For Gardner, Yanks, it's not a 'stache decision

NEW YORK -- The fuel for the Yankees' recent winning streak can be traced to a moment of inspiration in a bathroom mirror at Tropicana Field. At least, that's how Brett Gardner tells the story.

Gardner is leading the charge behind a sprouting band of mustaches in the Yankees' clubhouse, most of which have been permitted to take root while the team has reeled off seven wins in eight games going into Saturday's Subway Series game against the Mets.

"It's been going a little longer than you would think," Gardner said. "It takes me a while to get it going, but ever since Tampa, we've just been playing good. I kind of stuck with it and some other guys followed suit."

Gardner has convinced Dellin Betances, Jacoby Ellsbury, Chase Headley, Garrett Jones, Brian McCann, Esmil Rogers and Mark Teixeira, among others, to grow some facial hair as a show of team unity. The Yankees' long-standing policy permits growth above the lip.

"There wasn't a whole lot of thought behind it, to be honest," said Gardner, who said that his is the result of eight days' growth. "We can't grow beards, but we can grow a mustache. CC [Sabathia] is like four years ahead of everybody."

Most of the results have been patchy. Teixeira chuckled and said that his is coming in slowly but surely, while Gardner said that Rogers has produced the best results.

Of his thin growth, Ellsbury said, "I'm just trying to stay warm."

The Yankees agreed that Betances' mustache was the weakest so far; suffice it to say, it will not remind anyone of Jason Giambi's 2008 "Support the 'Stache" All-Star Final Vote campaign anytime soon.

"I have no facial hair; I'm still a baby," said Betances, 27. "I've never tried to grow a mustache. Mine is the worst one."

Gardner said that he is trying to convince Alex Rodriguez to join the mustache club, and he asked reporters to apply some pressure. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that Gardner has tried to rope him in as well.

"I thought about it," Girardi said. "He has asked me about it, so we'll see. I have to answer to someone at home."