The Yankees are showing their age, led on also by the contracts granted to Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and down the line possibly the deal that Mark Teixeira has. And forget about the rumors Monday surfacing that the Yankees had a potential deal going with the cross-town Mets for Carlos Beltran.

With the first installment of the Subway Series at Yankee Stadium Friday night, Beltran rumors only add to headlines as the two teams play the first of six games, the other three next month at Citi Field. But, seriously speaking, with the Yankees slipping and the Mets trying to stay competitive, it certainly is different to see the Yankees getting controversial headlines.

Does Posada get the blame for pulling himself from the lineup an hour before the first pitch Saturday night, reportedly because he was put ninth in order of manager Joe Girardi, or was it a bad back that Posada reportedly had? And was the situation handled properly by the Yankees? That is a question still under review, though the Yankees say that the problem is in the past and it is time to move on.

But where do the Yankees go from here is the ultimate question. Girardi handled the awkward situation graciously and offered a sympathetic tone about Posada, a catcher turned to a fulltime designated hitter with a .155 batting average and hitless against left handed pitching.

This is drama, maybe more than the theatre that was played when the late George Steinbrenner picked up the phone in anger and called the Yankees dugout as a game was in progress.  Posada, from reports, wanted an immediate release form the team, but the realization is that would be difficult to do with the huge salary and last year of a contract.

But from all intents and purposes, and from a perspective of those who analyze and break down baseball, the beginning of more to come is now a part of these New York Yankees. How do you part with Posada, a 17-year career Yankee, a five-time all-star and part of that core four of players that contributed big time to five world championships?

It is a dilemma that the captain, Jeter, also has to address. Because Jeter, the 36-year old shortstop and showing signs of decline, signed a lucrative contract that takes him through the 2013 season with an option for another year. And on the verge of reaching the 3,000 career hit milestone, and if Jeter continues to decline, do the Yankees have another aging player and another Posada situation?

In all probability, the Yankees look to avoid any similarity. But listen to how Jeter responded to all the Posada talk. He defended his longtime teammate. But the Yankees hierarchy spoke to their captain Monday down in Tampa Florida before the start of a series with the first place Rays.

“If I thought he did something wrong, I’d be the first to tell him,” Jeter said when asked by reporters about Posada. He said there was no need for Posada to apologize to his teammates, yet reportedly team President Randy Levine, general manager Brian Cashman and managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner seriously contemplated releasing Posada.

And after speaking with Jeter Monday, everyone is on the same page. But are they? Because Posada is not helping the Yankees with his lack of hitting and the damage has been done. When Jeter supported Posada, it was more than being a longtime friend or, as he said supporting someone that he considers a brother.

It was also about Jeter’s future, and the long term commitments that the Yankees have made with an aging roster of players. The Yankees learned a lesson about Posada and Jeter was obviously consulted about not putting the organization in a similar situation, if and when the skills of Jeter continue to decline.

There is a consensus that owners are getting away from the long term contracts and going more towards homegrown talent from their minor league system. The Kansas City Royals offer an example. In the Bronx last week, the Royals took two of three from New York.

A Royals franchise with a $50 million dollar payroll, enriched with young talent that has Baseball America listing them with the top prospects in the game and on the verge of being one of the premiere teams in the game. In essence getting away from the long term lucrative contract may be something for the Yankees to examine as an aging roster of players is coming to fruition.

Posada has become a victim of the aging ballplayer with a contract granted out of loyalty, as the Yankees do have that generous approach of taking care of their core/franchise player. Perhaps, when Bernie Williams felt insulted a few years ago, and then walked away, it was the right move.

For the moment, as the Yankees say, the Posada dilemma is over. But is it? Because through all of this, the Yankees have to still figure a way to win ballgames and hope the Mets don’t cause additional embarrassment when they come to the Bronx Friday night.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

When the Yankees take the field in the Bronx next Thursday afternoon for their season and home opener again the Detroit Tigers part of the “Core Four” will not be there, Andy Pettitte has retired which left a void in the pitching staff. Jorge Posada has been regulated to the fulltime DH, Derek Jeter is a year older and on the verge of his milestone 3,000^th career hit coming off a career low season in batting average and on base percentage.

And Mariano Rivera is still the closer with no signs of being an aging 41-year old pitcher. But the biggest acquisition of the off-season was Rafael Soriano the 32-year old right hander who had an American League leading 45 saves with Tampa Bay last season. In essence the Yanks have two closers and a perfect set up man out of the pen with Soriano.

