Wang strong enough to earn 12th win

Wang strong enough to earn 12th win
Five-run eighth inning helps Yankees end Orioles' win streak
By Geremy Bass / MLB.com

BALTIMORE -- The Yankees found themselves in yet another close game against the Orioles on Sunday afternoon, but this time, they found their collective stride at the plate late in the game to march to a 10-6 win.

New York batted around in the eighth inning and awoke for five runs to avoid being swept for the first time in more than a month and end Baltimore's winning streak at six games.

The late surge made a difference, and a multitude of hitters lent a hand in the rally. Johnny Damon, who started in left field for the first time in the three-game series, made a great impact both at the plate and in the field. Damon hit into his first two double plays of the season on Saturday night but rebounded well, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and four runs scored on Sunday, including an RBI double in the eighth.

"Johnny had a great game offensively, defensively and on the bases," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "That's the kind of game that he can really build on."

Damon preserved the Yankees' 4-2 lead in the fourth inning, when he robbed Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts of an extra-base hit with a leaping grab in the left-center-field gap. Damon last played left field in the Yankees' last win on Wednesday.

"If I don't come up with it, they score two runs and have Roberts on second or third base with some other guys up who are swinging the bats well," Damon said. "That was something I needed to do."

New York used four hits and five walks by Baltimore starter Daniel Cabrera in the first two innings to vault to the early lead. Designated hitter Hideki Matsui hit sacrifice flies in the first and seventh innings and finished with three RBIs, increasing his season total -- second best on the Yankees -- to 71.

Yankees starter Chien-Ming Wang worked six solid innings, holding the Orioles to three runs and inducing eight groundouts. Baltimore shortstop Luis Hernandez's two-run single in the third inning did most of the damage against Wang, who improved to 12-5 on the season and won his ninth game in his last 12 tries.

Torre said that the right-hander didn't have his best stuff and looked like he was struggling at times and was frustrated with several calls that he didn't get from home-plate umpire Sam Holbrook. Nevertheless, Wang was able to notch the victory to finish 5-1 in July.

"The thing is, he's made us expect so much," Torre said. "That's to his credit. We assume he's going to do such and such, and we're surprised when he doesn't. He never stops competing. Aside from his natural ability, that's probably the thing that's the best."

Still searching for his 500th career home run, Alex Rodriguez was one of three Yankees starters not to get a hit. He didn't have many opportunities to hit the milestone roundtripper, drawing three walks, including one intentional free pass. Rodriguez came to the plate twice with the bases loaded, but struck out and grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Rodriguez entered the game with good career numbers against Cabrera. He was batting .400 (8-for-20) with two home runs, but the thousands of flashbulbs that hoped for No. 500 were given nothing memorable.

"He just needs [Monday] off probably more than anybody else," Torre said of Rodriguez, who went 0-for-8 with four strikeouts five walks in the series. It's the emotional stuff that's been going on with him."

Besides Rodriguez's disappointing day, New York's offense looked as potent as it was last week, when it scored 63 runs in five games. The Yankees tied season highs with nine walks and eight doubles, including two each from second baseman Robinson Cano and center fielder Melky Cabrera.

"Today, we were patient," said shortstop Derek Jeter, who left the game after the top of the eighth inning due to a sore left shoulder, which he jammed while sliding into home plate in the second inning. Jeter said that his pain is not an issue, and he expects to play when the Yankees open a three-game series with the White Sox at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.

"We got some good pitches, drew some walks, and it was a good offensive day for us," Jeter added.

Jeter also passed Babe Ruth and moved into fifth place in Yankees history with his three at-bats on Sunday, putting his career total at 7,218.

With the victory, New York improved to 3-6 against Baltimore this season, and Torre echoed his superstar's sentiments after what he called a "huge" victory.

"We made Daniel Cabrera throw strikes," Torre said. "We came alive late [Saturday] night, but after last night's frustrating loss, we came out with a good frame of mind today."

