here. Hence, no roster move.

UPDATE, 4:19 p.m.: Girardi just said that Hughes is a “full-fledged reliever” who can be used in any sutuation.

UPDATE, 5:13 p.m.: Bad weather rolling in.

UPDATE, 5;58 p.m.: Raining here in the Bronx but they’re hopeful it’ll move past. … A few notes for you:

• Cashman and Girardi both said that Phil Hughes is still considered a starter moving forward. But for now he’s needed in the bullpen. “It’s a balance and the main requirement is winning as many games as it takes to make the playoffs,” Cashman said.

Hughes said he would feel differently if he were 26 and not 23. But he pointed out, quite correctly, that he has proven he can get AAA hitters out. He thinks he’s better off here learning how to get big-league hitters out in high leverage situations. “Then when the times comes, I’ll start,” he said. “If I get 100 good innings this year, I’ll be fine,” he said.

• Nick Swisher was in the hospital for a few hours today with a left ear infection but says he’s OK.

• The Hinske move was directly related to Nady going down. Pena will be optioned out once Hinske arrives (which may not be tonight) and he worked as a super-sub type. They want to see if he can play the OF.

I’m sure this move will be over-analyzed, as always. To me, he’s a better offensive threat than Pena off the bench and Pena had played very sparingly in recent weeks. If it doesn’t work out, try somebody else. It’s a low-cost move.

• Brian Bruney shaved his mustache. He wanted to lose it a few days ago because he hasn’t been pitching as well as he wants. But he had a bet with Phil Hughes that he would keep it until the All-Star break and didn’t want to give in.

But Hughes, being a magnanimous guy, cut a deal with Bruney. So Bruney shaved it off 15 minutes ago and Hughes will soon get a black Bose Sound Dock for his iPod. No fool is Hughes.

• Tony Romo (and an entourage of dozens) watched batting practice. To his credit, he was with a sick child.

UPDATE, 6:09 p.m.: Here is Brian Cashman on the field before BP talking about the trade and Phil Hughes. The sound quality isn’t so good because it was windy. Did the best I could:

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It’s raining steadily here. We’ll keep you posted on the game.

UPDATE, 6:15 p.m.: This from the Yankees:

The Yanks will make every attempt to play tonight’s game vs. the Mariners. Weather updates will be posted as they become available.

Meanwhile, guess who is throwing out the first pitch? Mariano Rivera. Pretty cool.

UPDATE, 6:47 p.m.: We’re not starting on time, that much I can tell you. It’s raining and the tarp is down. As always, we’ll keep you posted.

UPDATE, 6:53 p.m.: Yankees projecting a 7:45 p.m. first pitch.

UPDATE, 7:27 p.m.: Rain has stopped, about to pull the tarp.

UPDATE, 7:31 p.m.: 8:05 first pitch now.

UPDATE, 8:05 p.m.: That was great, Mo threw out the first pitch and Jorge came out from behind the plate like he was an old man. Funny stuff. Cool idea whoever came up with it.

We’re about to get underway.

UPDATE, 8:23 p.m.: Do Johnny Damon’s bats come pre-broken? Seems that way.

UPDATE, 8:31 p.m.: Hinske is not here, apparently. Or not on the lineup card at least.

According to assorted excited e-mailers, Jesus Montero has homered twice for Trenton tonight in support of Jeremy Bleich.

UPDATE, 9:10 p.m.: Somebody just threw back a ground-rule double. Enough is enough. Eject that dope.

UPDATE, 9:25 p.m.: Brutal at-bat for Swisher with the bases loaded and no outs. They should have sent a jet for Hinske.

UPDATE, 9:31 p.m.: Yankees up 3-1 and it feels like it they’ve been sleeping. It could be 6-1.

UPDATE, 9:42 p.m.: This has nothing whatsoever to do with who is catching. Joba, for whatever reason, refuses to challenge hitters at certain points of the game. He has such good stuff and he nibbles like a he’s a washed-up vet trying to hang on.

UDPATE, 9:58 p.m.: Cano leads off two innings and gets hits. Then he comes to the plate with two on and whiffs.

UPDATE, 10:12 p.m.: Yankees 0 for 9 with RISP and have left seven on base, four in scoring position.

Meanwhile, Joba works his usual 5.1 innings. He has made 15 starts and failed to get beyond the sixth inning 12 times. One was because of injury. But, as always, he has the team in the game. The Yankees are 9-5 when he starts.

UPDATE, 10:27 p.m.: Hughes in with a 3-3 score. Big spot for him. Lots of pre-game talk about how well he has taken to this role.

