The minors tonight.

AAA: SWB (Empire State) off. They are 24-20.

AA: 4-2 loss for Trenton. Mike O’Brien 4 R in 5 1/3. Cody Johnson (.291-11-28) solo HR. Kevin Mahoney 2 h, rbi

High A: 5-4 loss for Tampa. Kramer Sneed 4 R in 3 IP (0-4, 6.20) and Evan DeLuca 6 walks in 1 2/3. Ramon Flores, 3 h, triple. Rob Segedin 3 h, RBI. Solo HR Kyle Higashioka and Kyle Roller.

Low A: Not a good night for the minors as Charleston lost too. 6-3. Scottie Allen 6 R in 4 IP.

Game 44. Alex and Andy lead Yanks, 8-3.

Andy Pettitte proved that last week was no fluke, as he pitched seven strong innings against the Royals tonight in the Yankees’ 8-3 victory.

The win was #242 of Pettitte’s career, and enabled him to surpass fellow Yankee lefty great Herb Pennock on the all-time list. It’s Pettitte’s 205th win as a Yankee.

After Andy put down the Royals 1-2-3 in the first, the Yanks struck vs. Will Smith of the Royals. Smith, making his MLB debut, may turn out to be the Prince of KC, but he wasn’t the Prince of the Bronx—at least tonight.

Granderson homered (#14) to give the Yanks a 1-0 lead. This after he showed bunt. After a walk to Teixeira, A-Rod, who had hit only one HR since April 27th, finally hit #635 (sixth of the year) to give Pettitte an early 3-0 lead.

In the fourth, Jeter doubled for the first of his three hits for the night. Granderson singled him to third but Teix GIDP. The run scored, no RBI, Yanks up 4-0. A-Rod then homered again. #7 of the year, #636 for his career and the Yanks went up 5-0.

Pettitte gave up solo HRs in the fourth and fifth to cut the Yanks’ lead to 5-2.

The Yanks got three runs on only one hit in the fifth to push it to 8-2. Nix HBP, Jeter got a bunt hit (YAY! Littleball!) and an E-5 put men on 2nd and 3rd, no out. Granderson walked to load the bases and a walk to Teixeira forced in a run. A-Rod grounded into a force at the plate. He is still one behind Lou Gehrig’s record of 23 grand slams. Cano hit into a force, run scored. Swish HBP. Jones walked, forcing in a run.

Pettitte wound up going 7+, 2 R, 7 H, 1 walk and 8 K. He improves to 2-1, ERA to 2.53 (from 2.51).

Jeter’s 3 hits tonight tie him with Paul Waner on the all-time list at 3152. 16th on the all-time list. Next up? George Brett at 3154.

Phelps went the last two innings. 1 R, 2 H, 0 walks, 2 K. ERA to 2.87.

Hopefully this starts A-Rod on a streak where he can carry a team.

The Yanks are off Thursday as they head to the West coast. Yuk. Late night games.

One bad thing about tonight? The continued struggles of Martin, who left seven on and is down to .173.

Game 44. Teix back to 3rd in lineup today

The Yanks try to stay above .500 today. Teixeira is back up at 3rd in the lineup.

22-21, 4th in A.L. East, 5 1/2 back. Even with the Pythagorean mark, OPS+ 108, ERA+ 102.

Jeter SS .341-5-16  3/4  130  Hit count: 3149
Granderson CF .250-13-24  1/3  134  Still want him to RUN!
Teixeira 1B .229-5-20  1/2  78   Needs to get it going. 
Rodriguez 3B .276-5-15  5/5  109   See below
Cano 2B .304-5-17  1/1  127
Swisher RF .239-7-27  0/0  102  See below.
Jones DH .217-4-8  0/0  93    See below.
Martin C .179-4-10  1/1  79   See Below.
Nix LF .263-2-4  0/1  129  5 for 19. 

Pettitte LHP  1-1, 2.51. ERA+ 171.   3rd start of his comeback.

Jeter leads the AL in hits. 3 behind Waner and 5 behind Brett on the all-time list. But since May 4, hitting .231 (15 for 65), with last night’s RBI as his only RBI in that period (16 games). All hits are singles except for one double, and there have been 6 GIDP.

A-Rod has just 1 HR since 4/27. Of his 43 hits, only 10 are XBH. Where’s the power?

Swisher:  .177 since 4/28, 1 HR, 4 RBI.  11 for 62, 17 strikeouts in that span (compare lack of HR to A-Rod; same time period).

I have to wonder if Mustelier, at this point, would be a better option than Jones. Mustelier in 42 games AA/AAA? .337-8-29. 5/9 in SB.

I also have to wonder if a 40 year old Posada could hit better right now than Martin. (Not catch better, mind you…)

Pettitte is looking for career win #242, Yankee win #205.

Ex-Yankee Tillotson dies at 71.

Thad Tillotson, a pitcher for the Yankees in 1967 and 1968, died recently (May 16) at the age of 71.

Tillotson went 3-9, 4.03, ERA+ 77 for the Yanks in 1967. The righty wore #54, started five games and relieved in 38 others.

He relieved in seven games in 1968, going 1-0, 4.35, ERA+ 69.

His last game was on August 11, 1968, when he pitched three innings in the Yanks 11-2 loss to the Twins. He gave up one run, unearned.

That game was the first time I went to Yankee Stadium. My dad took me on a bus trip. I was all of six years old.

