Wang's News

About Chien-Ming Wang

2007-12-31T07:17:00.000-08:00

Full Name: Chien-Ming Wang
Born: 03/31/1980
Birthplace: Tainan, Taiwan
Height: 6'3" Weight: 225
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
College: Taipei Physical Education College
MLB Debut: 04/30/2005

Notes: Pettitte bumped to Monday

2007-09-24T06:38:00.001-07:00

Notes: Pettitte bumped to Monday

Left-hander given regular rest as Clemens continues to rehab

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Flying back from an unexpected trip home to Houston this week, Andy Pettitte was placed on notice that he might have one more regular-season Yankee Stadium start after all.

So when the Yankees tabbed the left-hander -- and not the ailing Roger Clemens -- to pitch Monday's regular-season home finale, Pettitte said he had prepared for the assignment, coming on his normal fifth day of rest.

"I'll just do whatever I have to do to get ready to pitch when they want me to," Pettitte said.

The last-minute switch was another move made out of caution for Clemens, who tweaked his left hamstring while performing distance running on Thursday's off-day.

Clemens was scratched from Saturday's start and reassigned to Monday before the Yankees decided to push him back one more game, tentatively shooting for Tuesday at Tampa Bay. Yankees manager Joe Torre waited until Pettitte threw a bullpen session on Saturday before announcing the switch prior to New York's 12-11 victory over Toronto in 10 innings.

"It was all about giving [Clemens] as much time as we can without disrupting anything," Torre said. "The fact that Andy was on his fifth day made it easier to do."

Clemens said that he has been encouraged by seeing some "spots" rise in the back of his left leg, which could be due in part to the amount of "digging" that trainers have done. Clemens threw in the bullpen for about five minutes on Sunday and reported no issues.

"I just need to get in game situations," Clemens said. "It's going to be completely different from what I'm doing out here. I've got to be honest -- we're at a real critical part of the season, and I don't want to go back. ... I just want this thing to feel the right way and get out there."

With the timing of Clemens' injury, it is possible that he could have just one more regular-season start before the Yankees open a potential American League Division Series series. Pettitte pointed to Clemens' 12-day layoff before a classic Sept. 16 effort at Fenway Park as one reason for optimism that the Rocket would pick it up in a big spot.

"He's shown he can take two weeks off and be very strong and throw a great game," Pettitte said. "That'd be a concern for me, personally, because I feel when I throw on my fifth or sixth day, I need to stay on my game. I feel like I struggle if I have too much rest.

"Roger is totally different. We just need to make sure he's as healthy as he can be going into the playoffs. The good thing is that I don't feel like we're in desperate need where we need to rush him out there."

As the playoffs near, the Yankees' home slate will conclude featuring Pettitte going for his 15th victory. Pettitte said that he has been surprised by how good his left elbow has felt, even deep into September, and credits the surgery that shortened his 2004 campaign with Houston for helping to restore his health.

"I've had to deal with my elbow, after my rookie season, for the eight years that I was here," Pettitte said. "It's just nice to feel like I don't have to eat anti-inflammatories the whole year."

100 grand: With a fifth-inning triple on Saturday, Hideki Matsui reached the 100-RBI mark for the ninth time in his professional career, including four times in the Major Leagues.

Matsui, who missed four months last season with a broken left wrist, said the milestone was notable considering his lengthy absence. Matsui entered Sunday's game batting .289 with 25 home runs and 102 RBIs in 138 games.

"I don't really get caught up in the numbers game, but the more the better, certainly," Matsui said through an interpreter. "At least I reached a number similar to what I had before I got hurt. In that sense, it was important."

Going to 'war: After Saturday's game, Torre spoke about how it might be needed to put an arm around rookie right-hander Edwar Ramirez and remind him about all the tough outs he'd recorded. Ramirez has allowed four runs in his last three appearances, including one home run, and got just one out in Saturday's appearance.

Then, in the middle of the clubhouse on Sunday morning, Torre did just that, enveloping the string-bean reliever in an embrace.

Ramirez said that he worked on a mechanical flaw in the bullpen on Sunday with pitching coach Ron Guidry and Triple-A coach Dave Eiland, trying to close his front shoulder and prevent flying open.

Bombers bits: The Yankees paid tribute to Phil Rizzuto in a pregame ceremony on Sunday, featuring speeches by Reggie Jackson and Bobby Murcer. ... Over New York's last 16 games entering play on Sunday, the club's starting pitchers were 8-1 with a 2.56 ERA and had not allowed a home run in 88 innings. ... Rookie reliever Joba Chamberlain turned 22 on Sunday.

Coming up: The Yankees will play home game No. 81 on Monday, with Pettitte (14-8, 3.79 ERA) making the start for New York opposite Toronto right-hander A.J. Burnett (9-7, 3.40 ERA). First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. ET on the YES Network.

Mussina tops Jays for third straight win

2007-09-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

Mussina tops Jays for third straight win

Righty's seven strong innings help Yankees gain on Red Sox

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- The Yankees are almost certainly going to be in the playoffs, and Mike Mussina is almost certainly going to be a part of it.

Making his third start since returning to the rotation, Mussina moved closer to locking up a potential playoff start on Sunday, pitching seven strong innings against the Blue Jays to help the Yankees to a 7-5 victory, the 250th of Mussina's career.

The effort moved the Yankees to within 1 1/2 games of the Red Sox in the American League East as they close in on completing a historic comeback. New York's magic number for clinching a playoff spot dropped to two, as the Yankees remained 5 1/2 games up on the Tigers in the AL Wild Card race.

"We're just playing baseball the way we wanted to play it from the beginning," said Mussina (11-10). "We had a lot of struggles in the beginning of the season, and now, with a week to go, we're in the position we want to be in. We're playing the game the way we want to play it. It's not anywhere close to the same team it was in April and May."

The Yankees have won 14 of 17 to improve to a season-high 25 games over .500. New York will complete its home schedule on Monday, making up an April 25 rainout, before playing its final six games on the road.

"This is the time of year that you want to play well, because the pressure is on," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "You have certain things that you need to accomplish. We've played well under pressure all year. The most important thing is to make sure we don't lose our edge."

Mussina, who had to be pulled from the rotation in late August after three consecutive horrid starts, has re-emerged in September to regain Torre's trust. With the exception of a three-run blip in the second inning, Mussina held Toronto scoreless in six of the seven innings he pitched on Sunday, including retiring nine straight to close out his start.

"I'm just glad [Torre] gave me a chance to go back out there and pitch," Mussina said. "He didn't have to. He made a decision and could have stuck with it. They let me get back out there and do it again, and I've thrown the ball pretty well since they let me back out there. It's the way the game works sometimes."

Mussina scattered seven hits and struck out five to move past Vic Willis for sole possession of 43rd place on baseball's all-time wins list, one shy of longtime Torre favorite Bob Gibson.

"It's nice to have been given a chance to go out there for that long a period of time, a chance to win 250 games," Mussina said. "To play with some of the talent and some of the people that I've had a chance to do it, it's been a lot of fun. It's been great, and I hope to go out there and win a few more."

After playing two extra-inning contests to open their series with the Blue Jays -- 25 innings of baseball that spanned nine hours and 45 minutes -- the Yankees were able to record Sunday's win in more efficient fashion.

Toronto starter Dustin McGowan was chased in the fifth inning, as Robinson Cano gave New York the lead on the final pitch from McGowan (11-10), ripping a run-scoring single to right. Facing reliever Brian Tallet, Doug Mientkiewicz nubbed a slow roller up the third-base line that Russ Adams could not barehand, allowing a second run to score on the hit.

Jose Molina then came through with a bloop single to left that brought home New York's sixth run, one of a season-high three RBIs in the backup catcher's three-hit game.

Molina opened the season with the Angels, now a possible playoff opponent, and has provided an upgrade over original backup Wil Nieves. After Jorge Posada caught all 10 innings of Saturday's arduous five-hour affair, Molina was able to offer a full day off and yet not hurt the team offensively -- he has hit safely in nine of his last 10 starts and 10 of 14 since joining the Yankees.

"I'm still adjusting," Molina said. "It's not easy. I've been on the West Coast for seven years, and coming to the East Coast, it's not easy, family-wise or personal-wise. You've just got to step up and do your job, no matter what the situation is. When you get home, you deal with those things."

The two clubs traded three-run innings in the second, as Mussina saw a string of 14 scoreless frames end. Adam Lind had a two-run double and Curtis Thigpen had a run-scoring single for the Blue Jays, but the Yankees answered with run-scoring singles by Molina, Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter in the bottom half, providing Mussina with enough of a cushion to get back to work comfortably.

"He was great," Molina said. "He was hitting his spots. In the second inning, he gave up some runs, but those pitches were good. There wasn't anything bad at all."

Mussina also had strong defense and some fortunate play-calling. Molina picked off Alex Rios on a snap throw down to first base in the third inning, and Melky Cabrera, who preserved a tie game in the 10th inning on Saturday with an outfield assist, turned in another on Sunday to throw out Gregg Zaun at the plate on a questionable tag play ending the fourth inning.

Like on Saturday, the Yankees had to endure a bullpen crisis, but this time they had a magic answer. Before the game, Torre had indicated to reporters that rookie sensation Joba Chamberlain would be unavailable, but he reversed field after consulting with general manager Brian Cashman and pitching coordinator Nardi Contreras, the architect of the so-called "Joba Rules."

"We're on the move with this thing," Torre said. "A lot of it is going to be judged on pitch counts. The days off will vary. Certain situations have to be right for us to be in a position to use him, and unfortunately, it called for that."

Reliever Luis Vizcaino surrendered a two-run homer to Matt Stairs in the eighth, but Chamberlain -- pitching on his 22nd birthday -- was summoned to pitch out of a two-out, two-on jam, striking out Lind on a slider to end his inning. Since Chamberlain threw just five pitches to Lind in the eighth, the Yankees sent him back out for the ninth, when he set the Blue Jays down in order for his first career save.

"It's all fun," Chamberlain said. "It's all new experiences every time I go out there, so it's good."

Historic day for Yankees staff

2007-09-22T06:40:00.000-07:00

Historic day for Yankees staff

Team uses team-record 10 pitchers in win over Toronto

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- The next time you use the phrase "records are made to be broken," think back to Saturday's affair at Yankee Stadium. There are some that you might be better off not seeing shattered.

The Yankees set a franchise mark using 10 pitchers in Saturday's game, an afternoon matinee that was delayed for 92 minutes by rain before a marathon, 10-inning affair played out with the Blue Jays that lasted exactly five hours on the nose.

It created a memorable day at the ballpark, for certain, but nobody seemed to be too enamored with their unique date with the history books.

"It was no fun," Torre said. "That's the only thing I can tell you. It's no fun."

The nine relievers used behind New York starter Phil Hughes were just one shy of an American League record, set by the Mariners on Sept. 25, 1992, at Texas. For this weekend, though, it was the status quo: in the first two games of the series, the Yankees and Blue Jays have combined to use 33 pitchers, 18 by New York.

They're the kind of games that could have only taken place in September, with expanded rosters and a smorgasbord of relief options to whittle through. At times on Saturday, it appeared as though Torre was emptying his bullpen for open auditions, bringing out ghosts of Yankees relief past.

The afternoon came on a quick turnaround from a Friday night nailbiter, though that contest at least featured an ace-quality pitching matchup between Roy Halladay and Chien-Ming Wang before stretching into a 14-inning affair.

But with Toronto starter Shaun Marcum done after three innings with a sore right knee and New York's Phil Hughes exiting having allowed three runs in five innings, it was clear both teams would be in need of some relief. Neither got much.

"It's a tough day," catcher Jorge Posada said. "You wait for the game to start, then you start at [2:37 p.m. ET] and play five hours. It's tough but I'm just happy we got the win."

While Blue Jays manager John Gibbons had to call on seven relievers, including losing pitcher Josh Towers -- tagged with the defeat when Melky Cabrera came through with a 10th-inning single -- the Yankees were even quicker on the trigger, contributing 221 of the 423 total pitches thrown in the game. Of those, Hughes threw less than half (99).

Veteran Ron Villone and rookie Ross Ohlendorf combined to pitch a scoreless sixth inning before September callup Jose Veras, who had been making his case for the postseason roster, came undone in a five-run Toronto seventh that changed the course of the game, spoiling a 6-3 lead.

Veras had two outs with runners on second and third before uncorking a wild pitch, then throwing a passed ball charged to catcher Posada, before Aaron Hill came through with a run-scoring single.

"He almost came out of the inning," Torre said. "Then it turned ugly."

Edwar Ramirez, rescued from an independent league club in Edinburg, Texas, earlier this season, turned in his second shaky performance in two nights by serving up run-scoring hits to Russ Adams and Adam Lind, leaving Toronto with an 8-6 lead.

Though the Yankees fought back for three runs in the bottom half, regaining the lead, Kyle Farnsworth handily helped give it right back. Farnsworth, who was not expected to be available due to tightness in his right shoulder, faced five hitters and retired just one of them -- a hot Matt Stairs drive that looked as though it were headed for right field before first baseman Wilson Betemit snared it with a terrific diving catch.

"I left some balls up," Farnsworth said. "It's frustrating, but it's one of those things. I've just got to keep going. I felt fine, but I'm a little rusty, I guess. It [stinks]. I'm getting tired of that."

Farnsworth had entered to boos and the reception was even more vicious as he walked off, lifted for an out from Chris Britton and then the first Major League appearance by Japanese import Kei Igawa since July 26, beginning the "memory lane" portion of Torre's evening. Igawa surrendered a hit to Hector Luna, scoring one of the three runs charged to Farnsworth, before he too was just another name in the box score.

"It was so surreal," Torre said, "for me to watch this whole thing."

In the bullpen, seemingly spilling onto the field with regularity, players began to ponder what names might be summoned next.

"We were thinking about who's down, who's up," Karstens said. "You know Joba [Chamberlain] is down. We kind of figured [Luis] Vizcaino was down, because the phone rang a bunch of times and he wasn't in the game. I think we were just happy the way it turned out. We wanted to end it quick."

With the Yankees tying the game in the ninth, Mariano Rivera trotted in to "Enter Sandman" and helped get the game to extra innings, where Jeff Karstens -- who hadn't pitched in the big leagues since an ill-fated Aug. 14 start vs. the Orioles -- recorded three outs and became the winning pitcher when New York ended the arduous affair.

"It wasn't pretty, but we got the job done," Karstens said.

Cabrera's hit to center, plus his key outfield assist a half-inning earlier, clicked off the stopwatch on nine hours and 45 minutes of baseball played at Yankee Stadium over a 24-hour period. Informed that the 10 Yankees pitchers set a new club mark, Karstens laughed that he thought New York had just used "four or five," then smirked.

"It's nice to be part of a record," Karstens said.

Notes: Peace of mind for Posada

2007-09-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

Notes: Peace of mind for Posada

Yankees catcher rests easily after tests come back negative

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

BOSTON -- Jorge Posada's pounding headache had disappeared and the results of a CT scan concurred, relaying that no ill effects remained from a vicious home-plate collision during Saturday's loss to the Red Sox.

For the Yankees catcher, who was broadsided by Boston's Eric Hinske on what was later deemed to be a "clean play" at the plate, such precautionary trips to hospitals have become commonplace.

Posada revealed that he has had the procedures, each requiring approximately 10 minutes, performed during each of the last three winters. The scans offer Posada peace of mind at a point when he can actually exhale and ponder the bruising he takes during the season -- a luxury neither he nor the October-contending Yankees can afford right now.

"You can't think about the negative, and you can't think about the stuff that could happen," Posada said. "You've just got to keep on hoping that everything is going to be fine and you can keep on playing the game.

"It could happen anywhere. It could happen walking down the street and you get hit by a car. You can't really worry about things that you can't control."

Posada believes that, through the course of his career, he has suffered "three or four" concussions. He was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital after Saturday's 10-1 loss at Fenway Park, and doctors took scans of the 36-year-old catcher's head and neck.

Though they proved negative and Posada said he slept well, the pounding of his headache quieting, Posada was offered designated-hitter duties, with backup Jose Molina assuming the catching role for Sunday's series finale.

Manager Joe Torre said he was concerned that Posada might have to deal with an assortment of foul tips off his mask, an inevitability that the manager would prefer to delay for another 24 hours.

"I need his bat in the lineup right now," Torre said. "We just decided to do the safe thing."

Torre said that he had been informed of Posada's medical status over dinner with the Yankees training staff on Saturday night. Somewhere along the line, Posada's regular trips for CT scans have also been topics of conversation, a personal decision that Torre said has proven wise.

"With what's gone on in football, talking about the cumulative effect of concussions, I think it's a great idea," Torre said. "It's a question no one can answer. I never thought about it until the football situation came up, the fact that there were so many. It's frightening."

Everyone's a comedian: Derek Jeter's immediate reaction concerning Posada's collision with Hinske displayed little concern. Standing in a tunnel outside the visitors' clubhouse at Fenway Park on Saturday, Jeter smirked and assured reporters, "He'll be all right. He's got a hard head."

Later, in a private conversation, Jeter apparently offered his good friend a little more heartfelt reaction.

"He makes fun of it, but he said he couldn't do what I'm doing," Posada said. "That's pretty encouraging."

Never forgotten: Doug Mientkiewicz found his way into the Yankees lineup on Sunday, taking over duties at first base after two days of questionable defensive play by Jason Giambi.

Mientkiewicz's season nearly ended here in June after a violent collision, when he was clobbered by Mike Lowell on a play at first base. Leaving the field on a stretcher, Mientkiewicz -- a member of the 2004 Red Sox who drew the fans' ire by briefly retaining possession of the final World Series out -- was given a standing ovation by the Fenway Park faithful.

They weren't quite as forgiving on Sunday, as Mientkiewicz took a verbal pounding from autograph seekers during batting practice.

"Give back the ball," Mientkiewicz said. "Yeah, I know. I've heard it before."

Torre said he selected Mientkiewicz over Giambi because Giambi's recent at-bats against Boston starter Curt Schilling have not been very good, not because of the hit-by-pitch Giambi suffered in Saturday's contest, apparent retaliation by Josh Beckett.

Rolling Thunder: Double-A Trenton secured the Eastern League championship on Saturday, posting a 10-5 victory at Akron to take the best-of-five series in four games.

The Yankees will recall two players from the Thunder, pitchers Tyler Clippard and Chase Wright, to join the club in New York. Both appeared and made starts for the Yankees earlier this season but are likely to be used only in emergency situations.

"They're champions," Torre said. "Maybe they'll rub off on our guys."

Bombers bits: Ross Ohlendorf, who made his second Major League appearance on Saturday, has made a quick impression on Torre. The Yankees manager likes Ohlendorf's power sinker and competitive attitude, calling him "intriguing." ... The Yankees plan to invite several Minor League prospects to New York to work out with the club and get a taste for Yankee Stadium, but the players will not dress or be added to the roster.

Coming up: Their nine-game road trip complete, the Yankees will return home on Monday to open a three-game series with the Orioles. Right-hander Phil Hughes (3-3, 4.91 ERA) will take on right-hander Daniel Cabrera (9-16, 5.37 ERA) on Monday, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. on the YES Network.

Jeter's homer lifts Yankees at Fenway

2007-09-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

Jeter's homer lifts Yankees at Fenway

Go-ahead shot off Schilling in eighth cuts deficit to 4 1/2 games

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

BOSTON -- Derek Jeter's go-ahead three-run homer on Sunday broke up a back-to-the-future pitchers' duel, lifting the Yankees to a 4-3 victory over the Red Sox on a memorable night at Fenway Park.

Jeter's shot to the back row atop the left-field Green Monster came on a hanging eighth-inning splitter from Curt Schilling, who spent six frames entangled in a one-run fight with 45-year-old Yankees righty Roger Clemens in a rematch of Game 7 of the 2001 World Series.

Making his first start at Fenway Park since the 2003 American League Championship Series and the 200th Yawkey Way start of his career, Clemens pitched nothing short of the gem he became so well-known for within the stadium's confines.

Clemens rolled back the clock in limiting the Red Sox to one unearned run and two hits over six innings, his first start back after receiving a pair of cortisone injections in his pitching elbow and missing one turn.

Boston got its only run off Clemens in the first inning, when Johnny Damon misplayed a Jacoby Ellsbury fly ball for an error. After a one-out walk to David Ortiz, Mike Lowell came through with a run-scoring single. That would be Boston's last hit until Lowell again singled with one out in the sixth, as Clemens was completing his successful 87-pitch return to Fenway Park.

