Rave reviews for CC, despite so-so results in loss to Orioles

"I thought he pitched well," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "It's unfortunate that he gave up four runs. I thought he pitched better than that."

CC passes Pettitte

NYY@BAL: CC passes Pettitte on strikeout list

4/14/15: CC Sabathia passes Andy Pettitte for sole possession of 36th on the all-time strikeout list by getting Jonathan Schoop looking

Sabathia's greatest reason for optimism is the health of his right knee, which he said has not bothered him this year, though Tuesday's game offered a few reminders that the left-hander's degenerative condition could present issues during the season.

In the second inning, Sabathia had trouble covering first base on a Chris Davis fielder's choice, then slipped while pursuing a Caleb Joseph roller up the first-base line and hit the runner with his throw for an error.

"It's wet out there. I made the best play I could," Sabathia said. "I didn't want to go down and slide, and I just threw it into the runner."

Neither play ultimately cost the Yankees a run, and Girardi said that the Yankees understand Sabathia's mobility is limited and will have to live with it. Sabathia's 305-pound frame and a follow-through that sends him toward third base don't help the issue.

"It's hard for him to get over there in that situation," Girardi said. "He had the one on the bunt and did everything he could to get there. It's just tough because he falls off to the right."

Adam Jones crushed his fourth home run of the season off Sabathia in the first inning, then added a sacrifice fly in the third. An infield single and wild pitch set up the third Baltimore run in the fourth, knocked in on a Joseph single.

"CC pitched well," first baseman Mark Teixeira said. "I wish we could have scored some more runs for him, but I really liked what I saw."

Teixeira's RBI double

NYY@BAL: Teixeira drives home Ellsbury with a double

4/14/15: Mark Teixeira rips a line drive down the right-field line, scoring Jacoby Ellsbury for the Yankees' first run

So did Girardi, who believes that this version of Sabathia is much improved over the hurler who was limited to just eight starts in 2014.

"I'm just seeing better movement on his fastball," Girardi said. "I'm seeing consistency in his changeup, it's not cutting. His slider is better. I just think he's locating a lot better and I think it's because he's healthy. It's hard when you're dealing with nagging injuries to go out there and perform at a high level."

As he left Camden Yards, a place where he hasn't won a regular season game since 2011, the pitch Sabathia wanted back most was Joseph's seventh-inning triple that landed just out of Jacoby Ellsbury's reach, eventually proving to be the difference in the contest.

Joseph's leadoff triple

NYY@BAL: Joseph hits his first Major League triple

4/14/15: Caleb Joseph starts off the bottom of the 7th by lining one just out of the reach of a diving Jacoby Ellsbury for his first triple

"I feel pretty good. I'm commanding the ball pretty good, but I just need to tighten up a few things," Sabathia said. "Especially late in the game, letting up that triple was big."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Torre talks to students about abuse, accepts grant

"I grew up with domestic violence," Torre said. "I was a nervous kid growing up. I was afraid of school. ... I just had very low self-esteem. It really wasn't until not too long ago that I went through some counseling and discovered what my dad was doing to my mom in the house -- even though he didn't physically abuse me, that it was the cause of the fear that I felt and carried into my adult life.

"I felt bad stuff that went on in the house was my fault, that I was causing it. I thought we were the only family in the neighborhood that was going through this, and I never really shared it with any of my friends. Once I discovered that I wasn't born this way and it was caused by what was going on around me, then I wanted to talk about it.

"I was lucky -- I had the ability to play baseball. I had a place to hide. ... But other youngsters aren't as lucky as I was. They don't feel good about themselves.

"What we're trying to do with our Safe at Home Foundation, with Margaret's Place and our counselors and our leaders, is to let you know how important you are to us. We want you to come out the other end of this and go in the right direction -- the direction of respect, a direction of doing something positive with your life. And more than anything else, understand that we care and that people out there care a great deal about you."

Torre spent about 30 minutes answering questions, giving signed baseballs to those who spoke. The Q&A session supported the foundation's mission of encouraging students to express their feelings.

"You may have heard the phrase, 'Love is not abuse,'" Torre said. "Can anybody tell me what that means? Over there, with the Yankee hat on. Come on up."

A student named Scarlett bounded up on stage and addressed her peers confidently:

"We all have a person we love, right? Our mom, our dad, our sister, our brother. The difference between love is, when you love someone you show them that you care. You don't hurt them, you don't say mean things. When bad things happen, you're always there for them. That's what love is. When you verbally abuse, you're mean, you do bad things, that's not love. ... "

The crowd of students shouted their support.

"We all know that Margaret's Place was named after my mom," Torre said in an interview inside one of the Margaret's Place rooms before the assembly. "She endured the wrath and the abuse of my dad, and anything she did was basically for her kids. She was a tough lady, and I certainly want her memory to cast a very positive shadow on the kids who come through this room."

Verizon has worked with Torre and his foundation for the last decade. That check helps the initiative at Emerson, as well as other schools in the region.

Torre's appearance came one week after his appearance at Yankee Stadium to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Torre's ceremonial first pitch

TOR@NYY: Torre tosses out ceremonial first pitch

4/6/15: Joe Torre throws out the ceremonial first pitch to begin the 2015 season at Yankee Stadium

"Seriously, it meant a great deal. I mean, when you get to Yankee Stadium on Opening Day and see all those people who are hungry for baseball. ... Those 12 years with the Yankees really made my career, and it sort of helps when people pay attention to what I say, and if I can give the message off about our Safe at Home Foundation and the work we do, it certainly has been a wonderful 12 years."

Mark Newman is enterprise editor of MLB.com. Read and join other baseball fans on his MLB.com community blog. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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MLB head of youth sports Reagins discusses game's future

MLB.com: Can you tell us a bit about your new role with MLB?

Tony Reagins: We are really excited about this opportunity. It's one where there's an opportunity to change lives at the grass roots level. It's an opportunity to enhance lives and give kids an opportunity to play baseball around the country in all communities.

We're really excited about the opportunity and it's one that we plan to grow. It's one that's really important to Commissioner Manfred and one we take very, very seriously. We're excited. We think there's a lot of growth potential, and we have a chance to impact lives in a positive way.

MLB.com: Is it refreshing and fun for you to work with kids after being at the big league level?

Reagins: It is, because that's what baseball is all about. It's a kid's game. There's an innocence to it. I'm just excited to be able to touch lives. If we can offer baseball to all kids in all communities, you can't lose with that. We can't wait to hit the ground running. We already have a number of programs in place that we plan to build upon. We just can't wait to get started.

MLB.com: How important is it to you to emphasize being in the community?

Reagins: Extremely important. It's not just to be in the community, but to be a part of the community, and to be a part of the community for a long-term basis. We obviously have academies around the country in place today, and there are plans to even grow that. But we want to not just be inserted into the community. We want to stay in it. That's really important.

MLB.com: Can you talk a little bit about today's event in relation to Jackie Robinson and the Civil Rights Game? It's Jackie Robinson Day [today], here in Los Angeles, with Jackie's team.

Reagins: It's special. When you hear the stories [of what] Jackie Robinson went through. ... I had the chance to work with Preston Gomez, who was a coach with Jackie, and we talked at length about Jackie and what he went through in being the only person of color on the Dodgers at that time.

