The LoHud Yankees Blog

YANKEES (27-21)
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Russell Martin C
Jorge Posada DH
Nick Swisher RF
Brett Gardner LF

RHP A.J. Burnett (5-3, 4.02)
Burnett vs. Mariners

MARINERS (24-25)
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Luis Rodriguez 2B
Justin Smoak 1B
Jack Cust DH
Franklin Gutierrez CF
Adam Kennedy 2B
Miguel Olivo C
Carlos Peguero LF
Brendan Ryan SS

RHP Michael Pineda (6-2, 2.16)
Peneda vs. Yankees

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

WEATHER: Little bit chilly, but certainly not cold. Looks like they might be able to play with the roof open.

UMPIRES: HP Todd Tichenor, 1B Sam Holbrook, 2B Gerry Davis, 3B Greg Gibson

BAD BEGINNINGS: The Yankees have lost four of their past five series openers. They are 8-9 in openers this season.

ROBERTSON IN RELIEF: Dave Robertson is bringing relief in every which way. He visited his tornado-wrecked hometown yesterday, and now he returns to the Yankees bullpen having been charged with an earned run in two of his 22 appearances this season. He’s struck out a batter in all but three outings. With the bases loaded, hitters are 1-for-8 with seven strikeouts against him. By the way, if you’re interested in The David and Erin Robertson foundation, visit the website.

UP NEXT, ICHIRO: The Yankees have allowed opposing No. 1 hitters a major-league-low .192 battinga average with a .256 on-base percentage. That OBP is second lowest in the majors.

AND BATTING SECOND: Since moving into the No. 2 spot in the lineup on May 6, Curtis Granderson is hitting .304 with 20 runs, eight home runs, 18 RBI and a .389 on-base percentage.

COOL JUST TO SEE HIM IN PERSON: Bill Russell is throwing out tonight’s ceremonial first pitch. Pregame, he was standing behind home plate talking to Reggie Jackson.

UPDATE, 10:23 p.m.: Solo home run by Teixeira in the top of the first, and Luis Rodriguez very nearly matched it with a deep drive just foul. I mean, scraping-paint-off-the-pole kind of foul.

UPDATE, 11:03 p.m.: So, Burnett just walked Brennan Ryan, then struck out Ichiro? You really can’t predict it.

UPDATE, 11:16 p.m.: Sitting next to Pete Caldera when the stadium begins playing Sinatra is a great experience. I’ve never heard this song in my life. He’s singing every word. By the way, the Yankees just managed to leave Curtis Granderson stranded after his leadoff walk and fortunate stolen base in the third innings. It’s still 1-0.

UPDATE, 11:29 p.m.: Nick Swisher just went deep… and Franklin Gutierrez just robbed him. Great play by a great defensive player. Tough luck for a struggling hitter.

UPDATE, 11:52 p.m.: Nice little two-out rally for the Yankees in the fifth. Of course it started with Granderson and Teixeira, and now the Yankees are up 3-0 at the midway point.

UPDATE, 12:13 p.m.: Luis Ayala and Boone Logan are getting loose in the bullpen after Burnett allowed two runs in the bottom of the fifth. It’s 3-2 Yankees, and Ayala’s importance has become pretty clear.

UPDATE, 12:53 p.m.: Ayala manages a 1-2-3 seventh inning, but that doesn’t matter so much now that he and Boone Logan have combined to allow two runs in the sixth, coughing up the lead and giving the Mariners a 4-3 advantage.

UPDATE, 12:58 p.m.: Didn’t see that coming. Great job by Nunez to get the stolen base, but getting picked off there is brutal. I actually thought he was safe when I saw it live, but still. That should even be close.

This is the way the Yankees road trip begins, with a 22-year-old kid who throws with more consistent velocity than any other starting pitcher in baseball. Justin Verlander averages 95 mph with his fastball. Mariners rookie Michael Pineda averages 95.6.

Felix Hernandez is the King. Pineda’s been called the Prince.

