CLEVELAND – Kyle Farnsworth has lost his nickname, “The Mop.” Jonathan Albaladejo has effectively replaced Brian Bruney. And Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera continue to be the premier late-game duo in baseball.
“We were able to go 1-1-1-1 and that’s nice,” Joe Girardi said of his quartet of relievers who helped get Mike Mussina a 5-2 victory over the Indians last night. “Mo has been Mo all year long.”
Chamberlain and Rivera, who has not allowed a run in 11 innings and is 8-for-8 in save chances, were expected to be stellar, but Farnsworth was a question mark and Albaladejo is in the big leagues only because Bruney is hurt.
Farnsworth, who earned “The Mop” nickname for being used last year in mop-up situations, has allowed one run in his past six outings (six innings) and has gained the trust of Girardi and his teammates.
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Late in last night’s game a fan ran onto the field and headed for Derek Jeter, looking for an autograph. As the fan went by him, third baseman Morgan Ensberg played bodyguard to Jeter by shouting, “Don’t touch him, don’t touch him.”
“It was funny to hear him, very funny,” said Jeter, who watched security haul away the fan, who never touched the shortstop.
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Bruney went for a second opinion on his injured right foot yesterday hoping to hear that he doesn’t need season-ending surgery to repair a torn ligament. . . . Hideki Matsui, the Yankees’ leading hitter with a .321 average before the game, was back in the lineup last night against Indians lefty Aaron Laffey. Matsui, who didn’t play Saturday or Sunday because the Indians started lefties, went 1-for-4 and drove in two runs.
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Kyle Jeter Reeves, a Manchester, Ohio, boy who was hit in the face by a foul ball last year at Jacobs Field off Bobby Abreu‘s bat, visited the Yankees clubhouse last night. He met with Jeter and Abreu after MLB arranged the meeting.
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Phil Hughes (0-3; 7.85 ERA) opens a three-game series against the Tigers at Yankee Stadium tonight. LHP Kenny Rogers (1-3; 7.66) goes for the visitors. Andy Pettitte (3-2; 3.23) draws RHP Jeremy Bonderman (1-2; 4.28) tomorrow and Ian Kennedy (0-2; 8.53) faces LHP Nate Robertson (0-3; 6.91) Thursday.