Granderson enjoying power surge

New York Yankees' Curtis Granderson hits a home run during... — New York Yankees' Curtis Granderson hits a home run during the first inning of the baseball game against the Texas Rangers. (May 6, 2011) Credit: AP

By ERIK BOLANDErik.Boland@newsday.comMay 7, 2011

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The player who keeps insisting he's not a home run hitter keeps hitting home runs.

Curtis Granderson homered twice Friday, giving him a team-best, and American League-best 10. It tied him for second-most in the Majors behind Alfonso Soriano's 11.

"It's just a matter of looking to drive a pitch and sometimes the ball's going to get out of the ballpark," Granderson said. "Other than that, there's really no key or anything else like that. I don't consider myself a power hitter by any means. When you measure me up against the rest of the guys like an Alex Rodriguez or Ryan Howard, those guys are 30, 40, 50 pounds heavier than me, so I'm not sure what it is."

Granderson has shown power in his career, hitting 30 homers with the Tigers in 2009 and 24 last season.

But he's shown a far more consistent home run stroke since mid-August last year, when Granderson and Kevin Long tweaked his swing -- at the start of a series here -- eliminating a lot of excess movement.

Granderson's 24 home runs, entering Saturday night, since last Aug. 14, tied him with Troy Tulowitzki for second-most in baseball over that span behind Jose Bautista (27).

"The adjustments that he has made had really helped him," Joe Girardi said.

Return of Swish

Nick Swisher was a late scratch from Friday night's lineup because of a severe head cold. He was back in Saturday night, playing left and hitting sixth.

"I definitely feel better than I did yesterday," Swisher said. "And I wouldn't know what to do taking two days off. I'd be bored."

Needs improvement

Brett Gardner twice failed to get bunts down Friday, making too solid contact on a sacrifice attempt that got Jorge Posada thrown out at third for the first out of the second inning, then popping it up in the ninth. The latter he did on his own trying for a hit. "That needs to be part of his game and you want him to continue to work at it," Girardi said.

Ayala progressing

RHP Luis Ayala, on the DL since April 13 with a shoulder strain, is on rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.