The minors today

AAA: 6-2 win for SWB (Empire St.) Ramon Ortiz 8 IP, 2 R, 6 H, 0 walks and 4 K. Steve Pearce 2 h, .329. Mustelier 1 for 3, rbi (SF), double.

AA: Trenton with a 3-2 win. 2 h, double, RBI Cody Johnson.

High A: Caleb Cotham was promoted up here to start and he went six, one run. Nice job. Tampa got one in the 8th, 9th and 10th to win 3-2. Neil Medchill 2 h, RBI.

Low A: 5-3 loss for Charleston. Reliever Joel De La Cruz blew it by giving up 3 in the 8th. Bryan Mitchell, 2 R, 1 ER in 5 IP. Gary Sanchez (.308) 2 hits.

Game 43. Still problems, but a 3-2 win.

The Yanks went to 22-21 tonight, but the offensive woes continued.

Phil Hughes was strong through six,  2 R, 5 H, 2 walks and 7 K. He goes to 4-5, 4.94. It’s still below average, but from where he once was at, it marks improvement.

On the down side, it also marks the ninth straight start in which he has given up a HR. The guys on My 9 noted that it is one behind “Black” Jack McDowell in 1995 with 10 straight starts.

After a 1-2-3 first, I got ticked off right away. In the bottom of the first, with one out, Granderson walks. He doesn’t even try to steal. Now, the Royals did pitchout with A-Rod up. Ok. But Grandy is still just 1 of 3 this year. You can’t just wait on Cano or A-Rod to do something. MAKE THINGS HAPPEN! I miss Gardner. I miss the times when Rickey Henderson would MAKE THINGS HAPPEN! Grandy doesn’t go. Nothing happens.

Down 1-0 in the third, I really got ticked off. Martin walks to lead off the inning and Wise is up. Wise strikes out. For most of the at bat, Wise, 2 for 20, does NOT try to bunt. Are you kidding me? You are having trouble scoring runs, and a 2 for 20 AAAA player isn’t bunting? He makes out. Jeter GIDP. Aaaaaargh.

Hughes gives up a HR in the fourth. 2-0 KC. In the bottom of the inning, Cano hits #5. 2-1. A-Rod singles and steals second. 5 for 5 in steals. Do you know A-Rod is second on the team in that? Behind Nunez’ 6 for 7? Why isn’t Jeter or Grandy going?

So he is on second, one out. Ibanez and Swish can’t get him in.

To the fifth, and the biggest play of the game may be on something the Yankees have NOT been doing—-bunting.

Teix singles. Martin HBP. Two on, none out. Wise bunts, as he (2 for 21) should. It actually goes for a HIT!

Bases loaded, none out.

Jeter singles, hit #3149, to tie the game. Bases still loaded, and the Yanks still don’t take advantage.

Granderson grounds out, which leads to the game-winning run. But no one knew it at the time, and the Yanks don’t pad their lead.

Cano is walked intentionally. Bases loaded & one out. Do the Yanks tack on? Are you kidding me? A-Rod & Ibanez both strike out.

It could have been fatal.

Girardi worked the pen. Wade 2/3, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 0 K. 2.18.

Logan 1/3, 0 R, 1 h, 0 walk, 1 K. 3.12.

Eppley 1/3, 0 R, 0 h, 0 walk, 0 K. 3.24.

Rapada 2/3, 0 r, 0 h, 0 walks, 0 K. 3.95.

Soriano 1 IP and gave us a scare. For with one out he gave up a double. He got a groundout. Runner to third. A grounder to A-Rod. The throw. Teix made a GREAT play in stretching for the throw and keeping his toe on the bag. Just got him. Yanks win 3-2.

Soriano 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and K. Save #3, ERA 2.35.

Swisher is slumping so badly, he is down to .239.

…and to think. Wise’s bunt may be the play of the game…

Game 43. Over or under .500 after tonight?

The Yanks are 21-21. They basically are right where their play says they should be. They’ve scored 189, given up 188. You don’t get much more .500 than that.

As far as what their payroll and talent level says they should be, they are extremely disappointing in that regard.

By losing six of their last seven, they have fallen into a last place tie with Boston in the A. L. East.

The Yanks are 6 for their last 72 with RISP. Pathetic. .083.

As has been noted on Twitter, the top four payrolls in baseball (Yanks, Red Sox, Phillies and Angels) are all in last place. Karma?

Phil Hughes on the mound tonight.

Yanks OPS+ 109, ERA+ 101

Although 3rd in BA, SA, OPS, OPS+, HR, walks, and 4th in doubles and TB, they are fifth in R. 10th in SB. 11th in ERA.

1. Jeter SS .343-5-15  3/4  131  3148 hits, slumping lately (a correction, if you will. Never was going to hit .400!)
2. Granderson CF .255-13-23  1/3  136   Run, Curtis, run.  
3. Cano 2B .303-4-16  1/1  121
4. Rodriguez 3B .276-5-15  4/4  110  1 HR since 4/27
5. Ibanez DH .263-9-27  2/2  132
6. Swisher RF .245-7-27  0/0  106   slumping. Under .250
7. Teixeira 1B .227-5-20  1/2  77   BA, OPS+ say it all
8. Martin C .181-4-10  1/1  77  Still on the interstate
9. Wise LF .100-0-0  1/1  (-21). 2 for 20. Yup, MINUS 21.

Hughes RHP (3-5, 5.23) ERA+ 81

Numbers for 7-8-9 awful, but then 6 for 72 with RISP is awful by everyone.