"Walks cost Yankees in finale...Proctor issues three free passes in pivotal seventh vs. Halos" -- May 27, 2007

By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com


NEW YORK -- Fans stood, clapped and hollered as one Yankee -- a man who felt useless to his team just five days ago -- emerged from a pack of pinstripes huddled around the mound with one out in the seventh inning.

The Yankees had the lead. They had one of their most effective relievers coming in. And Mike Mussina thought he had it all -- a solid pitching performance, a win and a place in the heart of Yankees fans amid a season of turmoil.

Instead of taking a seat after his 6 1/3 innings, Mussina stuttered for a moment at the top step of the dugout, lifting his right hand and waving to the 53,508 in attendance. Then the moment slipped by, as reliever Scott Proctor walked in two runs, and the Angels went on to a 4-3 win at Yankee Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

"Some days it can really eat at you," Mussina said. "We've just been struggling so bad. You want those games to hold up."

After the game, Mussina jumbled numbers as media engulfed him. One reporter even asked if the veteran right-hander was a math major in college. The conversation? Trying to figure out how many wins the Yankees (21-27) needed to push them into the playoffs.

"You've got to get to the low 90s to give yourself a chance," Mussina said. "That would be, what, 72-73 wins from here?"

The general consensus was that the team needed to play the rest of the season 30 games over .500.

"I don't know how many we have left, but it's got to be close to that," Mussina said. "With four months to play roughly, [we need to be] 30 games over -- it's time we start playing."

In other words, Mussina wishes the team could have that seventh inning back. Proctor relieved Mussina with one out and one on. The Yankees were ahead, 2-1, at that point.

But Howie Kendrick doubled and Mike Napoli walked on a full-count pitch. That loaded the bases for pinch-hitter Erick Aybar, who walked after an 11-pitch at-bat, plating a run for the Angels. Chone Figgins took the next free pass, and Torre pulled Proctor.

"I was the reason we lost today, and that [ticks] me off even more," Proctor said. "I wasn't making pitches. It's the same thing. I couldn't put a finger on it."

Torre said Proctor may have been too pumped up, trying to overthrow his pitches. That was the explanation. But the result was another Yankees loss in a season that seems to stutter the second after it steams.

"We've had tough spells, we've had tough two weeks [and] tough months here or there, but this has been two months now," Mussina said. "We can't seem to get anything going for any length of time. We look good for three or four days, and then we struggle again."

The ninth inning sufficed his comment, as another potential Yankees rally fizzled.

Bobby Abreu led off with a walk, and pinch-hitter Jorge Posada singled to right. Johnny Damon came off the bench and advanced the runners to second and third with a pinch-hit grounder to first, and Melky Cabrera hit a sacrifice fly that scored Abreu and scooted Posada to third.

That set Derek Jeter up for another one of his trademark high-pressure situations. The Yankees couldn't have asked for a better setup: Jeter came to bat with a .609 batting average (14-for-23) with two outs and runners in scoring position.

"It was going to happen," Torre said. "No question."

And while Jeter made Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez work, the game ended when the shortstop hit a hard fly ball -- which did garner a few gasps as it searched for green grass -- that was caught by center fielder Gary Matthews Jr.

Once again, Yankees fans trudged out of the stadium, leaving the sprinklers soaking the field and attendants picking up trash. It's become a familiar scene in the Bronx, and even Torre said the team is too far into the season to say "it's still early."

"But I don't know what you do about it," Torre said. "You still have to go out there, prepare and play. It's not that now it's time to panic. Now, what do you do once you do that?"

Yankees backup catcher Wil Nieves provided the bulk of the offense, going 2-for-2 with a walk and two RBI singles, while much of the vaunted lineup remained otherwise silent.

The Yankees feel that the trend may only be a temporary annoyance, and certainly their fans hope the same. This much is sure: it hasn't added up to nearly enough victories.

"You don't want to believe it," Damon said, "but we just haven't been playing good baseball."

May 26 Notebook contribution

Bru crew:

Right-hander Brian Bruney is quietly having an effective season pitching out of the Yankees bullpen. The right-hander hasn't allowed a home run in his past 38 innings dating back to June 2006, and leads all New York relievers with a .153 batting average against.

"I don't think about anything that I've done so far, good or bad, because it's not productive," Bruney said. "If I sit here and think of a good outing I had, it's not going to do anything good for me. It's already done. And if I sit here and think of a bad outing, I can't change that outing."

There haven't been too many outings he would want to change anyway. Overall this season,
Bruney has posted a 1-1 record and 1.69 ERA in 21 1/3 innings. He's struck out 22 and walked 13 thus far.

As far as keeping long balls at bay, Bruney said that sometimes that's just how baseball goes.

"You can pitch the exact pitch you want to throw, down and in to someone who struggles low in the zone, and he could hit it out of the ballpark," he said.

Torre said that he's very comfortable using Bruney in pressure situations. He added that the Yankees have to be careful with how many innings Bruney pitches because his durability isn't quite on the same par as fellow reliever Scott Proctor.

"As long as we don't go to the well too often, I think he's going to be a big benefit," Torre said.

"Pitchers struggle, Yanks fall to Halos...Wildness from the mound, missed chances hurt Bombers" -- May 26, 2007

By Caleb Breakey/MLB.com


NEW YORK -- Henry David Thoreau wrote that "in wildness is the preservation of the world."

Well, since the Yankees are considered the arc of the baseball universe, about 50,363 fans at Yankee Stadium would disagree with the philosopher's statement after watching their pitchers get knocked around on Friday in a 10-6 loss to the Angels -- all because of wildness from the mound.

"If there was one common denominator, it was a lack of command tonight," manager Joe Torre said.

The six walks (two intentional) were one thing, but for the most part, starter Tyler Clippard and those who followed just didn't throw quality pitches.

Pitchers in pinstripes threw three wild pitches -- and another two made it to the backstop with no one on base -- by the sixth inning, a small sampling of how many pitches missed their mark against an Angels lineup that pounded 14 hits. Torre pulled Clippard before the start of the fifth, just 76 pitches into his evening.

"He just didn't look like he could find one release point -- that's the reason," Torre said. "He only threw [76] pitches, but he had to work hard the whole time and just couldn't find it."
Clippard regularly hit Jorge Posada's mitt high in the strike zone, especially with fastballs. And as Torre said, when a pitcher does that against the Angels, "this ballclub will beat your brains out."

The early exit came to the right-hander's surprise. Clippard said that he felt much more comfortable in Yankee Stadium than he did in his first Major League start last Sunday, when he three-hit the Mets at Shea Stadium. But that didn't stop Torre from making his usual slow walk to the mound to replace the 22-year-old rookie.

"I want the ball when I feel like I have more in me," Clippard said. "Obviously, I'm frustrated, but I'm frustrated when I get taken out of any game."

Matt DeSalvo, another rookie, took over in the fifth -- sort of. He didn't record an out while giving up two hits, two walks and three runs, and uncorking a wild pitch.

But Torre and the staff are keeping faith in both right-handers, as DeSalvo and Clippard are expected to make starts when the team travels to Toronto next week. Torre wanted to give DeSalvo another chance because he hadn't pitched since May 17 against the White Sox, not to mention it was his first stint as a reliever.

Though that might be some consolation to DeSalvo, he wants to get back onto the mound. And fast.

"I want the ball," DeSalvo said. "It's something that I need to do to prove to the team, and everyone else, and more so for myself."

Before the game, Torre recalled how Angels starter Jered Weaver had beaten the Yankees in his only career start against them last season. Torre said that the right-hander shared similarities to his older brother, Jeff, whom the Yankees roughed up in an 8-1 victory earlier this month.

But the younger Weaver proved tougher than his big brother on Friday, striking out five and surrendering three runs in five innings. Still, Angels manager Mike Scioscia noted how the Yankees made Weaver work, stretching him to 105 pitches in his shortest outing since April 23, when he gave up five earned runs to the Tigers in 1 2/3 innings.

"Jered was struggling and fighting to repeat his pitches," Scioscia said. "They're patient, they wait for counts and they can all drive the ball. He was out of gas."

When Alex Rodriguez, who went deep in the second inning for his league-leading 19th homer, grounded out to shortstop to end the game, however, the Yankees knew that too many opportunities had been wasted, as the Yankees went 4-for-12 with men in scoring position.

But Derek Jeter, who extended his hitting streak to 19 games with a seventh-inning single, doesn't feel as though the team is back into a funk, especially coming off a series win against the Red Sox.

"It's [not] like, 'Here we go again,' " Jeter said. "It's not like it's the end of the world that we lost. I felt like the intensity level was there. We just got beat."

"Posada's value goes beyond hot bat" -- May 24, 2007

By Caleb Breakey/MLB.com


NEW YORK -- Everyone talks about Jorge Posada and his eye-popping start to the 2007 season. It's hard to ignore a .367 batting average in late May, especially for a catcher who takes a beating every day behind the plate.

That's why it's easy to forget that Posada is facing a challenging task this season -- one that he's never come up against in his career.

It's a chore he probably never thought he'd be doing this season. And who could blame him for being taken by surprise? This hurdle he's up against made history.

Seven rookie pitchers have suited up in pinstripes to start games for the Yankees so far this year. No Major League team in the past 50 years has used so many rookie pitchers within the first 42 games of a season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

"It's tough not having a set rotation -- a five-man rotation -- where you develop consistency of what to call and things like that," Posada said. "It's been tough not knowing who's pitching the next day, but it is what it is -- I'm not complaining."

The list has grown long, but due to injuries and demotions, only two remain on the Yankees active roster: Tyler Clippard and Matt DeSalvo are ready for duty, while Phil Hughes, Jeff Karstens and Darrell Rasner have fallen to injuries. The other two, Kei Igawa and Chase Wright, are trying to work their way back up from the Minor Leagues.

To put things in perspective, when Clippard became the seventh Yankees rookie called on to start this season, no other Major League team had started more than two rookie pitchers.

But this experience, at least to manager Joe Torre, has shown just what Posada does outside of catching and hitting a ball.

"It's important that the young pitchers have somebody they can lean on," Torre said. "Jorge grew up in a hurry, as far as I was concerned. He went from this guy who would overact sometimes emotionally -- not that that was bad, except he would fight himself a lot -- then all of the sudden, especially these past few years, [he's turned into] this maturing leader of a pitching staff."

"That's quite a feather in your cap when you can do that -- not only have the veteran guys count on you, but to have kids come up and trust you the way they do."

Posada said that Clippard, the latest rookie to join the club, made it fun to work together last Sunday against the Mets, noting that the right-hander brought energy and life to the game.