UPDATE, 10:33 p.m.: Isn’t that how Mo started? 13 innings, 2 runs, 16 Ks. Filthy. He fanned Junior with 96-mph cheese.

UPDATE, 10:41 p.m.: Hey, it’s a hit with RISP. Better yet, it’s a two-run bomb by A-Rod. Yankees lead 5-3.

I’d leave Hughes in, but they won’t.

UPDATE, 10:46 p.m.: That’s 13 RBI in eight games for Alex. Pretty amazing that he has 39 RBI already.

Bruney in. I’m saying in advance I don’t like this. Hughes was lights out, leave him in.

UPDATE, 10:53 p.m.: Like I said.

UPDATE, 10:56 p.m.: Here is what I don’t get: If you’re going to pitch Hughes in relief, then pitch him in relief. Let him pitch two innings, it builds up his innings and serves the purpose of winning games. Everybody wins.

He threw nine pitches in the seventh. Leave. Him. In.

UPDATE, 11:00 p.m.: New game. Girardi managed them right out of a win there, at least for now.

UPDATE, 11:09 p.m.: Winning pitcher—Brian Bruney (3-0). Makes a lot of sense, right?

As bad as Bruney was, Sean White is even worse. Holy cow. Clutchy Cabrera does it again.

Eric Hinske will be joining the team today. No word on who is being sent down although it would figure to be Ramiro Pena.

The release from the Yankees:

The New York Yankees today acquired infielder/outfielder Eric Hinske from the Pittsburgh Pirates along with cash considerations in exchange for minor leaguer right-handed pitcher Casey Erickson and minor league outfielder Eric Fryer.

Hinske, 31, appeared in 54 games with the Pirates this season, batting .255 (27-for-106) with 18 runs, 9 doubles, 1 home run and 11RBI. He has played 13 games in right field, six games at first base and three games at third base, and has made 29 pinch-hit appearances, going 8-for-24 (.333) with 5 walks. Hinske was the Opening Day right fielder for the 2008 American League champion Tampa Bay Rays, batting .247 (94-for-381) with 21 doubles, 20 home runs and 60 RBI, making 47 starts in right field, 37 in left field, nine at first base and four at third base. He was also a member of the World Series champion Boston Red Sox in 2007.

Hinske was originally selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 17th round of the 1998 First-Year Player Draft and made his Major League debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2002, winning the American League “Rookie of the Year” award that season. The left-handed batter has compiled 196 doubles, 106 home runs and 410 RBI in 957 career Major League games with the Blue Jays (2002-06), Red Sox (2006-07), Rays (2008) and Pirates (2009).

Hinske will join the team in New York today. The Yankees will make a reciprocal roster move prior to tonight’s 7:05 p.m. game vs. Seattle.

Erickson, 23, was 3-3 with a 2.25 ERA (44.0IP, 11ER) in 21 games (three starts) with Single-A Charleston in 2009. He combined to go 6-1 with a 2.95 ERA in 19 appearances (15 starts) with Charleston and short-season Single-A Staten Island in 2008, leading the Staten Island staff in innings pitched (75.0) and strikeouts (77). He was selected by the Yankees in the 10th round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft out of Springfield College.

Fryer, 23, appeared in 59 games with the Single-A Tampa Yankees this season, batting .250 (56-for-224) with 11 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs and 24 RBI. He also collected a team-high 11 stolen bases in 16 attempts. Fryer was acquired by the Yankees on February 4, 2009, from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for left-handed pitcher Chase Wright. He was originally selected by the Brewers in the 10th round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft out of Ohio State University.

The Yankees signed two independent league players.

One press release:

Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 3B Yurendell DeCaster is trading in his RedHawks pinstripes for a set of Yankees pinstripes.

“For my money, he is one of the best players to ever come through the Northern League, and that is the caliber of player we like to have in RedHawks uniforms” said RedHawks Manager Doug Simunic. “We knew this day was coming and we are glad he can continue his career at the Triple-A level. Hopefully we can see him in Yankee Stadium sometime soon.”

And another …

Add another RailCats pitcher to the road to the big leagues. Hard-throwing left-hander Edwin Walker has been sold to the New York Yankees where he will report to the Charleston RiverDogs (A) of the South Atlantic League, the team announced today.

Walker was signed by the RailCats in April of this year after a fine season with the Chillicothe Paints of the Frontier League in 2008, when he carried a 1.79 ERA and struck out 51 in 45.1 innings to earn a spot in the league’s midseason All-Star Game. Walker also played briefly in 2006 with the United League’s San Angelo Colts. In six professional seasons, Walker has 189 strikeouts in 181.0 career innings and a 4.08 ERA.

