The LoHud Yankees Blog

We’re going to see if the Brian Gordon era lasts just one day or more.

Brian Cashman spoke about the machinations involved in bringing the 32-year-old converted outfielder and 15-year minor-leaguer here to start today. The Phillies sent out a major-league-wide memo last week about Gordon’s availability because he had an opt-out at Triple-A coming on Wednesday and they had no room for him on the major-league staff. The Yankees’ scouts had not seen him this year. So Cashman got film on him and had Gene Michael, Joe Girardi and Larry Rothschild look at it.

“Everybody was like, ‘This guy looks like he can help us,’ ” Cashman said. “I’m not afraid to take a chance.”

The Yankees sent Lance Pendleton down to Triple-A to make room on the 25-man roster and released Amauri Sanit to make room on the 40-man roster.

Cashman compared Gordon to Darrell Rasner, Dustin Moseley and Aaron Small, not overpowering but able to command his pitches.

Girardi said this should be Gordon’s mind-set: “I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I have a tremendous opportunity to make some starts for the New York Yankees.”

Cashman said he’s mixing and matching right now with the staff, and that he’s put the word out that he’s looking for incremental upgrades and significant upgrades. He said he hadn’t yet looked into the just-released Scott Kazmir, but indicated that he would, although he said he knows Kazmir has struggled and isn’t throwing like he used to throw.   

The GM said he doesn’t want to rush prospects before their time.

Cashman was brutally honest as usual when it came to the backup catcher situation. Russell Martin is back in the lineup after missing seven of the last eight games. Francisco Cervelli, who has struggled offensively and defensively, had subbed for him. Cashman wants top catching prospect Jesus Montero to play. That’s why he isn’t being brought up to back up Martin and get occasional DH at-bats.

“Is Montero better than Cervelli? Yes he is,” Cashman said.

Martin’s back seems to be better.

“The difference now is I am good,” Martin said. “Before I was just saying I felt good. Why? Because I wanted to play.”

Jorge Posada is in the lineup as the DH against the lefty C.J. Wilson because he’s going to be a pinch hitter for perhaps all of the next road trip, six games in NL parks where there will be no DH. Girardi wanted to keep him in the swing of things.

Rangers catcher Yorvit Torrealba has created a stir the last two nights, accusing the Yankees of trying to tip pitch location to the hitters from second base, according to Andruw Jones. Torrealba said something to Mark Teixeira on Tuesday and then yelled at Jones at one point Wednesday during a mound visit.

“He was yelling at one of our guys and I don’t appreciate that,” Girardi said.

Jones said Torrealba was just trying to make excuses for the staff getting pounded.

“Guys get paranoid,” Teixeira said.

Cashman expects Eric Chavez to return the second or third week of July and Rafael Soriano to come back right after the All-Star break. 

Girardi said new reliever Cory Wade could be in the fifth-, sixth- and seven-inning mix.

Girardi said he’s looking forward to the coming trip to Chicago to visit his ailing dad.

“He’s not doing too well,” Girardi said.

Sorry this is late, but they just posted it a few minutes ago.

1. Nick Swisher RF
2. Curtis Granderson CF
3. Mark Teixeira 1B
4. Robinson Cano 2B
5. Andruw Jones LF
6. Jorge Posada DH
7. Russell Martin C
8. Eduardo Nunez SS
9. Ramiro Pena 3B
Brian Gordon RHP

The entire infield went deep for the Yankees in this 12-4 win, Mark Teixeira twice and Robinson Cano, Eduardo Nunez and Ramiro Pena, of all people, one time apiece.

“Me and Robbie, you almost expect that sometimes for us,” Teixiera said. “But when Nunez and Pena go deep like that, we’re just so excited.

“For Nunez, it was his birthday, so (we said) happy birthdays all around. Then once Pena hit his, we said, ‘It’s your birthday, too.’ ”

“I don’t know if I’ve been a part of a game where every infielder hits a home run,” Joe Girardi said.