Not being able to shower in the same shower, eat in the same restaurants, sleep in the same hotels as his counterparts. Those are powerful experiences. To fast-forward to this where kids have the opportunity to play baseball, I have an opportunity to do what I'm doing. So many others that have gone before me and have had tremendous opportunites to this game. You can attribute most of it to Jackie Robinson.

MLB.com: Do you think that the kids understand the opportunity in front of them?

Reagins: We have to keep in mind that the kids are still kids. I think they still have to go through life's experiences, but it's important to give them the opportunity and to insert knowledge at the same time. Knowledge is king. If we can educate and give these kids an opportunity to gain that knowledge -- about not only the game of baseball but life in general -- we're ahead of the game.

MLB.com: Does it always help to have former players here to show the kids how to play?

Reagins: This is the part of the game that is extremely important, where we have former players and former coaches coming out on an afternoon where they don't have to come out. They're showing that they're supportive of what we're doing and what we're trying to accomplish.

They care about kids, and they care about the legacy of baseball. That speaks volumes about the individuals that are here and about the Dodgers' organization for really being a part of this program and for providing this baseball field as a renovation project.

MLB.com: Can you talk to us about the growth of the Urban Youth Academies?

Reagins: It is important. I think what you see is that given the opportunity -- in Compton, it's 2006 when we started -- but given the opportunity, there's ballplayers out here. Some players didn't even know there was an opportunity to play. Given the opportunity and given a chance to play, players can have a chance to go to the Major Leagues. It's exciting, being able to see players develop and get better on a day-to-day basis. And I think we're just scratching the surface of what it can be.

Spencer Fordin is a reporter for MLB.com This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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A-Rod welcomes support

BALTIMORE -- As Alex Rodriguez sits five home runs away from tying Willie Mays for fourth place on the all-time list, the Yankees slugger said on Monday that he is pleased to count Barry Bonds among the people cheering for him to move up the chain.

"Anyone that supports me at this point, it's well appreciated," Rodriguez said after the Yankees' 6-5 victory over the Orioles. "It's not taken for granted, that's for sure. But my focus continues to stay between the lines."

In an interview with USA Today, Bonds, like Rodriguez no stranger to performance-enhancement controversy, said that he would applaud Rodriguez if he passes Mays, Bonds' godfather. Mays slugged 660 home runs during a 22-year career with the Giants and Mets. Rodriguez has one home run this season, boosting his total to 655 over 21 big league seasons.

"My godfather means the world to me. I love him to a T, but when Alex hits No. 660, I'll be happy for him," Bonds said. "Willie will be happy for him. Everybody should be happy for him. Anytime anybody in the game does something that's a great accomplishment, the game of baseball should celebrate that. No matter what."

Rodriguez's $275 million deal with the Yankees, signed after the 2007 season, includes a marketing agreement that specifies a $6 million bonus for tying each of the leaders atop the home run list: Mays, Babe Ruth (714), Henry Aaron (755) and Bonds (762), plus another $6 million if he passes Bonds.

"I'm so focused on baseball," Rodriguez said. "One day I'm at third, one day I'm at first, maybe tomorrow I'm at DH. I have a lot on my plate right now, and I'm having a lot of fun doing it. Tonight was a big win."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he hopes Rodriguez hits the five homers this month, but declined to go into detail about his personal feelings toward the milestone and Rodriguez's history.

"I'm not going to share my opinion, but as you know, my job is to get the most out of Alex," Girardi said. "That's my job, and that's what I will continue to do. So far he has played extremely well, and we need that to continue."

Rodriguez went 0-for-4 Monday at Camden Yards and is batting .250 through the first week of this season.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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After rocky 2014, Drew swinging hot bat early

"It's one of those things where I feel a little more comfortable, trying not to do too much, trying not to put too much pressure on myself," Drew said. "I know what kind of player I am, and I've done it for a long time, so in regards to that, it definitely helped with the at-bats in Spring Training and taking it into the season."

The shot off Tommy Hunter boosted the Yanks to a 6-5 win over the Orioles and marked Drew's second homer in as many games. It was his third career grand slam and the Yankees' first pinch-hit grand slam since Jorge Posada did it on June 6, 2001, off the Orioles' Mike Trombley.

Drew's grand slam

NYY@BAL: Drew crushes a grand slam for the lead

4/13/15: Stephen Drew launches a pinch-hit grand slam to deep right-center off Tommy Hunter to give the Yankees a 6-4 lead

"That's huge. I've never been able to do that in my life," Alex Rodriguez said. "I don't think I have a pinch-hit anything. To come off the bench cold, off Hunter, who is such a good pitcher, get a ball 95 miles per hour and hit it I don't know how many feet, that's pretty impressive."

Drew was in that position because Brett Gardner was hit on the right wrist with a first-inning pitch, leaving the game in the seventh, but Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that he has been seeing positive signs from Drew dating back to the team's time in Florida.

"I know he's capable of hitting the ball out of the ballpark, I've seen him do it a number of times," Girardi said. "He put a great at-bat on Hunter. He got to the count he wanted, he got a fastball, and he hit it out."

Late last season, Drew reflected on his split season between the Red Sox and Yankees -- in which he batted .162 in 85 games, not making his first big league appearance until June -- and said that if there was ever a year he'd like to start over, that would be it.

Offered another chance, Drew expects to finish with some numbers he can be proud of.

"I can't compare it [to 2014], because I've never been in that situation before. I don't think anybody has," Drew said. "This year, I'm just thankful to get that chance to get Spring Training and get going."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Howard's imprint on Yanks and baseball lives on

"I know he was very excited and very pleased, and probably a little scared, I guess," Arlene Howard, the former Yankee's widow, said in 2012. "There was controversy. He was very, very aware of that, but his teammates, there was no controversy with them. He was a Yankee. I think all of his teammates felt the same way, that he was there to help the team."

With only the Phillies, Tigers and Red Sox left to integrate among the original 16 clubs, Howard was beginning a 14-year big league career during which he would be honored as the American League's Most Valuable Player in 1963. He would appear in 10 World Series as a player, winning four, and he returned to the Yankees as the AL's first black coach, helping the club win two more World Series trophies in 1977 and '78.

Howard, who died in December 1980 at age 51, is immortalized in Yankee Stadium's Monument Park, where his No. 32 has been retired by the club. While Howard was well received in the clubhouse, his arrival as a player was delayed by what is widely believed to have been racism at the top of the Yankees organization.

Yankees general manager George Weiss reluctantly responded to cries for integration in the early 1950s by signing several black players to Minor League contracts, one of whom was Howard, a standout from St. Louis who had been discovered while playing for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues.

"One of the comments Jackie [Robinson] often made was, 'I think your job is tougher than mine, because Branch Rickey and the Dodgers went after me and supported me,'" Arlene Howard said. "The Yankees really didn't at the time -- they were the Yankees and they always won anyway. They had to be sort of forced into hiring a black player."

Howard quickly proved to be a valuable contributor on the field. Away from the diamond, he enjoyed the company of Mantle, shortstop Phil Rizzuto and third baseman Andy Carey, as well as Yogi Berra, whom Howard would eventually succeed as the starting catcher.

