With Derek Jeter approaching 3,000 hits, the focus deservedly is on that historic milestone. However, it’s not the only one on Jeter’s radar.
Jeter swiped second base in the eighth inning of the Yankees’ 7-3 Subway Series victory over the Mets at Yankee Stadium last night. It was his 326th career stolen base and tied him for the Yankees’ all-time lead with Rickey Henderson, who stole more bases than any other player in history.
“That’s hard to believe — Rickey was here like a year and a half,” Jeter said of Henderson, who was a Yankee from 1985 to 1989.
In addition to his third steal of the season, Jeter had two hits to hike the career total to 2,973, a dozen back of Sam Rice for 28th on the all-time list.
“That’s still a long way away,” Jeter said of reaching 3,000. “I am really not thinking about it. It’s more about staying comfortable. If you stay comfortable, the hits will come.”
Jeter has a 24-game home hitting streak against the Mets that started June 28, 2003.
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Alex Rodriguez, who homered for the fourth time in the past 10 games, might want to get Chris Capuano in the American League. Rodriguez went 2-for-3 against the lefty and lifetime is batting 5-for-6 with two homers against him.
Ditto Russell Martin, who is 8-for-13 (.615) against Capuano. Of Martin’s eight homers this year, six have been hit after he had the previous game off.
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For the third straight game against a lefty starter, this time Capuano, Brett Gardner was on the bench and Andruw Jones was in left field.
Manager Joe Girardi used Rodriguez as the designated hitter and Eduardo Nunez at third. It was the third time this season Rodriguez was the DH. Girardi’s belief is that using Jeter (twice) and Rodriguez in the DH slot gives them a semi-rest.
“We will do the same thing with [Curtis] Granderson and Gardy will play,” Girardi said of using his center fielder — who has started 43 of the Yankees’ 44 games — as the DH.
Gardner, who has started four of the 13 games pitched by lefties, is batting .286 (6-for-21) against lefties and .255 (27-for-106) versus righties. Jones made his 10th start in left field and 15th overall, and went 0-for-3. Signed to play against left-handers, Jones is batting .189 (7-for-37) against them.
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Phil Hughes was cleared by Dr. Chris Ahmad to increase his throwing program, but he does not know when he will throw off a mound.
“They have a program outlined, and there is a day I will get on the mound,” Hughes said.
Even though he has felt fine throwing from 90 feet, Hughes said he won’t know for sure if the right shoulder problem that first robbed him of velocity and then put him on the DL will be cured until he faces live hitters.
“It’s going to have to be a game,” said Hughes, who hasn’t worked a game since April 14. “I won’t know until I get into a competitive atmosphere.”
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Outfielder Chris Dickerson had not played since Wednesday night, when he suffered a concussion from taking a pitch by Baltimore’s Mike Gonzalez to the head. But he entered last night’s game as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning.
“I feel fine,” Dickerson said. “Batting practice was awesome.”
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Yankees sent right-hander Amaury Sanit to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and recalled right-hander Lance Pendleton.