Yanks fall short in finale vs. Jays

Yanks fall short in finale vs. Jays
Winning streak halted as Wang runs into unexpected trouble
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- When he's at his best, Chien-Ming Wang operates quietly, from his usually soft ground-ball style to his hushed tones in conversing with teammates.

But it was too noisy for Wang to handle the seventh inning on Thursday, as three Toronto runs spoiled six scoreless frames. It was also enough to hold off the Yankees for a 3-2 victory, snapping New York's five-game winning streak and averting a series sweep.

"Of course, I'm disappointed," Wang said through an interpreter. "If I didn't give up the three runs, we would have won the game."

Toronto didn't manage a hit until Vernon Wells stroked a two-out double in the fourth, and Wang seemed his efficient self in limiting the Jays to two hits through six innings.

A group of fans in the upper deck at Yankee Stadium even took to posting signs for each ground ball induced by Wang, much the way power pitchers are greeted with congratulatory "Ks".

"The way he was pitching," catcher Wil Nieves said, "I thought he was going to throw at least eight and just give it to Mariano [Rivera]."

That string came to an end in the seventh, as Matt Stairs opened with a double up the gap in left-center field. Wells reached on an infield tapper up the third-base line that never rolled foul, leaving Wang to scoop the baseball off the grass and trudge back to work.

One out later, Wang was hit on the left ankle by a Frank Thomas comebacker, which Andy Phillips fielded and raced to the bag while Stairs scored Toronto's first run. After a brief inspection on the mound, which included several warmup tosses, Wang then surrendered Aaron Hill's run-scoring triple up the gap, tying the game.

Wang said the ball hit off his ankle wasn't a factor, but suggested he should have mixed in his changeup a little bit more as the Jays got some better swings off him.

Then again, Wang said his approach didn't really differ that much from the first six innings: "Nothing changed," he said. "But in the seventh inning, they just hit it really hard."

It turned out that, on a day when pockets of the sellout crowd of 53,857 celebrated Wang's every ground ball, the right-hander would be done in one.

Catcher Gregg Zaun ripped a ground single past the dive of Robinson Cano in the decisive seventh, bringing home Hill and boosting the Jays to their first lead of the afternoon.

"It's just one of those things," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "It's going to happen. It hasn't happened very often to him, and we didn't give him a whole lot to work with."

"I don't ever feel comfortable against that guy," Zaun said. "Normally, I like facing sinker-slider guys, but he's just a notch above every sinker-slider guy in the league. Right now, it looks like for a long time to come, he's going to be one of the elite guys in all of baseball. It's never a comfortable at-bat."

Wang -- the Yankees' victories leader with 10, including seven straight before Thursday's loss -- would be lifted with one out in the eighth, throwing 89 pitches in a 7 1/3-inning performance, allowing seven hits while walking none and striking out three.

"Another great effort," said designated hitter Johnny Damon, who remained hitless on the homestand after taking an 0-for-3. "He deserved to have won this game. He had a rocky seventh, but he threw the ball well. It's unfortunate we couldn't take advantage of that great pitching."

The Yankees put two runs on the board quickly against Jays starter Dustin McGowan, as Damon and Derek Jeter walked to open the first. Bobby Abreu followed by stroking a two-run double to the gap in left-center field, but McGowan settled in to shut down the threat and limit the Yankees to just four hits over seven innings.

"We were fortunate in the first inning to have two walks and turn it into two runs, but we really couldn't do anything," Torre said. "We just didn't do a whole lot offensively today."

Stifled by McGowan, the Yankees went in order against right-hander Casey Janssen in the eighth inning and briefly sparked hope in the ninth, when Alex Rodriguez greeted closer Jeremy Accardo with a shallow single to right field.

But Accardo induced the final three outs via a pop up, a grounder and a fly ball, leaving the Yankees to feel little shame in getting a bit greedy.

The Yankees have enjoyed much success since the All-Star break, taking three of four from both the Devil Rays and the Blue Jays in successive series, but that didn't necessarily mean they left Yankee Stadium satisfied on Thursday.

