The LoHud Yankees Blog

Trevor Hoffman released a statement congratulating Mariano Rivera on record-setting save No. 602.

“I want to congratulate Mariano Rivera on setting the all-time saves record. It’s a great accomplishment and he is still going strong! I have tremendous respect for Mariano not just for his on-field accomplishments, but also for his service to the community.”

 Yankees lineup
1. Derek Jeter SS
2. Curtis Granderson CF
3. Mark Teixeira 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez 3B
5. Robinson Cano 2B
6. Nick Swisher RF
7. Andruw Jones LF
8. Jesus Montero DH
9. Russell Martin C
A.J. Burnett RHP

Twins lineup
1. Ben Revere CF
2. Trevor Plouffe SS
3. Michael Cuddyer RF
4. Chris Parmelee 1B
5. Danny Valencia DH
6. Brian Dinkleman 2B
7. Luke Hughes 3B
8. Joe Benson LF
9. Rene Rivera C
Scott Diamond LHP

Time/TV: 1:09/YES
Weather: Mostly sunny, 64
Umpires: John Hirschbeck HP, Scott Barry 1B, Vic Carapazza 2B, Brian Knight 3B

Magic numbers: The Yankees’ magic number to clinch a playoff spot is five and their magic number to clinch the East is seven.
Rebounding: The Yankees were shut out yesterday in Toronto. Since the start of the 2008 season, their record in the following game after being shut out is 21-7. They have won the last four times.
Rainout reminder: This game is a makeup from back on April 6. The Yankees were 3-2 at the time. Now they’re 91-60.
Extra credit: Extra credit to anyone who is well versed on anyone in the Twins’ lineup besides Michael Cuddyer. Minnesota won’t get to participate this year in their tradition of losing to the Yankees in the first round. The Twins are last in the Central, at 59-92.

Update, 1:11: Burnett gives up a leadoff single to Ben Revere, who promptly steals second.

Update, 1:16: Burnett strands Revere at third.

Update, 1:22: Two-run homer for Granderson, No. 41. 2-0, just like that.

Update, 1:24: Teixeira singles, but A-Rod hits into a double play. Girardi said before the game he was encouraged how Rodriguez was swinging the bat. This is just the sixth major-league start and appearance for Diamond. He hasn’t faced the Yankees before.

Update, 1:34: Burnett gives up a single in the second, but strikes out the side. He’s being tough on these minor-league call-ups. Five of the starting nine for the Twins fall into that category.

Update, 1:42: Jesus Montero hits the ball very hard the other way. Single off the base of the fence in right-center, pushes Swisher, who singled, to third. And Martin singles to left for the 3-0 lead in the second. Five hits already for the Yankees.

Update, 1:55; Revere reaches on a one-out infield hit, swipes second to set a Minnesota rookie record with 32 steals and heads to third when Martin’s throw goes into center.

Update, 2:02: Burnett two more Ks to strand him. He’s struck out the side two straight innings, now 7 Ks.

Update, 2:03: Regis Philbin took over the PA booth for Paul Olden to intro A-Rod. Wonder if they’d let me or you do some intros, too. A-Rod walks. Cano triples him in, 4-0. They may not need Rivera for save 602 today the way this is going.

Update, 2:07: Swisher grounds an RBI single into left-center, 5-0.

Update, 2:19: Burnett has given up a solo homer to someone named Chris Parmelee (Double-A call-up), then singles to Valencia and Dinkelman to start the fourth.

Update, 2:29: Burnett hasn’t had one clean inning yet. Now bases loaded, two outs. Cory Wade warming.

Update, 2:32: Revere goes down swinging at a 92 mph fastball. So it remains 5-1.

Update, 2:42: Bases loaded, two outs for Swisher.

Update, 2:47: Swisher flies to center. Heading to the fifth.

Update, 2:52: Burnett is somehow getting beaten up by this lineup. Single, two-run homer, double to start the fifth. Three runs, nine hits. Girardi has seen enough, Wade coming on. Four-plus innings for Burnett.

Update, 3:02: 5-4 on a groundout by Luke Hughes. Run charged to Burnett.

Update, 3:14: Kyle Waldrop took over for Diamond and had a 1-2-3 fifth.

Update, 3:30: Logan gets out of the sixth. Now Jeter leads off with a bunt single, his third hit.

Update, 3:37: A-Rod RBI single, 6-4.

