The LoHud Yankees Blog

YANKEES (72-44)
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Lance Berkman DH
Curtis Granderson CF
Brett Gardner LF
Francisco Cervelli C

RHP A.J. Burnett (9-9, 4.87)
Burnett vs. Royals

ROYALS (48-69)
Gregor Blanco CF
Willie Bloomquist 3B
Billy Butler 1B
Wilson Betemit DH
Alex Gordon LF
Mike Aviles 2B
Mitch Maier RF
Bryan Pena C
Yuniesky Betancourt SS

RHP Bryan Bullington (0-2, 4.85)
Bullington vs. Yankees

TIME/TV: 2:10 p.m. / YES Network

UMPIRES: HP Mike Muchlinski, 1B Gary Cederstrom, 2B Ed Hickox, 3B Fieldin Culbreth

WEATHER: First day game of the series, but it’s not nearly the hottest game of the series. Temperatures are in the 80s with almost no chance of rain.

THREE TIMES TWO: Alex Rodriguez is the fifth player to hit three home runs in a game more than once as a Yankee. Rodriguez has done it twice. Lou Gehrig did it four times, Joe DiMaggio three times, Tony Lazzeri and Bobby Murcer each did it twice.

ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL: The Yankees have won 13 of their past 15 series finales, including seven of their past nine on the road. If they win today, they will have gone 4-2 on this road trip. The have the major’s second-best road record this season.

CLIMBING CAPTAIN: With a hit today, Derek Jeter will pass the immortal Zack Wheat for sole possession of 36th place on baseball’s all-time hits list. Jeter and Wheat are currently tied at 2,884. Up next is Al Simmons, who has 2,928.

UPDATE, 2:25 p.m.: After a couple of hits, a stolen base and a throwing error gave the Royals a 1-0 lead in the first inning, Alex Rodriguez very nearly tied the game in the second with a deep drive to center field. Gregor Blanco caught it just in front of the wall.

UPDATE, 2:52 p.m.: Burnett worked a quick 1-2-3 third inning, but the score is still 1-0 as Bullington got through the Yankees lineup once without allowing a hit.

UPDATE, 3:15 p.m.: It only took the Yankees four-plus innings to finally get a hit off Bryan Bullington. Of course, they followed that with a double play. They seriously can not hit guys they’ve never seen. Meanwhile, Lance Berkman limped off the field after a bang-bang play at first.

UPDATE, 3:29 p.m.: Single for Brett Gardner, then he’s caught stealing. Bullington has still faced the minimum with two outs in the sixth. Crazy.

UPDATE, 3:40 p.m.: Good A.J. just bailed out his defense, stranding a runner at third and keeping this a 1-0 game through six innings.

UPDATE, 4:00 p.m.: Berkman must be hurt, otherwise there would be no reason to pinch hit Thames in that situation. Meawhile, Bullington — who I’ve called Burlington at least four times this afternoon — is through eight scoreless innings. Unreal.

I really hope no one has been anxiously awaiting rich, detailed pregame notes. Truth is, there was hardly anything going on this morning in Kansas City. The entire Yankees beat stood around waiting for Kevin Long, hoping for some more details about that minor tweak to Alex Rodriguez’s swing, but Long seems to have been in the cage the whole time.

How dare he do his job when notebooks need to be filled!

It’s mid-August, the Yankees are in first place and they’re playing the Royals in an afternoon game on getaway day. Pretty much the perfect storm for a slow, slow Sunday.

• Joe Girardi did layout a few details about the Yankees plan for Andy Pettitte. On Tuesday, Pettitte will first play catch. If he feels good doing that, then he’ll move to the mound that very same day. If that bullpen goes well, he’ll throw a simulated game later in the week, probably on Friday.

• There’s no definite location for Pettitte’s simulated game. Girardi said there are several things the Yankees do. Tampa is a possibility but, “you’d like to keep him off a plane if you could,” Girardi said. It would be unusual for Pettitte to throw his sim game to guys on the big league roster, but I suppose that’s possible. Friday is a road game for Scranton, Trenton and Staten Island.

• Damaso Marte was supposed to throw off a half mound today. That hadn’t happened by the time we had to leave the clubhouse. Girardi said it’s unlikely Marte would be ready to rejoin the team before rosters expand in September.

• It seems more possible that Alfredo Aceves could rejoin the team before September 1. “That’s something we would have to discuss,” Girardi said. “It could be based on need. There’s a lot of things you have to look at. We’d like to get him back, I’ll tell you that.”