As Rodriguez concluded, "When you're up 2-1 at home in the seventh, you feel like it's a must win."
Jeter said that the Yankees had nothing to hang their heads about in the game. New York has won four straight series and seven of nine games, and will welcome the Devil Rays in for yet another four-game series opening Friday.

"We would have liked to have won, but sometimes the other team is going to play better," Jeter said. "We couldn't get anything going. It was just one of those days."

Wang looks to keep rolling

Wang looks to keep rolling
Toronto (45-49) at New York (48-44), Thursday, 1:05 p.m. ET
By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com

Chien-Ming Wang looks to win his eighth consecutive decision when he faces the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on Thursday.

Pitching in the middle of summer bodes well for the right-hander, as Wang owns a career 9-1 record and 2.36 ERA in 10 July starts.

The 27-year-old has pitched at least six innings in each of his past eight starts and 15 of his past 16 this season. On top of that, Wang continues to be one of baseball's best ground-ball pitchers. Only Pittsburgh's Zach Duke has enticed as many ground-ball double plays (21) as Wang.

The Blue Jays counter with Dustin McGowan, who owns a 5-5 record and 5.05 ERA this season. In his career against the Yankees, McGowan is 1-0 with a 4.60 ERA.

Pitching matchup
NYY: RHP Chien-Ming Wang (10-4, 3.43 ERA)
Wang overcame a three-run first inning in his last start before holding the Devil Rays to seven hits through six innings of work to earn the victory. The 27-year-old struck out six without walking a batter against the Rays, retiring 16 of the 17 batters who followed Delmon Young's first-inning double. This will be the right-hander's first look at the Blue Jays this season.

TOR: RHP Dustin McGowan (5-5, 5.05 ERA)
McGowan has posted a 0.82 ERA in his past three wins and a 13.11 ERA in his past three losses. It just so happens that his last start on Saturday was one of his rougher outings, as McGowan surrendered six runs -- including three home runs -- in five-plus innings in a loss to the Red Sox.

Player to watch
Aaron Hill has had his way with Wang in six career at-bats. Hill has gone 4-for-6 against Wang, and two of those hits went for doubles.

Abreu's five RBIs lift Yanks past Rays

Abreu's five RBIs lift Yanks past Rays
Right fielder belts go-ahead homer; Wang notches 10th win
By Dawn Klemish / MLB.com

ST. PETERSBURG -- The Yankees did a lot of things right on Friday. Everything but win, that is, after a big inning doomed them. On Saturday, New York made sure to redeem itself.

It was much the same scenario on Saturday as it was one night prior, with New York down three early after its starter battled through a rocky frame. The Yankees weren't about to go down without a fight two nights in a row.

Thanks to Bobby Abreu, they didn't have to.

"Last year, when we got him, he was such a perfect fit for what we do," manager Joe Torre said of Abreu, who had five RBIs in the Yankees' 6-4 win over the Rays on Saturday at Tropicana Field. "And tonight was another example. It was a great game for him."

Abreu had bases-loaded RBI groundouts in the third and seventh innings to push across runs, and added a go-ahead two-run shot to left field in the fifth to lead New York's charge. The icing on the cake was his ninth-inning run-scoring double.

"It was such a good day," Abreu said. "I felt very good out there and helped the team win, I think that's what really mattered."

But it's kind of been like that for the right fielder, who's hit 5-for-11 since the All-Star break with a pair of home runs and seven RBIs. Already enjoying a productive second half, he has proven himself a big key to the Yankees' success this season. Consider this: Abreu's hitting .377 (66-for-175) with six homers and 40 RBIs when New York wins, and just .158 (25-for-158) with one home run and nine RBIs over their 44 losses.

"Of course [the lineup's] stronger," said Abreu's teammate Derek Jeter, who went 2-for-5 on the night. "He's as good as it comes."

It's the biggest difference in averages between victories and defeats in the Majors among those who qualify, and don't think this fact has escaped Torre.

"He's so important for us," Torre said Friday. "He knows he's important. He's really important."