In fact, the Yankees may have the best pen in baseball if they stay healthy. Soriano, in 64 games with Tampa posted a 1.79 ERA with 57 strikeouts. And that important pitching stat, WHIP (Walks, Hits, Innings Pitched) a 0.80 ERA stands out.

Despite the outspoken objections from GM Brian Cashman about spending $43 million on his contract, in the end Soriano in the pen makes the Yankees tough to beat in later innings that are close. Manager Joe Girardi can get seven innings from his starter and it is a perfect set up.

In addition the other key element to the pen was picking up Pedro Feliciano, the former cross-town NY Met. The lefty specialist led Major League pitchers out of the pen with most innings pitched the past two seasons with that important 1.37 WHI P ratio in eight seasons with the Mets.

But Feliciano, as well as pen mate Joba Chamberlain have been tending to minor arm problems this spring. Chamberlain may not come up north when the Yanks break camp but the pen is still solid with right hander David Robertson.

Sergio Mitre was dealt to Milwaukee. He figured to be in plans of a back end to a suspect starting pitching rotation. But that door now has been open to Bartolo Colon or Freddy Garcia, two veterans and non roster invitees that have stepped up this spring.

Cashman put his emphasis during the off-season and failed to get the prize, Cliff Lee who signed to pitch for Philadelphia. The Yankees don’t have the veteran Pettitte, have to hope A.J. Burnett rebounds from 10-15 and 5.26 ERA.  The velocity and control for Burnett have looked good working with new pitching coach Larry Rothschild, so there is every reason for optimism that Burnett will bounce back.

Phil Hughes is capable of winning 15 games, and it appears that the youngster Ivan Nova may have a role in the rotation in April when there is a need for five starters.  Then there is CC Sabathia, the ace, now in his third year of his contract in pinstripes. Sabathia, 21-7 last season shows no signs of losing his command and strength, is capable of throwing 200 innings and going deep into games.

But what defines the 2011 Yankees is their versatility and awareness once again that they came up short in 2010.  The veterans such as Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Posada, as well as the manager Girardi know anything less than an appearance or winning of the World Series is a failure.

So the mission since leaving the field and losing to Texas in the ALCS last October is try and forget how close they got to defending championship number 27, and get number 28 back to the Bronx. Ownership, Cashman, Girardi and the Yankees believe they have the nucleus to do that, and will also be looking at a solid year from Jeter, Alex Rodriquez, Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson and company though it appears Granderson will begin the season on the disabled list.

Posada may be in the last year of his career and the catching duties go to Russell Martin. The former Dodger has been hindered by injuries, and Yankee Stadium could get his home run ball back to form. Rodriguez is having a strong spring and in mid season form, putting smiles on the face of Girardi because A-Rod is having no distractions from a bad hip and off the field headlines.

The Yankees expect Robinson Cano, perhaps the best second baseman in the game to have another MVP type season coming off a career best 29 home runs and 109 RBI season, going along with his .319 average.  The question is whether Jeter or Brett Gardner will lead off and that may be an early season experiment for Girardi. Teixeira will get his usual 25 or more home runs, and the Yankees picked up veteran Andruw Jones   He can start and also provide production off the bench along with crafty outfielder Vernon Maxwell.

They may be older. This Yankees roster that begins the long campaign next week is the second oldest in baseball. Though the wave of talented youngsters in the organization could be making stops in the Bronx at some point this season including rookie catcher Jesus Montero, considered one of their top prospects. And Eduardo Nunez, the 22-year old got a taste of the big club last season and is a versatile infield backup.

The Yankees are a potent lineup and will hit the long ball. Even Nick Swisher, an occasional starter, DH and off the bench can hit for power, 29 home runs and 89 RBI last season. They always do at their ballpark in the Bronx which is made for their power. That combination of Rodriguez, Teixeira, and Cano is always a threat, capable of hitting 25 or more home runs.

Gardner and Jeter, they get on base and what follows could be a lot of runs scored again. Of course they have to stay healthy, and the Yankees starting rotation is a question. Cashman still has some spending power, and is the case every year, the ability to pick up another player or two can change the complexion of an impending push for another pennant run in the Bronx.

Boston is the team to beat in the AL east and on paper could take it all. Tampa Bay, though diminished by free agency, still is a threat, and Baltimore will be that much better. But the Yankees are still a team to be reckoned with, a 90 or 95 win season is not out of the question. And if injury free, they get enough runs, and Girardi goes to a reliable bullpen.