• The Yankees have never faced Royals starter Bryan Bullington, a former first-round pick who flamed out with Pittsburgh. I’ve seen him pitch in Triple-A, but I honestly don’t remember much about him. The Pirates Triple-A team seemed to have a ton of guys just like him. Girardi said he has somewhat of a three-quarters delivery with a sinker, changeup and slider. The sinker has a lot of side-to-side movement that Girardi said the Yankees have to watch out for.

• The only Yankee with a major league at-bat against Bullington is Austin Kearns. He’s 0-for-1 with an RBI.

UPDATE, 1:28 p.m.: Royals lineup
Gregor Blanco CF
Willie Bloomquist 3B
Billy Butler 1B
Wilson Betemit DH
Alex Gordon LF
Mike Aviles 2B
Mitch Maier RF
Bryan Pena C
Yuniesky Betancourt SS

Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Lance Berkman DH
Curtis Granderson CF
Brett Gardner LF
Francisco Cervelli C

Dustin Moseley just found his spikes behind a couch. That’s by far the most exciting thing that’s happened in the Yankees clubhouse this morning.

I’ve been waiting to post something, holding out hope that a lineup would be posted or a player would say something interesting, but so far it’s just a lazy Sunday morning in Kansas City.

A few guys are eating. A few are sitting at their lockers. Mostly, it’s just a room full of baseball players doing absolutely nothing.

Alex Rodriguez said several times this season that his low power numbers did not bother him. As at-bat after at-bat passed without career home run No. 600, Rodriguez remained one of the top RBI men in baseball, and that seemed more than enough to satisfy him. Tonight, Rodriguez admitted feeling some frustration.

“I haven’t really hit for any power this year, so it’s been frustrating,” he said. “Being stuck at 599 was really a microcosm of what’s been going on all year. I’ve been able to drive in runs and hit some doubles here and there, but overall I’ve hit for no power.”

This has been his worst season since 1995, but tonight was a reminder of how dangerous and productive he remains. Rodriguez now leads the major leagues in RBI, and he’s nine away from his 13th consecutive 30-home-run season. With three more RBI, he’ll be the first player in baseball history to drive in 100 runs in 14 different seasons.

“He’s been such a great talent for a long time, nothing ever really surprising you,” Girardi said. “I don’t think he’s been pressing, because I think if he were pressing he wouldn’t have the RBIs… I think he’s not trying to do too much with runners in scoring position. He’s not trying to hit home runs. He’s just saying, I’m going to have a good at-bat and drive in the run.”

Rodriguez said he made some minor adjustments with Kevin Long this week, working to clear his hips a little more. He estimated that he’d been clearing only 70 percent, but Long worked to get him closer to 100. Whatever the cause, the result was obvious.

“It was nice to carry the team for one night,” Rodriguez said. “These guys have done a lot of carrying me all year.”

Here’s A-Rod.

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• Phil Hughes got his 14th win, the second most in baseball. He did it on a night when he struck out none for the first time this season. “I’m not going to try to strike guys out anyway,” he said. “If they’re going to swing early, so be it… Physically I felt really good tonight with my fastball, and they’re a real aggressive team so I really just took the approach of throwing a lot of fastballs and getting some quick outs.”

• What was Hughes thinking as he saw Rodriguez put on that show? “Why can’t he do that every time when I’m pitching?” he said.

• Also, if you look at the box score, you’ll see Hughes gave up nine hits. At least half of them were weak singles. Aside from a first-inning double and sixth-inning home runs, Hughes was not hit hard tonight. Not at all.

• Joba Chamberlain has held opponents scoreless in his past nine outings. That’s a span of 8.2 innings with two hits allowed.

• Derek Jeter tied Zack Wheat for 36th place all-time in hits. They both have 2,884, and Jeter has a hit in 13 of the past 16 games. According to the postgame notes, Wheat is from Missouri. He and I never met.

• About the lost fly ball that fell for a hit in front of Brett Gardner… Gardner saw it off the bat but lost it in the twilight. “I hoped it would reappear, and it never did,” Gardner said. From his spot on the mound, Hughes thought it was a sure out, but then again, “My eyesight’s not the best,” Hughes said. “I thought Granderson was going to catch it. Just looking out there I had no idea. Then I saw it fall nowhere near anybody.”

• Girardi’s story of the lost fly ball: “When it went up I said, ‘Tomper, does he see it?’ It looked like he was camped under it and he goes, ‘Yeah, he sees it,’ which made me feel better. And then that changed pretty quickly.”

