Better late than never as Granderson homers twice

With Curtis Granderson's adjusted mechanics leading to newfound success against lefthanded pitching, Joe Girardi's decision to give him a day off Thursday was somewhat curious, and hitting coach Kevin Long was quick to let him know about it.

"K-Long was burying me on the bench today," Girardi said. "He said, 'You know, you're really not very smart not putting Granderson in, but it only took you one inning to figure it out.' ''

It didn't take long for Granderson to show Girardi exactly what Long was talking about. With lefthander Dallas Braden starting for the Athletics, what started out as a day on the bench for Granderson turned into his second multi-homer game of the season as the Yankees beat Oakland, 5-0, to complete a four-game sweep.

Granderson hit a solo homer into the second deck in rightfield off lefthander Jerry Blevins in the sixth inning for a 2-0 lead and added a two-out, two-run homer to rightfield off righthander Michael Wuertz in the seventh. That gave him 17.

About three weeks ago, Long helped Granderson alter his swing - having him keep both hands on the bat throughout rather than lifting his top hand at the end of the swing - to combat his struggles against lefties. He is hitting .417 (10-for-24) against lefties since Aug. 12 and is at .298 (17-for-57) overall in his last 17 games, with six homers and 10 RBIs.

"When I was taking my top hand off the bat, everything was out in front and I could get away with it as long as everything was timed out right," Granderson said. "The good thing about keeping both hands on the bat is it lets the ball travel a little bit more. A little bit more consistent."

Even with his recent improvement, though, when the lineup was announced yesterday, Granderson's name was not on it. But when Nick Swisher left the game in the first inning with stiffness in his left knee, the outfield underwent a dramatic shuffle. Austin Kearns moved from left to right, Brett Gardner from center to left and Granderson from the bench to center.

"I've always been in a situation where I've got to be ready to go," Granderson said. "Chicago, I came in early when Tex came out; today I come in early when Swish comes out. The main thing is just to battle through the game."

Despite his initial decision to give Granderson the day off, Girardi acknowledged the improvement he has seen in a player who has been virtually an automatic out against lefthanders throughout his career (.183 in 180 at-bats against lefties last season).

"There seems to be less movement before his swings," Girardi said. "He's quieted down his swings. He's got his hands in the launch position right from the beginning. He's spread out a little. He's hit righties, lefties, it really hasn't mattered. We don't see him swinging and missing as much. I just think he's in a better position to hit."