The LoHud Yankees Blog

Everyone is just waiting at this point. The players are coming and going, none of them sure there will be a game. The writers will talk to Joe Girardi in five minutes, and probably still won’t know whether there will be a game.

So far I’ve heard four rumored scenarios:

1. The game starts on time.

2. The game starts around 9.

3. Double header tomorrow.

4. Makeup game on a shared off day this summer.

My money is on double header tomorrow.

As of right now, Juan Miranda is not listed as an available hitter for tonight’s game.

Derek Jeter SS
Brett Gardner CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada C
Nick Swisher RF
Randy Winn LF
Ramiro Pena 3B

RHP Javier Vazquez

It remains to be seen whether they’ll actually play. Here’s the view from the press box.

Javier Vazquez hasn’t pitched since May 1. In that time, he’s thrown two bullpens, each a little longer and more aggressive than his usual bullpen sessions.

“Usually my bullpens are nice and easy,” he said. “These I pushed it a little bit.”

There are few mysteries here. Vazquez said he hasn’t really been working on anything new. He’s been battling the same mechanical issues all season, and the bullpens didn’t tell him anything about the progress of his fastball. Basically, Vazquez said, he needs to get back in a game and find out where he stands. Is it better that he’s starting on the road instead of in the hostile environment of Yankee Stadium?

“I just need to pitch well,” he said. “On the road or at home, it doesn’t matter.”

Vazquez starts against the Tigers tonight. Here’s his session with the media from yesterday.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Associated Press photo

Joel Sherman is reporting that Juan Miranda is being called up from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to give the Yankees a lefty bat. Obviously he won’t be starting ahead of Mark Teixeira at first base, so I have to assume the Yankees see Miranda as a designated hitter against right-handed pitchers.

Of course, it might not matter today. Right now it’s pouring outside my hotel window in Detroit.

As for a move to make room for Miranda, Boone Logan and Kevin Russo would seem to be the most logical candidates for an option back to Triple-A.

After last night’s game, Johnny Damon spoke like a guy who’s proud of his new team, and wants to help it reach the status of his old team.

“We need to do certain things so we’re able to measure how good our team is,” Damon said. “We know we’re good, but we want to be great. Everybody in here wants to be great. Today was a good step, but we have them for three more days, and we know what the Yankees are all about.”

Let there be no doubt, Damon has been good this year. He remains a productive big league hitter, and at 36 years old, he’s played every one of the Tigers games this season. He seems even more productive compared to the players who replaced him with the Yankees. Damon, of course, took the high road, saying he takes no pleasure in sticking it to his old team.

“I’m not that kind of person to ever do that,” he said. “I know what kind of player I am, what I was and what I can be still. I never look at it that way. I just keep going about my business and keep trying to play the game hard, and keep trying to play the game the right way.”

Here’s Damon’s pregame interview from yesterday. Pretty good stuff from him, including the fact that he occasionally wears both his Yankees World Series ring and his Red Sox World Series ring at the same time. “Not too many people can do it,” he said.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The Yankees had some chances tonight in Detroit.

They loaded the bases in the sixth but couldn’t score a run. They loaded the bases with no outs in the eight, but could only score twice to pull within one. They had their second, third and fourth hitters at the plate in the ninth, but all three struck out.

“They pitched well,” Derek Jeter said. “They made some big pitches. They have some guys in their bullpen who throw pretty hard and get out of some jams.”

Of course, it was hard to ignore all of the former Yankees who played a key role for the Tigers. Austin Jackson drove in a run with a ground out in the third, Johnny Damon went deep off Sergio Mitre in the fourth, and Phil Coke made some huge pitches to help limit the damage in that almost-go-ahead eighth.

“Johnny, he likes playing in games like this,” Jeter said. “I’m sure he’s probably feeling pretty good over on the other side. We’ve seen him do against us on the other side. We’ve seen him do it for us. It’s really not surprising.”

We’ll go with the Joe Girardi postgame audio tonight. Truth is, none of the Yankees had much to say.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

• The play of the game was obviously Magglio Ordonez’s sliding catch in the eighth. Girardi said he thought it was a double off the bat, but as the ball got into the outfield and he saw where Ordonez was positioned, he knew it would be caught. “I don’t really look where people are playing when I’m hitting, but he made a good catch,” Jeter said. “He was positioned perfectly.”

• Two offensive bright spots for the Yankees: Two more hits for Alex Rodriguez and another home run for Mark Teixeira who has become his productive self this month. “He’s swinging the bat great,” Girardi said. “He lined out again tonight too. It looks like it’s really starting to turn for him.”

• Two pitching bright spots: An overwhelming inning from Joba Chamberlain and five outs from Dave Robertson, who had to pitch around a botched fly ball — Brett Gardner simply never saw it — to get out of a jam. “Robby did a good job,” Girardi said. “He threw the ball well. Maybe that’s what gets him going.”

