June 1, 2012, 7:05 p.m. ET, Comerica Park, Detroit, Mich.
TV / Radio: YES/MLB Network, WCBS 880 AM

Greetings from a soggy Comerica Park, where the Yankees and Tigers are set to meet for the first game of a big three-game weekend series in the Motor City. The Yankees are 4-2 heading into the last leg of this nine-game, three-city road trip, having swept the A’s in Oakland before dropping two of three against the Angels. New York has lost six of eight in Detroit over the last two seasons.

The Yankees will be the first team in the Majors to get a look at Detroit lefty Casey Crosby, who was recalled by the Tigers from Triple-A Toledo to make this start after Doug Fister was placed on the disabled list for the second time this year. He was 4-2 with a 4.26 ERA and 57 strikeouts in nine starts with the Mud Hens this year.

“The challenges are you have no idea what he’s gonna try to do to you,” Girardi said of facing a rookie for the first time. “You know he throws a certain velocity but does it get on you quicker, does his curveball, what’s the break, what’s his changeup? The thing you try to do is put some pressure on him early because, for any player that’s ever been through it the first time, there’s some butterflies.”

For the Tigers, Gerald Laird gets a rare start at DH (the Tigers are currently carrying three catchers), but likely because he’s hitting .421 (8-for-19) with a home run and four RBIs in his career against CC Sabathia. Miguel Cabrera is batting .455 (10-for-22) with two home runs, 12 RBIs and seven walks against Sabathia, while Brennan Boesch is 4-for-10 against the big lefty, but all six of those outs have been strikeouts.

Girardi’s expectations for New York’s big lefty are simple: “I expect him to do what he does — give us distance, give us quality innings, hope he can keep the pitch count down and get us deep into the game with the lead.”

Here are tonight’s lineups:

YANKEES (27-23)
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Robinson Cano 2B
Nick Swisher RF
Andruw Jones DH
Jayson Nix LF
Chris Stewart C

Pitching: CC Sabathia LHP (6-2, 3.66)

TIGERS (24-27)
Quintin Berry CF
Danny Worth 2B
Miguel Cabrera 3B
Prince Fielder 1B
Delmon Young LF
Gerald Laird DH
Brennan Boesch RF
Omir Santos C
Ramon Santiago SS

Pitching: Casey Crosby LHP (4-2, 4.26 with Triple-A Toledo)

ANAHEIM – Yankees catcher Russell Martin said he was “mystified” by the behavior of home plate umpire Laz Diaz during Wednesday’s 6-5 victory over the Angels, saying that Diaz would not permit him to throw new baseballs to the mound during the game.

Martin said that he likes to throw the ball to keep his arm loose following foul balls, but was told by Diaz – a full-time Major League umpire since 1999 – that it would not be allowed because it is, as Martin said, “a privilege that I have to earn.”

“At the end of the game, after I got hit in the neck [by a foul tip], I was like, ‘Can I throw the ball back now?’” Martin said. “He was like, still, ‘No.’ I was like, ‘You’re such a (jerk).’ Like, for real, unbelievable.”

Martin acknowledged that he and Diaz had argued about balls and strikes earlier in the game. Martin believed Diaz was baiting him to say something that would warrant an ejection.

“I feel like that’s what he was trying to do. He was trying to get me. It wasn’t going to happen,” Martin said.

Martin said that he has never encountered an umpire who refuses to allow the catcher to throw a new ball to the pitcher.

“I even told him, when there’s guys on base, I like to keep my arm loose,” Martin said. “[He said,] ‘I’m not letting you throw a ball back.’ That’s pretty strange to me.

“I’ve had umpires wanting to throw it back and I ask them. I let them know, I like to throw the ball to keep the feel for throwing in case somebody steals. But [Diaz] told me I have to earn the privilege.”

Martin said that he knows Diaz “can hold a grudge,” which could make things interesting the next time Diaz works home plate against the Yankees.

“Now, thinking back, I should have showed him the gold Rawlings sign on my glove,” Martin said.

OAKLAND – With two hits on Saturday, Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter moved into a tie for 14th place on baseball’s all-time hits list with Hall of Famer George Brett, owning 3,154 career hits.

Jeter legged out a bunt single in the fourth inning facing Athletics starter Bartolo Colon to equal Brett. Earlier in the game, Jeter stroked a third-inning RBI single to break a tie with Paul Waner for 15th place on the all-time list with 3,153.

Cal Ripken, Jr. is next on the list ahead of Brett with 3,184 career hits.

Hello from the O.co Coliseum, where the Yankees will go for their fifth straight victory this afternoon against an old friend, Bartolo Colon. Will the Yankees have an advantage facing Colon because he wore pinstripes last season? Perhaps. He’s the third starter they’ve seen this year who previously pitched for the Yankees, as they’ve also faced Carl Pavano and Hector Noesi.

“They’ve seen him over the years,” Joe Girardi said. “I don’t know if it’s an advantage when Bart’s spotting his fastball. That’s the key. If he’s spotting it really well, you know he’s really tough. You know you’re going to see about 90 percent fastballs, so you can prepare for it, but it all depends on how it’s moving and his location.”

“I think you have to be patient and look for one that’s not on the corner. He’s going to run it back on the lefties. He’s going to start it at their front hip. Righties, he’s going to start it off the plate and try to bring it back. You have to wait for him to make a mistake.”

Local boy CC Sabathia figures to have plenty of friends and family on hand to watch him  pitch at a ballpark where he once paid admission for baseball games — and still holds season tickets for the Raiders. Sabathia has lost his last two starts, but he hasn’t pitched terribly, allowing seven runs in his last 13 innings. He could use a start of the eight-inning variety, as he did in four straight from April 23 to May 10. Sabathia is 5-1 with a 2.63 ERA in eight starts vs. Oakland dating back to May 14, 2008, with his team going 6-2 in those outings.

Here are this afternoon’s lineups from the O.co Coliseum in Oakland, California:

YANKEES (24-21)
Derek Jeter SS
Curtis Granderson CF
Alex Rodriguez DH
Robinson Cano 2B
Mark Teixeira 1B
Raul Ibanez LF
Nick Swisher RF
Eric Chavez 3B
Russell Martin C

Pitching: CC Sabathia LHP (5-2, 3.78)

ATHLETICS (22-24)
Jemile Weeks 2B
Coco Crisp CF
Josh Reddick RF
Jonny Gomes DH
Josh Donaldson 3B
Kurt Suzuki C
Cliff Pennington SS
Adam Rosales 1B
Collin Cowgill LF

Pitching: Bartolo Colon RHP (4-4, 4.09)