--LHP Phil Coke pitched a scoreless seventh inning while making his major league debut for the Yankees on Monday, striking out two and helping to protect a 13-9 lead in the win over Detroit. Coke, who came up as part of the roster expansion, had gone 2-2 with a 4.67 ERA for AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Pa.) and had gained attention after pitching well for AA Trenton (N.J.). Coke, 26, struck out two while yielding a hit.
--CF Melky Cabrera was not called up when rosters expanded Monday despite hitting .352 in his first 14 games at AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Pa.) and drawing eight walks. While the Yankees were surely pleased with the walks since they wanted Cabrera to work on pitch selection as well as hitting and baserunning, manager Joe Girardi told reporters there was no timetable for his return to the big leagues. --C Chad Moeller was called up as part of the Sept. 1 roster expansion and will be used off the bench as a third catcher and occasional pinch-hitter, manager Joe Girardi said. Moeller batted .227 in a short stint with the Yankees earlier this year.
--LHP Billy Traber was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for rookie Phil Coke, who was called up Monday. Traber had posted a 7.02 ERA in 19 games for the Yankees and never became the consistent lefty specialist out of the pen they had initially envisioned him being.
--C Ivan Rodriguez apparently enjoyed being back in Detroit, as he had one of his best offensive games as a Yankee. Rodriguez, who has struggled at the plate since he arrived in New York from the Tigers at the trading deadline, received a warm ovation at Comerica Park, then went 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
BY THE NUMBERS: 11 -- Number of double-plays Alex Rodriguez hit into during the month of August.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Robbie (Cano) has that smoothness to him that people are going to assume that it's nonchalant. Robbie Alomar was the same way -- he had smoothness to him when he played the game." -- Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who defended Cano's failure to make a crucial play by comparing him to former perennial All-Star 2B Roberto Alomar.
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