“Mostly fastball-slider,” Joe Girardi said, giving a brief scouting report of tonight’s Seattle starter. “His fastball gets up to 96-97, and his slider is like a power-curveball, too. It’s got good depth. The thing about this young man is he throws a ton of strikes. He’s around 70 percent first-pitch strikes, so you have to be ready to hit.”

In the past, the Yankees have had some problems with even mediocre pitchers when they’ve seen them for the first time. It hasn’t been so glaring this year, and even if it had been, with this guy it’s hard to lean on the “first time” excuse. He’s unfamiliar, but more significantly, he’s good.

Mark Teixeira said he would look through a lot of Pineda video before tonight’s game, but he also said it’s hard to take too much out of a film session. First-hand experience is the only thing that fully prepares a hitter.

“At the end of the day, personal experience and seeing his pitches is the best thing,” Teixeira said. “… The guys’ movement, especially on a two-seamer, slider type pitch, doesn’t look like it moves that much on TV. You look at Mo, everyone talks to me about Mo, oh, how does he only get away with one pitch, this and that? Well, on TV it looks like it moves that much but in actuality, from the time it leaves his hand to the time it gets to you, it moves a foot or two. So, on TV, you can’t see movement very well.”

The Yankees are going to run into a lot of pitching talent this trip. Tonight they’re jumping straight into the fire.

“This is a young kid with a lot of talent,” Girardi said. “It’s going to be a challenge, so you have to be ready to hit.”

• Dave Robertson was very clearly affected by his trip to Alabama. Just talking about it seemed to make him physically feel that devastation. “Seeing my hometown destroyed, it’s difficult,” he said. “It’s disturbing.” Robertson left at 7 a.m. and was at the park before 1:30 local time. “It’s tough to know that I have to leave right now,” he said. “Just leave it as it is.”

• Nick Swisher is back in the lineup to test the left-handed swinging he’s been trying to fix for the past few days. “Today, come in here with a fresh mind, ready to go,” he said. “I feel good. Now I’ve just got to go out there and show you guys.”

• The only injured players to make the road trip were Phil Hughes and Colin Curtis. Hughes is out here to keep throwing, but Girardi said there’s nothing new to report on him. Curtis is doing some rehab work out here, but it seems he mostly wanted to come on the trip just to be home for a few days. He’s from Seattle, and he’s staying here throughout this West Coast trip. He’ll go back to New York in about two weeks.

• Girardi on Eric Chavez: “He’s closer, but he still is not to where he can run yet. As far as doing a lot of baseball stuff, he can’t do it.”

• Francisco Cervelli did some early throwing work, but Girardi said that’s just regular work for a backup catcher who hasn’t played a whole lot. Just staying sharp, not much more.

• Even after the Buster Posey, Girardi said he would not be in favor of a rule change to protect catchers (and Girardi’s been involved in his share of collisions). “I was always taught a certain way to block the plate and protect yourself,” Girardi said. “Sometimes you get vulnerable as a catcher. I’ve had a separated shoulder, and I’ve had a broken nose, but I always thought it was just part of the game. When you’re playing with a competitive spirit, you’re playing for a lot.”

Associated Press photos

Jeter SS
Granderson CF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Cano 2B
Martin C
Posada DH
Swisher RF
Gardner LF

One small bit of minor league news on this long afternoon.

The Yankees have released Double-A reliever Brian Anderson. The former top-prospect center fielder moved to the mound not too long ago and signed a minor league deal this winter. He played high school baseball with Shelley Duncan (just an FYI).

This move and the release of Andy Sisco seem to be little more than clearing space in an overly crowded group of upper-level relievers. Now that Randy Flores is in the system, Warner Madrigal is healthy, Alan Horne is getting healthy, and so many in-house guys — George Kontos, Kevin Whelan, Eric Wordekemper, etc. — are pitching very well in Triple-A, there’s just not room for everyone. It made sense to add as many guys as possible this winter, but at some point, the organization has to give them the opportunity to actually pitch somewhere.