In the end it comes down to that starting pitching. All in all, Boston will take the division and the Yankees will have another playoff run. It will be tough and hard, but good enough to prevail taking the AL wild card.

-email Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

The organizational process of making sure the Yankees return to the World Series a year from now began Monday. General Manger Brian Cashman has more than one decision to make which will result in an interesting off season.  The first priority is signing manager Joe Girardi to another contract.

Girardi will become one of the easiest priorities for Cashman. A two-year deal, most likely, for a manager who has lived up to management expectations, even if he was scrutinized by media and fans in the six game ALCS series loss to Texas. There were some questions as to how Girardi set up the pitching rotation and how he used his bullpen in the series.

But time heels some wounds of the unacceptable finish. Girardi will return with a nice contract and get his troops together for another long campaign when the Yankees assemble again come February in Tampa Florida.

What has to be resolved is the contract status of Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, two of the core four of the Joe Torre managed four championship teams. Andy Pettitte, another of the core, once again was the Yankees best starter in the post season and is contemplating retirement. The 38-year-old Pettitte, according to Cashman will take his time and make a decision when the time is right.

Then there is Jorge Posada, signed until the end of next season. The soon to be 39-year old catcher, and another member of the core showed that age has caught up to him. His knees are hurting and the ability to throw out runners has become futile as Texas took more than one extra base. Will posada agree to become an everyday designated hitter or backup catcher?

Simply put, the Yankees, with the second oldest roster in baseball showed that age caught up to them. Cashman has another task of possibly trying to make his team younger and may have to do that by promoting some of the promising youngsters waiting in the organization.

“I think that our players can do it but maybe not at quite the same pace they did when they were 25-years old,” commented Girardi Monday at Yankee Stadium in his last season press briefing with the media. In essence, what Girardi stated has now become an imminent issue that Cashman and the Yankees organization needs to address.

The team needs to get younger, top catching prospect Jose Montero may be ready to succeed Posada. The Yankees can continue to build from within, or making a trade or two.  And with their financial flexibility, they always seem to get their man in the free agent market.

On the market, if they can outbid Texas is pitcher Cliff Lee. He, along with CC Sabathia would give the Yankees a devastating one-two punch in their pitching rotation. And perhaps a new pitching coach, now that Dave Eiland has been terminated, can attempt to put A.J. Burnett back to form.

So here are the issues Cashman and the Yankees need to address after going 29-30 after August 1^st despite scoring the most runs in baseball.

-         Mariano Rivera will turn 41-years old and there appears to be no successor if and when his throwing days are over. Though Rivera still showed he can close a game despite blowing four saves in September.

-         Kerry Wood will go somewhere else because the Yankees will probably decline his $11 million club option. He proved to be a valuable set up man out of the pen but still has a tendency of being wild and who knows about his elbow issues.

-         Joba Chamberlain is no longer an experiment and not an option before Rivera. He could be good trade material to obtain another outfielder or bench help.

-         Maybe move Curtis Granderson, that is, if the Yankees can obtain one or two of the other coveted free agents outfielders Carl Crawford of Tampa or Jason Werth of the Phillies.

-         How much to pay and how long of a new deal for Jeter who has shown that age has caught up to him. The Yankees captain is on a decline, though nobody will admit that claim. Jeter, 36 years of age hit a career low .270 and in the Texas series was not his usual post season threat at the plate. Playing him at the top of the lineup for the duration of his career also becomes a question

Texas was not intimidated, but they at one time also had similar questions, instead going with youth that got them to their first World Series and an occasional free agent. They showed they were the younger team and did everything that the Yankees used to do. Pitch, hit, and manufacture runs can once again get the Yankees there.

And as long as the Yankees are willing to spend, they will always be in the post season. But it is not acceptable unless they get to the World Series. Not acceptable or fulfilling unless they bring another championship trophy to the Bronx.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com Log on to: www.keepitinthering.net

It’s simple. The Yankees are on a mission to repeat as champions, and step one was accomplished with a three-game sweep over the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS.  Phil Hughes won 18 games this season and his first career post season start Saturday evening at Yankee Stadium was memorable. He propelled himself into a post season pitcher, and also answered the skeptics with his outing, a 6-1 win.

