By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer

CLEVELAND (AP) – Derek Jeter’s bid for one of baseball’s most hallowed milestones, the 3,000-hit club, a place none of the New York Yankees’ other greats ever reached, is almost complete.

It’s right there, right in front of Jeter, the 37-year-old whose game may have faded but who remains one of the game’s biggest stars.

He’ll get to 3,000. It’s not a matter of if, but when.

And, where?

Jeter got two hits – an infield grounder and two-run double – giving him 2,996 in his superb career and CC Sabathia took out any anger for being snubbed as an All-Star by striking out 11 in seven shutout innings Tuesday night, leading the Yankees to a 9-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

Jeter’s ascent on history is nearly over. He’s one, maybe two or three games away from becoming the 28th major leaguer – and first in pinstripes – to reach 3,000 hits. The journey has been a challenging one for the 12-time All-Star, whose game has been scrutinized as never before, and who recently missed three weeks with a calf injury.

He’s having the worst statistical season of his career, and following the game, Jeter candidly said the criticism has robbed some of the enthusiasm from what should be a celebration.

“You’d like to enjoy it. It has been difficult, you know, when you’re constantly asked questions that are a little different,” Jeter said as two dozen reporters and an HBO camera crew surrounded his locker. “But, to be honest with you, I’m going to try to enjoy it from now on and keep things as positive as we can.”

Jeter doesn’t know yet if he’ll play Wednesday in the series finale. Yankees manager Joe Girardi wants to give Jeter some rest and might sit his captain before the team returns to New York to open a four-game series against Tampa Bay on Thursday. If it were left up to Jeter, he’d be in the lineup every day. He’d also love to face Indians starter Justin Masterson, who has given up five hits in 12 at-bats to Jeter.

“I’ve sat for three weeks,” Jeter said. “It would be hard to sit if I had no hits today or six hits. I want to play.”

Girardi will consult with Jeter, “sleep on it” and then make the final call.

“I want to talk to him, think about it and I’ll go from there,” said Girardi, who seemed to be leaning toward sitting Jeter on Wednesday. “He’s four hits away, and as I’ve said, my concern is us winning ballgames and him being healthy.”

Girardi said he has not gotten any pressure to keep Jeter out until the team gets to New York, so he can get his 3,000th hit at Yankee Stadium.

“No one has ever said a word to me about where he should do it,” Girardi said.

Curtis Granderson hit a two-run homer in the second and a solo shot in the fourth off Carlos Carrasco (8-5) for the Yankees, who had eight players with at least two hits.

Sabathia (12-4) allowed five hits, walked two and overpowered the team that drafted him in 1998 and traded him 10 years later. Despite leading the league in wins and going 9-1 in his last 10 starts, Sabathia was left off the AL roster for the July 12 All-Star game in Phoenix.

Sabathia dominated the Indians, who put two runners on to start the fifth before Sabathia struck out the side on 10 pitches.

He also struck out three in the fourth and seventh, and has 33 Ks in his last 22 2-3 innings.

“I wasn’t thinking about the All-Star game, not at all,” Sabathia said. “I just wanted to help my team win.”

Sabathia saved New York’s bullpen, which was without closer Mariano Rivera. He missed his second straight game because of a sore triceps muscle and hopes to be back for the series finale.

Indians All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera left in the fourth with a sprained right ankle

Jeter returned to the lineup on Monday after missing three weeks with a calf injury. He went 0 for 4 in his return, but looked more like one of the game’s superstars in his second game.

The Yankees’ captain singled in his first at-bat, hitting a slow roller toward third that Orlando Cabrera charged but couldn’t make a barehanded pickup as Jeter barreled down the line. In the second, Jeter doubled home two runs off Carrasco, who had pitched seven shutout innings against New York on June 13.

The double had to be pleasing to Jeter, who hasn’t hit many balls with authority this season.

“I don’t care how I get hits; I have no ego whatsoever,” he said. “It did feel good to hit the ball good. It’s the hardest-hit ball I’ve hit in three weeks.”