Clippard three-hit the Mets over six innings, due in part to the way Posada prepped with the young hurler before the game and then helped Clippard maneuver through a potent Mets lineup.

"Jorge knows his way around Major League hitters as well as anybody, and he made it easy on me as far as calling pitches and stuff like that, which is real nice to have to take the thinking out," Clippard said.

The routine Posada and backup catcher Wil Nieves go through with the pitchers usually goes like this: talk about each batter in the opposing team's lineup, go over scouting reports and, finally, encourage the youngsters not to change the approach that carried them to the Major Leagues.

"The most important thing for them is to stay with their strength," Nieves said. "When in doubt, that's what you do, and that's what we tell them. Obviously, they're here for what they were doing."

When it comes to working with veterans, Posada said he knows what might help Andy Pettitte, Mike Mussina or Chien-Ming Wang on a given day. But with a rookie on the mound, he tends to draw from what he remembers of the pitcher in Spring Training and goes from there.
Is it a fatherly role of sorts?

"No," Posada said. "But I'm making suggestions still, pretty much how to attack a lineup and get a guy out, and pretty much they go along with what I'm calling."

One of the catcher's best assets, Torre said, is that he lets the rookies work with what's feeling best for them, even though Posada will always tell them when a certain pitch should be thrown.

"I think it's the fact that he's not back there saying, 'You have to do this; you have to do that,'" Torre said. "He wants to work within their ability."

"Jeter passes DiMaggio on hit list" -- May 23, 2007

By Caleb Breaeky/MLB.com


NEW YORK -- "I want to thank the good Lord for making me a Yankee."

Those are the immortal words of Joe DiMaggio. They're painted onto a sign hanging in the tunnel that Derek Jeter and the rest of the Yankees jog through to get to the field at Yankee Stadium.

That phrase, however, may mean a little more to the shortstop, who has reached up and tapped the sign before every game since it's been there. But it's not as though he's doing it because he and DiMaggio were close. Nope, not at all.

Jeter said that he was afraid of talking with DiMaggio the few times he saw the legend walk through the clubhouse years ago. So why does he touch the sign?

"Maybe it's a luck thing," Jeter said.

It's worked. On Wednesday against the Red Sox, in an 8-3 win, Jeter passed DiMaggio for fifth place on the Yankees' all-time hits list, with 2,215. Later in the game, he added No. 2,216.

The 2,215th hit came in the second inning off Boston starter Curt Schilling. After the game, Jeter downplayed the feat, saying totals like that will come after playing several years in the Major Leagues with the same team. But the humility with which he spoke was soon balanced by his teammates and manager.

"It's remarkable," Joe Torre said. "I guess he has to go after Bernie Williams next, right? When you start putting those names up on the board, and I was here the whole time Derek was here, it's incredible. He's played 12 years, and every single year, he's been as consistent as you could ask for."

Wednesday's starter, Andy Pettitte, said that Jeter is probably the best player he's ever played with.

Jeter's response?

"Well, he hasn't played with too many."

Jeter said that he'd be lying if he said the hit didn't mean a lot to him, but like a broken record, his comments kept focusing on the team. But the magnitude of the hit -- no matter how much Jeter avoided it -- was played up by his teammates.

In fact, Pettitte's praise had just begun for Jeter, who also extended his hitting streak to 18 consecutive games with a first-inning single. During that time, he's owned a .426 batting average.

"He's an absolute hitting machine," Pettitte said. "He's been doing it for a long time, and he's been getting a lot of hits. ... If you need a big hit, I want him up there. You can't say enough about the job he does."

Alex Rodriguez also praised the man with whom he shares the left side of the Yankees' infield.

"That's awesome," Rodriguez said. "I mean, he's amazing. He just keeps getting better and better every year."


Yankees' all-time hits leaders
Rank
Player
Hits
1.
Lou Gehrig
2,721
2.
Babe Ruth
2,518
3.
Mickey Mantle
2,415
4.
Bernie Williams
2,336
5.
Derek Jeter
2,216
6.
Joe DiMaggio
2,214
7.
Don Mattingly
2,153
8.
Yogi Berra
2,148

"Yanks donate $1 million to Virginia Tech" -- May 23, 2007

By Caleb Breakey/MLB.com


NEW YORK -- The Virginia Tech massacre affected families, friends, neighbors, acquaintances. Like a spider web, pain and sorrow spread up, down, sideways -- every string crossing paths and becoming entangled. On April 16, when 32 lives were taken at the hands of a gunman, the U.S. mourned from Maine to California, from Washington down to Florida, where Yankees principal owner George Steinbrenner watched the tragic events unfold in Blacksburg, Va.

Fast forward to Wednesday, when manager Joe Torre said that Steinbrenner has his finger on the pulse of society. Those horrifying images and dreadful sound bites snapping from Steinbrenner's television tugged at his heart. And now, a little more than a month after the shooting, the Yankees have made the largest donation to the Virginia Tech Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund, as the Boss wrote a check for $1 million.

"Whoa!" a fan shouted from behind the Yankees dugout as Bob Sheppard made the announcement over the loudspeakers.

The fund was established to help those touched by the tragedy, and the money will provide grief counseling, memorials and assistance to the victims and their families.

"The events that took place this spring in Virginia have deeply affected us all," Steinbrenner said in a statement. "But the Virginia Tech community has shown great spirit and resolve during this difficult time, and the New York Yankees are proud to join so many others in supporting the healing process."

Derek Jeter jogged onto the field to present the check just minutes before the Yankees took the field against the Red Sox in the final game of a three-game series. Standing at home plate were Virginia Tech president Dr. Charles Steger, Capt. Vince Houston of the Virginia Tech Police Department, Jason Dominczak and Matthew Johnson of the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad, and Director of Athletics Jim Weaver.

Also on the field were Yankees president Randy Levine, chief operating officer Lonn Trost and general manager Brian Cashman.

Wind snapped the tails of their jackets as the men watched a memorial video on the stadium's big screen. Steger talked with Steinbrenner just minutes before throwing out the game's ceremonial first pitch.

"I could also tell from the tone of his voice and what he said that he's sincere and committed, and really feels it's important to take this kind of step to help these young people regain their lives," Steger said.

Running out to their positions, the Yankees' starting lineup passed the Virginia Tech logos painted near the first- and third-base dugouts. Jorge Posada caught Steger's pitch in front of a nationally televised audience, a throw that came in low but reachable.

The catcher said that it's an honor for him to wear the Virginia Tech logo on his cap -- as the entire team did on Wednesday -- and that he's proud of the way the organization stands behind those at the school.

"The things that went on at Virginia Tech ... it just puts things in perspective," Posada said.
"Baseball is not everything, and you [take] your life for granted. But this is an example of the great organization we are representing. I think the Yankees are doing the right thing."

According to Steger, the Yankees are the only sports team to contribute money to Virginia Tech.
And Steinbrenner isn't finished supporting the school, either. The Yankees announced that the team will play an exhibition game against the Hokies baseball team sometime in 2008. All proceeds will be added to the memorial fund.

Others wishing to make a donation can call 800-533-1144.

May 22 Notebook contribution

By Caleb Breakey/MLB.com


Clippard celebrates, now waits: Tyler Clippard sat with his family in a hotel room after earning his first Major League win on Sunday. No restaurants remained opened, Clippard said, so he and the family called a taxi and found a McDonald's.

Clippard did, however, end up with a glass of champagne in his hands before too long. He received plenty of phone messages and texts that night, but the Yankees rookie right-hander ignored most of them -- at least for a few hours.

"My family was right there, so I didn't really call anybody last night," he said. "[My family is] who I wanted to share that with."

The next day, Clippard talked with several of his buddies and his agent, too. Then the questions started boiling: Would he make another start in pinstripes this week?

Matt DeSalvo, another rookie who impressed in his first couple of outings this season, hasn't pitched since the White Sox knocked him around for four runs in 3 1/3 innings on May 17. The Yankees could start him or Clippard on Friday in the opening game of a three-game series against the Angels.

The decision isn't finalized yet, but Clippard said he talked with pitching coach Ron Guidry after his start and got the feeling that he would be taking the mound on Friday.

"I think that's kind of what he was hitting at," Clippard said of his conversation with Guidry.

Torre added: "Between the two of them, I think DeSalvo could probably handle the 'pen easier."

"Lighter Damon helps quash Red Sox" -- May 22, 2007

By Caleb Breakey/MLB.com


NEW YORK -- Johnny Damon sprayed the ball from the batter's box, snuck around the basepaths and may have lit a fire under the Yankees offense on Monday.

Criticized for lacking aggressiveness as of late, the Yankees beat the Red Sox, 6-2, as Damon helped lead the pinstriped lineup to an important victory.

No, he didn't discover some potion that cured all of his former ailments. Nor did he shake a horseshoe or throw salt over his shoulder. Nope, he just watched his weight.

"Well, son of a gun, I'm lighter now than I've been in six years in the game, about 206 [pounds]," Damon said. "I've been working hard and trying to make sure I can keep my legs healthy, and if it means I have to be lighter, so be it."

The Yankees center fielder played the past few seasons in the 215-216 weight range. But now, after countless exercises and staying away from "the bad stuff" -- meaning empty calories --
Damon has shed a few pounds.

In fact, if you looked hard enough, you could see it in Monday's win over Boston. At least manager Joe Torre did.

"[You could see it in] his legs, his bat," the manager said, "he really had a lot of life in his body."

Damon went 3-for-4 at the plate, swiped two bases and scored a run, not to mention draw the attention of Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield in the first inning with Alex Rodriguez at the plate.

As the knuckleballer kept an eye on Damon, A-Rod became Priority No. 2, a mistake that revealed itself in the form of a homer to left-center field on the first pitch.

That's Damon at his best, Derek Jeter said -- drawing glances from pitchers and causing that extra bead of sweat to form around the bill of their caps.

"Johnny can be annoying," Jeter said. "When he gets on, he's a pest. The more he gets on, the better we're going to be."

That statement has rung true for two games now, as the Yankees beat the Mets and Red Sox on consecutive nights. Damon said he'll have to continue this type of play for the Yankees to turn around a dismal start to the season, which finds them 9 1/2 games back in the American League East.

His night probably couldn't have come against a more perfect opponent. Damon signed with the Yankees after winning a championship with the Red Sox in 2004, but the outfielder doesn't feel he has to prove anything.

"There's nothing I need to do to prove myself to that team," Damon said. "I go out and I play, and they know that, my team knows that, and the rest of the league knows it."

