Game 22: Yankees vs. Angels

Regular Season Game 22
Yankees vs. Angels
New Yankee Stadium - The Bronx, NY
Game Time: 7:05 p.m.
TV/Radio: YES, WCBS 880

Here are the lineups:

YANKEES (11-10)
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Jose Posada C
Nick Swisher RF
Melky Cabrera CF
Ramiro Pena 3B

Pitching: A.J. Burnett RHP (2-0, 5.47 ERA)

ANGELS (9-11)

TBA

Pitching: Anthony Ortega RHP (0-1, 7.20 ERA)

Yanks vs. Ortega

Ortega has never faced the Yankees.

Angels vs. Burnett

	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
B. Abreu	58	19	6	0	1	10	12	16	.328	.437	.483	.919
V. Guerrero	42	9	4	0	2	3	4	11	.214	.283	.452	.735
T. Hunter	17	2	0	0	2	2	1	7	.118	.167	.471	.637
M. Izturis	13	4	1	0	0	2	2	3	.308	.400	.385	.785
G. Matthews Jr.	11	1	1	0	0	1	1	1	.091	.167	.182	.348
C. Figgins	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000	.000	.000
H. Kendrick	6	2	1	0	0	3	0	2	.333	.333	.500	.833
M. Napoli	6	1	0	0	1	1	0	2	.167	.167	.667	.833
B. Wood	6	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.167	.167	.167	.333
J. Mathis	5	2	0	0	0	1	0	1	.400	.500	.400	.900
S. Rodriguez	4	2	1	0	1	3	0	2	.500	.500	1.500	2.000
J. Rivera	3	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	.333	.500	.333	.833
R. Willits	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000	.000	.000
Totals	178	44	14	0	7	26	21	49	.247	.328	.444	.772

News & Notes

- In four career starts against the Angels, A.J. Burnett is 1-2, with a 4.50 ERA. Last year he was 1-1, with a 4.71 ERA in three starts.

- As I mentioned earlier, Alex Rodriguez returned to the field today for an extended spring intrasquad game today in Tampa. He went 1-for-6 with a homer and two walks. He face two different pitchers, right-handers Matt Richardson and Jose Ramirez. According to people who were there it didn't appear that Rodriguez was running the bases at full speed. And on his home run he trotted to first and then went back to the dugout.

Tomorrow he is scheduled to DH in an extended spring training game against the Pirates in Bradenton.

- Chien-Ming Wang has been cleared to throw up to 65 pitches in an extended spring training game on Saturday.

- Robinson Cano has a 16-game hitting streak.

Stick around and discuss the game

as it happens in the comments section

Yankees vs. Angels Series Preview

Yankees vs. Angels

New Yankee Stadium
(Four Games)

After losing the first four games of the road trip, including three painful losses to the rival Red Sox, I'm sure many Yankees fans are happy they were able to salvage the final two games of the trip. As I said after Tuesday's game it was important that they head home on a high note and I'm very happy that they were able to make that happen. Now with A-Rod's return on the horizon the Yankees need to gain some momentum. Hopefully it starts tomorrow against the Angels.

The Yankees have a 11-10 record and are currently in third place in the AL East, three games behind the first place Red Sox.

It hasn't been an easy beginning of the '09 campaign for the Angels. They've been devastated by injuries to many key players, including Vlad Guerrero, John Lackey, Ervin Santana and others. They've also had to deal with the tragic death of rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart. All things considered, they're not doing that bad. They have a 9-11 record and are currently three games behind first-place Seattle.

Torii Hunter has been doing much of the damage in the absence of Vald. He's been killing the ball, hitting .329/.386/.740 with 8 HR and 16 RBI. He leads the team in HR, RBI, R, and OPS.

On the pitching side Joe Saunders and Jered Weaver have both been very good. Saunders is 3-1, with a 3.41 ERA, and Weaver is 2-1, with a 2.45 ERA. If it wasn't for those two we might be looking at a team that's seven or eight games under .500. And yes, the Yankees will face both in this series.