Update, 3:51: Soriano 1-2-3 seventh.

Update, 3:59: Would you believe the Red Sox lost again? 6-5 in the first of two vs. the Orioles. Yankees magic number is 4 to clinch a playoff berth and 6 to clinch the East at this moment.

Update, 4:10: The magic number for the playoff berth is still 5 at the moment, I’m told. Stand corrected, sorry. David Robertson throws a 1-2-3 eighth. So unless the Yankees break this open in their half, Rivera should be going for the record.

Update, 4:20: Swisher hits into a double play, fans cheer, here comes Rivera to try to set the record. 

Update, 4:30: Rivera sets the record, puts Twins down 1-2-3, Yankees win 6-4. 602 saves.

Greetings, Brian Heyman here at Yankee Stadium for Chad, today and tomorrow. First off, Francisco Cervelli had an Impact test today to compare with his most recent baseline test and judge brain function following his third concussion. He was waiting for a doctor to review the results. But the good news was that he said he has been symptom-free for three days. He got hurt Sept. 8 in Baltimore.

“I think the last two concussions was one or two days,” Cervelli said. “Right now, I went like a week dizzy and feeling weird.”

Cervelli is still hoping his season isn’t over for him, that he can return shortly.

“I pray every day for that,” Cervelli said. “But God knows what will be for me. That’s it.”

So is there anything he can do to protect himself for future collisions at home plate?

“I think I’m going to wear a hockey mask with spikes,” he said. “Something, man. It’s part of the game. I think I’ve got to wear the ‘Gazoo’ helmet again, and catching I don’t know. I’ve got to be ready. Maybe some metal on my face or something.”

*The erratic A.J. Burnett will be starting today against the Twins, trying to build on the last three innings of his last start. The starting pitching has been shaky lately on several fronts. Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia haven’t been as steady. Phil Hughes had today’s start pushed back because of back spasms after his bullpen session Friday. Even CC Sabathia hasn’t been himself.

The timing isn’t great with just 11 games to go before the postseason, although the Yankees are riding a 4 1/2 game lead over Boston. 

“I can only think of one worse time and that would be during the postseason,” Joe Girardi said. “We have time for guys to step up and get it right and get on a roll.”

Girardi has his rotation lined up for the four-game Tampa Bay series that starts here tomorrow night (Ivan Nova will pitch), but he hasn’t decided on what order Sabathia and Hughes will pitch in Wednesday’s day/night doubleheader. He also hasn’t announced his starters for the three-game Boston series that caps this final homestand. He was asked about it and said he just wanted to worry about today. Frankly, he wasn’t overjoyed with yet another rotation question.

“I don’t want to get testy,” Girardi said, “but we go through this every day.”

At some point, he will have to decide, if he hasn’t already, whether Sabathia will go on short rest Sunday to line him up on regular rest for next Friday’s Game 1, since we assume there’s going to be a Game 1.

1. Jeter SS
2. Granderson CF
3. Teixeira 1B
4. Rodriguez 3B
5. Cano 2B
6. Swisher RF
7. Jones LF
8. Montero DH
9. Martin C
Burnett P

Derek Jeter seemed to joking. He was standing at his locker, already dressed in his suit, ready to get on the bus that would take him to the team charter.

“Where are we going next?” he said. “Home?”

I didn’t play in a single baseball game during the Yankees week-and-a-half road trip, but even I’m exhausted. Maybe it was all the night games on the West Coast, or the fact that the Yankees seemed to have quite a bit going on. Whatever it was, this trip seemed unnaturally long. Players were talking about it. Writers were talking about it. Joe Girardi was talking about it.

“Glad to go home,” Girardi said. “I think everyone is probably anxious to go home and see our families and play in our home ballpark.”

The Yankees have a chance to clinch a playoff spot, clinch the division and see Mariano Rivera set the all-time saves record this week. They’re returning home for the final home stand of the season, and it’s a big one.

“I’m hoping that (Rivera) gets an opportunity to do it at home,” Jeter said. “But we have to put him in position to do it at home.”

That means winning, and that means playing better they played through most of this finally completed road trip.

“I think we’ve got to be energized getting home, without a question,” Alex Rodriguez said. “It feels like we’ve been gone for about a month. We love playing in front of our home fans, and we get a lot of energy from our stadium.”