Also crucial in Saturday night's victory was Chien-Ming Wang, who gathered his composure nicely after an ugly first frame. The righty yielded three runs on four hits (two doubles) in the first inning, and things looked dismal for a while.

It didn't take him long to correct his problem, though. Wang plowed through the Rays' lineup after the first. He retired 16 of the next 17 hitters he faced, including a string of 11 consecutive outs that ended when Delmon Young singled to left with two outs in the sixth inning.

"We held Wang to get the lead," Abreu said. "And we all know that when he has the lead, he feels more comfortable and dominates the game more."

Yet things nearly fell apart for Wang after Young's hit in the sixth. He allowed another single and then hit Ty Wigginton with a pitch to load the bases and get the bullpen hopping, but froze Jonny Gomes on a 2-2 sinker to end the inning, and his outing.

He left unscathed and jogged off of the field to a round of raucous applause from the largely pro-Yankees sellout crowd of 36,048.

"That was all [Wang] right there," said Torre, when asked of his decision to leave the righty to work through the sixth. "If he would've walked Gomes, where it showed he didn't have command, we probably would've gone to [Ron] Villone."

With the 1-2 combo of Wang and Abreu, the Yankees were able to take a 5-3 lead into the eighth. Reliever Kyle Farnsworth left a full-count fastball hanging that Carlos Pena was able to lift into the right-field seats to pull Tampa Bay within one. Farnsworth then walked B.J. Upton and worked Wigginton to a 1-2 count before catcher Jorge Posada cut short Upton's steal attempt for the final out of the eighth.

"That was huge, anything in a close game like that," Torre said. "[The Rays] can run. They can do some things ... Jorge came out of it really well."

There was a bit less nailbiting in the ninth, as veteran closer Mariano Rivera accepted the ball and took 19 pitches to dispose of the Rays en route to his 425th career save. He's now in third place all alone, and just 54 shy of tying Lee Smith for second-most in history.

"I'll save the ball," Rivera said with a smile. "It will be in a good place in my house.

"It's hard to believe [it's been 10 years]. Thank God for this."

Notes: Ailing Cabrera a late scratch

Notes: Ailing Cabrera a late scratch
Outfielder battling flu symptoms; Damon starts in center
By Dawn Klemish / MLB.com

ST. PETERSBURG -- Melky Cabrera spent most of the day laying on a table inside the training room at Tropicana Field and trying to deal with a nasty set of flu-like symptoms on Saturday afternoon.

The Yankees' center fielder was a late scratch from the lineup and replaced in the field by Johnny Damon, who was slated to hit leadoff.

"I haven't really seen him, and from what I hear, I don't want to," Yankees manager Joe Torre chuckled before the game. "He may be [available] ... We'll see how he recovers from all the stuff the trainer's given him."

On Friday, he went 1-for-5 to extend his career-high hitting streak to 10 games. The switch-hitter's .275 average (75-for-273) was fifth-best on the team heading into Saturday's matchup against the Rays. He had 10 hits in his last 28 at-bats (.357), and 17 in his last 44 (.386).

Cabrera's absence shrunk New York's available bench to two -- Wil Nieves and Miguel Cairo.

"Thank goodness we're in our league," Torre quipped. "It's easier to play with three guys on the bench in the National League. But again, we don't have guys we really would pinch-hit for, so the only time [the short bench] is a concern is if somebody gets hurt."

Myers' mishap: Reliever Mike Myers continues to work with his breaking ball and has made progress, but perhaps not quite as much as he'd like. The left-hander lasted 1/3 of an inning on Friday, and punched out Tampa Bay's Akinori Iwamura, then allowed Carl Crawford's double before getting the hook. Myers threw nine pitches in the outing and was charged with an earned run.

Torre had empathy for the 38-year-old's struggle, and was optimistic things would fall back into place soon.

"He's been fiddling out there, trying to get comfortable and trying to get a good angle on his breaking ball," Torre said. "He's tinkering, and just trying to get comfortable, and I know it's frustrating for him."