Jeter also made a nice defensive play in the sixth, stabbing a grounder behind second before making a spin and throw to first to get Orlando Cabrera.

“It’s great to see him get into the flow,” Sabathia said about Jeter. “That double was hit hard. Going for 3,000 hits in the same uniform, the Yankee uniform, is big, exciting. We’ve all been pulling for him, actually, every time up the whole year. It is just exciting to see him back. That play he made where he went behind second base was big, too.”

Granderson’s two-run homer in the second made it 5-0, and the slight but powerful center fielder led off the fourth with his 25th homer, surpassing his total from last season. He’s just the fifth Yankee in the past 50 years to hit at least 25 homers before the break, joining Mark Teixeira (25, this season), Alex Rodriguez (30 in 2007), Tino Martinez (28 in 1997) and Jason Giambi (27 in 2006 and 26 in 2003).

Jeter’s two-run double highlighted the Yankees’ five-run second off Carrasco, who nearly worked his way out of the big inning without giving up anything.

New York loaded the bases with one out before Carrasco got No. 9 hitter Francisco Cervelli to hit a tailor-made, inning-ending double play ball to shortstop. Asdrubal Cabrera flipped it to second for the force, but second baseman Cord Phelps threw a one-hopper that first baseman Carlos Santana couldn’t handle.

One run scored on the play, and instead of being in the dugout, Carrasco had to face Jeter, who made it 3-0 by lacing a two-run double into the gap in left-center.

Jeter could get to 3,000 in his next game. He’s had plenty of four-hit games before – even a pair of five-hit games.

In any event, he knows how many he needs for baseball immortality.

“I’ve been sitting on six for three weeks,” he said. “I’ve always been good at math. We’ll see what happens.”

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

CLEVELAND, July 6 (UPI) — Justin Masterson worked eight shutout innings Wednesday and the Cleveland Indians survived a shaky ninth to down the New York Yankees 5-3.

New York shortstop Derek Jeter had a double in three at-bats, moving him to 2,997 hits for his 17-year career. It was his third hit since coming off the disabled list Monday.

Masterson (7-6) gave up only three hits and struck out six in helping the Indians capture the three-game series. They also downed the Yankees in the series opener Monday.

Vinnie Pestano came on to start the ninth for Cleveland but gave up a run on two singles and a double and was quickly replaced by Chris Perez. New York managed two more runs on a pair of groundouts to clear the bases before Perez collected his 21st save by striking out Brett Gardner to end the game.

The first homer in Lonnie Chisenhall’s major league career gave Cleveland a 3-0 lead in the seventh and the Indians added what turned out to be critical runs in the eighth on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Carlos Santana and a sacrifice fly by Grady Sizemore.

Chisenhall, called up from Class AAA Columbus last week, was playing in his seventh big league game.

The contest marked the return to the mound for New York’s Phil Hughes, who had not started since April 14 due to shoulder inflammation. Hughes (0-2) took the loss, giving up two runs on six hits while throwing 87 pitches in five innings.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The last time Carlos Carrasco faced the New York Yankees, he wore a magician’s cape. He didn’t make the Empire State building disappear, just the Yankees whenever they put him in a tight spot.

He was on enemy ground on June 13 in the Bronx. The only thing Carrasco didn’t do was bring a Yankees hitter to mound, put him in a magic box and saw him in half.

Tuesday night, Carrasco didn’t make anything disappear but himself. Curtis Granderson hit two home runs as Carrasco allowed six runs in four innings in the Yankees’ 9-2 victory over the Indians at Progressive Field.

CC Sabathia, in just his third start against the Indians since they traded him to Milwaukee in 2008, pitched seven scoreless innings to win his 10th game in his past 11 starts. Sabathia (12-4, 2.90) allowed five hits and struck out 11.

The Indians lost All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera in the fourth inning to a right ankle sprain. Cabrera suffered the injury in the third inning and was replaced by pinch-hitting Lonnie Chisenhall in the fourth.

Orlando Cabrera, making his first appearance of the season at short, slid over from third base to replace him.