Teixeira tied the major-league record held by Eddie Murray and Chili Davis by homering from both sides of the plate for the 11th time.

“Eddie Murray is the reason I’m a switch-hitter, growing up in Baltimore,” Teixeira said. “My dad and I loved watching him play. He used to always say, ‘We’re going to the game tonight. Is Eddie going to hit one from the right side or the left side?’ Just pretty neat to be a part of that group.”

Nunez went 2 for 4 for the second straight game in place of Derek Jeter, including a solo homer and two steals in one inning. This was also the day Nunez turned 24.

“I’m so happy,” Nunez said. “It’s my birthday and I hit a home run.”

The Yankees have hit 22 home runs off Texas pitching this season, an average of 2.75 per game. They have hit 103 homers overall, their third-most ever through 66 games. 

Outside of Monday’s 1-0 loss to Cleveland, the Yankees have been doing just fine with the bats lately, especially with two straight 12-4 wins over Texas. They have scored 48 runs in their last five wins in this six-game stretch since getting swept by Boston. This game also marked the first time in the live-ball era — since 1920 — that the Yankees had five homers and five steals.

“Hitting is contagious,” Teixeira said. “We had one hiccup in the last game against Cleveland, but it started in that series. We’re just really seeing the ball well and putting good swings, going deep counts when we need to and taking our walks when we need to, but really just being aggressive at the plate.”

Ivan Nova was relying on just two pitches, his fastball and his curve, early on and gave up four runs in the first three innings. But that’s all he allowed in 5 2/3.

“It wasn’t too good and wasn’t too bad,” Nova said. “I got the win. I’ll take that one.”

Girardi chose righty Brian Gordon – fresh from opting out at Philadelphia’s Triple-A Lehigh Valley outpost, where he was in his 15th minor-league season – to start today in the series final over Hector Noesi, who warmed in the fifth but didn’t get in.

“He’s had an outstanding season in Triple-A for the Phillies,” Girardi said. “It’s his day to start. He’s actually on his regular turn. I’ve seen a little film on him, not a ton, but a little bit. Seems to throw a lot of strikes, has good command. He has a curveball, slider and changeup. He’s a veteran guy. I think he’s almost 33 years old. We had Noesi up tonight. He’s more built up than Hector because of the way we’ve had to use Hector.”

Yankees lineup
1. Nick Swisher RF
2. Curtis Granderson CF
3. Mark Teixeira 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez DH
5. Robinson Cano 2B
6. Andruw Jones LF
7. Eduardo Nunez SS
8. Francisco Cervelli C
9. Ramiro Pena 3B
Ivan Nova RHP

Rangers lineup
1. Ian Kinsler 2B
2. Elvis Andrus SS
3. Josh Hamilton LF
4. Michael Young DH
5. Adrian Beltre 3B
6. Nelson Cruz RF
7. Mitch Moreland 1B
8. Yorvit Torrealba C
9. Endy Chavez CF
Derek Holland LHP

TV/Time: YES/7:09

Weather: Fair, 80 degrees

Umpires: Mike Winters HP, Mike Everitt 1B, Chris Guccione 2B, Cory Blaser 3B

Roster move: The Yankees just announced a move within the last hour, signing 28-year-old righty Cory Wade to a major-league contract and sending righty Kevin Whelan back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Wade had been in Triple-A in the Rays’ system before he was given his release earlier this month and signed with the Yankees. He was 2-1 with a 1.21 ERA in 21 relief outings at Durham and went 1 2/3 scoreless in his one Scranton/Wilkes-Barre outing. He will wear No. 53. Rafael Soriano was transferred to the 60-day DL to make room on the 40-man roster.

Update, 7:11: Cervelli can’t throw to second base these days, another throw into center. But Ian Kinsler held, getting the steal even on a pitchout.

Update, 7:14: Bad beginning for Nova, single, steal, walk, RBI single for Josh Hamilton after Nova fell behind 2-0. Michael Young just brought in the second run when the Yankees couldn’t turn two.