Come again? Torre mentioned at the beginning of the four-game series that the Yankees would probably, in the next day or two, whittle down its 13 pitchers. He added that general manager Brian Cashman had been in contact with organizations, but had no further updates on Friday night.

"Cashman's been talking to a lot of teams," Torre said. "We're probably going to stay like this, at least for a little bit until we see if we're going to do something."

Comeback trail: Phil Hughes worked three shutout innings and fanned six along the way for Double-A Trenton on Friday night. The 21-year-old righty was "very pleased" with his second rehab start, and noted that he felt much better command of his fastball than during his first start, at Class A Tampa.

Torre was encouraged with the update he received from Cashman, who was in attendance at Trenton on Friday night, but said he didn't want to rush the youngster.

"[Cashman] could tell it was still really early," Torre said. "Not to say he wasn't good, but from the standing that we're not wondering if we can bring him up now. It's a progression thing."

Quick hits: Darrell Rasner played long toss before Saturday's contest. ... Catcher Jorge Posada will have a scheduled day off on Sunday. meaning Nieves will fill in behind the plate. ... Thursday's homer by Alex Rodriguez marked the third baseman's 150th with the Yankees, achieved in just 557 games. The only players to hit the mark in fewer games were Babe Ruth (411) and Roger Maris (508). ... A-Rod is also the first player since Mickey Mantle (1956) to lead the Majors in runs (79), homers (30) and RBIs (86) at the All-Star break.

Down on the farm: Shelley Duncan and Justin Christian combined to drive in three runs in the 10th inning of Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's 5-2 win over Louisville on Saturday. ... Double-A Trenton's 11-game win streak came to a halt in a 10-inning, 6-5 loss to New Hampshire on Friday, despite a four-RBI night from Juan Miranda. ... Class A Charleston suffered a 3-1 loss to Columbus that snapped the RiverDogs' five-game win streak.

Up next: The Yankees conclude the four-game set at Tampa Bay with a Sunday matinee. Righty Mike Mussina (4-6, 4.62 ERA) will get the ball for New York, and he'll face off against Edwin Jackson (1-9, 7.23). First pitch is set for 1:40 p.m. ET.

Wang looks to stay on a roll vs. Rays

Wang looks to stay on a roll vs. Rays
New York (43-44) at Tampa Bay (35-54), Saturday, 7:10 p.m. ET
By Dawn Klemish / MLB.com

After dropping the second game of the series against the Devil Rays, the Yankees will look to Chien-Ming Wang on Saturday to right the ship.

Wang's on a hot streak of his own, having tossed 13 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings and recording wins against both the Twins and Angels.

The righty has changed the angle of his delivery after dealing with arm-slot issues, and the results have been nothing but positive so far. He's 6-0 over his last eight starts, and holds a 2.72 ERA during that span.

Opposing him for the Rays is rookie Andy Sonnanstine, who will make his first start against the Yankees. Sonnanstine isn't overpowering, but he uses a mixture of arm angles, pitches and speeds to keep hitters on their toes.

Sonnanstine left with the lead in his last outing after holding the Royals to three earned runs, but fell shy of his second career win when the bullpen could not secure the lead. Sonnanstine lasted seven innings in the start, walked one, fanned one and threw 66 of his 97 pitches for strikes.

Pitching matchup
NYY: RHP Chien-Ming Wang (9-4, 3.36 ERA)
Wang has a career-low 2.15 ERA in July.

TB: RHP Andy Sonnanstine (1-3, 5.36 ERA)
Lefties are hitting .309 against Sonnanstine.

Player to watch
Derek Jeter is hitting 24-for-64 (.375) against Rays pitching over the last 15 games, with at least one hit in each contest.

Yanks pour on runs in rout of Twins

Yanks pour on runs in rout of Twins
Wang shuts out Minnesota in seven dominant innings
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- If the Yankees are going to make a push toward their usual destination of postseason play, they'll have to see underperforming areas of their starting lineup come to life.

For at least one night, the most inconsistent parts of the Yankees offense all worked in harmony. Bobby Abreu, Robinson Cano and Hideki Matsui shouldered much of the load to help Chien-Ming Wang down the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, 8-0.

