The LoHud Yankees Blog

The Yankees picked up their six straight win last night, getting five RBI from Francisco Cervelli and three home runs from Mark Teixeira. Filling in for one of several injured Yankees, the backup Cervelli has been outstanding with nine hits in his past four starts behind the plate.

As Sam wrote, though, much of the win centered on Teixeira’s on-going return to form after a rough first month.

Much of the past week has centered on the Yankees sudden string of injuries, including Nick Johnson who was put on the disabled list yesterday. The notebook also has items on Jorge Posada, Kevin Russo, Phil Hughes and Alfredo Aceves.

For the Sunday baseball page, I wrote that Brian Cashman’s December trades are so far working out to a definite disadvantage for the Yankees.

Mark Teixeira had just finished playing a game in May, but he was once again stuck talking about his games in April.

“This game will humble ya, and I was humbled the first few weeks of the season,” he said. “I just kept working hard, and I think the last week or two it’s been feeling better.”

Teixeira became the first Yankee since Lou Gehrig to hit three home runs at Fenway Park. Gehrig did it in 1927.

“Any time you talk about the Yankees — Gehrig, DiMaggio, the list goes on and on – it makes you realize you’ve got a long way to go to be in their category,” Teixeira said. “There’s a lot of work to do.”

His first homer put the Yankees in the lead and his last capped the blowout. The Yankees have outscored the Red Sox 24-6 the past two days. Teixeira has a modest three-game hitting streak that includes eight RBI. This was his second four hit game of the month, this after hitting .136 in April. He and Alex Rodriguez — who also scuffled a bit in April — reached base in nine of 11 plate appearances.

“If we have a few guys that might be a little dinged up, it’s time for Alex and I to start picking it up.”

Since there was quite a bit to address, here’s Girardi’s postgame media session.

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• Alfredo Aceves said the lower back soreness he felt tonight was the same as what he felt in spring training, but he’s been told two or three days off should do the trick. Girardi said there are no plans to make a move.

• Brian Cashman said this afternoon that Nick Johnson will miss “several” days. Girardi said he looked up several in the dictionary. “Several is more than two but less than many,” Girardi said. “We know at least 15 days. We know probably a little bit more than that.”

• Once the rain delay went 15 minutes, Girardi knew Sabathia was finished. He knew it would take another 15 minutes to get the field ready and Sabathia didn’t argue when Girardi told him it was time to bring in the bullpen.

• Sabathia said the pitch that hit Dustin Pedroia was simply a fastball that got away from him. Girardi said the same thing. “His fastball was cutting today, and that’s happening a little bit with him. When he does that, his command is off.”

• Despite Francisco Cervelli’s nine hits in the past four games as Jorge Posada’s fill-in, Girardi said he has no plans of making Posada his regular DH and keeping Cervelli behind the plate. He doesn’t want to carry three catchers — “That’s probably not in our plans right now,” Girardi said — and he doesn’t like to regularly put both catchers in the starting lineup. He’ll do it occasionally, but not every day.

• Girardi plans to start Posada at catcher on Monday.

• Sabathia said he “probably would have gone quicker” had he known the game was going to be delayed with two outs and a 2-2 count in the fourth inning, but he ultimately had no problem with the umpire’s decision. Neither did Girardi. “We’ve had enough of our problems without someone slipping,” Girardi said.

• Teixeira homered from both sides of the plate for the ninth time in his career. He’s second among active players in that statistic. No. 1? Nick Swisher.

• Brett Gardner has a 10-game hitting streak. His career-high is an 11-game streak.

• Cervelli’s five RBI were the most from a Yankees catcher since Posada had six RBI way back in 2006. The last Yankees catcher other than Posada to have five RBI in game was John Flaherty who did it in 2004. The last Yankees catcher to have five RBI against the Red Sox was Yogi Berra in 1957.

The Yankees rolled to their sixth straight win tonight, beating the Red Sox 14-3 behind three home runs from Mark Teixeira and five RBI from Francisco Cervelli. Teixeira’s final home run came off Red Sox outfielder Jonathan Van Every, but his second was a solo blast that gave the Yankees the lead for good. The bad news was Alfredo Aceves, who left the game because of a stiff lower back, continuing the trend of recent Yankees injuries. Aceves was credited with the win.