"I'm sure Yogi and he hit it off because they'd both been from St. Louis," Arlene Howard said. "When the Yankees went to St. Louis, Yogi would invite him over to his mother's for a big Italian dinner."

After being traded to the Red Sox in 1967, Howard completed his playing career with a lifetime .274 batting average and 167 home runs.

"I think [the Yankees meant] a great deal to Elston," Arlene Howard said. "They were still the best team going and won more championships than anyone. He was very proud to be a Yankee."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Yankees get much-needed win before hitting road

"We would like to have won more than two [games], but all we can do is win the game that's in front of us," Yankees third baseman Chase Headley said. "We'll enjoy tonight and be back at it tomorrow. It's kind of a weight off the back."

One Yankee, second baseman Stephen Drew, speculated that opening a season at home with so many new players might have cranked the pressure up tighter than normal.

For at least one night, the team they hope they'll be was on display in taking a 7-0 first-inning lead and collecting 16 hits, including home runs by Headley, Brian McCann and Drew. Alex Rodriguez continued his comeback tour with a three-run double and two walks, raising his batting average to .300, highest among Yanks regulars.

Headley's two-run homer

BOS@NYY: Headley swats a two-run shot to right field

4/12/15: Chase Headley takes Clay Buchholz deep with a two-run home run into the second deck in right, extending the Yankees' lead to 6-0

For a team that will play 15 of its next 25 games on the road, this night arrived just in time to perhaps loosen the pressure valves a bit.

"I really haven't had a problem with our approach," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We just haven't gotten a lot of hits. Guys feel a lot better about their swings now going on the road."

McCann pointed to the past few days. To sum up, they were weird. After that six-hour, 49-minute marathon on Friday, the Yanks struggled through Saturday's loss. Finally, Sunday came after a full night of rest. Maybe this was the reset button they've needed.

"It was important to get going and have a game like this, where everybody hits," McCann said. "We needed it. We know we have a good offense."

Drew's solo shot

BOS@NYY: Drew goes back-to-back with Headley in 1st

4/12/15: Stephen Drew follows Chase Headley's homer with solo shot of his own, sending a drive to right that bounces off and over the wall

This game had an interesting story line involving the two starting pitchers: Masahiro Tanaka vs. Clay Buchholz.

The Red Sox gave Buchholz their Opening Day assignment and hoped this would be the season he stays healthy and realizes the promise they've long had for him. He followed up a nice Opening Day performance with a tough one, allowing nine earned runs in 3 1/3 innings. After two starts, Buchholz's ERA is 7.84.

Tanaka? He got through five innings. He needed 97 pitches to do it and allowed three earned runs and four hits. He walked three and threw two wild pitches.

But Tanaka's ERA dropped from 9.00 to 7.00. If that's not exactly ace stuff, it was at least a step in the right direction. He's clearly a guy trying to figure out how to get hitters out with less arm strength and a potentially troublesome elbow.

Tanaka's fastball was nothing special, but he has a very solid splitter and sinker. To repeat: He has Major League stuff. Plenty of very good pitchers don't have his weapons.

But like hundreds of other big league pitchers, Tanaka has to be precise with his location and aggressive in the strike zone. He also must change speeds better than he has been doing. Tanaka may eventually get there, but he's got a ways to go.

Tanaka sailed through three innings, but when the Red Sox began laying off the sinker in the fourth inning, he almost gave away a 7-0 lead.

If the Yankees are looking for a silver lining, it's that Tanaka gave up three runs in the fourth inning, but rallied to strike out Ryan Hanigan and Mookie Betts with runners on second and third to end it.

"That was the best his offspeed stuff was," Girardi said.

Girardi said Tanaka's fastball was better than it had been in his first start, but he was less precise with his other pitches.

"The next step is to put the two together, and we'll have Tanaka," Girardi said.

Tanaka wasn't helped by his defense, which made its ninth error of the season, this one by Drew. But Tanaka got through the fourth and finished the fifth despite allowing a Hanley Ramirez homer in his final inning.

Like a lot of things about these Yanks, Tanaka is a work in progress. If his elbow holds up, his stuff is good enough to win. Whether Tanaka can completely figure it out or not remains to be seen.

And the same can be said of the Yankees. They've got questions up and down the roster. For one night at least, they looked like the team they believe they are.

"Hey, we've played six games," Headley said.

Richard Justice is a columnist for MLB.com. Read his blog, Justice4U. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Ball from McCann's milestone HR tracked down by Young

NEW YORK -- Chris Young's job description is to play all three outfield positions and contribute at the plate, but with the ball from Brian McCann's 200th career homer somewhere out in the right-field stands, he volunteered to try his skills as a negotiator.

Young helped track down McCann's milestone souvenir on Sunday night, which the catcher slugged off Edward Mujica in the eighth inning of the Yankees' 14-4 victory over the Red Sox. McCann said that he was happy to be able to bring the meaningful ball home.

"Chris Young got it for me," McCann said. "He ran out there with a ball and got me to sign it, and asked the fan if he wanted to exchange. It was really nice of the fan to do it."

Tracking down the lucky customer wasn't as easy as McCann made it sound, according to Young, who said he spoke to six or seven fans in order to find the person who'd pocketed the homer.

"You feel like a secret agent, trying to go through multiple people to get to the source," Young said. "It was just a mad hustle. I tried to make it happen as fast as possible."

The homer was McCann's first of the season and his 24th as a member of the Yankees. Of those homers, 20 have come at Yankee Stadium, where the short porch in right field promises to help him continue to pile up the roundtrippers.

"It's something I didn't think I'd get to when I first started my career," McCann, the active leader in home runs by a catcher, said. "I'm happy about it."

McCann said that he knew he started the season with 199 homers, but didn't realize the milestone until he reached the dugout and started receiving congratulations from his teammates.

"You know, McCann is such a great guy and he's done so many great things in this game," Young said. "To reach a milestone like that is special. Any time you do something like that in this game, this game is so hard as it is. To be able to reach 200 home runs, that's special. I think he deserved the ball, and the fans were amazing to him."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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A-Rod paces Yankees' big night with bats

"I think it was important for our guys," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We've scored three or four runs, but it was nice to get a lead, because we haven't led too often this year."

The scoring was ignited by Alex Rodriguez, who ripped a bases-clearing double to left-center field to ignite the first-inning outburst. Chase Headley and Stephen Drew followed with back-to-back homers, the first time the Yankees have done so this season, as part of the inning.

Headley's two-run homer

BOS@NYY: Headley swats a two-run shot to right field

4/12/15: Chase Headley takes Clay Buchholz deep with a two-run home run into the second deck in right, extending the Yankees' lead to 6-0

Scoring double-digit runs has not come easy for the Yankees. They did so just four times throughout 2014, and their three home runs Sunday -- including one from McCann in the eighth, the 200th of his career -- marked a season high.

Rodriguez is beginning to establish himself as perhaps the Yankees' most productive offensive player. He finished the evening 1-for-2 with two walks and four RBIs.

Through the first week of the season, Rodriguez is batting .300/.417/.550, with a home run and six RBIs.