Damon said his legs felt better than they have in recent games, a good sign considering he suffered injuries that prompted him to say earlier this season that he could barely walk.

You wouldn't have thought of him as a hobbled player after seeing him Monday. After the game, Damon hinted that his current weight and conditioning routines could be the key to many more productive seasons.

"I'm going to have to be lighter and quicker," he said, "but just as strong."

Mets May 20 Preview

The Mets will look to continue a hot May when John Maine takes the mound against the Yankees in the Subway Series finale on Sunday night at Shea Stadium.
Maine has been dominant this season, owning a 5-1 record and a 2.15 ERA, which leads the Mets' rotation. He is eighth in the National League with 8.05 strikeouts per nine innings, and he is ninth in the league with a .206 batting average against.
The Mets will try to nudge closer to the Yankees in the all-time Subway Series record between the two clubs, having taken the first two games of the series. The Yankees currently have a 32-24 edge.
Pitching for the Yankees will be right-handed rookie Tyler Clippard, who will be the seventh rookie to make a start in pinstripes this season.
Pitching matchupNYM: RHP John Maine (5-1, 2.15 ERA)Maine has done just about nothing but win for the Mets this season, posting a 5-1 record in eight starts. He has struck out close to one batter per inning, recording 45 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings.
NYY: RHP Tyler Clippard (Major League debut)Clippard steps onto one of the loudest stages in baseball, the Subway Series at Shea Stadium. The right-hander will be asked to calm his nerves and contain a Mets team that owns the second-most victories in the Major Leagues.
Player to watchNo Yankees player has had more than four at-bats against Maine. Catcher Jorge Posada, however, did hit a home run off the right-hander in his only trip to the plate against him.

Mets May 20 Preview

By Caleb Breakey/MLB.com


The Mets will look to continue a hot May when John Maine takes the mound against the Yankees in the Subway Series finale on Sunday night at Shea Stadium.

Maine has been dominant this season, owning a 5-1 record and a 2.15 ERA, which leads the
Mets' rotation. He is eighth in the National League with 8.05 strikeouts per nine innings, and he is ninth in the league with a .206 batting average against.

The Mets will try to nudge closer to the Yankees in the all-time Subway Series record between the two clubs, having taken the first two games of the series. The Yankees currently have a 32-24 edge.

Pitching for the Yankees will be right-handed rookie Tyler Clippard, who will be the seventh rookie to make a start in pinstripes this season.

Pitching matchup

NYM: RHP John Maine (5-1, 2.15 ERA)Maine has done just about nothing but win for the Mets this season, posting a 5-1 record in eight starts. He has struck out close to one batter per inning, recording 45 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings.

NYY: RHP Tyler Clippard (Major League debut)Clippard steps onto one of the loudest stages in baseball, the Subway Series at Shea Stadium. The right-hander will be asked to calm his nerves and contain a Mets team that owns the second-most victories in the Major Leagues.

Player to watch

No Yankees player has had more than four at-bats against Maine. Catcher Jorge Posada, however, did hit a home run off the right-hander in his only trip to the plate against him.

Yankees May 20 Preview

By Caleb Breakey/MLB.com


The Yankees will hand the ball to right-handed rookie Tyler Clippard on Sunday against the Mets in hopes of turning around a troubled season. He will be the seventh Yankees rookie to start for the team.

No Major League team in the last 50 years has used so many rookie pitchers within the first 42 games of the season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Clippard has pitched well for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, going 3-2 with a 2.72 ERA in eight starts this season. He struck out 41 while walking 17 over 39 2/3 innings.

Meanwhile, the Mets will send John Maine to the mound. The right-hander has been dominant this season, owning a 5-1 record and a 2.15 ERA.

Pitching matchup

NYY: RHP Tyler Clippard (Major League debut)Clippard steps onto one of the loudest stages in baseball, the Subway Series at Shea Stadium. The right-hander will be asked to calm his nerves and contain a Mets team that owns the second-most victories in the Major Leagues.

NYM: RHP John Maine (5-1, 2.15 ERA)Maine has done just about nothing but win for the Mets this season, posting a 5-1 record in eight starts. His 2.15 ERA leads the team, and he's struck out close to one batter per inning, recording 45 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings.

Player to watch

Carlos Beltran wears out the Yankees, batting .303 against them with seven home runs and 26 RBIs for his career. He's also stolen nine bases against the Yankees without being caught.

"DeSalvo an artist in center of diamond...Baseball proves to be just one of youngster's many talents" -- May 12, 2007

By Caleb Breakey/MLB.com


NEW YORK -- Yankees rookie Matt DeSalvo has always admired tapestries and paintings.

The same goes for his uncle and brother. He said his ideal place to sit down and take out his brushes would be "in the woods, or sitting in a valley with a stream coming down, and a little brush over here."

He's the type to stop in a hallway, lean forward, tilt his head left or right, examine fine lines, wonder about shadowing, imagine the artist's vision and ask himself, "Why?"

Recently he looked at a painting of an apple, asking himself, 'How come the brushstrokes streak right? Why does the stem bend diagonally?'

"It's like having a conversation with somebody that I've never seen," DeSalvo said.

Call him curious, call him an art lover, but DeSalvo is a thinker. He reads books such as Albert Camus' "The Myth of Sisyphus" and evaluations of the works of Confucius. And while he doesn't claim to be an offshoot of Albert Einstein, DeSalvo is bright.

Maybe that's how he tossed a three hitter against the Seattle Mariners in his Major League debut, by staying a mental step ahead of the batters. As French philosopher Benjamin Constant once wrote, "Art achieves a purpose which is not its own."

To DeSalvo, that purpose may be his presence on the mound.

Take his start on Monday, when he gave up just one hit after the first inning but finished with a no-decision against the Mariners.

If his Major League debut were a canvas, it would be spotted with five baseballs -- one for each pitch he throws -- including a fastball, curveball, slider, changeup and forkball. And the message hidden in this painting -- the one that answers "Why?" -- would be a silent shout to Seattle's lineup: Tonight's not your night.

"Nothing really fazed him," Yankees catcher Jorge Posada said after DeSalvo's performance against the Mariners. "He came out there and was happy to be here, and really came out with some good pitches. He threw the ball real well. I was really impressed with the things he did."

The beginnings of DeSalvo's success may have started outside of the baseball diamond. He'll see a guitarist playing and get an urge to try it out. He'll see a sculptor sculpting and decide to give it a shot.

That's just DeSalvo, and that's probably why he throws five pitches and tinkers with more -- a huge reason why he's with the Yankees.

"You would be amazed at the things that you can do," he said. "If there's something that interests me, I'll dive into it."

He also said he likes to learn from the best because that's how he learns at an accelerated pace. As far as pitching in a Yankees rotation goes, mark "check."

DeSalvo's pitches have a deceitfulness to them, said Yankees backup catcher Wil Nieves. His pitches dart slightly away from their target as they approach the plate, inducing hitters to hit balls off-center. Nieves has witnessed this in both the Major and Minor Leagues, and he said in March that DeSalvo may have had the best pitches in Spring Training.

Think about that: Andy Pettitte, Chien-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina ... Matt DeSalvo. It's like a Picasso painting -- a bit awkward but undeniably brilliant.

Before joining the Yankees rotation, DeSalvo went 3-0 with a 1.05 ERA in five starts at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Just another sign that Nieves' words for DeSalvo this spring could ring truer every fifth day this season: "People will know his name before long."

The Seattle Times -- "Seattle ocularist Greg Sankey is the eye guy" -- May 18, 2007

By Caleb Breakey
Special to The Seattle Times

When Greg Sankey was a boy, his father nudged him into building model cars. Greg remembers working alongside Orville Sankey, painting "Goodyear" on the tiny tires, lining the engines with thin gas lines and circling them with small copper wires — all with pinpoint precision.

"I don't know if he was giving me his hobby or training me for his business," Sankey says.

Today Sankey wears a lab coat and shiny shoes and works in a doctor-like office with a window that overlooks a parking lot near Northgate Mall. Next to the window is a wooden desk spotted with pencil-thin brushes.

This is where Sankey paints artificial eyes. Fourteen bottles of paint about the size of a child's drinking cup line the top of his desk, enough to create "six billion colors" — one for each person on the planet. Sankey is one of only about 150 ocularists in the United States. It's a profession that combines artistry, engineering and what every ocularist eventually learns, psychology.


Painstaking painting


By the time Sankey sits down for an hour or three to paint an eye, the patient has already been worked on by a surgeon, who cuts out the cornea and removes the iris and lens, a process best left unmentioned to patients.

"It's pretty gory," Sankey says. "You might not show up for the surgery."

The eyes have it

The first artificial eyes were made by Roman and Egyptian priests in the fifth century, B.C. They were painted clay orbs attached to cloth and worn outside the socket.
In-socket eyes came centuries later, made of gold with colored enamel.
The Germans, with expert glass-blowing skills, perfected glass eyes in the mid-19th century.
In World War II, U.S. companies couldn't get German glass, so they began making artificial eyes from acrylic plastic. Source: American Society of Ocularists

The surgeon drains the jelly and fluids in the eye socket and fits a round silicone or coral ball — these are the newest types of materials — into the open space, a sphere about three-fourths of a circle that stays embedded in the eye permanently. After the surgeon's work is done, Sankey fashions an outer shell that fits into the leftover fourth of this sphere, then matches it with the patient's good eye in patterns that look like colored wagon wheels and star flares. He then inlays the shell on top of the implanted ball.

"It just drops right in. It's like a big contact lens," Sankey says. "Insert it and remove it at will."

It's teamwork, Sankey says: A surgeon decides which implant works best, including its size, style and material; then the ocularist forms an artificial eye that could fool the patient's family. Ocularists even match the red veins that run through eyes.

Greg's father, Orville, remembers trying to duplicate the veins of a drinking man. The patient's good eye was so bloodshot that Orville said he couldn't match it. But the man grabbed a mirror and said, "Ah, hell, that's the way it is most of the time."

"So I loaded it up with veins, and it came out great," says Orville, who started the family business, Custom Ocular Prosthetics, in 1978.

Like dentures, artificial eyes need to be cleaned, re-fit and maybe even replaced. The outer shell needs to be popped off and scrubbed free of bacteria, salt and protein. The yearly maintenance means Sankey often has patients for life.


A positive outlook


One of those is Sam Ramos, a 38-year-old forklift driver from Tacoma. An outgoing, friendly man, Ramos was shot at random during a Christmas Eve party in 1993. The blast from a .357 Magnum blew off half his face, and now part of his jaw is fashioned from one of his ribs.

