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Nick Swisher spent much of the afternoon taking extra batting practice with hitting coach Kevin Long, but he said the best advice on hitting he ever got came from his grandmother, Betty.

"My grandma always said, 'Just hit the damn ball,''' Swisher said. "So that's what I tried to do.''

Of course, Betty Swisher never told Nicky exactly how to go about doing that; she figured he could take care of that himself. And when A's starter Tyson Ross threw hinm a 3-2 fastball in the fifth inning, Swisher knew what to do with it, lining it the opposite way into the left-field seats, a two-run shot that knocked out Tyson and gave the Yankees a 6-1 lead. The HR was Swisher's 8th of the season and the two ribbies gave him back the team lead with 29.

The shot was even more impressive because earlier in the at-bat, Swisher fouled a ball off his right calf that left him hobbling around the clubhouse after the game with a large ice pack taped to it. Swisher batted once more after that --he struck out against Jerry Blevins in the seventh -- but said the ding would not affect him on Saturday.

''Can't hurt steel,'' he said.

Grandma Betty couldn't have said it any better.

Mark Teixeira hit a two-run homer in the third inning of Friday's win over the A's, but it was a less-auspicious play that told Joe Girardi his first baseman might finally be recovering from the lingering bronchial ailment that has plagued his since the first week of the season.

That was in the fifth inning when, after Robinson Cano had led off with a home run, Teixeira tried to stretch a double into a triple and committed the cardinal sin of making the first out of an inning at third base. But instead of being annoyed, the manager was encouraged.

"I was mostly concerned if he was gonna cough after that, and I didn’t see it,'' Girardi said. In fact, I didn’t see him cough much at all today. So that's good.''

Teixeira's two hits tonight didn't do much to raise his average, which is languishing at .231, but it did provide a sign that maybe he is on the verge of breaking out of his season-long slump, too.

"I'm feeling a little better,'' he said. "Just trying to grind through it, trying to be a little more aggressive at the plate, swinging hard, not worrying about trying to guide the all anywhere, letting it go, got a good one up in the zone tonight and that home run was big for us, big for me.''

As for his base-running gaffe, Teixeira had a very plausible explanation: "I always think I'm faster than I am.''

And he had an even better one for why home runs are the best kind of hit: "Home runs don't get caught.''

Now, that's nothing to sneeze at. Or cough over.

Ivan Nova won his fifth game of the year tonight, pitching seven strong innings against the Oakland Athletics and allowing three runs and six hits in the Yankees 6-3 victory.

But two of those hits were home runs, long ones, too, by Josh Reddick and Kila Ka'aihue, continuing a disturbing trend by Nova of surrendering long balls. He has now given up 12 home runs in his first nine starts (56 innings), just one fewer than he allowed all last season in 165 innings.

"I think it’s because he’s been up in the zone sometimes and I think that’s an adjustment he needs to make,'' Joe Girardi said. "Solo homers you can usually live with as long as you don’t give up too many of them in one game. But it is something he needs to improve on.''

Nova's ERA dropped slightly, from 5.69 to 5.46, and his assessment of his own performance was similar to the manager's.

"Leaving the ball up and making the same mistake, throwing the wrong pitch at the wrong time and the hitters are getting really comfortable,'' he said. "It's something I've got to keep working on, and hopefully it stops right there. I know I'm going to give up a home run one day, but not too many like this year so far.''

Nova was hampered somewhat by some tightness in his right hamstring, suffered during his bullpen session on Tuesday. "I'm not going to say my hamstring was 100 percent, but I feel OK,'' he said. "My arm feels good, so the injury that I have is not so serious.''

But a couple of days ago, it was bad enough that Nova was concerned he might not be able to go tonight. "The first couple of days, it was hurting,'' he said. "Yesterday I came here and got treatment and it was much better today. I always tell them, don't take me out of the game, let me pitch.''

Nova's seven innings matched his longest outing of the year, accomplished twice previously this season.

What it means: That the 11-day, nine-game, three-city road trip is off to a good start, although a win for the Yankees in Oakland is not exactly a rarity; tonight's 6-3 victory was their seventh straight at the Coliseum dating back to July 5, 2010. Also their third in a row overall.

Boss-a Nova:Ivan Nova worked seven strong innings, allowing three runs and six hits, to earn his fifth win of the year against two losses. Only nitpick: Two more HRs allowed, giving him 12 in 56 IP this year; in 2011, he allowed just 13 all season (165-1/3 IP).

Fireworks night: Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher all took Tyson Ross out of the yard, the last chasing Ross from the game with one out in the fifth. Swisher had not homered since May 6, a span of 63 ABs.

