The LoHud Yankees Blog

This will be quick. I need to catch a ride to a hotel out by the airport, nap for a bit and then fly back to New York early in the morning. Seems as though the Yankees are playing some sort of important game tomorrow.

A few notes:

• Had Johnny Damon not homered in the ninth inning, Mariano Rivera was coming in. So instead of going into Boston with Mo having pitched two days in a row, he has pitched once in the last three days. Big lift there.

• That Alfredo Aceves fanned three of the seven batters he faced is big. He appears to over his shoulder woes. Phil Hughes will not be available tomorrow and Aceves could be the set-up guy.

• I don’t blame Mark Teixeira for saying this because it’s how he was programmed by the Scott Boras Corporation. But he sounds silly when he says the games against the Red Sox aren’t any more important than any others. “You guys (the media) are making a big deal out of it,” he said. “Not us.”

Right, the media and roughly 15 million baseball fans in the Northeast. He’ll learn.

• Nick Swisher is starting to get locked in again. He is 11 of his last 34 with six extra-base hits including four home runs. Forget about his batting average (.243) and focus on the 18 homers, 55 RBI and 53 runs scored. He’s a nice fit in this lineup.

• A-Rod has gone 61 at-bats without a homer, his longest streak as a Yankee. Now would seem like a good time to break that drought. He has played only three of the eight games against Boston this season, going 1 for 10. His impact this weekend could be significant, or at least that is what the Yankees hope.

• The Yankees were 2.5 games up when they left home and 2.5 games up when they return. Given the ups and downs of the road trip, that’s a good accomplishment.

• Eric Hinske: 24 at-bats nine RBI. Jerry Hairston Jr.: Four games, three hits, two walks, two runs, two RBI and some nice defense. Brian Cashman hasn’t made any flashy moves this season but the bench is a lot better today than it was in April and Ramiro Pena will be back soon.

OK, back it it tomorrow with lots of stuff. Thanks for reading. The next four days are going to be a lot of fun.

YANKEES (64-42)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez DH
Swisher RF
Cano 2B
Cabrera CF
Hairston 3B
Molina C

Pitching: RHP Sergio Mitre (1-0, 7.80).

BLUE JAYS (51-55)
Scutaro SS
Hill 2B
Lind DH
Overbay 1B
Wells CF
Rios RF
Encarnacion 3B
Barajas C
Inglett LF

Pitching: LHP Mark Rzepczynski (1-2, 3.25).

TIME/TV: 7:07 p.m., YES.

STATE OF THE ‘STRIPES: The Yankees are 4-4 on a road trip that ends tonight. They started the trip with a 2.5 game lead on Boston and they’re 1.5 games up going into tonight’s action. The Yankees have won two straight after losing three in a row.

BEATING THE BLUE JAYS: The Yankees are 6-2 against Toronto this season and have won 25 of the last 41,

OH (NO) SERGIO: Mitre has allowed nine runs on 16 hits in his last two innings. Opponents have hit .393 against him in his three starts this season.

MANAGING MO: Mariano Rivera has worked 1+ innings nine times this season including three of his last four appearances. Rivera worked more than one inning 14 times last season. In 2007, when Joe Torre was manager, Rivera worked more than one inning 13 times.

MO’S STREAK: Rivera has gone 19.1 innings without allowing a run.

PHILTHY PHIL: Phil Hughes has 37 strikeouts in 29.1 innings of relief.

WHERE HAVE YOU GONE, ALFREDO ACEVES? A BULLPEN TURNS ITS LONELY EYES TO YOU: Alfredo Aceves has pitched twice in the last 13 games. The official party line that his shoulder feels fine might be a fib. Hard to believe, I know.

WOO WOO WOO: Had to say it.

TEX MESSAGE: Mark Teixeira is 11 of 34 on the road trip with six RBI.

NO CLOWNING AROUND: A-Rod is 13 of 34 on the trip with five RBI. He has gone 57 at-bats without a home run, however. The Killebrew Kurse is a strong one.

BREAK DANCE: The Yankees are 13-5 since the All-Star break. Only the Angels (14-4) have been better in the AL.

ON THE iPOD RIGHT NOW: Lonely Teardrops by the great Jackie Wilson.

Back later with more.

UPDATE, 3:45 p.m.: Ransom DFA’d.

