Phil Hughes throws against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee...

Phil Hughes throws against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium, Sunday. (July 25, 2010) Credit: Christopher Pasatieri

So what do starting pitchers do during rain delays? Pretty much the same thing that fans do - glance at the television, walk around the (club)house and basically just relax.

Phil Hughes started yesterday's 12-6 win over the Royals at the Stadium, but he knew after the first 40 minutes or so of the more than 2 1/2-hour rain delay that there was no way he was going to continue. "The decision had been made," he said.

The rain proved to be an easy excuse to limit Hughes' innings, which is something the Yankees are trying to do down the stretch. He allowed three runs, six hits and no walks in 5 1/3 innings, striking out three, to lift his record to 12-3.

"I felt like I was starting to get into a groove a little bit, and then the rains came,'' said Hughes, who also relaxed on a couch in the clubhouse with his iPod before the game. "It was a step in the right direction.''

The 12 victories place Hughes in a tie for third with Minnesota's Carl Pavano and Detroit's Justin Verlander in the American League, one behind CC Sabathia and Tampa Bay's David Price, but it was only his second win in five starts since June 19.

Things haven't been roses for Hughes lately, as he's seen his ERA jump from 1.38 on May 12 to 2.71 on June 8 to its current 4.04. In his most recent four starts, he had allowed 18 earned runs and 31 hits in 232/3 innings.

Hughes was much better yesterday, except for two fastballs he left up in the zone.

The first was in the third inning, when Scott Podsednik launched his first of his two homers, a two-run drive off the bottom of the leftfield foul pole that gave Kansas City a 2-0 lead.

Chris Getz reached ahead of Podsednik on an infield single lined off Hughes' backside. Hughes was looked at by manager Joe Girardi and trainer Gene Monahan, then allowed the home run four pitches later.

The second mistake, to Rick Ankiel in the fourth, resulted in a moonshot that bounced off the facing of the third deck in right. They were the 14th and 15th homers allowed by Hughes this year, and every one has come at Yankee Stadium, in 65 2/3 innings. He has pitched 45 2/3 innings on the road without allowing one.

"To me, it just doesn't make sense," Girardi said.

Added Hughes: "Yeah, I don't know why. I really can't give you an answer to that."

When the rain came with one out in the sixth, he had thrown 95 pitches, so he was nearing the end of his start anyway.

"I was probably going to let him go one or two more hitters," Girardi said. "He was getting up around that point. But I thought he was better today. Missed a couple spots with his fastball, but he limited the damage and did a nice job."

Hughes' innings limit is believed to be between 170 and 175 innings, and he currently stands at 111 1/3, which is only one out shy of his total from last season between the Yankees and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

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