“[Asdrubal Cabrera's injury is] a mild sprain,” said manager Manny Acta. “He’s day to day right now. We’ll see how he is when he comes to the park [Wednesday].”

The Yankees took care of Carrasco (8-5, 3.95) with a five-run second. Carrasco, 4-2 with a 1.90 ERA in June, had one out with the bases loaded when Francisco Cervelli sent a double-play grounder to shortstop. Asdrubal Cabrera flipped to Cord Phelps at second to get Brett Gardner, but Phelps bounced the relay to first and Carlos Santana couldn’t handle it. The Yankees scored their first run and Carrasco never recovered.

When Carrasco and three relievers beat the Yankees, 1-0, on June 13, he pitched his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning. It didn’t happen a second time.

After the failed double play, Derek Jeter doubled home two runs to make it 3-0. It was Jeter’s second hit of the night off Carrasco and brought him within four of 3,000 career hits.

Granderson followed with his first of two homers against Carrasco, a two-run shot to right for a 5-0 lead. He’s hit three homers in the first two games of this series and has 25 overall.

“Carlos probably got flustered when the double play wasn’t turned,” Acta said. “That’s part of the game. The thing is he created the situation by walking two batters.”

Robinson Cano started the second inning by grounding out to short. Nick Swisher singled, then Carrasco walked Jorge Posada and Gardner to load the bases. Posada and Gardner were hitting seventh and eighth in the Yankees’ lineup.

“Against a lineup like that, you can’t be walking batters at the bottom of the order,” Acta said. “That just rolls that lineup over.”

Acta said the double play had to be turned.

“It’s a double-play ball,” he said.

The Indians did zilch against Sabathia, who won 106 of his 169 career victories with the Indians. They never got a runner past second base and had only one extra-base hit against him.

The 11 strikeouts gave Sabathia 33 in his past three starts. He struck out a season-high 13 in his previous start, against the Milwaukee Brewers.

“We gave the Yankees too big a lead to overcome with the way CC was pitching,” Acta said. “That is not a good matchup for us. Most of our main hitters are left-handers and he’s tough on lefties.”

Lefties entered the game hitting .211 (24-for-114) against Sabathia. Grady Sizemore was the only lefty in the Tribe’s lineup to get a hit off Sabathia. He doubled to start the seventh.

The Yankees added three runs in the eighth off Chad Durbin on a double by Cano, singled by Swisher and sacrifice fly by Posada. 

The Indians didn’t score until the ninth inning when Lou Marson and Michael Brantley hit sacrifice flies.

Carrasco worked his way through a scoreless third, but gave up a leadoff homer to Granderson in the fourth.

“I didn’t have my command,” Carrasco said. “I didn’t have it the last time I faced the Yankees.”

In the previous start, he eventually found it. Tuesday night, it went missing.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158

Twitter: @hoynsie

 

For more Cinesport video on cleveland.com, go here.

NEW YORK —
Alex Rodriguez was hit by a pitch after he homered, Bartolo Colon pitched two-hit ball into the seventh inning before he hurt himself, and the New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians 4-0 on a misty, windy Saturday afternoon.

Curtis Granderson hit his 20th homer of the season and Rodriguez got plunked by Indians starter Mitch Talbot a day after the teams’ benches cleared, adding another chapter to what has been a testy homestand for the Yankees.

It was the sixth time a Yankees batter has been hit this homestand.

“I thought it was a little fishy,” manager Joe Girardi said.

“Probably with what happened last night, (the umpires’) antennas are up.”

Talbot was ejected after hitting A-Rod, but the Yankees didn’t respond in kind.

Instead, they sent Cleveland to its 13th loss in 17 games and left the Indians barely clinging to first place in the AL Central for one more day.

Colon (5-3), famously traded in 2002 by the Indians for three minor leaguers who went on to become All-Stars, was working on a gem against his first big league team. He limped off in the top of the seventh after retiring Shin-Soo Choo covering first base.