"[Rodriguez] has been really good," Girardi said. "That's a huge hit in the first inning for us to get us going and to give us a big lead."

Girardi on Yankees' 14-4 win

BOS@NYY: Girardi on Tanaka, bats in win over Red Sox

4/12/15: Yankees manager Joe Girardi discusses his team's great offensive play and Masahiro Tanaka's outing in the 14-4 win over the Red Sox

Considering Rodriguez had not played in a Major League game in more than a year prior to Opening Day, neither he nor the Yankees was sure what to expect from him heading into this season. Rodriguez attributed his hot start to his work in Spring Training, but admitted he would have a better barometer on his hitting after 100 at-bats.

"This is such an incredibly special year for me," Rodriguez said. "So different. I don't have anything to gauge it against. I'm really just trying to do the best I can every at-bat."

Rodriguez batted sixth in the lineup on Sunday, his fifth batting-order spot in the Yankees' first six games of the season. He also has hit second, third and fourth, and twice has hit seventh. 

"I've been working hard and I've been feeling better each day, but I have to remain patient and not expect too much," Rodriguez said. "Really try to take small bites, sometimes a walk, and sometimes just pass the baton, get a good pitch to hit and get good wood on it."

Jamal Collier is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jamalcollier. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Tanaka vs. Buchholz to wrap up Sox-Yanks series

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HOW TO PARTICIPATE:  Upon successful registration, follow the instructions provided to receive one (1) virtual bingo card (the "Bingo Card") for each game of the 2012 MLB Postseason played during the Promotion Period (each, a "Postseason Game"). In addition, during the Promotion Period, participants may utilize sharing functionality available via the Promotion upon completion of a successful Contest (the "Sharing Functionality") to receive two (2) additional Bingo Cards. For each eligible individual any entrant notifies or makes aware of the Promotion who clicks on a valid link made available via the Sharing Functionality identifiable as having come from the entrant, such entrant shall receive two (2) additional Bingo Cards (for a total of three (3) Bingo Cards). No additional Bingo Cards will be received other than through verified Sharing Functionality. There is a limit of three (3) Bingo Cards per person and per e-mail address per Postseason Game. Each Bingo Card shall include a 5x5 grid that includes twenty-five (25) tiles (each, a "Tile"). Each Tile will include one (1) randomly selected game outcome for the active Postseason Game. For example, a participant could have a "Josh Hamilton Double" Tile on their Bingo Card which would be automatically marked in the event Josh Hamilton hits a double during a Postseason Game. Any eligible participant who receives a Bingo Card that becomes marked with five (5) Tiles in a vertical, horizontal or diagonal row (each, a "Potential Winning Bingo Card") may be a potential Prize winner, subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with the terms of these Official Rules. (See the Prize Claim Section below for more information.) For purposes of this Promotion, MLB game outcomes will not be updated to reflect any official MLB statistics changes or corrections that may occur after the completion of any Postseason Game. Once each Postseason Game is final following completion of the final out of that game, it will be final for purposes of this Promotion. In the event any Postseason Game is cancelled, postponed or suspended, all Bingo Cards will be void for that game and Sponsor reserves the right to award the applicable Prizes by way of random drawing from among all eligible participants as of the time of such cancellation, postponement or suspension.

PRIZE CLAIMS: In the event you receive a message within MLB.com Gameday notifying you that you have a Potential Winning Bingo Card, you must claim your Potential Winning Bingo Card by following the onscreen instructions provided by no later than ten (10) minutes following the end of the applicable Postseason Game to be eligible for the Drawing (defined below). Failure to claim your Potential Winning Bingo Card within ten (10) minutes following the end of the applicable Postseason Game will render the Potential Winning Bingo Card void and result in Prize forfeiture.

ALL POTENTIAL WINNING BINGO CARDS ARE SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION BY SPONSOR WHOSE DECISIONS ARE FINAL AND BINDING. AN ENTRANT IS NOT A WINNER OF ANY PRIZE, EVEN IF THE PROMOTION SHOULD SO INDICATE, UNLESS AND UNTIL ENTRANT'S ELIGIBILITY, THE POTENTIAL WINNING BINGO CARD AND ENTRANT'S COMPLIANCE WITH THESE OFFICIAL RULES HAVE BEEN VERIFIED BY SPONSOR AND ENTRANT HAS BEEN NOTIFIED THAT SUCH VERIFICATION IS COMPLETE. SPONSOR WILL NOT ACCEPT SCREEN SHOTS OR OTHER EVIDENCE OF WINNING IN LIEU OF ITS VALIDATION PROCESS.

RANDOM DRAWINGS: Approximately thirty (30) minutes following the final out of each Postseason Game, five (5) potential winners will be selected by random drawing from among all eligible participants who claim valid Potential Winning Bingo Cards for that Postseason Game in accordance with these Official Rules (the "Drawing"). Subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with the terms of these Official Rules, the potential winners will be declared official winners of the Sweepstakes (each, a "Winner" and collectively, the "Winners"). Odds of winning a Prize will depend on the total number of Bingo Cards issued and the total number of valid Potential Winning Bingo Cards claimed for each applicable Postseason Game. Limit one (1) Prize per person, per family and per household.

PRIZES:  A maximum of two hundred fifteen (215) prizes (each, a "Prize" and collectively, the "Prizes") will be awarded (i.e. five (5) Prizes per each Postseason Game with a maximum of forty-three (43) Postseason Games), as follows:

For up to twenty-two (22) Postseason Games during the 2012 Wild Card Games and the 2012 Division Series, each Winner will receive one (1) Postseason.TV subscription for the remainder of the 2012 MLB Postseason. Approximate retail value ("ARV") of each such Prize: $4.99.

For up to twenty-one (21) Postseason Games during the 2012 League Championship Series and the 2012 MLB World Series Championship, each Winner will receive one (1) MLB.TV Offseason Package subscription. ARV of each such Prize: $24.99.

Total ARV of all Prizes: $3172.85.

For the avoidance of doubt, no Prizes will be awarded in connection with any 2012 MLB Postseason game that is not played because it is not necessary.

PRIZE CONDITIONS: All Prize details to be determined in the sole discretion of Sponsor. Each Winner is fully responsible for any and all applicable federal, state and local taxes (including income and withholding taxes). Postseason.TV subscriptions are subject to blackout and other restrictions - see www.postseason.tv for complete details. All costs and expenses associated with the Prize acceptance and use not specified herein as being provided including, but not limited to, any and all expenses incurred by accepting the Prize are the sole responsibility of the Winners. The Prizes are non-transferable and non-assignable, with no cash redemptions except at Sponsor's sole and absolute discretion. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute any Prize (or any portion thereof) with one of comparable or greater value at its sole and absolute discretion.

