The LoHud Yankees Blog

First, a reminder that the documentary Derek Jeter 3K is about to begin on HBO. It premiers at 9 p.m. ET, and I’m sure it will keep showing regularly for a month or so. If you have HBO, I’m sure you’ve already set those DVRs.

Second, just wanted to mention that Dave Robertson’s event last night at Foley’s Pub and Restaurant was a massive success. By the time I finished writing and got into Manhattan, I was fairly certain I was late. I got there just a little before 9 p.m. — Dave was supposed to serve drinks from 7 to 9 — and there was no sign of Robertson behind the bar.

I walked to the back, and there he was at a table signing autographs for a line that still snaked all through the back of the bar. His wife, Erin, said they showed up early and found a long line already extending outside the front door, so Dave decided to start signing early, and then it was hard to stop. He raised roughly $14,000 for High Socks For Hope.

My own estimate has Robertson drawing significantly more fans than Brian Cashman did this winter. Maybe he can bring that up in arbitration this offseason.

A few links on this off day…

• The buzz about Ubaldo Jimenez has died a bit in the past few days, and the rumor-of-the-hour has become Hiroki Kuroda. If the price for Jimenez is too high, Kuroda might be the best alternative. But he might not come cheap either.

• Speaking of Jimenez, Buster Olney says the asking price is still as high as three top-end prospects. I don’t blame the Rockies for looking for that much, but I’m not sure it’s a price I’d be willing to pay.

• Graham Stoneburner is healthy and ready to return to the Trenton rotation tomorrow. Even in the prospect world, Stoneburner’s not quite a household name, but he’s one of the more intriguing pitchers in the system.

• Not sure there’s any reason to believe the Yankees are involved, but the Astros are reportedly moving closer to trading Hunter Pence. With Carlos Beltran off the market, Pence could be the biggest bat moved this year.

• In the days after his 31st birthday, The Hardball Times took a look at CC Sabathia’s place in history.

• MLB.com was with the Yankees today for the HOPE Week lemonade stand.

I’ve gotten a lot of emails from people asking about who the Yankees might turn to if they don’t sign Cliff Lee as their big offseason pitching acquisition and the short answer is “no one nearly as good.”

This free agent class isn’t particularly compelling overall and when you look at the starting pitchers available it’s particularly underwhelming. Good buddy Jeff Passan from Yahoo! Sports does an annual free agent tracker and if you peruse the top end of his listings you’ll see that the starting pitchers – save for Lee – are incredibly unappetizing.

I don’t necessarily agree with all of Jeff’s rankings but the gist this: After Lee, you’re talking about guys like Hiroki Kuroda, Jake Westbrook and – gulp – Carl Pavano.

The Yankees have been pretty tight-lipped about Lee and any contingency plans should the pursuit of him fall through, but lately you hear more rumblings that the Yankees would look internally to fill out their rotation should Lee opt to go elsewhere. In other words, a rotation like Sabathia, Hughes, Pettitte, Burnett and whoever wins the fifth spot in spring training (Ivan Nova?) would be a real possibility. If Pettitte chooses to retire, things get a little more dire.

Of course, there’s also the trade market (and no, I’m not including Zack Greinke in this discussion – there’s been zero indication he would want to come to the Yankees) but you’d have to think the Yankees wouldn’t be able to get any kind of impact name in a deal.

Short story long? If the Yankees want a big stud for their pitching staff, they better get Lee. Because the alternative – whoever it is – is pretty darn unappealing.

* That’s an AP photo of Carl Pavano’s mustache.

