It's amazing how a great pitching performance can put a little hop in your step.
Chien-Ming Wang pitched brilliantly before running out of gas in the seventh, but Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera bridged the gap and Hideki Matsui launched a two-run bomb as the
Yanks blanked the Rays 2-0. Both teams displayed excellent starting and relief work, as well as strong team defense, but the Yankees were just a little better on Sunday. The victory snaps the Bombers two-game skid and evens their mark to 3-3 on the season.
The Good:Chien-Ming Wang. The Wanger had all four of his pitches working -- sinker, fastball, slider and change up. Wang pounded the lefties in early and used his slider as a strike out pitch. The Yankee ace tired in the seventh and left the ball up on successive base hits by Cliff Floyd and Eric Hinske, but it didn't spoil a terrific effort. I raised my eyebrow (slightly) when Joe Girardi (yes, he's back) pulled Wang with runners on first and third with nobody out. Wang induces a lot of ground balls and was pitching well to that point, but it was the right move. I guess Girardi hasn't forgotten how to pull the right strings. Wang moved to 2-0 with this: 6+ IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K.
Joba Chamberlain. The gloves are off! The kid came into a first and third, nobody out jam in the seventh and came through with flying colors. Chamberlain set the tone with the first batter he faced in Willy Aybar. Joba broke off a sweet curve for strike one, painted a fastball on the outside corner for strike two and then made Aybar look foolish as he swung and missed on a tight slider for the first out. Then Robinson Cano made the defensive play of the game for the Bombers as he snared a line drive off the bat of Shawn Riggans and made a snazzy pivot to double up Hinske at first. Wilson Betemit also made a nice scoop on the play. Chamberlain needed 16 pitches as he preserved the two run lead and handed it over to The Sandman for his third save. Joba's afternoon: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K.
Hideki Matsui. Tampa's James Shields was matching Wang pitch for pitch in the early going. But he allowed a one-out double off the bat of Alex Rodriguez in the fourth and then fell behind Matsui 2-0. Shields had been keeping the Yanks off balance with his change up, but Godzilla stayed back and blasted his second homer of the season to give the Bombers their only runs of the ballgame. Matsui's days in the outfield may be over, but the guy can still swing a mean stick. Matsui finished 3 for 4 with the home run, a run scored and 2 RBI.
The Bad:Wilson Betemit. Betemit got his first start at first base today and played well defensively, but didn't fare as well at the dish or on the basepaths. Wil was hit by a pitch to lead off the third inning, but was gunned out trying to advance to third on a single by Melky Cabrera (yep, he's back, too). It was a great throw by centerfielder B.J. Upton, but if you're going to go first to third with nobody out, you'd better make it. Betemit also couldn't deliver with Cano on second and only one out as he grounded out to third. To be fair, the inability to hit with runners in scoring position has affected everyone in the Yankee lineup so far. Let's hope they snap out of it soon. Betemit finished 0 for 2 and reached on the HBP.
The Ugly:Use the glove. Robinson Cano picked up two hits and made the nifty defensive play to end the seventh, but he wasn't as smooth in the fifth. With a runner on first and one out, Riggans bounced a ball to short. It wasn't hit hard enough to turn two, but Derek Jeter flipped the ball to Cano at second for the force. It wasn't the greatest throw, but Cano should have come down with it. For some reason, Robbie decided to eschew using his leather and tried to bare hand the throw. He didn't and was charged with an error. Wang was able to work out of the first and third jam (thanks to a curious suicide squeeze that failed), but it could have been worse for Cano and the Yanks. Canu could have broken a digit on his hand with shenanigans like that. Injuries happen, but that would have extremely upsetting. Use your head and your glove next time, Robbie.
The four game set will conclude on Monday night. The Yanks will try and salvage a split in the series and will go with Mike Mussina. Mussina battled in his first start against Toronto, but came up on the short end of a 5-2 loss. The Moose is 16-7 with a 3.50 ERA in his career against Tampa, but struggled against them last season. Mussina went 1-0 in two starts in 2007, but his ERA was an appalling 7.59 against the Rays. Jason Hammel will get the call for the Rays. Hammel made six appearances against the Bombers last season and was hit hard. He finished 1-1 with a 6.41 ERA and allowed 22 hits and 10 walks in 19.2 innings of work.
Looks like a good time for the Yanks to start scoring some runs.
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