Four Yankees win TYIB awards

Four Yankees win TYIB awards

Jeter, Wang, Rivera and Cabrera all honored by fans

By Mark Feinsand / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Derek Jeter and Chien-Ming Wang may have placed second in the American League's MVP and Cy Young vote, respectively, but the two Yankees topped the vote in MLB.com's fifth annual This Year in Baseball Awards.

Jeter was named the top hitter in the Majors, beating out 11 of the game's top sluggers, including AL MVP Justin Morneau and NL MVP Ryan Howard.

Wang was voted the game's top starter, edging out Cy Young winners Johan Santana and Brandon Webb, as well as nine other starting pitchers.

Two other Yankees captured TYIB awards as well, as Mariano Rivera earned his third consecutive Closer of the Year Award and Melky Cabrera captured Play of the Year honors.

Jeter ranked second in the American League with a .343 batting average and 118 runs scored, fourth with a .417 on-base percentage and sixth with 34 stolen bases. Jeter also homered 14 times and drove in 97 runs out of the No. 2 spot in New York's lineup.

"To really appreciate the kind of work he does, you have to see him on a regular basis," Yankees manager Joe Torre said last month. "We've had players who have come over from different organizations, and after a month or so, they've come to me and said, 'I always knew he was a good player, but I never realized how good he was.'"

Wang tied Santana for the big-league lead with 19 victories and ranked among the league leaders in several other categories. His .760 winning percentage was third in the AL, his 218 innings pitched were fifth and his two complete games ranked sixth. Wang's 3.63 ERA was eighth in the league. The Yankees went 22-11 in Wang's 33 starts.

Although his strikeout totals paled in comparison to Santana's, Wang made up for it by inducing 33 double plays this season, the second-highest total in the AL behind Jake Westbrook's 36.

Rivera, who also earned the DHL Delivery Man of the Year Award last month, captured Closer of the Year honors for the third time in the three years it has been awarded. He beat out nine of the game's best closers, including Boston's Jonathan Papelbon, San Diego's Trevor Hoffman and Francisco Rodriguez of the Angels.

Rivera notched 34 saves in 37 opportunities, posting a 1.80 ERA. He struck out 55 batters over 75 innings pitched while allowing 61 hits.

Rivera also earned the save in the American League's 3-2 win in the 77th All-Star Game. The save was Rivera's third in the Midsummer Classic, tying him with Dennis Eckersley for the most in Major League history.

Rivera posted solid numbers both on the road and at Yankee Stadium, where he converted all 20 of his save chances with a miniscule 1.51 ERA in 32 games. In 31 games away from the Bronx, Rivera struck out 31 batters while walking just four.

Cabrera joins Jeter as a recipient of Play of the Year, as the shortstop won the award in 2004 for his dive into the stands.

Cabrera didn't go into the stands for his gem, but the rookie did leap over the wall in left-center field at Yankee Stadium, robbing Manny Ramirez of a game-tying home run in the eighth inning of a 2-1 win over the Red Sox on June 6.

"Probably as good a catch as I've ever seen," said Bernie Williams. "Given the situation of the game and just how valuable his play was in the outcome of the game, it was as good as I've ever seen."

Other TYIB winners were Jim Leyland (Manager), Francisco Liriano (Rookie), Joel Zumaya (Setup Man), Albert Pujols (Single-Game Performance), Sean Casey (Blooper), Mike Lowell (Defense) and Endy Chavez (Postseason Moment).

Wang the runner-up in Cy Young vote

Wang the runner-up in Cy Young vote

Yankees ace a distant second to unanimous winner Santana

By Mark Feinsand / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Chien-Ming Wang's breakout season may have earned him the title of the Yankees' ace, but it wasn't enough to overcome Minnesota's Johan Santana in the American League Cy Young Award vote.

Santana captured his second career award with a stellar 2006, earning a unanimous selection. Wang placed second in the vote, followed by Toronto's Roy Halladay, Los Angeles' Francisco Rodriguez and Minnesota's Joe Nathan.