Coco muffs: A's centerfielder Coco Crisp seemed to be tracking Cano's two-out liner to right-center in the third, but somehow, the ball glanced off his glove for a two-base error. It turned out to be especially costly because not only did it score Curtis Granderson (single), it kept the inning alive for the next batter, Teixeira, to hit No. 6.

Another save for Sori: Interim closer Rafael Soriano remained perfect, getting his fourth save in as many opportunities, allowing a two-out double to John Donaldson in the ninth but striking out Daric Barton to end it.

RISP-y Business: Yanks once again struggled w/RISP -- just 2-for-10 -- but the three home runs relegated that number to the Realm of Meaningless Statistics.

Lou Gehrig lives: Once again, an opposing manager walked the bases loaded to pitch to Alex Rodriguez, and once again, A-Rod failed to hit the grand slam (No. 23) that would pull him even with the Iron Horse for the all-time record. Worse, A-Rod rapped into an inning-ending double play. On the plus side, A-Rod also had two singles and a stolen base.

Cardinal sin: Teixeira committed it right after Cano's home run, getting thrown out at third for the first out of the fifth inning trying to stretch a double, a fundamental mistake compounded when the next hitter, Raul Ibanez, doubled into the gap and Swisher followed with his home run.

Captain Collar: This is how great a season Derek Jeter is having: he went 0-for-5 (3 Ks) tonight and his average "dropped'' to .339, the lowest it's been since the third game of the season.

What's coming: Since you're all watching, reading and thinking Rangers (or Devils) tonight, no column on this one. But I will be filling the blog with as many worthwhile tidbits as I can scare up in the post-game clubhouse.

Manana: Yankees fans nostalgic for the Bartolomania! era get a one-day trip back in time on Saturday, when Bartolo Colon (4-4, 4.09) faces CC Sabathia (5-2, 3.78) in a 4:05 p.m. start.

Joe Girardi seemed to give some credit for Alex Rodriguez' two-HR game against Kansas City Wednesday night to some critical columns written about him Tuesday night's game, in which he struck out after Royals' manager Ned Yost intentionally walked Robby Cano to load the bases in front of him.

"A lot of times, when we talk about guys, they do well the next day'' Girardi said, good-naturedly. "Do you want to talk about some more guys?”

Asked if he thought the criticism motivated A-Rod, Girardi said, “I don’t know, because I don’t know how much he reads. But remember, before the columns were written, he said he felt really good.”

Asked if he would like a similar column written about Mark Teixeira, Girardi laughed, but (wisely) did not reply.

Afterwards in the clubhouse, I asked A-Rod if he had read any of the negative columns -- yes, I wrote one of them -- and he said he had not. But he got a good laugh when I told him how many of my Twitter followers weighed in practically before his first HR off Royals' starter Will Smith had landed.

"Really?,'' he said. "That's hilarious. I told you I felt like I was ready to come around.''

Why didn't I listen?

Both David Robertson and Brett Gardner are in Tampa on rehab assignments, but from the way Joe Girardi was talking before tonight's game against the A's in Oakland, it's not likely either of then will be ready to play before the team returns to Yankee Stadium on June 5.

Girardi said Gardner, who has not played since April 17 due to a strain of his right elbow, will not even try to swing a bat before Monday. Robertson, on the DL since May 14 with strained left oblique, played catch on Thursday and according to the manager, "felt pretty decent.''

But Girardi said Robertson still felt some stiffness in the area of the injury and although he is slated to throw lightly again on Monday, there is still no timetable for him to throw off a mound. "We have to be a little bit cautious in the beginning to make sure nothing's there,'' Girardi said.

Last week, Robertson had expressed hope that he could rejoin the team when it gets to Detroit for a three-game series on June 1. But Girardi said he doubted that would happen.

"I think players are always hopeful. They don't always put the timeline together,'' Girardi said. "I'm not at all sure that's going to happen.''

Here are the lineups for the first game of this nine-game, three-city road trip, first pitch at 10:05 p.m.:

YANKEES

Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Raul Ibanez LF
Nick Swisher RF
Eric Chavez DH
Russell Martin C

Ivan Nova, RHP

ATHLETICS

Jemile Weeks 2B
Coco Crisp CF
Josh Reddick RF
Seth Smith LF
Kila Ka'aihue DH
Josh Donaldson 3B
Daric Baric 1B
Kurt Suzuki C
Cliff Pennington SS