Two other quick notes.

1. An interesting blog post by Mariners beat writer Geoff Baker, who suggests Seattle should move Brendan Ryan into the No. 2 spot in the lineup and drop Chone Figgans to ninth during this weekend’s series.

2. The Tigers have traded for Oakland lefty David Purcey, which means that’s one less reliever for the Yankees to worry about next week. The Tigers gave up a pretty good young second baseman, Scott Sizemore.

At the very top of the Yankees minor league system, two Triple-A starters — Andrew Brackman and Adam Warren — are top five in the International League in walks. Down in Low-A, one of the Yankees best young catchers — Gary Sanchez — is hitting just .238 with 37 strikeouts in 32 games.

“It’s like somebody trying to lose weight and looking at the scale every day,” vice president of baseball operations Mark Newman said. “It’ll drive you nuts.”

Less than two months into the minor league season, the big picture is nowhere near coming into focus, and Newman said this part of the season is still about making initial adjustments to a new level. The Yankees focus more on the second-half results for most of their minor leaguers, curious to see how they adjust and adapt.

Right now, Warren is eight walks away from his total for last season. Brackman is 12 away from his 2010 total. From the outside, the Brackman number is more glaring because, 1. His ERA is three runs higher than Warren’s, and 2. He had similar control issues in 2009.

“I don’t think it’s going to be an issue long term, because he’s showing he can throw strikes,” Newman said. “He’s just got to get back (to last year’s command). His mark right now is well above where we want it to be, but I don’t think it’s going to stay there.”

As for Sanchez, he was hitting .314 with three home runs in his previous 10 games before going on the disabled list a week ago. More importantly, he’s 18 years old.

“He’s swinging it good now,” Newman said. “He’s like a high school senior playing in that league. He’s doing well.”

• Speaking of letting the big picture come into focus… Slade Heathcott and J.R. Murphy were the Yankees first- and second-round picks in the 2009 draft, and both are off to eye-opening starts in Charleston. Newman called it little more than the natural progression of two talented kids who had very little little experience when they put up pedestrian numbers in Charleston last season. “That was a helluva challenge,” Newman said. “Now they’re getting a little experience, and we’re seeing what kind of players they are. There’s nothing particularly surprising about it.”

• As you might expect, Newman said both Heathcott and Murphy will “probably” jump to Tampa midseason.

• As previously reported, Newman said Sanchez has a “stiff lower back” that he’s trying to work through in extended spring training. Once he’s through that, Sanchez will return to Charleston.

• In the wake of the Buster Posey injury, Newman said the Yankees have not discussed moving any of their catchers from behind the plate just to avoid injury. “Not because of health concerns,” he said. “All of our catchers do work at first base. We have a lot of young catching prospects. Who knows who’s going to catch, who’s going to play first base and who’s going to DH?” Newman once again stressed that the Yankees believe Jesus Montero can catch.

• Other injury updates:

Greg Golson: About a week away from playing in games.
Mark Prior: “Not throwing (off a mound),” Newman said. “He’s really struggling with this kind of hip, abdominal thing. Hard to nail it down.”
Alan Horne: Throwing in extended spring and building arm strength.
Graham Stoneburner, Steve Garrison, Jeremy Bleich: “Still a ways to go,” Newman said.
David Adams: Having some leg problems that the Yankees believe to be related to the ankle injury that forced him to miss most of last season. He was back and playing, but then the leg started bothering him. Not sure how close he is to returning.

• Carlos Silva can opt out in mid-June and pitched well last night. “This is a contingency plan,” Newman said. “You never know what’s going to happen.”

• Veteran Brad Halsey, signed to a minor league deal earlier this month, is throwing in Tampa, basically going through his own spring training.

• Outfielder Damon Sublett has been throwing some bullpens in Double-A. He was a closer in college and hasn’t been getting a ton of playing time as a position player, so he asked the Yankees if he could start working out on the mound. “We’re just checking it out, getting his arm in shape,” Newman said.

