YankeesGround.com | New York Yankees News, yankees Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div> --OF Melky Cabrera picked up his second game-winning hit of the season along with his manager's respect as the former starting centerfielder has responded well after losing the spot to Brett Gardner. Cabrera, who has had more opportunities to play because of injuries, knocked two-out, two-run single to beat the Twins, 5-4, and had earlier beaten Oakland with a home run at the new Yankee Stadium. "Melky has swung the bat great all year long," Girardi said of Cabrera, who's hitting .330. "The impressive thing was when he didn't get the nod opening day and the first couple weeks he never put his head down and just kept working."</div>--3B Alex Rodriguez received a warm ovation from the fans in his first appearance at the new Yankee Stadium -- and his first home game sine acknowledging his use of performance-enhancing drugs -- but the warmth didn't last long. Rodriguez walked four times but struck out with the bases loaded in the third inning, which prompted a familiar round of boos. Still, Rodriguez said he appreciated the fans' initial "graciousness," telling reporters "it was nice." --LF Johnny Damon's been hot at the plate lately, but Friday night he got a little too hot at home-plate umpire Wally Bell and was ejected for arguing a called third strike in the third inning. Damon's ejection helped end his streak of 10 straight games with an extra-base hit as he also struck out looking in the first inning. CF Brett Gardner did a great job filling in, going 3-for-3 with a triple and an inside-the-park homer. --RHP Phil Hughes posted another mediocre outing, yielding three runs on six hits and four walks in five innings. Hughes gave up two homers to Justin Morneau, putting the Yankees in a three-run hole during their 4-2 loss. Hughes, who looked good in his first start of the season while filling in for the injured Chien-Ming Wang, has now posted a 7.56 ERA and is a likely candidate for a demotion if Wang returns soon from his hip injury as expected. --RHP Brian Bruney could rejoin the team by next week, manager Joe Girardi told reporters. Bruney, who was placed on the disabled list with a strained right elbow on April 25, threw 25 pitches in a bullpen session Friday night and Girardi said the reliever was "coming along nicely." That would be good news for the Yankees, who have struggled with relief efforts for much of the young season. --C Jorge Posada told manager Joe Girardi he's at "85 percent," the manager said during his press briefing Friday. Posada has been on the disabled list since May 5 with a strained right hamstring. "He's going in the right direction," Girardi said. --LHP Phil Coke made his first appearance since Tuesday after sitting out with lower back tightness. Coke pitched 2/3 of an inning and yielded a solo homer to Joe Mauer. The shot raised the rookie's ERA to 3.77, but he's been one of the Yankees' more effective relievers lately. MEDICAL WATCH: LHP Phil Coke (sore back) was unavailable May 12-14. He pitched again on May 15. SS Derek Jeter (sore right oblique) did not play May 12-13. He was back in the lineup May 14. DH Hideki Matsui (right hamstring tightness) left the May 12 game, and he did not play May 13. He was back in the lineup May 14. He won't play in the field before June after having left knee surgery in September 2008. RHP Joba Chamberlain (burst blood vessel in right thumb) was hurt May 9, but he started May 10. C Jose Molina (strained left quadriceps) went on the 15-day disabled list May 8. C Jorge Posada (strained right hamstring) went on the 15-day disabled list May 5. LHP Damaso Marte (left shoulder soreness) went on the 15-day disabled list May 3. RHP Brian Bruney (sore right elbow) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 22. He is unlikely to return before late May. RHP Chien-Ming Wang (hip weakness) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 19 with an ailment connected to the season-ending Lisfranc foot injury he suffered last year. He pitched May 2 in extended spring training. He began a rehab assignment with Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on May 12. 3B Cody Ransom (right quadriceps tear) went on the 60-day disabled list April 26. OF Xavier Nady (sore right elbow) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 15. He will try to rehab the injury without surgery. ROTATION: LHP CC Sabathia RHP A.J. Burnett LHP Andy Pettitte RHP Joba Chamberlain RHP Phil Hughes BULLPEN: RHP Mariano Rivera (closer) LHP Phil Coke RHP Edwar Ramirez RHP Jose Veras RHP Jonathan Albaladejo RHP Brett Tomko RHP Alfredo Aceves CATCHERS: Francisco Cervelli Kevin Cash INFIELDERS: 1B Mark Teixeira 2B Robinson Cano SS Derek Jeter 3B Angel Berroa INF Ramiro Pena OUTFIELDERS: LF Johnny Damon CF Brett Gardner RF Nick Swisher DH Hideki Matsui OF Melky Cabrera

--OF Melky Cabrera picked up his second game-winning hit of the season along with his manager's respect as the former starting centerfielder has responded well after losing the spot to Brett Gardner. Cabrera, who has had more opportunities to play because of injuries, knocked two-out, two-run single to beat the Twins, 5-4, and had earlier beaten Oakland with a home run at the new Yankee Stadium. "Melky has swung the bat great all year long," Girardi said of Cabrera, who's hitting .330. "The impressive thing was when he didn't get the nod opening day and the first couple weeks he never put his head down and just kept working."