—

Today’s pitching matchup against the Twins:

RHP A.J. Burnett (10-11, 5.11)
vs.
LHP Scott Diamond (1-4, 3.94)
1:05 p.m., YES Network

Associated Press photo

Alex Rodriguez remembers losing the grip on his bat only two or three times in his career. It doesn’t happen to him often, but today he took a swing and his bat went flying into the stands. He thinks it hit a railing. Whatever it hit, Rodriguez needed a new one.

Which could have been an issue, because Rodriguez’s bats are no longer interchangeable.

“The tape is a big part,” he said. “Even though I didn’t get any hits, I still felt really good in the box, felt like I swung the bat with some authority.”

Rodriguez started today’s game with three bats taped, so he was covered when the first cracked. He said he’s planning to have assistant trainer Steve Donohue tape a few more before Monday’s game. The difference, Rodriguez said, is significant. In fact, he doubts he could drive the ball without the tape protecting his sprained left thumb.

The change of grip hasn’t been much of an adjustment, and it’s become so comfortable that Rodriguez didn’t even think that’s what caused him to lose the grip on his bat in the first place.

“Overall,” he said. “I felt really good.”

Associated Press photo

Ten starts in a row, Freddy Garcia didn’t allow a single home run. When he finally coughed one up on August 29, it was the only run he allowed all game. Since then, Garcia has allowed multiple home runs in three straight starts, including two tonight to Adam Lind.

“I try to make good pitches, and sometimes I’m not able to do it,” Garcia said. “That’s why I’ve been giving home runs… Last three starts, I don’t be doing my job. I’m really frustrated about it, but that’s part of the game. Sometimes you pitch good. Sometimes you pitch bad. You just have to go continue to try to do the best that you can do, and hopefully everything goes well for you.”

This weekend did little to clarify the Yankees rotation situation. Bartolo Colon couldn’t pitch beyond the fourth inning on Saturday, and Garcia couldn’t get out of the fifth today. At times, one of those two has been the Yankees second-best starter, but they’ve struggled recently.

“Bart had a good start on this road trip and had one that wasn’t so good,” Joe Girardi said. “Freddy’s kept us in the games. We talked at the beginning of the season how we worried about innings for both these guys. There’s some concern there, but they’ve just got to find a way to get it done.”

Garcia said tonight’s home run was a good pitch, a splitter that Lind put a good swing on. The second was a slider that “didn’t do much.”

As good as Garcia has been this season, there is some risk with him. He’s never been an overwhelming or overpowering pitcher. His value is in his experience and savvy, and sometimes that leaves little margin for error.

“He’s just missing some spots, that’s all,” Girardi said. “That’s going to happen. Freddy’s not going to be a huge strikeout guy and they’re going to put the ball in play. If you miss some spots, that’s the chance you’re going to take.”

Here’s Garcia.

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• The Yankees won only four of 10 on this road trip, but they still managed to gain two games in the standings. After today’s game, the team just seemed relieved to be finally going home. “From now on every game is important,” Alex Rodriguez said. “Every game is meaningful. We’re looking forward to playing at home, playing well, start cleaning up some of the small mistakes that we’ve been making. We understand we’ve got to get better.”

• After Monday’s makeup game against the Twins, the Yankees play their final 10 games against the Red Sox and Rays. With seven games at home against those two teams, the Yankees home stand could either put the division away or make it a race to the finish. “It will be a great opportunity to do that there,” Mariano Rivera said. “We still have to perform good and take care of business at home, get this thing over.”

• The Yankees magic number to clinch a playoff spot is five, to clinch the division is seven.

• Obviously Brandon Morrow completely shutdown the Yankees offense today. “He had us baffled all day with his slide,” Rodriguez said. “He probably threw 70 to 75 percent sliders, which is a very high percentage for him. He’s usually the opposite, 70 to 77 percent fastball guy.”

• Of the Yankees five hits, three were by Eduardo Nunez, and Nunez was the only Yankee to advance beyond first base.

• Of course, Nunez also made the second Yankees base-running mistake of the weekend. “He’s just making an aggressive turn,” Girardi said. “In that situation, you’ve got to know the score. You’re not going to get to second unless it really bounces off himn, so you’ve got to be cautious there. He was just overaggressive.”

• Why not pinch hit for Ramiro Pena in the eighth? “Pena’s had some success off him,” Girardi said. “Grandy is 1 for his last 15 with 10 strikeouts. If we had a couple guys on, I might have pinch-hit Grandy and taken a chance.”

