He’s rested and mashing. A-Rod went deep and the Yankees beat the Mariners. That’s seven straight.

Eric Hinske is happy to be back in the A.L. East. This notebook also has updates on Ramiro Pena, Jose Molina, A-Rod, Ken Griffey Jr. and Xavier Nady.

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Lots of celebrity deaths lately. The great actor Karl Malden passed away yesterday at 97.

Talk about a career. He played opposite Marlon Brando in On The Waterfront and A Streetcar Named Desire. Then in the ’70s, he was in the terrific television crime drama The Streets of San Francisco with a young Michael Douglas. If you grew up back then, there were a ton of good cop shows and Streets was one of the best.

Malden also played Gen. Omar Bradley in Patton, one of my favorite flicks. He also did an episode of the West Wing late in his life.

Alex has pulled a Hulk Hogan in the last seven games. He was down and out, sprawled on the canvas with the referee about to count to three.

Then, suddenly, he was up and now the American League is about to get thrown around the ring before A-Rod drops the leg on them.

Joe Girardi said tonight that some hitters turn around quickly. But usually not this quickly. Alex was 1 for 27 after his first two at-bats against the Braves on June 24. He was down to .204 on the season and appeared dead in the water.

He is 10 for 21 since with four home runs and 13 RBI along with 10 walks. The Yankees have won seven straight and all is right in his world. He was even cracking jokes to the writers tonight.

Here is his postgame press conference:

Two things are at play here, I think. Obviously those two days off in Miami helped. Plus A-Rod also has cut down on the extensive pre-game work he used to do. He estimated that he takes 75 percent fewer swings than he used to before games. It’s obvious just watching him in the field that he has more energy.

Plus he reached rock bottom. There was really nowhere to go but up and that probably freed his mind a little. Alex is a notorious over-thinker, but at some point you can’t really analyze going 1 for 27. You can just go out and do something about it.

Credit to him, he got up and did do something about it. Now the question is whether the Yankees will have the courage to sit him down sometime soon and whether the fans will know enough not to complain about it.

I crack myself up.

But this was for a good cause. Alex, Cody Ransom and Brian Cashman were chefs for a day at the El Nuevo Caridad Restaurant in Washington Heights this afternoon and gave some neighborhood kids a free lunch.

Maybe it’s me, but the Yankees seem to be doing a lot more community service-type projects than in previous seasons. Whoever is behind that idea deserves congratulations.

Nice photo by Cash.

YANKEES (44-32)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Cabrera CF
Ransom 3B

Pitching: LHP Andy Pettitte (7-3, 4.38).

MARINERS (39-37)
Suzuki RF
Branyan 1B
Lopez 2B
Griffey DH
Gutiuerrez CF
Balentien LF
Woodward 3B
Johnson CF
Cedeno SS

Pitching: LHP Jarrod Washburn (4-5, 3.22).

TIME/TV: 7:05, YES.

STATE OF THE ‘STRIPES: The Yankees have won six straight and trail Boston by 2.5 games in the American League East. They are 12 games over .500, their high-water mark of the season.

BACK IN TUNE: Alex Rodriguez is 8 of 19 with three homers and 11 RBI during the winning streak. He also has drawn 10 walks.

SLEEPLESS IN THE BRONX: The Mariners have lost nine straight games in the Boogie Down.

CLUTCHY CABRERA: Melky Cabrera has 31 RBI, 12 that have either tied the game or given the Yankees the lead in the seventh inning or beyond.

DAMON DYNAMITE: Johnny Damon is 9 of his last 21 with six RBI and four extra-base hits.

TEIXEIRA’S TUMBLE: Mark Teixeira is 13 of his last 59 with no homers and six RBI. He has done 60 at-bats without a homer.

COKE IS IT: Phil Coke’s last 14 appearances: 12.1 innings, 5 hits, 1 earned run, 3 walks, 14 strikeouts.

BUT HE’S STILL THE SECOND-BEST PHIL IN THE PEN: Phil Hughes in relief: 8 games, 13 innings, 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 3 walks, 16 strikeouts.

MO THE MAGNIFICENT: Mariano Rivera’s last 8 outings: 8.1 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned runs, 1 walk, 12 strikeouts.

HE’S A GENIUS: The Yankees have scored 45 runs over 49 runs since Joe Girardi got ejected in Atlanta last Wednesday. They had scored 18 runs in the 67 innings prior to that.

IT’S ALL ABOUT PITCHING: The Yankees have a 2.56 ERA in their last 14 games and opponents are hitting .207.

ON THE iPOD RIGHT NOW: The ‘59 Sound by The Gaslight Anthem.

Back with much, much more later.

UPDATE, 3:42 p.m.: Ramiro Pena optioned to AAA.

UPDATE, 4:40 p.m.: Pena will get some time in CF in Scranton. The Yankees want to increase his versatility.

UPDATE, 5:15 p.m.: Here is Eric Hinske’s first interview as a Yankee:

UPDATE, 6:09 p.m.: For some reason it’s not raining and the game may start on time. I didn’t realize that was allowed. Back later on for first pitch.

UPDATE, 7:19 p.m. We are underway under a nice blue sky. It was 72 degrees at first pitch.

UPDATE, 7:25 p.m.: Jose Molina on his way to Pawtucket, the Paris of Rhode Island. He’ll play for Scranton tomorrow and Friday.

UPDATE, 7:34 p.m.: Nice work by Andy there getting out of trouble.

