The reporter could not finish his question before Nick Swisher cut him off.
“You struggled this homestand . . . ” the reporter started.
“I didn’t struggle,” Swisher shot back quickly.
Swisher is an 0-for-16 slide, but remains upbeat because many of those outs came on hard-hit balls that were right at fielders. The Yankees right fielder also struck out twice on Sunday, bringing his season total to 12 in 12 games, but he’s doing his best to avoid frustration.
“I busted my [butt] this offseason,” Swisher said. “I saw some results early, but I wanted to continue everything going the same way. I feel that I have, the results just aren’t there. Regardless, what are you going to do? It’s part of the game. Those guys have been playing out there for 100 years. I just have to find a way to hit it away from them.”
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Mariano Rivera is 40 years old, but he’s still pitching the same way he did when he was 27. Through six appearances this season, Rivera has five saves, allowed two hits and given up no runs.
“I feel good,” Rivera said. “The ball is going out of my hand feeling good. I’m hitting spots. That’s what I want to do. As long as I hit my spots I’ll be OK.”
The last few years have featured some early-season blown saves by Rivera, which prompt the talk that he is finally finished. This season, he has given doubters no ammunition.
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There have been just six games at Yankee Stadium this season, but it has not been as much of a homer haven as it was when it opened last April.
Last year, 25 home runs were hit in the first six games at the Stadium. This year only 13 have gotten out, and none of them were cheap fly balls that sailed.
“It’s been really windy,” Swisher said. “I hit one that I thought was going out and died on the warning track. I don’t know. There still will be lots of home runs hit in this ballpark.”
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If Nick Johnson continues to struggle, manager Joe Girardi could move him down in the order against right-handed pitchers and move Curtis Granderson up. . . . Marcus Thames will see time in Oakland with two left-handed starters going for the A’s. . . . Reliever Chan Ho Park will test out his strained right hamstring tonight by playing catch. Park went on the 15-day disabled list Friday.