Instead of Clemens, the victory would go to reliever Joba Chamberlain, who surrendered an earned run after 17 2/3 innings of scoreless work. Chamberlain pitched a scoreless seventh after a leadoff double to Eric Hinske but gave up a solo home run on a high 98-mph fastball to Lowell with two outs in the eighth, cutting New York's lead to 4-2.

Damon's fifth-inning home run over the Green Monster was all the Yankees mustered against Schilling before Jeter gave New York the lead. Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth inning to help the Wild Card leaders take two out of three games in the weekend series, moving within 4 1/2 games in the AL East with 13 games to play.

Wang outdone by Beckett in Boston

2007-09-15T21:10:00.000-07:00

Wang outdone by Beckett in Boston

Yanks' ace chased in sixth inning; deficit back to 5 1/2 games

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

BOSTON -- On an afternoon when Josh Beckett freely gassed batters with swing-and-miss stuff, the more soft-spoken Chien-Ming Wang was unable to make much of a statement.

While Beckett three-hit the Yankees over seven innings, Wang -- also a front-runner for the American League Cy Young Award -- had his troubles with the Red Sox, taking the loss in a 10-1 Yankees defeat on Saturday afternoon.

"You know, it wasn't one of his great days," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "What can I say? Beckett was great. He came at us and kept coming at us, and we couldn't mount any kind of offense."

Wang had heard some of the whispers about how his mid-September showdown in the creeping shadows at Fenway Park could help influence voting, but it is a postseason berth -- not awards -- that the Yankees must harbor the most concern about.

With five Boston runs home in 5 2/3 innings, it was a bad day to have a bad day.

"Sometimes, I lost my control," Wang said. "Other times, they got hits."

The Yankees can call a relatively steady 2 1/2-game lead their own in the AL Wild Card race, but they have insisted upon dangling heartier aspirations toward the division, making up some emotional ground with a miraculous comeback on Friday night that made some wonder if nothing was impossible.

Yet if that carrot was to be reached, a three-game New England sweep -- shades of last season's five-game Boston Massacre -- would have made New York's most damaging dent in the AL East deficit, which returned to 5 1/2 games.

"Certainly, it would have made it more reasonable," Torre said of a win on Saturday. "In this game, anybody is capable of losing three or four in a row, or winning three or four in a row. Things turn real quickly."

That much is certain. The Yankees' six-run eighth-inning rally on Friday created little carryover -- in this case, momentum only being as good as the way the offense could handle the next day's starting pitcher.

Beckett made that a difficult proposition. Allowing a solo home run to Derek Jeter in the top of the first but otherwise quieting New York in a seven-inning, seven-strikeout performance, Beckett became baseball's first 19-game winner this season and helped Boston to its largest margin of victory against the Yankees since a 14-3 drubbing last May 9.

"You have to get to him early and get some mistakes, because once he establishes strikes and starts throwing everything, he can work both sides of the plate," said Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi. "That's the biggest thing."

Meanwhile, Wang -- who usually showcases a diving sinker to induce opponents into pounding ground balls to his infielders -- again altered his game plan slightly for the Red Sox, mixing in more sliders and changeups.

But the tweaks didn't take hold, as Wang had slightly more run on his pitches than he wanted. Recording just six of 17 outs on the ground, Wang seemed unable to command the zone, surrendering runs in the first and fifth innings before losing control in the sixth.

"His stuff wasn't as good, as consistent," Torre said. "They're pretty patient, this ballclub. When [Wang] has trouble throwing strikes, a lot of times it's just that his stuff has a lot of movement. He just can't keep it in the strike zone."

Wang was lifted with two outs in the troublesome sixth inning, in which he allowed run-scoring hits to rookie Jacoby Ellsbury and a two-run double to perennial thorn David Ortiz -- hard hits in an inning that also featured a jarring home-plate collision between Jorge Posada and Boston's Eric Hinske, who was called out and left the catcher with a lingering headache that had him sent to Massachusetts General Hospital for precautionary reasons. CT scans taken of Posada's head and neck came back negative.

Posada's friend Jeter expressed little concern, saying that his buddy had a "hard head." Torre deemed the play clean, explaining that Hinske had gone in hard.

"That was just one of those bang-bangers," he said. "We had the infield playing halfway, just hoping we could get a ground ball. We didn't want to play all the way in, because we didn't want to cut down our chances to get an out."

Wang's nine-hit, three-walk performance also featured another potential chapter in the ongoing saga between New York and Boston, one that could have legs as the two teams finalize their 2007 regular-season slate on Sunday. Kevin Youkilis started the sixth-inning rally when one of Wang's 97 pitches inadvertently created a contusion on the first baseman's right wrist.

It was the sixth time in the last two seasons that Youkilis had been drilled by a Yankees pitcher, not including two near-misses by Joba Chamberlain in the teams' last New York meeting.

Both benches were warned by home-plate umpire Gary Cederstrom in the seventh inning, when Beckett came back in and hit Giambi on the right elbow with a pitch -- viewed as retaliation for Wang's drilling of Youkilis earlier in the game, but by the Yankees, not as sound baseball judgment.

"You know what? We didn't hit Youkilis on purpose," Giambi said. "It was a 1-2 pitch, and you've got Papi [on deck] -- like he hasn't done enough damage against us. But I respect it. That's the way I play the game. I don't worry about it."

Boston tacked on three additional runs against the New York bullpen in the seventh, sending 10 men to the plate against five Yankees relievers, who let the game get out of hand. Coco Crisp greeted Brian Bruney with an RBI ground-rule double, and Ellsbury touched Sean Henn for a two-run single before rookie Ross Ohlendorf, making his second Major League appearance, walked in a run.

With just 14 games separating the Yankees from the final outs of the regular season, and just nine regulation innings left head-to-head with Boston, odds would appear to be overwhelming that New York's best chance of continuing its string of postseason appearances lies within the Wild Card.

Still, the Yankees don't appear ready to concede the division until the laws of mathematics insist they must.

"We're trying to win every day," Jeter said. "That's the approach we have to have. A couple weeks from now, we'll see what happens."

Kennedy stars, but Yanks' streak ends

2007-09-13T21:12:00.000-07:00

Kennedy stars, but Yanks' streak ends

Right-hander holds Blue Jays to one hit in third big league start

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

TORONTO -- At this stage of Ian Kennedy's young career, every start is an opportunity to try out new approaches, test his limits and see what outcomes he might have to deal with.

No one was expecting Kennedy to throw seven innings of one-hit ball. Once he did, few would have predicted it would end up in a Yankees loss.

Frank Thomas' ninth-inning single off reliever Chris Britton scored Alex Rios with the winning run as the Blue Jays defeated the Yankees on Thursday, 2-1, snapping New York's seven-game winning streak and spoiling Kennedy's terrific third Major League start.

"The third game felt a lot more like I was pitching anywhere else, like anywhere in the Minor Leagues," Kennedy said. "With one run, you're not going to win too many ballgames, scoring one run."

As sharp as Kennedy was, Toronto starter A.J. Burnett brought a performance to match, scattering four hits over eight innings, striking out eight. He made just one glaring mistake: Johnny Damon tied the game in the sixth inning with his 11th home run, a soaring shot that landed in the second deck of seats in right field, beneath the restaurant windows.

"I was just fortunate to be able to tie up the game," Damon said. "The guy is one of the best pitchers around. We had some chances. ... It seems like every time he pitches, he's pretty good. Tonight, he was spotting his fastball inside, up and down. His curveball is one of the best, also."

After Luis Vizcaino recorded three outs in relief of Kennedy's seven-plus-inning gem, and Melky Cabrera grounded out with two aboard to end the top of the ninth inning, the Yankees turned to the right-hander Britton for the bottom half.

Most of Britton's action has come with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, but the Yankees were unable to use Kyle Farnsworth due to a neck injury. Vizcaino had not pitched recently due to various injuries, and Joba Chamberlain was unavailable after throwing 35 pitches in Wednesday's victory.

Had the Yankees taken the lead in the ninth inning, manager Joe Torre said he would have gone to closer Mariano Rivera, but instead he chose Britton over September callup Jose Veras because of the former's strike-throwing ability.

Unfortunately for Britton, two of his strikes caught too much of the plate. Rios started the inning with a sharp single and stole second before Thomas ripped a bouncing ball up the middle, scoring Rios ahead of Cabrera's throw on a slide into the plate.

"It's very disappointing," Britton said. "Nobody wants to lose."

The tough defeat stained Kennedy's impressive performance, though only in finality. For the first seven innings, Kennedy shone, showing Toronto the full arsenal of talent that prompted the Yankees to make him a first-round selection in 2006 from the University of Southern California.

"They're a good fastball-hitting team, so I tried to throw a lot of changeups and curveballs," Kennedy said. "Mix it up. That's what I've got to do. I don't throw 97 [mph], like Burnett."

Kennedy permitted a first-inning run when Thomas doubled home Russ Adams, who had walked, with a drive to center field that eluded Cabrera near the wall.

After the Thomas double, Kennedy retired 15 batters in a row before issuing a two-out walk to Adams in the sixth, then continued to blank the Jays before leaving with one runner on in the eighth.

"He seemed pretty poised," Thomas said. "He wasn't afraid of the strike zone like most young guys. He didn't seem intimidated at all. He pitched his game, hit his spots in and out. He kept the guys off balance, and that's big league pitching."

Even the Thomas double, which Cabrera appeared to lose track of as he closed in on the padded blue fence, may have been catchable. Torre said that Cabrera has made similar plays before, and Kennedy thought the ball would be caught as well.

"I looked at the replay, and you could see the wall was right there as the ball was getting there," Torre said. "I'm sure he probably could have caught it, but I'm not saying he should have."

Yet the Yankees could not get anything going. Derek Jeter followed the Damon sixth-inning home run with a single and Bobby Abreu walked, but Hideki Matsui lined out to first baseman Lyle Overbay, ending the threat.

In the end, though, the lack of run support couldn't be blamed on Kennedy, who continues to exceed all expectations after a quick rise this season all the way from Class A Tampa. Kennedy's performance will create a pleasant but difficult set of problems for Torre and pitching coach Ron Guidry, who plan to meet in Boston to discuss -- among other options -- the concept of utilizing a six-man pitching staff that includes Kennedy.

With just 16 games remaining before the completion of the regular season, innings could grow tight, especially with Roger Clemens insisting that his right elbow is ready for duty and Mike Mussina all but begging for another chance to prove his revival.

Kennedy said he won't concern himself with such issues, preferring to leave any pondering over the difficult decisions to the Yankee brain trust.

"If I keep doing well, they hopefully will find a way to put me out there," he said. "I can't really think about that."

A-Rod the runaway favorite for AL MVP

2007-09-12T21:14:00.000-07:00

A-Rod the runaway favorite for AL MVP

Heavy-hitting third baseman leads field of worthy candidates

By Tom Singer / MLB.com

In awards country, there are hotly contested campaigns. Then, there is the American League MVP race, where Alex Rodriguez is running virtually unopposed.

Made even more impressive by perspective, the New York third baseman has tendered one of the most devastating and dominating offensive seasons in recent memory. With the background of a 2006 season, in which he took both an emotional and physical beating, Rodriguez's focused rebirth is an admirable example of the power of a competitive spirit.

Never really letting up from his mythical start -- 14 homers in his first 18 games -- Rodriguez is lapping the league. At the moment, he has 33 percent more homers than the runner-up -- Carlos Pena -- and 79 percent more than the next on the list -- reigning MVP Justin Morneau.

Overall, it has been a top-heavy season for flag bearers in the AL. While no one has done it on quite as grand a scale, Rodriguez does have company on the pedestal from two other players who have been as conspicuous on their contending teams.

Magglio Ordonez, who is trying to compensate for not being the home run king by securing Detroit's first batting title in 46 years, is striving to carry the Tigers across the finish line on his back.

Once again, Vladimir Guerrero has had the big stick in the Angels' banjo-bat rack. He reminds you of the movies' "My Bodyguard," an intimidator who always shows up to quell peril and restore order.

There are other worthy candidates, some of whose merits are perhaps distorted by the prism of provincialism. There is little doubt that there is value everywhere. But when it comes to Most Valuable in 2007, there is no doubt.

THE FAVORITES

Alex Rodriguez, Yankees: A-Rod set an early tone with a walk-off grand slam in the season's fourth game, and has never looked back. Always a number-cruncher, he has buried a reputation for doing most of his damage when it counts the least by batting .325 with 16 homers and 83 RBIs with men in scoring position, and .344 in the seventh inning or later. Along the way, A-Rod has set a multitude of significant home run records, from being the youngest to reach 500 to a new high for third basemen. But this award isn't about personal highs but about team value, and no one has meant more than Rodriguez -- who is 29 homers and 46 RBIs ahead of his closest teammates.

Magglio Ordonez, Tigers: Ordonez has emphatically reclaimed his status as one of the truly under-appreciated monsters of the game, after two seasons of battling a knee injury and a third making gradual strides back. With 132 RBIs, Ordonez is within range of becoming the first Detroit player to drive in 140 runs since Hank Greenberg in 1940. He has produced 15 percent of his team's runs (RBIs plus runs minus homers) -- the same, it's worth noting, as has Rodriguez.

Vladimir Guerrero, Angels: Guerrero has an overwhelming presence in a lineup of otherwise little-ball people, but some will argue he has been less "valuable" to this edition compared to recent Angels teams -- Garret Anderson's revival and Chone Figgins' four-month fire have also helped fuel the West Division runaway. Still, Guerrero remains the most-feared man in that lineup, which affects how opponents approach everyone else. And his ability to carry a team for long stretches remains gospel. He is a few homers shy of his ninth 30-100 season.

THE CONTENDERS

Mike Lowell, Red Sox: Lowell has been Boston's steadiest hand all season, though somewhat lost in the considerable third-base shadow of A-Rod and the Nation shadows of Manny Ramirez and "Big Papi" David Ortiz. However, by leading the team in hitting and in RBIs most of the season, this "throw-in" in the Josh Beckett deal has established himself as one of the biggest steals in recent history.

Victor Martinez, Indians: With a chance for the hard-charging Indians to wind up with the league's best record, it seems reasonable for one of them to merit MVP consideration, and no one is more worthy than this versatile and dangerous player. The 28-year-old catcher is two homers shy of leading Cleveland in the Triple Crown categories, while seeing considerable action at first base in addition to behind the plate.

THE FIELD

Pena, Devil Rays; Curtis Granderson, Tigers; C.C. Sabathia, Indians.

Hughes keeps Yanks streaking

2007-09-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

Hughes keeps Yanks streaking

Backed by Giambi's slam, rookie turns in six stellar frames

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

TORONTO -- Manager Joe Torre sat within a cramped, concrete office at Rogers Centre on Tuesday, allowing himself a smile of temporary content. Finally, his long-held personal goal of 20 games over .500 had been achieved.

That significant marker of October premonitions, voiced for months by Torre in dugouts across America under far bleaker circumstances, finally came to light.

Jason Giambi hit a grand slam, Jorge Posada also homered and Phil Hughes turned in six strong innings as the Yankees won their sixth straight, downing the Blue Jays, 9-2.

"We're in a situation where we have our fate in our hands," Torre said.

The fifth-inning grand slam, Giambi's first home run since Aug. 26, chased Toronto starter Shaun Marcum and opened up a six-run advantage for the American League Wild Card-leading Yankees, who remained four games ahead of the Tigers and moved six in front of the fading Mariners.

"You've got too many veteran players that have been through a lot of situations to start counting," Giambi said. "Guys just keep the ball rolling, and you want to carry it through, hopefully, to the postseason. Right now, we're playing great baseball, and you don't want to change anything."

That was easy for Giambi to say. The slugger's 13th homer snapped a personal 2-for-28 slide and relieved a hearty amount of self-inflicted pressure from the midst of an extended struggle.

Giambi jokingly referred to the 1982 movie "An Officer and a Gentleman" as he described his angst, wondering aloud what his fate might have been had he not come through in the bases-loaded, one-out situation.

The outcome of the game was still very much in question as Giambi stepped to the plate; not so much as he watched the opposite-field drive clear the wall, making the 360-foot trot on the same diamond where he suffered a torn plantar fascia in late May, costing him two months of at-bats but leaving him fresher for the playoff push.

"I've been taking good at-bats, but I haven't gotten a hit," Giambi said. "That was a big one to get off my back in a big situation. Hopefully, I go forward, because I've been swinging the bat decent and getting robbed here and there. After a while, it gets frustrating."

"Jason knows what to do," said Johnny Damon. "He's been in these situations many times leading teams to the postseason. With Jason in the seventh hole, that just makes our lineup so much better."

Giambi's fortunes, and the Yankees', turned once more as Marcum left a high fastball up, his 90th pitch and the one that wound up ending the right-hander's night after yielding eight runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings.

The Yankees' damage included a run-scoring wild pitch and Posada's home run -- his 20th, and his fifth this month, in what would be a candidate for the team MVP Award if Alex Rodriguez weren't far and away the runaway choice for league honors.

"It's all about adrenaline, this time of year. You're down inside 20 games to play and you've got something to play for."

-- Yankees manager Joe Torre

Later, in the eighth inning, Posada would need a two-minute breather as a foul ball wrenched the metal of his face mask. More typical respites would be preferable, but it's not as though there is ample time to rest.

"Nobody's fresh," Posada said. "You've just got to go out there and play these games. They mean a lot. You have to keep going out and doing it."

Damon had a two-run single in the second inning and also contributed a diving grab in left-center to aid the 21-year-old Hughes, who logged his first victory since Aug. 10 after battling early control problems.

After leaving the bases loaded in the first inning by getting Aaron Hill to hit back to the mound, thus escaping unscathed from two walks and a hit, Hughes flirted with trouble again in the second inning.

Vernon Wells appeared to have a big hit when he ripped a drive up the gap in left-center field, but Damon -- also running on fresher legs late in the season -- caught up to it, snaring the ball with a full-extension drive.

Hughes' luck would last just one more batter, as Russ Adams came through with a two-run single, but Hughes seemed to calm from there.

Acknowledging that he did not possess his best swing-and-miss stuff, Hughes focused more on pitching to spots and not trying to be too fine, inducing an array of grounders, popups and fly balls while striking out just one batter: Wells, the first he faced.

"I was still aggressive," Hughes said. "I wasn't going to try to nip every corner. I'm not going to change my approach just because my stuff isn't there. I'll still throw fastballs early in the count."

"He just settled in," Torre said. "He just seemed to relax. The last few innings were great."

Pitching well for the second consecutive start after taking a no-decision last time out vs. Seattle, Hughes threw 106 pitches. He allowed two runs (one earned), scattering three hits.

With the game well in hand, Edwar Ramirez recorded six outs -- five via strikeout -- and Ross Ohlendorf came on to make his Major League debut in the ninth inning, retiring Toronto in order while striking out the first man he faced, Lyle Overbay.

Ohlendorf, a starter who had recently been converted to a relief role, could be "very interesting" in the future, Torre said.

Indeed, it was a night for new beginnings. After taking nearly the entire season to get to the 20-games-over .500 mark, Torre said the new goal is now to fall beneath once more.

"It's all about adrenaline, this time of year," Torre said. "You're down inside 20 games to play and you've got something to play for."

A-Rod's 52nd helps Wang win 18th

2007-09-09T21:05:00.000-07:00

A-Rod's 52nd helps Wang win 18th

Home run in fifth straight game contributes to sweep of Royals

By Conor Nicholl / MLB.com

KANSAS CITY -- Often overshadowed by his own teammates and several other high-profile starting pitchers, Chien-Ming Wang sometimes hasn't received due credit for his results. But Yankees manager Joe Torre said he considers Wang "one of the big guys," someone who is a true ace.

"But there is always somebody else that is going to get more attention than him," Torre said.

That may still be true after Sunday's performance, but Wang's results are necessitating as much publicity and discussion regarding the Cy Young Award as several of the American League's elite pitchers, including Johan Santana, Josh Beckett and C.C. Sabathia. Wang tossed seven innings of three-run ball on Sunday and earned the win in the Yankees' 6-3 victory over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

"I think he is [one of the best]," catcher Jorge Posada said. "I think he has proven a lot. He gets better and better every time he goes out there. He is showing it and not saying anything about it.

"He is very low-key and very quiet about it, and I think that is why people are not giving him the credit that he deserves. I think he deserves all the credit in the world."

The win lengthened New York's lead to four games ahead of the Detroit and five ahead of Seattle in the AL Wild Card race. The Yankees have won five straight games, their longest streak since Aug. 3-7.

On Sunday, Wang's batterymate and his third baseman provided the help. Posada broke a 3-3 tie with a two-run double in the fifth inning.

