Game 43. Cano (2), Hafner HRs lead Yanks, 7-2.

Robbie Cano was slumping, hitting just .204-2-8 since May 5th. He broke out of it today with two two-run HRs and four RBI as the Yanks beat Toronto 7-2.

Travis Hafner had missed a couple of games due to a shoulder issue, but he got a two-run HR as well.

David Phelps (W, 2-2, 3.83) pitched seven innings, 1 R, 6 H, 3 walks and 8 K.

David Robertson the 8th, 1 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 walks and a K. ERA to 3.12.

Boone Logan the 9th. 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 2 K. 2.13.

The Yanks got three in the third on an RBI single by Gardner and Robbie’s first two-run dinger. Toronto got one back in the fourth.

Robbie’s second two-run HR in the fifth made it 5-1. Toronto got a HR by Encarnacion in the 8th to cut it to 5-2 but Hafner’s two-run HR in the bottom of the 8th closed the scoring.

Phelps has done well filling in for Nova. I hope Hughes was watching and noticing.

Game 43. The Lineup and a deal.

I’ll have the report later. I’ll miss today’s game because I have to work 1-5 today.

Yanks 26-16, 1st place by one game in the A.L. East. OPS+ 96 (100 is average), ERA+ 117. They are three games better than their pythagorean record.

Pronk comes back today at DH. Granderson goes to RF. Ichiro sits. Ichiro, at 39, unfortunately is looking more like a 4th OF, PR, Defensive replacement, backup OF right now. Besides a Wells/Gardner/Granderson OF looks better and makes the lineup stronger.

BA/HR/RBI  SB/attempts  OPS+   Comments  Team leader.

Gardner 8 .261-3-15  9/12  98
Cano 4 .291-10-27  2/2  129   Last 12 games .204-2-8
Wells 7 .287-10-23  4/5  129
Hafner DH .260-6-18  1/1  140
Overbay 3 .259-6-24  0/0  107
Granderson 9  4 for 11 since coming off the DL
Nix 6 .231-1-9  2/2  65
Adams 5  4th MLB game. 4 for 11 so far.
Romine 2  18th MLB game, 6 for 38 so far in his MLB career.

Phelps 1-2, 4.33    ERA+ 96

Meanwhile, a deal. The Rockies have traded utility infielder Reid Brignac to the Yankees, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Brignac is a lefty hitter who can play 2B, 3B and SS (mostly SS). He is 27 and in 719 MLB at bats has hit .228 with 11 HR and an OPS+ of 63. His 162 g. average is .228-6-41. My guess is that Alberto Gonzalez goes for Brignac and that they work him in around Nix and Adams at SS and 3B. Brignac was hitting .250-1-6 for Colorado this year in 29 games and he played for the Rays from 2008-2012.

Games 37 & 38. Yanks split a DH behind great pitching.

If I told you that Yankees’ pitchers would give up just one run in a DH, you might think it’d be CC and Kuroda, or Pettitte or Hughes… with Mo and D-Rob in relief.

but would you have thought of Phelps, Nuno and Warren? Probably not.

It’s too bad that the great pitching effort led to just a split of a (rare) traditional DH today rather than a sweep.

Nowadays, you see more of the day/night DHs, two separate admissions, two gates, more $$$$. But with two postponements in April, and both the Yankees and Indians needing to put these two games behind them and get on to their next destinations, it was an old-time 2 for the price of 1 DH.

In game one, David Phelps made just one mistake, and it cost him the game as the Yanks lost 1-0. He gave up a HR to Jason Kipnis in the first inning. Unfortunately, the Yanks only got four hits and three of those were infield singles.

Phelps (L, 1-2, 4.33) 6 2/3, 1 r, 4 H, 5 walks and 7 K.

Logan 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 1 K. 2.61.

Claiborne 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 1 K. ERA still 0.00.

Corban Joseph made his MLB debut in this game.

Game 2: Vidal Nuno made his 1st MLB start (2nd MLB game) & got his 1st MLB win with five scoreless innings. He’s now pitched eight innings this year for the big club, ERA still 0.00. The Yanks won 7-0.

Nuno 1-0, 0.00   5 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 3 walks and 3K.

Adam Warren finished up the last four innings for his first save. D-Rob and Mo had pitched in four of the previous five games, so for Nuno and Warren to team up on a shutout was huge for saving the bullpen (so was Phelps in a losing effort in game one).

Warren 4 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 walks and 4 K. 1st MLB save, ERA 1.45.

In the first, Nix singled, and went to third on a Cano single and an error. Wells forceout made it 1-0 Yanks.