Associated Press photo

YANKEES (20-8)
Derek Jeter SS
Brett Gardner CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano DH
Nick Swisher RF
Randy Winn LF
Francisco Cervelli C
Ramiro Pena 2B

LHP CC Sabathia (4-1, 2.74))
Career vs. Red Sox

RED SOX (15-15)
Marco Scutaro SS
Dustin Pedroia 2B
Victor Martinez C
Kevin Youkilis 1B
Mike Lowell DH
J.D. Drew RF
Adrian Beltre 3B
Bill Hall LF
Darnell McDonald CF

RHP Clay Buchholz (3-2, 2.97)
Career vs. Yankees

TIME/TV: 3:10 p.m./FOX

UMPIRES: HP Adrian Johnson, 1B Tim McClelland, 2B Mike Everitt, 3B Andy Fletcher

WEATHER: Rainy and a little bit chilly, though the temperature is supposed to rise a little bit during the game and the rain seems to have pretty much stopped. It’s a pretty hit or miss kind of day.

A GOOD CATCH: Jorge Posada and Francisco Cervelli have combined for a .337 average while playing the catcher position. That’s the best average of any catching-combo in the American League and it’s fractionally behind the Cubs — also a .337 average — for the best in the majors.

THE NUMBERS GAME: Joe Girardi got rid of the number 27 this spring, but it’s been passed on to a pair of call-ups. First Greg Golson had the number, now Kevin Russo is wearing it.

GOOD COMPANY: At 23-years-old, Phil Hughes is the youngest Yankees starter to win his first four decision since 21-year-old Whitey Ford began the 1950 season with a 9-0 record.

UPDATE, 3:24 p.m.: Sorry about my mistake in the previous post. Sam was there for the Cashman interview about Johnson. He called up to the press box to tell me what was said, and I wrote the wrong thing when I typed it into the blog. Johnson has an inflamed tendon, not torn. That’s my bad.

UPDATE, 3:53 p.m.: Look at Ramiro Pena hitting like Robinson Cano. Lead-off double to the monster.

UPDATE, 4:01 p.m.: Isn’t it nice when the Nos. 3 and 4 hitters drive in runs? RBI singles from Teixeira and Rodriguez have given the Yankees a 2-0 lead.

UPDATE, 4:10 p.m.: I’ve watched Darnell McDonald play a whole lot of baseball in Triple-A. He’s not a star player, but he’s not a bad player either. His home run pulled the Red Sox within 2-1.

UPDATE, 4:12 p.m.: Francisco Cervelli was setup inside, but that still looked like a purpose pitch to Pedroia.

UPDATE, 4:16 p.m.: I can’t say for certain that Sabathia meant to hit Pedroia, but I know it just came back to hurt him. Martinez’s two-run home run has put the Red Sox in front 3-2.

UPDATE, 4:32 p.m.: Another big hit by Cervelli, who just tied the game with a single to center. He would have given the Yankees a lead, but McDonald made a good throw and Martinez did a great job blocking the plate to keep Randy Winn from scoring. It’s now a 3-3 game.

UPDATE, 4:51 p.m.: First pitch swinging, Mark Teixeira just went deep to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead.

UPDATE, 5:03 p.m.: Gazoo! Two-run single by Francisco Cervelli has put the Yankees in front 6-3. Randy Winn was thrown out between second and third, but that’s still a potentially huge swing in the game.

UPDATE, 5:17 p.m.: One strike from an official game and we’re officially in a rain delay. The sky just opened up like you wouldn’t believe. Nothing falling one moment. Absolute downpour the next. The Yankees are up 6-3 with two outs in the top of the fifth. Marco Scutaro is at first and Victor Martinez is at the plate with a 2-2 count. When the umps called for a delay, Sabathia stood on the mound and Cervelli stayed in his crouch for an extra second or two in obvious shock. Don’t get me wrong, it’s pouring, but that did seem like an odd time to make the call.

UPDATE, 5:41 p.m.: The rain has died down. It looks like they’ll be able to keep playing. No word yet on whether Sabathia will stay in the game.