Santana led the AL in wins (19), ERA (2.77), strikeouts (245), innings pitched (233 2/3), opponents' batting average (.216) and WHIP (1.00). Santana also won the Cy Young in 2004.

Wang, who went 19-6, matched Santana for the league-lead in victories, but his 3.63 ERA and 1.31 WHIP were far behind the Twins' ace. Santana received all 28 first-place votes, while Wang received 15 second-place votes and six third-place votes, appearing on 21 of the 28 ballots.

"Wang certainly pitched well enough to be considered in most years," said Dom Amore of The Hartford Courant, who put Wang second on his ballot. "But Santana was the clear-cut No. 1 choice."

Wang is the second Yankees pitcher to finish second in Cy Young voting in the past two years, joining Mariano Rivera, who placed second to Bartolo Colon last fall.

Wang ranked among the league leaders in several categories, as his .760 winning percentage was third in the AL, his 218 innings pitched were fifth and his two complete games ranked sixth. Wang's 3.63 ERA was eighth in the league. The Yankees went 22-11 in Wang's 33 starts.

Sam Borden, who covered the Yankees for The Daily News in 2006, placed Wang second on his ballot between Santana and Roy Halladay.

"Without Santana in the league, I think Wang would have been a very legitimate candidate to win," Borden said. "He's definitely a different type of pitcher, but he was effective throughout the season. I don't think it's fair to penalize him having less strikeouts; he gets outs in his own way and he did it well for most of the year."

Although he averaged just over three strikeouts per nine innings, Wang made up for it by inducing 33 double plays this season, the second-highest total in the American League behind Jake Westbrook's 36.

Wang also got 483 ground balls against just 158 fly balls, a ratio of 3.06-to-1 -- tops in the league.

Expected or not, Wang takes ace role

Expected or not, Wang takes ace role

Sophomore righty on for Game 1 ahead of big-name staffmates

By Mark Feinsand / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Six months ago, it would be hard to have imagined anybody other than Randy Johnson or Mike Mussina getting the nod in Game 1 of the Yankees' postseason.

But when the first pitch is thrown at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night, it will come out of the hand of Chien-Ming Wang, New York's unlikeliest of aces.

"I would never think that," Wang said. "I was surprised."

Surprised, but not nervous. At least Wang doesn't think he will be when he takes the mound.

"In the field, no; in here, yes," quipped Wang in front of a packed press gathering.

Even Joe Torre admitted that he wouldn't have envisioned such a scenario before the season.

"I don't think we could have ever dreamed that would be the case," Torre said. "The big part of it is his personality and confidence in himself."

Given that the team nixed Wang's involvement in the World Baseball Classic because of concerns over his right shoulder -- which caused him to miss two months in the second half of 2005 -- it was unthinkable that he would turn into the staff's workhorse.

But that's precisely what happened, as Wang led the Yankees in innings pitched (218) and wins in just his second season. With a 19-6 record and 3.63 ERA, Wang posted the best season of any Yankees starter, earning his Game 1 assignment.

"We always thought he had great stuff -- it was just a matter of having a little better command of the strike zone and not putting himself in tough counts," Mussina said. "He's been able to do that. He does what he needs to do to win ballgames."

Wang, one of only two pitchers in the Majors to record 19 victories this season, will be making his second career postseason start on Tuesday. The Yankees went 22-11 in his 33 starts this season, giving his teammates tremendous confidence in him when he takes the hill.

"He's been our savior," said catcher Jorge Posada. "He's stayed consistent, he's stayed healthy, and for me, he's the Cy Young Award winner."

Wang may not finish at the top of the Cy Young vote, as Minnesota's Johan Santana will likely take home the award for the second time in his career. But Wang and his teammates aren't concerned with individual awards as much as winning the World Series.

"We've leaned on him all year, and he's come up big for us," Derek Jeter said. "We just want him to continue what he's been doing, not try to change anything. If he can do that, I like our chances with him on the mound."