NOTIFICATION:  Each potential winner will be notified at the e-mail address, postal address and/or telephone number (in the sole discretion of Sponsor) provided at the time of entry (the "Prize Notification"). In the event that any potential winner does not respond to any such Prize Notification within three (3) days of the date of issuance or declines the Prize for any reason, a disqualification will result, the Prize will be forfeited and, at Sponsor's sole discretion and time permitting, an alternate potential winner may be randomly selected from among all remaining eligible entries. Each potential winner may be required to submit his/her valid social security number and/or other identification to Sponsor and may be required to execute, have notarized and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Release of Liability and, unless prohibited by law, Publicity, within five (5) days of date of issuance. Failure to submit any identification required by Sponsor or to return the required documents within the specified time period, noncompliance with these Official Rules or the return of the Prize (or any portion thereof) or Prize Notification as undeliverable may result in disqualification and Prize forfeiture and, at Sponsor's sole discretion and time permitting, may cause an alternate potential winner to be randomly selected from among all remaining eligible entries.

WAIVER OF LIABILITY/PUBLICITY RELEASE:  By participating in the Promotion and submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to (i) be bound by these Official Rules, including all entry requirements, and (ii) waive any and all claims against Sponsor, the other MLB Entities, Facebook, Apple, Inc. and each of their respective parents, affiliated companies, subsidiaries, officers, directors, employees, agents, licensees, distributors, dealers, retailers, printers, representatives and advertising and promotion agencies, and any and all other companies associated with the Promotion, and all of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives (collectively, "Released Parties") for any injury, damage or loss that may occur, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from the participation in the Promotion or from the receipt or use of any Prize (or any portion thereof) or any travel or activity related to the receipt or use of any Prize (or any portion thereof). By entering this Promotion, each entrant gives his/her express permission to be contacted by Sponsor by telephone, e-mail and/or postal mail for Promotion purposes. Each Winner, by acceptance of the Prize, grants to Sponsor and each of its designees the right to publicize such Winner's name, address (city and state of residence), photograph, voice, statements and/or other likeness and prize information for advertising, promotional, trade and/or any other purpose in any media or format now known or hereafter devised, throughout the world, in perpetuity, without limitation and without further compensation, consideration, permission or notification, unless prohibited by law.

GENERAL CONDITIONS:  All decisions of Sponsor, including the determination of winners, are final and binding on all matters relating to this Promotion. Released Parties are not responsible for stolen, late, incomplete, illegible, inaccurate, misdirected, lost, misrouted, scrambled, damaged, delayed, undelivered, mutilated or garbled entries, transmissions, e-mail or mail; or for lost, interrupted or unavailable network, cable, satellite, server, Internet Service Provider (ISP), wireless network, website, or other connections including those through and/or by any website, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone, cable or wireless transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties; any error, omission, interruption, defect or delay in transmission, processing, or communication; non-delivery; misdirected, blocked, or delayed e-mail notifications; printing, typographical or other errors appearing within these Official Rules, in any Promotion-related advertisements or other materials; or any other errors, problems or difficulties of any kind whether human, mechanical, electronic, network, computer, telephone, mail, typographical, printing or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Promotion, including, without limitation, errors or difficulties which may occur in connection with the administration of the Promotion, the processing of entries, the announcement of the Prize or in any Promotion-related materials, or the cancellation or postponement of any Major League Baseball game, event or exhibition. Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by website users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Promotion. Released Parties are not responsible for injury or damage to participants' or to any other person's computer related to or resulting from participating in this Promotion or downloading materials from or use of the website. Persons who tamper with or abuse any aspect of the Promotion or website or attempt to undermine the legitimate operation of the Promotion by cheating, deception or other unfair playing practices, or intend to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other entrant or any representative of Sponsor or who are in violation of these Official Rules, as solely determined by Sponsor, will be disqualified and all associated entries will be void. Any attempt to deliberately damage the content or operation of this Promotion is unlawful and subject to legal action by Sponsor and/or its agents. Sponsor shall have the sole right to disqualify any entrant for violation of these Official Rules or any applicable laws relating to the Promotion, and to resolve all disputes in its sole discretion. Released Parties (i) make no warranty, guaranty or representation of any kind concerning any Prize (or any portion thereof), and (ii) disclaim any implied warranty. Sponsor's failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel or suspend the Promotion (or any portion thereof) should virus, bugs, unauthorized human intervention, or other causes corrupt administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper operation of the Promotion (or any portion thereof). In the event of such cancellation, Sponsor may elect to identify the Winners and award the Prizes by way of random drawing from among all non-suspect, eligible entries received up to the time of such cancellation. Sponsor also reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify these Official Rules for clarification purposes without materially affecting the terms and conditions of the Promotion.

CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY ANY INDIVIDUAL, WHETHER OR NOT AN ENTRANT, TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROMOTION OR UNDERMINE THE CONTENT OR LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS PROMOTION MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR WILL DISQUALIFY ANY SUCH ENTRANT, AND SPONSOR AND/OR ITS AGENTS RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS' FEES) AND OTHER REMEDIES FROM ANY PERSON OR PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ATTEMPT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

In the event of dispute as to the identity or eligibility of any potential winner based on an e-mail address, the winning entry will be declared made by the "Authorized Account Holder" of the e-mail address submitted at the time of entry provided he/she is eligible according to these Official Rules. The "Authorized Account Holder" is defined as the natural person to whom the applicable Internet service provider or other organization (such as a business or educational institution) has assigned the e-mail address for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address.

As a condition of participating in this Promotion, each entrant agrees that (A) any and all disputes, claims, controversies or causes of action arising out of or relating to this Promotion, or any prizes awarded (each, a "Claim"), shall be (1) arbitrated on an individual basis only, and shall not be consolidated or joined with or in any arbitration or other proceeding involving a Claim of any other party, and (2) settled by binding arbitration in New York County, New York before a single arbitrator appointed by the American Arbitration Association in accordance with its then governing rules and procedures, and judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered by any court having jurisdiction thereof; and (B) under no circumstance will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental, consequential or any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses. These Official Rules shall be governed by and construed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, U.S.A, applicable to contracts entered into and performed exclusively in that State.

Apple, Inc. is not a sponsor of, or responsible for conducting, the Promotion. All entry data provided in connection with this Promotion is provided to Sponsor and not to Facebook. This Promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

WINNERS' LIST:  For a list of winners (available after December 1, 2012) mail a request and a self-addressed stamped envelope to be received by January 15, 2012 to: MLB.com Bingo Winner's List c/o MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 75 Ninth Ave., New York, New York 10011, Attn: Sweepstakes Department.

SPONSOR: The Sponsor of this Promotion is MLB Advanced Media, L.P., 75 Ninth Ave., New York, New York 10011.

Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are proprietary to the MLB Entities. All rights reserved.

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Jones almost pitched in Yanks' 19-inning marathon

NEW YORK -- The Yankees used seven relievers during Friday's epic 19-inning battle against the Red Sox, which they lost, 6-5. Had the contest pushed any further into the wee hours of the morning, the next man on the mound would have been Garrett Jones.

The first baseman and outfielder said that he has not pitched since 1999, when he was in his senior year at Andrew High School in Tinley Park, Ill. But with Esmil Rogers out of gas, Jones was getting ready to face David Ortiz in the top of the 19th inning.

"I was definitely really pumped to be out there," Jones said. "As a position player, it's always a thought in the back of your mind, 'I'd love to pitch.' Everyone thinks he can pitch. It would have been fun to just get out there and do it. But, at the same time, I wanted to get him out, as well. I would have been having fun, but I would have been competing."