UPDATE, 6:02 p.m.: Here comes the grounds crew. Looks like we could be close to getting started. Unless they’re just dumping the tarp.

UPDATE, 6:04 p.m.: Scheduled to re-start at 6:20.

UPDATE, 6:19 p.m.: Alfredo Aceves is getting loose in the bullpen. Looks like he’ll be the guy on the mound for the Yankees.

UPDATE, 6:25 p.m.: Little later than promised, we’re playing again. One hour and 14 minutes on the delay.

UPDATE, 6:37 p.m.: Have to give him credit. That was quite the turn by Pedroia.

UPDATE, 6:51 p.m.: Alfredo Aceves is the latest Yankee to go down with an injury. This has gotten absurd.

UPDATE, 7:16 p.m.: Teixeira hits his second home run of the season, then Swisher singles in Rodriguez. It’s now 8-3 Yankees. We could see Romulo Sanchez tonight.

UPDATE, 7:27 p.m.: Aceves has a stiff lower back. That’s a lingering problem for him. Doesn’t sound good.

UPDATE, 7:32 p.m.: For a while Dave Robertson was having a solid season with numbers exaggerated by a few really bad outings. At this point, though, he’s clearly struggling. Joba Chamberlain is in to face the middle of the order with one out and runners at first and second.

UPDATE, 8:00 p.m.: The Red Sox have outfielder Jonathan Van Every getting loose in their bullpen. It’s reached that point.

UPDATE, 8:03 p.m.: Kevin Russo in for his major league debut. He’s at second and Ramiro Pena has moved to third.

Robinson Cano is back in the Yankees lineup.

After hitting in the cage this afternoon, Cano proved healthy enough to play and so he’s taken Marcus Thames’ spot as the Yankees designated hitter. He’ll bat in his usual No. 5 spot.

When the lineup was originally posted, Cano was out but Girardi warned that the lineup was subject to change.

“Keep it in pencil,” Girardi said.

Cano said he woke up with some soreness after being hit by a pitch last night, but he was moving pretty well this morning. He said there’s a little bit of swelling, but it’s not bad.

“I don’t know (about playing today),” Cano said before he went to the cage. “I have to check first. I haven’t done anything, but I feel good.”

• “I believe Nick (Johnson) is in an MRI tube right now,” Girardi said during his pregame interview. A little while later, the Yankees announced that the MRI revealed a inflamed tendon in his right wrist. Johnson is expected to miss several weeks and will stay in New York for treatment.

UPDATE: That’s my bad. Sam was there for the Cashman interview, told me what was said and I screwed up writing it. It’s an inflamed tendon, not torn.

• Jorge Posada said it’s the rain here in Boston that is keeping him out of today’s lineup, but Girardi indicated that he never planned to have Posada play today. “My plan all along has kind of been on tomorrow,” Girardi said. “He had a Grade 1 strain. Most guys don’t come back (from that sort of injury) before a week.”

• Posada will most likely DH tomorrow. “I don’t think catching is going to be a problem, I really don’t,” Posada said. “They want me to DH first and then catch, so I think I’m going to DH tomorrow.”

• When Posada is back in the lineup, it’s likely Nick Swisher will become the Yankees regular No. 2 hitter, leaving Brett Gardner free to run at the bottom of the lineup. “It’s easier for him to run more down further in the lineup,” Girardi said.

• Assuming Johnson is out for a while, Girardi said it’s more likely that he’ll rotate his designated hitters rather than stick with a new full-time DH. He was asked about the idea of making Posada the regular DH, but Girardi didn’t seem high on the idea.

• Kevin Russo found out after last night’s Triple-A game that he was getting his first major league call-up. His first call was to his mother in Colorado, and he got into Boston late this morning. He was drinking a cup of coffee in the clubhouse, and asking how to get onto the field. He’s played third base, shortstop, second base, center field and right field in Triple-A.

• Want to make CC Sabathia laugh before a start at Fenway? Just put an Eddie Murphy movie on the TV in the clubhouse.

