If Phil Hughes really was pitching for his job yesterday, he picked a great time to snap out of his malaise.
Too bad the Yankees' languishing lineup didn't do the same.
Facing a pitcher they usually feast on in Derek Holland, the Bombers saw the Rangers starter pitch a complete-game 2-0 shutout. Hughes took the loss, but surely shouldn't shoulder the blame. That falls on a lineup that produced a season-low two hits, three drives to the warning track and nothing else before 42,138 at the Stadium.
"I was certainly going through a rough patch, so to have a good start is a platform. But at the end of the day you want to win,'' said Hughes, who ignored reports he was pitching for his rotation spot. "I've just been hearing it for so long that it's easy. You know what to expect, know there are going to be questions you have to answer. … I just clear my head and do the best job I can. I don't let talk [get to me].''
Anthony J Causi
BLANKS FOR NOTHING: Phil Hughes, after two rough outings that put his spot in the rotation in jeopardy, delivered one of his best starts of the season, allowing two runs in eight innings, but fell to 3-7 when the Yankees managed two hits off the Rangers' Derek Holland.
The Bombers finished their homestand just 4-5 and are in third place — 4 1/2 games behind the Red Sox, but it was hardly the fault of Hughes, who allowed just five hits and two runs in a season-high eight innings. And after Hughes pitched to a bloated 13.91 ERA in his prior three home starts, yesterday was an auspicious bounce-back performance.
"Whenever you're trying to get through some rough stretches, it helps to take a deep breath, and I felt like it did me some good,'' Hughes said. "I was just trying to keep on a better plane to home plate, [keep my] momentum going in the right direction, just stay over the rubber a little bit better.''
Despite having lost four of five games this month and with alternatives lurking — Ivan Nova pitched well in Sunday's spot start and Michael Pineda tossed six shutout frames in his most recent rehab start — Hughes (3-7) was hardly the problem yesterday.
"We know he's capable of doing it. We've seen it before. Hughes wants to pitch. He wants the ball every fifth day. He went out and got it done,'' said Joe Girardi, adding Hughes' fastball command and slider were improved. "He was really good. … I thought his slider was better, too. He got some swings and misses on that and located it better.''
Hughes made just one real mistake, a 1-1 changeup that highly touted Rangers prospect Jurickson Profar crushed deep to right field for a fifth-inning solo home run. The rookie also scored on Ian Kinsler's third-inning sacrifice fly, and that was all Hughes allowed.
But against Holland (6-4) that was enough, the Yankees getting shut out by a pitcher that previously had been 0-5 all-time against them. Holland needed just 92 pitches to finally beat the Yankees.
"He kept the ball down and we were a little too aggressive on his pitches. We didn't put any pressure on him. It's frustrating,'' said Lyle Overbay, who went 0-for-3.
Asked what was working for Holland, Vernon Wells — 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in his first start in a week — said "Everything.''
brian.lewis@nypost.com
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