UPDATE, 5:41 p.m.: Girardi said they wanted the extra pitcher for tonight to protect the bullpen. They’ll add a position player soon enough. “Could be one day,” the manager said.

UPDATE, 5:43 p.m.: There is some sad news to report. One day of Hope Week was devoted to George Murray of South New Berlin, N.Y., an ALS victim. I posted to the blog about his day at the ballpark.

Sadly, Mr. Murray passed away yesterday. He was 38.

UPDATE, 6:51 p.m.: The Yankees have signed Russ Ortiz to a minor-league deal and sent him to Scranton. He was 3-6, 5.57 for Houston.

UPDATE, 7:07 p.m.: We are underway in Toronto. 75 degrees and the roof is open at the Rogers Centre. Enjoy the game.

UPDATE, 7:20 p.m.: It’s Sergio Mitre’s world and we’re all just living in it.

UPDATE, 7:22 p.m.: Spoke too soon. The parade of hit has started. First and third, two outs for Wells.

UPDATE, 7:25 p.m.: Another single and it’s 1-0 Jays. 14.1 innings, 27 hits for Mitre.

UPDATE, 7:25 p.m.: 28 hits and it’s 2-0. Here comes Dave Eiland. The Yankees probably can’t keep running this guy out there. These next few innings probably will decide his immediate future.

UPDATE, 7:59 p.m.: Remember all the (justified) carping about Bobby Meacham last season? Rob Thomson is a heck of a third base coach, isn’t he? He always seems to make the right call.

Yankees tie it up 2-2. Nine more and that should be enough for Mitre.

UPDATE, 8:02 p.m.: A-Rod has gone 59 at-bats without a home run, his longest streak as a Yankee.

UPDATE, 8:11 p.m.: Jose Molina loves throwing the ball behind the runner at first. Paid off that time. 2-2 into the fourth.

UPDATE, 8:18 p.m.: Melky 0 for 6 since the cycle. … Meanwhile Rirserzynksityh or however you spell his name is going to hang one of those curveballs eventually and somebody will clobber it.

UPDATE, 8:50 p.m.: Sergio Mitre leaves with the Yankees down 3-2. Better than expected, probably.

His line in four starts: 18 innings, 32 hits, 15 earned runs, 6 walks, 9 strikeouts. You can’t last long with a 2.11 WHIP in this league. Or any league.

UPDATE, 9:05 p.m.: Via the Yanks: The team will pay tribute to Muhammad Ali prior to the game tomorrow night.

Swish just tied it up with a bomb to left. I called it on Twitter an hour ago.

UPDATE, 9:27 p.m.: Impressive rally there as the Yankees send 10 men to the plate and score four runs on five hits. Nine outs to get and they’d prefer not to use Mariano. Big spot for Aceves, who should be able to give them another inning or two.

UPDATE, 9:34 p.m.: So much for that. Ace gives up a bomb, gets an out and that’s it.

For those of you scoring at home (and congrats on that), A-Rod is now the 3B, the Yankees have given up their DH and the pitcher is in the No. 8 slot in the batting order.

UPDATE, 10:09 p.m.: That home run by Damon could save Mo. Dave Robertson out to finish it off.

Back later with reaction. Finishing the road trip with three straight wins would be huge. The Yankees left New York with a 2.5 game lead and they could return with the same if Tampa finishes off Boston. Hard to ask for more than that.

Anthony Claggett is headed to Toronto and will join the Yankees today. He was 4-6 with a 3.02 ERA in 32 games at Scranton. Claggett was on the 25-man roster on April 18 and allowed eight runs on nine hits in 1.2 innings against Cleveland.

The Yankees don’t much trust Sergio Mitre (shocking, I know) and want Claggett here to suck up innings rather than wear out the bullpen ahead of the Boston series. Makes sense.

The scenario could be Cody Ransom gets DFA’d, Claggett is here for a day or two and at some point Ramiro Pena rejoins the team. We’ll find out soon enough.

This story has some great details about Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder storming the Dodgers clubhouse last night trying to get at Guillermo Mota in retaliation for being hit by a pitch.

Somewhere, Mike Piazza was smiling.

In spring training of 2003, Mota threw at Piazza and the catcher charged the mound. Mota ran away. “Like a scared rabbit,” Mets manager Art Howe said. As the situation started to calm down, Jeromy Burnitz stood in front of the Dodgers dugout challenging somebody to come out and fight him. Nobody did.

