Chien-Ming Wang threw another brilliant game today, not allowing a single run over 6 innings, striking out 6, on 4 hits. He had a no hitter going into the fifth inning. It sounds like he ran into some trouble in the 7th, and was replac ed by Joba Chamberlain, the home town favorite. The crowd went crazy as he worked his way out of the inherited mess he was left by Wang in the seventh, and followed that with a perfect 8th inning. And we all know how this goes. Mariano Rivera enters the game in the 9th. Game Over. Another perfect inning from the first ballet Hall of Famer. There are teams assembled this year (the Tigers for example) that are built to knock the ball out of every park, but have no bullpen and “work in progress” starting pitching. How is that working out for the 0 and 2008 schedule Detroit Tigers. This combination of Chamberlain and Rivera can shorten a game to only 6 innings. That is what the Yankees have been missing. An “automatic” like we have in Rivera closing. Lights out. By the looks of it we may even have that right now in Wang as a starter. His measly 1.38 ERA over 13 total innings, with 8 K’s, and only 2 runs scored over 10 hits. And let’s not forget taking a no-hitter into the fifth today. Impressive pitching day for the Yankees, preventing the Rays from getting any runs today.
The 2 Yankee runs came off of Matsui’s bat, when he clobbered a home run in the 4th inning with 1 man on, to take a 2-0 lead in the game. And that is how it ended, 2-0. Some of the reason for this spark in the team was Girardi’s return to the bench after the last two days (last 2 loses) of an upper respiratory infection. You know that the team appreciated his being there on the bench. Girardi says he felt a little better at the post game, and the win today definitly is helping things along.
This was a very solid win for the club. They dominated from the pitching department, and with a 2-run dinger from Matsui came away with the win, 2-0. As the season goes along, one of the better memories of recent Yankee Stadium History will be delivered by the animated, and home town favorite, Joba Chamberlain. His electricity that he brings with him to the mound is something special. He has total control of every at bat. And don’t say to much about it yet, but I have it on pretty good authority that he hit 101mph twice in the game. I like the Yankees chances if this keeps up.
The Yankees come away with the win, 2-0. They now sit at .500 with a 3-3 record. Tomorrow’s game is a 4 game series ending contest with these pesky Rays.