Alex Rodriguez continued his assault on the record books with his 52nd homer of the season, his fourth of the series and his seventh in the Yankees' past five games.

Rodriguez has homered in five consecutive games, tying a career high. The long ball also gave him a Major League-leading 140 RBIs this season, marking just the fifth time a Yankees player has driven in 140 runs since 1939.

"What Alex has done in the short period of time is pretty amazing," Torre said.

The offense supplied plenty of support for Wang, who earned his 18th win this season and kept a tie for the Major League lead with Boston's Beckett, who also won his 18th on Sunday.

Wang also ranks second in the AL in winning percentage (.750) and lowered his ERA to 3.69, just outside of the top 10. New York is 8-1 in Wang's last nine starts.

"He is our horse," Posada said. "He is our No. 1. You try to get him some runs. ... He has been very, very key for us."

Wang, who missed time at the beginning of the season with a strained right hamstring, has the chance to become the first 20-game winner in the Major Leagues in the last two seasons. In 2006, Wang led the Majors with 19 wins and finished second in the voting for the AL Cy Young Award.

"He certainly hasn't done anything wrong," Torre said of Wang's Cy Young chances. "And any time you pitch with the urgency to win -- Beckett is doing the same thing, obviously -- it is pretty impressive. This kid -- how quickly he has turned into someone you count on, on a regular basis -- I think is very impressive."

Before the game, Posada approached Wang and told him to shorten his stride slightly. Kauffman Stadium's mound is flatter than most, and Posada wanted to make certain that Wang still kept his sinker down.

Wang was efficient, tossing just 25 pitches through three innings. He had some trouble in the fourth, when he permitted a three-run double to Alex Gordon on a sinker that was supposed to be away but was left in the middle of the plate.

But Wang quickly settled down and tossed scoreless innings in the fifth, sixth and seventh. He tied a season high with four walks but coaxed 11 ground-ball outs.

"I just forgot about it and slowed down," Wang said of Gordon's game-tying double.

Afterward, Torre said that Wang was a "little Jekyll and Hyde," but it's a testament to Wang that he didn't have his best stuff and was still able to produce a quality start.

"He can get away with stuff," Posada said. "He can get away with not having a sinker. He can get away with not having a changeup or a split-finger. He has been that effective."

Wang went at least six innings for the 18th time in his last 19 starts and the 25th time in 27 starts this season. While the injury short-circuited any chance the right-hander would have of leading the AL in innings pitched, few starters have consistently worked deeper into games. Wang has averaged more than 6 2/3 innings per outing, one of the top marks in the AL.

"He has been able to throw his slider for a strike and been able to expand the zone with his fastball," Posada said.

Wang received the necessary run support when Rodriguez hit his 52nd homer of the season -- and fourth this series -- off Zack Greinke in the first inning, giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead. A-Rod is the Majors' leader in runs scored (132), RBIs and homers.

"It's a magical season," Rodriguez said. "I am enjoying it. The reason I am getting pitched to is those guys behind me."

Four innings later, one of those guys behind him -- Posada -- broke a 3-3 tie with a two-run double off John Bale down the right-field line.

"We got some guys on base, and you want to try and stay in the middle of the field," Posada said. "You have a left-hander in there, and I got a great pitch to hit."

And that was all Wang needed for another quiet win.

Yanks' rookies surprised by transition

2007-09-06T23:57:00.000-07:00

Yanks' rookies surprised by transition

Preparation, coaching, veterans make pitchers feel at home

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Sometime on Thursday, Ian Kennedy will board a charter flight bound for Kansas City, where a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium and his second big league assignment await. He won't have to carry his bags.

The 22-year-old rookie, making his first road trip since being summoned from the Minors, has compared life in a Yankees uniform to being treated like royalty. Not that he would cast aspersions on his dizzying path to the Bronx, but the experience has been better than even he thought it would be.

"I didn't expect it any other way, because the Yankees are always in a pennant race," Kennedy said. "It's nice to feel that every game counts. Even though I'm a rookie, I want to win every time I go out there."

Like relief stud Joba Chamberlain, Kennedy opened the year in front of sparse Florida State League crowds. His quick assimilation into the Yankees' fold is already well ahead of schedule, coming on the heels of a seven-inning, one-earned-run performance against the Devil Rays on Saturday.

"I thought I'd be in [Double-A] Trenton," Kennedy admits. "But you get a little greedy, and you want to go to the next level and the next level [after that]. It's not a trend, so I didn't know if I was shooting for the stars or if I was thinking about something that could actually happen."

It has happened more than expected in 2007.

Phil Hughes, just 21 years old, logged his best effort Wednesday after a three-start slide, the backstory to the Alex Rodriguez Show, and the identically aged Chamberlain unknowingly put himself in position to become the ninth Yankees pitcher to log his first victory in 2007 -- an unthinkable achievement, considering the track record of an organization that freely dispensed young talent in favor of veteran presence.

"It's exciting for me to be here as long as I've been here, and then all of a sudden you've got this crop of young arms that have come along," said Yankees manager Joe Torre. "We're accelerating this stuff more and more these days, and giving the kids the experience at this level. It's working out more times than not."

One of Torre's favorite illustrations for the perpetual coming-of-age story that has become a welcome sidebar to the Yankees' highlight reel is his own experience. Torre's big league debut came in 1960 with the Milwaukee Braves, and he recalls looking at a fastball zip by. The baseball came from 60 feet and six inches, and it didn't behave differently just because the pitch had been delivered by a person in a Major League uniform.

"I can hit that," Torre recalls thinking.

In the cases of Hughes, Chamberlain and Kennedy, they can throw that. But maybe the most important figure for all three young pitchers, at least in recent days, has been the figure lurking in the shadows. Triple-A pitching coach Dave Eiland, who pitched parts of four seasons in New York from 1989-91, reassumed his old digs last week to help prepare Kennedy for Tampa Bay.

The 41-year-old Eiland has been kept busy, overseeing Kennedy's first Yankee Stadium mound session in an empty building -- thwack, the ball echoed off 55,000 seats as it met bullpen catcher Roman Rodriguez's glove -- before administering a few key tweaks during Hughes' most recent bullpen performance, resuming a relationship formed last season at Double-A Trenton.

"A lot of times, you don't really feel what you're doing wrong," Hughes said. "That's why it's nice having Dave here. He saw me a lot last year and this year in Trenton and Scranton. He really knows what I need to do."

"This game is set up for you to fail. I understand that's going to happen. ... When it does happen, you have to respond and understand that that's part of the game."

-- Joba Chamberlain

The time investment has been wise, considering the stakes. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre may be involved in a postseason series, but Hughes, Kennedy and Chamberlain -- all Triple-A Yankees at various points this season -- have much more at stake, assigned to figure out Major League life on the fly.

"If any of these young guys can handle it, they can, because of their makeup," Eiland said. "They stay under control of themselves, and they don't seem to get rattled. If they do, they hide it well. They're pros. They're mature beyond 21 and 22 years of age."

Physical gifts aside, the trio's most impressive trait has been their levelheadedness and professionalism, said Eiland.

Chamberlain may well be the most boisterous of the bunch, quickly gaining chutzpah as his 12 1/3 scoreless inning streak extended. Torre joked that the carefully protected Chamberlain shouldn't be allowed to give up a run until 2008, but Chamberlain cautions that this streak won't -- can't -- last forever.

"This game is set up for you to fail," Chamberlain said. "I understand that's going to happen. You've just got to go out and keep attacking the zone. When it does happen, you have to respond and understand that that's part of the game. That's going to be the big test."

So while Chamberlain still gets the oohs and ahhs as he wanders New York, unmistakable with his thick build and swagger, Hughes and Kennedy both own a quieter confidence.

Not that any of the three demand to be acknowledged or looked at. As Kennedy said, that makes him the lucky one: "Everybody knows Joba, but they don't know who I am. I don't mind that at all."

"Just being around them for a period of time, you see how they handle themselves," Eiland said. "It's not only on the mound, but in the clubhouse. They're not guys that are loud talking. They're always willing to learn and always asking questions."

Of course, it helps that there are voices willing to answer those queries. Kennedy -- who feared that the clubhouse would be an "off-to-yourself type of feeling" before he actually experienced it -- said that he hoped to spend some time picking the brains of Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina, particularly on the topics of how to deal with a young, scrappy Royals club.

Chamberlain's first Major League locker was issued a thin wall away from Roger Clemens' belongings, no chance assignment. And Hughes has benefited all season long from veteran presence, dating back to Legends Field, when he was deposited into Derek Jeter's clubhouse neighborhood.

Having that kind of support system has eased the transition for all involved -- for the Yankees, suddenly placing their trusts in a foreign youth movement, and for the players, who understand that the way things work now aren't necessarily the way they were just a few years ago.

"It's been positive," Hughes said. "When I got here [in August], Shelley [Duncan] was here, and then Joba and Ian. It's good to have that young blend in a locker room [with other] guys coming up. You don't feel like the one sole guy in the group. You can share the good and bad that come with being up here."

A-Rod smacks two homers in Yanks' win

2007-09-06T00:16:00.000-07:00

A-Rod smacks two homers in Yanks' win

Taters highlight Bombers' eight-run seventh inning

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez insisted that he could play, even as his sprained and bruised right ankle had him limping through the Yankee Stadium clubhouse corridors.

And as manager Joe Torre searched into the All-Star's intense stare, looking for hints of uncertainty floating about the trainer's room, he listened. Good thing.

Rodriguez jumped out of an MRI tube and onto a pair of pitches in the Yankees' eight-run seventh inning on Wednesday, as his Major League-leading 47th and 48th blasts of the season comfortably helped the Yankees to a 10-2 victory over the Mariners.

"There's not much time left," Rodriguez said. "I guarantee you that if it was April or May, I probably would have taken a day, no question. Every game is so important."

Habitually one of the earliest reportees to the stadium for games, Rodriguez arrived on Wednesday ready to go through rigorous regimen paces, despite having injured his right ankle in a headfirst slide on Tuesday.

The Yankees, as cautious as would be expected with the probable American League MVP, had different plans. Instead of running sprints in the outfield and taking dozens of cuts in the underground batting cages, Rodriguez found himself grumbling his way to a Manhattan hospital, where tests revealed injuries that left him at an estimated 60 percent.

"You've got to be smart about it," Rodriguez said. "Going to the hospital at 5:15 [p.m.] is something that you're not very excited about. You want to play, you know your body, and you certainly don't want to get into an MRI machine."

While Rodriguez was in transit, Torre ripped up his original lineup card, on which he had optimistically filled in Rodriguez as New York's third baseman and cleanup hitter.

Another version briefly filtered through Torre's mind, showcasing Jorge Posada as the designated hitter and Wilson Betemit at third base, but Rodriguez wouldn't have it -- going through an abbreviated pregame workout at the stadium, he charged past reporters and into the trainers' room, where Torre asked him to prove that a third revision was necessary.

"I know you want to play, but are you going to be able to apply yourself and not be tentative?" Torre recalled asking Rodriguez.

"He wanted to look me in the eyes and make sure I wasn't lying to him," Rodriguez said.

The truth came through in the seventh, as Rodriguez -- the DH, batting fourth -- erased a one-run deficit by turning on a full-count Jarrod Washburn fastball, instantly spoiling six innings of work in which the Seattle left-hander had limited the Yankees to little but Jose Molina's solo homer.

After an error, the Mariners turned Washburn's game over to their September-swelled bullpen, and from there the Yankees took control, sending 12 men to the plate in the inning. After Rodriguez's homer, George Sherrill offered two walks before pinch-hitter Posada looked at a 3-1 Sean Green pitch to force home the go-ahead run. Johnny Damon bounced into a RBI fielder's choice, and Melky Cabrera singled through the right side with Damon in motion. Derek Jeter's two-run double off the wall in right-center preceded Rodriguez's second homer of the inning, a blast to left field that earned him a curtain call from the crowd of 52,538.

"I can't relate to it. It's unbelievable," said Jeter, who stood at home plate applauding Rodriguez's memorable feat. "I haven't seen anything like it in all my years playing. It's not that easy."

The home runs gave Rodriguez 512 for his career, moving him past Mel Ott and tying Ernie Banks and Eddie Mathews for 17th place on the all-time list.

Even though Rodriguez said this is no time to ponder his place in history, Torre didn't hesitate to marvel once more.

"His whole career is something special -- the numbers he's put up at his age, and how he takes care of himself," Torre said. "Sometimes how important this game is to him gets in the way, because he needs to do so much. This year he's been a gamer."

The big inning left 21-year-old Joba Chamberlain in line to earn his first Major League victory, having pitched a scoreless seventh in relief of starter Phil Hughes. Chamberlain said that he didn't realize how the official scoring worked until Mariano Rivera congratulated him after the game; crediting Rodriguez with helping him get win No. 1 would be no problem.

"The man's incredible," Chamberlain said. "He's one of the best in the game, and he still works every day to become better. That's a tribute to him and his workout. He understands that it takes hard work. You can't get at the top and stay there. You have to work even harder."

Raul Ibanez reached Hughes for a two-run homer in the fourth, but otherwise the right-hander appeared in command, tying a career high with six strikeouts, and scattering five hits and walking two in a 97-pitch effort.

"Especially coming off three not very good starts, it's definitely one that I can work off of," Hughes said. "And it also feels good to know that I didn't just go out there and [not] know what I did differently. I know where I need to be right now, and that's a good feeling."

The outburst helped the Yankees bookend their nine-game homestand with high notes. A sweep of the Red Sox was followed by the doldrums of dropping two of three to the Devil Rays, a luxury the Yankees can ill afford. But picking up two wins against the AL Wild Card-contending Mariners provides a springboard to an important trip to Kansas City, Toronto and Boston.

"We have a lot of work to do here," Rodriguez said. "We've talked about how, from July on, every game for us is a postseason game. We just need to take small bites."

Minor injury scares for A-Rod, Wang

2007-09-05T00:13:00.000-07:00

Minor injury scares for A-Rod, Wang

Slugger may sit out Wednesday; righty's stiffness 'not an issue'

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- The Yankees would prefer not to imagine what their roster would look like if they simultaneously lost the services of both their winningest pitcher and most prolific slugger.

And yet, in the span of one inning, they nearly found out.

Alex Rodriguez twisted his right ankle sliding headfirst into third base in the Yankees' seven-run seventh inning on Tuesday, en route to a 12-3 victory over the Mariners. A half-inning later, Chien-Ming Wang took the mound for the eighth inning but was pulled with lower-back stiffness.

Now for the exhale. Though he complained that his ankle -- rolled over by Mariners third baseman Adrian Beltre -- was "a little sore," Rodriguez underwent X-rays that came back negative, taken on the premises of Yankee Stadium following the game.

Rodriguez left open the possibility that he may need to rest on Wednesday, as the Yankees wrap up their Wild Card-tinged series with the Mariners.

"A little scary," said Rodriguez, who hit his Major League-leading 46th homer in the victory. "But we'll see how it feels in the morning."

"I knew it was going to take me a long time to get to third base, and I didn't want bad news when I got there," manager Joe Torre said. "Then, when I saw him get up on his knees, it made me feel better. But that was scary, the way he went down. There's so many things that can happen."

The Yankees explained Wang's stiffness by pointing to the lengthy seventh inning, in which New York sent 12 men to the plate against three Seattle pitchers.

With a low pitch count and the Yankees having staked Wang to a large lead, the right-hander opened the eighth inning, throwing two pitches to pinch-hitter Jeremy Reed. Both offerings set off red flags in the mind of catcher Jorge Posada, who trotted to the mound and checked on Wang after Reed chopped to second base.

"He asked me if I was OK," Wang said. "I said, 'I'm OK.' I could not get loose."

That, Posada said, was enough to wave to the Yankees' bench for a coaching visit. Enough was enough.

"I was not going to let him pitch," Posada said. "It just didn't look good -- the two pitches he threw, something about it didn't look right. I just wanted to make sure he was OK. He told me he felt tight, and I told the dugout to come out.

"You don't want him to get hurt. He's too valuable. I just wanted to make sure he was OK."

Wang said he received only normal ice treatment on the back and that he was feeling better after the game. Since he will not pitch on seven days' rest with a long layoff upcoming due to two off-days in the schedule, the Yankees had little concern the issue would follow him.

Pitching coach Ron Guidry and Torre both blamed the stiffness on the lengthy preceding inning, since Wang opened the eighth at just 84 pitches.

"Sitting down for 45 minutes, that's it," Guidry said. "Most of the time, it's five minutes, 10 minutes. When you sit down for 40 or 45 minutes, your back gets tight, especially late in the game."

"You could see when he threw the first couple of pitches, he didn't bend his back," Torre said. "It was just stiffness. It's not an issue. I think it was just a long inning."

Asked if Wang perhaps should have admitted that his back was stiff before opening the eighth inning, the catcher shuffled the question off to the 27-year-old right-hander. With 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball in the books on the way to win No. 17, Wang could do little wrong.

"You don't want him to get hurt," Posada said. "He's too valuable. I just wanted to make sure he was OK."

Wang's 17th extends Wild Card lead

2007-09-04T20:21:00.000-07:00

Wang's 17th extends Wild Card lead

Yankees righty pushes Mariners two back with 7 1/3 innings

By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- There's no denying how much the Yankees need strong pitching performances every night, and there's no cheapening how valuable an ace like Chien-Ming Wang can be.

But when the Yankees' offense is clicking, it's hard to imagine any of that mattering.

Wang allowed one run in 7 1/3 innings against the Mariners, guiding the Yankees to a 12-3 win and pushing their American League Wild Card edge back to two games. And while the Yankees needed that dominance early, they weren't quite as dependent on it later, after the offense awoke for three runs in the sixth inning and seven more in the seventh to blast open the game.

The Yankees drilled four home runs in all -- one each from Alex Rodriguez and Bobby Abreu, and two from Jorge Posada -- and tallied up 19 hits. Eight of those came in the seventh, when the Yankees sent 12 batters to the plate and scored more than half of them. By the time that rally was complete, every Yankees starter other than Hideki Matsui had collected at least one hit and one RBI, and Matsui reached base twice himself.

Abreu and Robinson Cano had four hits apiece, while A-Rod, Posada and Wilson Betemit also chipped in with multi-hit games. By the time Wang left the game in the eighth, the Yankees had already taken a 10-run lead and replaced a third of their regulars with reserves.

And in the end, all of that overshadowed Wang's brilliance. The right-hander needed only 86 pitches to cruise into the eighth, allowing just five hits and an isolated Adrian Beltre home run. He struck out only on7 but induced 17 ground-ball outs, leaving to a standing ovation.

The Yankees survived a scare in the seventh inning, when Rodriguez, attempting to go from first to third base on a Posada single, slid headfirst into the third-base bag. A-Rod rolled over and clutched his right knee in pain, but after a short delay and a visit from the training staff, he remained in the game. Alberto Gonzalez replaced him for his second at-bat of the inning, with the Yankees having already built a 10-run lead.

Yanks expect Clemens to miss start

2007-09-04T05:08:00.000-07:00

Yanks expect Clemens to miss start

Veteran out after four innings with elbow pain; MRI pending

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Roger Clemens was lifted from his start against the Mariners on Monday with right elbow discomfort that will likely force him to miss at least one start.

Clemens told Yankees manager Joe Torre that his elbow was troubling him during the fourth inning of a 7-1 loss to Seattle in which he allowed three runs, including a two-run double to Yuniesky Betancourt.

"It didn't start bothering him until the fourth," Torre said. "In Roger's case, there are a lot of things that he deals with on a regular basis. I know we checked with him twice today before he went out."

The 45-year-old right-hander was sent for a MRI exam at the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York. In 16 starts plus one relief appearance for the Yankees, Clemens is 6-6 with a 4.45 ERA. He did not speak to reporters before leaving Yankee Stadium.

The elbow ailment, a grabbing sensation, is something that has bothered Clemens on and off this season, Torre said. Clemens dealt with the issue last season while pitching for the Astros, and Torre speculated that the pain could date as far back as Clemens' first go-round in pinstripes, which ended in 2003.

"It's happened earlier this year, too, the same type of thing," Torre said. "He's dealt with it and come back and pitched some gems. ... It's something that comes and goes. It doesn't mean it's debilitating. It just means it's muscular stuff."

Catcher Jorge Posada said that he did not have any conversations on Monday about Clemens' discomfort, though he acknowledged that the Yankees have known about the current condition for at least one start. Clemens limited the Red Sox to one run and two hits over six innings in his last effort.

"He had no limitations at all," Posada said. "I called every pitch like nothing was wrong. I didn't see anything wrong."

