Logan takes A-Rod's advice, has a plan

Have a game plan.

That was the simple message Alex Rodriguez gave Boone Logan when the third baseman pulled the lefthander aside earlier in the week in Cincinnati.

"He kind of took what he does as a hitter and kind of turned it into a pitching deal," Logan said Sunday after pitching a scoreless seventh and earning the win in the Yankees' 6-4 victory over the Rockies. "He said if you have a game plan, stick to it . . . It was more just a pick-me-up, and to hear it from him, he's got a lot of experience. It was an honor."

Logan's primary job is to get out lefthanded hitters, something he did well last year but not as much this season. At one point, they were hitting well over .300 against him. After he retired Carlos Gonzalez (strikeout) and Todd Helton (groundout), lefthanded hitters are now 13-for-48 (.270) against Logan this season.

No worries

Joe Girardi said he has no long-term concerns about Rodriguez's sore right knee, which started acting up after the June 19 game at Wrigley Field. Rodriguez played the entire game Sunday, going 1-for-4 with an RBI. A-Rod has at least one RBI in each of his last six games and is hitting .500 (13-for-26) in his last seven games.

"He's not running well at all," an opposing scout said before the game. But Girardi said the soreness is "treatable" and that he doesn't believe it's something that will linger all season.

Finding the chairman

The last couple of Old-Timers' Days, Nick Swisher has brought a box of baseballs to have signed. One signature he had not been able to get, until Sunday, was Whitey Ford's.

"Finally got him," a grinning Swisher said by his locker as he stored the just-autographed ball for safekeeping.

Rotation ready

Girardi set his rotation for the Brewers series, which starts Tuesday night. Not surprisingly, with Monday off, Brian Gordon will be skipped. Freddy Garcia is scheduled to start Tuesday night, followed by A.J. Burnett and CC Sabathia.