But that wasn’t enough for an enraged Piazza. He jumped in his BMW, drove over the other side of the complex and burst into the visitor’s clubhouse. “Where’s Mota?” he demanded.

Mota had fled with teammate Brian Jordan. According to legend, Mota jumped in full uniform into Jordan’s Range Rover and they hightailed it back to Vero Beach. Piazza searched every room then left the scene himself.

The next day, we asked Piazza what he planned to do. “I would have killed him,” he said.

Mike was a placid sort, happy to read his New York Times every afternoon then go 2 for 4 with an opposite-field homer. But I do believe he would have done some damage had he gotten his hands on Mota that night. He had that look in his eyes.

So if Prince gets suspended and fined, I bet he gets a sympathy call from Mike. The Guillermo Mota Fan Club has another member.

Just finished with our latest video chat — and thanks to everybody who participated — and was struck by how many questions were about next season and beyond.

People wanted to know about Derek Jeter’s future or who will play in the outfield next season. Reasonable questions, no doubt. But worry about that stuff later.

The Yankees are 1.5 games in first place over the Red Sox. They’re one game in the loss column away from having the best record in the game. The next 56 games are going to be a lot of fun. Who cares who the left fielder is next season? The left fielder this season is Johnny Damon and he belted a home run off Roy Halladay last night.

All questions about 2010 will be answered in due time. Enjoy 2009, it’s really a lot of fun.

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To see the video chat on-demand, go to our ProTalkLive page.

Andy Pettitte was better than Roy Halladay as the Yankees beat the Blue Jays.

Joba Chamberlain got some extra rest before he faces Boston tomorrow. This notebook also has updates on Damaso Marte, some new free agents and Ian Kennedy.

Our next live video chat will be today at 11 a.m. from Toronto. We’ll preview the upcoming Red Sox series and discuss whatever else you want to regarding the Yankees.

Go to our ProTalkLive page shortly before 11 and submit your questions. I’ll answer as many as I can for 45 minutes or so.

You can only submit questions, not via e-mail or on the blog.

We’ve had great response to the chat series all season. Hope you join in.

Majorie from the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees booster club asked me to pass this along to you.

Scranton manager Dave Miley, as you may know, lost his son in a car accident a year ago. The boosters are holding two fundraisers to support the Cody Miley Memorial Art Scholarship Fund at Chamberlain High in Tampa, which he attended.

Both fundraisers will be held on Sunday August 23 when the Yankees play Buffalo. The first will be a silent auction held during the game. They have autographed items from Phil Hughes, Alfredo Aceves, Mark Melacon, David Robertson, Edwar Ramierz and Jonathan Albaladejo along with Hank Aaron, Reggie Jackson, Goose Gossage, Mike Torez and Dick McAuliffe. There are more than 100 items in all.

The second fundraiser will be a picnic with the players following the 1:05 game. Fans attending the picnic will have the opportunity to mix and mingle with their favorite players. The picnic is $20. Tickets for the game and the picnic are $30. You can’t beat that. There will be food, fun and surprises.

Tickets can be purchased by calling (570) 969-2255.

UPDATE, 6:10 p.m.: A reader, Ian, said the best way to get tickets is to contact Kristina Knight in the Scranton front office. Her number is 570-558-4638. E-mail is kknight@swbyankees.com.

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If you were looking for a game to attend in Scranton, maybe this is the one. PNC Field is an easy drive from the metropolitan area and you’ll meet some incredibly nice people. If you’ve never been to a minor-league game, you don’t know what you’re missing. It’s an inexpensive great day.

If you can go and help out a good cause and meet some future Yankees, so much the better.

Thank Evan Longoria the next time you see him Yankees fans. He just hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 13th inning that gave the Rays a 4-2 victory against the Red Sox.

The Yankees now lead Boston by 1.5 games in the East.

Just asking, but why pitch to Longoria with first base open? He’s second in the league in RBI.

Tomorrow in the pennant race: Mitre vs. Rzepcynski in Toronto and Penny vs. Price in Tampa. The Yankees will come home with a lead.

Remember when Roy Halladay used to own the Yankees? Not so much lately.

The Yankees have scored 10 runs on 19 hits — six of them home runs — in their last two games against Halladay and won both games.

Toronto, remarkably enough, is 1-7 in Halladay’s last eight starts.

Meanwhile, those gritty, gutty Rays have rallied against the Red Sox and tied it up.