MLB

Yankees Pena, Cano plan to attend Lima’s wake

MINNEAPOLIS — Tony Pena and Robinson Cano plan on attending Jose Lima’s viewing today in Queens.

Lima’s funeral originally was scheduled for yesterday but put off until today. The 37-year-old former big league pitcher died Sunday of an apparent heart attack.

“I want to go, I can’t go to the Dominican,” said Pena, who caught and managed Lima in the Dominican Republic Winter League and managed him with the Royals. “It’s hard, I still don’t think he is dead.”

BOX SCORE

UMP WON’T ‘SLOW’ DOWN

Because there is a viewing scheduled for 1 p.m., there is enough time for Cano and Pena to get to Yankee Stadium for tonight’s game against the Indians.

“I have to go, every time he saw me he asked about my dad,” Cano said before the Yankees’ 8-2 loss to the Twins last night. “It’s very sad.”

*

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire didn’t appreciate the Yankees’ stalling to get more time for Mariano Rivera to warm up Wednesday night when Andy Pettitte was sent to the mound for the ninth, warmed up and then was replaced by Rivera, who posted the save in Wednesday night’s 3-2 victory. Gardenhire lobbied MLB to change the rule.

Asked about Gardenhire’s complaints before last night’s game, manager Joe Girardi said there was nothing to it.

“It’s within the rules,” Girardi said. “I have the option to send the starter out there. It’s within the rules.”

*

Because Francisco Cervelli has started the last 10 games and the Yankees weren’t due to get home until 4 o’clock this morning, there is a chance Girardi could use Chad Moeller behind the plate against the Indians tonight.

“Let’s see what [last night] brings,” said Girardi, who is likely to rest Cervelli in at least one of the four games vs. the Tribe. Cervelli went 1-for-4 with a single.

*

When Chad Gaudin was released by the A’s he had a few teams interested in him as a Triple-A starter, with no guarantee he would pitch his way back to the majors. The Yankees offered him a big-league bullpen job and he jumped at it.

“It’s the big leagues,” said Gaudin, who was released by the Yanks in spring training. “I didn’t have a good spring, but I enjoy it here and I left on good terms.”

Gaudin pitched in relief last night, giving up a run on two hits in 1 2/3 innings.

*

Girardi said he wouldn’t use David Robertson last night, and he didn’t. But it had more to do with the right-handed reliever throwing 37 pitches Wednesday than the line drive from Joe Mauer that Robertson took in the back. The liner, caught by Alex Rodriguez, left stitch marks in Robertson’s belt.