• Impressive Yankees debut by Raul Valdes, who retired four of the five batters he faced, including all three left-handers. The Yankees have been giving Aaron Laffey a lot of chances to emerge as a legitimate second lefty candidate, but that Valdes appearance might earn a few more looks. I still don’t think the Yankees will actually carry a second left-hander in the postseason, but I’m sure they’d like to have a backup option in mind.

• Random fact about tonight’s game: The phone from the dugout to the bullpen stopped working for a while. “The phones haven’t worked real good here the last couple days,” Girardi said. “Danny (Iassogna) handled it and we used the policeman’s walkie-talkie for a few minutes, then they got the phones working again.”

• Girardi’s assessment of going 4-6 on the road and still gaining two games in the standings: “I think we are fortunate,” he said. “We’ve got to go home and play better, there’s no doubt about it. At times, we didn’t swing the bats on this trip. Is it good pitching? Is it fatigue? I don’t know, but I know our guys are pretty worn down. Now they’ll get to sleep in their own beds and hopefully catch up a little bit.”

With an intentionally diminished lineup, the Yankees finished this road trip without making much noise. They were shutout in Toronto, and they’ll head home with a 3-0 loss to the Blue Jays. Without Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson or Mark Teixeira in the lineup, the Yankees were held to five hits while Toronto starter Brandon Morrow breezed through eight innings. Freddy Garcia allowed three runs through 4.2 innings, and although the bullpen pitched 3.1 scoreless, the Yankees never seriously threatened.

Associated Press photo

YANKEES (91-59)
Brett Gardner CF
Eduardo Nunez 2B
Robinson Cano DH
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Nick Swisher RF
Eric Chavez 1B
Russell Martin C
Chris Dickerson LF
Ramiro Pena SS

RHP Freddy Garcia (11-7, 3.71)
Garcia vs. Blue Jays

BLUE JAYS (75-76)
Mike McCoy SS
Eric Thames LF
Jose Bautista RF
Adam Lind DH
Edwin Encarnacion 1B
Kelly Johnson 2B
Brett Lawrie 3B
Colby Rasmus CF
Jose Molina C

RHP Brandon Morrow (9-11, 5.23)
Morrow vs. Yankees

TIME/TV: 1:07 p.m., YES Network

WEATHER: Might be the nicest day we’ve had here in Toronto.

UMPIRES: HP Dan Iassogna, 1B Dale Scott, 2B Jerry Meals, 3B CB Bucknor

MORE ON MO: Yesterday’s save was Mariano Rivera’s 60th appearance of the season. He’s reached that plateau for the 14 times in his career, passing Mike Stanton for most in baseball history.

MVP? Curtis Granderson ranks second in the Majors with a career-high 40 home runs. He is the third Yankees center field with as many homers in a single season. Mickey Mantle hit 40 four times, and Joe DiMaggio did it twice. Granderson also leads the Majors with 4.46 pitches per play appearance, and he joins Willie Mays (1955 with the Giants) as the only players in Major League history to collect at least 40 homers, 10 triples and 20 stolen bases in a season. Mays had 51 homers, 13 triples and 24 stolen bases that season. Granderson is the ninth Yankee to reach double digits in doubles, triples, homers and stolen bases in a season.

MAGIC NUMBER: To clinch a playoff spot, the magic number is five. To clinch the division, it’s eight.

UPDATE, 1:33 p.m.: Further proof that I’m an idiot… I had just clicked on this blog post just to write something about the slow beginning to the game — not much happening, that kind of thing — and all of a sudden, Adam Lind went deep for a 1-0 Blue Jays lead in the second. The guy has some power, no doubt.

UPDATE, 1:56 p.m.: Still 1-0 heading into the bottom of the third. Morrow has struck out four of the past six Yankees.

UPDATE, 2:12 p.m.: Adam Lind goes deep again. Have to give Gardner credit for getting up over the wall more than I expected, but he never had a chance to make the catch. That’s another solo shot for a 2-0 Blue Jays lead in the fourth.

UPDATE, 2:32 p.m.: Bad throw by Garcia moves the lead runner to third, and a sac fly brings him home. It’s now 3-0 Blue Jays in the fifth.

UPDATE, 2:34 p.m.: Garcia’s chased by a two-out single by Bautista. Here’s Aaron Laffey to face Lind, who was 2-for-2 with a pair of homers off Garcia today.