Update, 7:24: It’s tied with one swing. No. 20 for Teixeira, belting a 2-1 fastball to the left-field seats after Holland had hit Granderson.

Update, 7:30: Double steal with A-Rod on the front end, second and third, one out.

Update, 7:32: The bases were loaded with one out, but Nunez grounded into a double play.

Update, 7:39: 1-2-3 second for Nova.

Update, 7:46: Single for Ramiro Pena, double for Nick Swisher, and it’s second and third, one out.

Update, 7:48: RBI groundout for Granderson, 3-2 Yankees.

Update, 7:53: Solo homer for Kinsler, 3-3 in the third.

Update, 7:55: There’s been on carryover from Nova’s strong start against Cleveland. Hamilton just hit a ground-rule double, sailing it over Granderson before it bounced over the center-field fence.

Update, 7:57: Infield hit for Young, first and third, one out.

Update, 7:59: Now it’s 4-3 Texas. Curtis Granderson just managed to catch a sinking liner by Adrian Beltre, so it was a sac fly.

Update, 8:08: 1-2-3 third for Holland.

Update, 8:17: This Cervelli throwing problem has to be a concern. There was another bad one down to second on a wild pitch. He’s just messed up mechanically right now.

Update, 8:25: Nova escapes a first-and-third, two-out jam. But his command is obviously off, unlike his last two times out.

Update, 8:28: Joe Girardi has talked about Eduardo Nunez’s offensive upside. There went the tying homer to the left-field seats from him here in the fourth.

Update, 8:40: Nunez is going to have to make the plays defensively, though. He let Hamilton’s sinking liner skip by him for an error leading off here in the fifth, his seventh. Five have been on throws.  Nova followed up with a walk to Young.

Update, 8:42: Hector Noesi is warming. If he comes in, that almost assuredly will mean Brian Gordon gets the start tomorrow. Nova is at 76 pitches.

Update, 8:46: Nova gets out of it with a double-play ball.

Update, 8:55: Andruw Jones drives in A-Rod with a single for the 5-4 lead in the fifth, Rodriguez’s 1,799th run scored, which ties him for 16th with Ted Williams.

Update, 9:03: Cervelli contributes, lines an RBI single to right-center for the two-run lead. But Nunez is out trying to go to third.

Update, 9:09: Nova is done, gets a nice hand, I guess for keeping the Yankees in the game, because he had only one clean inning. There are two outs in the sixth. Luis Ayala is coming in.

Update, 9:13: Boone Logan is warming. Ayala just walked Kinsler on four pitches.

Update, 9:16: Great one-hop strike by Granderson to Cervelli to cut down the runner at the plate on the Elvis Andrus single to center. Mark Lowe is coming on to replace Holland for the sixth.

Update, 9:23: Home run for Ramiro Pena, 7-4. He had gone 166 at-bats without one dating to 2009.

Update, 9:29: Another homer for Teixeira, a two-run shot deep to right. It’s his 31st career multi-homer game, his second of the season. It’s his 11th time homering from both sides of the plate, tying the record held by Chili Davis and Eddie Murray. It’s 9-4. The bats are back, second straight big night.

Update, 9:42: Darren Oliver will pitch the seventh for Texas, still 9-4.

Update, 9:53: Two steals for Nunez here in the inning, another dimension he provides. But he was just thrown out at the plate on a grounder to third.

Update, 9:58: End of seven, 9-4. Cory Wade will now make his Yankees debut.

Update, 10:08: Nice first impression in a scoreless eighth. Wade was 4-4 with a 3.18 ERA in 82 relief outings with the Dodgers in 2008 and 2009. He was set back by shoulder surgery in March 2010. The Rays’ organization released him on Sunday and he signed as a minor-league free agent with the Yankees on Monday.

Update, 10:16: Three-run homer by Cano to the second deck in right, 12-4 for the second straight night.

Update, 10:21: Jeff Marquez will try to close it out. You would think his roster spot could be in danger with Brian Gordon coming tomorrow, but we’ll see.