The Yankees for the first time as a wild card team advanced to the ALCS and for a second consecutive time in October swept the Twins in the best-of five divisional series. In doing so, they won their ninth straight over the Twins in post season play.

It is the fourth ALCS series appearance for the Yankees since 2003.And they now have a formidable three in the rotation with CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte and Hughes. Perhaps better than the three of last October that included A.J. Burnett, who struggled this season and will get the start in game 4 when the series comes to the Bronx next week.  Javier Vasquez will be regulated to the pen or left off the roster.

“I really loved his stuff tonight,” said Yankees Manager Joe Girardi about Hughes after the series sweep over the Twins, “He located well. He was outstanding. This is not easy. As I said all year long this is hard work,” he said about advancing and elaborating about how his team makes it difficult for other teams to win.

“Pitching, we pitched well,” said Derek Jeter as the Yankees got a good outing from Hughes as their number three starter, and wins from Sabathia in game one and Andy Pettitte in game two. These three could make it difficult for the Rangers to win.

If the Rangers trail in the series when they come to the Bronx, or even if the Yankees come home next week trailing 0-2 in the series, there is the launching yard of Yankee Stadium that make Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher a formidable one, two, three in the lineup that can change the complexion of a game.

That has been seen time and time again, The Yankees never facing the final out in October. Gone is the horrible September stretch of losing 17 of their last 28 games as the pitching, timely hitting, and bullpen came together again in the three-game sweep over the Twins.

For the first time in the nine post season games against Minnesota, the Yankees got on the board first. Robinson Cano started the second with a triple and Jorge Posada drove him home with a single. Cano is a possible MVP of the American League and has the proficiency of hitting the Rangers pitching staff,

The single by Posada was his 41^st career post season RBI surpassing Mickey Mantle for ninth on the Yankees all-time list, one of the core four of the Joe Torre managed championship teams, He wants another ring, though his ability to throw out runners is not as proficient. The Rangers rely more on the extra base hit and long ball, and will play small ball even if it means taking the extra base off Posada.

“It was a big win for us now we need eight more,” said Marcus Thames the designated hitter who became one of the prized additions that GM Brian Cashman acquired during spring training. It seems Cashman always gets the right players. Last October, and into November, it was Eric Hinske and Jerry Hairston Jr, who became unsung heroes.

The 24-year old Hughes was the youngest Yankee stating pitcher to start a post season game since Andy Pettitte in 1995. Making his first career post season start, he allowed one ball out of the infield the first three innings, giving up four hits in his first six innings of work. Hughes was able to get out of a two-out jam in the sixth, striking out Jason Kubel with two on, pitching seven shut out innings and walked one, and has made an immediate impression that he can be a post season pitcher.

“It’s World Series or it’s going to be a disappointing season for us,” said Teixiera.  And that is always the attitude of the Yankees, especially when they get to October even if they have lost some momentum with a six-day hiatus before the ALCS.

And then there is the Mariano Rivera factor. He can still get the four out save, as he did in game one of the ALDS against the Twins appearing in all three games.  Gone and forgotten are the blown saves in September. Until proven otherwise, Rivera has the post season experience and command to close the game, an advantage over Texas closer and rookie Neftali Feliz.

Kerry Wood, Boone Logan, David Robertson and Joba Chamberlain have become a reliable quartet out of the pen before getting to Mariano or taking over if starters don’t go long. Though there are always questions about Chamberlain, and Wood struggled when in came in for Hughes in the clinching game against the Twins.

Texas has a problem closing games at home, so the Yankees have an advantage in the first two games at Arlington.

“They do a very good job getting those guys ready over there,” said Twins Manager Ron Gardenhire about Girardi and his coaching staff, especially in the post season as the Yankees may have the advantage in the first two games. Their pitching staff is rested, enough for Sabathia to be strong for game 1.

In the mean time Cliff Lee, the premiere starter for Texas started  game 5 in the decisive ALDS Series Tuesday night. So the Yankees will not see Lee at least for a game 2, more likely game 3 in the Bronx Monday night.

It is one more step closer for the Yankees to their 41st American League pennant and defense of their world championship. But the Yankees realize there are eight more wins to go before they can get championship number 28.

The difference though is they need to win the first two on the road, or split before coming home.  Not having home field advantage this time could eventually decide the outcome if indeed the series goes to a seventh and decisive game.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com.

AJ Burnett again did not have full control of his pitches. In seven innings on the mound, the right hander walked four, threw a wild pitch and surrendered four earned runs. It was his fourth straight loss in a game that he had pitched at least seven innings.