For the second straight series at the new stadium the opposing team will be bringing an old friend back with them, this time Bobby Abreu. Abreu has gotten off to a very nice start with his new team, hitting .363/.422/.425 with no homers and 12 RBI. He has also stolen eight bases and scored nine runs. I expect that like Giambi last week, Abreu will receive a nice ovation from the Yankees fans in attendance tonight.

The Angels won last year's season series 7-3.

Pitching Matchups

Game 1: Tonight @ 7:05 p.m. | TV/Radio: YES, WCBS 880
A.J. Burnett RHP (2-0, 5.47 ERA) vs. Anthony Ortega RHP (0-1, 7.20 ERA)

Game 2: Tomorrow @ 7:05 p.m. | TV/Radio: YES, WCBS 880
Andy Pettitte LHP (2-1, 2.96 ERA) vs. Jered Weaver RHP (2-1, 2.45 ERA)

Game 3: Saturday: @ 1:05 p.m. | TV/Radio: YES, WCBS 880
CC Sabathia LHP (1-2, 4.73 ERA) vs. Matt Palmer RHP (1-0, 6.00 ERA)

Game 4: Sunday @ 1:05 p.m. | TV/Radio: YES, WCBS 880 LHP
Phil Hughes RHP (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Joe Saunders RHP (2-1, 3.51 ERA)

Players to Watch

YANKEES - Mark Teixeira: I planned on picking Bobby Abreu as the Angel to watch, so with the player playing against his former team theme in mind I'm picking Teixeira as my Yankee to watch. The other reason I picked him is because it's about time he starts hitting. April is just about over and his wrist is apparently healthy, in other words he's out of excuses. We all knew he has stunk in April throughout his career, but this has been his worst opening month since his rookie season back in 2003. The Yankees first baseman is hitting just .197/.365/.364 with 3 HR and 10 RBI.

Maybe playing against his former mates will inspire him, who knows. He hasn't faired that well against them in his career, hitting just .257/.362/.473 with 16 HR and 57 RBI in 84 games. Prior to being traded to the Angels last year, he played three games against them and his .385/.429/.385 with 3 RBI.

Teixeira vs. Ortega: NR
Teixeira vs. Weaver: .231/.375/.692 (3-for-13), 2 HR, 5 RBI
Teixeira vs. Palmer: NR
Teixeira vs. Saunders: .222/.364/.222 (2-for-9)

ANGELS - Bobby Abreu: Welcome back, Bobby. I always like seeing how former Yankees do when they return for the first time so Abreu is my Angel to watch for this series (If Abreu wasn't a former Yankee it would have been Hunter).

He's only played 14 games against the Yankees, obviously all prior to his 2006 trade to the Bronx. In those games he hit .260/.351/.500 with 3 HR and 7 RBI. Abreu always hit well at the old stadium, hitting .314/.391/.508 with 29 HR and 133 RBI in 192 games.

Abreu vs. Burnett: .328/.437/.483 (19-for-58), HR, 10 RBI, 16 K
Abreu vs. Pettitte: .154/.267/.154 (2-for-13, 4 K
Abreu vs. Sabathia: .167/.286/.167 (1-for-6)
Abreu vs. Hughes: NR

Injury Update

YANKEES
- Alex Rodriguez, 3B: 15-day DL with a torn labrum in right hip. He is down in Tampa rehabbing at the Yankees' minor-league complex in Tampa. He's expected back in early to mid May.
- Xavier Nady, RF: 15-day DL with an injured right elbow. It was thought that he would need season-ending surgery, but it is now being reported that he may avoid the surgery and miss just 4-6 weeks.
- Cody Ransom, INF: 60-day DL with a strained right quad.
- Brian Bruney, RP: 15-day DL with a sore right elbow.
- Chien-Ming Wang, SP: 15-day DL with hip abductor muscle weakness.