Update, 10:27: Yankees win, 12-4, again.

Brett Gardner had three hits and a walk in the leadoff spot last night with righty Alexi Ogando going for the Rangers. Joe Girardi has decisions to make at the top of the order now with Derek Jeter down. And he had Gardner on the bench and Nick Swisher in the leadoff spot tonight with lefty Derek Holland going for Texas.

Swisher has a .438 on-base percentage against lefties.

“It seemed like a pretty good fit,” Girardi said. 

Asked if he found it odd that he was out of the lineup after the night he had, Gardner said, “I don’t know. I don’t know. You tell me.”

Gardner did say he had a good track record for against lefties dating back to his Double-A and Triple-A days. Girardi said he wasn’t necessarily married to the idea of sitting Gardner against all lefties. Asked about sitting him at the start of this game, Girardi said, “It was tough. But I don’t think it necessarily hurts to give him a day as much as he uses his legs.”   

*Girardi said Phil Hughes would go 65-70 pitches in his next rehab start Sunday. It will be his first in an actually minor-league game after two other outings, the last one a minor-league intrasquad game Tuesday. Girardi wants Hughes to get five or six starts in all before returning in July (barring any setbacks, of course).

*Rafael Soriano played catch on Tuesday, but it was determined that his elbow wasn’t ready yet for him to continue his throwing program this week. He will have more therapy and then try to throw again next week. “He’s close, but he’s not quite there,” Girardi said.

*Girardi said that Brian Gordon will be added to the pitching staff tomorrow, but he wasn’t ready to name the 32-year-old righty – who opted out with the Phillies after being with their Triple-A Lehigh Valley team – as the starter in the series finale. He said it will be Gordon or Hector Noesi. He wants to get through tonight’s game first. He also said that he doesn’t just consister Noesi a long man, that he’s willing to use him in the middle innings as well.

*While the Yankees will be headed for Chicago after tomorrow’s game, Derek Jeter will be headed to Tampa to continue his rehab.

1. Swisher RF
2. Granderson CF
3. Teixeira 1B
4. Rodriguez DH
5. Cano 2B
6. Jones LF
7. Nunez SS
8. Cervelli C
9. Pena 3B
Nova P

Catcher
Russell Martin, 1,712,156
Alex Avila, 1,093,070
Joe Mauer, 1,041,798

First base
Adrian Gonazalez, 2,027,537
Mark Teixeira, 1,774,024
Miguel Cabrera, 1,295,547

Second base
Robinson Cano, 2,649,737
Dustin Pedroia, 1,518,231
Ian Kinsler, 1,129,023

Third base
Alex Rodriguez, 2,063,520
Adrian Beltre, 1,752,729
Kevin Youkilis, 1,381,381

Shortstop
Derek Jeter, 1,931,670
Asdrubal Cabrera, 1,647,802
Elvis Andrus, 1,180,962

Outfield
Jose Bautista, 3,042,091
Curtis Granderson, 2,406,946
Josh Hamilton, 1,799,339
Jacoby Ellsbury, 1,447,715
Ichiro Suzuki, 1,231,035
Carl Crawford, 1,222,687
Nelson Cruz, 1,123,608
Nick Swisher, 937,365
Brett Gardner, 796,905
J.D. Drew, 778,871

Designated hitter
David Ortiz, 1,974,918
Michael Young, 1,428,833
Jorge Posada, 810,672

The Yankees need a starter to replace Bartolo Colon, beginning with Thursday’s series finale against the Rangers. Joe Girardi had talked about getting through the three games before that one and seeing whether Hector Noesi was needed in relief. Before Tuesday night’s game, he mentioned Noesi and David Phelps at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as the candidates.

But a new name emerged as a strong candidate during the game. Jack Curry reported on YES.com that the Yankees had signed Brian Gordon, and that Gordon been told to get himself mentally ready to start Thursday, although it wasn’t written in stone.

Girardi indicated he hadn’t been told that Gordon was officially Yankees property. ”But we’ll see,” Girardi said.

