Minnesota Twins starter Boof Bonser (5-4, 4.65 ERA) takes the mound against the Yankees on Monday looking to put the month of June behind him. The right-hander went 1-3 with a 6.91 ERA in five starts last month.

Bonser’s last start was a disappointing loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. He began by holding the Jays to two hits over four innings, but then fell apart, surrendering five earned runs over the next two innings.

Bonser gets to test his stuff against a pitching legend. Roger Clemens (1-3, 5.32 ERA) takes the mound still chasing his 350th career win. Since the season's promising first game where he went six innings in a win over the Philadelphia Phillies, Clemens is winless in four starts and sports a 5.32 ERA.

Clemen’s last outing shows he needs to work on his stamina. The Rocket pitched well for the first five innings, but surrendered four runs on four hits in the sixth inning of a 4-0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

Yanks bats gone cold

The New York Yankees bats are in a major slump. They have recorded a major league worst .181 ERA in the last seven days with just six runs scored in 155 at-bats.

Saturday’s 7-0 loss to the Oakland Athletics sums up what the Yankees have been about lately. A team with powerful sluggers like Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter managed just one hit all night, and the bullpen capitulated, giving up five runs between the sixth and seventh innings.

"We were swinging the bat decent. Didn’t think that would be the only hit we got," Johnny Damon told the New York Times after the game.

"They have a right to be upset," he added when asked about the fans. "We’re upset. We, the players, are what’s bringing them disappointment."

Rookie relief

A week ago he was just another minor league pitcher dreaming of a return to the big leagues. Then,  out of nowhere, 23-year-old Matt Garza got the call-up. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire decided to recall the right-hander from Triple-A Rochester on Friday.

"I was like, 'No way,'" Garza said when interviewed by MLB.com. "I thought my manager was joking with me. It hit me about an hour later, I was like, 'I am going back? What the heck?' It's something new. But it's still pitching, and still a game, right?"

Garza was the Twins’ first-round draft pick in 2005 and in 10 starts for them last season posted a 3-6 record with a 5.76 ERA.

Reports on MLB.com suggest the youngster is being lined up for a start next Friday during a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox, but he'll pitch relief in the meantime, and will be in the pen at Yankees Stadium on Monday.

Burning gloves

If you ever wanted proof that baseball players are a strange breed just look at Yankees reliever Scott Proctor. The New York Times reported Saturday that after allowing three runs in a third of an inning against Oakland, he burned his equipment on the warning track.

To clarify, he took his glove and other personal effects and lit them on fire in front of the home dugout after the game.

When asked by Times reporters if there were any plans to fine Proctor, manager Joe Torre quipped, "For burning his glove? What am I going to charge him for? It’s his glove."

Proctor had a miserable time in his two starts before Saturday as well, allowing a game-ending single against the San Francisco Giants and a game-ending walk in Baltimore in the past week. But he looks set to stay in the Yankees bullpen for now.