• I’m sure people are upset about the Randy Winn at-bat in the eighth. He swung at a 2-0 pitch against a pitcher who had been wild, but Girardi had no problem with the decision. “You’re looking for a ball up and he got a ball up,” Girardi said. “It was maybe just a little too up. You’re looking to hit a sac fly so you’re not looking for a ball down, you’re looking for a ball up in the zone. He just didn’t get on top of it enough.”

• Big-time ninth inning by Jose Valverde, who got Swisher and Teixeira on splitfingers, then went after Rodriguez with high-90s fastballs.

• Sergio Mitre got a lot of ground balls today, and both Girardi and Mitre seemed fairly happy with his execution of pitches, just not the results. “That’s pretty much what I’m supposed to do,” Mitre said. “Keep the ball down. Sink the ball. Get ground balls. First and second innings, I got my ground balls, they just found holes.” The home run by Damon was a mistake pitch, the only none single he allowed.

• Ivan Nova got to Detroit in time for the game, but Girardi didn’t want to hand him a two-run game in his major league debut. “Because it’s close,” Girardi said. “It’s a close ballgame. Serge gave us some innings and Nova is a guy who can give us 100 pitches, 110 pitches. I felt that the bullpen could keep it close and we’d have a chance to win. It’s not that I’m afraid to use Nova in a tough situation, but he’s not used to coming in in the middle of an inning, so I went to Robby.”

• Girardi said he’ll check with Brian Cashman to determine whether the Yankees need to make yet another player move tomorrow.

• We’ll let Damon have the last word tonight: “I always have fire. Always trying to beat the other team. Old teammates or whatnot. I’m just proud of our guys. Our bullpen is our glue on this team right now. We played solid baseball and against a team that was ready. Even though they got in at 4 in the morning, those guys know how to get ready for a ballgame and they just about pulled this one off tonight.”

Associated Press photos.

YANKEES (21-9)
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada C
Marcus Thames DH
Brett Gardner CF
Randy Winn LF

RHP Sergio Mitre (0-0, 2.79)
Career vs. Red Sox

TIGERS (17-14)
Austin Jackson CF
Johnny Damon DH
Magglio Ordonez RF
Miguel Cabrera 1B
Brennan Boesch LF
Brandon Inge 3B
Scott Sizemore 2B
Gerald Laird C
Adam Everett SS

LHP Brad Thomas (1-0, 5.40)
Career vs. Yankees

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

UMPIRES: HP Mike Winters, 1B Hunter Wendelstedt, 2B Brian Runge, 3B Jerry Layne

WEATHER: Temperatures could dip down into the 40s in the later innings. There’s little chance of rain, but it’s going to be chilly. And the forecast isn’t very good the rest of the week.

NEW STARTER: Dontrelle Willis was scheduled to start for the Tigers, but he’s sick and will be replaced by Australian lefty Brad Thomas.

NEW EXPERIENCE: Sergio Mitre has faced exactly two of the current Tigers. Adam Everett and Miguel Cabrera each have five at-bats against the Yankees spot starter. Everett has two hits and two strikeouts. Cabrera has one hit and two strikeouts. The Yankees have even less experience against Thomas. Winn is 0-for-2 against him, but none of his teammates have faced the Tigers starter.

HOME RUN WATCH: Alex Rodriguez needs one home run to pass Frank Robinson for sole possession of seventh place on baseball’s career home run list… Jorge Posada needs two home runs to reach 250 for his career… Mark Teixeira needs three home runs to reach 250… Robinson Cano needs four home runs to reach 100.

UPDATE, 7:09 p.m.: We’re underway here in Detroit after a very nice tribute to Ernie Harwell. Girardi said before the game that he was excited about the ceremony. “I want all our guys out here,” he said.

UPDATE, 7:28 p.m.: Early 2-0 lead for the Tigers on three straight two-out singles.

UPDATE, 7:47 p.m.: The Yankees put two on with no outs here in the second inning, but the bottom of the order couldn’t drive in either run. It’s still 2-0 Tigers.

UPDATE, 7:57 p.m.: A walk and another single have led to another Detroit run. It’s now 3-0.

UPDATE, 8:04 p.m.: Looks like Mark Teixeira is back. Another home run for the Yankees first baseman has cut the lead to 3-2.

UPDATE, 8:20 p.m.: There’s a scoreless inning for Mitre. Hard to know exactly what you’re going to get from him. He wasn’t hit hard those first two innings, but he was hit enough.

UPDATE, 8:36 p.m.: That’s four innings from Mitre on 62 pitches. From where I’m sitting it’s hard to see the Yankees bullpen, but it doesn’t look like anyone is throwing. He might go back out there for a fifth inning, part of a fifth inning anyway.

UPDATE, 8:50 p.m.: Is anyone surprised Damon had a big hit against his former team? Damon just went deep, giving Detroit a 4-2 lead. The solo shot has chased Mitre from the game. Robertson is coming in.

UPDATE, 8:51 p.m.: I am 100 percent guessing here — we don’t even know whether Nova ever made it to Detroit — but Girardi might be looking for Robertson to close out this inning so that he can have Nova start an inning, just like he’s been used to doing in the minor leagues.