• Newman said there’s no one in extended spring training who’s “setting any world records or anything,” but the name-to-know that jumped to his mind was starting pitcher Bryan Mitchell. “He’s got electric stuff,” Newman said. “He’s got the stuff to be the next Banuelos, Betances. The high-end guy. That’s Mitchell.”

Brackman photo from my friends at the Scranton Times-Tribune

Tonight
RHP A.J. Burnett (5-3, 4.02)
vs.
RHP Michael Pineda (6-2, 2.16)
10:10 p.m., YES Network

Saturday
RHP Ivan Nova (4-3, 4.29)
vs.
RHP Felix Hernandez (5-4, 3.01)
10:10 p.m., YES Network / MLB Network

Sunday
LHP CC Sabathia (5-3, 3.17)
vs.
LHP Jason Vargas (3-2, 3.86)
4:10 p.m., YES Network

I’ve been to Seattle before. In my first year on the beat, several writers talked about this city as one of the very best in baseball. A nice hotel near the stadium. A friendly area for walking around in the afternoon. Great places to eat dinner if we were lucky enough to catch a day game.

Seattle was high on the list, and I was excited to come out here last year.

Then I got here and hardly saw the place.

The Yankees came to Seattle once last year. You probably remember it. That was the trip when I woke up to an early morning phone call telling me the Yankees were on the verge of trading for Cliff Lee. It was being discussed. Then it was going to happen. Then it was a matter of dotting some i’s and crossing some t’s (or maybe crossing those f’s at the end of Cliff’s name).

Then it was over, not happening.

A day of frantic phone calls and text messages from my hotel room — a morning when I was literally afraid to take a shower because, what if the whole thing broke in those 10 minutes? — came down to nothing at all. Every Yankees writer walked into the press box that afternoon with same expressionless face, and the same sad joke of a question.

You do anything fun today?

This is worth mentioning one more time at the end of the day.

Yankees reliever Dave Robertson spent his off day back home in Alabama checking on the devastation left by the tornado that ripped through Tuscaloosa last month. Not sure who he was able to see or what exactly he was able to do, but I know he was hoping to talk to some people and find out how and where he could be of the most help.

I’ve written before that I grew up in an area that had a lot of tornados, and the difference between being hit and being spared is absolute luck. There’s no way today was fun for Robertson, but when I saw him at Yankee Stadium earlier this week, I told him to try to enjoy the experience. Seeing his hometown had to be horrific, but Robertson and his wife, Erin, are genuinely good people, and they’re doing a really good thing to help some people who need it. I hope they were able to feel good about that part of their day, and maybe smile a few times because of it.

“It’s way worse than I thought it was,” Robertson told the Tuscaloosa News. “You can hear about it and see it on TV, but it’s not the same as being here. It’s total devastation.”

If you’d like to donate, visit the website for The David and Erin Robertson Fund. I wrote my check this morning before I left for the airport.

By the way, whoever came up with the name “High Socks for Hope” should know that I’m pretty sure I put an extra 50 bucks into my donation because of that name alone.

• This is a few days old, but I think the premise still stands: David Schoenfield at ESPN.com made the case that Jorge Posada is among the 10-12 greatest catchers of all-time, but ultimately decided that he’s just short of being a Hall of Famer.

• Andrew Marchand took a look at six issues facing the Yankees.

• Donnie Collins reported tonight that the Yankees have released left-handed reliever Andy Sisco. He must have requested his release. He was pitching pretty well in Triple-A, but with Randy Flores onboard, Sisco’s role was pretty much non-existent. The team put him on the DL when Amauri Sanit was optioned down.

• Nice story from Donnie about Triple-A outfielder Dan Brewer. I’ve written a little bit about Brewer in the past. He’s just a guy who does a lot of things right.

• After Buster Posey’s injury, the Giants called up former Yankees catcher Chris Stewart. He never got much big league time with the Yankees, but Stewart’s a very good defensive catcher with enough big league experience to help San Francisco off the bench. Those Scranton Yankees teams I covered were very good, and it’s impossible to overstate just how important Stewart was. You won’t notice it in the stats, but I’m telling you, he was key in that clubhouse.

