MLB

POSADA: NO ISSUE WITH JOBA

Multiple trips to the mound in the third inning Friday night by Jorge Posada added to Joba Chamberlain shaking off his catcher often and it appeared the catcher and pitcher were at opposite ends of the rhythm spectrum.

“I have talked to him, there is not much to say. We all know what went on,” said Chamberlain, who issued five walks and hit two Mets in four innings.

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Posada said it was not being together on signs and that he wanted Chamberlain to work quicker.

Asked if his relationship with Chamberlain was anywhere close to the often combative relationship he had with Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez, with whom often quarreled on the mound, Posada downplayed a rift.

“Not even close,” Posada said. “It was one of those days.”

Manager Joe Girardi noticed the rhythm difficulties with his battery and said, “it will be discussed.”

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Under fire in some national media circles, manager Jerry Manuel joked about his job security before yesterday’s game.

Asked what the Mets could learn from Luis Castillo‘s dropped pop-up Friday night, Manuel suddenly segued to a discussion of his chances of remaining the Mets’ manager.

“Could we refer back to [Castillo’s error] in the spring [next year]? Depending on if I’m here — you know what I’m saying?” Manuel said, laughing. “Half ya’ll got me gone. But anyway, whatever.”

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Xavier Nady tested his right elbow by making 25 throws from 90 feet and 25 from 100 feet.

“It came out of my hand good and had good velocity,” Nady said. “That’s a lot of throwing even with a healthy arm. It’s getting better and stronger.”

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Girardi doesn’t have a problem with his players’ concentration in the field and on the base paths, but he would like for Yankees pitchers to reduce the walks.

“For the most part we are fundamentally sound,” Girardi said. “The thing that crosses my mind is the walks, that’s something we can get better at.”

The Yankees have walked 246 batters this season. Heading into yesterday’s games, the Bombers were second in the AL to Cleveland’s 251 walks, which led the majors. Andy Pettitte‘s walk was the only one issued by Yankees hurlers in yesterday’s 6-2 loss to the Mets at the Stadium.

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There is a chance Damaso Marte‘s first season of a three-year contract worth $12 million could be over. Marte will be examined by Dr. James Andrews tomorrow after he complained of discomfort in the left shoulder. Marte has appeared in seven games this year, is 0-1 with a 15.19 ERA. He complained of shoulder problems when he returned to spring training from the WBC.

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According to industry sources the Yankees “have a very good chance” of signing Gary Sanchez, a highly regarded Dominican catcher who isn’t eligible to sign until July 2.

“He has been in their camp a lot in the Dominican Republic and is an advanced catcher with big power who can really throw,” a scout said of the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder who is projected to be 6-3, 205 pounds.

The buzz is that Sanchez could command in the area of a $3 million signing bonus.

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Manuel got in an out-of-nowhere slam on Kansas City and the Royals when asked if the Mets have suffered more than their share of bizarre losses this season.

“Here [in New York] losses just seem to be a little more visual,” Manuel said. “Everybody seems to know what’s happening here. Whereas if I had a tough loss in Kansas City, nobody knew about it. Kansas City knew about it, but nobody else. But here, it looks like everybody knows about the tough losses.”