--3B Alex Rodriguez received a warm ovation from the fans in his first appearance at the new Yankee Stadium -- and his first home game sine acknowledging his use of performance-enhancing drugs -- but the warmth didn't last long. Rodriguez walked four times but struck out with the bases loaded in the third inning, which prompted a familiar round of boos. Still, Rodriguez said he appreciated the fans' initial "graciousness," telling reporters "it was nice."

--LF Johnny Damon's been hot at the plate lately, but Friday night he got a little too hot at home-plate umpire Wally Bell and was ejected for arguing a called third strike in the third inning. Damon's ejection helped end his streak of 10 straight games with an extra-base hit as he also struck out looking in the first inning. CF Brett Gardner did a great job filling in, going 3-for-3 with a triple and an inside-the-park homer.

--RHP Phil Hughes posted another mediocre outing, yielding three runs on six hits and four walks in five innings. Hughes gave up two homers to Justin Morneau, putting the Yankees in a three-run hole during their 4-2 loss. Hughes, who looked good in his first start of the season while filling in for the injured Chien-Ming Wang, has now posted a 7.56 ERA and is a likely candidate for a demotion if Wang returns soon from his hip injury as expected.

--RHP Brian Bruney could rejoin the team by next week, manager Joe Girardi told reporters. Bruney, who was placed on the disabled list with a strained right elbow on April 25, threw 25 pitches in a bullpen session Friday night and Girardi said the reliever was "coming along nicely." That would be good news for the Yankees, who have struggled with relief efforts for much of the young season.

--C Jorge Posada told manager Joe Girardi he's at "85 percent," the manager said during his press briefing Friday. Posada has been on the disabled list since May 5 with a strained right hamstring. "He's going in the right direction," Girardi said.

--LHP Phil Coke made his first appearance since Tuesday after sitting out with lower back tightness. Coke pitched 2/3 of an inning and yielded a solo homer to Joe Mauer. The shot raised the rookie's ERA to 3.77, but he's been one of the Yankees' more effective relievers lately.

MEDICAL WATCH:

LHP Phil Coke (sore back) was unavailable May 12-14. He pitched again on May 15.

SS Derek Jeter (sore right oblique) did not play May 12-13. He was back in the lineup May 14.

DH Hideki Matsui (right hamstring tightness) left the May 12 game, and he did not play May 13. He was back in the lineup May 14. He won't play in the field before June after having left knee surgery in September 2008.

RHP Joba Chamberlain (burst blood vessel in right thumb) was hurt May 9, but he started May 10.

C Jose Molina (strained left quadriceps) went on the 15-day disabled list May 8.

C Jorge Posada (strained right hamstring) went on the 15-day disabled list May 5.

LHP Damaso Marte (left shoulder soreness) went on the 15-day disabled list May 3.

RHP Brian Bruney (sore right elbow) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 22. He is unlikely to return before late May.

RHP Chien-Ming Wang (hip weakness) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 19 with an ailment connected to the season-ending Lisfranc foot injury he suffered last year. He pitched May 2 in extended spring training. He began a rehab assignment with Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on May 12.

3B Cody Ransom (right quadriceps tear) went on the 60-day disabled list April 26.

OF Xavier Nady (sore right elbow) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 15. He will try to rehab the injury without surgery.

ROTATION:

LHP CC Sabathia

RHP A.J. Burnett

LHP Andy Pettitte

RHP Joba Chamberlain

RHP Phil Hughes

BULLPEN:

RHP Mariano Rivera (closer)

LHP Phil Coke

RHP Edwar Ramirez

RHP Jose Veras

RHP Jonathan Albaladejo

RHP Brett Tomko

RHP Alfredo Aceves

CATCHERS:

Francisco Cervelli

Kevin Cash

INFIELDERS:

1B Mark Teixeira

2B Robinson Cano

SS Derek Jeter

3B Angel Berroa

INF Ramiro Pena

OUTFIELDERS:

LF Johnny Damon

CF Brett Gardner

RF Nick Swisher

DH Hideki Matsui

OF Melky Cabrera