The defeat was the fifth suffered by Burnett im his last seven starts. The defeat dropped his record to 10-13 and his earned run average climbed to 5.15. Despite the disappointing stats, Yankee manager Joe Girardi was pleased by Burnett’s outing, “I like the way he threw the ball today. I think it was a step forward.”

The Yankee manager’s opinion was seconded by Yankee captain Derek Jeter, “I really thought he threw the ball well. He looked a lot sharper today. It was a step in the right direction.”

Burnett was not satisfied at his inability to prevent the Orioles from coming back and taking the lead after the yanks had scored, “I take pride in shut downs. Every time, you want to shut them down. I get the lead and I blow it. That’s the story today.”

One of the bright spots for the pinstripes was how Alex Rodriguez swung the bat. In his second game after a stint on the 15-dat DL, Rodriguez drove in two runs to reach the century plateau. In the fourth, he took a 2-1 pitch into the stands in left-center to tie the game at one. Rodriguez’s 22^nd round tripper for the season was the 605^th of his career.

In the sixth, with the bases loaded, Rodriguez flied deep to right for a sacrifice fly. His second run batted in gave him 100 for the 2010 season. He tied Hall of Fame sluggers Lou Gehrig and Jimmy Foxx with 13 consecutive seasons of having achieved at least 100 runs driven in. He now holds the career mark with 14 such productive seasons.

When informed by official scorer Bill Shannon of A-Rod’s accomplishment, Girardi commented, “This shows how consistent he’s been, how healthy he’s been. He came up at a very young age and was productive right away.”

The events of the Monday’s game seems inconsistent with the fact that the two teams have exact records in reverse. The Yanks, 86-52 and the Orioles, 52-86. Yet, the yanks still have the best record in the majors and remained 2.5 games in front of the second place Tampa Rays.

The above standings are exactly where Girardi want his team to be, “Our focus is on [winning] the division. I want to have the best record and have home field advantage.”

In the second of the three game series, CC Sabathia will be attempting to win his 20^th game of the year. Jake Arrieta (4-6) will oppose him on the mound. The final game of the 10-game homestand will be the sixth afternoon game in the last seven on Wednesday.

The Yankee captain and shortstop Derek Jeter set the stage by driving a single to left field. With two outs in the inning the crowd started to chant, “Let’s go A-Rod” in the hopes of witnessing a milestone moment. The third baseman strode to the plate digging into the batter’s box, and was greeted with two fastballs outside the strike zone. Finally the third fastball found the strike zone as the slugger lifted it into Monument Park for a monumental milestone moment. That homer also gave the New York Yankees a 2-0 lead over the Blue Jays.

“It is a special number to be able to reach 600 homers for my career,” Rodriguez said after the game. “I am really proud to have been able to reach this milestone and it is something that I am going to treasure.”

Rodriguez seems to like August 4^th for his milestone moments as three years ago today, he was able to lift his 500^th career home run in similar circumstances, today was different because it was a different team and because Rodriguez the player is a different person.

“Earlier on in my career I would do a lot of talking and my play would not match that,” the third baseman said. “Now I am really trying to walk the walk and talk the talk. So much has changed like the way I play the game and go about my business. I try to do the little things more that help the team win games and win a World Series. There is no personal achievement that compares to winning a World Series.

The 2-0 lead was enough for starting pitcher Phil Hughes (13-4) to help him go on and pitch brilliantly in spite of a head cold. The righty went five and one-thirds innings giving up four hits and striking out five batters. For Hughes today must have felt like déjà vu, as the last time he was on the mound was when Rodriguez hit career home run 500 three years ago.

“It feels like something great is always happening with this team,” Hughes said after the game. “Especially with all of these great players on the team, you are expecting something great to happen.”

When asked about the slugger’s monumental homer Hughes had this to say, “It is nice for Alex to get the weight off of his shoulders and to get the home run at home.” Of his performance with the head cold the righty had this to say, “I didn’t feel great today but I was able to keep their guys off base and fortunately we were able to get the win.”

Rodriguez who dreamed of playing in New York one day and had one part of his life growing up in the city had a lot of compliments of the fans and making history at home. “There is nothing more special than to be able to hit a home run here in New York. “It really makes you wish that ‘The Boss’ George Steinbrenner was around, because he loved big moments like this.” On the fan support throughout the quest he said, “The fans have been remarkable throughout this whole thing. I kept them waiting quite a while and they were just remarkable and so patient towards me throughout. I am really thankful for their support.”

