Bombers bits

• Carlos Beltran played catch again on Thursday, throwing to coach Rob Thomson from a distance of 90 feet on the outfield grass as he continues to test his right elbow. Beltran, who is being used only as a DH at this point, plans to take Friday off from throwing and then would play catch on Saturday and Sunday.

• Girardi said that he placed a call to Joe Torre, Major League Baseball's executive vice president of baseball operations, regarding a play in the ninth inning of New York's 4-2 victory over the Mariners.

Jacoby Ellsbury ripped a ball down the first-base line that was ruled foul by umpire Mark Wegner. Girardi believed the ball had crossed the first-base bag in fair territory and asked Wegner if the play could have been reviewable, but was told that it was not.

• Thursday marked Hideki Matsui's 40th birthday. On this date in 2008, Matsui became the first and only Yankee to hit a grand slam on his birthday, providing all of the Yankees' offense in a 4-1 win at Oakland.

• On this date in 2009, the Yankees were trailing the Mets by a run with two outs in the ninth inning when Alex Rodriguez lifted what appeared to be a game-ending popup. Mets second baseman Luis Castillo dropped the ball and two runs scored, giving the Yankees a stunning 9-8 victory at Yankee Stadium.