Because Clemens had been dealing with a variety of physical issues in the week following his start against Boston, including blisters on his right foot and general arm weariness, the Yankees were not even sure if he would make his scheduled start on Monday. Mike Mussina was dispatched to the bullpen for Clemens' warmup session just in case the Rocket had to be scratched, but Clemens insisted that he was ready for the ball.

"Roger certainly knows his body better than anybody else," Torre said. "Just from my experience, I don't think there's a pitcher around that doesn't take some kind of baggage to the mound. The guy has been around for a long time. I have to really trust him to the point of what he has to deal with. It's not uncharted waters for him."

Torre said that the Yankees are likely to pass over Clemens' next turn in the rotation, which could line up for Friday or Saturday at Kansas City, depending on how the Yankees deal with Thursday's off-day.

"I think for safety's sake, we're probably going to want to skip [Clemens] one time," Torre said. "Hopefully, that's all it is."

That start could go to Mussina, who pitched 3 2/3 innings of two-run ball in relief on Monday in his first appearance since being lifted from the Yankees rotation following three ineffective starting performances.

"I'll prepare for whenever it's going to be," Mussina said. "When you send somebody for a MRI, they tend to miss a turn. I might be pitching in Roger's turn the next time around. We'll wait and see."

Yanks drop finale against Rays

2007-09-03T06:25:00.000-07:00

Yanks drop finale against Rays

Pettitte allows decisive three-run homer in seventh inning

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Working out of a bases-loaded jam with only one run scoring in the sixth inning deposited a flash of fire in Andy Pettitte's eyes, his firm glare telling the Yankees' bench to stand clear.

Unfortunately for Pettitte, Carlos Pena didn't obey. The first baseman slugged a game-changing three-run homer and the Devil Rays blasted out an 8-2 victory over the Yankees, snapping Pettitte's six-start winning streak.

For Pettitte, the Pena home run came on his 119th and final pitch of the afternoon. Though Yankees manager Joe Torre later admitted that the team had tried to grind toward a better outcome by having Pettitte start the new inning with 103 pitches, the left-hander had no regrets for taking on the seventh inning.

"They sent me back out there with a lot of pitches, and I wanted to be back out there on the mound," Pettitte said. "If you don't make a pitch late in the game after a guy has seen you four times already, if you accidentally hang something, they hurt you."

The damaging blow came on a lazy curveball to the biggest hitter in Tampa Bay's lineup, Pena, a Yankees Triple-A farmhand last season who tied a Devil Rays club record when his 34th homer landed in the right-field seats.

"Andy didn't do anything wrong," Torre said. "I may have pushed the envelope with him in that last inning, but as far as the way he battled it over six innings, it was another effective start for him. He was hell-bent on going out there for the seventh, and we weren't going to try to talk him out of it, that's for sure."

Pettitte (12-8) had won his last six starts and 12 consecutive decisions against Tampa Bay. He lasted 6 1/3 innings, allowing five runs and 11 hits while walking two and striking out seven.

Dioner Navarro's third-inning home run off Pettitte boosted Tampa Bay to a 1-0 lead, the Rays catcher's seventh of the season. Pettitte experienced more control troubles in the sixth, leading to the second Tampa Bay run. He issued a walk to Carl Crawford, who moved to second on an errant pickoff throw, then stole third as Pena worked the count toward a base on balls. B.J. Upton brought home the run with a sacrifice fly to right.

The Rays loaded the bases on hits to Delmon Young and Brendan Harris, but Pettitte came back to strike out Jonny Gomes and induced Josh Wilson to hit into a fielder's choice.

The Devil Rays put the game out of reach by blasting Edwar Ramirez for two homers in the eighth: deep drives by Wilson, his second home run, and Akinori Iwamura, his sixth, a two-run shot.

But long before that, the Yankees were victims of sleepy offense on what Pettitte termed a "lethargic" afternoon at the Stadium -- a sunny Sunday afternoon with crisp autumn air, but little noise coming from a sellout crowd of 53,957.

"You want to get the game going," Pettitte said. "It felt like we couldn't get the crowd into it or anything. It felt like it was a little lethargic day out there. That's the frustrating part, more than anything. You're out there battling your tail off."

Then again, with Jason Hammel throwing an effectively wild performance, maybe the fans just didn't have all that much to clap their hands about.

"[Pettitte] pitched well. He gave us an opportunity to win," said Derek Jeter, who went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts and may be in the market for another day of rest. "He threw the ball pretty well, and we had a couple of opportunities. We didn't get the job done."

The loudest point of the afternoon may have been the yelp let out by Andy Phillips in the fifth inning, drilled by a Hammel fastball on the right wrist. Examined at first base after shaking his arm vigorously down the basepath, Phillips took out some aggression on the catcher Navarro, crashing into the backstop as he slid home on Melky Cabrera's run-scoring double to right.

After scoring, Phillips walked straight down the clubhouse runway and off to an area hospital, on his way for a precautionary MRI and CT scan. He may as well have taken the Yankees' offense with him; except for Bobby Abreu's run-scoring triple off Grant Balfour in the seventh, New York managed little, stranding two in the sixth, two in the eighth and going down quietly in the ninth against Gary Glover.

"We threatened," said left fielder Johnny Damon, who contributed an outfield assist to save a run in the fifth. "Unfortunately, we couldn't get that extra run in -- something that we've been pretty good at all year. We spoiled a good pitching outing by Pettitte again. We should have at least been able to push a few more runs across to make his job easier."

Hammel (2-4) scattered five hits in five-plus innings, walking none and striking out seven for the victory for the Devil Rays, who took two of three in the weekend series. The series was a bit of a dip in the slate for a Yankees club that cannot afford more of the same, particularly with the Wild Card-contending Mariners rolling to town Monday looking to snap their own malaise.

"I don't think it matters who we play. Every team is going to play us tough," Jeter said. "We have to execute to give us an opportunity to win. We've been playing pretty good -- [Tampa Bay] beat us two out of three here, but we come right back."

Kennedy, A-Rod lift Yanks by Rays

2007-09-01T00:28:00.000-07:00

Kennedy, A-Rod lift Yanks by Rays

Slugger homers, drives in four to help righty win in debut

By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Somewhere between the curious, the unusual and the downright bizarre, Ian Kennedy found his niche.

The newest Yankee -- though at 22 years and counting, not quite the youngest -- was the only Yankee who seemed immune to the three-ring circus masquerading as a baseball field on Saturday afternoon. He ignored the errors. He brushed off the delays. And while the Yankees and Devil Rays were both unraveling around him, Kennedy remained calm.

He was unfazed, yet amazed, and that was a combination deserving of one Major League win -- a 9-6 decision over the Rays -- and perhaps a chance at many more.

"It felt like it was an out-of-body experience," Kennedy said. "My adrenaline was pumping so much."

And for good reason. Kennedy retired the first four Major League hitters he faced in rapid succession, before two singles -- one of which was made possible only after Alex Rodriguez dropped a lazy foul pop fly -- and a double scored two runs. He stood at 63 pitches through three innings, seemingly destined to greet the Major Leagues as an anonymous rookie with an unremarkable debut.

Yet seven more pitches in the fourth produced three outs, and another 11 got him through the fifth. By the time B.J. Upton homered with one out in the sixth, Kennedy had tugged the game back under his control, and he steamrolled the final five Devil Rays he faced on a total of eight pitches.

Seven innings had come and gone by that point, and Kennedy had allowed just one earned run. He struck out six, walked two and earned not only the win, but countless high-fives and a giant bear hug from pitching coach Ron Guidry.

"I think we're all surrogate parents," said manager Joe Torre. "You want him to do well and you're just hoping that everything goes well."

It did for Kennedy, but not quite as well for everyone else. Aside from the errors -- the Yankees made two, the Devil Rays three -- Kennedy's debut was marred by a confusing episode early in the game, first Akinori Iwamura's bat, and then A-Rod's, was confiscated by umpires.

For several minutes of a game that easily surpassed three hours, chaos reigned. Most of the players had little idea what was happening, while Kennedy stood bewildered on the mound in the midst of a rally that was threatening to become his undoing.

Then, as oddly as it began, the commotion ceased. And one pitch later, Kennedy struck out Iwamura to end the threat.

Turns out Torre's decision to talk with umpires on the field may have had a healthy effect.

"I had no idea what was going on," Kennedy said of Torre's argument on the field. "I'm glad he did. I was throwing way too many pitches that inning."

The Yankees' offense teed off early on a carousel of Rays pitchers, with A-Rod's four RBIs making a quick memory of his early error. With 10 hits in all, the Yankees scored enough so that when Jose Vizcaino later allowed three runs in two-thirds of an inning -- forcing Torre to use Mariano Rivera for the final four outs -- that damage couldn't spoil the rookie's afternoon.

And for Kennedy, Saturday marked more than a win. Saturday was an audition, and Torre was quick to note that his young rookie passed. After snatching up Mike Mussina's slot in the rotation, Kennedy will almost certainly pitch a second time, and from there, the possibilities only increase.

But with Kennedy in that spot, seemingly nothing had changed. The rookie's audition was a success because he played the part of Mussina perfectly -- right down to his trademark hunched back while pitching out of the stretch.

Mussina may yet regain his form, but for now, this new version of the old pitcher will work just fine.

"It comes back to his poise," Torre said. "He just seemed very prepared to pitch this game."

Now, Kennedy has earned the opportunity to be even better. He can take tips from Roger Clemens, he can schmooze with Andy Pettitte. He can even take some pointers from Joba Chamberlain, a Minor League buddy who's been there, done that.

"I try not to be in awe of those guys," Kennedy said. "I knew that as soon as I started looking up to those guys, I didn't want to be shell-shocked at all. I just wanted to act like I belong."

If it was indeed an act, then he fooled just about everyone. On Saturday, he did belong here, and he may just belong here for a long time. One glance at his freckled face and crooked smile summons visions of a boy who isn't meant to succeed in a game won by men. And then another look at his almost eerie composure proves that first glances don't amount to much.

So in one sense, it was all an act. An awfully tough act to follow.

"I got the chills [once the win was secured]," Kennedy said with the win finally secure. "Everybody came up and shook my hands, all the coaches. It came out great, and that's all I was hoping for."

Gator-aid: Wang's gem sinks Sox

2007-08-31T07:57:00.000-07:00

Gator-aid: Wang's gem sinks Sox

Ace takes game to new level thanks to Guidry's guidance

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- They walked side-by-side out a blue concrete corridor, through the bowels of Yankee Stadium and up to street level: the 6-foot-3 ace hurler holding a good size advantage over the club's top pitcher some three decades prior.

Clutching a Coca-Cola cup and clad in a baggy Nike T-shirt, Chien-Ming Wang looked down at his pitching coach, Ron Guidry, listening attentively. Wang understood that, even within his afternoon's importance, he still had some growing to do.

Wang took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Robinson Cano homered twice, completing a series sweep of the Red Sox with a 5-0 victory on Thursday. Wang allowed just one hit, but it was the free passes -- four of them -- that chafed both teacher and pupil, vowing to improve upon for next time.

"Back to the drawing board," Guidry said.

One day after Roger Clemens took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, Wang did one better, bringing the game into the seventh with the suddenly-dormant Boston offense still holding a zero in the hit column. Mike Lowell finally broke up the no-no bid with a single to right, extending his hitting streak to 12 games.

The right-hander, in command of his sinker, slider and changeup, walked four batters but was able to escape the big hit on his way to victory No. 16, tying for the Major League lead. He even garnered defensive help from an unlikely source -- first baseman Jason Giambi, who dove to his right to stab a Dustin Pedroia shot to end the third inning.

Part of Wang's success may stem back to changes made prior to his Aug. 19 start against Detroit, when Guidry began incorporating several small, hard-to-notice mechanical adjustments. Wang said he has also modified his pitch selection.

"The last two times, I have a lot of change of speeds," Wang said. "More sliders, more changeups. [Catcher Jorge] Posada calls good pitches."

"He's such a joy to work with," Guidry said. "He works hard, even as successful as he is. He still takes your criticism you give him so he can get better."

The victory, completing a sweep on the heels of strong pitching from Andy Pettitte and Clemens, moved New York into sole possession of the American League Wild Card lead. New York closed within five games of the AL East-leading Red Sox.

"We know we're better than what we did in Detroit," manager Joe Torre said, referring to a lost weekend in which the Yankees dropped three of four. "There wasn't anything we had to answer to. You're going to do as well as your pitching, and our starting pitching in this series was terrific."

Those were welcome turns of events for the Yankees, considering their dismal 2-5 road trip to Anaheim and Detroit. Now, with 28 games remaining, optimism abounded.

"Nothing's over until your last out," Cano said. "We've got a month left. We've got to keep playing hard and win games."

Cano had both of the first two big hits for the Yankees, reaching Curt Schilling twice to club his second multi-homer game of the season. Cano drilled a line-drive homer to left-center off Schilling to lead off the third inning and then went right back to Monument Park to start the fifth, drawing a curtain call from the paid matinee crowd of 55,067.

"It was a big game," Torre said, "to have a big game."

Bobby Abreu added an important RBI double off Hideki Okajima in the eighth, the 400th two-base hit of his career. A Jason Varitek throwing error down the left-field line on Abreu's steal attempt allowed two more runs to score.

Schilling lasted seven innings, allowing just the two home runs and six hits, walking one and striking out four. Three of the hits were by Jeter, who singled in the eighth off Okajima to complete a four-hit afternoon.

"We need every game," Jeter said. "I'd tell you the same thing if we beat a high school team three games in a row. We need victories, no matter who we play."

Red Sox manager Terry Francona was ejected on a controversial double play in the seventh, as J.D. Drew grounded to third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who lunged for Kevin Youkilis but missed the tag before throwing to first base. Youkilis was ruled out when Torre complained that Youkilis had run out of the baseline to avoid Rodriguez's tag, planting his feet on the infield grass.

"Alex wasn't trying just to make a token tag, he reached out," Torre said.

Joba Chamberlain threw his 11th scoreless inning around a Pedroia double in the eighth, then unexpectedly returned for duty in the ninth, a decision revolving around pitch count and the lack of a save situation for the warmed-up Mariano Rivera.

"Every once in a while," Torre said, "we're going to take certain liberties."

The maneuver did not constitute a change to the so-called "Joba Rules" which have restricted his use, according to general manager Brian Cashman, just a planned evolution. Cashman insisted that he had no issue with Torre's use of Chamberlain, but did say that he would prefer if the parameters of the "Joba Rules" would remain in-house.

"From my perspective, we have not deviated from anything," Cashman said. "There's a game plan in place and we're sticking to it."

After getting one out in the ninth, Chamberlain was ejected by home-plate umpire Angel Hernandez after twice sailing pitches over Youkilis' head. Chamberlain's final pitch was clocked at 98 mph and drew an immediate reaction from Hernandez.

"There is more than a little bit of history between these clubs," said crew chief Derryl Cousins, the second base umpire. "Those were two pretty nasty pitches the young man threw. Up here, you need to be a little better throwing strikes, and we just had to put a lid on it before there was a problem."

The move left Chamberlain stunned, meandering around the infield between home plate and first base while Torre pleaded his case with the umpiring crew.

"I'm new to this whole game," Chamberlain said. "I want to be aggressive and competitive, but not with a negative connotation."

Once-lost race finds renewed hope

2007-08-30T05:28:00.001-07:00

Once-lost race finds renewed hope

Clemens mimics Pettitte, pulling Yankees closer to Red Sox

NEW YORK -- It's a major mood swing in the Bronx.

The same team that appeared over the weekend to be losing even a feeble grasp on what remained of the 2007 season has, over the past two nights, looked a great deal like the New York Yankees.

This is what happens to anybody, even the Yankees, when the starting pitchers have performances that vary from woefully ineffective to totally competent. A situation that appeared to be somewhere between out of hand and hopeless against the Detroit Tigers a few nights ago now, against the Boston Red Sox, seems to hold renewed hope.

The encore from Andy Pettitte's sturdy start in the opener of this series came from Roger Clemens on Wednesday night. Clemens, at 45, is no longer the Rocket, but he did just win his 354th game. Only seven men have won more, although all of them made considerably less money.

Clemens, truth be told, was one of the culprits in the Yankees' 1-3 Detroit series, giving up six runs in five innings in his last start. But he regrouped in a large way, in a perfect setting, against the Red Sox.

Clemens held Boston hitless for 5 1/3 innings. It is true that during this time, he walked a season-high five batters and a hit a batter, but this was still work of obvious quality. David Ortiz ended the no-hitter with a solo home run, but Clemens worked through a difficult sixth as though he was, you know, Roger Clemens. He emerged giving up only one run on two hits for the evening, and he left with a 3-1 lead.

The difficulties for the evening were not at an end, because Kyle Farnsworth, to the surprise of no one who had been paying attention, surrendered a two-run home run to Kevin Youkilis in the eighth. This eventually required a four-out save from Mariano Rivera, but Rivera was, as usual, up to the task at hand, keeping the situation well under control with four harmless ground-ball outs.

The Yankees' 4-3 victory brought them to within six games of the Red Sox in the American League East. That isn't exactly the thick of the hunt at this juncture, but the bonus was that the outcome put the Yanks in a virtual tie with the Seattle Mariners for the AL Wild Card lead. And given the circumstances, Wild Card should not be regarded as two four-letter words, but one gold-plated opportunity.

The variable for the Yankees is the pitching. Their high-powered offense is a virtual given, at least during the regular season. When the starting pitching falters, the next thing you know, you're on the short end of a 16-0 embarrassment. But when the starting pitching performs as expected, you can beat the team with baseball's best record two nights in a row and this will appear to be a matter of routine.

"If we get good pitching, we have a chance to win ... all the games," said outfielder Johnny Damon, who paused a bit during that thought but finished up on a relentlessly positive note.

When Yankees manager Joe Torre was asked on Wednesday night about the difference between the road trip and the last two nights, he returned directly to the pitching theme. Torre suggested that he had said this often enough recently that people might be getting tired of him saying this sort of thing. But for people who understand the game, talking about the importance of pitching is something like a mantra. It can be chanted -- repeatedly, comfortably.

"The thing that we know has to happen is that we have to pitch to win," Torre said. "We need to pitch, and if you don't pitch, there are a lot of teams in this league that will beat your brains out."

Boston would be one of those brains-beaters, but neither Pettitte nor Clemens was about to allow any cranial damage. The difficult issue with Clemens on Wednesday night might have been how he could have possibly been taken out if he was pitching a no-hitter. You can't have a 45-year-old man throwing a limitless number of pitches, but you can't pull Roger Clemens out of a no-hit start, can you?

Torre said this might have been resolved by speaking with Clemens about it. Ortiz's home run made the question moot, but Clemens said that a no-hitter was definitely not on his radar at this late date, anyway.

"That was not my concern," Clemens said. "I had plenty of other things going on."

Clemens said he had been "battling through some things," one of which came down to this basic human dilemma: "I'm asking my body to be 25 again."

But Clemens was in charge of another basic premise -- the need for the Yankees' starters to string together a long series of effective outings.

"When I'm in a slot behind Andy and he's on a roll, I need to go out there and perform," Clemens said. "And I didn't do that in Detroit."

But he did it at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night. And two consecutive high-quality starts, timed perfectly against the Red Sox, were enough to turn what looked like an impossible situation into a situation that was merely really difficult.

Mussina out of rotation; Kennedy up

2007-08-29T07:28:00.000-07:00

Mussina out of rotation; Kennedy up

Veteran may return to starting staff after being skipped once

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Mike Mussina could not find the answers to correct his recent lackluster performances, and the Yankees have run out of opportunities to fix them on the field.

Yankees manager Joe Torre confirmed on Tuesday that the club will skip the 38-year-old right-hander for at least his next turn through the rotation. Instead, Ian Kennedy, a highly touted Minor League prospect, will make his big league debut on Saturday against the Devil Rays.

Torre said he broke the news to Mussina in a one-on-one meeting after the Yankees completed batting practice on Tuesday, prior to a 5-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

"He was disappointed," Torre said. "That's one of the tough conversations to have to have. He was down about it. But he's a teammate -- he was out there at the end of the game, shaking hands like everybody else."

Mussina's performance fell off rapidly following a four-start winning streak that carried him into mid-August. The veteran allowed nine hits and six runs over three innings in a 16-0 Yankees loss at Detroit on Monday; his last three starts have produced 25 hits and 20 runs (19 earned) over 9 2/3 innings, a 17.69 ERA.

Overall, Mussina is 8-10 with a 5.53 ERA in 23 starts for New York this season, the first year of a two-year, $23 million contract signed over the winter. He did not speak to reporters before leaving Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.