Jones' services were not required because Rogers got Dustin Pedroia to line out to right field on his 81st and final pitch of the night. Manager Joe Girardi said that Pedroia would have been Rogers' last hitter, and Jones was preparing by tossing off the mound in the Yankees' indoor batting cage.

"I was trying to think back to some of the things I remembered," Jones said. "I was just going to go in there and try to throw strikes, not try to be too fancy. Hopefully throw strikes and get him out; throw under the hit speed."

Jones made his Yankees debut as a pinch-runner for Alex Rodriguez in the 11th inning of Friday's game, and that was an unlikely enough occurrence for the slugger. He would have become the Yanks' first position player to pitch since infielder Dean Anna, who did it last April 19 in a 16-1 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field.

Asked to provide a scouting report for himself as a pitcher, Jones laughed and replied, "Straight fastball and a dirty changeup."

"I might have mixed in a curve to Big Papi," Jones said. "I probably would have tried to mess with his timing; bigger leg kicks or a slide step to screw him up, because I know my pitches weren't going to fool him."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Tanaka can stifle questions with success

And there's the larger picture. It's difficult to see the Yankees contending without Tanaka pitching well. He was signed to a seven-year, $155 million contract last offseason to be a rotation cornerstone.

At the time, it was one of the five largest contracts any pitcher had ever gotten. For awhile last season, he fulfilled every promise. Before tearing a ligament in his right elbow, he compiled a 2.51 ERA in 18 starts. In three starts since -- two last season and one this season -- his ERA is 8.18.

The Yankees announced last summer that Tanaka would attempt to rehab the ligament rather than undergo Tommy John surgery. They said they were following the advice of their medical team, and that if surgery had been recommended, he would have had the surgery. Now, they say the recovery has gone well and that Tanaka is methodically regaining his arm strength.

Tanaka fans six Blue Jays

TOR@NYY: Tanaka fans six Blue Jays over four frames

4/6/15: Masahiro Tanaka starts Opening Day for the Yankees and strikes out six Blue Jays over four innings of work

Problem is, he clearly isn't all the way back. Tanaka's velocity is down, and his ERA up. His fastball was clocked at 91.2 mph last season, 90.3 this season, according to fangraphs.com. That's a slight decrease, but when combined with a lack of crispness on his other pitches, the difference can be significant.

In Tanaka's only start of the 2015 season, he allowed the Blue Jays four runs in four innings and needed 82 pitches to get 12 outs. Afterward, the Blue Jays said Tanaka's diminished fastball had made him very hittable.

The Yankees have pointed out that his fastball got hit last season and that his split-finger, slider, two-seamer, etc., are all still plenty good enough to win with. Location, they say, is the issue.

"This is not totally shocking," Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild said. "I think he's still in the process of building arm strength and everything. His arm strength is not far off. It's just locating it. It's some small things. We went slow with him in Spring Training."

Even without a blazing fastball, Tanaka's stuff is still good enough, right?

"His split is still really good. His slider is really good," Rothschild said. "And the fastball location is going to be good. As long as he's healthy, he's going to be fine. Everybody talks about the fastball, but he didn't pitch with his fastball last year. He uses it, but he's got to locate it and pitch with his other stuff."

Some outside the Yankees' family disagree.

"I know the facts, I've seen what's going on with him," Pedro Martinez told MLB Network last week.

MLB Tonight: Tanaka's velocity

MLB Tonight on Tanaka switching style, velocity drop

The MLB Tonight crew analyzes the potential of Masahiro Tanaka's velocity dropping due to an adjusted pitching style

To Martinez, it's easy to see that Tanaka's pitches lack movement and location. He said Tanaka appears to be injured and lacking either confidence or strength. And the Blue Jays seemed to agree with that assessment.

"It's different when you have a pitcher that's throwing 93, 94, 95 mph with that kind of stuff Tanaka has," Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes said. "But when he throws 88, 89, we feel a bit more comfortable, for sure."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said some of the issues are simply Tanaka searching to make the adjustments every Major League player must make as scouting reports get around and weaknesses are exposed.

"His average velocity the other day was one mph below his average velocity for the whole season last year," Girardi said. "It is only his first start. I think he will continue to develop arm strength as the season goes on.

"Some of it is growing pains, people making adjustments to you. The first time every club sees you, you have an advantage. They don't understand your stuff. That's all part of it, and once you see a guy a few times, hitters start to make adjustments, and pitchers have to make adjustments."

As for Tanaka, he stood stoically in front of his locker Saturday morning and said things that made perfect sense. He said he'd taken the time since his first start to work on some mechanical issues and to review what he threw in certain game situations. He said that his confidence had not been shaken.

"I needed time to settle down and work on what I had to work on," Tanaka said. "I think the past four days was good for me. I did look into my mechanics through video. I tried to analyze and see what was wrong. I also did look into the situation of the game and kind of went through my mind to see what I could have done better.

When asked if he might, as Martinez suggested, be holding something back because he was hurting, Tanaka answered quickly.

"I'm not holding anything back," he said.

Tanaka needs a string of solid starts to show the world he's OK. Until then, there'll be more questions.

Richard Justice is a columnist for MLB.com. Read his blog, Justice4U. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Jones almost pitched in Yanks' 19-inning marathon

NEW YORK -- The Yankees used seven relievers during Friday's epic 19-inning battle against the Red Sox, which they lost, 6-5. Had the contest pushed any further into the wee hours of the morning, the next man on the mound would have been Garrett Jones.

The first baseman and outfielder said that he has not pitched since 1999, when he was in his senior year at Andrew High School in Tinley Park, Ill. But with Esmil Rogers out of gas, Jones was getting ready to face David Ortiz in the top of the 19th inning.

"I was definitely really pumped to be out there," Jones said. "As a position player, it's always a thought in the back of your mind, 'I'd love to pitch.' Everyone thinks he can pitch. It would have been fun to just get out there and do it. But, at the same time, I wanted to get him out, as well. I would have been having fun, but I would have been competing."

Jones' services were not required because Rogers got Dustin Pedroia to line out to right field on his 81st and final pitch of the night. Manager Joe Girardi said that Pedroia would have been Rogers' last hitter, and Jones was preparing by tossing off the mound in the Yankees' indoor batting cage.

"I was trying to think back to some of the things I remembered," Jones said. "I was just going to go in there and try to throw strikes, not try to be too fancy. Hopefully throw strikes and get him out; throw under the hit speed."

Jones made his Yankees debut as a pinch-runner for Alex Rodriguez in the 11th inning of Friday's game, and that was an unlikely enough occurrence for the slugger. He would have become the Yanks' first position player to pitch since infielder Dean Anna, who did it last April 19 in a 16-1 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field.

Asked to provide a scouting report for himself as a pitcher, Jones laughed and replied, "Straight fastball and a dirty changeup."

"I might have mixed in a curve to Big Papi," Jones said. "I probably would have tried to mess with his timing; bigger leg kicks or a slide step to screw him up, because I know my pitches weren't going to fool him."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Bullpen a bright spot in Yankees loss

NEW YORK -- There may not be much of a reward for Chasen Shreve's 3 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen in Friday's 6-5 loss to the Red Sox, but the Yankees are appreciative of the work that all seven of their relievers turned in during the 19-inning affair.