UPDATE, 2:46 p.m.: Laffey walked his guy, but Ayala got out of the bases loaded jam to keep the score at 3-0. Meanwhile, the Yankees have two hits through five innings

UPDATE, 3:07 p.m.: This diminished Yankees lineup is really struggling to get anything going. Even the regular guys are having a hard time. Cano, Rodriguez and Swisher just went down in order in the seventh, and it’s still a 3-0 Blue Jays lead.

UPDATE, 3:13 p.m.: Thames is out of the game after fouling a ball off his own face. Seemed like he was ready to stay in initially, but Cooper is going to pinch hit.

UPDATE, 3:16 p.m.: Holy cow, it’s Raul Valdes! A September call-up finally making his debut on September 18.

UPDATE, 3:21 p.m.: Valdes struck out Lind looking, now it looks like he’s staying in to face the right-hander Encarnacion. The bases are loaded with two outs, so this is a key at-bat.

UPDATE, 3:23 p.m.: Nice work by Valdes. The Yankees have been giving Laffey plenty of chances. Wonder if two consecutive outs were enough to win Valdes a few more looks in the final week and  a half.

UPDATE, 3:30 p.m.: Morrow has been dominant. He’s through eight innings, still a 3-0 lead.

Alex Rodriguez feels fine after yesterday’s return to the lineup, and Phil Hughes said he feels considerably better since Friday’s back spasms. Compared to a week ago, the Yankees seem relatively healthy today, and Joe Girardi said he wants to keep it that way.

Hence today’s lineup.

“The guys have been going so hard,” Girardi said. “I figured we’ve got an important 10 days coming up, try to get them a little bit of a blow. Grandy and Jeet have really struggled against Morrow in their career, and I just thought today was the day.”

Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira — the usual 1 through 3 hitters — are all out of the lineup. Robinson Cano, the usual No. 4, is starting at designated hitter. Girardi said none of those four have complained about injuries, and that’s not what today’s about.

“None whatsoever,” Girardi said. “Just trying to give them a little blow. I think they’re fatigued, as well as some of our other guys, and that’s why we’re going to DH Robbie.”

Girardi plans to have his regulars — most of them anyway — back in the lineup tomorrow.

“The other guys have had a little bit more rest than these three,” Girardi said. “I might not play Al tomorrow. We’ll see about Al, how he physically feels, but I would imagine I’d have most of the guys in there tomorrow.”

• Although Girardi is willing to discuss the idea of having Jorge Posada catch a possible record-breaking save by Mariano Rivera, he seems to be leaning against it. “It’s not something that we’ve done a lot,” Girardi said. “We’ve caught him one time, and the games are important right now. It’s something that we can talk about, but I’m probably going to stick with our catchers. That’s what I’m going to do.”

• A.J. Burnett is flying out of Toronto this afternoon so that he can get to New York the day before his day game start tomorrow.

• The Yankees rotation for the Tampa Bay series:

Tuesday: Ivan Nova
Wednesday: CC Sabathia and Phil Hughes
Thursday: Bartolo Colon

• Girardi said Hughes “continues to improve” and Hughes said he’s certain he would be available for Tuesday if necessary, but the Yankees are going to have him pitch one of those doubleheader games instead.

• Girardi’s not sure whether Hughes or Sabathia will start the first game on Wednesday.

• Girardi’s still not willing to discuss his playoff rotation. “A lot of it will probably, if we’re fortunate enough to get in, be determined by the matchup,” he said. “Until we get there or see how guys are doing, we’ve always said things have sometimes a way of working their way out. So, we’ll see.”

• Some of Nick Swisher’s throws from right field have been at less than 100 percent, but Girardi said that’s by design. “I told him, be smart about it,” Girardi said. “Don’t air it out if you don’t have to air it out. Sometimes outfielder just like to throw, and I just said, ‘If you don’t have to let it go, don’t let it go. Be smart.’”

• As you might have guessed, Rafael Soriano is not available today.

• The Yankees would love for Rivera to break the saves record at home, but if there’s a save situation this afternoon, Girardi said he will absolutely use his closer. “You got it,” Girardi said.

BLUE JAYS
Mike McCoy SS
Eric Thames LF
Jose Bautista RF
Adam Lind DH
Edwin Encarnacion 1B
Kelly Johnson 2B
Brett Lawrie 3B
Colby Rasmus CF
Jose Molina C

Associated Press photos