UPDATE, 7:57 p.m.: Hey, Johnny Damon hit a home run to right field in Yankee Stadium. You don’t see that very often. … 15 homers this season, 11 at home. He’s at 198 for his career.

UPDATE, 8:06 p.m.: If Tex fields that cleanly, it’s a double play. Instead it’s 1-1. But Pettitte is pitching well.

UPDATE, 8:18 p.m.: Pettitte strong d through 5 innings: 4 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 3 Ks.

UPDATE, 8:23 p.m.: The umpires will review the tape. But that was a HR based on the replay I saw.

UPDATE, 8:24 p.m.: Yep, gone. 2-1 Yankees.

UPDATE, 8:35 p.m.: Andy will be happy about that, another Yankee Stadium cheapie. 2-2.

Griffey knows what he is doing. He spent most of BP drilling balls that way.

UPDATE, 8:45 p.m.: Rest? He don’t need to stinkin rest.

A-Rod at it again with his second homer in as many nights. That’s 13 RBI in the last seven games.

UPDATE, 9:03 p.m.: Girardi spent the last two days saying Bruney was his 8th inning guy. So here we are in the 8th inning and it’s … Alfredo Aceves? Curious.

Maybe Mo is not available. We shall see.

Not Bruney or Hughes.

UPDATE, 9:12 p.m.: Hughes warming up. Mo must not be available. Wow, save situation for the Franchise. Who would have guessed this in March?

UPDATE, 9:19 p.m.: Why did Hughes even warm up? Mo is in. Very strange.

Here are two photos I just took of the old Stadium. The grand old place now has a black shroud around it as workers prepare to further dismantle it.

Those in that business would know better than I, but I imagine this is to cut down on the dust and debris on the site.

Robinson Cano has not not driven in a run since time began.

Or June 17, it only seems like since time began. When Mariano Rivera has more RBI than you do in the last nine games, something is amiss.

Cano is hitting .300 after getting a couple of hits last night. But he’s now at .213 with runners in scoring position, .190 with runners in scoring position and two outs. With a runner on third and less than two outs, he’s hitting .188.

These things happen. But these things do not need to happen to the No. 5 hitter. We applaud Joe Girardi for his lineup discipline this season after last year’s lineup roulette. But it could be time to get somebody else behind A-Rod.

If you’re going to the game today:

Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and Alfredo Aceves will greet fans entering through Gate 4 at roughly 4 p.m.

————

Enough, please, with the steroids “list” that some fantasy baseball site irresponsibly posted earlier this week.

It’s a list of random names. It’s a crock, it’s nonsense, it’s a total fabrication. Even The Daily News, which has made doping its raison d’être, has ignored it. That the mainstream media has passed on this should tell you a little something, no?

Deadspin has some details if you’re interested.

Jorge Posada was wearing a white t-shirt under his uniform for batting practice yesterday from Calhoun Community College in Decatur, Ala. It’s where he went to school, which is probably something not a lot of Yankees fan know.

Jorge is from Puerto Rico and comes from a baseball background. His uncle, Leo Posada, was an outfielder with the Kansas City A’s in the early 1960s. His father, Jorge, also is a baseball man.

When Posada was 17, they wanted him to go to the United States to play ball. A scholarship at a four-year school was in the works but Jorge did not get the SAT score he needed. Several junior colleges in Florida called, but Jorge Sr. did not want his son subjected to the south Florida nightlife.

“Then Calhoun called, it was perfect timing,” Posada said. “It was decided that is where I would go. I had no idea where Alabama was.”

Without having previously seen the campus or having met coach Fred Frickie, Posada showed up in Decatur in 1990, a shortstop and third baseman in complete culture shock. He quickly became the team’s best player and was the team captain in 1991. The Yankees selected him in the 24th round of the 1990 as a draft-and-follow guy and signed him after the 1991 juco season.

Had Posada not signed, he was going to attend the University of Alabama.

“The rest is history,” Posada said.

Posada is already in one Hall of Fame, by the way. He’s a member of the Alabama Community College Athletic Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 2006. Calhoun also retired his No. 6.

Both Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman were quick to say yesterday that Eric Hinske can play first base, third base, right field and left field.

They are correct in the sense that he has played those positions in the past. But as far as third base goes, he should not.

Hinske has played 68 innings at third base since the start of the 2007 season, making two starts for the Pirates this season and four for the Rays last season. Based on the metrics, it is by far his weakest position. Most of his time at third base came early in his career.

Said one exec to Joel Sherman for his blog:: “If the Yanks think he can play third base one time a week for A-Rod, they are crazy. He stinks there.”

That’s pretty blunt. Probably pretty accurate, too.

Hinske is a passable corner outfielder. Having him fill in at one of those spots on occasion and take some pokes at that right-field wall is not a terrible idea. It might even be a good idea once in a while.

All that said, it’s nearly a mortal lock that Hinske starts at third on Tuesday in Minnesota when A-Rod gets a day off, assuming they actually give him a day off.

Mariano Rivera threw out the first pitch and the fired the last as the Yankees beat the Mariners. That’s six in a row.

Eric Hinske brings the Yankees some versatility. This notebook also has an update on A-Rod, Brian Bruney and Tony Romo. Yes, Tony Romo.

Phil Hughes has taken to the bullpen.

Bernie Williams played last night, too. That would be the guitar at a performance close to his home. Good story here by our interns, Tony Olivero and Peter Ferraro.