Associated Press photos

Derek Jeter SS
Brett Gardner CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Nick Swisher RF
Marcus Thames DH
Randy Winn LF
Francisco Cervelli C
Ramiro Pena 2B

LHP CC Sabathia

That’s a picture of the view from the press box, and I can report that several of the concourses at Fenway Park already have water running through them. In other words, it’s a nasty day so far here in Beantown.

Word is the weather will clear later on today, but keep checking back for updates all afternoon.

Still waiting on a lineup, but Kevin Russo is here. He’ll add infield depth at least while Robinson Cano is banged up.

For better and for worse, tonight was more of the same for the Yankees. More great starting pitching, more production from the bottom of the order and more players hobbling through the clubhouse or heading for the disabled list.

Tonight it was Robinson Cano and Nick Johnson who left the game with injuries, joining the list of six Yankees who have been hurt in the past seven games. Curtis Granderson is on the disabled list with a strained groin, Andy Pettitte is skipping his next start because of elbow tightness, Jorge Posada hasn’t played since Monday because of a sore calf and Mariano Rivera missed the previous three games with a sore left side.

Now Johnson is heading to the DL with a sore right wrist, the same wrist that was injured in 2008 and cost him nearly the entire season. He said he felt it on a swing during his first at-bat. “I just didn’t get my strength back for the next pitch,” he said.

Joe Girardi said Johnson will go for tests in New York tomorrow. The Yankees will make a move to call-up an infielder — almost certainly either Eduardo Nunez or Kevin Russo — to help them get through a day or two without Cano, who was hit by a pitch on inside of his left knee. Girardi said he doesn’t expect Cano to play tomorrow.

“I can’t tell you anything right now,” Cano said. “I wish I would wake up and feel better and I could play tomorrow.”

Here’s Girardi  talking after the game.

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I understand the impulse to jump all over Josh Beckett for his command issues in the sixth inning. He hit Cano, nearly hit Francisco Cervelli and hit Derek Jeter. After the Jeter at-bat, CC Sabathia was standing at the top of the dugout screaming. But after the game, you couldn’t find anyone in the Yankees clubhouse who said those pitches were intentional. Jeter didn’t. Cano didn’t. Girardi didn’t. Even Sabathia said “it was just frustrating” and that tonight won’t affect how he pitches tomorrow.

“You want to protect your guys,” Hughes said. “But it’s one of those situations where I don’t necessarily think he’s throwing at anyone. Bases loaded and the lead keeps getting bigger and bigger.”

• Another big start for Hughes, who hung with Beckett early and finished with his fourth win in five starts. Is there any doubt he was the right choice for the fifth spot in the rotation? “Beckett struck out five of the first six hitters and it’s not looking like you’re going to get a lot of runs,” Girardi said. “And (Hughes) just matched him.”

• Look for Marcus Thames to takeover as the Yankees primary designated hitter while Johnson is out of the lineup. “There’s a good possibility he’ll DH tomorrow,” Girardi said.

• Five hits, four runs and two RBI from the Yankees 7, 8 and 9 hitters. That includes two hits and two runs from Randy Winn, who’s started hitting a little bit now that he’s seeing some regular at-bats.

• Jesus Montero was pulled from tonight’s Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees game after he apparently pulled up lame running the bases.

• By the end of the sixth inning, the only bench player left on Girardi’s lineup card was Jorge Posada. “I looked at Javy Vazquez and said, ‘You’ve played infield, right?’” Girardi said.

• Johnson said there’s no additional concern because of his past problems with his right wrist, but Girardi acknowledged it could be problematic. “Hopefully the MRI just says he has some inflammation in there and you can knock it out,” Girardi said.

• Cano tried to stay in the game after he was hit in the knee in the sixth inning. He went to first base and lasted two pitches before taking himself out. “He said I want to try,” Girardi said. “I said, OK. Let’s try.” There are no tests planned for Cano.