"I spent six years in the Army and did a lot of 'hoo-rah' stuff, not a scratch," Ramos says. "But I get out and become a civilian and freak stuff happens like that."

During his recovery, Ramos had to relearn tasks such as walking in a straight line, stepping off curbs and driving — anything requiring depth perception. He couldn't even hold his newborn for six months because of his poor coordination.

"He's a great example of how a human being can rise against all odds and recover," says Sankey, who first fitted Ramos' eye after the shooting and again last month. "Some patients have memories that they don't want brought up. But it doesn't affect him. He's a very positive person, and he's accepted [what happened]."


Hardships and hazards


Today Ramos does basically everything he did before he lost his eye. One exception is that he can't work in dirty environments, and he won't drive with his windows down. Dust and dirt, if they get on or around his artificial eye, scratch away at the inside of his eyelids.

"It feels like you've got sand in your eye," he says. "It just kind of sits on the eyeball and turns into a hard substance."

Ramos gets infections at least once a month, and about twice a year it gets so bad he needs medication to ease the pain. During those times he can't put his artificial eye back in the socket for two or three days. In those cases, Ramos has to wear a patch on his eye.

Even eating and sleeping pose hazards, ranging from the annoying to the comical. Sometimes Ramos' eye falls out of its socket while he sleeps. Ramos has a shallow socket because of the bullet wound to his eye, which can contribute to his piece popping out. "I have to look in the bed and stuff like that."

Then there was the time he ate fried chicken doused with hot sauce. After taking a bite, he rubbed his eye and it started burning. His wife panicked and rushed for the nearest faucet and cup.

"We're talking my wife pouring water on my face," he says. "I get a kick out of that one."

Ramos is relieved to take the eye out when he gets home, but sometimes he forgets where he put it. He'll look for two hours, saying to himself, "What am I going to do now?" Ramos doesn't have insurance that covers the eye, which is cracked and outdated, and he can't afford to buy a new one. An artificial eye can cost between $3,000 to $3,200.

For those with good insurance coverage, or those who can afford it, living with an artificial eye is less of a hardship than in years past. This is especially true for patients whose tear ducts were damaged along with their eye. Like Ramos, they can suffer from dry-eye.

Now there's a technology called the "self-lubricating prosthesis," which has a chamber in the back filled with liquid. A valve built into the artificial eye, which has to be refilled daily, releases half of a tear onto the surface of the eye every time its wearer blinks. The technology isn't much of a hassle, either. The chamber can be filled without taking the artificial eye out.


A family practice


The nature of the artificial eye-making field allows Greg Sankey to connect with patients over several years, a part of the job he's fond of. After he fixes an eye onto a patient for the first time, he says, "We're going to be friends for a long time. Don't worry; I'm here. Welcome to the club."

Now, a third generation of eye makers in Seattle seems certain. Greg Sankey's son and daughter, Dimitri, 22, and Angela, 24, are working as apprentices to him. Orville, who sculpted and painted artificial eyes for half a century, though being semi-retired since 1993 — the year he turned the business over to Greg — praises his son for the improvements to the business, which now has offices in Greece, Cyprus and Alaska.

Dimitri, who is in the second year of his apprenticeship, says his father's international advances — traveling to Alaska once a year, and to Athens and Cyprus about every other month — would be tough to match. Appointments at those offices are always booked because there are few ocularists in those parts of the world.

Dimitri says he and his sister plan to work together to keep the business in the family, one of his two passions about the job. The other is interacting with patients, a characteristic he shares with his father.

Before he puts away the equipment, replaces his white coat and exits through the single door out of Custom Ocular Prosthetics, Dimitri takes one last look at his father's patient.

"The face at the end of the day," Dimitri says, "it's the most incredible feeling of the whole thing."


Caleb Breakey is an associate reporter with MLB.com. He grew up in Washington.

May 12 Preview..."Yanks hope for repeat from Rasner"

By Caleb Breakey/MLB.com


The Yankees made sure they had room in their rotation for Darrell Rasner after watching his performance against the Mariners in his last start.

On Friday at Safeco Field, the right-hander will aim to beat Seattle for the second time in as many starts.

Since April 14, Rasner has a string of 15 1/3 innings in which he's given up only one earned run. In that span, Rasner has lowered his ERA from 10.38 to 2.75.

The 26-year-old will be making his fifth start as a member of the Yankees rotation, and he could be there to stay if he keeps showing good control of his pitches.

Slated for the Mariners is left-hander Jarrod Washburn, who enters the game with a 2-3 record and a 3.18 ERA.

Pitching matchup

NYY: RHP Darrell Rasner (1-1, 2.75 ERA)Rasner turned in another solid outing against the Mariners in his last start, and he now gets his second chance to beat Seattle. He pitched 5 2/3 innings with four strikeouts in his previous start.

SEA: LHP Jarrod Washburn (2-3, 3.18 ERA)Washburn suffered his first loss since April 19 against the Yankees in his last start, giving up seven hits and three runs in 5 1/3 innings before being lifted. He struck out three and walked two.

Player to watch

No Mariners player had faced Rasner before his start last Sunday, but Jose Vidro gave the right-hander some trouble with a 2-for-3 performance.

May 10 Preview..."Wang has tough act to follow"

By Caleb Breakey/MLB.com


Chien-Ming Wang would be hard-pressed to perform the way he did in his last start -- almost perfectly.

The Yankees ace pitched 7 1/3 perfect innings against the Mariners on Saturday before giving up a home run to Mariners first baseman Ben Broussard.

Yankees manager Joe Torre said he's hoping for the same type of start from the right-hander, but noted the rarity of the performance that Wang turned in.

"For someone who's not a strikeout pitcher, to take the game into the eighth inning is pretty amazing," Torre said.

Wang struck out four without walking a batter against the Mariners, and now he aims for his second straight victory against the Rangers on Thursday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.

Wang has shown that he's regained the control that won him 19 games last season. His ERA has dropped to 3.98 after hovering over 5.00 in the early going of the season.

"When he gets out there, he's not very complicated," Torre said. "He's basically a sinkerball guy; he makes guys dig it out, throws a lot of strikes. Players like playing behind him, because he works fast. But hopefully, you get the same kind of start."

Brandon McCarthy is slated to pitch for Texas. In his career, the right-hander has faced the Yankees twice out of the bullpen, with little success. He is 2-4 with a 7.96 ERA this season.

Pitching matchup

NYY: RHP Chien-Ming Wang (1-2, 3.98 ERA)Wang simply dominated the Mariners in his last start, throwing 7 1/3 innings of perfect baseball before giving up two consecutive hits, the first of which was a home run. The right-hander doesn't have a long track record against the Rangers, but so far, it's spotless. Wang owns a career 2-0 record with a 3.21 ERA against Texas.

TEX: RHP Brandon McCarthy (2-4, 7.96 ERA)McCarthy beat the Blue Jays in his last start, snapping a three-game losing streak and allowing just one run on two hits over six innings. In his career against the Yankees, McCarthy has made two relief appearances for a total of 1 2/3 innings, posting a 10.80 ERA.

Player to watch

No Rangers starter in Thursday's lineup has more than seven career at-bats against Wang, but first baseman Mark Teixeira has three hits off the Yankees right-hander.

May 9 Sidebar..."Yankees enjoy Nieves' landmark hit"

By Caleb Breakey/MLB.com


NEW YORK -- Wil Nieves entered Wednesday's game against the Rangers having renewed his driver's license since his last Major League hit.

On Wednesday, the Yankees' backup catcher recorded his first hit since 2002 as a member of the Padres. While his first hit in the big leagues came off five-time Cy Young Award winner Randy Johnson, this one came off Texas reliever C.J. Wilson, a line drive to left field in the sixth inning.

The hit snapped an 0-for-22 stretch for Nieves this season. Overall, he was hitless in 34 at-bats dating back to Sept. 29, 2002.

"I knew sooner or later, it was going to happen," Nieves said. "What I'm more excited about is we won."

Nieves and Yankees reliever Brian Bruney talked after the game, and Bruney took the drought-ending bat to his locker. Turns out that Bruney picked the bat for Nieves, like a good-luck charm. And Bruney will give it back to Nieves for his next at-bat.

Yankees manager Joe Torre has observed Nieves' struggles and bad fortune this season, noting the sharp balls he hit in Texas last week and even the grounder he peppered to third base in his first at-bat on Wednesday, before getting his hit.

"It was great," Torre said. "You probably can't imagine how many guys are pulling for this kid."

It's too bad Nieves couldn't savor the hit for more than 170 feet.

The Yankees dugout cheered as Nieves roped his hit into left field, but then Nieves took off for second base. Rangers left fielder Brad Wilkerson threw Nieves out, and Yankees captain Derek Jeter couldn't help but smile.

"It's just like one of those days in Little League, where you just keep running until you're tagged out," Jeter said.

Said Nieves: "I was enjoying the base hit, and the joy kind of went away too quick."

"I'd been hitting the ball with no luck. It just feels good to get a base hit. It feels even better that we won."

The ball Nieves hit -- and eventually the bat he used to hit it with -- will be placed on a mantle in his room one day. No kidding. Yankees great Reggie Jackson made sure of it.

"Did you get the ball?" Jackson said to Nieves in the clubhouse.

Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long has been working with Nieves, trying to keep his weight back while letting the ball travel longer. Nieves said that he's also been working with Jeter, who gave him some friendly gruff after the game.

"I was working with him on hitting, and now he told me, 'Tomorrow, we're working on running the bases,'" Nieves said.

"Yanks prep pink bats for Mother's Day", May 9, 2007

By Caleb Breakey/MLB.com


NEW YORK -- Johnny Damon stood in a corner of the Yankees clubhouse near the equipment closet on Tuesday. He examined several of chunks of lumber, looking at them up and down from the barrel to the handle, and he finally chose two that he would use against the Rangers.

On Sunday, however, Damon won't have any trouble deciding which bats he'll use. In fact, he chose them long before the game will take place. He's one of 10 Yankees tentatively expected to use a pink bat for Mother's Day.

A number of Major League players will help raise awareness for breast cancer on Sunday, Mother's Day, by using pink Louisville Slugger bats. To date, more than 200 players have signed up to use a pink bat, which is more than twice the participation in 2006. Select game-used bats, as well as team-autographed bats from every club, will be auctioned on MLB.com at a later date, with proceeds benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Fans can also purchase their own personalized pink bat at MLB.com, or www.slugger.com, with Major League Baseball donating $10 from the sale of each bat to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Probably no one on the Yankees roster appreciates the pink bats more than Doug Mientkiewicz, whose mother and wife are breast cancer survivors. That's why Sunday will be extra special for the Yankees first baseman.