The Yanks got six in the seventh to break open a close game. Corban Joseph doubled for his first MLB hit. After Alberto Gonzalez popped up a bunt attempt, Austin Romine got his first MLB hit of the season to make it 2-0. Gardner walked and Nix singled to make it 3-0. After Cano struck out, Wells singled to make it 4-0. Overbay then doubled in two, 6-0. Ben Francisco reached on an error, Overbay scoring, for the final of 7-0.

The Yanks now are 24-14 on the season and come home to face Seattle.

The Yanks, between games, brought up Brett Marshall and sent down OF Brennan Boesch. It appears as if the Grandy Man is close to coming back.

Game 32. Yanks win 3-2.

The Yanks won a game in which the starting pitcher hit 8th and Vernon Wells had to play the bottom of the 9th at third base.

Such is life with a depleted lineup.

Wells hit a 2-run HR in the first (7), but David Phelps gave up a 2-run HR to Todd Helton (future HOF?) in the second. So it remained until the 9th.

Phelps went 6, 2 R, 3 H, 1 walk and 4 K. ERA to 5.02. Yes, he batted 8th (he never had a MLB AB) and C Austin Romine batted 9th tonight (Romine is now 3 for 25 in his MLB career).

Preston Claiborne had another good outing in his 2nd MLB game with another scoreless inning. (0.00 in 3 IP).

Robertson the 8th, scoreless.  (W. 2-0, 3.55).

In the 9th, Wells singled, stole 2nd and Overbay and Nix walked. With two out and the bases loaded, Boesch got an infield hit for the game-winner.

Because of the various moves made, PH, etc., Wells had to play 3B in the bottom of the 9th and he made a nice play for an out. He never played 3B in the majors before.

Mo got save #12 on the season, #620 of his career to close it out. ERA to 2.03.

Ivan Nova pitched in extended spring training today, could go Monday in the DH vs. Cleveland, but Girardi said Nova was shaky today.

Gm 27. Save #11 (season) 619 (career) for Mo as Yanks win 5-4.

He’s going out in style. Mariano Rivera led the majors with ten saves entering today’s action.

Make that eleven saves now and 619 for his career. 27 games into the season, eleven saves for the 43-year-old legend who is retiring after this season. You wonder, why retire? (Family, fatigue, other issues…) but really, if this is the way he is leaving, he is going out on top.

The Yanks got off to a 4-0 lead early. Ichiro led off the bottom of the first with a triple and scored when Nix singled. Ichiro had two hits tonight. Not that long ago, he was at .200 and now he is at .279.

In the second, Hafner, Francisco and Nunez all walked. Bases loaded, no one out and all they got was one run on a Stewart SF.

In the third, Cano HR’d (8) and so did Ben Francisco, who entered the game 3 for 29. It was not only Francisco’s first HR of the season, but also his first RBI.

But David Phelps, who pitched great for the first three innings, couldn’t hold the lead in the fourth and gave up four runs as the Astros tied the game at four.

Phelps, filling in for Ivan Nova while he’s on the DL, went 5 2/3, 4 R, 8 H, 1 walk & 5K. ERA to 5.56.

Boone Logan (W, 2-1, 2.35) went 1 1/3, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 1 K.

The Yanks got the winning run in the bottom of the sixth. Nunez doubled, went to third on a WP and Overbay walked. After Stewart struck out, Ichiro hit into a DP, but Overbay stopped in the basepath. It was a 4-3-6 DP (they went for Ichiro at first after Overbay stopped in the basepath, then threw to second where they had to tag Overbay). Meanwhile, it’s a timing play and the speedy Nunez crossed the plate before the tag was made on Overbay. Hence the run (in this case the winning run) counts. Good base running by Overbay.

D-Rob the 8th. 1-2-3 with 2 K. ERA to 3.86.

Enter Sandman. Single, DP and K. Mo’s 11th save of the year already and #619 adds to the all-time record that he holds. ERA to 1.59.

The Yanks improve to 17-10. They are off tomorrow and host Oakland this weekend.

Update: The Yankees acquired 2B/3B Chris Nelson from the Rockies for cash considerations or a player to be named later. He has played 139 games at 3B in his career and 54 at 2B (and 3 at SS). Last year for Colorado he hit .301-9-53, OPS+ 104. This year he was at .242-0-4, OPS+ 55 in this early going. For his career, .279-13-73 in 616 AB, OPS+ 87. 162 g. ave .279-10-56. He’s 27 and a righty bat. Not great, but he provides some depth and insurance while Youk is out and has a better bat than Nix.

Gm 22. Costly victory for Yanks, 6-4.

The Yanks won 6-4 tonight, but it was a costly victory.

On the very first batter of the game, Francisco Cervelli took a foul off his hand. X-rays revealed a broken hand and he’ll be out six weeks. Figure on (with rehab) 8 weeks, meaning the end of June. Austin Romine was called up from SWB to replace Cervelli.