It seemed as if the weight was off the Yankees as well as they were able to add on run support as first baseman Mark Teixeira, went 2-for-3 in today’s game and drove in three runs. Also having a good day at the plate was the captain Derek Jeter collecting a season-high four hits, his most in a game since 7/10/09 versus the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim. Both players helped to lead the Yankees to the 5-1 win and snapping their season-high-tying three game losing streak, while also avoiding a sweep against Toronto.

Jeter had a conversation with Rodriguez that went a long way into the monumental homer. Rodriguez shared the story after the game. “Jeter was telling me to just get a base hit, to drive someone in, even try laying down a bunt. But after I got the home run he said to forget about bunting.”

The Captain had this to say of his teammate’s moment, “He got a good pitch to hit and he was able to do what he’s done 600 times already. He’s got a long career ahead of him and a lot of great moments to come.”

In what was a great moment for both the Yankees and one lucky security guard, who was able to grab the milestone baseball. The young man who was later identified as Frankie Babilonia, kept the ball safe and gave it to the All-Star after the game. “I feel blessed that one of our guys was able to get the ball. It is very generous of him to give it to me and I am sure I will do something special with it.”

Babilonia, who is in his second season with the Yankees as a part of the security staff, has been stationed in center field for most of the season.  When asked where this moment would rank he said, “This is going to be ranked at the top of my list. I am going to be able to tell my kids that I was able to be a part of Alex Rodriguez’s milestone moment is awesome.” The guard who received an autographed bat from Rodriguez was even able to take a picture with the slugger after the game. “I am sure my phone is blowing up right now.” Frankie who told numerous jokes to the journalist afterward said, “I just hope there aren’t too many people knocking at my door right now.”

For the Blue Jays were kept off the board until the top of the fourth inning. Outfielder Jose Bautista got the inning going with a single to left field. Three batters later Lyle Overbay hit a double (12) off the right field wall, which plated Bautista and plated the lone Toronto run. Starter Shaun Marcum (10-5) went six innings gave up eight hits, five runs, one while, while striking out five batters.

“Well overall our guys played good.” Toronto manager Cito Gaston said after the game. “The Yankees are a tough team. You always want to take the last one, but we’ll take what we can.”

After a rare off day on Thursday, the New York Yankees look to continue their winning ways. New York opens up a huge four game set against the Boston Red Sox to close out this week. Game one will take place on Friday at 7:05 p.m. as Javier Vazquez (9-7, 4.61 ERA) takes on Clay Buchholz (11-5, 2.59 ERA).

“We felt that it was important that we won today,” manager Joe Girardi said after the game. “We have an important series coming up so it was good to get that positive momentum going our way.”

“That’s just his history,” commented Manuel “Just hoping it’s the same thing,” he said when asked about the usual strong second half that comes from his ace.   Santana still has about four more starts before the All-Star break next month after losing to the Yankees Sunday. The damage was giving up his third grand slam of the season to Mark Teixeira. That gave the Yankees their four runs and taking two of three from the Mets at Yankee Stadium.

“He’s a guy I’m never concerned with, said Manuel.  However the Santana fastball has seemed to have lost some speed. Teixeira off a 1-1 pitch hit a low fastball to left clocked at 89. It may have not cleared the wall at Citi Field.

The ball kept going to left and bounced off the wall into the stands, a typical Yankee Stadium home run. The home run by Teixeira, his 12^th of the season gave the Yankees the 4-0 lead. It was the Yankees seventh grand slam hit this season, the seventh given up by the Mets pitching staff.

“In this ballpark it’s a home run,” said Manuel. In defense of Santana Manuel added, “In out ballpark, it’s a different story.” But it was still a home run and it goes in the books. An inning that started with a Derek Jeter single, an infield hit, and the bunt by Nick Swisher that Santana and first baseman Ike Davis could not handle.

Those plays happen sometimes to Santana, who has allowed four runs in his last three outings, “We have a routine play, one we were not able to make it,” he said about the play at first that was followed by the Teixeira slam.

“I stayed focused after the home run and was able to throw my fastball,” added Santana who has allowed 17 earned runs in 16.2 innings pitched in three career starts , and a 1-2 record in games at Yankee Stadium.