Starting Wang in Game 1 makes perfect sense, given his 11-3 record and 3.03 ERA at Yankee Stadium this season. Should the series go the distance, Wang would also be lined up to pitch Game 5 in the Bronx on Sunday.

Of course, he also went 4-0 with a 2.22 ERA in four starts in domed stadiums, so there wasn't a bad spot in which to line up the right-hander. His only outing against the Twins in 2006 came at the Metrodome on April 16, when he held Minnesota to one earned run over seven innings to earn his first victory of the season.

When pitching coach Ron Guidry informed Wang last week that he would be starting the postseason opener, the 26-year-old right-hander took the news as though Guidry had just told him that he would be throwing a bullpen in an hour.

"Gator told him, and he sort of shrugged his shoulders," Torre said. "I'm sure there will be some butterflies on Tuesday when they start introducing people, but this kid really doesn't let you know how he's feeling. He's certainly behaved well on the field."

Posada estimates that 85 percent of Wang's pitches are sinkers, which Kevin Millar described as "bowling balls" last month. He has pitched at least six innings in 24 of his 33 starts this season, giving the Yankees length in several situations in which the bullpen had been overworked.

Wang's ability to brush pressure aside might be his greatest strength when it comes to this type of assignment. Although his command of the English language has improved during his two years in New York, Wang still doesn't speak it fluently. Because of that, he isn't put under the same media spotlight that his teammates are, allowing him to approach a start of this magnitude like any other outing.

"The way he goes about his business, he knows what he's got to do to be successful," Posada said. "He doesn't get caught up in anything. Every time he goes out there, he's prepared for the job at hand."

"The hype of the first game is what you have to get through, and I don't think it's going to bother him," Mussina said. "I assume he's just going to go out and pitch like he has all year."

Wang will also be able to lean on his experience from last October, when he pitched Game 2 of the Division Series in Anaheim against the Angels. Wang took the loss, allowing four runs -- only one of which was earned -- over 6 2/3 innings.

"I might get a little bit nervous," Wang said. "Last year will help me this year. I'm very excited."

Of course, as Torre likes to point out, how could anyone tell if Wang actually was nervous? The stone-faced pitcher looks the same while he's throwing a shutout as he does when he's getting cuffed around -- though the latter hasn't happened many times this season.

"He's had such a good year and been so consistent doing what he does," Mussina said. "He deserves to pitch the first game whether he's in his second year or his 10th year."

"He's our No. 1," Posada said. "He's the guy we want to follow."

Yanks celebrate ninth straight East title

Yanks celebrate ninth straight East title

Bombers fall to Jays, but clinch division with Red Sox loss

By Mark Feinsand / MLB.com

TORONTO -- It's not very often that you will see the Yankees whooping it up in the clubhouse after a loss. In fact, it's not very often that you will see the Yankees whoop it up after a win.

On Wednesday night, about 30 minutes after losing to the Blue Jays, 3-2, the Yankees sat and watched the Twins finish off the Red Sox, 8-2, on the big-screen television in the visitor's clubhouse at the Rogers Centre.

That's when the party started.

Corks were popping, champagne and beer was flying through the air and tears were flowing as the Yankees clinched their ninth straight American League East title.

"When the Twins got three runs in the top of the ninth, everybody grabbed a shirt and hat," said Mike Mussina, sporting a soaking-wet AL East championship T-shirt and backwards hat. "[Manager] Joe [Torre] gave his little toast to congratulate us on our accomplishment -- then we had a little fun."

"I just congratulated them, toasted them and told them how proud I was of them," Torre said. "It was simple."

The celebration scene looked like any other division-winning clubhouse in baseball, which is a little strange considering the regularity with which it has happened for the Yankees.

But with each new year comes new faces, as Bobby Abreu, Melky Cabrera and a host of other newcomers got their first taste of victory champagne in New York.

"This team always goes to the playoffs, so you always want to be part of this," Abreu said. "This is what it's all about: winning and celebrating."

"We have a lot of guys that haven't been here before, they're actually experiencing what we have over the years," Bernie Williams said. "As an old guy being here, year after year it never gets old. It's a great feeling of accomplishment."

