It only took one pitch for Phil Hughes to spoil a terrific start.
With an Orioles runner on first and two outs in the top of the sixth, Matt Wieters crushed a long home run to right field off an 0-2 fastball, costing the Yankees starter a shot at his fifth win of the season.
“It could have been a lot better,” Hughes said. “I made a dumb pitch to Wieters.
“Overall, I guess you look at it, it’s all right. … But I didn’t want to make that pitch.”
Still, last night’s outing was a step in the right direction for Hughes, who was shelled by the A’s and Red Sox in his previous two starts.
In six innings in front of 2,179 rain-soaked fans, Hughes allowed two runs on five hits, struck out five, walked one and hit a batter. He threw 75 of his 106 pitches for strikes.
“I wanted to get through five,” Hughes said. “You didn’t know what was going to happen.”
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After allowing a run for the first time in nine appearances in recording the save Monday, Mariano Rivera pitched a scoreless ninth to record his 39th save. He now has 598 career saves, putting him three short of Trevor Hoffman‘s record of 601.
Rivera also is 21-for-21 this season in save chances at Yankee Stadium.
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Alex Rodriguez wasn’t in the lineup last night, with manager Joe Girardi opting to play Eric Chavez at third base.
Girardi said he wanted to give Rodriguez the night off. Chavez, who hit seventh, went 0-for-3.
Also missing from the lineup was Jesus Montero. Despite hitting the first two home runs of his career in Monday’s 11-10 win over the Orioles, Girardi penciled in Jorge Posada as the team’s DH.
Posada hit eighth and went 1-for-3 with a solo homer and two runs scored.
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The Yankees made several roster moves, calling up right-handers Hector Noesi and Andrew Brackman and outfielder Greg Golson from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. They also selected the contract of right-hander George Kontos and activated infielder Ramiro Pena from the disabled list.
Pena had been on the disabled list since July 18 after undergoing an appendectomy.
To make room on the 40-man roster, the Yankees designated right-hander Lance Pendleton for assignment.
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The Yankees are giving any fan with a ticket to last night’s game — whether the tickets were used or not — a free grandstand or terrace-level ticket to any home game in 2012, subject to availability.