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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.

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.   

To combat all the questions about their slow start, the Yankees' mantra in the clubhouse is, "Look at the back of our baseball cards." We have -- and that is probably the best reason to believe that the Yankees have better days ahead. They have done it before.

So let's look at five reasons to believe in the Yankees. (Click here for five reasons to panic.)

1. The Yankees can't keep hitting this poorly. Even if you believe that Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira are regressing, they still have to have a lot of homers in their bats. Last year, Teixeira hit 39. Is he really going to have just 15 this year? A-Rod might not be a 30/100 guy anymore, but let's say he hits 24 this year. That means he is hitting about one per week or four per month. Not A-Rod in his prime, but a positive contribution. So the two big guns on the corners figure to improve.

2. CC Sabathia still looks like an ace. Although there may be legit questions about the rest of the staff, Sabathia has shown he still has it. There was a little concern about where his weight and game were going at the end of last year. Sabathia, though, looks as if he is going to have another excellent season. Wherever the Yankees end up, Sabathia will lead them. He is the most important Yankee and looks like he is on his way to a typical season for him.

3. The Yankees aren't in that big a hole. They are just 4½ games out of first. In 2007, they were 10½ games out and still won the wild card. Now there are two wild cards, so they have double the consolation prizes.

Will they win the division? I thought so before the season, and I'm not ready to abandon that prediction just yet. There are a lot of bad teams on the schedule, and the Yankees are bullies who should be able to clean up in those games. The AL East is the best division in baseball, and you could make a case for every team to win it.

4. David Robertson is coming back. The Yankees don't have Mariano Rivera, but when Robertson returns, there is a pretty good chance he will be back pitching in the eighth. Robertson and current closer Rafael Soriano are a strong back end of the bullpen. The Yankees will miss Rivera, but the bullpen still could very well be a strength.

5. Brett Gardner is also coming back. It is a bit worrisome that they have to keep pushing back Gardner's elbow rehab, but let's assume he starts to get going on Monday and is back by the end of next week or the beginning of the following week.

Gardner brings diversity and defense to the Yankees every day. The defense is really important because it makes the pitchers better. Along with Teixeira, Russell Martin and when Robinson Cano is interested, Gardner is one of the Yankees' only plus defenders. It makes a subtle difference that leads to wins.

To imagine all five of these things happening -- not to mention that ol' trade deadline in July -- and thinking the Yankees still can win 95 games is not a stretch.

What do YOU think? Tell us in the comments section.

As a firm believer in the philosophy that it's never too early to panic -- after all, what's the point of panicking when things are already hopeless? -- I present five things that could test even the staunchest Yankees fan's faith. (Click here for five reasons to believe.)

1. The division is better. The AL East was tough enough when it was a two-horse race. It became brutal when the Tampa Bay Rays figured out how to play, too. Now, with the Orioles looking like they plan to stick around and the Blue Jays always dangerous, especially at home, it's truly a jungle out there.

And let's not forget the new single-elimination wild-card format. Time was when a 90-plus-win season pretty much guaranteed the Yankees at least a first-round ride. Now, 95 wins might not be enough.

2. Mark Teixeira. The Yankees have gotten used to putting up with Teixeira's annual slow start. They also have gotten used to his 35 homers and 115-120 RBIs. But this year, whether it's the cough, the shift or the raw juice diet he went on during the spring that peeled about 20 pounds off his frame, Tex doesn't seem to have the same pop in his bat as before.

And for a club that relies on its infielders for much of its power production, that could be a real problem.

3. Kuroda, Nova and Hughes. For a club that came into spring training with "too much starting pitching,'' the Yankees seem to be back where they were at this time last year, with two reliable starters (CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte) and a trio of question marks. Hiroki Kuroda has been inconsistent, and the jury is still out as to whether his stuff will work against AL lineups as well as it did against the anemic NL West.

Ivan Nova has been alarmingly hittable, and while Phil Hughes looked good his last time out, he could revert at any time to the pitcher he was in April. Kuroda, Nova and Hughes have a combined 11-13 record and 5.05 ERA; their continuing ineffectiveness is a big reason the Yankees haven't been able to string together more than three consecutive wins since April.

4. No Mariano. This one would have been higher except that Rafael Soriano has been spotless so far in the closer's role. But aside from shortening games and altering opposing manager's late-inning strategies during the regular season, Mo was especially dominant, and especially important, in the postseason.

Will you --or the Yankees -- be as confident with Sori on the mound in the ninth inning of a playoff game?

5. Silent Hal. In some ways, having a rational presence like Hal Steinbrenner in the driver's seat might be an improvement over the knee-jerk responses of his dad, the late Boss. But something about the silence and disconnect between the owner and the front office is disconcerting, perhaps because we all became so accustomed to the instantaneous responses of the old man.

Although sources tell me Hal has been in touch with the manager and GM regularly during the club's recent rough spell, he seems to be more occupied with balancing the budget than toppling the division.

The owner's disinclination to panic ... may be the biggest reason to panic of all.

What do YOU think? Tell us in the comments section.

In response to today's New York Daily News story that said there are "rumors flying" that the Steinbrenner family might sell the team, Hal Steinbrenner has released a statement:

"I just learned of the Daily News story," Steinbrenner said. "It is pure fiction. The Yankees are not for sale. I expect that the Yankees will be in my family for many years to come."

Major League Baseball has also released a statement saying the team is not for sale.

“Major League Baseball has received no indications from any representatives of the New York Yankees or anyone else that the Club is for sale,” the statement read.