Not that the celebrating was limited to the neophytes. Jorge Posada sprayed a group of people with champagne, Jason Giambi was smothered by teammates who covered him with beer, and even Derek Jeter, who has now been to the postseason in each of his 11 years in the Majors, was bombarded by Alex Rodriguez and a few other teammates pouring all sorts of things on him -- while he did a live TV interview.

"Every year is different because you have a different group of guys," Jeter said. "This is as special as any other year."

"It's fun that we were able to put something together that so many people didn't think you could do," Rodriguez said. "It's been a tough year -- a grinding type of year. I'm just proud of this bunch."

Nearly every player in the clubhouse singled out the contributions of the team's youth, from Cabrera to Chien-Ming Wang to Scott Proctor, each of whom played major roles in the Yankees' success this season.

"The injuries to Hideki [Matsui] and Sheff [Gary Sheffield] and the way the young kids stepped up into those roles, and the way Scott Proctor has emerged as a dominating force in the 'pen," Giambi said. "This has been the most gratifying division title I've ever been part of."

"Melky Cabrera came up and he was a big part in what we accomplished; we had key injuries, but he stepped up," Damon said. "Wang stepped up. Proctor stepped up. A bunch of these unsung guys that we know they're as important in this clubhouse. That's what makes championship teams."

Even Proctor himself admitted that this champagne celebration felt a lot more real to him than last year's at Fenway Park, when he was pitching at the back end of the bullpen.

"This was definitely more rewarding, because I actually felt like I did something this year," said Proctor. "I got some big outs, got to pitch in some big situations that helped get us where we are. It was very rewarding."

New York is now 92-60, holding on to a slim lead over Detroit for the best record in the AL. The Yankees will likely take on the AL Wild Card in the Division Series, with the Twins and Tigers looking like the potential opponents.

During the final two innings of the Red Sox-Twins game, Damon was watching more than the final score.

"We were also scouting the Twins now, too, so we were seeing what their pitchers were doing," Damon said. "They're on fire right now; they could be the hottest team going into the postseason."

Regardless of who they play in the first week of October, the Yankees' goal will be to advance further than they have in each of the past two years, when they were knocked out before the World Series.

Most consecutive division titles
Team	Titles	Years
Atlanta Braves	14	1991-2005
New York Yankees	9	1998-2006 *
New York Yankees	5	1960-1964
Oakland Athletics	5	1971-1975
New York Yankees	5	1949-1953
* -- Current streak Note: Divisional play began in 1969 and switched to three divisions per league in 1994. No division titles were awarded in '94 due to the strike which cancelled the postseason.

"We need to make this postseason a lot longer than it's been for us," Torre said. "This ballclub has a nice mix of youth and veterans, so hopefully we're poised to do something special. Whoever we have to face is going to be a battle for us, but we're certainly ready to do it."

"There's so much togetherness here; we support each other, and I hope I can be a part of helping this team win a championship," Damon said. "I want to get a championship for Giambi, get a championship for A-Rod, get a championship for Donnie Mattingly and whoever else has never won one. There's a lot of work to be done."

The Yankees' nine straight division titles now ranks as the longest active streak in the Majors. While some may believe that these celebrations could get tiresome, the players who have done it again and again couldn't disagree more.

"This is what you play for -- to get to the playoffs and have a chance to win a championship," Jeter said. "This is the first step."

"It just doesn't get old doing this, as many times as we have," Mussina said. "Hopefully we'll get to do it a few more times before the season is over."

Wang goes for win No. 18 in opener

Wang goes for win No. 18 in opener

New York (92-60) at Tampa Bay (58-94), Friday, 7:15 p.m. ET

By Mark Polishuk / MLB.com

Though they play in the same division, the Yankees and Devil Rays have been as far apart as two franchises can be over the past nine seasons.

While the Yankees have clinched their ninth consecutive American League East title, the Devil Rays are on the verge of their eighth last-place finish in their nine years of existence. There have been few lowlights for New York against Tampa Bay, but most of them came last season when the Yankees posted an 8-11 mark in their season series against their Florida rivals.