When Mientkiewicz steps into the batter's box with the pink lumber in his hands, his mother,
Janice, will be in Seattle to see it all. Mientkiewicz had "MOM" stitched on all of his first baseman's gloves last year, and when his mother saw it as the television cameras zoomed in, she cried.

"I put it on my glove for a reason, and she battled through breast cancer," Mientkiewicz said.

"Last year was a pretty trying year for our family and her, so it's a way to let her know that I'm thinking about her, and that she's my strength, and that she always will be.

"My mom is a reason why I'm still playing. She loves to watch her son play. There were times I wanted to hang my cleats up, but she wouldn't let me. She keeps me going and keeps on pushing. My family is very close. She's a big part of my life, a big part of my world. So any chance I get to let her know I'm thinking about her, it's a good thing."

Mientkiewicz said that his mother is strong-willed, a fighter and that she gives solid advice.

Mientkiewicz said that he always calls his mom when he's having trouble on or off the baseball diamond and that he receives plenty of e-mails from her.

Last year, Mientkiewicz hit a home run on Father's Day but came up short on Mother's Day. He said that on Mother's Day, he hopes to even things out.

"I'll always be a momma's boy," Mientkiewicz said.

May 9 Preview..."Yankees hope for length from Mussina"

By Caleb Breakey/MLB.com

Mike Mussina has handled the Rangers' young lineup well in his career, holding All-Star-caliber players to paltry batting averages.

The Rangers' Nos. 3 and 5 hitters on Tuesday, Mark Teixeira and Hank Blalock, have batted .136 and .161 off Mussina in their respective careers -- not to mention that they've combined for just two extra-base hits off the right-hander. Mussina will look to continue his dominance on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.

Mussina is coming off a start against the Rangers in which he pitched his best game of the season, throwing five innings and giving up one run. This will be Mussina's fourth start this year after missing most of April when he injured a hamstring while pitching against the Twins on April 11.

Mussina threw 64 pitches in last week's start against the Rangers -- his first off the disabled list -- 49 of which were strikes. Manager Joe Torre said that Mussina's pitch count will be higher in his start on Wednesday, and he noted the right-hander's precision against the Rangers his last time out.

"This game is all about control," Torre said. "If he was that sharp the first time out, I don't expect to see him take a step backward."

Texas will send Robinson Tejeda to the mound for a second chance against the Yankees this season. He took the loss in his first shot at the Bombers, despite giving up three runs in 6 1/3 innings.

Pitching matchup

NYY: RHP Mike Mussina (1-1, 5.73 ERA)Yankees fans finally saw the Mussina they're used to in his last start against the Rangers, when he pitched five innings and only allowed one run. It was the first time Mussina had pitched since a game against the Twins on April 11, when Torre had to replace the right-hander after just two innings because of a hamstring injury. Mussina got the win in his return start, giving up four hits and striking out three. He was 2-0 with a 3.15 ERA in three starts against the Rangers last season.

TEX: RHP Robinson Tejeda (3-2, 3.89 ERA)Tejeda would have started on Tuesday, but the Rangers gave him a day off because of some concern with his left hamstring. Tejeda lost to the Yankees last Thursday when the Yankees were in Texas, giving up three runs in 6 1/3 innings. He is 0-2 with an 8.68 ERA in two career starts against the Yankees.

Player to watch

Not many current Rangers have hit Mussina well. Center fielder Kenny Lofton may have the most success against the right-hander, batting .265 off him with two home runs and six RBIs in 49 career at-bats.

May 8 Sidebar..."No lack of grit in Mientkiewicz's game...Erasing slow start at plate, first baseman remains strong in field"

By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- A Yankees clubhouse attendant held up a pair of baseball pants after Tuesday night's 8-2 win over the Rangers. The man shook and sprayed down the dust and filth spotted
all over the pinstripes.

It's the retro look, a dogged style of play that sometimes seems rare in this era of baseball. But it's this type of grit that lives inside Yankee Stadium, on the field, in the dugout, through the tunnel and inside the locker marked by a blue plaque: Mientkiewicz.

"He's flying around and he's dirty every game," Yankees starter Andy Pettitte said. "He looks like he just got done wrestling everybody."

This is Doug Mientkiewicz. This, according to him, is why he's still a Major Leaguer.

The Yankees first baseman said he understands why he hits low in the lineup. He's not a marquee power hitter. He doesn't hit close to .354, like Derek Jeter has so far. But Mientkiewicz plays hard, and he said that the best compliment he received was this: He gets the most out of the least amount of talent.

"You feel like you've done your job when you look down and you're covered from head to toe in dirt," he said.

Now, Mientkiewicz uses a humble humor, so don't overlook his career on-base percentage of .357 or his Gold Glove Award. There's no doubt that he's gifted enough to play baseball. Mientkiewicz said that he can do what he does because he works hard. He even said he spent more time with Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long than with his family in the past six weeks.

"He's a professional," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "He knows he's in there for his glove and takes a lot of pride in his bat, even though it hasn't done much. ... He's been on a winner before. I think he understands what's important for teams to win. He's a good teammate."

Torre added that the Yankees believe Mientkiewicz is a better hitter than he's shown the past couple of seasons. And maybe they were right.

Mientkiewicz went 2-for-3 with an RBI on Tuesday night, but that was just his hitting. He also gave Texas a good showing of his glove. Just ask Rangers catcher Gerald Laird.

Laird tried to bunt himself aboard to start the fifth inning. Mientkiewicz charged the ball but strayed far from first base. Pettitte had stepped toward the bunted ball, too, so he couldn't cover first. And second baseman Robinson Cano didn't have a chance, either. It came down to a footrace between Mientkiewicz and Laird.

"Two of the slowest people on earth chasing each other right there," Mientkiewicz said.

Laird ran on the inside of the baseline to create more space between him and a hustling Mientkiewicz. Then, the Yankees first baseman dove head-first toward Laird, fully suspended in the air.

Laird might have avoided the tag by a pencil-thin amount of air, but in the process, he dodged too far to the right and past first base. Mientkiewicz scrambled to the bag and touched it before Laird could recover.

Mientkiewicz recorded every out that inning. It's been said by Yankees staff that he could hit in the low .200s and still play every day because of his defense. He's established a confidence in himself from the Yankees infield, third baseman Alex Rodriguez said.

A-Rod, who played high school ball with Mientkiewicz, compared him to former Yankees first baseman and three-time Gold Glove Award winner John Olerud.

"It just gives you so much confidence to throw the ball over there," Rodriguez said. "The one thing he tells you is the same thing [Don] Mattingly used to tell you; keep it low, because I can help you. If you throw it high, I can't. But if it hits the glove, it's going to be an out usually."

Mientkiewicz said it surprised him that fans waited three weeks into the season to boo him. He said he deserved it much earlier. But now, Mientkiewicz said he knows what it feels like to do something right as a Yankee.

"It's the whole thing," he said. "I feel happy coming to the park every day. I love the city, I love the park. I love everything about this place, and it's time I started playing."

May 8 Preveiw..."Yanks open series with Rangers"

By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com

Andy Pettitte will get another shot at notching a win against a team that plays in his home state.
The Rangers fly into New York and take on the Yankees on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.
Pettitte pitched well enough to get a win the last time he faced the Rangers -- allowing two runs over six innings -- but instead received a no-decision as the Yankees eventually won the game.

The left-hander has walked 17 batters in 36 innings this season, but he's also recorded 23 strikeouts.

The Rangers will send Mike Wood to the mound. Having faced off against Pettitte last week, it will be Wood's second chance against a powerful Yankees lineup.

Pitching matchup

NYY: LHP Andy Pettitte (1-1, 3.00 ERA)Pettitte pitched well against Texas in his last start, going six innings and allowing two runs on five hits. The left-hander has kept the Rangers' young lineup inside the ballpark in the times he's faced them. No current Rangers starter has hit a home run off Pettitte.

TEX: RHP Mike Wood (0-0, 3.12)Wood stepped into the Rangers rotation to face the Yankees in his last start when Texas moved Kevin Millwood to the disabled list with a bad hamstring. In his first go-around with the Bombers, Wood allowed three runs, two earned, in 6 1/3 innings. In 36 career Major League starts, Wood has gone 5-16 with a 5.79 ERA.

Player to watch

In a limited number of at-bats, Mark Teixeira has handled Pettitte. Teixeira is hitting .500 against the left-hander with eight hits in 16 trips to the plate. Two of those hits were doubles, but Pettitte has also struck out Teixeira five times.

May 7 Gamer..."Missed call haunts Yankees...Disputed stolen base in eighth leads to game-tying run"

By Caleb Breakey / Special to MLB.com


NEW YORK -- You could see the dirt, the outfield grass, and the disgust on the faces of Yankees fans. You could see the beginning of a Mariners game-tying run. And you could see what eventually doomed the Yankees on Monday night.

What you couldn't see were pinch-runner Willie Bloomquist's hands. There, in the still shot of a replay shown more than once, second base sat in television slow motion, all alone.

Bloomquist, attempting a steal in the eighth inning, slid head first toward second as Robinson Cano reached for a high throw from catcher Jorge Posada. The Yankees second baseman's glove swept down onto Bloomquist's back.

That's when the cameras caught the difference in a 3-2 Yankees loss to the Mariners: Bloomquist's fingertips fell far short of the bag by the time Cano applied the tag.

Then, after the game, second-base umpire Gerry Davis swallowed some pride but salted a wound, admitting that he'd missed the call.

"The throw was on the first-base side and pulled Robinson toward me a little bit," Davis said.
"Normally, when the runner is tagged on his back side, his hands are on the bag. The runner's hands were blocked from me."

"That's how it goes," Derek Jeter said. "Sometimes you get calls that are for you, and other times you get calls that are against you. We had our opportunities."

Cano didn't want to argue for fear of ejection, and Don Mattingly -- managing in place of Joe Torre, who was serving a one-game suspension -- said he didn't have a good view of the play from the dugout. There was no room to dispute, but the replay played on.

Cano threw down the tag: "I know he was out, but he was called safe."

Posada watched from home plate: "Nothing you can do."

Bloomquist reminisced: "We got a break."

Kenji Johjima singled to right field to bring the runner in from second after the missed call. That knotted the score at 2, but hope remained strong -- especially after the Yankees watched rookie right-hander Matt DeSalvo pitch seven innings of three-hit ball. Not to mention their decade-of-dominance closer had just thrown his last warm-up toss.