ANGELS
- Ervin Santana, SP: On the 15-day DL with a sprained MCL in his right elbow.
- John Lackey, SP: On the 15-day DL with right elbow inflamation.
- Kelvim Escobar, SP: 60-day DL as he recovers from right shoulder surgery.
- Valdimir Guerrero, RF: 15-day DL with a torn pectoral muscle. He'll be out 4-6 weeks.
- Dustin Moseley, SP: On the 15-day DL with right elbow irration.
- Darren Oliver, RP: 15-day DL with a sprained left triceps.
- Kevin Jepsen, RP: 15-day DL with lower back spasms.

A-Rod Goes 1-for-6 with a HR in Intrasquad Game

According to Peter Abraham, Alex Rodriguez returned to the field today for an extended spring intrasquad game today in Tampa. He face two pitchers, right-handers Matt Richardson and Jose Ramirez, and went 1-for-6 with a homer and two walks. Abraham says that according to observers in Tampa, it didn't appear that Rodriguez was running the bases at full speed, and when he hit his homer he jogged to first and then headed for the dugout.

Joel Zumaya Hates the Yankees

From The Detroit News: (hat-tip to AOL Fanhouse)

"I can't stand the Yankees, man, and I'm going to go right after them," he said after an outing in which he hit 100 mph on the radar gun. "But that's just part of this game. I'm going to go right after guys."

When asked by John Keating of Fox Sports Detroit what he doesn't like about the Yankees, Zumaya said, "there are little things about them I can't stand. They're just the Yankees."

Well, I'm sure the feeling is mutual, jackass.

Sandomir: Cutting Prices Just For the Rich Offends Everyone Else

From Richard Sandomir (hat-tip to WasWatching.com):

Why not cut more ticket prices at Yankee Stadium, not just the really expensive ones?

The Yankees’ move Tuesday to slash the price of slower-selling premium seats, including the $2,500 perches, and give away others affects a few hundred seats. It was a cosmetic move to quell criticism and put more bodies in front of television cameras.

There are only 100 seats priced for season-ticket plans at $2,500 — and only 55 to 60 have been sold.

The Yankees’ strategy exacerbates the visible divide between fans in exclusive areas and the tens of thousands outside of club access. The Yankees gave discounts to those who can afford $325 to $2,500 tickets for 81 games, but nothing to fans who might have had to stretch family budgets pinched by the recession to pay $50, $75 or $150 a game.

Those fans — many of whom could once afford box seats — deserve something.

There is nothing wrong with treating your highest-paying customers well. Anyone with a full season of $2,500 seats is paying $202,500 this year. That is a real commitment.

But by rewarding only the wealthiest, the Yankees might be inviting some sort of class conflict.

“I won’t predict that this will cause pitchfork riots at the stadium, but it will intensify resentment,” said Todd Gitlin, a professor of journalism and sociology at Columbia University. “The people getting cut-rate deals are in the position of the bonus-getters from A.I.G. or the banks, and people could say, ‘How come these guys get a privilege when I’ve lost my job?’ ”

While I agree that more than just the most expensive seats should probably have been lowered, and it doesn't look too great to just give breaks to the rick, this is all about supply and demand. The Yankees lowered the prices of tickets that they are having trouble selling. If the Yankees had trouble selling bleacher seats, they'd be $10 bucks right now.

New Book Says A-Rod Juiced As A Yankee

UPDATE 2:46 p.m.: A-Rod was asked about these allegations and as you might expect he didn't have much to say.

From the New York Post:

"I'm not going there," Rodriguez said in Tampa, Fla., according to ESPN. "I'm just so excited being back on the field playing baseball. My team won two games up there (in Detroit), so hopefully I can come back and help them win some more."

Asked if he was familiar with the latest reports, Rodriguez replied, "I'm not going there. I'm not going there."

From Tracy Connor:

Alex Rodriguez may have bulked up with steroids as early as high school - and was suspected of juicing while playing for the Yankees, a bombshell new book reports.