It was the first time the Bronx Bombers lost a season series to Tampa Bay, but the favor has been more than returned this season. The Yanks are 11-3 against the Rays this year, and are a win away from their 100th all-time victory over Tampa Bay. The Yankees' franchise mark against the Rays currently stands at 99-45.

With one more victory, second-year hurler Chien-Ming Wang will have the most wins by a Yankee since Andy Pettitte won 21 in 2003. Wang is 2-0 with a 1.11 ERA in three starts against the Rays this season.

Rays rookie James Shields can only hope that his sophomore year is as successful as Wang's has been. For now, however, Shields is mired in a four-game winless streak. The right-hander has pitched well at Tropicana Field, going 4-2 with a 3.78 ERA in nine home starts.

Pitching matchup
NYY: RHP Chien-Ming Wang (17-6, 3.64 ERA)
The key for Wang is to keep the bases empty. He has an 0.84 ERA with the bases empty, but a 7.39 ERA when at least one runner is on base.

TB: RHP James Shields (6-7, 4.82 ERA)
Shields is 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA in two starts against the Yankees this season.

Player to watch
Johnny Damon has two home runs and a single in four career at-bats against Shields. The Yankee center fielder is hitting .291 against right-handed pitching this season.

Unit looks to help Yanks split twin bill

Unit looks to help Yanks split twin bill

Boston (79-68) at New York (89-57), 8:05 p.m. ET

By Ryan Mink / MLB.com

It's a month later and the circumstances are certainly different, but the Yankees and Red Sox will kick off another series with a doubleheader on Saturday.

While New York holds an 11 1/2-game lead in the American League East over Boston, the Yankees don't feel baseball's best rivalry has lost its sizzle.

"The uniform is what really more so creates the intensity, rather than the players wearing them right now," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "It's still important. It's very important for us to keep doing what we're doing. The significance of this four-game series isn't the same as the significance of the five-game series."

Randy Johnson will pitch for the Yankees in the second game. The Big Unit is 2-1 with a 6.89 ERA in three starts against Boston this season.

Pitching matchup
Game 2
BOS: RHP Julian Tavarez (3-4, 4.74 ERA)
Tavarez has pitched five times against the Yankees, tossing 7 1/3 scoreless innings, but hasn't started against them this season.

NYY: LHP Randy Johnson (17-10, 4.84 ERA)
Johnson allowed five earned runs in six innings against Baltimore in his last start.

Player to watch
Johnny Damon was 10-for-23 with two home runs and eight RBIs in the Yankees' five-game sweep of Boston.

Wang, Unit start in twin bill

Wang, Unit start in twin bill

Boston (78-68) at New York (89-56), 1:20 p.m. and 8:05 p.m. ET

By Ryan Mink / MLB.com

It's a month later and the circumstances are certainly different, but the Yankees and Red Sox will kick off another series with a doubleheader on Saturday.

The five-game sweep in Boston began with the Yankees taking both ends behind 26 runs of offense and a solid outing by Chien-Ming Wang. Wang allowed three runs over six innings to start the series.

While New York holds an 11 1/2-game lead in the American League East over Boston, the Yankees don't feel baseball's best rivalry has lost its sizzle.

"The uniform is what really more so creates the intensity, rather than the players wearing them right now," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "It's still important. It's very important for us to keep doing what we're doing. The significance of this four-game series isn't the same as the significance of the five-game series."

Wang was originally supposed to pitch Thursday, but was moved to Friday because Torre didn't want to risk his health on a wet mound. Wang didn't warm up Friday and just played catch Thursday so he said he felt fine to pitch on Saturday.

"If anybody can handle [being pushed back], it would be him," Torre said Thursday.

Randy Johnson will pitch for the Yankees in the second game. The Big Unit is 2-1 with a 6.89 ERA in three starts against Boston this season.