• Tomper is third-base coach Rob Thomson, and I have no idea whether I spelled Tomper correctly.

• Girardi on pulling Hughes after six innings and 99 pitches: “I just thought he had had enough. It was extremely hot again. He had done a great job and had to work real hard getting out of that inning. Our bullpen has been very good, so I went to them.”

• Gardner is 5-for-15 this road trip and might be slowly breaking out of a hitting slump.

• Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson hit the Yankees fourth pair of back-to-back home runs this season.

• Random quote from Girardi: Sweeny Murti asked him how hard is it to hit three home runs off three different pitchers, which Rodriguez did tonight. “I’ve got no idea Sweeny,” Girardi said. “I’ve never done it.”

Associated Press photos of Rodriguez, Hughes and Jeter

Alex Rodriguez became the major league’s RBI leader tonight by hitting three home runs in a game for the fourth time in his career. It as his first three-homer game since April 26, 2005, and it lifted the Yankees to an 8-3 win in Kansas City. Rodriguez homered in each of his last three at-bats — Nos. 19, 20 and 21 for the season — with the first home run beginning a three-homer sixth inning for the Yankees. Phil Hughes got the win, his 14th of the season.

Associated Press photos

YANKEES (71-44)
Derek Jeter SS
Nick Swisher RF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada C
Curtis Granderson CF
Brett Gardner LF
Ramiro Pena 3B

RHP Phil Hughes (13-5, 3.92)
Hughes vs. Royals

ROYALS (48-68)
Gregor Blanco CF
Jason Kendall C
Billy Butler 1B
Wilson Betemit 3B
Kila Ka’aihue DH
Alex Gordon LF
Yuniesky Betancourt SS
Mitch Maier RF
Chris Getz 2B

RHP Sean O’Sullivan (1-3, 5.05)
O’Sullivan vs. Yankees

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

UMPIRES: HP Fieldin Culbreth, 1B Mike Muchlinski, 2B Gary Cederstrom, 3B Ed Hickox

WEATHER: Supposed to be in the high 80s tonight, with rain possible around midnight. I can’t begin to tell you how much I do not want another rain delay.

MORE THAN ONE TOOL: Speedster Brett Gardner leads the Yankees with nine outfield assists, including one last night. He’s tied for the second-most outfield assists in the big leagues behind Jose Bautista, who has 10. Seven of his assists have come in left field, the second most left field assists in the majors behind Delmon Young, who has eight.

D-R-K J-T-R: Derek Jeter has gone 50 straight games without an error. According to Elias, it’s the longest streak of his career. He leads all Major League shortstops with a .990 fielding percentage.

ONE AND DONE: The Yankees past five games have been decided by one run. They are 2-3 in those games. Nine of their past 10 losses have been by three runs or less.

UPDATE, 8:10 p.m.: For completely unknown reasons, I’ve been surprisingly swamped through the first three innings of this game. Phil Hughes allowed back-to-back hits in the first inning, and so far that’s been enough for a 1-0 Royals lead. The Yankees had put a runner in scoring position with one out the past two innings, but they haven’t been able to score.

UPDATE, 8:22 p.m.: Sean O’Sullivan has kept the Yankees scoreless through four. He’s shown a pretty good changeup, and good changeups seem to have given the Yankees problems this year.

UPDATE, 8:40 p.m.: Double by Brett Gardner, bunt single by Ramiro Pena and a run-scoring double play by Derek Jeter. Not exactly the way you draw it up, but enough to tie the game at 1.

UPDATE, 8:48 p.m.: Phil Hughes hasn’t been overpowering or overwhelming the Royals, but he’s pitched pretty well, and he’s through five innings with one run.

UPDATE, 8:51 p.m.: Home run No. 19 for Alex Rodriguez has the Yankees in front 2-1.

UPDATE, 8:57 p.m.: There goes No. 13 for Jorge Posada. Mark it down as a 3-1 Yankees lead with one out in the sixth.

UPDATE, 8:59 p.m.: No. 11 for Curtis Granderson. He made it back-to-back homers and a 4-1 lead.

UPDATE, 9:22 p.m.: Home run by Wilson Betemit was obviously legit, but now Hughes as the bases loaded on an infield single, a bloop single and a routine fly ball that was lost in the lights.

UPDATE, 9:25 p.m.: Grounder to first was too slow for  double play or an out at the plate. Kind of a tough-luck inning for Hughes and the Royals are back in it, down 4-3.