Cervelli has to be heartbroken. He was off to a good start, seemed to finally be the #1 catcher, and had 3 HR already. I expected 3 HR all year from him, not 3 in the first 21 games of the season.

Not only that, Ivan Nova had to leave after just 2+ innings due to an elbow injury. He’ll have an MRI tomorrow. The Yanks can 1) move Phelps (more on him in a bit) into the rotation and bring up someone or 2) leave Phelps where he is in long relief and bring up Wang or Vidal Nuno. Me, I’d leave Phelps where he is and bring up Nuno, who was great in S.T., won the best rookie in camp award and who has started out 2-0, 1.54 in 4 starts this year at AAA (23 1/3 IP, 26 K, just 2 walks. Besides, having three lefties in the rotation [CC, Andy and Nuno] doesn’t seem too bad).

Juan Encarnacion hit two HR off the Yanks tonight, one in the 2nd off Nova. The Yanks tied it in the bottom of the inning on a bases loaded forceout by Nunez, who is down to .164.

Nova gave up a HBP and a single to start the third, then was pulled because of his injury. Phelps (W, 1-1, 5.29) replaced Nova and gave up a single for a run, but he was great tonight.

Nova 2+ IP, 2 R, 4 H, 0 walks and 2 K, ERA to (ugh) 6.48. You don’t want anyone to get hurt, but, and I hate to say this, maybe this can be a blessing in disguise. I mean, 6.48 is 6.48.

Phelps went 4, 1 R, 2 H, 2 walks and NINE strikeouts. His only blemishes were the single that let in Nova’s run (inherited) and giving up Encarnacion’s 2nd HR of the game to cut the Yanks lead to 4-3.

Meanwhile, after the single that Phelps gave up made it 2-1, the Yanks tied it in the bottom of the third on a Vernon Wells SF.

The Yanks went up 4-2 in the fifth on an RBI triple by Lyle Overbay, then Overbay scored on a WP. Toronto is killing itself defensively so far this season. Consider this. The Yanks won 6-4 tonight. One Yankees run scored on a WP. Another on a PB.

Encarnacion’s 2nd HR of the game made it 4-3 in the sixth, but Toronto gave the Yanks a gift run in the 7th. Cano doubled, was moved to third by Wells and scored on that PB I mentioned. Give Wells credit for going the other way to advance Cano to third. 5-3 Yanks.

Joe went formula for the last 3 innings. Joba D-Rob and Mo.

Joba pitched a scoreless 7th.  1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 0 K.  4.32.

Juan Batista homered off  D-Rob (1 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 walks, 0 K, 3.12)  in the 8th to cut it to 5-4, but Brett Gardner HR’d (3) in the bottom of the 8th to put the Yanks up 6-4.

Can you believe Brett the Jet has 3 HR? (or that Cervelli has 3?)

Save #8 on the season and #616 of his career wasn’t easy. Toronto loaded the bases on Mo before he got a K for the final out.  1 IP, 0 R, 3 H, 0 walks and 2 K. 2.00.

Gm 17. Yanks lose 8-4, drop to 10-7.

Phil Hughes and Ivan Nova should look over their shoulders. Chien Ming Wang had a good outing yesterday for SWB, and Vidal Nuno did today (see the minors report, to come).

Hughes is 0-2, 6.43 after three starts, and Nova is 1-1, 6.14. It’s still too early to make a move (after all, it’s just April 21) but not too early to suggest that they have to step it up or they could be replaced come mid-May.

Nova struggled today, going 5+, 4 R, 7 H, 4 walks, 5 K in getting a ND. Since his good rookie year of 2011 (16-4, 3.70), he’s gone 13-9, 5.11. Very Burnett-like. A.J. like also in that he has stuff, but the results have you scratching your head. You think it’s not the arm (like A.J.) but what’s between the ears.

Still, Nova had a 4-2 lead going into the bottom of the sixth. I thought he threw enough pitches and would not have brought him out for the sixth. A walk and a double later, my fears were justified, that Nova should have been pulled. He threw 101 pitches in those 5+ innings.

But the bullpen didn’t help. Boone Logan faced one batter. RBI single.

0 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 0 walks or K, ERA to 3.38.

Phelps came in and didn’t have it. He had a bad outing against Arizona on the 18th and another one today. 3 IP, 3 R, 3 H, 2 walks and 3 K. I was surprised Girardi left him out there for more than one inning (it was obvious he didn’t have it) but I guess Girardi wanted to save his bullpen.

So Phelps will be unavailable for a while. Meanwhile, Adam Warren has pitched in just two games this year, and none since April 9th.

But Nova has to step it up. 13-9, 5.11 in his last 31 starts isn’t cutting it. If, say, Nuno (now 2-0, 1.54) or Wang (1 start, 5 1/3 scoreless) is doing well in four weeks and Nova continues to struggle, … then there are replacements.