New York's bullpen pitched scorelessly in relief of starter Nathan Eovaldi until the 16th inning, when David Ortiz homered off Esmil Rogers, the long reliever called in to soak up the final 4 2/3 innings of the contest.

"Our bullpen did a great job," manager Joe Girardi said. "That's a long game and it's a lot of innings. I thought they did a really good job."

In all, Yankees relievers hurled 13 2/3 innings, permitting 10 hits while walking seven and striking out 14. It was the longest outing of Shreve's career, surpassing a five-out performance last July 25 for the Braves against the Padres.

"He was really good," Girardi said. "He gave us a great opportunity to win this game, and a lot of our relievers did. We had our opportunities. It's really unfortunate to come up on this end, but it's one game that seemed like about six. We'll move on."

"You can't say enough about the job a guy like Chasen Shreve did and Esmil coming in," Brett Gardner said. "We just weren't able to get it done offensively."

Earlier this spring, Adam Warren recalled how he had pitched six scoreless innings of relief in an 18-inning game at Oakland in 2013, and his reward was a demotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre so the Yankees could summon a fresh arm from the Minors.

That could be the case for Shreve, who threw a career-high 56 pitches during Friday's outing. Girardi said that he would discuss that issue following Friday's game; one option to be recalled is right-hander Chase Whitley, who pitched well this spring and was scheduled to begin the season at Triple-A.

Girardi said that Rogers, who threw 81 pitches, would have come out of the game had he not retired Dustin Pedroia to end the 19th inning. In that case, Girardi said that his plan was to send Garrett Jones to the mound.

"That was the only place we could go," Girardi said.

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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First things first: A-Rod makes debut at 1B

NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez spent a good portion of his spring taking ground balls at first base, and the Yankees gave him the opportunity to take his glove out to the field on Saturday against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.

Rodriguez made his first career appearance as a first baseman, with the Yankees giving Mark Teixeira the afternoon off following Friday's 19-inning, 6-5 loss to Boston. Rodriguez saw time at the position in Grapefruit League games and played well, in manager Joe Girardi's eyes.

"I said all along, he's an athlete. He can field, he can throw," Girardi said. "Your concerns become the little decisions that you have to make at first: 'Do I go after that ball or do I let the second baseman get it? Where am I on the cutoffs?' Those things, that's what you worry about the most. The everyday things of playing first base, I have no concerns."

Rodriguez started his big league career in 1994 as a shortstop, earning an American League Most Valuable Player Award, seven AL All-Star selections and two AL Gold Gloves at the position while with the Mariners and Rangers.

He shifted to third base after being acquired by the Yankees in 2004 and served as a designated hitter in his first four games of this season. Rodriguez said this spring that he enjoyed being able to see the game from a different lens after two decades in the big leagues, and that he is on board with whatever Girardi asks from him.

"My original thought was maybe I was going to give him the day off [Saturday], but because of what happened, the length of the game last night and what other guys went through, I changed gears a little bit," Girardi said. "You think about the guys that were on their feet the least and you try to get them in there. I know it's not easy at 39 1/2 [years old], but it's just something we've got to deal with right now."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Sabathia shows promising signs after lengthy layoff

NEW YORK -- Yankees manager Joe Girardi was surprised when he realized just how few starts left-hander CC Sabathia made in 2014.

The veteran lefty scuffled through eight starts and was placed on the disabled list shortly after his outing on May 10 at Milwaukee. It would turn out to be his final outing of the year; the Yankees learned in July that Sabathia would need season-ending arthroscopic knee surgery.

Sabathia returned to the mound in a Major League game for the first time in 11 months Thursday, and surrendered five runs (four earned) on eight hits in the Yankees' 6-3 loss to the Blue Jays. Toronto tagged Sabathia for four runs in the second inning with some well-placed hits, but he settled down to complete 5 2/3 innings.

"I'm not taking anything away from the Blue Jays," Girardi said. "But I thought he threw the ball a lot better than what it looks like."

Toronto loaded the bases in the second on three singles, including one that bounced off Sabathia's glove. Kevin Pillar took advantage with an RBI single to left field, followed by a pair of run-scoring groundouts. Jose Reyes capped off the four-run inning with a run-scoring single into left field.

Sabathia began to settle in after that inning, striking out six of seven Blue Jays through one stretch. He finished with eight strikeouts and did not issue a walk. He cruised along until a broken-bat single in the fifth by Danny Valencia gave Toronto its fifth run, aided by an error from Carlos Beltran.

"Yeah, I mean, a bad inning got away from us," Sabathia said. "I wish I could have stopped the bleeding right there. I had the double-play ball. I just put my glove on it. It was one of those things where we couldn't stop the bleeding in the second inning."

This outing was encouraging for Sabathia and for the Yankees, who are counting on him to return as a force near the top of their rotation. He looked much better Thursday than he did during Spring Training, where he was knocked around for 14 hits -- including three home runs -- through 10 innings.

"It's something to build on," Sabathia said. "No walks. Not a lot of good contact. I think I threw the ball pretty good, it was just bad luck."

Jamal Collier is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jamalcollier. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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With first homer, A-Rod makes presence felt

Sabathia's less-than-adequate pitching wasn't much of an angle at that point. And that he had righted himself and worked effectively into the sixth was tantamount only to locking the cell door after the jailbreak. Then bang, Alex Rodriguez swung at a high fastball from Toronto starter Daniel Norris and an angle appeared as the baseball disappeared into the stands beyond left field. Gentlemen, fire up your laptops.

It was a shot, no back-of-the-wall scraper, that took A-Rod back to Seattle and Texas before it touched down in the same borough where it had been launched. Nothing like the supercharged bolt Edwin Encarnacion put off the top of the wall beyond the visitors' bullpen in left-center in the eighth -- that one was Mantle-esque. But Rodriguez's poke was, as they say, prodigious.

For the 655th time in his career Rodriguez had struck a blow good for four total bases and a warm reception -- a different sort of Bronx cheer. His first home run since Sept. 20, 2013, pleased him and made him a tad nostalgic.

"It's been a long time," Rodriguez said.

Later, A-Rod found humor in his time away from home run hitting: "I felt I needed a Google map to run the bases."

Rodriguez's home run moved his career total to within five of Willie Mays', but it pushed the Yanks only to within three runs of the Blue Jays. Yet it was received as if it had come in late September in a game of greater consequence and eliminated a deficit ... or as if the Captain or Bernie or Donnie had returned and done the deed. But this was Alex Rodriguez, No. 13, punctuating his return and bringing thousands to their feet.

The cheering Rodriguez prompted was passionate. But then the Yankees, as currently constituted, don't appear to be a group that elicits great passion otherwise. Who besides A-Rod can stir the masses? If and when he is again a target of jeers, they probably will be equally passionate. New York demands a focal point for its passion, a hero or the antithesis.

* * * * *

So yes, the game that came to be identified as "Blue Jays 6, Yankees 3" became newsworthy after all. And not only because the designated hitter who batted second in Joe Girardi's revamped batting order had struck a mighty blow. Or because Mark Teixeira followed Rodriguez's home run with a mightier one.