Meanwhile, Gregor Blanco chokes up on the bat more than I did in Little League. It didn’t do me a lot of good. It’s made him a .206 hitter in the big leagues.

UPDATE, 9:35 p.m.: Rodriguez goes deep again, this one a two-run shot, and the Yankees have their three-run lead back. It’s 6-3 in the seventh.

UPDATE, 9:45 p.m.: Hughes is finished, his first no-strikeout start of the year. It’s Chamberlain pitching with a 6-3 lead in the seventh. Boone Logan is getting loose.

UPDATE, 9:50 p.m.: Sure, it helps that Butler is running, but that’s a nice play by Pena. That reputation as a defensive wiz is well earned.

UPDATE, 10:22 p.m.: That’s the third three-homer game of Rodriguez’s career. His first since 2005. It’s an 8-3 game.

The Yankees don’t have a definite plan for Andy Pettitte continued rehab from a strained groin. They have only the basic outline of a plan, and a rough idea of when he might be back. “You’re talking about a couple of weeks,” Joe Girardi said.

Right now, the plan is for Pettitte to rest for a few days and play catch early next week, probably on Tuesday. He will then need to throw some sort of side session, either a bullpen or a simulated game. It’s possible he’ll need a bullpen and a simulated game. A rehab start would come next.

“Patience has to takeover for a few days,” Girardi said. “We’ll see where he’s at in probably three or four days, then we should have a better idea of a timetable… When there’s inactivity, and you’re resting, and you’re not doing a lot, and you’re not stressing any area, of course it’s going to feel better. But until you actually go through what you have to go though, you’re not going to have good idea whether you’re ahead of schedule or not.”

Pettitte said the trainers have told him he might have pushed a little too hard during those days in New York. He was running a lot to build stamina, and that might have been slightly more than he needed. That said, he feels good today.

“I just didn’t feel real comfortable (yesterday),” he said. “I didn’t feel that I could really completely push when I wanted to. I also feel like, if I pushed it too hard yesterday, that I would be really sore today, but I’m not. I don’t know if I’m scared to push, and I should push. I want them to check me out and test my strength in there and see what maybe we should do. I don’t want to shut it down if I don’t need to shut it down for a few days.”

• After his hitless two innings yesterday, Alfredo Aceves will make another rehab start on Tuesday. He’s throw three innings or 30 pitches. “This is really spring training for him,” Girardi said. “I don’t think we really need to build him up beyond 40 pitches, but it might be a situation where he gets another one after that, where he only gets a day or two days off.”

• Damaso Marte is scheduled to throw off a half mound tomorrow.

• Girardi said he feels comfortable using Kerry Wood in back-to-back games down. He didn’t want to do that initially.

• Just a standard half day of rest for Alex Rodriguez. Girardi said he’ll have to give Derek Jeter a day to rest — either a DH day or a full day — some time soon.

• Just making small talk with Ramiro Pena pregame, he said he was planning to run on the pitch when he was nearly picked off last night. I told him it seemed Royals shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt misplayed the rundown — I thought he came way too far off the bag — but Pena said Betancourt played it correctly, it was just a late throw that let him slide in safe. It was clearly either a late throw or bad positioning. I thought it was the later. Pena said otherwise, and he knows a lot more about playing shortstop than I do.

• This has nothing to do with the game, it was just a funny moment: Just as Girardi’s session with the media was wrapping up, his cell phone rang and Girardi said he needed to take it. His kids were back home arguing about who should sit in the front seat, and the manager of the New York Yankees had to play moderator. Pretty cool.

UPDATE, 6:17 p.m.: Royals lineup
Gregor Blanco CF
Jason Kendall C
Billy Butler 1B
Wilson Betemit 3B
Kila Ka’aihue DH
Alex Gordon LF
Yuniesky Betancourt SS
Mitch Maier RF
Chris Getz 2B

Associated Press photos of Pettitte and Rodriguez

Andy Pettitte just arrived in the Yankees clubhouse. He said he feels good the day after a 50-pitch sim game in Tampa. For whatever reason — and he can’t quite explain it — his body didn’t feel quite ready to throw 100 percent off the mound yesterday.

That said, Pettitte thought his groin might feel sore this morning, but he said he feels great. Pettitte said he considers yesterday only a minor setback, and he’s still waiting to meet with the training staff to figure out what’s next.

“It’s the unknown that drives you crazy,” he said.

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