Pitching matchup
Game 1
BOS: RHP Josh Beckett (14-10, 5.09 ERA)
Beckett allowed nine earned runs in 5 2/3 innings in his last meeting with the Yankees on Aug. 19.

NYY: RHP Chien-Ming Wang (17-5, 3.60 ERA)
Wang has won nine of his past 10 decisions.

Game 2
BOS: RHP Julian Tavarez (3-4, 4.74 ERA)
Tavarez has pitched five times against the Yankees, tossing 7 1/3 scoreless innings, but hasn't started against them this season.

NYY: LHP Randy Johnson (17-10, 4.84 ERA)
Johnson allowed five earned runs in six innings against Baltimore in his last start.

Player to watch
Johnny Damon was 10-for-23 with two home runs and eight RBIs in the Yankees' five-game sweep of Boston.

Wang: Succeeding in the States

Wang: Succeeding in the States

MLBPLAYERS.com

The success I'm having this year with the Yankees is big news back in Taiwan. Everybody is happy for me and they want to see me get more wins.

I'm just the third player born in Taiwan to play in the Major Leagues. There are more players back home who want to come to America. Everybody wants to try and play in the Major Leagues.

Chin-Feng Chen was the first player from Taiwan to play in the Major Leagues. He played two years for the Dodgers, beginning in 2002. That was a big deal in Taiwan. Everybody back home was very excited and very happy to see him here in the Major Leagues.

When I was growing up in Taiwan, I did not watch a lot of the Major Leagues on television. In Taiwan, more people watch Japanese and Korean baseball.

Back home, I pitched at a university, but I never dreamed of pitching in the Major Leagues. My goal was to pitch professionally in Taiwan. The pro league in Taiwan compares to the Minor Leagues here, but here you play more games.

I signed with the Yankees in 2000 and reached the Major Leagues in 2005. In the Minor Leagues, I practiced a lot and built up a lot of innings.

My English is getting better now that I've been playing here for six seasons. But when I first came here, I didn't speak any English. I watched a lot of movies and I tried to talk to my teammates to get better at it. I never felt lonely because I had a translator who took care of me.

Now, when I go back home, I try to bring back some of the lessons I've learned. I work a lot with the kids. I talk to them and show them mechanics. I show them the pitching motion.

Chien-Ming Wang, a Cy Young Award candidate with a 16-5 record and 3.69 ERA for the Yankees, attended Taipei College of Physical Education in his native Taiwan. Prior to making his debut with the Yankees in 2005, Wang helped pitch Taiwan to an Olympic berth in 2003 Asian Championships. He also earned MVP honors for Taiwan at the 2002 Asian Games.

Yanks erupt late in opener

Yanks erupt late in opener

Deficit wiped away by 10-run eighth inning

By Mark Feinsand / MLB.com

KANSAS CITY -- For seven innings, the Yankees couldn't do much right. In the eighth, they could do no wrong.

New York used a 10-run inning -- a season-high -- to overcome a four-run deficit, downing the Royals, 12-5, to kick off a seven-game road trip on Monday night.

The runs came against four Royals relievers, who couldn't hold the lead handed to them by starter Luke Hudson.

"It looked like we weren't going to be able to generate anything," Joe Torre said. "It's all about confidence; we don't feel that there's anything we can't do, offensively. If we get a little crack in the armor, we feel we can exploit it."

Bobby Abreu's two-run double snapped a 5-5 tie after Johnny Damon's two-run single brought the Yanks back from a 5-1 deficit. New York sent 13 men to the plate in the eighth, getting seven hits, including home runs by Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano.

"We play all nine innings," Damon said. "We knew if we could draw it close, all it would take is one big hit. We got a couple of big hits."

The Royals wasted the efforts of Hudson, who turned in his finest performance of the season. Hudson held the Yankees to one run over seven innings, striking out a career-high 10 batters.

Chien-Ming Wang fell short of his 17th victory of the season, taking a no-decision with 5 2/3 innings of three-run ball. T.J. Beam (2-0), who got the final out in the seventh, picked up the win.