YANKEES (46-27)
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Francisco Cervelli C
Brett Gardner LF
A.J. Burnett RHP

RHP A.J. Burnett (6-6, 4.83)
Burnett vs. Dodgers

DODGERS (39-34)
Rafael Furcal SS
Matt Kemp CF
Andre Ethier RF
Manny Ramirez LF
James Loney 1B
Casey Blake 3B
Russell Martin C
Blake Dewitt 2B
Hiroki Kuroda RHP

RHP Hiroki Kuroda (6-5, 3.06)
Kuroda vs. Yankees

TIME/TV: 7:10 p.m. / FOX

UMPIRES: HP Jerry Crawford, 1B Chris Guccione, 2B Brian O’Nora, 3B Phil Cuzzi

WEATHER: What do you know? Another beautiful day in L.A.

GOT ANY ADVICE? The Yankees have a total of five career at-bats against Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda. All five were by Mark Teixeira, who has a single, a double, a walk, a strikeout and an RBI against him.

BIRTHDAY BOY: As you know, today is Derek Jeter’s 36th birthday. Since 1961, the only players to accumulate more hits than Jeter’s 2,834 before their 36th birthday are Hank Aaron (2,956) and Robin Yount (2,868). That’s according to Elias. Who else would know that? Jeter has hit pretty well on his birthday. He’s never homered, but he’s 13-for-40 with six runs, two doubles, three RBI and six walks in 10 games on June 26. He hasn’t played on his birthday since 2007, when he went 2-for-4 in Baltimore.

HUG IT OUT: The cast of Entourage is here, I guess to throw out the first pitch in anticipation of their season debut. Kevin Connolly – the guy who plays Eric — was shaking hands with a ton of the Yankees as they came off the field after BP.

UPDATE, 7:22 p.m.: Walk, walk, home run. That’s an easy way to take a 3-0 lead. Mark Teixeira went deep and the Yankees are in front before A.J. Burnett even goes to the mound.

UPDATE, 7:45 p.m.: If this is going to be the game when Burnett turns the corner, he’s going to have to do it a little later. That first inning was more of the same, two runs for the Dodgers to cut the lead to 3-2.

UPDATE, 8:10 p.m.: Not a good throw by the kid from Sikeston, Mo. Blake DeWitt threw the ball away trying to turn two, and the Yankees got a run out of it. That makes it 4-2 Yankees.

UPDATE, 8:28 p.m.: My guess is Burnett is facing his final batter. He’s already allowed two runs this inning, now the bases are loaded again, still with no outs. He’ll pitch to Russell Martin, but lefty Boone Logan is getting loose in the bullpen and lefty Blake DeWitt is on deck.

UPDATE, 8:30 p.m.: A double play seems to have bought Burnett more time. It left first base open for an intentional walk to DeWitt. He’ll now face the pitcher Kuroda with two outs and runners at the corners. Dodgers are up, 5-4.

UPDATE, 8:33 p.m.: Chad Moeller has cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

UPDATE, 8:56 p.m.: Girardi chose to keep Burnett in the game, letting him hit for himself with runners at the corners and one out in the top of the fourth. Burnett got down a sac bunt, that squandered the chance at a game-tying sac fly, and it did no good for the pitching staff as Burnett stayed in to face two batters without getting an out in the bottom half. Just a bad move all the way around. Boone Logan is in now.

UPDATE, 9:26 p.m.: Good at-bat by Nick Swisher, but it went for nothing when he grounded to first. Logan let two runners score in the bottom of the fourth and it’s now 7-4. This game might not be over in time for tomorrow night’s game to start on time.

UPDATE, 9:50 p.m.: Interesting. With a lefty on the mound, Girardi is pinch hitting Jorge Posada for Curtis Granderson. My guess is Curtis will stay in to play left field, Gardner will slide to center and the new pitcher — probably Park — will bat second in the lineup.

UPDATE, 9:51 p.m.: Posada flied out, stranding the runners at first and second. Gardner is moving to center, Curtis to left, Park pitching. And the crowd is booing as Park’s introduced.

UPDATE, 10:35 p.m.: The Dodgers are going to closer Jonathan Broxton for four outs, calling on him to face Jeter with runners at first and second and two outs in the eighth. The Yankees bullpen has not been able to keep this thing close and it’s now a 9-4 Dodgers lead.