BOSTON — Russell Martin wants one thing very clear: He wasn’t ticked about Alex Rodriguez pinch-hitting for him in the ninth inning of last night’s 9-5 loss to the Red Sox.
TV cameras caught Martin tearing a towel in the Yankees’ dugout after manager Joe Girardi pinch-hit for him.
“I was just frustrated from the game. It wasn’t because I got pinch hit for. It had really nothing to do with that,’’ Martin said. “I don’t want anybody to get confused about that. I was just frustrated because we gave up some runs late there.’’
Martin stopped a 0-for-30 slump with a second-inning double, walked and struck out. The 0-for-30 slide was the longest by a Yankee since Derek Jeter and Jason Giambi each went 0-for-32 in 2004.
Martin’s .179 batting average ranks 215th out of 217 major league batters with at least 200 plate appearances.
* Considering they lost Andy Pettitte to a fractured left ankle when he was hit by a batted ball, the Yankees held their breath in the first inning of the opening game when Robinson Cano was hit by a pitch on the right pinkie.
While walking toward first base, the Yankees second baseman was met by Girardi and trainer Steve Donohue. After a few minutes working of treatment, Cano remained in the game.
Cano extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a ground-rule double to center in the fifth. Cano pushed it to 14 with a single in the nightcap.
During the streak he is batting .404 (23-for-57). He had an RBI streak stopped at a career-high nine games in the first game.
“What’s not talked about a lot is his toughness,’’ Girardi said. “This is a tough kid.’’
* Andruw Jones’ three homers in two games hiked his career total to 430. With those blasts, he passed Jason Giambi for 42nd on the all-time list. Cal Ripken Jr. is next with 431. Jones has 10 homers in 122 at-bats this season.
* Derek Jeter went 3-for-5 in the first game, the eighth time this season he had three or more hits. Jeter was 0-for-5 in the nightcap.
* Joba Chamberlain is slated for a bullpen session today. If it goes well, he could start a minor league rehab assignment Tuesday.
* CC Sabathia (strained groin) will throw a bullpen session today for the first time since going on the disabled list. The plan is for the staff ace to start the fourth or fifth game after the All-Star break.
* Girardi said he still has not received word how serious a setback right-handed reliever David Aardsma suffered when he was shut down last week. Aardsma is coming back from Tommy John surgery.
“I have not gotten a report yet, they had to get [test results] to Dr. [Lewis] Yocum,’’ Girardi said of the California surgeon who performed the elbow operation last year. “I don’t know, maybe it’s by horse and buggy.’’
* Cory Wade was activated for the twinbill and will be returned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre today. Wade was called up under the new rule that allows teams to carry 26 player on the roster for doubleheaders.
In two-thirds of an inning in the second game, Wade gave up four hits and three runs. The struggling right-hander was sent to Triple-A on Monday and appeared in one game there.
* Red Sox left fielder Carl Crawford, who has not played this season due to elbow and wrist injuries, now has a strained left groin and will have his rehab interrupted.
“He hit a triple [Thursday night] and when he turned second, he felt a little twinge there,” said manager Bobby Valentine, who thinks Crawford will only be set back a few days.
* Asked about Mark Teixeira criticizing Red Sox reliever Vicente Padilla for his reputation for purposely throwing at hitters in his career, Valentine cracked, “He hasn’t been doing that this year. He’s got to get back to that, I think.”
Valentine then said from what he has witnessed, Padilla has been a “terrific teammate.”
Padilla has plunked only one batter this season. He has hit at least 15 people in a season four times in his career.
* Sox rookie third baseman Will Middlebrooks (hamstring) didn’t play in either game and has missed six straight. Valentine termed Middlebrooks “close” to returning.
For their 26th man recall yesterday, the Sox summoned righty reliever Clayton Mortensen from Triple-A Pawtucket. He worked one-third of an inning in the second game.