g to it," Sanchez said. "When you know you can throw your

NEW YORK -- This much is clear: Michael Pineda had a dark substance smudged on his pitching hand during his first win for the New York Yankees. Pine tar or dirt? We might never know. Pineda took a two-hit shutout into the seventh inning, and Jacoby Ellsbury hit an RBI single off old roommate Clay Buchholz in his first game against the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees 4-1 victory Thursday night left a bit of a mystery: Were Pinedas pitches plain old nasty, or was something more sinister involved? "Its dirt," Pineda said. "Between the innings, Im sweating too much, my hand. Im putting dirt -- Im grasping the dirt. ... Im not using pine tar." Ellsbury drew all the pregame attention after switching sides in the rivalry during the off-season. But it was the dark brown, seemingly tacky substance on the lower palm of Pinedas right hand that became the focus. Close-up camera shots showed Pineda (1-1) pitching during the early innings with something on his hand, and there was speculation it was pine tar to help him get a better grip on a chilly night. The game was never stopped for an umpire to examine him, and it whatever it was, it was gone by the fifth. "I became aware of it in the fourth inning through the video that someone had seen," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "And then, when he came back out for the fifth inning, it looked, based on where it was told to me it was located, it looked like the palm of his right hand was clean." Buchholz and fellow Red Sox ace Jon Lester both attracted questions last year about substances they had on the mound, but nothing came of them. "The Red Sox didnt bring it to our attention, so theres nothing we can do about it," umpire crew chief Brian ONora said. "If they bring it to our attention, then youve got to do something." Yankees manager Joe Girardi essentially repeated the same answer five times during his postgame news conference. "I never saw it. Theres nothing really for me to talk about," he said. Making his first Yankee Stadium start 27 months after he was acquired from Seattle, Pineda appeared completely recovered from the shoulder surgery that sidelined him for two years. Throwing at up to 95 mph, he allowed four hits, struck out seven and walked two. Brian McCann ended an 0-for-14 slide with a run-scoring single that put the Yankees ahead during a two-run fourth that also included a run-scoring double-play grounder by Alfonso Soriano. Making just his third big league start after 554 games in the minor leagues, 27-year-old infielder Dean Anna homered as New York made it 4-0 in the fifth. Anna opened spring training wearing No. 93 after six minor league seasons with San Diego, which traded him to New York in November. Now wearing a more respectable No. 45, he was greeted after the homer by Yankees captain Derek Jeter, who gave him a high-five. Anna had received more than 100 emails and texts by the time the game ended, and he even got the ball back. "Words cant explain it. Honestly, they really cant. All the history with these two teams," Anna said. This was slightly different than the way he dreamed it would happen. "In Wrigley Field, actually," he said. "But Yankee Stadium against the Red Sox I think is pretty good, too." After spending nine years in the Red Sox organization and winning World Series titles in 2007 and last year, Ellsbury left for a $153 million, seven-year contract with the Yankees. And his first game put him at the plate against Buchholz (0-1), his roommate at Lowell of the New York-Penn League in their first summer of professional ball. On a 1-for-4 night, Ellsbury reached on third baseman Jonathan Herreras fielding error and scored the games first run in the fourth and singled sharply to left to drive in a run in the fifth. Daniel Nava led off the seventh with a home run into the second deck in right, and Xander Bogaerts single chased Pineda. With David Robertson on the disabled list and Shawn Kelley and Adam Warren unavailable after pitching Wednesday, the Yankees scrambled their bullpen. Cesar Cabral and David Phelps retired Bostons last nine batters -- striking out five -- and Phelps got seven outs for his first career save. "I just figured as long as I was keeping guys off base, they were going to let me go," Phelps said. "Any time you can get a first, as long as its a good first, is always exciting." NOTES: Jeter went 2 for 4 with a double, raising his average to .290. ... The Yankees employed an unusual shift with Grady Sizemore up: Jeter remained at shortstop and rookie Yangervis Solarte moved from third to the first-base side of second; Sizemore grounded out to Solarte in the third. ... CC Sabathia (1-1) is slated to face Lester (0-2) in Fridays second game of the four-game series. Richaun Holmes Jersey .Just like old times.Only this time, just one got to enjoy a victory.James return to Miami as an opponent was a success — for the Heat, that is. Wade scored 24 of his 31 points in the first half, Luol Deng had 25 points and dogged James defensively all night, and the Heat beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 101-91 in a hyped Christmas matchup Thursday. Penny Hardaway Jersey . The German has taken the pole for three straight races -- winning the first two. Hes aiming for a third consecutive win at the Yeongam circuit and, most importantly, a fourth consecutive F1 championship. http://www.officialsunsfanstore.com/elie-okobo-suns-jersey/. Then he got back at the team that released him five days before the start of last season, hitting a tiebreaking double in the ninth inning of the first game at Fenway Park since Boston won the World Series last October. Kevin Johnson Jersey . -- Raiders wide receiver Jacoby Ford made it through a third straight practice without any setbacks and expects to play in Oaklands regular-season finale against San Diego. Steve Nash Jersey .A. Happ. The Toronto Blue Jays will be looking to improve the starting rotation ahead of next season and pitchers like Happ have a chance to show they belong as the disastrous 2013 campaign draws to a close.DETROIT -- Victor Martinez loves hitting homers, though even he had to laugh Sunday when he was asked about breaking out of a power slump with a pair of weekend three-run shots. His third-inning shot to left was all that Anibal Sanchez needed to finish off a weekend sweep of the Colorado Rockies with a 4-0 victory Sunday. Before homering Saturday and Sunday, Martinez hadnt hit a ball out since July 3, a 16-game stretch that also included eight days off recovering from a back strain. However, he did hit .281 during his "slump", and the two this weekend gave him 23 on the season, only two short of his career high, so hes not too worried. "I think I was on pace for 100 homers there for a while, and I have to tell you, I wasnt going to keep that up," he said. "This game is tough, and all you do is go up there and try to have a good at-bat every time up. A lot of times, thats not going to mean a homer, even if you do your job. Ive just got a couple on the barrel in the last two days." Sanchez (8-5) became the third straight Tigers starter to dominate the Rockies, striking out a season-high 12 in seven innings. He only allowed two hits and a walk. "I had the life back in my fastball, and I just kept going to it," Sanchez said. "When you know you can throw your fastball on every pitch, and you know you can put it anywhere, it makes your other pitches even more dangerous." Joba Chamberlain allowed one hit in a shutout eighth inning, and Joakim Soria did the same in the ninth. Jorge De Le Rosa (11-7) gave up four runs on six hits in 6 2-3 innings. All six hits came with two outs, but Detroit grouped three of them to create a big third inning. "They are tough on everyone -- for me, thats the best lineup in the league," De La Rosa said. "I made some really good pitches, and they still hit them. That shows you how good they are." De La Rosa retired the first two batters of the third, but Rajai Daviss speed and some sluggish defence turned a routine single into a double. De La Rosa then hit Ian Kinsleer, and Miguel Cabrera made it 1-0 with a single up the middle.dddddddddddd Martinez connected two pitches later. Sanchez fanned seven in his final three innings. TRAINERS ROOM: Detroit: LF Andy Dirks went 1 for 4 for Single-A West Michigan on his second rehab assignment to try and return from a back problem that has kept him out all season. Dirks, who had to cut his first assignment short in July, is hitting .286 in two games for the Whitecaps. Colorado: SP Christian Bergman (wrist) was scheduled to make his second rehab start for Double-A Tulsa on Sunday night. ... OF Carlos Gonzalez remained out of Sundays lineup, two days after aggravating an ankle injury when he slid into the Comerica Park fence trying to catch a foul ball. Walt Weiss said Sunday that hes confident Gonzalez will return during the upcoming home series against the Cubs. UP NEXT: Detroit: Detroit travels to New York for a four-game series that will be highlighted by David Prices first start in a Tigers uniform. In Mondays series opener, Max Scherzer (13-3, 3.27) faces Brandon McCarthy (6-10, 4.56). Colorado: After a day off on Monday, the Rockies return home for three games with the Cubs. Brett Anderson (1-3, 3.12) is scheduled to start the opener against Chicagos Travis Wood (7-9 5.10). LEFTY PARADE: De La Rosa became the 19th straight lefty to start for the Rockies, moving them one game short of the major league record, set by the 1982 Kansas City Royals. The Rockies are expected to at least tie the record, with Anderson scheduled to pitch Tuesday, but they have not announced their rotation for the rest of the Chicago series. CAREER YEAR: Even after the injury and slow month, Martinez is on pace for 35 homers. In 2007, when he hit his 25 homers for Cleveland, he didnt hit his 23rd until Sept. 16. Martinez is also on pace to set career highs in slugging percentage (.567) and OPS (.948). DOMINANT ROTATION: In the three-game sweep, Sanchez, Justin Verlander and Rick Porcello combined for a 1.57 ERA with 27 strikeouts and two walks in 23 innings. 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