Gordon is a 32-year-old righty and a longtime minor-leaguer who had an opt-out clause today with the Phillies. He was at their Triple-A affiliate, Lehigh Valley. And he had outrageously good numbers, 5-0 with a 1.14 ERA in 12 games, nine of them starts. He had 56 strikeouts and just seven walks.     

Noesi, a 24-year-old righty, was 1-1 with a 3.92 ERA in four starts for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and is 1-0 with a 1.76 ERA in four long-relief appearances.

Phelps, another 24-year-old righty, is a Notre Dame product who’s 4-4 with a 2.95 ERA in 12 starts at Triple-A. He was the organization’s minor league pitcher of the year last season.

“He’s pitched well down in Triple-A,” Girardi said. “He’s a guy who has a number of different pitches that he can go to. He’s a control guy. He’s been a ground-ball guy down there. He’s been pretty good at getting ground balls. He holds runners.”

There should be an announcement on the starter at some point today or tonight.

The Yankees’ disabled list has swelled to 11 with Derek Jeter’s arrival.

“How many?” Brett Gardner said when told of the body count. “Wow, that’s a lot.”

Now it’s about overcoming. The Yankees have the capability, although it was hard to tell by their work in the last Boston series. But they looked just fine in beating up on the Rangers 12-4 in this series opener.

As Nick Swisher said about the loss of Jeter, “The show goes on.”

“It’s not really something you can think about or worry about,” Gardner said all the injuries. “Guys go down over the course of the year. Some guys are irreplaceable. But we’ve got guys here who are capable of getting the job done and stepping in and filling different roles.”

Gardner filled his, getting three hits, a walk and his 100th career steal taking over for Jeter in the leadoff spot. And Eduardo Nunez filled his role. Shortstop now belongs to him. He went 2 for 4 with an RBI and no errors.

“I can show everybody I can play,” Nunez said of the opportunity.

As for Jeter going on the DL, Girardi said, “They thought it would probably be in the range of 10 (days) to a little bit more. So at that point, we felt it was best to DL him. Because the risk is he’s out seven or eight days, you play him, he strains it again, and now you’re looking at he’s out another four weeks.”

CC Sabathia looks forward to getting at least some of these injuries behind soon.

“It’s just one of those years, man,” Sabathia said. “It’s just up-and-down thing. I’m glad we’re getting it out of the way early. Hopefully we can get healthy and try to make a run at this thing. That’s part of baseball, part of the game, and part of having a long season. ”

*The Yankees are 17-9 since May 17 and have won four of the last five. They are 1 1/2 back of Boston.

*Jorge Posada extended his season-high hitting streak to eight games. And he made a couple of nice plays in the first inning fielding grounders and flipping to Sabathia at first.

“It just shows you he can still bounce around,” Swisher said.

*The Yankees scored nine of their runs with two outs.

*This was the fifth time they had scored at least 12 runs in a game started by Sabathia. 

*Curtis Granderson hit his fourth homer in the last six games and sixth in seven games against the Rangers. His total of 21 are three short of last year’s total.

*Wednesday night’s matchup features Ivan Nova vs. Derek Holland.

Yankees lineup
1. Brett Gardner LF
2. Curtis Granderson CF
3. Mark Teixeira DH
4. Alex Rodriguez 3B
5. Robinson Cano 2B
6. Jorge Posada 1B
7. Nick Swisher RF
8. Eduardo Nunez SS
9. Francisco Cervelli C
CC Sabathia LHP

Rangers lineup
1. Ian Kinsler 2B
2. Elvis Andrus SS
3. Josh Hamilton LF
4. Michael Young DH
5. Adrian Beltre 3B
6. Nelson Cruz RF
7. Mitch Moreland 1B
8. Yorvit Torrealba C
9. Craig Gentry CF
Alexi Ogando RHP

TV/Time: MY9/7:46
Weather: Cloudy, 62 degrees
Umpires: Cory Blaser HP, Mike Winters 1B, Mike Everitt 2B, Chris Guccione 3B

3,000 watch: Frozen at 2,994 for at least 15 days while Derek Jeter heals.
Bouncing back: The Yankees are 18-7 in the next game after being shutout dating to the start of 2008.
Grand time vs. Texas: Curtis Granderson is batting .450 (9 for 20) with five homers in six games against the Rangers this season.