Torre said that he encouraged Mussina to continue his normal throwing program and left open the possibility that Mussina could rejoin the rotation after the Devil Rays series. Torre seemed to rule out the idea of using Mussina in relief.

"I'm really not thinking about him as a guy coming out of the bullpen," Torre said. "We'll skip the one start and see what we see. We'll look at it and we'll make an evaluation."

Kennedy, 22, was the Yankees' first-round selection in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft from the University of Southern California. A finesse pitcher who has been compared to Mussina in terms of his command and approach, Kennedy features a low-90s fastball, a changeup, a knuckle-curve and a slider as part of his repertoire.

"We're at a point in the season, with 30 games left, [where] we're going to take what we can and run out whatever we can for as long as we can," Torre said.

Like the Yankees' Joba Chamberlain, Kennedy will be completing a meteoric jump from Class A ball to the Major Leagues in his first full professional season. Kennedy was 6-1 with a 1.29 ERA in 11 games (10 starts) for Class A Tampa and went 5-1 with a 2.59 ERA in nine starts for Double-A Trenton before joining the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

At Triple-A, Kennedy had gone 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in six starts, walking 11 and striking out 34 in 34 2/3 innings. Opposing batters hit just .182 against Kennedy in 146 1/3 cumulative Minor League innings, though he suffered his first International League loss in his last start, an Aug. 25 defeat at Buffalo in which he allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings.

"He's my best friend and didn't even text [message] me," Chamberlain said. "I'm going to have to get on him about that. It's great. He deserves all of it. I can't wait for him to get up here and experience what's been going on. To see the young guys come in and help, that's great. He deserves every single thing that he's got.

"He's got great mound presence. He understands how to pitch and how to get outs. He's going to do a great job, and it's going to be exciting to see a guy that I've learned to love. To be able to watch him from A-ball to the big leagues in one year is going to be amazing."

Kennedy is primed to become the eighth rookie pitcher to start a game for the Yankees this season, joining Tyler Clippard, Matt DeSalvo, Phil Hughes, Kei Igawa, Jeff Karstens, Darrell Rasner and Chase Wright.

Hughes, who last pitched on Sunday at Detroit, said that the promise of promoting top-level talent to the Major Leagues has renewed hope in a system that was once well-known for shipping out young players as bait for more experienced personnel.

"That's the way it was for a while," Hughes said. "Now, a lot of guys are getting opportunities. It's definitely different. Instead of saying, 'I'll never get out of this spot that I'm in,' [players are saying], 'When am I going to get out of this spot?' I haven't been around that long, but it's definitely changed from when I was first here."

Timely hitting gives Wang win No. 15

2007-08-25T01:16:00.000-07:00

Timely hitting gives Wang win No. 15

Damon's power contributes to Yanks' four-run sixth vs. Tigers

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

DETROIT -- As a rainy marathon inched past midnight and into the early-morning hours, the Yankees literally had to shoo Chien-Ming Wang from the dugout bench at Comerica Park, urging him to flag down a hotel-bound cab and rest.

Begrudgingly, Wang left his teammates and had to later be filled in on the sour details of an extra-inning loss to the Tigers. But the Yankees were glad that he had, especially as Wang pitched eight strong innings and put a win on the board on Saturday night.

Wang allowed two runs (one earned) in a performance that showcased the best of his arsenal, Johnny Damon flashed new life with a home run and Melky Cabrera legged out a three-run triple as the Yankees defeated the Tigers, 7-2.

"Everybody out there understood how important this game was, especially after last night's loss," said Yankees manager Joe Torre. "We need to minimize bad stuff."

Wondering if his team was somewhat lethargic after an 11-inning loss to Detroit on Friday, Torre called a brief team meeting before Saturday's game. He said that the gist of his speech was to urge players to put any lingering questions of the umpires' decision to play the game behind them; under orders from Major League Baseball, the crew waited out a four-hour, one-minute rain delay and allowed play to begin shortly after 11 p.m. ET. Torre's advice: Forget it.

"It's over with, let's move on," Torre said. "That's basically all it was."

Given that urging, the Yankees showed signs of renewal. Wang had won four of his last five decisions but, over that span, struggled at times with aggressiveness and trust in his sinker.

After a slow start in the first two innings, he was much improved on Saturday, calling his performance more "smooth." Wang limited Detroit to five hits in a two-walk, six-strikeout effort and credited an adjustment to take advantage of his natural pitch movement.

"Before, I tried to make pitches to the corner," said Wang, who threw more sinkers and showed better control. "Today, I threw it over the plate."

The bullpen-saving outing offered all New York relievers a day of rest except Brian Bruney, who pitched the ninth inning on Saturday but had not appeared in the extra-inning defeat.

"We went through a lot last night," said catcher Jorge Posada. "Wang really stepped up tonight. He was really good today -- really poised, really comfortable and attacking the strike zone. He was doing a lot of things well."

The Tigers scored a first-inning run off Wang when Placido Polanco singled, stole second and scored on a Magglio Ordonez single. Detroit drew to within one run when a sloppy battery display took hold in the fifth, as a passed ball and wild pitch brought Brandon Inge home.

But otherwise, Detroit was kept scoreless. Much of the credit may lie within Wang's work with pitching coach Ron Guidry, who has urged the right-hander to quicken his delivery slightly so as to generate more power as he drives toward the plate.

"I told him, 'Just be more aggressive,'" Guidry said. "He has the ability, when you watch him, to throw it nice and easy and the ball still explodes out of his hand. We've talked about it in the bullpen, being more aggressive at certain times in the game."

Those tweaks translating to an efficient performance, Torre said the Yankees were even tempted to send Wang out for the ninth inning, but they capped his night at 107 pitches after the Yankees had a lengthy top of the inning.

Backing Wang (15-6), the Yankees opened up the game in the sixth with a rarity of back-to-back triples off Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman, who lost his sixth consecutive decision.

Cabrera sliced a bases-loaded drive down the right-field line for a three-base hit; Bonderman's next pitch was ripped to center field, where Curtis Granderson attempted a diving catch, but the ball ticked off his glove and fell to the ground as Damon raced for third.

Bonderman (10-7) allowed seven runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings, walking four and striking out none. He surrendered a two-run double up the left-center-field gap to Hideki Matsui in the first inning, one of three hits for Matsui, who has hit safely in 44 of 48 games and appears to be taking to the designated hitter spot -- sporadic as it may be -- with aplomb.

In a limited sample size of 75 at-bats as the Yankees' DH, Matsui has 26 hits, an average of .347.

"To DH on a periodic basis is, in a way to me, kind of refreshing," Matsui said through an interpreter. "You get into the game with that kind of feeling and it kind of reflects the numbers."

Damon hit a solo home run, his eighth, leading off the third. Torre said that with Damon's performances, he sees new spirit: the injury-nagged Damon who ached through most of the first half is gone now, replaced by a player whom Torre says will see regular duty down the stretch.

"To me, he's got a lot of life in his body," Torre said.

That was one reason the outfielder was in the lineup against the Tigers. Another was Damon's apparent mastery of Bonderman; with two hits in four trips on Saturday against the right-hander, Damon improved to 14-for-32 (.437) lifetime when facing him.

Damon still sees left field as an adjustment that is continuing -- he joked that the first ball hit to him on Saturday appeared as though it was "300 feet in the air," and that he was just hoping not to have it hit him in the head -- but with the Yankees needing contributions, Damon has little choice but to accept whatever he's offered.

"I've been there before," Damon said. "I feel like I'm going to try to finish up strong and stay healthy. This is going to be a tough team to beat down the stretch."

Clemens passing the torch to rookies

2007-08-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

Clemens passing the torch to rookies

Hughes, Chamberlain soaking in advice from veteran Rocket

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

Most of the Yankees were filtering out of a visiting clubhouse in Anaheim this week, scattering to the streets. Only a partially cracked weight room door provided a glimpse to Roger Clemens' inner workings.

As Mike Mussina finished dissecting a troubled start, many exited, their night complete as the clock inched toward 3 a.m. on the East Coast. But duties weren't yet over for Clemens, who grunted dozens of biceps curls into a mirror before finally permitting himself to leave the premises.

Once again, the reminder was served: It is no accident that Clemens has pitched as well as he has, for as long as he has. For the youngest Yankees, Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes, Clemens is a constant inspiration through perspiration.

"It was great to know you've got somebody like that coming in, and somebody who's so willing to talk, willing to learn, willing to teach," Chamberlain said. "He's 45 years young and he still wants to teach. He had great teachers when he was growing up, and you can tell that he wants to continue the legacy that was brought upon him to the younger generation."

The Yankees' early season financial pitch for Clemens was based upon a need for a quality starting pitcher at the Major League level, a service that the future Hall of Famer has consistently provided.

But just as he did with the Houston Astros, where sweaty afternoons were spent in workouts with starry eyed Minor Leaguers, the seven-time Cy Young Award winner has offered instruction and advice to Yankees prospects whenever possible.

"Obviously, they're paying him money to go out and perform, but he feels like the other part of this job is to help us out and mentor," Hughes said. "There's only so much you can do in this game that he hasn't already done. I think he likes the fact that he's passing the torch, in a sense."

Chamberlain and Hughes both had the opportunity to borrow from the Rocket's wisdom when all three spent time at the Yankees' player development complex in Tampa, Fla., earlier this summer.

During one of Clemens' rehab sessions, firing tuneup offerings toward his eventual Yankee Stadium relaunch against the Pirates, the hurler invited a group of prospects to observe and ask questions -- partially to help inform and pass on knowledge gleaned from 24 seasons of big league service, and also because Clemens may have been curious as to the thought process of the younger generation.

"We had some good times in Tampa," Clemens said. "I think that was the most important thing, and they paid attention. Every step of the way that I was working on coming back -- which was real important to me -- they hung out a little bit longer and watched. Now that I get to see them actually learning on the go, it's kind of fun to watch."

Hughes' last start, a Monday effort at Angel Stadium -- the California native's nearest big league facility as a youngster -- yielded the most promising results since he returned to the big league squad from injuries. Meanwhile, every Chamberlain appearance continues to be an event; wielding an electric fastball and a biting slider, Chamberlain struck out the side in an inning Wednesday against the Angels, including fanning Vladimir Guerrero for the final out.

"They're going to obviously play a big part in what's going to happen here," Clemens said. "The quicker they can understand to get a good workout routine and get a solid base that they can count on, the Yankees are planning on them being a big part of that new stadium across the way."

Projecting Chamberlain and Hughes as pillars of the Yankees' new facility rising between Jerome and River Avenues in the Bronx may be tricky business, but for manager Joe Torre, it's easy to look past age in favor of mature attitudes.

That, Torre said, is one of the most impressive aspects of sending a pair of 21-year-olds out on a regular basis: neither seems to be intimidated, only to belong.

"They're all going to be judged on how they handle the pot holes, and that's where pretty much the jury is still out, because we haven't seen that yet," Torre said. "But again, knowing their makeup, I think they've sort of been forewarned."

For Chamberlain, who completed a meteoric rise from Class A Tampa to the big leagues in his first full pro season, Clemens' most striking lesson has revolved around proper workout programs and conditioning.

"The biggest thing was to treat your body like a temple. What you put into it is what you're going to get out of it," Chamberlain said. "You can have your fun, but you also have to realize when it's time to flip the switch and time to get to work. You can do everything you set your mind to -- you just have to be patient and work hard."

For both Chamberlain and Hughes, early success has convincingly proven that they have been blessed with standout talent. But that is just the beginning of the lesson, for as Clemens warns, such gifts have an indefinite shelf life against similarly superb athletes.

"They wouldn't be here if they didn't have the makeup," Clemens said. "I've encouraged them to get something that they can believe in and count on, and take with them for a long time.

"They'll have to adjust, because people will adjust to them once they see them enough. That's all part of it. If you can survive on talent for four or five years, you're going to have to make adjustments from there on."

Pettitte thumbs aside Angels

2007-08-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

Pettitte thumbs aside Angels

Fifth straight win for pitcher prevents sweep in Anaheim

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Andy Pettitte was the stopper once more for the Yankees' Southern California troubles, logging his fifth consecutive victory by posting an 8-2 victory over the Angels on Wednesday.

Behind Pettitte's seven innings of one-run ball, the Yankees salvaged the finale of a three-game series at Angel Stadium, moving back within five games of the Red Sox in the AL East and 1 1/2 games behind the Mariners in the AL Wild Card race.

"Andy knows when it's important for us to win, but every time he goes to the mound it's important for him to win," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "This game was enormously important."

Always a strong second-half performer, Pettitte has been especially on point as the Yankees pursue their postseason hopes, limiting opponents to eight earned runs over his last 35 innings.

As he did following his last victory, Pettitte credited small mechanical adjustments made prior to an Aug. 12 start at Cleveland for his resurgence of late.

"I'm really just feeling good," Pettitte said. "My command's been there and that's the key. I'm throwing my stuff for strikes and my two-seamer has been there. It's been a big pitch for me.

"Whenever you don't have command of the outside corner, and I lost it [earlier in the season], it's frustrating and it's difficult to pitch. Obviously I was running deep into counts with everybody. Not being able to throw deep into games is frustrating for me."

He didn't have that problem on Wednesday, pitching in front of a sellout crowd of 44,326 at the Big A.

Striking out six and walking two, Pettitte's only real blemish in a five-hit performance came in the sixth inning, as Orlando Cabrera hit a home run past the 387-foot mark in left-center to tie the game.

The Yankees regained the lead in the seventh, scoring twice on run-scoring hits by Melky Cabrera and Derek Jeter.

"You always have confidence when he's pitching," Jeter said. "Today, he was as good as he's been all year. They have a tough team and they don't strike out much. They put the ball in play, and they're pests on the basepaths. He made one mistake and I don't even know if you can call it a mistake."

On both sides, Pettitte and Angels starter John Lackey locked heads, with each pitcher surrendering just one run through the first six innings before New York pulled away.

"He was in a good rhythm and so was I," Pettitte said. "We were getting some quick outs. That's always nice to be able to do. It was just a good game."

In the seventh, Cabrera brought home Jorge Posada with a hard one-out single through the right side, breaking a 4-for-34 slide for the outfielder. Jeter added an RBI hit to right field that scored Robinson Cano, before Jeter was thrown out at second base to end the inning.

Bobby Abreu padded the Yankees' lead with a home run leading off the eighth, chasing Lackey, who came up short in his attempt to become the Major Leagues' first 16-game winner this season. The right-hander allowed 10 hits and four runs in seven-plus innings, walking three and striking out four.

Cano and Hideki Matsui each had three of New York's 16 hits, helping to fluff a late cushion for rookie Joba Chamberlain, who struck out the side around a single in the eighth.

The final out the 21-year-old Chamberlain recorded was a swinging strikeout of Vladimir Guerrero, who waved at a biting slider in the dirt for Chamberlain's 14th strikeout in just eight innings of Major League service.

"That's big no matter who you're facing, and especially a guy of Vlad's status," Chamberlain said. "He goes up there to take care of business and that's what he does best."

Mariano Rivera surrendered a run in the ninth inning but recorded the final three outs for the Yankees, who won just three of nine games against the Angels this season and would not see the scrappy club again until a potential postseason series.

The game also marked Torre's 1,150th win as Yankees manager, passing Casey Stengel for sole possession of second place on the franchise list behind Joe McCarthy (1,460).

"That's the biggest one for me," Torre said. "This was my lifetime, when I was growing up in the '40s and '50s in New York, during the five straight championships. Casey was obviously the architect of this whole thing. I'm very proud of this."

Notes: Out of left field, Betemit is busy

2007-08-22T08:36:00.000-07:00

Notes: Out of left field, Betemit is busy
Mussina 'awful,' but his arm is fine; Henn saves the bullpen
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- The Yankees had a pretty good idea of what Wilson Betemit might offer, part of the reason that he merited pursuit leading up to two consecutive trade deadlines.

After getting their man on the second try, the Yankees have been happy to see their scouting pay off. The 25-year-old has driven in 15 runs through his first 34 at-bats and, as a bonus, has taken well to first base. He earned another start on Wednesday.

"We know what he has," said Yankees manager Joe Torre. "We know he has the ability to get your attention as a hitter. He's gotten some big hits for us in the few times that he's played. I think he's a real plus for this organization."

Betemit's 13th home run of the year -- and third as a Yankee -- came in the ninth inning Tuesday, with an 18-9 blowout loss at Angel Stadium reaching conclusion. The swings meant little in the course of the outcome, but the Yankees have had to find ways to keep Betemit sharp -- an effort he has been pleasantly surprised by.

Coming over from the Dodgers on July 31, Betemit said he was unsure of how much playing time the Yankees would be able to offer him, especially since his primary position -- third base -- was manned by All-Star Alex Rodriguez, in the midst of a banner season.

"I didn't [know] how much time I would play here," Betemit said. "But I've been playing almost three times a week. To get that much playing time in here, I didn't know that. I knew I wouldn't play every day because they've got guys like A-Rod and Derek Jeter. Those guys have to play every day."

But Betemit has found opportunities at first base, joining a heavily populated mix that continues to include Andy Phillips as well as occasional appearances by Jason Giambi and Shelley Duncan. Torre pointed out that Betemit has been among the more frequent workers in early batting practice, practicing and moving about the bag.

"Right now, I know it's much better," Betemit said. "It feels good. I'm doing it right now, and that's what I have to do -- go out there and swing my bat, play my defense and play hard."

That ethic is serving to help his versatility in what could progress to be a true utility role or even a starting slot down the road. Already, Betemit has played five positions as a Yankee, including two of them for the first time in the big leagues -- first base and left field.

"He can do a lot of things and he's not afraid to work," Torre said. "We've had him out here. He feels he needs to learn and he has to do it. It's nice to have that attitude to go along with the fact that he's going to be part of this organization's future."

Give it an A-Rest: Torre had toyed with the idea of benching Rodriguez for the series finale against the Angels on Wednesday, citing that his energy appeared to be dragging, but three home runs in two games here reversed that in a hurry.

"It was just something we played with and never really made a decision on," Torre said.

Torre said that the Yankees' off-day Thursday could suffice for Rodriguez, who led the Major Leagues with 42 home runs entering Wednesday. Having already lost the first two games against the Angels, the Yankees need their heavy hitters for the potential playoff run.

Checking in: Mike Mussina called his start Tuesday "awful," allowing seven runs in 1 2/3 innings, and Torre checked in with the right-hander the day after to make sure there were no further developments that needed attention.

Torre said he ascertained that the right-hander had two good bullpen sessions leading into his two poor starts, leading the Yankees to believe that injury is not the issue.

"His arm feels so good," Torre said. "That's what's so frustrating for him. He doesn't remember the last time he's ever walked two guys in a row in the first inning."

Mussina will have another start on Monday and, leading up to it, the club will watch his side sessions closely to place the root of the problem.

"He knows the game he pitched yesterday; we need better than that," Torre said. "He's not ignoring that fact. Hopefully the extra day [of rest] does something for him and he can be more of the guy that we think he could be."

Bullet boy: Left-hander Sean Henn helped save the Yankees' bullpen for Wednesday night, soaking up three innings on an evening when he originally wasn't even supposed to pitch after getting up three times on Monday.

Though Torre credited Henn with "taking a bullet," Henn shrugged off the credit. The five runs the Angels scored off Henn on Tuesday likely took some of the shine away.

"Somebody's going to have to do it," Henn said. "I'm here to pitch. Anytime they ask me if I want to go another one (inning), I'm going to say yes, unless I just can't."

With Mussina out of answers in the second inning, Henn said the Yankees' relievers knew they were in for a heavy workload. The fact that they made it through 20 outs without spoiling Kyle Farnsworth, Luis Vizcaino, Joba Chamberlain or Mariano Rivera for Wednesday's finale was crucial.

"You're really looking for double plays and things like that to help the starter out," Henn said. "You're really just hoping he gets through an inning, and hopefully it clicks for him. We knew that we were already short [for the middle innings]. There's days like that."

Bombers bits: Mussina's 1 2/3-inning start on Tuesday was his shortest since Sept. 27, 2005, at Baltimore, also 1 2/3 innings. ... Rodriguez (506 homers) has passed Eddie Murray for sole possession of 21st place on the all-time list. ... Robinson Cano is in a 5-for-30 (.167) skid, while Melky Cabrera is 4-for-32 (.154).

Coming up: Following an off-day Thursday, the Yankees open a four-game series with the Tigers on Friday in Detroit. Roger Clemens (5-5, 3.92 ERA) makes his 14th start for New York and will go for his third straight victory, opposed by left-hander Andrew Miller. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET on My9.