Although the slugger insists he dabbled in steroids only while with the Texas Rangers, the book "A-Rod" strongly suggests he didn't give up performance enhancers when he came to New York.

Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts, who broke the story that A-Rod flunked a steroid screening in 2003, reveals fellow Bombers nicknamed the third baseman "B---h T--s" in 2005.

That was after he put on 15pounds in the off-season and seemed to develop round pectorals, a condition called gynecomastia that can be caused by anabolic steroids, she writes.

In addition, an unnamed major-leaguer is quoted as saying Rodriguez and steroid-tainted pitcher Kevin Brown were seen together with human growth hormone - HGH - in 2004.

Two other anonymous Yankees said they believed A-Rod was using based on side effects they saw - and a clubhouse staffer said management wondered if he was using banned substances.

"No one ever asked Alex directly that I know of, but there was a lot of suspicion in house," the employee is quoted as saying.

The book also accuses Rodriguez of using steroids while he was in high school:

Rodriguez put on 25 pounds of muscle between his sophomore and junior years, and word was that his connection was a dog kennel owner.

A former high school teammate told Roberts the future No.1 MLB draft pick was on steroids and his coach knew it.

Another student said the son of coach Rich Hofman admitted he saw Rodriguez use steroids.

Hofman said it was news to him. "Whatever he was doing, he was doing it somewhere else," he said.

Roberts dishes up a highly unflattering portrait of A-Rod as a needy me-firster who had to have his ego constantly stroked.

In one shocking disclosure, the book accuses A-Rod of "pitch tipping" when he was with the Rangers - letting a friendly opponent at the plate know which pitch was coming in lopsided games.

Rodriguez expected players he helped would do the same for him when he was having an off night and needed to get his batting average up and it wouldn't affect the outcome of the game.

Look, as a Yankees fan I don't want to believe any of this. But I'll be honest, it's very hard for me not to. After all we already know he's a cheater, so is it that much of stretch to believe he cheated before and/or after he admitted he cheated?

Personally, I don't really care, but we all know this will be big news. All I really care about is if he can hit like he's supposed to.

I also have a feeling these are just the first of many things to come out of the new Selena Roberts' book.

Joba and Swish Lead Yanks Past Tigers

(Carlos Osorio of the AP, and Rebecca Cook of REUTERS)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
NYY	0	0	0	7	1	0	0	0	0		8	9	0
DET	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	5		6	7	0

Somewhere Brian Cashman has a big smile on his face. After 22-year-old Phil Hughes dominated the Tigers last night, another Yankees youngster, 23-year-old Joba Chamberlain dominated them tonight. In seven innings, Chamberlain allowed one run on three hits, walked three, and struck out six. He threw just 88 pitches, 50 of them for strikes. It was really great to see Joba pitch so economically because that had been one of his biggest problems so far this season. He also was throwing harder than he had in previous starts. Joba averaged 91.1 MPH on his fastball, which was the same as he was averaging on Friday against Boston, but was hitting 95-96 MPH throughout the game which he wasn't doing at Fenway.

Detroit's lone run against Joba came in the bottom of the third on a sac-fly from Placido Polanco. Detroit would go on to load the bases with two out in the inning, but Joba was able to strike out Miguel Cabrera on a nasty curveball.

The Yankees and us fans have to feel very good about what we've seen from Hughes and Chamberlain over the past two nights.

Joba got all the offense he would need with a seven spot in the fourth. Nick Swisher got the scoring started with a three-run homer off Tigers' starter Rick Porcello. Johnny Damon drove in the Yankees fourth run with an RBI double, and Hideki Matsui broke the game open when he smacked a three-run double to make it a 7-1 game. Matsui was 1-for-2 with 3 walks, a homer and 3 RBI, and for someone who looked like they were ready to retire a few weeks ago Matsui has really turned it on. Coming into tonight he was hitting .400/.500/.629 with a homer and 3 RBI over the past two weeks.

Swisher added the Yankees eighth run with a second homer in the fifth. It was his second of the game, and seventh of the year. It looks like he's coming out of his slump.