YANKEES (19-8)
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Johnson DH
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Brett Gardner CF
Francisco Cervelli C
Randy Winn LF

RHP Phil Hughes (3-0, 1.44)
Career vs. Red Sox

RED SOX (15-14)
Marco Scutaro SS
Dustin Pedroia 2B
J.D. Drew RF
Kevin Youkilis 1B
David Ortiz DH
Adrian Beltre 3B
Jeremy Hermida LF
Jason Varitek C
Darnell McDonald CF

RHP Josh Beckett (1-0, 6.31)
Career vs. Yankees

TIME/TV: 7:10 p.m./YES Network

UMPIRES: HP Joe West (kidding) HP Andy Fletcher, 1B Adrian Johnson, 2B Tim McClelland, 3B Mike Everitt

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the 60s throughout the game and there’s almost no chance of rain. It’s a pretty nice night here at Fenway.

ALONE IN SECOND: When Derek Jeter leads off tonight’s game, it will be his 2,164th game with the Yankees, moving him past Lou Gerhig for second place on the Yankees all-time games played list.

TIED FOR SEVENTH: Alex Rodriguez’s next home run will move him into a tie with Frank Robinson for seventh place on baseball’s all-time home runs list. He currently sits at 585.

NEW SORT OF STREAK: The Yankees had three saves in their past three games, two by Joba Chamberlain and one by Alfredo Aceves. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it’s the first time since 2002 that the Yankees have had three straight saves none of which were recorded by Mariano Rivera (the last time, Steve Karsay got two saves and Mike Stanton got one).

UPDATE, 7:47 p.m.: Maybe all Francisco Cervelli needed in the minor leagues was one of those big Gazoo helmets. The guy can’t stop hitting in the major leagues.

UPDATE, 8:16 p.m.: That’s Nick Swisher’s sixth home run of the season, a three-run shot for a 3-0 Yankees lead. I realize six homers isn’t out of this world a month into the season, but I honestly didn’t realize Swisher had that many. I think I would have guessed four.

UPDATE, 8:33 p.m.: If Hughes can keep this a one-run inning, he’ll still be in good shape. It’s 3-1 Yankees.

UPDATE, 8:39 p.m.: Marcus Thames pinch hitting for Nick Johnson against a right-handed pitcher in the fifth inning? There’s no way this is good news.

UPDATE, 8:51 p.m.: Still no word on Johnson, but Hughes continues to get big outs when he really needs them. Nice job stranding two that inning. Still a two-run Yankees lead.

UPDATE, 8:54 p.m.: Fastball to the inside of the knee. Robinson Cano stays in the game but you could hear him yell all the way up in the press box. And we’re way up here in Boston.

UPDATE, 8:57 p.m.: Somebody get Kevin Russo or Eduardo Nunez on the phone. Cano just took himself out of the game and Pena is in as a pinch runner. With Golson having been sent down, the Yankees are down to a one-man bench of Jorge Posada.

UPDATE, 8:58 p.m.: Nick Johnson is out with soreness in his right wrist.

UPDATE, 9:06 p.m.: It almost cost Cervelli his oversized helmet, but he got an RBI on that bases-loaded walk, then Randy Winn followed with a clean single to left, bringing in one more run. It’s now 5-1 Yankees with one out in the sixth. Bases still loaded.

UPDATE, 9:09 p.m.: Obviously Beckett isn’t trying to hit anyone in that situation, but CC Sabathia was irate on the Yankees bench. He was standing on the top step, screaming. Joe Girardi had to go calm him down. Add an infield single and Winn avoiding a tag at third and it’s now 7-1 Yankees.

UPDATE, 9:12 p.m.: An absolute and total meltdown from Josh Beckett is complete. He’s coming off the field after five straight batters reached base with the bases loaded. One walk, one hit batter and three singles. It’s 8-1 Yankees, bases still loaded with one out in the sixth. Okajima in to pitch.

UPDATE, 9:18 p.m.: Four hours ago, Ramiro Pena was a pinch runner in this inning. Now he’s struck out to end it. That’s a six-run inning for the Yankees, giving them a 9-1 lead and leaving Beckett looking completely lost on the mound.

UPDATE, 9:28 p.m.: In case you’re wondering where exactly Cano was hit by the pitch, here’s the Associated Press evidence.

UPDATE, 9:31 p.m.: It would appear that Beckett also knocked his own player out of the game. Varitek was hit by a pitch last inning, now he’s out of the game and Victor Martinez is catching.