Steinbrenner Isn’t Pleased

Looking for answers after a historic sweep at the hands of the worst team in baseball, an upset George Steinbrenner held a conference call Friday with New York Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman and Manager Joe Torre.

Torre said it had become an increasingly rare occurrence in recent seasons for Steinbrenner to include him in such discussions, but this was a rare situation.

“It’s happened a number of times, but not in recent times,” Torre said before the Yankees opened a three-game series in Minnesota with a 6-3 loss to the Twins.

“This was sticking to why we’re having a tough time. All of the same questions I ask myself.

“He was unhappy. If I tried to tell you anything other than that, you’d be questioning if I was telling you the truth, and I’m not going to lie to you.”

New York (27-27) has lost six games in a row, including an embarrassing three-game sweep by the lowly Kansas City Royals, only the third time in the Yankees’ storied history that they’ve been swept in three games by a team with the worst record in the majors, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Steinbrenner participated on the call from Florida, with Torre and Cashman in Minneapolis.

Torre and Cashman characterized the call as a “state-of-the-team” discussion and said no decisions were made at the conclusion.

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The San Francisco Giants traded reliever Matt Herges to the Arizona Diamondbacks for minor league outfielder Doug DeVore.

Herges was designated for assignment last Sunday, a day after the Giants acquired reliever LaTroy Hawkins in a trade with the Chicago Cubs.

Herges was 1-1 with a 4.71 earned-run average in 21 games this season. The 35-year-old right-hander will join the Diamondbacks in Philadelphia today. DeVore will report to triple-A Fresno.

Herges, a former Dodger, is 30-26 with 34 saves and a 3.66 ERA in 371 games in the majors. He had a career-high 23 saves last season with the Giants.