Major League Baseball

CURTIS ON UP & UP GRANDERSON, IN 2-HOLE, DELIVERS AGAIN

Published Oct. 8, 2010 10:23 p.m. ET

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MINNEAPOLIS - Austin Jackson may come back to haunt the Yankees someday, but right now the Curtis Granderson trade is looking pretty good.

Through the first two games of the playoffs, Granderson is batting .500 (4-for-8) with a double, a triple and three RBIs. In the Yankees' 5-2 victory over the Twins in Game 2 last night, Joe Girardi put Granderson in the No. 2 spot in the lineup. It paid off when he knocked in a run, scored a run and doubled.

"It's huge," Nick Swisher said of Granderson's hot bat. "Obviously, we've got our lefthanded lineup and our righthanded lineup. With him up there against righties right now he's feeling good. He's having a tremendous postseason so far. That's something we need him to continue."

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman traded for Granderson last winter, sending Jackson and Ian Kennedy out in a three-team deal. Granderson struggled for his first few months as a Yankee, while Jackson put up big numbers.

In August, Kevin Long worked with Granderson during a series in Texas and Granderson has been a different batter since. He entered his second playoffs (2006 with Detroit was his first) trying to keep his hot finish to the regular season going.

"Just trying to go ahead and carry everything over with the way the season finished up and continue to be in a good position to hit, aggressive," Granderson said. "I'm just trying to take advantage of a mistake when I get one."

Granderson led off the fourth inning with a double off Carl Pavano, and scored on an Alex Rodriguez sacrifice fly to tie the game, 1-1. He singled to start the sixth and had an RBI single in the ninth inning to score Brett Gardner and give the Yankees some insurance.

About the only bad moment of the night for Granderson came in the sixth when Delmon Young's shot to center field hit the end of his glove and rolled away for a triple.

"I was joking with guys later that I need a longer glove." Granderson said. "My arm was a little too short."

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