If the Mets were going to send a message, or provide some dominance to this inter league subway series, the one to cement that was Santana.  With the exception of that home run Santana was able to hold the Yankees to eight hits, striking out three.

“He’s historically been a second half pitcher,” said Manuel “I think he’s starting to gear up for that and, not that he’s not trying but that’s been his history. But I’ll take what he’s been giving us. A few bloop hits and then he gives up a fly ball that ends up going out here because of the ballpark, I still see a guy who competes,”

For now Manuel will count on his ace to close out the first half with a strong finish.  Maybe it is the rubber game of a series that also hindered Santana, because the Mets are now 2-8 in those situations this season.

“When all is said and done, however, if you would have told me that we’d go 7-2 on this nine game road trip, I’d take it,” said Manuel when asked about coming into the Yankee series with a 6-0 trip and then Mike Pelfrey and Santana losing the last two games.

Manuel said putting that into perspective, he was satisfied. But the Mets can never be satisfied unless Santana gives them a solid outing.

ADDED NOTE: After the game the Mets optioned 20-year old right hander Jenrry Mejia to Double A Binghampton to prepare him as a starter and recalled right hander Bobby Parnell from Triple A Buffalo. Mejia threw a scoreless sinning of relief Sunday and it is obvious now that the Mets want to groom him as a starter.

“We felt that his development and progression kind of leveled off,” said Manuel about the move. “But to get him to the next level he needs to pitch on a regular basis.”

Added general manager Omar Minaya, “The only way he’s going to get better is to throw more.  We just feel we have to stretch him out a little bit more.”  Minaya also added it was something planned and Mejia was enthusiastic about the opportunity to pitch more that would help with his development.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

Sabathia, unlike many other pitchers, finds a hot and humid day to be agreeable, “I feel a lot better when it’s hot like that. I don’t have to work as hard to get my arm loose.”

As the ace of the staff, Sabathia is often matched against the ace of the opposing team. He has faced Roy Halladay and Sunday was the second time this year that he faced Johan Santana. This is not something that concerns Sabathia, “I’m not going out facing those guys; I’m facing thee lineups.”

Sabathia, the workhorse of the Yankees starting five, has been a boon to the bullpen. He has pitched at least seven innings and thrown at least 100 pitches in nine of his 15 starts. The starter shut out the Mets during a season-high eight innings, accomplished twice before. He scattered four hits and walked two batters. In only one inning, the seventh, did two batters reach base. Girardi said he considered sending Sabathia out in the ninth as the starter only threw 100 pitches, but “the rain [a 22 minute rain delay] made it easier to make a decision.”

Closer Mariano Rivera retired all three batters he faced in the final inning to keep the shut out intact.

The crucial at bat in the contest was that of Mark Teixeira in the third. After Brett Gardner, Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher each reached base via a single, Teixeira took a 1-1 pitch from Johan Santana deep into the left field stands for his fifth career grand slam home run.

After the previous day’s Yanks victory, Yankees manager Joe Girardi spoke about Teixeira’s game tying home run, “Maybe this is the start of a long streak.” Although his batting average, .226, has not greatly improved, the Yankees first baseman has hit safely in 10 of his last 12 games and scored in 11 of his last 13.

Girardi does not believe Teixeira’s current batting average is reflective of his ability or importance to the club, “He’s such an impactful player. For us, it’s just a matter of time before he gets hot and carries the team.” Girardi also expressed admiration for Teixeira’s calm demeanor and his consistently positive attitude, “His personality is consistent every day. It’s hard to tell what he did. That’s what you like. He’s a very easy player to manage.”

Sabathia, Sunday’s starter, is also impressed by the day’s star batter, “Tex is a pro. I think he knew that at some point he would come out of this [slump].”

The victory of the Yankees coupled with Florida’s defeat of the Tampa Rays gave the Yankees the undisputed first place position in the American League East and the best won/loss record in the majors. Inter-league play will continue next week. The Yankees will be on the West Coast to play the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers before returning to the Bronx to face Seattle on June 29.

Yankees starter Andy Pettitte continued his daytime undefeated streak. The lefthander hurled seven innings and gave up only one run, a lead-off, solo homer by Jhonny Peralta in the second. Pettitte surrendered only three other hits and did not walk batter. He has not issued a walk in his last two starts.The last baserunner against Pettitte got on with one out in the third. Pettitte retired the final 14 batters he faced to earn his 236 career victory. The total ties the career mark of Yankees icon Whitey Ford. Pettitte said of tying Ford, “That’s awesome. That’s really special. He’s been a huge supporter of mine. We have a great relationship.”