Tyson Ross RHP

Pre-game notes: Mark Teixeira returns to the No. 5 spot in the lineup for the first time since May 16 . . . Joe Girardi said Teixeira's lingering cough is still not gone, but "I think it's more manageable for him now.'' The manager also said that after Teixeira's three days off last weekend, "He doesn't want any more time off. He wants to play.'' . . . starter Ivan Nova experienced some "tightness'' in his hamstring in his last start, against the Reds last Saturday, but Girardi said it would not be an issue tonight. Nova also has some lingering sorness in the right ankle he turned in his previous start against the Orioles. In his last two starts, Nova has allowed 10 earned runs in 11-1/3 innings, but struck out 12 Reds in six innings his last time out, a loss. Nova has never started against Oakland . . . A's starter Tyson Ross has never started against the Yankees, but made two relief appearances against the last season, allowing one run in 3-2/3 innings . . . . Tomorrow marks the return of Bartolomania! Bartolo Colon (4-4, 4.09) faces his old teammates in a 4:05 p.m. start. It wil be Bartolo's first start against the Yankees since 2007. CC Sabathia (5-2, 3.78) goes for the Yankees.

Check out this paragraph from today's What2Watch4: Yankees @ Athletics:

"Every Yankees hitter who has batted at least 40 times this season has a higher batting average with the bases empty than with a runner in scoring position.

The average AL player and AL team bats seven points better with runners in scoring position. What the Yankees are doing in this regard is extremely unusual.''

Read the rest of this item here.

Here is our news story from earlier today.

Ivan Nova Stat To Watch
The Yankees' outfield defense figures to be a key tonight, given that the game will be played in a ballpark that is much bigger than Yankee Stadium.

Will that help Nova, who has allowed 10 home runs already this season?

It could, if those fly balls are turned into outs. Nova has gotten outs on 33 of the 44 fly balls and pop ups that have stayed in the ballpark this season.

That .250 opponents BABIP (batting average on balls in play) is a little higher than the major league average (.166).

If the Yankees play deeper, they may have a chance of cutting off the fly balls, but it could impact how they fare against line drives. Nova has allowed a MLB-worst 13 line-drive doubles this season.
-- Mark Simon

More Shifting
Get used to it, Yankees fans. You’re going to keep seeing the shift until Mark Teixeira and company change their hitting ways.

The Athletics, a team always on the forefront of advanced statistical analysis, recently passed the Yankees in terms of the number of documented shifts used this season. They’ve been caught on camera using some form of a shift 85 times by the folks at Baseball Info Solutions.

Oakland still trails the Rays, Orioles, Indians and Blue Jays, but their number could get a boost this weekend.

RISP Struggles

Every Yankees hitter who has batted at least 40 times this season has a higher batting average with the bases empty than with a runner in scoring position.

The average AL player and AL team bats seven points better with runners in scoring position. What the Yankees are doing in this regard is extremely unusual.
-- Will Cohen

Cook in the Kitchen
If the Yankees fall behind, they will have to catch up against a reliever who has gotten little attention this season, though that may change soon.

Athletics reliever Ryan Cook has not allowed a run in 22-2/3 innings and has yielded only four hits in 70 at-bats. He has the lowest opponents batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS in the majors.

Of the balls that have been hit against him, only six percent have been line drives (that’s about one-third the normal rate).

Cook features what might be baseball’s nastiest slider, one that breaks sharply down and in to a left-handed hitter, or down and away from a righty. Lefties have one hit in 39 plate appearances against him.

Look for more on Cook on ESPN.com over the weekend.
--Katie Sharp

"Our defense has been OK. We have had some guys who have been out of position. We have people, because of injury, playing places where they don't normally play. The balls that we get to, we are going to be really good at. I think our guys are very professional and they are going to do their job when they get to the ball.”

-- Joe Girardi prior to Wednesday's game against the Royals

Statistically speaking, the Yankees' defense doesn't rate as highly as Girardi's assessment, perhaps because they don't get to as many balls as they should.

By most, if not all, of the advanced defensive metrics, the Yankees rate poorly relative to the other teams in the majors. And though 44 games does not provide enough data to make predictions for the rest of the season, it does allow the ability to assess where some of the trouble spots lie.

We use a combination of measures via Baseball Info Solutions, a company that provides defensive data to teams and media, as well as the Team Defensive Efficiency stat tracked at Baseball Prospectus, and our own batted-ball data.

Those stats are explained in the charts to the right of this piece.

Let's look how the Yankees rate in a number of areas related to these stats.

Gold Glove candidacies for Teixeira, Cano?
Two Yankees defenders are off to good starts this season-- Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano. Each has saved the Yankees three runs this season, and plays like the game-ending stretch at first base and the Web Gem-worthy double play that Teixeira started in Wednesday's win help the statistical cause.

Teixeira ranks second in the majors in GFPs with 27, and his Good Play/Misplay Ratio is 5.4-to-1, the best among anyone in the AL. His offensive struggles and health issues have not hurt his play in the field.

Cano's strength has been in turning the double play as the pivot man. There have been 21 double-play chances in which Cano was the pivot man at second base. The Yankees have turned 17 of them, or 81 percent, the third-best pivot rate in the majors.