Mussina sets tone in humbling loss

2007-08-22T04:11:00.001-07:00

Mussina sets tone in humbling loss

Out by second, veteran puts Yankees in insurmountable hole

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Mike Mussina led a parade of Yankees pitchers into the path of Garret Anderson's career night. Some three hours later, it ended with a deflating 18-9 Yankees loss to the Angels on Tuesday.

Anderson hit a grand slam and a three-run homer as part of a four-hit, 10-RBI night, serving as the Angels' most damaging offensive performer. The home team called it a historic night, scoring its highest total of runs in a game against the Yankees, while Mussina simply called it "awful."

"It's tough to take," Mussina said. "I think that was in the top-five worst games of my career, right there. When you can't throw strikes, it really hurts. When I was throwing strikes, they were hitting them."

The Yankees fell six games behind the Red Sox in the American League East and lost a game on the Mariners in the AL Wild Card pursuit, falling 2 1/2 back of Seattle.

Mussina endured his shortest career start as a Yankee, battered for seven runs in 1 2/3 innings, his quickest hook since 1995. The early exit forced him to watch from the clubhouse for most of the fireworks -- quite literally, as the California night sky was illuminated by red sparks shooting from beyond the center-field rock pile.

"It never looked like he got into a rhythm," said Yankees manager Joe Torre. "It was the same story. He's such a touch-and-feel guy that when he can't put the ball where he wants to, he gets frustrated by it. That's what I saw."

Anderson's two-run double in the first brought home the Angels' first runs and put him on his way to coming within one RBI of the American League record of 11 in one game, set by the Yankees' Tony Lazzeri in 1936.

Mussina faced eight batters in the second, allowing five runs on five hits in that inning before handing the ball off to reliever Ron Villone.

After a string of four consecutive victories, Mussina has now been hit hard in his last two starts. He was looking to rebound from a season-high seven runs allowed in an Aug. 16 loss to the Tigers and said he felt good in his pregame bullpen session on Tuesday, though obviously the results were anything but acceptable.

"I try not to get too caught up in believing things are going to be one way and that they're going to stay that way for a long time," Mussina said. "This game isn't like that. We all go on hot streaks and we go on bad streaks. Just because you're going good for a while doesn't make the bad times any better."

Asked about the possibility of an injury hampering his performance, Mussina said that there is nothing wrong with him except that he was unable to throw the ball where he wanted.

Likewise, Torre dismissed the idea that Mussina may be masking something, saying, "There's nothing that I know is physically wrong with him."

"Hopefully, there isn't anything wrong," Torre said. "Obviously, with the last couple of starts, I know he concerns himself with it. We certainly do."

The Yankees briefly surged to make the game closer, putting up four runs in the third inning against Angels right-hander Kelvim Escobar.

"We're not going to stop playing," Torre said. "It's just that what we do is going to be based on how we pitch. Tonight, we didn't pitch well."

The Angels greeted Villone rudely when he opened the fourth, as the left-hander did not retire a batter and had to be relieved after allowing a bases-loaded walk to Chone Figgins, accounting for one of four runs Villone was charged with.

"It was the beginning of an ugly night," Villone said. "It could have been stopped if I'd come back and had a good inning. It's ultimately just a bad start to the possibility of us getting back on top."

Edwar Ramirez, twice released by the Angels organization in 2003 and 2005, made his first Anaheim appearance against his old club and surrendered a three-run homer to Anderson in a two-inning appearance, though one of the runs was charged to Villone.

Sean Henn, who was originally thought to be unavailable due to numerous warmup sessions in Monday's loss, volunteered for three innings of relief duty and allowed five runs, including a grand slam to Anderson that drew a curtain call for the Angels outfielder in the sixth.

Henn's performance may have staved off a possible roster move for the Yankees, who could have been left short-handed in the bullpen for Wednesday's series finale. Luis Vizcaino threw 17 pitches in the eighth, and the Yankees were able to keep rookie Joba Chamberlain out of action.

"[Henn] took a bullet for us today," Torre said.

Alex Rodriguez's 41st and 42nd home runs, solo shots off Escobar in the second inning and off Marc Gwyn in the ninth, were reduced to footnotes by the blowout final. Escobar went six innings for the victory, allowing five runs and striking out seven.

Wilson Betemit hit a three-run homer and Bobby Abreu drove in two runs for the Yankees, who have lost six of their eight games against the Angels this season.

Bullpen spoils Yanks' clutch homers

2007-08-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

Bullpen spoils Yanks' clutch homers

Long balls by Rodriguez, Posada for naught in loss to Angels

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- The Angels have been a thorn in the Yankees' collective side, and there isn't much of a secret left to explain why. For years, Mike Scioscia's club has nipped away with aggressive play and persistence.

That familiar formula worked once more at Angel Stadium on Monday, as little-known backstop Ryan Budde connected for a game-winning hit off Sean Henn in the bottom of the 10th inning. The decisive blow led the Angels past the Yankees in dramatic fashion, 7-6.

"They play one way, with a great deal of passion," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "We do, too. Today's a day when you flip a coin."

Snapping their three-game winning streak, the Yankees fell five games back of the Red Sox, who defeated the Devil Rays on Monday behind starter Tim Wakefield. New York also dropped 1 1/2 games behind Seattle, which beat Minnesota on Monday, in the American League Wild Card race.

The Yankees came up on the losing end behind their fifth pitcher, Henn, who recorded the first out of the 10th but surrendered a double to Howie Kendrick.

Budde, who entered the game as a defensive replacement after the Angels pinch-hit for catcher Jeff Mathis, dropped the decisive hit between the lunges of Melky Cabrera and Bobby Abreu in right-center field, sparking an on-field celebration that kicked off the first game of a three-game series for the Yankees at Anaheim.

"He hit it and it fell," said Henn (2-1), who described watching the play as being in slow motion. "That's the way it works."

The abrupt ending made a winner of left-hander Darren Oliver (1-0), who pitched a scoreless 10th, and nullified great offensive performances from Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada, each of whom homered and drove in three runs for New York.

After starter Dustin Moseley limited the Yankees to two runs over five innings, Rodriguez hit his Major League-leading 40th home run off Chris Bootcheck in the sixth. With the Yankees trailing, 6-4, in the eighth, Posada came through with his 16th home run, a two-run shot to right off Justin Speier.

Local product Phil Hughes, a 2004 first-round pick from Foothill High School in Santa Ana, Calif., started for New York. Leaving a total of 33 passes for family and friends, Hughes held the Angels to just Mathis' three-run double through his first six innings.

"It was cool," Hughes said of pitching at Angel Stadium. "I've seen more games at this stadium than any other one, so it felt more familiar."

Pitching, as Torre said, his most competitively since returning from injuries that kept him out of Major League action for the better part of two months, Hughes saw his homecoming run into trouble in the seventh.

Kendrick opened the inning with a jam-shot single and moved to second when Hughes issued his career-high fifth walk of the night, prompting Torre to call upon Luis Vizcaino for a two-on, one-out situation.

"It was tough," Hughes said. "The walks will kill you. Fortunately, I was able to keep my pitch count down to give us a chance late in the game. You look back, and they had maybe two hard base hits and five runs on the board. It's hard to let it happen, but sometimes it just does."

As he walked off the field, Hughes was visibly upset, a rare display of emotion from a hurler who has proven normally even-tempered.

"There's no question he's special," Torre said. "Whether he's pitching here, at [Triple-A] Scranton or [Double-A] Trenton, wherever, he feels he's capable of doing certain things."

Chone Figgins greeted Vizcaino with a line-drive single to center field on a pitch that caught too much of the plate, scoring Kendrick from second base. Orlando Cabrera followed by punching a hot single to right, scoring Reggie Willits, and Vladimir Guerrero drove in the Angels' sixth run with an infield groundout.

With Kyle Farnsworth back in the eighth-inning role that he eventually lost with poor results, the Yankees nearly watched the tie zip away in the eighth. Farnsworth was saved by first baseman Wilson Betemit, who stabbed a Maicer Izturis grounder and cut down Gary Matthews Jr. at the plate.

"He was so cool making that play," Torre said of Betemit, who entered the game after Jason Giambi had pinch-hit for starter Andy Phillips. "That's the infielder in him."

Farnsworth then struck out Willits on a disputed check-swing to end the eighth, a play on which Scioscia was ejected by third-base umpire Dan Iassogna.

Mariano Rivera pitched around trouble in the ninth inning for New York, but the Yankees could only hold off the pesky Angels that long.

"It was just one of those games someone was going to have to win," Torre said. "It's tough to take, but both clubs can't win. It's tough to lose games like that, but you understand it's going to happen."

Pettitte: Yankees are coming alive

2007-08-21T04:06:00.000-07:00

Pettitte: Yankees are coming alive

MLBPLAYERS.com

We've been on a roll the last few weeks. Considering the way we started the season, it's good to see us turning things around. We're obviously playing a lot better recently.

Our guys are swinging the bats real well, our staff has sort of rounded out and is in good health, and the bullpen has been throwing the ball well. Right now we're playing really, really well. But the big key has been our offense.

Our guys have been swinging the bats unbelievably. Through the tough times earlier this season, we felt like it was just a matter of time. We didn't panic. Back then, we kept looking at each other as if to say, "Surely we are going to play better. We just have too much talent."

We still looked at each other when we were playing bad, but thank goodness we finally straightened it out. When you have a team with a track record like ours -- most of these guys are .300 hitters -- you knew that sooner or later they were going to start swinging hot bats.

At the start of the season, we suffered a lot of injuries to our starting staff. It was crazy. For the first three or four weeks of the season I was pitching with four rookies and a couple of them are now in Double-A. We just had a bad run of health. We watched as one guy after the next went down with an injury.

Looking back, it's nice to know we hung in there. We could have pointed fingers but we persevered through it and now we're playing well again. Hopefully, we can keep this up.

We've played a lot better on the road the last six weeks or so and keeping that up is going to be big. Obviously, if you can go into another team's ballpark and win a series here and there, it will be huge for us because that's tough to do.

I don't pay any attention to the postseason possibilities at this point. The thing I concern myself with is whether we're playing well. I could care less if we win the division or get in as a Wild Card, as long as we make it to the playoffs. I know that is how I feel.

The fans, of course, would love to see us win our division and we would love to win our division. But the big thing is to get into the postseason.

Considering the way we started out -- I think we were nearly 15 games out of first place at one point -- being able to make the run we have recently is pretty special.

Hopefully, we keep playing well and get to the playoffs. We can then focus on where we really want to be -- in the World Series.

Andy Pettitte has won six games since the All-Star break and four straight. The Yankees have won 15 of their last 21 games and have gotten themselves back into the playoff picture.

Notes: A-Rod's body 'alive' again

2007-08-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

Notes: A-Rod's body 'alive' again

Third baseman's health restored weeks after Toronto plunking

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- The milestones are coming fast and furious for Alex Rodriguez these days. Though his 40th home run on Tuesday didn't lead the Yankees to victory, it did place him in some select company.

Rodriguez's sixth-inning home run off Angels reliever Chris Bootcheck made the power-hitting infielder just the fifth player in Major League history to hit 40 home runs in eight seasons.

The other players to do so? Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds and Harmon Killebrew (each eight times) and Babe Ruth (11 times).

"I'm proud," Rodriguez said. "It's pretty awesome, pretty humbling. I'm very humbled by the whole experience."

The line-drive home run into the left-field bullpen at Angel Stadium was Rodriguez's first since Aug. 11 and came with good timing -- homer No. 40 allowed Rodriguez to still call the Major League lead his own on a night when Milwaukee's Prince Fielder clubbed No. 39.

The drought, Rodriguez said, could date back to a painful hit-by-pitch that took place on Aug. 7, when he was hit in the right calf by Toronto's Josh Towers.

Acknowledging that he perhaps should have taken a day or two off after the incident -- for which Roger Clemens retaliated and earned a five-game suspension -- Rodriguez said that his discomfort is finally dissipating.

"My body felt alive last night for the first time in about a week," Rodriguez said. "I've been nursing this calf a little bit and nurturing it. I haven't felt like I've had my legs under me for about a week."

Yankees manager Joe Torre said that he had planned to give Rodriguez a day off on Wednesday for the series finale against the Angels, which would effectively give A-Rod two off-days with the Yankees' dark calendar date Thursday.

But Rodriguez isn't going without a fight. He went 3-for-5 with three RBIs in the Yankees' extra-inning loss on Monday and -- even though Rodriguez's numbers against Wednesday's starter, John Lackey, are not stellar (8-for-41, .195) -- Torre seemed open to the idea that Rodriguez could force his way into the lineup with another good game on Tuesday.

"He's trying to talk me out of it," Torre said. "We'll see. He's auditioning."

Nothing doing: Rodriguez said there has been no progress made with the lucky fan who caught his 500th home run ball.

Walter Kowalczyk, 29, grabbed A-Rod's home run on Aug. 4 vs. Kansas City; the Yankees have made it known that they are willing to deal with the Rutgers University student to retrieve the milestone baseball.

"Toughest negotiations of my career," Rodriguez said.

Crash course: Wilson Betemit may be a relative novice first baseman, but he handled an eighth-inning play like a pro on Monday, stabbing a Maicer Izturis shot and gunning down Gary Matthews Jr. at the plate.

"That's infielding," Torre said. "The thing I like more than anything about yesterday was that he caught the ball and it looked like he was in no rush to throw it. The rhythm of the game, he seems comfortable with."

The 25-year-old Betemit may have found at least a partial home. The Yankees haven't been shy about trying him at a multitude of positions since his July 31 acquisition from the Dodgers, including first base, a position he never played before the trade but was drilling at again early Tuesday.

"I feel more comfortable," Betemit said. "I never thought I'd play much first base, with those guys like Jason Giambi and [Shelley] Duncan. They can play first. But you can't control the situation. It's the manager's decision who's going to play first, and I'm feeling comfortable now."

Bombers bits: Jorge Posada was given Tuesday off, with Jose Molina catching Mike Mussina. The two worked well together on Aug. 11 at Cleveland. ... Chris Lidle, the son of the late Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle, visited the Yankees' clubhouse before Wednesday's game. ... The Yankees have right-handed prospect Joba Chamberlain available for one inning on Tuesday. If Chamberlain is not used, he would be eligible to pitch two innings on Wednesday under the organization's so-called "Chamberlain Rules."

Coming up: The Yankees and Angels play the third and final game of their series on Wednesday at Angel Stadium, with New York sending left-hander Andy Pettitte (10-7, 3.80 ERA) to the mound. The Angels counter with Lackey (15-7, 3.32 ERA), with first pitch scheduled for 10:05 p.m. ET on the YES Network.

Notes: Molina regrets preconception

2007-08-20T11:53:00.000-07:00

Notes: Molina regrets preconception

Unsure of Yanks' chemistry before deal, catcher proven wrong

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Jose Molina returned to Angel Stadium on Monday with a different perspective, and only part of it had to do with his former status with the home team.

As Molina approaches the one-month anniversary of a July 21 trade for Minor Leaguer Jeff Kennard, the 32-year-old catcher said that his time in New York has changed his viewpoint of the Yankees dramatically.

"When you're in the other dugout, you think about this team having a lot of superstars," Molina said. "They're not selfish, but [we thought] they probably were playing for themselves. That's the way, when I was on the other team, we were looking at it.

"But I got here and got inside. I just ate my words. It's the opposite of what you see from the outside. You have to be inside with these guys to see the way they treated me when I came in. It changed the way I think about anybody now."

Molina had deep roots with the Angels, joining the organization as a free agent in 2001 and serving as a backstop into this season, including experiencing the World Series title run in 2002 and duty as a starting catcher last year.

Joining the club at Yankee Stadium the day after his trade, Molina put in the necessary time to adapt to the Yankees' pitching staff. He credited starting catcher Jorge Posada for his assistance in learning a new assemblage of hurlers in limited time.

Molina has already proven to be a more consistent offensive performer than his predecessor, Wil Nieves. In 11 games since joining the Yankees, Molina is batting .276 (8-for-29).

Though he still maintains a residence near Angel Stadium -- he slept there last night after the Yankees' team charter came in at about 10 p.m. PT -- Molina says he has left his Angels days behind.

"I'm here now, right?" Molina said. "You've got to just change the pace and move on, and remember all the good things that happened over there. Now, I think we have a lot of good things coming up for the team and me here. That's what we're looking for."

On the field at last: The Yankees' trip to Anaheim proved to be even more memorable for Edwar Ramirez, the 26-year-old reliever who was twice released by the Angels organization before finally making his Major League debut this season upon being plucked from an independent league club in Texas.

"I've waited a long time to be here," Ramirez said.

He had also resisted temptation to set foot on the Angel Stadium turf. Ramirez recalled how, in 2003, the entire roster of his Rancho Cucamonga team -- the Angels' High-A affiliate in the California League -- was summoned to the Major League facility for an event, about a 45-minute trip away from their home ballpark.

While most of Ramirez's teammates -- including current big leaguers Jeff Mathis, Mike Napoli and Ervin Santana -- didn't think twice about walking from the seating area to the field, Ramirez held out.

"I said, 'No, I don't want to stand there,'" Ramirez said. "When I stand there, I want to stand there because I'm playing in the big leagues. So I never went out."

That is, until Monday, when Ramirez could finally dress and have unfettered access to the playing field as a Major League player. Was it worth the wait?

"Oh, yes," he said.

A-Rest: Alex Rodriguez assumed his regular duties in the Yankees' lineup on Monday, batting cleanup and playing third base, but manager Joe Torre is considering offering A-Rod reduced duty, perhaps as soon as the latter games of the Angels series.

"We'll see over these next couple of days," Torre said. "He feels good today, but he's been dragging a little bit, like [Derek] Jeter."

Torre suggested that Wilson Betemit would play third base in place of Rodriguez, who could DH or rest entirely. Surely, the Yankees would be elated if they garnered similar results to the rest Torre placed upon Jeter; playing shortstop on Sunday, Betemit drove in four runs in the Yankees' 9-3 victory over the Tigers.

Farnsworth firing: Kyle Farnsworth's midseason struggles have not been entirely forgotten, but a string of four consecutive scoreless outings -- including a dominant one against the Tigers -- have yielded encouraging signs.

"The biggest difference I see with him when he's out there is that he doesn't look like he's trying to throw a ball through a wall," Torre said. "He's not trying to overthrow and muscle up. He just seems to be a lot more fluid in what he's doing, and the result is that he's locating down more often."

The Yankees are still mindful to protect Farnsworth, who is not likely to be asked to pitch more than one inning and is being discouraged from repeating. With Joba Chamberlain also on a modified schedule, Torre said he would continue to rely on Luis Vizcaino and Ramirez as his so-called "bail-out guys."

Bombers bits: Two former 2007 Yankees have found new homes -- left-hander Mike Myers signed a one-year contract with the Chicago White Sox with an option for next season, while Miguel Cairo has inked a Minor League contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. ... Over their last four games, the Yankees' bullpen has allowed just three hits and one earned run in 11 innings, walking two and striking out 14.

Coming up: The Yankees match up for the second game of a three-game series on Tuesday at Angel Stadium, sending right-hander Mike Mussina (8-8, 4.76 ERA) to the mound opposite right-hander Kelvim Escobar (13-6, 2.68 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 10:05 p.m. ET on the YES Network.

A-Rod seeks fourth Aaron Award

2007-08-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

A-Rod seeks fourth Aaron Award

Fans can acknowledge slugger's season with online vote

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- As Alex Rodriguez peels away the calendar months, he has spoken often about pursuing the big prize at the end of 2007, securing the World Series title that has eluded his Yankees tenure.

But Rodriguez's torrid offensive season figures to set him up for prime candidacy in a number of postseason awards and honors, including the Hank Aaron Award, of which A-Rod is already a three-time recipient.

Fans will be able to again vote for Rodriguez -- the Major League leader in home runs, RBIs, runs scored and slugging percentage -- for the Aaron Award, symbolizing the best offensive player in each league, as the season draws to a close.

"I have a tremendous passion to play winning baseball and play baseball the right way," Rodriguez said recently. "To put on this uniform and to do it, you just take it one step at a time. The good Lord will lead my path, and hopefully that's somewhere special."

Since 1999, Major League Baseball has recognized the best offensive performer from each league with the Aaron Award, presented by Sharp. Past recipients include Barry Bonds (three times), Rodriguez (three times), Manny Ramirez (twice), David Ortiz, Andruw Jones, Albert Pujols, Todd Helton, Sammy Sosa and Carlos Delgado.