The 37 year-old starter was asked if he was near retirement or intended to continue into his 40′s. He responded as he had previously, “I can’t see myself playing a lot longer. I can’t think long term. I don’t have personal goals.” He explained that his on-the-field performances will not be the deciding factor in determining when he will stop playing”It’ll be when I feel I have to be with my family more. I put a lot of stock in what my wife says. She’s there.”

As in the previous three contests of this series, the seventh inning saw an eruption of runs that made the outcome clear. Thirty-five of the 57 runs scored in the four games crossed the plate in the seventh inning. The Bronx Bombers lived up to the nickname during the game, especially in the seventh.

Brett Gardner led off with a single and was thrown out trying to steal second. Jeter and then Curtis Granderson singled. After a wild pitch moved the runners to second and third, Mark Teixeira was walked intentionally. A study of past history by the Cleveland skipper Manny Acta could have prevented history from being repeated. Rodriguez drove the ball into monument Park in deep center field for his 20^th career grand slam. This at bat was the seventh for A-Rod after Teixeira was walked to load the sacks. Unbelievably, Rodriguez is 5 for 5 with three of hits being homers. He also drew a walk and hit a sacrifice fly. He garnered 18 runs batted in the seven plate appearances. Rodriguez drove in two other runs for a season-high of six in the contest.

The second leading hitter in the A.L., Robinson Cano followed with a solo home run. The home run gave Cano a team-high 11 homers and increased his team-high hitting streak to 14. Cano is batting .450 during the 14 games, 27 for 60. He has driven in 17 runs during the streak. Cano’s two hits raised his multi-hit games to 24.

Derek Jeter upped his consecutive game hitting streak to eight games. During that stretch, he has batted .486 (17 for 35). This was also his eighth straight multi-hit game against Cleveland, a Yankee record.

Justin Masterson held the Yankees scoreless during the first six frames. The hard-luck hurler, winless in his last 17 starts, ran into trouble in the seventh. Runners were on second and third with two out when Derek Jeter singled to center to score both baserunners.

Jeter’s two runs batted in tied him with Don Mattingly for ninth place in the career listing of Yankees with 1,099. The milestone came one day after Jeter’s 15^th anniversary with the club. Jeter is batting .469 (15 for 32) during his current seven game hitting streak. Despite his two hits off Masterson, Jeter remarked, “He’s not a fun at bat.” The Yankee skipper was also impressed by Masterson’s performance, “Masterson was really tough day. He has a real good sinker.” After Jeter’s single, he was removed from the game.

The Yankees had less problems with the next Indians pitcher, Tony Sipp. The first batter, Curtis Granderson, doubled. Mark Teixeira blasted a three run homer to give New York a 5-3 advantage. Girardi gave full credit to his first baseman, who has been struggling at the plate recently, “It was a huge hit for us. We were having trouble scoring.” The Yankees added two more runs in the eighth.

Yankee starter AJ Burnett performed excellently. He pitched for eight innings, which gave the Yankees overtaxed bullpen a ch needed rest. Burnett surrendered only five hits. He hit two batters, but had a rare start without issuing a base on balls. This was Burnett’s first start in nearly four years, June 27, 2006, in which he has gone at least eight innings without issuing a free pass.

Cleveland manager Manny Acta was profuse in his praise of Burnett, “He’s tough. He’s come a long way from when I saw him with the Marlins. He’s not trying to throw 100 mph out there anymore. He got ahead of our hitters, and when he did, he threw that wicked curveball that he has. He was tough.”

Mariano Rivera entered in the ninth for a rare non-save appearance. He retired all three batters he faced, fanning two. On the final out of the game, Rivera made an acrobatic leap over the bat of Luis Valbuena, yet was able to field the baseball and throw to first baseman Teixeira. None of the Yankees players are surprised by Rivera’s outstanding athleticism. Teixeira explained to reporters, “Mo’s the best athlete on this club. If he wanted to be a center fielder, he end his career as a Hall of Fame center fielder.”

Before the contest, Robinson Cano was honored by latinobaseball.com as Citizen of the Year. He could also be awarded as Yankees player of the year. He extended his hitting streak to 13 games, the team high. During those games, Cano has batted .455 with 25 hits in 55 at bats. His batting has been exceptionally productive as he has driven in 14 runs in the 13 games.