In from the bullpen jogged Mariano Rivera in the ninth, his familiar "Enter Sandman" theme song blaring over the loud speakers. Even though he's given up a couple ninth-inning home runs this year, every Yankee still agrees they're surprised when someone hits a ball hard off him.

"We expect him to be perfect every time out," Mattingly said. "It's not always going to happen, but it's Mariano. You know he's going to do the job for you."

That's why they were shocked to see Adrian Beltre hit one over the left-center-field fence, which capped the scoring at 3-2. The pitch, Posada and Rivera agreed, sailed over the middle of the plate instead of darting inside to the Mariners third baseman.

The homer gave the Mariners the win as the Yankees couldn't score in their half of the ninth.

That's the game. Now enter DeSalvo.

He's a guy who likes to paint, especially those scenic pieces you might see mounted on a wall in a Manhattan restaurant. And on Monday, he painted a picture over the plate with four or five different pitches, each one sending a message to the Mariners' lineup: This rookie will get you out.

And that's what DeSalvo did -- over and over and over -- allowing just one run in his debut. The 26-year-old retired the final eight batters he faced.

After the game, DeSalvo grinned through nearly every question asked of him. Then he let the memories of his first start in Yankee Stadium unfurl like a camera wheel.

"I got to see Jeter make a great play in the hole, and I got to see Damon save a double with a catch over his head, and I got to see Mariano," DeSalvo said. "Right now I'm like a little kid."

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman praised DeSalvo before the game, saying how proud he was of all the Minor League steps he took to get to the ballpark in the Bronx. And by the time the game ended, DeSalvo had walked into the Yankees rotation for at least one more go-around.

The Yankees informed him he would start again in a rotation that, by season's end, will have included Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte, Chien-Ming Wang and Roger Clemens.

"He pitched great for us," Mattingly said. "And it was great for him."

May 7 Conference..."Wang named World Games spokesman"

By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- What does Chien-Ming Wang do two days after he throws 7 1/3 innings of perfect baseball? He speaks at an international news conference -- but not about his stellar pitching performance on Saturday.

Wang was introduced as the spokesperson for the 2009 World Games on Monday at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York City.

The games will be hosted by the southern port city of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Wang is a baseball hero in Taiwan -- where he was born -- and his role for the games will be promotion and advertising, said executive vice president of marketing Nova Lanktree.

Wang, who did most of the speaking at the conference and later said it went "very well," has already shot a commercial in which he performs a tango dance, one of the events featured in the games. The commercial was shown at the conference.

When asked what the commercial was all about, Wang smiled and laughed. "I don't know," he said.

Tug-of-war and Sumo wresting are other events featured in the games.

"These games have competitions that the Olympics don't," Lanktree said.

Lanktree declined to comment on the other duties Wang will perform in his role with the games, preferring to talk about what happened at Monday's conference.

Chen Yi-Heng, chief executive officer of the Kaohsiung Organizing Committee, along with Ron Froehlich, chairman of the International World Games Association, promoted the international sporting event alongside Wang. About 150 people attended the conference, Lanktree said.

One goal for the three of them is to draw the attention of more Americans to the games so that they might come to Kaohsiung. At least 120 American athletes plan on attending the games and the Kaohsiung city government will launch various sightseeing tours, according to Lanktree.

"It's wonderful timing," Lanktree said. "Taiwan is proud to be the host of these games. [The conference] was very beautiful -- [a] warm, exciting, good showing."

Wang started the 2007 season with the Yankees on the disabled list because of a hamstring injury. The right-handed pitcher, however, has gotten back on track after two outings in which he didn't show the good command that accompanied his sinker last year, when he won 19 games.

Saturday marked the day he put it all together. He pitched 7 1/3 perfect innings against the Mariners before giving up two hits. In 20 1/3 innings pitched this season, Wang has posted a 1-2 record and 3.98 ERA, striking out eight and walking three.

May 7 Yankees Preview..."Yanks' DeSalvo makes debut"

By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com

A day after Roger Clemens sent the Bronx into a frenzy with his return to the Yankees, Matt DeSalvo will make his first Major League start on Monday.

The right-hander impressed Yankees manager Joe Torre in Spring Training and has kept compiling numbers worth praise. He'll be the 10th starting pitcher used this season by the Yankees, who will set a Major League record for starters through 30 games.

"He's a very stubborn-type pitcher," Torre said of DeSalvo. "He's a sinker guy who'll throw either a sinker or changeup that acts funny, but he's down, down, down. He's a pretty good bulldog."

In five starts for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, DeSalvo owned a 3-0 record and a 1.05 ERA, striking out 23 and walking 13 in 25 2/3 innings.

The Mariners will counter with right-hander Miguel Batista, who has gone 3-2 with a 6.30 ERA this season.

Pitching matchup

SEA: RHP Miguel Batista (3-2, 6.30 ERA)Batista is coming off two quality starts in a row, which gave him a two-game winning streak for the first time this season. One improvement for Batista of late has been the use of his fastball. He'll probably bring plenty of heaters against the Yankees, because the strategy worked against a powerful White Sox lineup.

NYY: RHP Matt DeSalvo (Major League debut)DeSalvo is getting his first chance at the Major League level after compiling impressive numbers in five Triple-A starts this season. He had little success in his 2006 season, though, posting a 6-10 record between two Minor League stops, with an ERA over 6.00.

Player to watch

Ichiro Suzuki seems to perform well on the big stage. In 53 games against the Yankees, he owns a .318 average with 43 runs scored and 20 RBIs. He's also run a little on the bases against the Yankees, swiping 12 bases.

May 6 Gamer..."Yanks top Mariners in eventful game...Shutout victory features clearing of benches, return of Clemens"

By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com


NEW YORK -- This one won't be remembered for Darrell Rasner and how he pitched 5 2/3 innings of three-hit ball. It won't be remembered for how fast Brian Bruney rushed in from the bullpen when both benches cleared. It won't even be remembered for Hideki Matsui's 2,000th career hit.

No, this one wasn't about a 5-0 baseball game that the Yankees won over the Mariners. Everything was about a 44-year-old guy sitting in George Steinbrenner's box suite at Yankee Stadium. This man could be recognized from Boston to Houston, but he wouldn't want to be in any other city than New York.

Most of the Yankees players knew something was up when they heard Elton John's "Rocket Man" playing in the clubhouse before the game. And in the seventh inning, public-address announcer Bob Sheppard asked the fans to turn their attention to the suite behind home plate. All eyes turned and saw the renowned person.

"It's a privilege to be back," Roger Clemens said over a microphone.

Clemens will suit up with the Yankees for the rest of the 2007 season after signing a prorated one-year, $28 million contract on Sunday. He is expected to start his Yankees homecoming with four starts in the Minor Leagues.

"It's exciting when you get a notice like that," Yankees right fielder Bobby Abreu said. "Like I said before, [he's] one of the best pitchers in the game, and you have him on your team. You get excited. It makes you feel happy."

Meanwhile, Rasner continued his string of recent strong pitching. He's allowed just one earned run in his last 23 1/3 combined innings of work in the Major and Minor Leagues. And his performance against the Mariners might have changed his fate with the Yankees.

Before the game, Yankees manager Joe Torre said Rasner would be sent back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make room on the roster for right-hander Matt DeSalvo, who will get the start on Monday. But after Bruney had recorded the final out for the Yankees, Torre and Cashman acknowledged that they would meet on Monday to re-evaluate which roster moves the team would make.

Just one more hiccup in a day of drama at Yankee Stadium.

Aside from the Clemens uproar and potential roster shuffle, the Yankees and Mariners exchanged bad blood on Sunday. It all started when first baseman Josh Phelps rammed into Mariners catcher Kenji Johjima for the first run of the game in the fifth inning.

"[Seeing him] squat down tells me that he's getting ready to receive the ball," Phelps said, "and I'm not just going to let him catch the ball and tag me real quick."

Replays showed that a slide would have sufficed for the score, so the Mariners retaliated. Mariners starter Jarrod Washburn plunked Phelps in the back in his next trip to the plate.

Yankees reliever Scott Proctor threw a pitch high and inside to shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt in the seventh, prompting Betancourt to point his bat at Proctor. Both benches cleared, and in came the bullpens. Torre and Proctor were ejected by home-plate umpire Mike Everitt.

"When a guy takes out your catcher that way, you drill them, and I don't have a problem with them drilling us back," said Mariners second baseman Willie Bloomquist. "That's the way baseball is played. But don't go at a guy's head. Throwing a ball 95 mph at someone's head is taking it to a new level. Yuni had every right to be upset."

If that wasn't enough, Matsui got his 2,000th hit (combined between Japan and the Majors) in the sixth inning to become just the 46th player inducted into the Japanese "Golden Players Club," which is akin to a Hall of Fame for players in Japan. The club receives players once a certain milestone is reached; for batters, it's 2,000 hits.

Matsui's monumental double to left field didn't come in grand fashion. Mariners left fielder Raul Ibanez lost the ball in the sun, and Matsui scooted into second base for what was originally ruled an error. The Yankees left fielder joked with Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter about which one of them had a worse 2,000th hit. Jeter's came on a dribbler toward third base.

After Matsui's comment, Jeter quipped back: "At least I had to run for mine."

May 6 Running Gamer

By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- This one had to give Joe Torre a twinge in his stomach. Here the Yankees manager was on Sunday -- after seeing few of his pitchers make it past the fifth inning this season -- and Torre was taking Darrell Rasner out of the game in the sixth inning with two on and two outs.

But it worked. Scott Proctor got the final out of the inning and Rasner picked up the win as the Yankees beat the Mariners, 5-0, at Yankee Stadium.

The game had its twists, but not just on the field. In the middle of the seventh inning, an announcer asked the fans to turn their attention to the owner's suite. All eyes turned and saw Roger Clemens. "It's a privilege to be back," Clemens said over a microphone. The future Hall of Fame right-hander will suit up with the Yankees for the rest of the 2007 season.

The game also had its suspenseful moments. It started when first baseman Josh Phelps rammed into Mariners catcher Kenji Johjima for the first run of the game in the fifth inning. A slide would have sufficed, and the Mariners retaliated when Jarrod Washburn plunked Phelps in the back in his next trip to the plate.

Proctor threw a pitch inside to shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt in the seventh, who then pointed his bat toward Proctor, clearing both benches and bullpens. Torre and Proctor were ejected.

Rasner improved to 1-1 and lowered his ERA to 2.75 on the season.

