YANKEE NOTES
Despite whispers from several Devil Ray hitters that Randy Johnson was battling a back problem Tuesday night when the Hall of Fame lock was rocked, Joe Torre said yesterday that Johnson wasn’t ailing.
Johnson said Tuesday night he wasn’t hurting.
“Everything hurts when you pitch like that,” Torre said of the 41-year-old Johnson, who gave up seven runs and eight hits (three homers) in three innings and then watched the Yankees bail him out in a 20-11 victory. “Nothing contributed to him pitching like that. It’s nothing more than not feeling too good with the way he pitched. You can’t put your finger on it.”
Johnson, who had back surgery in 1996, was coming off two sterling outings, but Devil Ray hitters noticed he avoided his fastball and went with a lot of sliders.
“He is fine,” Mel Stottlemyre said when asked how Johnson felt physically. “He will be fine next time [Sunday night vs. the Mets].”
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Billy Connors and Bill Emslie, key members of George Steinbrenner‘s Tampa contingent, have been summoned to New York, where they will evaluate the Yankees over the next several days. The trading deadline is July 31.
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Steinbrenner’s desire to add blood-and-guts outfielder Mark Kotsay has run into a couple of roadblocks. One, the A’s and Kotsay are talking about a two-year extension. Two, the Cubs, who have better prospects to offer than the Yankees, who won’t budge on No. 1 pitching prospect Philip Hughes.
Cubs are interested in acquiring Kotsay and shifting Corey Patterson to left. In early discussions with the Yankees, the A’s wanted Hughes and infielder Eric Duncan for Kotsay but were described as being flexible.
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Bernie Williams went 1-for-3 in the Yankees’ 5-3 loss yesterday and has 2,149 career hits. He moved past Yogi Berra into sixth place on the team’s all-time hit list. Williams needs four hits to tie Don Mattingly for fifth.
Gary Sheffield‘s first-inning homer was his 428th, tying him with Jim Thome for 34th place on the all-time list.
Torre said Hideki Matsui won’t return to the outfield until the weekend at the earliest. When Matsui got hot as the DH after twisting an ankle in St. Louis on June 12, Torre said he didn’t want to mess with a good thing. Now, Torre needs Matsui in the field because others are dragging.
“It’s gone beyond superstitious because other [outfielders] need a blow,” Torre said.
Matsui, who went 0-for-3 yesterday and had a 12-game hitting streak stopped, is batting .485 (16-for-33) with five homers and 15 RBIs as the DH.
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With the Devil Rays starting lefty Scott Kazmir, Torre used the right-handed hitting Russ Johnson at first base for the second time this year.
Torre could have gone with Tino Martinez but he is battling plantar fasciitis in the right foot.
“He is sore, but playable,” Torre said of Martinez, who is in a 4-for-43 (.093) slump. “With the lefty who throws a hard slider I wanted to use Russ to start out with.” Johnson went 0-for-2.
Chien-Ming Wang (4-2; 3.97 ERA) closes a four-game series against the Devil Rays tonight. LHP Mark Hendrickson (2-3; 5.86) goes for the visitors.