By evening's end, the Yankees' display of power -- albeit bases-empty power -- and Sabathia's last four innings were identified as positives by the manager. And if Didi Gregorius was guilty of another baserunning misstep -- too wide a turn at first base after a single that drove home the Yanks' run in the fifth -- well, he's learning by his mistakes.

Sabathia's 180 was encouraging. He walked none and struck out eight. And some of the eight hits allowed were ground balls through holes. Girardi emphasized that several times and omitted the seed Josh Donaldson pulled to left.

"One big inning," the manager said. "Well-placed balls. If [Sabathia] is going to be hit that hard every time out, I'll take it."

But this Yankees team is severely challenged by a four-run deficit, even one that's in place with eight turns at bat remaining. And yes, A-Rod crushed a 92-mph fastball. But he couldn't catch up with a 94 and a 96 in the seventh when he struck out.

So yes, there is a story here. Of course, there is. But no angle can develop in three games. Can it?

Marty Noble is a columnist for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Yankees scuffling with men on base so far

NEW YORK -- In a microcosm of the sputtering offense that the Yankees have displayed over their first three games, Didi Gregorius smashed a fifth-inning RBI single up the middle Thursday, then slipped coming around first base and was promptly tagged out.

"I just want to be aggressive on the bases," Gregorius said. "I slipped on that one, and I can't take it back. It happened and just go forward from there."

Gregorius seemed to recognize the urgency in sparking the Yanks, for whom runs have been in short supply through 27 innings. They went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position in Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Blue Jays, wasting a fourth-inning rally in which they had men on second and third with none out.

Alex Rodriguez walked and Carlos Beltran doubled to left field, opening the inning against Toronto rookie left-hander Daniel Norris. Mark Teixeira lined out hard to third baseman Josh Donaldson, Chase Headley struck out looking and Chris Young popped out to squelch the threat.

"That's the difference in the game. That's the bottom line," manager Joe Girardi said. "You look at the ball Tex hit, you can't hit a ball any harder than that. It's frustrating, but it happens. To win games, you have to hit with runners on."

If not for a fluky three-run late rally on Wednesday, aided by Young's wind-blown double, two hit-by-pitches and a Headley run-scoring grounder that clanged off of a Toronto glove, the Yanks might have absorbed a series sweep.

Those are thoughts they preferred not to entertain going into this weekend's showdown with the Red Sox.

"It's three games. Today, I was more encouraged," Rodriguez said. "We hit some of the hardest balls; some were outs. Tex hit a rocket that easily could have been a couple RBIs. [Jacoby] Ellsbury had some great at-bats, Didi hit the ball well. Sometimes a run with this type of weather can count for two or three."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Yankees encouraged by Pineda's performance

NEW YORK -- The Yankees have only been able to imagine what kind of production they will receive with a full season from right-hander Michael Pineda. New York acquired him from Seattle during the 2011-12 offseason, but Pineda made just his 14th start as a member of the Yankees on Wednesday due to a plethora of injuries.

Pineda entered the 2015 season feeling healthier than he has in a while, and he could wind up being the Yankees' best starting pitcher. Although he did not factor in the decision during New York's 4-3 victory against the Blue Jays, he turned in a solid outing once again -- surrendering two runs on six hits with six strikeouts in six innings.

Pineda has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 13 of his 14 starts with the Yankees. A cold and rainy night at Yankee Stadium did not do him any favors, but Pineda battled through the weather. His only issue this outing was the fact that he said the mound got a little sloppy as the game went on and the rain continued.

"It's hard, but you have to make adjustments on the mound and play the game," Pineda said.

He cruised through the first two innings before running into some trouble in the third. Kevin Pillar led off the inning with an infield single and advanced to third on a double to right field by the next batter, Justin Smoak. Another infield hit, this time off the bat of Devon Travis, gave the Blue Jays the first run of the night and left runners on first and second. Pineda retired the next three batters, forcing Jose Reyes to fly out to right field, then striking out Russell Martin and Jose Bautista.

"He did a great job, and Michael has that ability because he has the ability to strike people out," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "It comes down to being the difference in the game."

Pineda is showing that, when healthy, he could be ready to become the Yankees' ace. Masahiro Tanaka, who partially tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow in July, struggled in his first outing this year, and CC Sabathia, who will start Thursday, is coming off knee surgery. That leaves Pineda, whom Girardi said is a much different person now than he was during his first spring as a Yankee, when he tore the anterior labrum in his right shoulder, which sidelined him for all of the 2012 season.

"I think when you go through some of the things that he went through, you're going to mature," Girardi said. "He had a pretty serious injury, he bounced back and I think he grew up a lot through that. I think during that time, too, his mechanics improved dramatically, which has really helped him."

Jamal Collier is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jamalcollier. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Yankees successfully deploy Betances, Miller

NEW YORK -- The assignments had been outlined long before the bullpen gate swung open on Wednesday, so it represented no surprise to Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller when they were deployed in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, of Wednesday's 4-3 Yankees victory over the Blue Jays.

With the Yankees declining to name a set closer to open the season, Betances said that he was told to be ready to handle the heart of Toronto's order, whenever it should come up. With Betances working the eighth, Miller drew the ninth inning and recorded the save in his Yankees debut.

"They want us to be flexible," Miller said. "It's my job to be flexible because they asked for that, and I think that makes perfect sense. I'm perfectly satisfied with the way that they've prepared us. It's our job to get outs when called upon. That's all we know."

Betances threw 32 pitches in the eighth, an inning that featured two walks and a Brian McCann throwing error that allowed Jose Bautista to trot home with Toronto's third run. The Yanks scored three times to take the lead in the home half of the inning, assisted by Chris Young's bloop double and two hit-by-pitches.

Yanks score three in the 8th

TOR@NYY: Yanks take lead with three runs in the 8th

4/8/15: The Yankees use a wild pitch, a hit-by-pitch and an infield single to take the lead over the Blue Jays in the 8th inning

"I told the guys, this is where you need to be prepared to come in," manager Joe Girardi said. "It was 2-1 [going to the eighth] and I wanted to kind of hold it there to give us an opportunity, and Miller was really good tonight."

Though Betances was unable to pitch a clean inning, a continuation of some of his troubles from the spring, it was not due to a lack of preparation. He said that bullpen coach Gary Tuck told him to be ready for Bautista's spot in the order, so Betances was planning for that.

"It was tough. The conditions weren't the best, but I've got to be more consistent no matter what," Betances said. "The good thing is that we got the win. Awesome job by [Chris] Martin and Andrew Miller to close the game."

Miller retired the Blue Jays in order, striking out one, and he said that it did not feel much different working the ninth inning. It marked Miller's second career save; the other one came in an extra-inning game for the Orioles at Tampa Bay last Sept. 7.

"We had a pretty good idea what parts of the lineup we had tonight," Miller said. "It just so worked out Dellin had thrown the eighth and then we started to get a rally, so I knew it was going to be me. I'm just thankful we got those runs and glad I was able to go out and preserve them."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @bryanhoch and read his MLBlog, Bombers Beat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Sabathia takes on Jays in return to the hill

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