The Yankees said Colon strained his left hamstring. He struck out six over 6 2-3 innings to win for the third straight start after two losses in his previous five.

The Yankees made it 3-0 in the seventh when Jorge Posada singled into the right field corner. Choo had trouble coming up with the ball and Nick Swisher came home.

The Indians got the tying run to the plate with nobody out in the eighth, but David Robertson struck out Michael Brantley, Asdrubal Cabrera and Grady Sizemore to end the threat.

Mark Teixeira homered off Vinnie Pestano in the eighth to make it 4-0.

A-Rod opened the scoring in the fourth inning with a line-drive shot into a strong wind blowing in from left field for only the second hit off Talbot (2-3). Granderson then hit his 20th homer of the season deep to right in the sixth.

Teixeira flied out before Talbot hit Rodriguez in the backside.

It was a homer by Granderson that preceded the benches-clearing incident the previous night, too.

Plate umpire Dan Iassogna immediately tossed Talbot after the righty hit Rodriguez. While A-Rod writhed on the ground, Talbot argued with Iassogna, and Cleveland manager Manny Acta came out, too. Talbot gestured to the mound, possibly suggesting that he slipped on the wet dirt.

Teixeira left Tuesday night’s game against Boston after getting on the right kneecap by a first-inning pitch from Jon Lester, and Red Sox ace Josh Beckett plunked three New York stars Thursday night: Jeter, Rodriguez and Granderson.

“I’m tired of it,” Girardi said. “Our guys get hit entirely too much. We’re a club that hits home runs and people don’t necessarily like that.”

—
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(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

CBSSports.com wire reports
June 11, 2011

NEW YORK — On a busy afternoon in the Bronx, what may have been the event most consequential to the Yankees’ hopes this season came on a routine grounder.

Bartolo Colon, working on another strong start in a rebound season full of them, pulled up lame while covering first base. After the Yankees finished off their 4-0 win Saturday against the Cleveland Indians, Colon was at a hospital, getting an MRI on his strained left hamstring.

“It’s not what you want, that’s for sure,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “He’s pitched extremely well, and we’ll kind of keep our fingers crossed.”

Alex Rodriguez got hit by a pitch after he homered, and Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira also went deep.

Colon struck out six and gave up only two hits against his first major league team before he had to come out on Shin-Soo Choo’s grounder to first.

Colon (5-3), famously traded in 2002 by the Indians for three minor leaguers who went on to become All-Stars, struck out six over 6 2/3 innings to win for the third straight start after two losses in his previous five.

The Yankees, who have already lost starter Phil Hughes to a shoulder injury, will have to wait and hope for the best with Colon, who has been a key starter for them so far this season. He lowered his ERA to 3.10, best in the rotation.

“Bartolo is throwing like a legit No. 1 starter in the AL East,” Rodriguez said. “A1A stuff.”

A-Rod was in the middle of the action on Saturday. He was hit by a pitch after he homered the previous time up, and shortly after Granderson hit his 20th of the season. The two sluggers both homered against Cleveland the night before.

“I don’t know if it was intentional, but it hurt like hell,” said Rodriguez, who said he was hit in the IT band between his hip and knee.

Plate umpire Dan Iassogna immediately tossed Mitch Talbot after the righty hit Rodriguez. While A-Rod writhed on the ground, Talbot argued with Iassogna, and Cleveland manager Manny Acta came out, too. Talbot gestured to the mound, and said he told Iassogna that he slipped while throwing the pitch.

“After the situation we had last night, and Alex hit a big home run last night and hit another home run today, and Curtis Granderson hit a home run last night and another one today, he threw the pitch directly at him,” Iassogna told a pool reporter.

Talbot thought it was a bit harsh.

“I’ve never been one to hit somebody because they got a home run or for doing their job. I don’t believe in that,” Talbot said. “I thought it was a little ridiculous. Honestly … I got tossed because Texeira got hit yesterday. If you take that away and I hit A-Rod today, even after the home run I don’t think I get tossed.”

Acta was miffed, too.