Here is the link to this morning’s interview I did on WFAN with Kim Jones and Adam Getstenhaber.

Considering it was 8:05 a.m. I was reasonably coherent.

Thanks to Adam and Kim for having me on. It was fun.

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Here are a few links to be aware of:

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We’re on Twitter, too. Follow “PeteAbe” and there will be a tweet every time the blog is updated with a link you can follow. There are close to 1,900 followers on Twitter, which has blown up the last month or so.

You can find the daily newspaper stories at LoHud.com’s Yankees page.

Now that the Subway Series has come to a close, Sam Borden writes that the Mets need a trade more than the Yankees do. Brian Cashman seems to agree.

Here are a few facts, figures and comments about Mariano Rivera in the wake of his 500th save.

This should be fun. I’m scheduled to be on WFAN at 8:05 a.m. tomorrow with Kim Jones and Adam Getstenhaber, who are filling in this week for Boomer and Carton.

We’ll be talking the Yankees and other stuff. So give a listen.

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With that, I’m closing up the shop for today. Might go see The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 Thanks to everybody for reading today. Mariners-Yankees tomorrow night.

If you’re in Westchester tomorrow, Bernie Williams will be at the Borders on East Main Street in Mount Kisco at 7 p.m. signing copies of his new CD Moving Foward. He will be performing as well.

If you’re going, Bernie will only be signing CDs. Leave your ratty old jersey at home.

For more in Bernie and how to get the CD (which is very good) go to Bernie Williams.com

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Also, now that he has time on his hands, Angel Berroa will be at the Social Security office in Yonkers signing copies of his new book Cap Anson: My Best Friend in Baseball.

Seriously, MLB, you couldn’t let Mariano have this by himself? I think Jermaine Dye would have been cool with it.

This release from MLB:

Right fielder Jermaine Dye of the Chicago White Sox and closer Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees have been named the American League Co-Players of the Week presented by Bank of America for the period ending June 28th.

Tourneau, the world’s largest watch store, will supply Jermaine Dye and Mariano Rivera each with a luxury Swiss Tourneau timepiece, suitably engraved, in recognition of their achievement as the A.L. Co-Players of the Week presented by Bank of America.

Jose Molina did some base-running drills before the game last night and joked afterward that he’s still not fast.

But he was able to run from second base to home with adequate enough speed to score on a single, which is all the Yankees really need him to do. Then he stood at the plate and made a series of strong throws to second base.

Molina will repeat that drill tomorrow and then the Yankees will decide when and where he goes on a rehab assignment. He will be ready to rejoin the team soon enough, maybe in a week or so.

What happens then?

Jorge Posada is the primary catcher, period. He’s not going to be the DH because the Yankees aren’t releasing or trading Hideki Matsui. Whether you agree with this notion or not, Posada is the catcher and Matsui is the DH.

When Molina is ready, he’ll be on the roster as he is one of the best backup catchers in the league. The pitchers love throwing to him, he knows the league and he’ll get you a double every now and then. They Yankees aren’t releasing him or trading him.

Could the Yankees carry three catchers? Maybe.

Now that Xavier Nady is done for the season, the outfield isn’t changing. It’ll be Johnny Damon, Nick Swisher, Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner.

Cody Ransom is sticking around to back up A-Rod and play wherever else they need him.

The decision comes down to keeping Cervelli or Ramiro Pena.

There are two schools of thought:

Keep three catchers: This would allow the Yankees to DH Posada a little more often and then pinch hit for Molina or Cervelli.

Keep Pena: He’s more versatile and a good pinch runner.

Or …

Plan C: Send Cervelli and Pena back to the minors. The rookies need to play and get at-bats instead of getting dusty on the bench in the majors. They’ll be back in September and probably on the team for good next season. Activate Molina and use the other roster spot to add a better pinch hitter, somebody like Shelley Duncan or John Rodriguez.

Or maybe you have your own plan.

Me? I send the kids down so they play, activate Molina and add a good bat.

Tuesday: RHP Brandon Morrow (0-3, 5.64) vs. RHP Joba Chamberlain (4-2, 3.81), 7:05, YES

Wednesday: LHP Jarrod Washburn (4-5, 3.22) vs. LHP Andy Pettitte (7-3, 4.38), 7:05, YES

Thursday: LHP Jason Vargas (3-3, 3.79) vs. LHP CC Sabathia (7-4, 3.55), 7:05, YES