May 6 Mariners Preview..."Washburn out to stay on top of Yanks"

By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com


Jarrod Washburn must be comfortable pitching against one of the most feared lineups of the past decade.

In eight career starts against the Yankees, Washburn has compiled a 4-3 record and a 2.59 ERA. He's struck out 33 and walked 11 in 55 2/3 innings against the Bronx Bombers, holding them to a .259 average.

Washburn will look to continue his dominance against the Bronx Bombers on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.

Six of the Yankees' nine starters -- Johnny Damon, Bobby Abreu, Jason Giambi, Hideki Matsui, Jorge Posada and Melky Cabrera -- have combined to go 18-for-97 (.186) against Washburn.

Darrell Rasner will get the start for the Yankees. He started the season as the Yankees' fifth
starter but was soon sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he appeared in two games and didn't give up a run in eight innings.

Pitching matchup

SEA: LHP Jarrod Washburn (2-2, 2.88 ERA)Washburn is throwing the ball the way the Mariners envisioned when they signed him to a four-year, $37.5 million contract before the 2006 season. The left-hander has pitched at least six innings in all five of his starts this season, including a seven-inning performance against the White Sox last week in which he earned the win while striking out four and walking two. The two runs Washburn gave up, however, were solo home runs. He's allowed a total of four homers on the season.

NYY: RHP Darrell Rasner (0-1, 3.86 ERA) The Orioles hit Rasner hard after he broke camp this spring as the Yankees' No. 5 starter. But after that, he gave up just one earned run in 9 2/3 innings before being shipped to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Now, Rasner gets another shot against the Mariners. Rasner worked eight innings, gave up two hits, struck out three and walked two while pitching for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Player to watch

Alex Rodriguez never gives Washburn an easy out. In 36 career at-bats against the left-hander, A-Rod owns a .333 average with five home runs and nine RBIs, not to mention a .750 slugging percentage.

May 6 Preview..."Back in bigs, Rasner faces Mariners"

By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com


Darrell Rasner made the most of his stint at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre when the Yankees sent him down in mid-April.

He gave up five hits and didn't allow a run in eight innings, striking out three and walking two. Now, he's back in pinstripes, aiming for his first win of the season against the Mariners on Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium.

"When I left here, I felt I was on a pretty good roll," Rasner said. "I was feeling good. I went down there and let that carry over."

Dating back to his second start of the year against the Indians, Rasner has allowed just one earned run in his last 17 2/3 innings between the Major and Minor Leagues.
Rasner said he's just happy to be pitching in pinstripes.

"Every chance is just another opportunity, and I'm thankful for that opportunity, and that's how I'm going to treat it," he said. "[It's an] opportunity to pitch in Yankee Stadium."

Rasner's counterpart on Sunday, left-hander Jarrod Washburn, has also put up nice numbers for the Mariners, going 2-2 with a 2.88 ERA.

Pitching matchup

NYY: RHP Darrell Rasner (0-1, 3.86 ERA) The Orioles hit Rasner hard after he broke camp this spring as the Yankees' No. 5 starter. But after that, he gave up just one earned run in 9 2/3 innings before being shipped to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Now, Rasner gets another shot against the Mariners. Rasner worked eight innings, gave up two hits, struck out three and walked two while pitching for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

SEA: LHP Jarrod Washburn (2-2, 2.88 ERA)Washburn is throwing the ball the way the Mariners envisioned when they signed him to a four-year, $37.5 million contract before the 2006 season. The left-hander has pitched at least six innings in all five of his starts this season, including a seven-inning performance against the White Sox last week in which he earned the win while striking out four and walking two. The two runs Washburn gave up, however, were solo home runs. He's allowed a total of four homers on the season.

Player to watch

Rasner has held right-handed hitters to a .231 average this season, but he's been hit hard by left-handers (.367). Look for the Mariners to use a lefty-heavy lineup, even dipping into bats off the bench. Mariners outfielder/first baseman Ben Broussard, who hasn't seen much playing time this season, had a .308 average with 18 home runs and 19 doubles against right-handed pitching last season.

May 5 sidebar..."Change of pace ends Wang's bid...Perfect game spoiled on righty's first changeup vs. Mariners"

By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- On Friday, the Yankees' spirits loomed low after a 15-11 loss to the Mariners. But Chien-Ming Wang sat at his locker with a smile on his face as he talked with a reporter. He must have known Saturday would be special -- maybe even perfect.

Jorge Posada felt the first tingles of perfection when a full-count pitch whizzed by Raul Ibanez in the seventh inning. Wang had come back from a 3-0 count to strike Ibanez out. Before the big K, Yankees left fielder Hideki Matsui chased down an Ichiro Suzuki deep fly ball toward the left-center-field gap, robbing the Mariners center fielder of extra bases. Something was up.

"I thought, 'There's something here,'" Posada said.

Whispers had long since begun floating through the crowd, through the press box, through the concession stands -- everywhere but the Yankees' dugout. There, Wang sat at the end of the bench. Alone.

Mariners utility man Willie Bloomquist started the game at third base to give Adrian Beltre a rest. He said the momentum and atmosphere in Yankee Stadium could be felt. Wang was on.

"A pitch looks like it's going to be down the heart of the plate, and then there's late movement," Bloomquist said. "The ball gets in on you and jams you."

The eighth inning came.

Hobbled by a sharp grounder taken off his left shin earlier in the game, Wang faced Richie Sexson. The plunk to his shin wasn't as bad as it seemed, though. Posada said it made Wang's sinker move more because he landed more softly out of the windup.

Maybe so. Sexson hit a dribbler right back to Wang. One out.

Then Ben Broussard stepped to the plate. The Mariners backup first baseman had appeared in only 10 games before this one. But in his 17th at-bat of the season, Broussard crossed paths with shadows of Yankees past -- the masterful perfect games turned in by David Cone (1998) and David Wells ('99).

Wang threw a fastball by Broussard, who didn't swing, didn't flinch. Strike one. Posada thought Broussard might be trying to time Wang's fastball, so he decided to call for a pitch he hadn't called to this point -- a changeup.

Posada said that Wang's changeups have been effective the entire season. Besides, a slow pitch with movement would counter Broussard's attempt to zero in on the right-hander's fastball.

Wang released the ball, and it traveled toward home plate. Like every pitch in that inning, eyes followed each rotation that the ball and its red seams made.

"I tried to throw it low," Wang said. "I got it higher."

It stayed up. It became a hitter's pitch. Posada couldn't get that call for a changeup out of his mind -- not even as he stood at his locker after the game.

"You never second-guess yourself," Posada said, "but after it happens, you do."

Wang lost his bid for a perfect game as Broussard drove the 0-1 pitch into the right-field stands. It came in front of a nationwide audience that leaned close to its boxed televisions, computer monitors and flat-screens.

Wang's eyes followed the ball. He even walked a few steps toward right field. He may have wanted to grab that ball out of some fan's hands and hit the rewind button. But he stopped. Then he turned back toward the plate.

Five outs short of perfection, Wang surrendered a second hit to Jose Guillen before getting out of the inning on a double-play grounder hit by Kenji Johjima.

Wang walked to the dugout, the crowd erupted and pitching coach Ron Guidry made his way over to Wang.

"If you're going to lose, think about losing on your best stuff," Guidry said he told him, with a couple of pats on the neck.

Congratulations kept coming. The Yankees' 8-1 victory seemed over at that point, as fans showed their appreciation to Wang.

Wang still has plenty of time to flirt with perfect games. He's just 27 years old. And even though few fans and non-fans alike thought about it, Broussard had himself a magical moment. He hit the ball, rounded the bases, ruined a perfect game and had sentiments of his own.

"That's my first home run in Yankee Stadium," he said. "Pretty special."

May 5 Preview..."Wang aims for first win of season"

By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com

Jeff Weaver is coming back to Yankee Stadium.

The 30-year-old right-hander wore pinstripes for 1 1/2 seasons in the 2002 and '03 seasons, compiling a 12-12 record in 47 starts. He owned an ERA of 4.04 in his half-season with the Yankees, but he posted a 5.99 ERA the following year.

Chien-Ming Wang (0-2, 5.84 ERA) will counter for the Yankees, making his third start of an injury-riddled season in which he hasn't found pinpoint command of his pitches.

The Yankees acquired Weaver in a three-way trade with the Athletics and Tigers about three weeks before the 2002 trade deadline. The Yankees then traded Weaver to the Dodgers prior to the 2004 season as part of the Kevin Brown deal.

Yankees manager Joe Torre thought Weaver would stay in St. Louis this season after earning a World Series ring with the Cardinals last year.

"That's probably the most success he's had over a period of time," Torre said.

Pitching matchup

NYY: RHP Chien-Ming Wang (0-2, 5.84 ERA)Wang had control problems in his last start against the Red Sox and eventually left the game because of a cracked fingernail. Wang hopes to find the command that accompanied his pitches in 2006, when he won 19 games.

SEA: RHP Jeff Weaver (0-4, 18.26 ERA)Weaver is in a tough spot. Odds are that he'll need a solid start to stay in the Mariners' rotation, but it comes against a powerful Yankees lineup. Weaver has posted a career 7-6 record at Yankee Stadium.

Player to watch

No Mariners player has had more than 14 career at-bats against Wang, but first baseman Richie Sexson has hit the right-hander consistently, posting a .400 average with a double in 10 trips to the plate.

May 4 Mariners Notebook..."Notes: Pair of rookies bond"

By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com


NEW YORK -- Mariners closer J.J. Putz mentors rookie right-hander Brandon Morrow in more than late-inning showdowns and toughness of mind. The real teaching starts with a pink backpack.

Putz makes sure that Morrow and fellow reliever Sean White have a big-brother role model around the clubhouse. Hence the backpack, which looks like it came straight out of an 8-year-old girl's Barbie basket.

"I'm not going to rat anybody out," Putz said with a grin and two thumbs pointed toward his chest, "but I don't know who did it."

Morrow and White share backpack duty, switching off every day since the Mariners made a trip to Oakland on April 25. Putz said it keeps the two right-handers loose and stirs some fun between the three of them. It also reminds Morrow and White that they're still rookies, Putz said, and beats most initiations, like wearing a dress.

The team has gone 6-2 since the two youngsters began donning the flashy pink bag on their backs. But walking around ballparks and airports gets lonely for Morrow.

"I try not to look up, just keep my head down," he said. "It's just a little rookie hazing thing."

Morrow walked over to Putz's locker before Friday's game against the Yankees, leaning on one of the white walls. Putz even grabbed him for a dual interview with radio announcer Rick Rizzs in a back room. The two of them are close.