• Because I was flying for several hours today, I wrote most of today’s posts last night. When I finally got to Seattle, I saw that one of those posts was really similar to a post from the guys from River Ave. Blues. Just wanted to throw a link their way. Sorry guys, didn’t mean to make it look like I was ripping you off!

• Finally, a quick personal note: Last night, a former Scranton Times-Tribune co-worker of mine passed away, a sudden and shocking death really makes me wish I could be back in Pennsylvania tonight to share in all the stories that are surely being told around the newsroom. Mark Coons was a constant reminder that sports are fun, and that even the smallest details are exciting. He loved stats, and he loved history, and he loved being a part of that sports department. And we loved having him with us. God bless you, Mark. And thank you.

Associated Press photos

I didn’t see or hear about last night’s Buster Posey injury until I was several thousand feet above the fly-over states of middle America. After sleeping for a little while and reading for a little while, I turned on the little satellite TV screen in front of me to catch up on the news of the day. Then I flipped briefly to SportsCenter.

Posey is probably out for the year with a broken bone and possibly some ligament damage. It’s a bad situation, and an unfortunate situation, but we can’t pretend it’s a new situation. The Posey injury doesn’t necessarily change anything for Jesus Montero or the other elite catching prospects in the Yankees organization.

It’s not as if the Yankees turned on a television at the same time I did and suddenly realized that being a catcher is dangerous.

If injury concerns lead the Yankees to eventually move Montero or Austin Romine or Gary Sanchez to a different position, it would be perfectly justifiable, but it would not be a move to be taken lightly and with a sigh of relief. Part of what makes these catching prospects so valuable is their ability to play behind the plate, lending a premium bat to a position that often has minimal offensive impact.

Risk comes with the position, but so does reward. That was true before and after Posey was rocked at home plate last night.

• Speaking of catching prospects, Gary Sanchez is playing in extended spring training after opening the year in Low-A Charleston. Mark Newman told Josh Norris that Sanchez is down there because of a back injury. He seemed to be getting things turned around before landing on the Charleston disabled list. Sanchez was hitting .314/.455/.657 in his last 10 games before going on the DL.

• Speaking of behind the plate in Charleston, J.R. Murphy’s breakout season continues with the Low-A affiliate. He’s played some third base and designated hitter, but Murphy continues to get most of his time behind the plate and he just keeps hitting. He’s up to .318/.358/.497, a huge leap from last season.

• While we’re behind the plate: Jesus Montero is hitting .260/.337/.377 this month. I know a lot of the fan base is anxious to get this kid into the big league lineup — and I understand why — but player development is a very real thing, and Montero’s still just 21 years old. Consistency might be the next — and final — part of his development.

• Jorge Vazquez is still hitting home runs at a stunning rate, but the thing that catches my attention is that he has seven walks in his past 10 games (he had four in all of April). Either he’s becoming a little more selective, or teams are completely pitching around him. By the way, his home run total is up to 17. That’s insane, especially in a pitchers’ league.

• Vazquez’s teammate, Justin Maxwell, is second in the International League with 13 home runs.

• Speaking of Triple-A hitters, a few guys who struggled early have started to hit in the past month: Brandon Laird (.293/.341/.373 in May), Kevin Russo (.288/.367/.404 in May), Ramiro Pena (.310/.356/.310 in May).

• D.J. Mitchell, Adam Warren and David Phelps are still pitching well out of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre rotation — well enough that they’d have to be involved in any call-up conversation — but if the Yankees want a new long man, they might also need to look at George Kontos. Lost in the Rule 5 draft this winter — just like Lance Pendleton — Kontos has a 2.22 ERA and a .209 opponents batting average this season, and he’s been better this month than last month. If the Yankees are looking for a one-inning option, Kevin Whelan keeps getting it done in that Triple-A closer’s role.