Phil Coke pitched one scoreless inning out of the pen. He hasn't allowed a run in his last six outings, and has allowed just one hit in his last five innings.

Jonathan Albaladejo did not pitch well today. He allowed four runs one three hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning. His poor outing led to the Yanks needing to use Mariano Rivera. He came into the game with two on and two out in the ninth. On the second pitch he threw Curtis Granderson hit a three-run homer to cut the Yankees lead to 8-6. But Mo was able to get Polanco to pop out to end the game.

Tonight's victory was Joe Girardi's 100th win as a Yankee. After the game he said that he hopes he can win 100 games in a season.

The Yankees now head home for tough eight-game homestand starting with four games against the Angels.

	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Jeter, SS	5	1	0	0	0	1	3	.278
Berroa, 3B	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.250
Damon, LF	4	1	2	1	1	1	0	.297
Gardner, CF	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.220
Teixeira, 1B	3	1	0	0	2	0	1	.197
Matsui, DH	2	1	1	3	3	0	0	.295
Cano, 2B	5	0	1	0	0	0	7	.371
Posada, C	4	1	1	0	1	0	1	.277
Swisher, RF	5	2	2	4	0	0	2	.307
Cabrera, M, CF-LF	5	1	1	0	0	0	2	.311
Pena, 3B-SS	3	0	1	0	1	0	1	.227
Totals	36	8	9	8	8	2	17
BATTING 2B: Damon (2, Porcello), Matsui (5, Rapada). HR: Swisher 2 (7, 4th inning off Porcello, 2 on, 1 out; 5th inning off Rapada, 0 on, 1 out). TB: Damon 3; Matsui 2; Cano; Posada; Swisher 8; Cabrera, M; Pena. RBI: Swisher 4 (19), Damon (9), Matsui 3 (8). 2-out RBI: Damon; Matsui 3. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Cano 4. Team RISP: 3-for-7. Team LOB: 9. BASERUNNING SB: Posada (1, 2nd base off Porcello/Laird). FIELDING DP: (Posada-Cano).

TIGERS OFFENSE

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Chamberlain (W, 1-0)	7.0	3	1	1	3	6	0	3.13
Coke	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	0	4.15
Albaladejo	0.2	3	4	4	1	1	0	8.18
Rivera	0.1	1	1	1	0	0	1	3.12

TIGERS PITCHING

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Joba Chamberlain (7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K (3.13 ERA)

HONORABLE MENTION: Nick Swisher (2-for-5, 2 HR, 4 RBI)

TOMORROW'S GAME

Yankees vs. Angels @ New Yankee Stadium
Game Time: 7:05 p.m. | TV/Radio: YES, WCBS 880
A.J. Burnett RHP (2-0, 5.47 ERA) vs. Anthony Ortego RHP (0-1, 7.20 ERA)

4/29 Minor League Report

================

We are lucky enough to have a SWB report from BigGuy tonight.
He won't be doing these all the time by when he does I will
post them. Thanks BG for the great contributions.

(AAA) Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (15-3) beat Lehigh Valley 7-0: Box Score - Recap

The SWB Yankees shutout Lehigh Valley (Phillies) 7-0 behind the strong pitching of Alfredo Aceves. The win puts the Yanks record at 16-3 on the year.

PITCHING: Alfredo Aceves pitched his 2nd very good game in a row. He threw 8 innings of 3-hit, shutout ball. threw 3 scoreless innings to start the game, retiring the first 8 batters he faced. In the 4th he gave up 2 singles to start the inning. He worked out of the jam getting the next 3 batters, 2 on strikeouts, and an infield pop out. Aceves worked out of a 5th inning jam after giving up a double and hitting a batter. That was it for Lehigh Valley against Aceves. He was perfect the 6th, 7th, and 8th innings, retiring the final 11 batters he faced. Aceves got the win (2-0). Aceves line: 8.0 IP, 0 runs, 3 hits, 6 K's--1 walk | 91 pitches - 69 strikes | 7 groundouts - 11 flyouts.