"It was a good game," said Yankees manager Joe Torre. "It just gives you an indication, when a couple of guys start hitting, all of a sudden it sort of relieves some of the tension. Guys start being themselves instead of trying to force something."

The contest featured Cano snapping a dry spell of 112 at-bats without a home run, Matsui shunning his pull-happy ways to contribute two hits, and a second consecutive three-hit night from the long-troubled Abreu.

"We scored a lot of runs like we're supposed to," Abreu said. "We played a better game and our pitching responded like it's supposed to. There was a lot of action in every inning."

All of the excitement, it turned out, was provided by the Yankees, who recorded just their second shutout of the season and their first since May 6 at Seattle.

They did so behind seven scoreless innings from Wang, who admitted that even he was surprised to have thrown that many zeroes on the board against the Twins, spending much of his night trying to ignore a cracked nail on his right middle finger.

While Wang wasn't at his most efficient, he was able to navigate past damage, walking four and striking out three in a 101-pitch performance to log his team-leading eighth victory.

He most notably sidestepped a tight situation in the fourth inning, guarding a 1-0 lead in what catcher Jorge Posada would later credit as a turning point.

One night after straining his left hamstring beating out a fielder's choice, Alex Rodriguez played a key role in helping keep Minnesota off the board, a frame that saw Wang walk three batters -- one erased by a caught stealing -- and allow a hit. "That's probably the play of the game," Posada said. "If we don't turn it there, they probably get a rally going."

With Minnesota turned away, the Yankees took advantage. Cano added power in the fourth, lofting a hanging breaking ball into the right-field seats in the fourth inning for a two-run homer.

The home run was Cano's fourth of the season and ended a drought of 112 homerless at-bats for the second baseman, his first since June 1 at Boston, but more importantly, it opened things up for Wang, who would face the minimum in two of the next three innings before yielding to the bullpen.

"That's why I was so happy about the homer," Cano said. "It's not because I hit it hard, but when I hit it, it was with men on base with two outs, and it made the game 3-0."

After suffering losses in his previous two starts at San Francisco and Baltimore, Wang said he consciously decided to alter his arm slot to a higher point, returning his form to more closely resemble his action from earlier in the season.

The tweak, performed in Wang's side session following his defeat at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, worked.

"He bore down and really made pitches when he needed to," Posada said. "Ground-ball outs. Even when he's not well, his sinker is so difficult when he keeps it down."

Wang had plenty of support by the end of the night, particularly as the Yankees batted around in a five-run sixth inning that chased Minnesota's Carlos Silva.

It was a frame that began with laughs on the Yankees bench, as Roger Clemens and bench coach Don Mattingly were among the most vocal ribbing the sight of Posada -- slow-footed catcher that he is -- legging it to third base as Hunter misplayed a single, the ball skipping under his glove for a two-base error.

"I almost missed second base," Posada confessed. "It's a tough one to get to third base."

The dash home was simpler, scoring on a Silva wild pitch, and opened an inning that made the Yankees feel a whole lot better about their production.

Matsui doubled and scored on an Abreu single, and after Cano was hit by a pitch, Melky Cabrera stroked a run-scoring single. Derek Jeter drove in another run, his second RBI of the night and part of a three-hit game, to complete the barrage.

"The more hitters we have who start hitting the ball hard, the better it is for the team," Matsui said. "The results are going to be there."

Leaving the stadium, the Yankees added one more storyline to the mix -- the Major League debut of 26-year-old right-hander Edwar Ramirez, who recorded three swinging strikeouts on nasty changeups.

Ramirez's feel-good story -- twice released by the Angels organization, out of baseball for all of 2004, and plucked from the roster of an independent league club in Edinburg, Tex., last year -- was just one more thing for the Yankees to trumpet on a night when everything else seemed to go right.

"Sometimes things are contagious," Jeter said. "It seems like a couple guys start swinging the bats and everyone picks it up. You hope it can last for at least the rest of this homestand."