“When is the right time to slip? With anybody else at the plate?” Acta said. “I mean so anybody else would have gotten it and no problem. I felt that that was uncalled for.”

It was the sixth time a Yankees batter has been hit this homestand.

The Yankees sent Cleveland to its 13th loss in 17 games and left the Indians barely clinging to first place in the AL Central.

The Yankees made it 3-0 in the seventh when Jorge Posada singled into the right field corner. Choo had trouble coming up with the ball and Nick Swisher came home.

The Indians got the tying run to the plate with nobody out in the eighth, but David Robertson struck out Michael Brantley, Asdrubal Cabrera and Grady Sizemore to end the threat.

Teixeira homered off Vinnie Pestano in the eighth to make it 4-0.

A-Rod opened the scoring in the fourth inning with a line-drive shot into a strong wind blowing in from left field for only the second hit off Talbot (2-3). Granderson then hit his 20th homer of the season deep to right in the sixth.

Teixeira left Tuesday night’s game against Boston after getting hit on the right kneecap by a first-inning pitch from Jon Lester, and Red Sox ace Josh Beckett plunked three New York stars Thursday night: Jeter, Rodriguez and Granderson.

“I’m tired of it,” Girardi said. “Our guys get hit entirely too much. We’re a club that hits home runs and people don’t necessarily like that.”

Girardi added: “We’ll protect our own.”

Notes

• Granderson tied Toronto’s Jose Bautista for the AL lead in homers. Teixeira is one behind with 19.
• Brett Gardner got the Yankees’ first hit off Talbot with a bunt single in the third inning. He was thrown out at second on a pitchout, and Talbot caught him trying to steal third in the fifth.
• In the second inning, the Yankees’ Robinson Cano hit a liner foul and it hit a police officer stationed in the photo well. He disappeared from view briefly, then reappeared to applause, and his fellow officer smacked him on the back as he triumphantly showed the ball.
• The Indians received Sizemore, Cliff Lee and Brandon Phillips from Montreal in the 2002 deadline trade for Colon.

No punches were thrown and there appeared to be little pushing and shoving – if any. Plate umpire Dale Scott issued warnings to both teams, and there was no further trouble.

Ivan Nova (5-4) pitched seven sharp innings for New York. Jorge Posada, breaking out of a season-long slump, added three hits and an RBI on a night when his figurine was handed out to fans.

One of them sat on a ledge near the Yankees dugout as he singled home a run to cap a three-run first. Posada has four straight multihit games, raising average from .169 to .215.

Robinson Cano had three hits and an RBI, and Teixeira stroked a three-run double that made it 10-2 in the seventh. Rodriguez followed with an RBI double.

In the fourth, the three-time MVP hit his 625th career homer into the second row of bleacher seats in left-center, where an excited fan caught it on the fly. The ball sailed some 450 feet, beyond a loading-bay ramp that sits between Monument Park and the visitors bullpen.

Yankees staff members could not remember a home run ever reaching that area at the new stadium, which opened in 2009.

Carlos Santana homered for the Indians, barely clinging to first place in the AL Central. Coming off a 1-6 homestand, they have lost 12 of 16 overall.

Yankees 11, Indians 7

Cleveland 000 011 014 – 7 9 1

New York 311 101 40x – 11 15 0

Cleveland AB   R   H   BI   BB   SO   Avg.   

 Brantley lf 5   1   1   1   0   1   .293   

A.Cabrera ss 5   1   1   0   0   0   .300   

G.Sizemore cf 4   2   1   0   1   2   .256   

C.Santana c 4   2   2   2   1   0   .233   

Choo rf 3   0   0   1   2   0   .237   

LaPorta 1b 4   1   2   2   1   1   .246   

Phelps dh 4   0   1   1   1   1   .125   

O.Cabrera 2b 4   0   0   0   0   2   .242   

Everett 2b 1   0   0   0   0   0   .240   

Hannahan 3b 2   0   1   0   2   1   .234   

Totals 36   7   9   7   8   8   

New York AB   R   H   BI   BB   SO   Avg.