Girardi giving Yankees a break from the heat

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Where the Yankees have gone this week, the heat has followed. That was no surprise in Dallas, but Kansas City is going through an unseasonable warm spell. Game-time temperature was 98 with a heat index of 106. Thursday night, it was 94 and 106.

"It can be 97 at 2 o'clock with the sun out and as soon as the sun goes down, it only goes down to 96," Nick Swisher said with a laugh. "It's hot, man."

Joe Girardi kept Swisher, who had played in every game since July 24 - a stretch of 19 games - out of Friday night's lineup because the outfielder, on base four times Thursday, looked "fatigued" toward the end of the game. Swisher was available to pinch hit. Girardi said though the heat wave is supposed to break by Saturday night, he plans to rest one or two of his other regulars, possibly Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez, over the last two games of the series.

Thursday's starter, CC Sabathia, battled the heat by drinking one bottle of water and a cup of Gatorade between every inning. He said he loved pitching in the heat because it was easier to get loose.

Mark Teixeira, who played 4½ seasons in Texas, including 162 games in the 2005 and 2006 seasons, said he's always enjoyed playing in extreme heat.

"I think the players that are in shape, that are tough, that are mentally prepared for it, they can separate themselves in this kind of weather," Teixeira said. "They talk about the Green Bay Packers playing at Lambeau when it's negative-10, I think a team or players that are used to playing in the heat, that can stand the heat, they have an advantage."

Granderson moved up

With Swisher out, Curtis Granderson batted second against Royals righthander Kyle Davies. "We like the way he's swung the bat and he's had a lot of success off of Davies," Girardi said. "And it pretty much keeps our lineup about the same, guys are where they're used to being." Granderson came in 6-for-18 (.333) with two homers against Davies.