BULLPEN: Steven Jackson came on to pitch a scoreless 9th after giving up 2 singles to start the inning.

OFFENSE: The Yanks broke to a 2-0 lead in the 1st when Todd Linden singled, and Shelley Duncan hit a 2-run homer (7). In the 2nd they picked up two more runs to take a 4-0 lead. Singles by Austin Jackson and Eric Duncan, a sac bunt by Doug Bernier, and a 2-run single by P.J. Pilittere. SWB broke the game open in the 4th. After 2 outs, Pilittere and Luis Nunez walked, then John Rodriguez hit a 3-run homer (4) to give the Yanks a 7-0 lead.

NOTES: Todd Linden extended his hit streak to 14 games. Kei Igawa gets the start Thursday against Norfolk. No starters announced for Fri & Sat. Ian Kennedy and Jason Johnson are out with injuries. And Eric Hacker makes his 2nd start Sunday.

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Lehigh Valley	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	5	0
Scranton/WB	2	2	0	3	0	0	0	0	X		7	8	2

W: A. Aceves (2-0, 3.80); L: J. Lehr (3-1, 5.06)
HR: SWB: S. Duncan (7), J. Rodriguez (4).

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees

Offense:
Luis Nunez: 0-for-3, BB, R
John Rodriguez: 1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, R
Todd Linden: 1-for-4, R
Shelley Duncan: 1-for-3, BB, HR, 2 RBI, R
Juan Miranda: 1-for-4
Austin Jackson: 1-for-3, BB, R
Eric Duncan: 2-for-4, R
P.J. Pilittere: 1-for-2, BB, 2 RBI, R

Pitching:

Alfredo Aceves (W, 2-0): 8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K (3.80 ERA)
Steven Jackson: 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K (2.45 ERA)

(AA) Trenton (9-8) lost to Connecticut 3-2: Box Score - Recap

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Connecticut	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	0		3	7	0
Trenton	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0		2	7	0

W: H. Sosa (1-0, 3.18); L: Z. McAllister (1-1, 2.53); SV: D. Otero (4)
HR: None.

Trenton Thunder

Offense:
Eduardo Nunez: 0-for-4, RBI
Reegie Corona: 1-for-3, BB, RBI
Marcos Vechionacci: 2-for-4
Kyle Anson: 2-for-4, R
Kevin Smith: 2-for-4, R

Pitching:
Zach McAllister (L, 1-1): 4 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K (2.53 ERA)
Wilkins Arias: 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K (1.74 ERA)
Josh Schmidt: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K (0.00 ERA)

(High-A) Tampa (9-10) lost to Lakeland 5-0: Box Score - Recap

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Tampa	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	2	2
Lakeland	0	1	0	0	2	0	2	0	X		5	8	1

W: T. Weber (2-2, 0.75); L: L. Pendleton (2-1, 2.08)
HR: None.

Tampa Yankees

Offense:
Jack Rye: 0-for-2, 2 BB
Jesus Montero: 0-for-4
Austin Romine: 1-for-4
Mitch Hilligoss: 1-for-2, 2 BB

Pitching:
Lance Pendleton (L, 2-1): 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (2.08 ERA)
Charles Nolte: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (4.09 ERA)
Craig Heyer: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K (3.38 ERA)

(Low-A) Charleston (11-9) lost to Asheville 12-10: Box Score - Recap

Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
Charleston	0	4	0	1	1	3	0	1	0		10	13	3
Asheville	0	2	3	3	1	0	0	3	X		12	13	2

W: M. Marbry (2-0, 1.93); L: C. Arbiso (1-2, 3.00); SV: A. Jorgenson (2)
HR: CSC: M. Mesa (5). ASH: D. Christensen (3), K. Roling (1).