Grounded
The Yankees' biggest defensive liability may be their inability to turn ground balls into outs.

Opponents have reached base 30 percent of the time when hitting a ground ball, whether by hit or error.

The chart on the right shows how the Yankees' rate at turning grounders into outs, particularly compared to AL East teams.

Our data shows specifically that the Yankees are getting hurt by ground balls to the left of second base.

Derek Jeter, rates poorly, at -5 Defensive Runs Saved. Alex Rodriguez checks in as having cost the Yankees a run.

Jeter's issue is that a lot of ground balls have scooted through holes usually covered by a major league shortstop. He's made up for that with 11 GFPs and only 6 DM&E. His Good Play/Misplay rate is third-best among shortstops.

On the other hand, Rodriguez, who was one of the best-rated third basemen defensively last season, has only 4 GFPs and 6 DM&E. Last season Rodriguez fared much better, with a 26/17 GFP/DM&E tally.

Outfield Issues
The Yankees miss Brett Gardner, whose play was Gold-Glove worthy last season, but they have other things to worry about in the outfield.

The primary one is that for the second straight season, Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher are not rating well. Combined, they have -8 Defensive Runs Saved (in other words, their defense has cost the Yankees eight runs).

The primary culprit in their bad ratings is that they are yielding hits on balls hit over their heads. Our hit location data charts the Yankees as having allowed 58 batted balls to center field, and the two outfield gaps, that traveled an estimated 350 feet or more and stayed in the ballpark.

Yankees outfielders allowed 26 hits on those balls. The average major league team is allowing 20.

One of the other things that hurts Granderson is that runners have taken 20 extra bases on the 29 times they've had the opportunity to advance (ie: take a base on a sacrifice fly or go first to third/second to home on a single). That’s out of line with the normal rate of advancement on Granderson’s arm (about 50 percent).

Perhaps that, like some of the other things mentioned in this story, will correct in time. They are among those that bear watching over the next 4½ months.

Raul Ibanez grew up in Miami as a Yankee fan. He loved third basemen from George Brett to Mike Schmidt to Graig Nettles. That is why it has been extra special for Ibanez to excel in a Yankee uniform.

On Thursday, ESPN New York's Andrew Marchand and Ibanez spoke about his experience. In the background, you may here Curtis Granderson coughing, prompting Marchand to ask Ibanez how he stays healthy in the locker room.

Ibanez also said what he thinks of radio play-by-play announcer John Sterling's HR call when he says "Raul is so cool."

Ivan Nova had the chance to be a Boston Red Sox. As a teenager in the Dominican, the Red Sox wanted to sign Nova, but he had grown up a Yankee fan. Colleague Jorge Agangure Jr. writes:

Eventually, Nova earned the attention of a few scouts. Former Red Sox scout Johnny DePuglia recalled that the team wanted to sign him, but Nova didn't seem amenable.

"I really didn't want to sign with Boston," Nova said. "My father and I were both Yankee fans."

So the trainer called Mata, and the Yankees became interested. Nova spent two weeks at the Yankees academy.

"I told my trainer that at the first opportunity, I wanted to sign with the Yankees," Nova said. "He would tell me that [we] could possibly get more money elsewhere. I told him I didn't care. I wanted to sign with the Yankees."

Tonight in Oakland, Nova will be on the mound as he tries to get his season going in the right direction again. Nova is 4-2 with a 5.69 ERA. In his last five starts combine, his ERA is 6.90. If he wants to remain a Yankee, he better get it going.

UP NOW: The Yankees aren't selling. I graded all the uniformed Yankees. I told you why to believe. Wally told you why to panic.

ON DECK: At 10:30 a.m., I will have my podcast with Raul Ibanez up. We moved it back a day because of all the sale stuff yesterday. Mark Simon will look at the Yankees defense. And Wally is in Oakland.

IN THE HOLE: Against the A's, it will be Nova (4-2, 5.69 ERA) vs. Tyson Ross (2-4, 5.73). On Saturday, it is CC Sabathia (5-2, 3.78) vs. Bartolo Colon (4-4, 4.09); On Sunday, it is Hiroki Kuroda (3-6, 4.56) vs. Tommy Milone (6-3, 3.75).

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Will Nova be a playoff starter or out of the rotation by season's end?

Yankees president Randy Levine went on "The Michael Kay Show" Thursday. He had harsh language for the New York Daily News report that the Yankees were thinking about selling. He said there is no truth the story. It was "totally fabricated" by people trying to sell newspapers.   

Overall, the Yankees are 23-21, so at best you can probably give the team a grade of C, maybe even a D. But let’s look at the individual marks and see who is carrying his end of the $200 million bargain -- and who is not.