Last year's winners, selected during balloting in the regular season's final month on MLB.com, were the Yankees' Derek Jeter and Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard.

From the beginning, Rodriguez's season has been special to watch. Coming off a 2006 campaign that he called one of the most difficult experiences of his career, Rodriguez arrived at Spring Training a little leaner and with a rejuvenated outlook, blocking outside distractions and focusing on his own output.

"He just seems to be calm and relaxed," said Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui. "During the games, he's very focused. It just seems like he's more comfortable overall. I'm not surprised. Knowing him and knowing what kind of talent he has, he is certainly capable of doing the things that he's doing."

Those aspects of Rodriguez's game wound up carrying the Yankees through a troubled portion of their first-half schedule, littering the club's home schedule with an outpouring of affectionate curtain calls and highlight-reel moments.

"It takes a while in New York," Rodriguez said. "I've said that all along in Spring Training. For some people, it takes six months, a day, a year. I think it's truly taken me three, four years to kind of understand New York a little bit."

Rodriguez's campaign experienced perhaps its memorable milestone to date on Aug. 4 against the Kansas City Royals, when he reached right-hander Kyle Davies for his 500th career home run.

In a season when Barry Bonds has overtaken Aaron for the all-time home run lead, many point to Rodriguez's age (32) and rapid ascension as a prime reason why he, one day, may surpass both Aaron and Bonds.

"You knock on wood that he stays healthy -- that's the key," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "That's the luck part of this game. The thing, when you're with him on an everyday basis, you understand that this stuff isn't just happening.

"He works hard. People don't see it. Right up until game time, he's getting ready to play the game. This is the most important thing in his life, family aside. This is his life."

Mailbag: Are Yanks stingy with Joba?

2007-08-20T11:48:00.000-07:00

Mailbag: Are Yanks stingy with Joba?

Reporter Bryan Hoch answers Yankees fans' questions

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

Click around the radio dial and the sports television programs, and it seems like all of New York is fascinated with Joba Chamberlain. There's good reason: the 21-year-old has been electric so far, bringing in a flurry of questions for this week's Yankees mailbag.

As we have all seen, Chamberlain has been absolutely amazing. He is, without a doubt, the most effective arm in the bullpen. How long can the Yankees go before his talent is too much to deny a day off, or two, after every outing given the ineffectiveness of the rest of the bullpen?
-- Reed T., McGuire AFB, N.J.

At least another month, I'd say, though the Yankees are sticking steadfastly to the plan that the so-called "Chamberlain Rules" are here to stay. The club's investment in Chamberlain, whom they continue to project as a key piece in the organization's future, is heavy, and certainly no one wants to see a promising rookie suffer a setback.

The guidelines with which general manager Brian Cashman and the club's player development hierarchy have presented Chamberlain to manager Joe Torre are conservative by design; some might say too much so. If keeping Chamberlain healthy for September and potential playoff appearances means keeping him out a day after he pitches an inning, or holding him to 35 pitches if used for two innings, then the Yankees seem prepared to do that.

Watch closely how this progresses, though, and wonder if some of the rigidity may fall off if the Yankees keep up their run. If Chamberlain continues to retire batters with remarkable efficiency and the Yankees' postseason odds come down to a few select outs, you would think there might be some room to bend.

I originally thought the Red Sox did themselves a disservice by placing Jonathan Papelbon in the bullpen, but he is a great closer and has the demeanor to go along with it. Mariano Rivera had a great 1996 year as the setup man for John Wetteland. With Mariano reaching the end of his career, is there any talk of having Chamberlain set up for Mo next season and learn from him? Chamberlain has great command of his pitches and also has a cool-calm demeanor.
-- Erik Z., Buffalo, N.Y.

Let's get past this season before projecting Chamberlain's future role, though Cashman is on record as saying the Yankees still see him as a starting pitcher -- it just so happened that the organization internally realized Chamberlain could outproduce some of the relievers on the Major League roster earlier this year.

I wouldn't completely rule out Chamberlain's spot in relief; there have been so many starting pitchers who have found homes in the bullpen, and let's not forget that he's still an incomplete product -- Chamberlain's changeup and curveball could use development time if he is headed for the Yankees' rotation. For the time being, you see Chamberlain speaking so often with players like Rivera, Roger Clemens, etc. -- he's not shy about asking for advice. That can benefit him.

Please clear up a belief I have held for 60 years: the phrase "Holy Cow" was used by Harry Caray in his broadcasts of Cardinals games, as I remember from my grandpa's knee listening to the Cards broadcast. How does Phil Rizzuto claim he made it famous? I'm not degrading or disrespecting the Scooter's career on the field or broadcast booth, but our Little League went to St. Louis and bought us kids "Holy Cow" shirts to wear as our uniforms.
-- Bob W., Orange, Calif.

Correct you are. As Jack O'Connell wrote in his obituary for Rizzuto -- who passed away last week at 89 -- on MLB.com, "[Rizzuto] refused to give up his 'Holy Cow!' call that had been used first by another broadcasting legend, Harry Caray, because it was a phrase Rizzuto had used since childhood to avoid swearing. Anything that was part of Phil Rizzuto was part of his broadcast."

Though Caray may have said it first, the catch-phrase became part of Rizzuto's broadcasting essence; as much as the warm memories Yankees fans hold of his train-of-thought style, mid-inning birthday wishes to fans around the five boroughs, unpaid plugs for the Scooter's favorite bakeries, or early trips jetting across the George Washington Bridge to catch a few extra moments with his loving wife, Cora. "Holy Cow" may not have been completely original, but Rizzuto was one of a kind.

Looking at the standings on MLB.com, I notice there is a statistic called XW-L (expected win-loss record). This is a complex formula that the official Web site of MLB uses to determine the record the teams are expected to have in relation to their runs scored/runs against. The Yanks are now tied with Boston for the best of this "record" in all of baseball -- what are we to believe this might mean? Can you break the stat down?
-- Steve G., Charlotte, N.C.

The expected win-loss records provide some nice comparison and argument; generally, to see how "lucky" a team has been. The development of this statistic trails to sabermetrician Bill James, who came up with an equation in the 1980s that attempted to accurately predict how many games a team would win over the course of a season by examining how many runs were scored and allowed.

If you're a math whiz and want to cook up some numbers at home, the theorem is as follows: "Runs scored to an exponent of 1.83, divided by the sum of runs scored to an exponent of 1.83 plus runs allowed to an exponent of 1.83." Some versions also use two as the exponent.

What do you think the chances are of Bobby Abreu being a Yankee next year? I believe he could get $16 million, or the Yankees could buy him out for $2 million. With the overcrowded outfield, I don't see him back.
-- Steve S., New York

Your financial figures are roughly correct. If you'd asked this question in May or early June, I probably would have said the chances were extremely slim. With a $16 million option there for 2008, Abreu is not exactly an inexpensive piece. His offensive production sparked the Yankees late last season and if he repeats it, that could help make the price tag somewhat more palatable.

I hear Doug Mientkiewicz is preparing to rejoin the team soon. I am happy with the production of Wilson Betemit, Andy Phillips, Shelley Duncan, and the return of Jason Giambi. Does Doug have a job when he returns, and who would be sent down?
-- Tyler W., Mountainside, N.J.

Mientkiewicz is rehabbing in Tampa, Fla., but the Yankees do not plan to call him up until rosters expand to 40 players on Sept. 1. Upon return, he'll likely see time as a late-inning defensive replacement and part-time player; the same role he served for the '04 Red Sox.

Win leaves Yankees feeling youthful

2007-08-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

Win leaves Yankees feeling youthful

Chamberlain, Ramirez each dominant for one inning of relief

By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Three lockers separated the cubbyholes that belong to Joba Chamberlain and Edwar Ramirez. The two relievers stood upright, the lines on their faces shifting as they listened, spoke and grinned.

Packs of reporters, print and broadcast, encircled the pair of pitchers. They had just dazzled a Sunday crowd of 55,071 at Yankee Stadium, combining to help seal a 9-3 win over the Tigers.

Chamberlain stood with a massive sling of ice wrapped over his arm and around his stomach, coloring his skin a shade of red where it touched him and adding to the already thoroughbred look branded from head to toe on his 6-foot-2, 230-pound frame.

Fifteen feet away stood Ramirez, the man manager Joe Torre labeled a thermometer earlier this season, playing off the slenderness of the 26-year-old rookie, who stands 6-foot-3 but rarely pushes a scale's needle past 150.

The two relievers are not related, but Chamberlain and Ramirez share a common trait: They throw nasty pitches -- so deceptive and biting, in fact, that left fielder Johnny Damon took a stab at describing what kind of pitcher the two of them would combine to make.

"Umm... Cy Young?" Damon postulated.

Quite a compliment, that, but the Yankees are more interested in how Chamberlain and Ramirez perform individually and in tandem. For the big fellow, the one who received chants of "Joba! Joba!" in the scoreless seventh inning he pitched, it's all about a fastball that reaches 100 mph.

Chamberlain's slingshot of a right arm explodes the ball from the tips of his fingers, so much so that catcher Jorge Posada said he couldn't compare it with that of any pitcher who has fired heaters into his mitt.

For the afternoon, the 21-year-old Chamberlain got Gary Sheffield to strike out, and then he struck out American League MVP candidate Magglio Ordonez on three pitches.

The next batter Chamberlain faced, Carlos Guillen, a .304 hitter, stayed alive at the plate for just a few more seconds than Ordonez, striking out on four pitches.

Ramirez helped explain what the oomph of the Tigers lineup was up against: "[A] very, very, very, very good fastball. And a good breaking pitch."

Detroit had to be happy to see Chamberlain exit. Tigers manager Jim Leyland said Chamberlain's fastball got his hitters so geared up for the heater that they had no chance against the rookie's slider.

Despite some frustration fuming over the Tigers' lack of hitting with runners on base, Leyland spoke some words that seem to already be spreading across the Bronx faster than the subways.

"He's one of those special guys."

Leyland's comment came across clear, but he easily could have been referring to Ramirez -- at least judging from the performance the right-hander turned in after relieving Chamberlain.

Ramirez came on in the eighth and used just 15 pitches to strike out the side. The fastball, which he throws between 89-92 mph, worked well as a setup pitch, skimming the corners for quick strikes.

But Ramirez broke out his secret weapon when he got ahead in the count. It was the pitch he featured in his Major League debut, when he also started an inning by fanning three in a row.

It's the changeup which Torre has studied well.

"That pitch is one of those power changeups," said Torre, who tied Casey Stengel for second place in franchise history with 1,149 wins as a Yankees manager. "It's one of those that, even if you look for it, it's tough to hit it, anyway."

Torre said he and Yankees management are working to take care of the two rookies, most notably Chamberlain, who, at least to this point in the season, is ordered one day of rest for every inning he pitches.

The two relievers don't care so much about the plans, however. They're having fun. They're pitching. They're doing well, and, as Chamberlain said, they may help even each other become better and prove Damon right.

"Hopefully, maybe I can learn [Ramirez's] changeup one day," Chamberlain said, "and I can give him some tips on the slider."

Damon, freshly showered and standing at his locker -- one spot over from Chien-Ming Wang, who started the game and picked up his 14th win -- said the two young guns could surprise teams during the Yankees' run at a pennant.

It all starts on Monday against Los Angeles at Angel Stadium. The Halos will be the first team, assuming they saw Chamberlain and Ramirez dominate the Tigers on Sunday, to make their scouting reports just a little bit thicker.

Either way, Damon, who launched a go-ahead solo home run off Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman, said the Yankees are as solid as they've been all season, and now they have these two guys at the other end of the locker room standing under blue name plates reading "Chamberlain" and "Ramirez."

"They're throwing the ball well and nobody knows too much about them yet," Damon said. "We have a lot of good things going on."

Notes: Farnsworth growing on fans

2007-08-19T11:44:00.000-07:00

Notes: Farnsworth growing on fans

Reliever extends scoreless-innings streak with K of Sheffield

By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- There were lots of boos for Gary Sheffield on Saturday afternoon, and then a chorus of cheers for Kyle Farnsworth. The power-on-power showdown in the seventh inning resulted in a swinging strikeout, and all of the sudden, the 54,802 in attendance for the Yankees' 5-2 win over the Tigers ushered the formerly out-of-favor Farnsworth back to the dugout with all the glitz and glamour of a hometown hero.

The crowd rose to its feet when Farnsworth got two strikes on Sheffield, and then exploded into an ovation when home-plate umpire Jeff Kellogg shot his hand up for the out. At that point, Farnsworth walked as casually as ever off the mound, past the first-base line and into a group of pinstriped teammates waiting to give him high-fives.

"That's one thing about these fans," manager Joe Torre said. "They're going to let you know they appreciate you, just like they're going to let you know that they think you can do a better job."

Since the right-hander surrendered a run to the Royals on Aug. 4, Farnsworth has thrown four scoreless innings, while walking just one and striking out four. Over that stretch, his ERA has dropped from 4.87 to 4.47.

Farnsworth has been working on his mechanics with pitching coach Ron Guidry since the All-Star break. Of late, Torre said, Farnsworth has shown a smooth motion off the rubber, leading to better location with his fastball and, even more importantly for the right-hander, his slider.

"It definitely feels like [the ball is] coming out [of my hand] a lot easier," Farnsworth said. "I think that's just being nice and, mechanics-wise, just keeping it quiet and not trying to explode and jump out too fast."

As Torre noted on Saturday, pitchers can't settle into a role that disregards the practical need of getting into games on a regular basis to stay sharp. The skipper said he learned that lesson earlier this season, when Mariano Rivera struggled in save situations because he didn't have opportunities to pitch in those spots frequently. Too many days separated his outings, and as a result, Rivera's ERA skyrocketed to 10.57 by the end of April.

Farnsworth has been through stretches this season in which he hasn't pitched for five consecutive days. He doesn't suggest, however, that regular trips to the mound have keyed his recent success. Instead, he attributes the strong innings to a change in attitude on the mound.

"I'm not fighting myself," Farnsworth said. "I'm just pitching, and whatever happens, happens."

Jeter rests: Derek Jeter, who got the day off on Sunday, resorted, as he often does, to joking with Torre after he found out his name wasn't on the lineup card.

"He always has his tongue in cheek," Torre said of the captain. "He says, 'I guess I've been benched,' and then he walks out of my office -- that type of thing."

Torre noted that, more often than not, it's too easy to put Jeter and his other stars into the lineup every day without a second thought, but given the wear and tear of a 162-game season -- not to mention the fact that the Yankees now have a deeper bench than they did on Opening Day -- the skipper is looking to give his prominent players a day or two off when he can.

"The season catches up with a lot of guys," Torre said. "We ignore both [Jeter] and Alex [Rodriguez] all the time, because we're so used to writing their names in the lineup -- and Robby Cano, too. ... We're just trying to be vigilant there, just try to take care of people before they have a problem."

Torre closes in on Stengel: With 1,148 wins in his managerial career with the Yankees, Torre needs just one more victory to tie Casey Stengel for second place in franchise history, an accomplishment he never would have imagined achieving as a youngster.

"Casey is who I grew up with," Torre said. "When [the Yankees] started that five World Series in a row, I was like 5 years old, and even though I wasn't a Yankees fan at the time, you certainly couldn't help but notice how dominant the Yankees were. Then I got to know Casey personally when he was managing the Mets. He was a colorful character."

With Saturday's victory over the Tigers, Torre recorded the 2,141st win in his career, passing Walter Alston for sole possession of eighth place on baseball's all-time list. That, coupled with his pending tie with Stengel, makes Torre a proud, yet humbled man.

"The number of games I've won is impressive, but the numbers that I've been lucky enough to win as a Yankee means a great deal to me when you start realizing the names you're connected with," Torre said.

Getting to know Joba: Five baseballs sit in Joba Chamberlain's locker, all of them in a perfect horizontal row on the top shelf. One was used in a Florida State League game, another in an Eastern League game, another in the Futures Game, and still another at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

And, of course, the last ball in the row of five is the game ball from his first Major League game against the Blue Jays in Toronto.

"They're just a little reminder of what it takes to get here," Chamberlain said. "[They remind me] of the hard work it took and to not ever stop working hard."

Now that the hard work has been accomplished -- for a cup of coffee, at least, if not much, much more -- Chamberlain is willing to reveal other secrets than the significance of those five balls.

While it may not be top-secret information, Chamberlain was excited to talk about his favorite foods and desserts. Steak tops the list of his main-course favorites, while ice cream and brownies is his choice of dessert.

Coming up: Phil Hughes (2-1, 4.44 ERA) and the Yankees will hit the road to take on Dustin Moseley (4-2, 4.84) and the Angels on Monday for the first game of a three-game series at Angel Stadium. First pitch is slated for 10:05 p.m. ET.

Notes: Chamberlain an apt student

2007-08-19T09:09:00.000-07:00

Notes: Chamberlain an apt student

Rookie reliever seeking info, inspiration wherever he can

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Joe Torre summoned Joba Chamberlain for the ninth inning of Friday's game because the rookie right-hander needed a frame of work, not to satisfy the curiosities of the crowd in attendance.

But once the 21-year-old took the mound, the Yankees' bench seemed to join the chants of "JO-ba, JO-ba!" that have quickly become a trademark at home games. Certainly, Chamberlain's talent has demanded attention.

"What he brings to the table is exciting," Torre said. "He's someone that doesn't come down the pike on a regular basis. [For] his age, he seems to be mature. He really hasn't had to deal with a whole lot yet, but his makeup makes you think that he'll be able to do that.

"There's not much that you really don't like about him, for sure. He's good sized, he's aggressive, and I think people admire somebody who goes out there and says, 'Hey, I dare you.'"

Chamberlain turned in his sixth scoreless inning of work against the Tigers on Friday, surrendering a hit to Magglio Ordonez but otherwise holding Detroit down in the final frame of a 6-1 Yankees victory.

Chamberlain gave credit to the Yankees' infielders and especially catcher Jorge Posada for helping him settle in. In his first Yankee Stadium appearance on Monday, Chamberlain spoke of being too emotionally revved up as he jogged to the mound; Posada calmed his nerves with soothing words that day and repeated that message on Friday.

"He tells me to relax, slow the game down and understand that it doesn't go until you go," Chamberlain said. "I don't care how many times I hear it. You can still get a little [excited] running in and hearing the fans go crazy. It always helps when he comes out."

Chamberlain finished on a high note on Friday, striking out Ivan Rodriguez swinging on a low slider to end the game. The whiff was Chamberlain's ninth punchout in four Major League appearances.

"It was good," Chamberlain said. "I've just got to keep executing pitches. I had a good part of their lineup coming up and kind of had an idea going out of how I was going to approach those guys."

Notable in the inning was the first batter Chamberlain faced, former Yankee Gary Sheffield -- a power-on-power showcase, as Sheffield waved his bat in his furious, familiar stance and Chamberlain challenged him with a fastball. Sheffield just missed the pitch, flying out to left field.

"I made a good pitch to Sheff, and he just missed it," Chamberlain said. "You win some and you lose some, and I got that one. You've got to make sure next time you've got to be a little bit better. It was a learning experience, and it was good to face those guys."

Nicks and knacks: Derek Jeter is ailing somewhat, Torre said, though the captain isn't about to reveal much of what's bothering him.

While Jeter spends a fair amount of time in the trainers' room each day to prepare, a day off is in his near future. Entering play on Saturday, Jeter was hitting .323, but had just four hits in his last 21 at-bats.

"I think he's a little beat-up," Torre said. "He got hit in the leg the other day [against Baltimore], and that's been slowing him a little bit. We'll look to spell him here and give him a day off in the next couple of days."

Rocket fuel: In the hours leading up to Saturday's start, Roger Clemens took time out of his afternoon to whisk Chamberlain aside, conversing in the Yankees' clubhouse over a steaming beverage.

Chamberlain's locker at Yankee Stadium resides in rather select territory, the stall to the immediate left of Clemens', a designation that was certainly not made randomly.

Torre said he was not sure how much Chamberlain and Clemens were sharing information, but Saturday's impromptu pep talk appeared to be an indication of a budding relationship.

"I don't follow him around on a regular basis, but Roger is so open with what he knows and he certainly goes out of his way to help the young pitchers," Torre said. "I know he's done it with [Phil] Hughes, and I don't know how many times they've come together, but Joba isn't shy. He's not arrogant, either, but he's not shy."

Bombers bits: The Yankees have regained Mariano Rivera's services. The closer was available but not needed on Friday. ... The weight room facilities at Yankee Stadium, used by both clubs at differing times, are being sanitized after the Tigers' exit to avoid the spread of the team's flu virus. ... Clemens entered Saturday's start needing five strikeouts to reach 1,000 as a Yankee.