Charleston RiverDogs

Offense:
Raymond Kruml: 4-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R
Taylor Grote: 1-for-3, 2 BB, R
David Adams: 2-for-5, 2 2B, 4 RBI, SB
Melky Mesa: 2-for-5, HR, RBI, 2 R
Chase Weems: 2-for-3, 2 2B, BB, 2 RBI, 3 R
Walter Ibarra: 2-for-4, RBI, R

Pitching:
Brett Marshall: 4 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K (6.86 ERA)
Brandon Braboy: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (3.95 ERA)
Cory Arbiso (L, 1-2): 1.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (3.00 ERA)

Game 21: Yankees @ Tigers

Regular Season Game 21
Yankees @ Tigers
Comerica Park - Detroit, MI
Game Time: 7:05 p.m.
TV/Radio: YES, WCBS 880

Here are the lineups:

YANKEES (10-10)
Derek Jeter SS
Johnny Damon LF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Hideki Matsui DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Jorge Posada C
Nick Swisher RF
Melky Cabrera CF
Ramiro Pena 3B

Pitching: Joba Chamberlain RHP (0-0, 3.94 ERA)

TIGERS (11-9)
Curtis Granderson CF
Placido Polanco 2B
Magglio Ordonez RF
Miguel Cabrera 1B
Carlos Guillen DH
Gerald Laird C
Gerald Inge 3B
Josh Anderson LF
Ramon Santiago SS

Pitching: Rick Porcello RHP (1-2, 3.75 ERA)

Yankees vs. Porcello

Porcello has never faced the Yankees

Tigers vs. Chamberlain
.333

AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
M. Ordonez	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.333	.333	.333	.667
C. Guillen	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000	.000	.000
G. Laird	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.333	.333	.333	.667
P. Polanco	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000
M. Thames	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000	.000	.000
C. Granderson	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	.000	.000	.000	.000
Totals	12	2	0	0	0	0	0	5	.167	.167	.167	.333

- According to Pete Abe, Alex Rodriguez will play in a minor-league intra-squad game tomorrow. This is good news for the Yanks and it would seem that A-Rod is in line to return sometime in the next ten days.

Here's more on A-Rod from the AP via the NY Post:

Alex Rodriguez could rejoin the Yankees within 10 days, according to the doctor who operated on his hip March 9.

Dr. Marc Philippon watched the three-time AL MVP's on-field workout Wednesday at the Yankees' minor league complex and said Rodriguez could return to the majors ahead of his May 15 target date.

"He's looking good. Looking awesome," Philippon said.

Rodriguez hit in a simulated game for the second consecutive day, facing minor leaguer pitchers Christian Garcia and Kai Liu, a left-hander from China the Yankees signed two years ago.

Rodriguez slid five times on a sliding mat for the second time, ran the bases, and took 112 swings in regular batting practice.

Philippon said after watching Wednesday's session that "it's crystal clear" that Rodriguez will be strong when he returns to the Yankees.

- If you didn't see it below, Ian Kennedy has a vasospasm and it can be treated with medication. Apparently it's not a big deal.

- For all of you who are behind the Save Gate Two project, there's some good and bad news. The good news is that Bryan Hoch mentioned it today on his blog.

The bad news is that Peter Abraham wouldn't. I emailed him asking if he would. Here's the email I sent him and his response:

Hey Peter,

It's Greg from Sliding Into Home, and I wanted to email you about an idea that was started by fans over at Baseball-Fever.com to save Yankee Stadium's gate 2. Bryan Hoch posted something about it today, and being that you have the biggest Yankees blog out there I think it would be great if you could do the same. Here's the website so you can take a look yourself. I think it's a great idea.

Any kind of mention you could make about it on your site would be great.

Thanks a lot

Greg

And his response:

What if i don't think it's a great idea? I'm not so sure that structure can stand up on its own.

Thanks for reading,

Pete Abraham

I understand what he's saying. However, I think that if the people behind the project got together with a group of people with a bit of a construction background, whatever structural concerns could be worked out. Either way, it looks like a win one, lose one sort of day for the Save Gate 2 project.

Stick around and discuss the game

as it happens in the comments section