The Yankees' lead over the Red Sox in the American League East remains at nine games, but their magic number (combination of New York wins and Boston losses) dropped to 17.

"We feel like we can win every single game, and that's a great feeling," Damon said. "This team is made to win a championship, so hopefully we can continue playing good baseball."

The Royals scored quickly against Wang, who had limited opponents to just six first-inning runs over his 28 starts this season. David DeJesus led off with a double, moved to third on a groundout and scored on Mark Teahen's RBI groundout, giving Kansas City a 1-0 lead.

Hudson, whose season has been much better than his overall numbers suggest (he allowed 10 of his 44 earned runs this season in one terrible outing against the Indians on Aug. 13), worked his way out of one jam after another, keeping the Yankees off the scoreboard through the first four innings.

"He had his way with us," Torre said. "He got big outs when he had to. He made good pitches and was very impressive tonight."

The Yankees stranded runners in scoring position in the second, third and fourth innings, going 0-for-5 with RISP. New York finally scored in the fifth on Abreu's RBI single, tying the game at 1.

Wang posted four shutout innings after the first, but Kansas City got to him again in the sixth, thanks to a double play that never happened.

After DeJesus opened the inning with a single, Mark Grudzielanek smoked a grounder toward Robinson Cano, who couldn't handle the ball cleanly. Cano recovered and got the out at first, but DeJesus reached second, scoring on Teahen's RBI single to break the tie.

Kansas City scored again on Emil Brown's RBI single, and after Wang loaded the bases, Brian Bruney came in from the bullpen, striking out Angel Berroa to limit the damage.

"He left a couple of pitches up in the inning they scored the two runs," Torre said of Wang. "Overall, I thought he pitched well enough to win. We just didn't give him a lot to work with."

Hudson got into a little trouble again in the sixth, putting runners at the corners with two outs, but he got Damon to ground out to end the inning. The Royals added to the lead in the seventh, scoring twice against Ron Villone and Beam to make it a 5-1 game.

"It was frustrating for seven innings, trying to climb the hill," Torre said. "We just couldn't get there."

Hudson was yanked after seven innings and 113 pitches, as Jimmy Gobble started the eighth.

"When you get somebody else out there, you feel like something could happen," Posada said. "The way we attacked those guys out of the bullpen, we took some great at-bats."

A-Rod singled and Posada homered, cutting the lead to 5-3. Cano singled and Melky Cabrera walked, prompting Royals manager Buddy Bell to pull Gobble for Scott Dohmann, who walked pinch-hitter Bernie Williams to load the bases.

"We've done so many things this year, and it starts with something simple," Torre said. "A base hit and a home run, then a base hit and a walk; Bernie's was a key at-bat. It put a lot of pressure on them with the top of the order coming up."

Andrew Sisco relieved Dohmann, but he couldn't stop New York, either. Damon poked a single up the middle, scoring two runs to tie the game. Sisco struck out Derek Jeter, but Abreu crushed a double to center, giving the Yankees a two-run lead.

"I've been here a month and I've seen some crazy things with this team," Abreu said. "We've come back any time, no matter what; we're always in the game."

Two batters later, with Ambiorix Burgos in the game for the Royals, Posada singled in another run -- his second hit and third RBI of the inning -- and Cano laced a three-run blast to right, finishing off the 10-run inning.

"Jorge's home run broke the ice," Torre said. "We had a couple of opportunities that slipped away from us, but there's no way to predict 10 runs in an inning. It was one of those snowball things."

"By no means did we expect that to happen," Damon said. "We had absolutely nothing going for us. Luke Hudson threw the ball well, we had some opportunities that we squandered and we were just battling."

The 10 runs scored in the eighth were the most in an inning for the Yankees since June 21, 2005, when they scored 13 runs in the eighth against Tampa Bay. It is also New York's first 10-run inning on the road since May 8, 2003, when they scored 10 in the third inning against the Mariners in Seattle.

"We figured we'd just hang out for seven innings and then score 10," Jeter joked. "You don't see that happen very often, but we're pretty good at playing nine innings."