UPDATE, 8:57 p.m.: Gardner never saw that ball. That’s just bad luck.

UPDATE, 9:06 p.m.: Robertson pitched around the bad-luck double, and Alex Rodriguez started the top of the sixth by flinching at a pitch that he clearly thought was going to be inside but broke over the plate for a strike. You don’t see that often from a hitter like Rodriguez.

UPDATE, 9:25 p.m.: Anyone else really believe Robinson Cano is going to win a Gold Glove this year?

UPDATE, 9:38 p.m.: Here comes Boone Logan. At this point, it seems that Ivan Nova either never showed up or Girardi doesn’t want to use him in a two-run game.

UPDATE, 10:00 p.m.: Single, single, walk have loaded the bases for the Yankees and Cervelli is in to pinch run for Posada at first base.

UPDATE, 10:01 p.m.: Infield single from Marcus Thames has cut the lead to 5-3 and left the bases loaded. Here comes, of all people, Phil Coke.

UPDATE, 10:06 p.m.: Coke did his job. A ground out scored a run, but a pop up kept the tying run at third base. Now Ryan Perry is coming into face Jeter with runners at the corners and two outs. One way or another, we’ll be talking about this at-bat tomorrow.

UPDATE, 10:12 p.m.: Rarely does an entire press box react as one. The whole place just let out an “Ohhh” as Magglio Ordonez made a sliding catch to end the inning and keep the Tigers in the lead, 5-4.

Chan Ho Park is closer than ever to returning to the Yankees bullpen.

Park threw a 45-pitch bullpen session today and will make a rehab appearance in extended spring training on Wednesday. That outing will determine how quickly Park returns to the big league bullpen.

“He might get two (rehab games),” Joe Girardi said. “We’ll make a judgment after Wednesday.”

Park has been out since April 14 with a strained right hamstring. The Yankees initially expected him back sooner than this, but it’s taken longer than expected to get back to normal.

Girardi said the Yankees are content with leaving Park in extended spring for all of his rehab. They only need him to pitch, they don’t need him to face advanced hitters.

• Ivan Nova is active, but he’s not supposed to arrive in Detroit until just before game time. “Get your uni on and get down there,” Girardi said. Romulo Sanchez has been optioned back to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but he’s still with the big league club for the day so that he can go through his normal routine.

• Alfredo Aceves said his back feels much better today. “Here in Detroit, they have pretty good beds,” he said. Aceves is going to throw off flat ground before tonight’s game. Girardi said he hopes to have Aceves back tomorrow, but he won’t completely rule out using him tonight.

• Girardi on the fact Mariano Rivera hasn’t been used in 10 days: “I’m not too worried about it because he doesn’t have two or three pitches that he needs to mix in.”

• Four innings is a reasonable expectation for Sergio Mitre tonight. “I would love five innings,” Girardi said. “You might see me do a cartwheel for the second time in my life.”

• Javier Vazquez is looking forward to a chance to pitch again tomorrow and said it feels like a month since he was last in a game. Since his last start he’s thrown two bullpens, each of them longer and more intense than most of his between-starts bullpen sessions. Vazquez said he feels good, but he’ll need to see results before he knows his problems have been corrected.

• Johnny Damon is sporting a mohawk. When someone told him he looks like Nick Swisher, Damon laughed. “Don’t say that please,” Damon said. “He’s been trying to copy me all these years.” Pretty funny stuff.

• Speaking of Damon, he said he still checks in on his old team. “How an you not?” he said. “They’re doing well.”

• Kevin Russo and Austin Jackson had lockers next to one another last year in Scranton and they’ve been close friends since High-A. Russo tried to trick Jackson this morning, texting and pretending he hadn’t been called up. He assumed Jackson wouldn’t know and he’d be able to surprise him at the ballpark. Turns out, Jackson’s parents told him Russo had been called to New York, and Jackson watched him on ESPN’s Sunday night baseball. “He said, ‘I saw you playing last night!’” Russo said.

Associated Press photos

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada C
Marcus Thames DH
Brett Gardner CF
Randy Winn LF

RHP Sergio Mitre

Ivan Nova has been called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to give the Yankees a long reliever for at least one night. The Yankees need a long man because Sergio Mitre will be limited to 65-75 pitches when he makes a spot start tonight.

Good work by the Yankees, who had Nova skip his scheduled Triple-A start last night, keeping him available as a just-in-case alternative. When Romulo Sanchez was needed for multiple innings last night in Boston, Nova was the obvious choice. Sanchez will go back to Triple-A where I’ve heard he’s scheduled to rejoin the rotation on Friday.

In other Triple-A news, uber-prospect Jesus Montero was benched over the weekend because he didn’t run out a ground ball. He was taken out of Friday’s game because of the lack of hustle, then he was kept out of the lineup Saturday and Sunday.

Vice president of baseball operations Mark Newman confirmed the reason for the benching and said Montero will return to the lineup tonight.