That goes for the bullpen, too. Mark Montgomery (0-1, 1.12) at AAA entered today with 15 K in 8 IP at SWB. (He didn’t pitch today).

Chris Stewart had a solo HR for the Yanks in the 3rd. Bases loaded walks to Overbay and Nunez brought in two runs in the 5th and Gardner had a SF in the 6th.

Hopefully Nova does better next time. If not, …

Gm. 14. Hughes good, Phelps not as Yanks lose 6-2 in 12.

The Yanks lost in 12 to Arizona tonight, 6-2 to snap their three game winning streak.

After two poor outings, Phil Hughes had a good one, giving up 2 R (2 solo HR, natch) in 7 IP. Hughes is a fly ball pitcher in Yankee Stadium, which is a problem. He’ll give up the HR. But two solo ones tonight…. if only the bats were working. We can only hope that Hughes gives this kind of outing every time out from here on in.

Robbie Cano got a HR in the 6th (5) to cut it to 2-1, but the Yanks missed their chance to win the game in the bottom of the 8th. Down 2-1, they had the bases loaded with one out. Cano and Youk both struck out.

The Yanks lineup against lefty pitching, to me, seems weak. They didn’t get any help today from the news that Derek Jeter has a small crack (fracture) in that ankle of his and won’t be back until after the All-Star break… meaning after he turns 39. I really wonder… can he ever play SS again (look at the age and injury again), or when he does come back (and I think it is safe to wonder if ever) will he strictly be a DH?

Anyway, they blew a golden opportunity in the 8th, only to see Cervelli tie it in the bottom of the 9th with his 2nd HR. But Cervelli got called for catcher’s interference not once, but TWICE in this ballgame.

Boone Logan (2/3) and Joba (1 1/3) kept Arizona at two, and David Robertson (1) pitched a scoreless inning. David Phelps got out of big trouble in the 11th, but blew it in the 12th, giving up 4 R, 3 ER. Ex-Yank Eric Chavez sealed the deal with a 3-run double.

Game 10. HRs plague Hughes as Yanks lose 5-3.

Maybe he needed more spring training. After all, Phil Hughes was plagued by back issues and never did receive the rehab start or two that he may have needed at the end of S.T.

Maybe it was the two rainouts that threw him off his rhythm, or the unexpected start today (one day notice) because of Andy Pettitte’s back spasms. Hughes was too “strong.”

Whatever, it was not a good showing as Hughes went just 3+ innings, gave up 9 hits, three of them HRs (his bugaboo—he gave up 35 of them last year), and 5 runs. He walked two and struck out no one as the Yanks lost 5-3. With the loss, Hughes drops to 0-2, 10.29.

Dave Phelps was great in relief, pitching 4 scoreless and keeping the Yanks in the game. He struck out six in those 4 IP, gave up just one hit, and if Hughes and/or Nova continue to struggle, Phelps could replace them in the rotation. Joba and Robertson each pitched a scoreless inning.

Hughes gave up a run in the first, and another in the second. The Yanks tied it in the second on a HR by Hafner (3) and a single by Overbay. But Hughes gave up two runs in the third and another in the fourth.

Vernon Wells closed out the scoring with a HR (3) in the sixth.

With Nunez unavailable due to a bruised wrist, the Yanks had a strange defensive alignment for the 9th inning after Boesch PH for Nix in the bottom of the 8th. Cervelli moved from C to 2B, Cano slid over from 2B to SS and Stewart went in to catch.

With the loss, the Yanks drop to 5-5. Sunday’s game is the ESPN night game.

Gm 5. Yanks drop to 1-4 with 8-4 loss.

Phil Hughes was OK for 4 innings but ran out of gas in the fifth, and the Yanks’ bullpen once again didn’t shut down the opposition as the Yanks lost to Detroit today 8-4 to fall to 1-4 for the season.

Hughes went 4, and gave up 4 R, 3 ER. Boone Logan gave up 1 unearned run in 1/3 IP and David Phelps 2 R in 2 2/3. Joba Chamberlain gave up 1 R in 1 IP.

The Yankees pitching, supposed to be a strength this year, has given up 8, 7, 8 and 8 runs in their four losses. That won’t get it done. Detroit got 17 hits today.

Meanwhile, the Yanks haven’t scored more than four runs in any of their five games so far this year. They haven’t had a game yet in which the team got 10 or more hits.

The Yanks have to get their top two hitters in the lineup going. Brett Gardner got a HR the other day, but he went 0 for 5 today and is hitting .150. Robbie Cano went 0 for 3 and is at .111. Meanwhile Ichiro got today off but did strike out PH-ing late in the game. He is 1 for 14 (.071) for the year so far. Jayson Nix doesn’t have a hit yet.

Lyle Overbay had 2 RBI today, and Vernon Wells hit HR #2, a solo shot.