• Veteran left-hander Randy Flores has yet to allow a hit in four appearances since joining the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre bullpen.

• Two Double-A starters you might have heard about: Dellin Betances has a 1.30 ERA with 39 strikeouts through seven starts, and Manny Banuelos has a 1.96 ERA with 34 strikeouts through eight starts. Both have had some walk issues from time to time, but my gut reaction is to blame their youth. On the whole, their numbers are awfully impressive.

• No overwhelming home runs numbers or anything like that, but the Yankees regular Class-A third basemen in are both playing pretty well. In High-A Tampa, Rob Lyerly is hitting .326/.368/.481, and in Low-A Charleston, Rob Segedin is hitting .288/.384/.445. Each has three homers, and between them they have 21 doubles and six triples.

• Talked to Alan Horne earlier today. He’s pitched in extended spring training twice in the past week and he’s pretty encouraged. His fastball’s been good, but he’s still looking to build some arm strength.

• Surprise numbers of the month: Utility man Kelvin Castro who’s hitting .462 with five triples and more walks than strikeouts in 12 games since joining the Tampa infield. Last season he hit .224 with five triples all year. He also struck out more than three times as often as he walked.

• A blast from the recent past: Zach McAllister is starting for Triple-A Columbus tonight, attempting to become the minor league’s first eight-game winner. Traded away in last year’s Austin Kearns deal, McAllister is thriving in his second attempt at Triple-A. He has a 2.48 ERA and seems to be getting better as the season progresses. He had a 5.09 ERA with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before last year’s trade.

Associated Press photo of Posey, headshots of Sanchez, Murphy, Kontos and Whelan

During this upcoming West Coast trip, the Yankees will face three of the lowest-scoring teams in the American League. The Mariners, Athletics and Angels each rank in the bottom five in runs, home runs and slugging percentage. That’s the good news.

The bad news is on the mound where the Yankees will face some of the game’s very best pitching during these next nine games. Assuming the rotations stay on line, two of the three opposing starters — in each series — legitimately will be among the very best pitchers in baseball. And there are no cupcakes during this stretch. On this road trip, even the worst scheduled starters will be pretty good.

Seattle
Weekend series, 5/27 – 5/29

Friday: RHP Michael Pineda (6-2, 2.16)
Saturday: RHP Felix Hernandez (5-4, 3.01)
Sunday: LHP Jason Vargas (3-2, 3.86)

Hernandez is what he is, and Pineda might be the best rookie starter in the American League. His past two starts: 14 innings, 5 hits, 0 earned runs, 1 walk and 16 strikeouts. Obviously Vargas is the lesser of three evils, but through his past four starts he’s 2-0 with a 1.91 ERA.

Oakland
Immediately after the Mariners series, 5/30 – 6/1

Monday: RHP Trevor Cahill (6-2, 2.02)
Tuesday: LHP Brett Anderson (2-4, 3.18)
Wednesday: LHP Gio Gonzalez (5-2, 2.20)

The A’s don’t have an off day until the end of their series against the Yankees, so I have to assume their rotation will stay on turn. That means the A’s will have their top three starters lined up for the series. Anderson was a little better in April than he’s been in May, but the other two have been outstanding all season. Gonzalez is allowing a .186 opponents batting average this month, and he’s actually been better against righties than lefties.

Los Angeles
The Yankees have an off day after Oakland, then an L.A weekend 6/3 – 6/5

Friday: Jered Weaver (6-4, 2.35)
Saturday: Dan Haren (4-3, 2.24)
Sunday: Ervin Santana (3-4, 3.95)

This is a little bit of guesswork because the Angels also have an off day before this series, but if they stay on rotation, they’ll have their top two starters opening this series. If they wanted to, they could push Joel Pineiro (2-0, 2.67) in the finale, but right now that’s Santana’s turn. Regardless of what the Angels do at the end of the series, the big test will be in those first two games against Weaver and Haren.

Associated Press photo of Hernandez, headshots of Pineda, Cahill and Weaver