Dewayne Wise is on a tear for Yankees

It has been one heck of a week for the Yankees' Dewayne Wise.

The utility outfielder more than doubled his batting average for the season after a 7-for-11 stretch with two home runs, a double, a triple, three runs scored and five RBIs in five games, including a 3-for-3 performance with an RBI double and a solo home run in Saturday's 4-0 win over the Chicago White Sox at the Stadium.

Wise came into the current homestand batting .133 (4-for-30) with five runs scored, only one extra-base hit (a double) and no RBIs.

"Any time you're able to come out there and contribute and do stuff to help the team win, it boosts your confidence level up," Wise said. "You feel like you're part of the team because you're actually doing stuff. It's a big week for me and I'd like to keep it going."

Wise even made his first appearance as a relief pitcher when he recorded two outs in Friday's 14-7 blowout loss. It was the first time a position player pitched for the Yankees since Nick Swisher threw a shutout inning at Tampa Bay on April 13, 2009, and the first time at home since Gene Michael appeared for three innings in Game 2 of a doubleheader against the Angels on Aug. 26, 1968.

"It's been crazy. It's been a lot of fun," Wise said of his career week. "I always said if I got a chance to pitch, I wouldn't redo it, and I got the opportunity [Friday] night."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Wise is capitalizing on his chance to play.

"Just some opportunity. He's taking advantage of it is what he's doing," Girardi said. "He's swinging the bat real well and we like the way he's swinging the bat and he got two outs last night for us, so he's kind of doing everything for us."

Wise doubled to right-centerfield on a first-pitch fastball to drive in Swisher with two outs in the bottom of the second and give the Yankees a 2-0 lead Saturday afternoon. He made it 3-0 with a solo home run into the second deck in right in the fifth and singled to right in the seventh.

Wise said he's made some mechanical tweaks with hitting coach Kevin Long.

"The last 10 days or so, we've been in the cage working just on small things, hitting off the tee, flips,'' Wise said. "He's been telling me to keep it simple. Use my hands, try not to overstride, and I've been feeling good at the plate.

"When I came into camp, I was more upright. He said he saw me over the years come into town as a visiting player that he felt I had a good swing but it was a little long. In camp right away, he wanted me to kind of spread out a little bit and get down to my legs, and it just kind of came natural."