TAMPA, Fla. – The Thunder found themselves with a nice offensive boost yesterday, even if it was only in an intrasquad game against the Triple-A work group.

Yankees designated hitter Jorge Posada didn’t make the trip to Fort Myers with the rest of his teammates. Instead, he found his way across the street to the minor league complex, where he took his hacks against some of his former Grapefruit League teammates.

He collected a single against Kei Igawa before the game was called off after six innings.

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Lance Pendleton, at times the ace of last season’s Thunder staff, was returned to the Yankees yesterday. The Astros chose Pendleton with the 17^th pick of the most recent Rule 5 draft. He has already been assigned to Triple-A Scranton, where he will most likely work out of the bullpen.

With Trenton last season, the right-hander went 10-4 with a 3.61 ERA and 133 strikeouts. He also allowed just 95 hits and 45 walks over 120 2/3 Double-A frames before being promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in early August.

With the Astros in the Grapefruit League, Pendleton was battling for a spot toward the back of Houston’s already shaky starting five. Ultimately, though, spotty control earned him a trip back the Yankees.

Pendleton walked eight men in 7 2/3 spring innings, including a bases-loaded free pass to Russell Martin on March 2 that gave the Yankees a walk-off win.

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Austin Romine, who is looking more and more like the probable Thunder catcher on April 7 in New Hampshire, poked his first home run of the spring yesterday, a solo shot off of Minnesota’s Chuck James in an eventual 7-6 Twins win.

Austin Krum, another player likely to open the season with Trenton, collected three hits yesterday, including a double off of former Yankees hurler Carl Pavano. Krum also made two errors on one play in center field, a missed catch followed by a bad throw to the plate.

Thunder alumni Wilkins Arias, Josh Schmidt, Eric Wordekemper and Pat Venditte also saw action out of the bullpen in the loss.

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During yesterday’s action at the complex, Yankees principal owner Hank Steinbrenner made a cameo. George’s son, clad in a suit, walked between the four fields and into the team offices. He did not speak to the media.

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The White Sox yesterday waived pitcher Jeff Marquez, a member of the 2007 Eastern League champion Thunder and, along with Jhonny Nunez and Wilson Betemit and a part of the deal that sent outfielder Nick Swisher to the Yankees.