Update, 7:48: CC was late breaking and still got over to first to take a flip from Posada for the first out of the game. Sabathia was on time for another flip and the second out.

Update, 7:52: Hamilton goes down swinging, 1-2-3 first.

Update, 7:59: 1-2-3 first for Ogando.

Update, 8:05: 1-2-3 second for Sabathia.

Update, 8:13: First hit of the game, A-Rod’s single through the middle here in the second.

Update, 8:17: Season-high eight-game hitting streak for Posada now, double past the first-base bag. It’s second and third, one out.

Update, 8:22: Bases loaded, one out for The Captain’s replacement, Nunez.

Update, 8:24: Nunez comes through, line single to left, 1-0. Girardi was talking before the game how he had hit the ball better than his .214 average indicated.

Update, 8:27: Cervelli goes down swinging for the second out. He seems to have really regressed offensively and defensively.

Update, 8:28: Two-out half-swing single past third by Gardner, 2-0.

Update, 8:32: Ogando got the ball up and Granderson lined it in to right for a two-run single. He continues to love Texas pitching, now 10 for 21 this season.

Update, 8:34: Lefty Michael Kirkman is warming.

Update, 8:35: Ogando got the fastball up to Teixeira and now it’s 6-0, two-run double to right. Ogando is done. Kirkman is the new pitcher, 1 2/3 for Ogando, who was 7-0 with a 2.10 ERA.

Update, 8:41: A-Rod just missed a homer, flying to wall in the right-center. So it’s 6-o heading for the third.

Update, 8:48: Three perfect innings for Sabathia.

Update, 8:57: Solo homer for Swisher, his sixth of the season.

Update, 9:04: Broken-bat single to center by Ian Kinsler to start the fourth and Elvis Andrus follows with a single.

Update, 9:07: There’s goes the shutout, two-run single to center for Michael Young, 7-2.

Update, 9:08: YES just had an item about Brian Gordon, a 32-year-old righty at Triple-A Lehigh Valley in the Phillies’ system, opting out and possibly being a candidate to start for the Yankees Thursday. He’s 5-0 with a 1.14 ERA in 12 games, including nine starts. Girardi mentioned Hector Noesi and David Phelps as the candidates before the game.

Update, 9:23: Two-run double to the left-center gap for A-Rod, 9-2, in the fourth.

Update, 9:32: RBI double for Craig Gentry, and it’s 9-3, second and third, no outs in the fifth.

Update, 9:35: RBI groundout for Andrus, 9-4.

Update, 9:44: Yoshinori Tateyama will be the new pitcher after Swisher’s one-out double in the fifth.

Update, 9:51: 9-4, going to the sixth.

Update, 10:02: One-hit sixth for Sabathia.

Update, 10:09: Gardner is having a good game in the leadoff spot in place of Jeter. Infield single, 100th career stolen base, and Granderson cashes him in with his 21st homer. So it’s 11-4.  Girardi said he isn’t sure what he’s going to do in the leadoff spot against lefty starters. He mentioned Granderson as a possibility.

Update, 10:17: Cano solo shot to right, and it’s 12-4.

Update, 10:27: Luis Ayala is warming with one out and one on in the Texas seventh.

Update, 10:29: Sabathia gets out of it. I believe he’s at 108 pitches.

Update, 10:38: Ayala takes over in the eighth. Andruw Jones is in left, Gardner moves to center for Granderson and Ramiro Pena takes over for Cano at second.

Update, 10:51: 12-4 headed for the ninth. Gardner has three hits and a walk. Lance Pendleton will try to finish it off.

Update, 11:04: Yankees win, 12-4.