Gifted with much of the same talent -- big builds and fastballs in the high 90s -- Putz befriended Morrow last winter when the two worked out together. Since then, he's talked with the 22-year-old about pitching and being mentally strong.

Morrow didn't dominate like he could in his first three outings of the season, Putz said. He nibbled around the plate and didn't challenge hitters. So Putz talked with him.

"I told him, 'You have to show an attitude out on the mound. When that hitter steps into the box and looks out at you ... he [needs to] see that he's in for a little bit of a battle -- this guy is coming right after me,'" Putz said. "Now, he's coming right after guys with the heater and having some success."

In his appearance after the talk, on April 23, Morrow inherited a one-out, bases-loaded jam in Texas. He struck out Ian Kinsler and Gerald Laird to get out of the inning, pitching 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief and picking up his second Major League win.

That night changed Morrow. He knew he had the pitches, the poise and the makeup. He was a big leaguer.

"Once you start to believe in yourself, and [realize] that you belong in this place and deserve to be here," said pitching coach Rafael Chaves, "then I think the rest of the games are a litter easier."

Big Ben on the bench? Mariners manager Mike Hargrove acknowledged that something always comes up when Ben Broussard is penciled into the lineup -- the game gets rained out, or sometimes he gets the flu.

Having appeared in only 10 games this season, Broussard was batting .214 with one home run coming into Friday's game. That one homer, however, was a grand slam.
Hargrove said that the erratic scheduling and roster shifting that comes with postponements has made it hard to find Broussard playing time.

"We've got good players in [Jamie] Burke and [Jason] Ellison, and Broussard and [Willie] Bloomquist, and the way the schedule has been, we're just trying to get our regulars on a roll and get them going," Hargrove said. "And our bench has paid the price for that."

Guillen heating up: In his last 19 at-bats entering Friday, Jose Guillen had five RBIs and eight hits, posting a .421 average. The recent tear is just another aspect that comes with a young season, Hargrove said.

"Veteran hitters and young guys, too, are still trying to establish themselves and put their feet on the ground," Hargrove said. "He's starting to swing the bat the way we think that he can. He's done a good job for us."

Cleared to go: Sean Burroughs has received medical clearance to play baseball again and will report on Sunday to the Mariners' extended Spring Training camp in Peoria, Ariz.

The 26-year-old infielder signed a Minor League contract with the Mariners on Dec. 19 and was invited to Spring Training with the Major League club, but he sustained an injury to his right shoulder while fishing near San Diego about a week before camp opened.

Burroughs has been rehabilitating the shoulder in San Diego and underwent an extensive physical exam on Tuesday in Seattle by team medical director Dr. Ed Khalfayan and team physician Dr. Mitch Storey.

"He's good to go," said Mariners Minor League director Greg Hunter. "He'll spend a few weeks down there getting back into shape before we assign him to a team. We don't want to send him out before he's ready."

Burroughs will most likely join either the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers or the Double-A West Tennesee Diamond Jaxx of the Southern League.

Burroughs, the son of former American League Most Valuable Player Jeff Burroughs, was the Padres' first-round pick (No. 9 overall) in the 1999 First-Year Player Draft. He reached the big leagues for the first time in 2003, batting .271 (52-for-192) with one home run and 11 RBIs.

He followed that up with .286 and .298 seasons in 2003 and '04, respectively, but his career took a turn downward beginning in '05, when he batted .250 in 93 games. His career average is .280 with 11 home runs and 134 RBIs.

On deck: The Mariners' four-game series in the Bronx will continue on Saturday, with struggling right-hander Jeff Weaver (0-4, 18.26 ERA) opposing Yankees right-hander Chien-Ming Wang (0-2, 5.84 ERA). Weaver might need a solid outing to keep his spot in the rotation.

May 5 FOX Preview..."Ailing starters battle on FOX"

By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com


NEW YORK -- What's typically a minor annoyance became a serious matter for the Yankees on Sunday against Boston. A group of pinstripes gathered on the mound to look. Chien-Ming Wang's right middle fingernail had cracked horizontally while pitching against the Red Sox.

"If it pops up again, we have to go get him," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "There is no danger -- let's put it that way -- in an injury. Unless you consider this an injury, which it is, but it's something that's not threatening."

That brings us to Saturday, as FOX showcases the Yankees and the Mariners at Yankee Stadium with a start time of 3:55 p.m. ET.

Wang is one of the last pinstriped pitchers standing in a Yankees rotation riddled by injuries. He'll get the start against right-hander Jeff Weaver.
Before the fingernail problem, Wang suffered a hamstring injury in Spring Training and started the season on the disabled list. So far, he hasn't regained the form that won him 19 games last year, with several of his pitches hanging up in the strike zone.

The Mariners also have dealt with their share of rotation troubles. Weaver takes a 0-4 record to the mound with an 18.26 ERA. But the 30-year-old has had success in his career at the ballpark in the Bronx, owning a lifetime 7-6 record at Yankee Stadium. And nobody should forget

Weaver's performance in the World Series in 2006, when he earned a ring with the Cardinals.
As Mariners manager Mike Hargrove has said of the 6-foot-5 right-hander, the right stuff is in his arm. Weaver just hasn't found it this season. He needs a strong start on Saturday's national stage to stay in the Mariners' rotation.

The Yankees come into the game with a 12-14 record, but the Mariners see the fluke in those numbers.

"You take it for what it's worth," said Mariners bench coach John McLaren. "There is still a long way to go, and we know that. We also know who the Yankees are and what they're capable of doing."

None of the Mariners have had more than 14 career at-bats against Wang, but first baseman Richie Sexson has hit the right-hander consistently, posting a .400 average with a double in 10 trips to the plate.

Utility man Willie Bloomquist said playing the Yankees in the historic ballpark at the corner of 161st Street and River Avenue promises something special.

"Just because it's Yankee Stadium," Bloomquist said, "The aura, the mystique."

May 4 Preview..."Igawa looks to continue Yanks' roll"

By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com


Kei Igawa took the role of savior for the Yankees in his last "start." That's just it -- Igawa didn't start. He pitched six innings of scoreless relief after right-hander Jeff Karstens was lifted from the game after being hit by a line drive on the game's first pitch.

Igawa's performance coming out of the bullpen rekindled faith in him after a rough start to the season. The 27-year-old left-hander will make his fifth start of the season against the Mariners on Friday at Yankee Stadium.

Last year he went 14-9 with a 2.97 ERA in 29 starts for the Hanshin Tigers. But Igawa comes into Friday's game with a 2-1 record and 6.08 ERA and a chance to give the Yankees their fourth straight win.

Igawa is in the first year of a five-year contract he signed with the Yankees on Dec. 27. He was the eighth Japanese-born pitcher to make his Major League debut as a starter.
The Mariners send Cha Seung Baek to the mound after an impressive performance against the Royals. He is 0-0 with a 4.22 ERA in two starts this season.

Pitching matchup

NYY: LHP Kei Igawa (2-1, 6.08 ERA)Igawa has fared better at Yankee Stadium than on the road this season. In three appearances in the Bronx, Igawa has posted a 2-0 record and a 4.76 ERA. He has 19 strikeouts to lead the team and 13 walks on the year.

SEA: RHP Cha Seung Baek (0-0, 4.22 ERA)Baek makes his third start because of an injury to
Mariners ace Felix Hernandez. In his last start Baek shut down the Royals on four hits and one run over 6 1/3 innings in a Mariners win. He left the game with a no-decision, walking two and striking out six. Baek has faced the Yankees once in his career, giving up three runs in five innings in 2006.

Player to watchIchiro

Suzuki has hit the Yankees hard in his career. In 215 at-bats against pinstriped pitchers, Ichiro has batted .321 with four home runs, eight doubles and 20 RBIs. He's also run quite a bit against them, swiping 12 bases.

May 3 Doubleheader Preview..."Yanks tackle Rangers in twinbill"

By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com

The Yankees get set for a doubleheader Thursday against the Rangers after Wednesday's game was postponed due to bad weather.

For the only time this season, Andy Pettitte will pitch amid his fellow Texans who speak in those soft twangs.

The Yankees will face the Rangers in back-to-back games after breaking loose of some frustration with Tuesday night's 10-1 win. The outburst could be a momentum shift for the Yankees, who entered the series having lost eight of their last nine games.

Pettitte left Houston and his home state to sign a one-year contract with the Yankees this past offseason. He brings a 1-1 record and 3.00 ERA to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and owns an 8-7 lifetime record against the Rangers. The left-hander is coming off of a loss against the Red Sox in which he pitched just 4 2/3 innings.

Texas counters with Kevin Millwood in the first game and Robinson Tejeda will square off with Mike Mussina in the second game. Millwood is 2-3 this season with a 5.88 ERA.

Game 1 pitching matchup

NYY: LHP Andy Pettitte (1-1. 3.00 ERA)Pettitte has made two relief appearances this year because the Yankees' bullpen has been worn out. Overall, he has 10 jogs in from the bullpen in the middle of a game. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the two first-inning runs Pettitte gave up in his start against the Athletics on April 15 snapped a streak of 15 consecutive starts without allowing a first-inning run.

TEX: RHP: Kevin Millwood (2-3, 5.88 ERA)Millwood is 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA in his last three starts. His last letdown came against the Blue Jays in the sixth inning, when he gave up four runs and couldn't pitch out of the inning. Left-handers have had their way with him this season, batting .346 against him. On the flip side, right-handers hit him at a .284 clip.

Game 1 player to watchMark Teixeira has given Pettitte some grief in 14 career at-bats against the left-hander. The Rangers first baseman has seven hits and a pair of doubles against Pettitte for a crisp .500 average.

Game 2 pitching matchup

NYY: RHP Mike Mussina (0-1, 9.00 ERA)Mussina goes for the Yankees in his first start back from a left hamstring injury. The strain was termed mild and he pitched under simulated conditions last week in New York. In three starts against Texas in 2006, Mussina went 2-0 with a 3.15 ERA.

TEX: RHP Robinson Tejeda (3-1, 3.82 ERA)Tejeda is 1-1 with a 4.42 ERA in his starts at home this season. He's had his way with right-handed hitters thus far, holding them to a .174 batting average. Left-handers, on the flip side, have ripped Tejeda, hitting .322 off him. In his only start against the Yankees last year, he allowed six runs in three innings.

Game 2 player to watch

While he hasn't hit Mussina hard, Michael Young has hit the right-hander consistently. In 31 at-bats against Mussina, Young has nine hits for a .290 average.