Coming up: The Yankees and Tigers complete their four-game weekend series on Sunday, sending right-hander Chien-Ming Wang (13-6, 4.09 ERA) to the mound opposite right-hander Jeremy Bonderman (10-5, 4.65). First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET on the YES Network.

Four-run sixth gives Rocket the win

2007-08-18T09:12:00.000-07:00

Four-run sixth gives Rocket the win

Clemens helps own cause with unusual double play in third

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- It was hatched on the back fields of a sunny complex in Tampa, Fla., some four years ago, a reaction play designed to catch opposing baserunners off guard. Even the Yankees wound up being caught by surprise.

Roger Clemens pitched six strong innings and flashed some trickery in pulling off a spiffy infield double play. Bobby Abreu and Jorge Posada also homered as the Yankees defeated the Tigers on Saturday, 5-2.

"It changed the whole game," Posada said. "It's just one of those things where you try to catch somebody off guard. We did."

Without a trigger from the dugout, the memorable play came together as a perfect storm in the third inning, with Cameron Maybin running for second base on a swinging strikeout of Marcus Thames.

Posada came up throwing, but Clemens lunged to his left and cut off the low throw, pinning Brandon Inge in a scramble between third base and home plate to record a most unusual double play.

As Clemens, who joined the Yankees in early June, would later kiddingly tell Posada: Spring Training is overrated.

"We worked on that in 2002 [and] 2003 on the back fields in Tampa," Clemens said. "And it paid off. I'm just fortunate. He threw a head-high ball and I was clearing, and I was able to grab it and make a good rundown."

The play was strange, but not completely unique. It was the first time such a putout -- catcher to pitcher -- had been recorded on a caught stealing since 1986, when the Cardinals' Vince Coleman was nabbed by the Giants' Juan Berenguer.

"We can put it in our playbook from now on," Torre said.

For Clemens, who earned his 353rd career win, it proved to be a microcosm of his ability to execute damage control. The right-hander scattered 10 hits while walking none and tying a season high with eight strikeouts, including his 1,000th whiff as a Yankee, which made him the 10th pitcher in franchise history to reach that mark.

With a four-run Yankees rally coming in the bottom of the inning, Clemens escaped a tight bases-loaded spot in the sixth after a hit off Alex Rodriguez's glove, a clean single to center and a hit-by-pitch. A tiring Clemens used his 108th pitch to pop up Curtis Granderson to shortstop, dodging the big inning.

"[With a] man at third base and less than two out, I don't remember anybody as good as him," Torre said. "For some reason, he always manages to do the high-wire act and escape. That comes down to keeping your composure when you need to."

After five innings of surviving on Posada's second-inning solo shot and little else, the Yankees' offense came alive against Detroit starter Chad Durbin. On the seventh pitch of a lengthy at-bat that included four foul balls, Abreu clubbed his 14th home run, a two-run shot that clanged off the left-field foul pole and ricocheted into the seats.

"[Abreu] basically fouled, fouled, fouled, and then [Durbin] threw some good fastballs and he was able to foul those off," Torre said. "I think that was a big key for him in that at-bat. You're lucky with that ball down the left-field line."

Robinson Cano and Andy Phillips tacked on run-scoring singles to left, extending the Yankees' lead and closing the book on Durbin's start. The right-hander was charged with four runs and six hits in five-plus innings, walking one and striking out one.

The timing of New York's rally put Clemens in position to earn his fifth victory of the season. He was touched most notably by the 20-year-old Maybin, who logged his first Major League hit in the third inning, then homered in the fifth off Clemens, a straightaway shot that bounced off the black seating area beyond the center-field wall.

"That's not bad, getting your first two hits and a home run off Roger Clemens," Torre said. "That's pretty impressive, you can tell people."

Ryan Raburn's fourth-inning sacrifice fly accounted for Detroit's other run. Entering with a three-run lead but receiving vociferous boos, Kyle Farnsworth turned jeers to cheers by firing his fourth consecutive scoreless effort, a 1-2-3 seventh inning that included two strikeouts.

Farnsworth's victims included former Yankee Gary Sheffield, who has received even more negative reaction than the beleaguered reliever during his return to the Bronx.

After falling out of favor for his eighth-inning role after extended struggles, Farnsworth appears to be working his way back into Torre's good graces. He said that the positive reaction was a welcome change of pace.

"It's good. I definitely want people to cheer for me," Farnsworth said. "It's not fun going out there and getting booed all the time, but you have to go with the good and bad, so I just want to go out there and keep doing what I'm capable of doing."

Luis Vizcaino pitched the eighth before handing the ball off to a rested Mariano Rivera for the ninth inning, securing his 20th save and shrugging off a blown save and a loss earlier in the week.

"I don't have to prove or show anybody," Rivera said. "I know what I can do, and that's the way it is."

Giambi, Pettitte take Yanks past Tigers

2007-08-18T05:45:00.000-07:00

Giambi, Pettitte take Yanks past Tigers

First baseman enjoys first multi-homer game of the season

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Spending two months out of the Yankees' lineup could have jogged Jason Giambi's perspective a little bit. Then again, it was nothing he hadn't seen before.

On a night when Giambi slugged two home runs, including one of his trademark upper-deck variety, Andy Pettitte reassumed his position as the stalwart of the Yankees rotation. The left-hander pitched eight strong innings to lead New York past the Tigers on Friday, 6-1, keeping the Yankees a half-game behind Seattle in the American League Wild Card race and five games behind Boston in the AL East.

"It's like he's never missed a beat here," Giambi said. "When I played against him with the A's, he was that guy we knew was going to be tough, no matter how good or bad the Yankees were playing. Andy was always that guy, and he's stepped back in that role."

Pettitte (10-7) logged his sixth victory since the All-Star break and won his fourth consecutive start, keeping up his standing as one of the game's most reliable second-half pitchers.

Working economically, Pettitte limited the defending AL champions to five hits over eight innings of one-run ball and, with 104 pitches, likely could have pitched the ninth had rookie sensation Joba Chamberlain not needed the work more.

"I try to take extremely good care of myself," Pettitte said. "I try to train awfully hard in Spring Training before I get to the season starting and try to carry it throughout the year. I'd like to think that's the reason why."

"He's so solid," said Joe Torre, who with the win, his 2,041st as a manager, leaped Walter Alston into seventh place on the all-time list. "That's the only way to describe it. I watched this in 1996. The only thing I see different since he's been back is he doesn't mind being 'the guy' out there."

Detroit scored in unorthodox fashion off Pettitte in the third inning, using a bizarre Brandon Inge RBI double that featured a relay throw cut off by Andy Phillips and an unexecuted rundown play between second and third bases that ended with Inge sliding headfirst. With the slide, Inge avoided a tag from third baseman Alex Rodriguez and right fielder Bobby Abreu -- whose task it was to cover second base on such a play -- nowhere to be found.

That lapse aside, Pettitte otherwise stifled Detroit, striking out five while walking one to improve to 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA in the month of August. For his most recent resurgence, Pettitte credited small mechanical tweaks made before his previous start at Cleveland.

"It's something you can't even see on video," Pettitte said. "You've just got to feel it."

Giambi continued to celebrate his return from a left foot injury by posting his first multi-homer game of the season, clubbing a solo home run off Detroit starter Nate Robertson in the fourth inning and reaching reliever Aquilino Lopez for a right-field, upper-deck shot in the eighth, his 10th and 11th homers.

The first homer was part of a five-run attack against Robertson (7-10), who used 109 pitches to get through six innings and allowed 10 hits and two walks, though he struck out seven.

"When I played against him with the A's, he was that guy we knew was going to be tough ... Andy was always that guy, and he's stepped back in that role."

-- Jason Giambi, on Andy Pettitte's resurgence

Citing his freshness, Giambi seemed to be looking forward to further and similar contributions as the Yankees claw toward their possibility of postseason play.

"I'm excited about it," Giambi said. "Whatever Joe needs, I feel great. Hopefully it will bring a little fresh air, because I rested while I was hurt. This team's been grinding it out. I'll do whatever little things he needs."

Abreu and Rodriguez also had run-scoring hits for New York, while scuffling first baseman Phillips snapped out of a 3-for-16 skid by putting up a three-hit night, including a two-run double off Robertson in the sixth that opened a four-run comfort cushion.

Pumping his fist as he took off down the first-base line, Phillips watched his drive zip over a bad route taken by 20-year-old prospect Cameron Maybin, who was promoted from Double-A Erie earlier in the game and had an inauspicious debut in left field, going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and a rare play on which he was called out for running into a ball hit in front of the plate.

Similar turns of bad luck aren't foreign territory for Phillips, but Friday's success may signal change.

"It's been interesting, the last week and a half," Phillips said. "I've hit some balls well and right at people, and people have made good plays. That's baseball, and it's no fun to have to swallow it. You keep plugging away."

With Chamberlain, the fresh 21-year-old bullpen weapon, having spent the last three games idle, Torre dismissed any possibility of having Pettitte finish off his gem.

Chamberlain did not disappoint in his sixth Major League inning, entering to chants of his name and handling the heart of the Detroit lineup, getting Gary Sheffield -- a power-on-power matchup -- to fly out before allowing a hit to Magglio Ordonez.

"It looks like it pumps him up," Torre said of the fan reaction. "But when you talk to him and look in his eyes, you don't see that excited feeling. It's something more than a 21-year-old."

Chamberlain retired Guillen and struck out Ivan Rodriguez to secure the game, snapping the Yankees' three-game skid and securing New York's first victory over the Tigers since last year's AL Division Series.

"It's great," Chamberlain said. "You can't describe the feeling. There were a lot of people here going crazy. It makes you feel good, and you kind of use that energy to do the best [you can]."

Wang to start in finale with Tigers

2007-08-18T04:04:00.000-07:00

Wang to start in finale with Tigers

New York (69-54) vs. Detroit (67-56), Sunday, 1:05 p.m. ET

By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com

Chien-Ming Wang is coming off a couple of rough outings, but the right-handed sinkerballer will be looking to get back on track when he faces the Tigers on Sunday at Yankee Stadium.

Yankees manager Joe Torre said Wang just needs to trust his pitches, especially the one that worms fear.

"Sometimes he looks like he gets a little tentative out there, and that comes from not having the same feel he had a month ago," said Torre. "He's basically a sinkerball guy, and that's his bread and butter. Sometimes, he may use the other stuff too much, and that may take some away from it."

In his last start against the Orioles, Wang surrendered a home run to Corey Patterson, snapping a career-best streak of 56 2/3 innings without allowing a home run. The 27-year-old is 12-3 with a 3.79 ERA in his last 18 starts, and, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, Wang's average of 14.4 pitches per inning is the lowest among American League qualifiers this season.

Countering for the Tigers will be Jeremy Bonderman, who eliminated the Bombers in Game 4 of the AL Division Series last October.

Pitching matchup
NYY: RHP Chien-Ming Wang (13-6, 4.09 ERA)
Wang suffered his second consecutive rough outing on Monday, allowing eight hits and five earned runs in six-plus innings against the Orioles. The right-hander struck out two, walked one and surrendered a home run in a no-decision. It came one week after a start in Toronto in which Wang allowed eight earned runs before the third inning. In four career starts against Detroit, he owns a 3-0 record and 2.52 ERA.

DET: RHP Jeremy Bonderman (10-5, 4.65 ERA)
Bonderman picked up a no-decision on Tuesday at Cleveland, with two runs allowed over seven innings and eight strikeouts, but after two first-inning runs, he kept the Tigers in the game for an extra-innings victory. He's 2-4 with a 5.06 ERA lifetime against the Yankees, including 1-2 with a 5.85 ERA at Yankee Stadium.

Player to watch
Brandon Inge has a pretty good career line against Wang in his brief history against the right-hander, going 4-for-12 against him for a .333 batting average.

Mussina struggles as Yanks tripped

2007-08-17T09:18:00.000-07:00

Mussina struggles as Yanks tripped

Guillen's grand slam helps Detroit to win in series opener

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- The Yankees' previous encounter with the Tigers resulted in the season's premature ending. The rematch may be a warning against the same.

Facing Detroit for the first time since last year's American League Division Series, the Yankees were down and out early. Carlos Guillen hit a first-inning grand slam and Mike Mussina never recovered, suffering an 8-5 defeat in the opener of a four-game series Thursday.

The Yankees, baseball's winningest team in the second half, lost for the third consecutive game and slipped a half-game behind the idle Seattle Mariners in the AL Wild Card race.

"We were rolling really well there for a long time," said Mussina (8-8). "In the last three days, we've made that disappear in a hurry. We've got to get it straightened back out in a hurry, or all that work we just accomplished the last month or so will wind up being a waste."

Part of the Yankees' difficulties of late has revolved around their inability to cope with hot pitching after more than a month of fattening up against mediocre competition.

The Orioles took two of three from the Yankees behind solid performances from Daniel Cabrera and Erik Bedard, and the Tigers didn't make things easier Thursday by offering right-hander Justin Verlander, who logged his team-leading 13th victory.

"We've gone up against pitchers who are pitching well -- Cabrera, Bedard and now we face Verlander," said Derek Jeter. "Those are going to be challenges. Unfortunately, we haven't been up to it yet."

Guillen's grand slam, his second of the season, came off Mussina with one out in the first inning. It was a shot to right-center field that, according to outfielder Bobby Abreu, wasn't really hit all that well but carried further than it was expected to.

In the last game the Yankees played against Detroit, Alex Rodriguez suffered what he would later call one of the greatest embarrassments of his career, as he was dropped to eighth in New York's order and played out a 1-for-14 ALDS.

Rodriguez's troubles against the Tigers continued Thursday, as he went 0-for-4 and committed an error that helped set up Detroit's big first inning. Rodriguez couldn't flag a sharp Gary Sheffield grounder, the ball scooting under his glove and into left field to put two men on.

After a walk, Guillen connected with the big blow.

"That's a big play there," Rodriguez said. "Bang-bang, and Sheff runs well, but that's a throw I should make. That's a play I need to make. You feel bad for Moose -- maybe if I make that play, he goes out and pitches a gem."

New York chipped away with a run in the first inning and two in the third, as Hideki Matsui stroked an RBI single and Abreu connected on a two-run homer, his 24th.

The Yankees' plan involved working deep counts against Verlander (13-4) and elevating his pitch count, and for the most part, they were successful. But Verlander has been no stranger to high pitch-count territories, cracking the 100-offering mark in five consecutive starts and in 17 of 24 games this season.

Verlander bent but never broke, scattering seven hits over 5 1/3 innings while walking one and striking out two in a 119-pitch effort.

"We knew early on, even in the first inning, that he was throwing a lot of pitches," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "We did what we needed to do. We just didn't get the result that we needed to get."

Trying for his fifth consecutive victory, Mussina faded in and out of command, particularly in the first two innings. He finished the second inning with 50 pitches thrown and six runs on the board -- damage done by run-scoring hits off the bats of Brandon Inge and Magglio Ordonez.

"[Mussina] just looked like he wasn't able to do what he wanted to do," Torre said. "They're a tough team to pitch to, and he just got [into] bad counts. That, I think, was his undoing."

In the fifth, Sean Casey came through with an RBI single for the final run off Mussina. He was charged with seven runs (six earned), allowing nine hits while walking two and striking out two while losing for the first time since July 20.

"It was a struggle from the beginning, and it kind of makes what I've done for the last couple of weeks seem a long time ago," Mussina said.

Figuratively kicking himself for not helping the Yankees right their small slide, Mussina conceded the Yankees -- playing .750 ball after the All-Star break going into Tuesday's loss against Baltimore -- were not going to play that caliber of ball down the entire stretch.

But Mussina warned that the team cannot afford to fall into losing streaks of three or more games with any regularity if they hope to keep their still-realistic playoff hopes alive.

"We've got to be able to stop it and get going in the right direction," Mussina said.

Ivan Rodriguez slugged a solo homer off left-hander Ron Villone in the seventh, completing Detroit's scoring and making a two-run rally off Todd Jones in the ninth a mere footnote; run-scoring hits from Matsui and Jorge Posada were too little, too late.

Even the extra weapon buttons weren't working. Fresh off a game-tying, pinch-hit three-run homer in Wednesday's contest, Torre again turned to Shelley Duncan in a big spot, sending the big-swinging rookie up to pinch-hit for Johnny Damon with two on in the sixth.

There was no heroic reprise. This time, Duncan struck out against right-hander Zach Miner.

"Well, you never know," Torre said. "It's unusual at that point to pinch-hit for Johnny, but I thought we had a chance to get a three-runner [homer] there.

"It wasn't to be."

Notes: Damon copes with role reduction

2007-08-17T05:49:00.000-07:00

Notes: Damon copes with role reduction

With Cabrera in center and others DH'ing, at-bats fewer

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Johnny Damon has never been shy about sharing a smile around the Yankees clubhouse. Slowly, he's also learning to handle splitting playing time.

The stretch run has presented a new challenge for the 33-year-old Damon, who is adjusting to life as a part-time outfielder and designated hitter. With Melky Cabrera cementing center field and both Jason Giambi and Shelley Duncan vying for DH at-bats, Damon is grinning and bearing through whatever at-bats he can muster.

"There was a day not so long ago when you'd show up to the ballpark and know you're leading off and playing center field," Damon said. "Now, it's different. You have to adjust for the team aspect of it. It'll all be better as long as we make the playoffs."

Damon was in his familiar Opening Day slot Friday, playing center field and leading off. More and more, that has become a guest appearance.

Yankees manager Joe Torre said he rested Cabrera because of Damon's strong career numbers against Tigers left-hander Nate Robertson -- Damon entered play hitting .471 (8-for-17) against Robertson, with a double, triple and five RBIs.

Torre said that Damon has handled the reduction with aplomb. In Thursday's game, with two runners on base and the Yankees looking to claw back against Justin Verlander, Torre swapped the left fielder Damon out for Duncan as a pinch-hitter.

"He went in and changed shirts, came back out and became a cheerleader," Torre said.

Yet Damon, who has two more years under contract with New York, realizes that Cabrera is the Yankees' future in center field. After a slow start, the 23-year-old switch-hitter has caught fire, hitting .337 with six homers and 38 RBIs since May 30.

"It's definitely something that I'll be thinking about," Damon said. "They have a number of things to address during the offseason. We'll just have to wait and see. I think they can pretty much pencil Melky in as the everyday center fielder for a number of years."

Fill-in Phillips? While Damon adjusts to his new role, first baseman Andy Phillips has also seen a shift in playing time recently.

Because the bench is stronger and several players are contributing significantly, including first basemen Duncan and Giambi, Phillips understands the change and said he is content with helping in any way he can.

"It's not different," Phillips said. "Once you see the lineup, when you're not in there at the beginning, you have to start trying to follow the game along and get yourself prepared for an opportunity of you getting in there. That's the only difference. Obviously, when you're playing, you know you're getting ready from the first pitch on, and when you're coming off the bench, you just have to think along with the game and when you might be used."

Mo rest: The Yankees planned to play Friday without the services of closer Mariano Rivera, who is being offered a small oasis of rest as he handles a rocky patch to his season.

Rivera last appeared Wednesday against the Orioles, when he allowed three runs in the 10th inning -- including a two-run homer to Aubrey Huff -- and suffered the loss. In his previous appearance Monday, Rivera didn't convert his first save in 19 opportunities but still logged a win.

Torre said that the intent is to keep Rivera out of action, but as always, game situations have a way of changing the blueprint. In Spring Training, Torre said he was steadfastly against Rivera pitching more than one inning, a rule the manager has since cracked numerous times.

"Again, we don't know if [the rest is] going to make a difference, but this is the way we're approaching it," Torre said. "If something happens and all of the sudden he's pitching, [then] he's pitching. This is our plan right now. ... I think it would have to be really a situation where we had no choice."

Farns' worth: Right-handed reliever Kyle Farnsworth has quietly pieced together three good outings in a row, working his way back into the late-inning relief mix after requesting his use in more situations.

Farnsworth pitched a scoreless sixth inning around a walk Thursday and had fired two perfect innings in his previous pair of appearances, striking out a batter in each. Torre said that he was most excited about Farnsworth's pitch location, which was "electric down" in all three appearances.

"He seems to be more comfortable coming into the game, and doesn't seem to be muscling the ball as much," Torre said.

Remembering Scooter: The family of Hall of Fame shortstop and longtime broadcaster Phil Rizzuto, who passed away Monday at 89, has requested donations to be made in lieu of flowers to: St. Joseph's School for the Blind, 761 Summit Ave., Jersey City, N.J., 07307.

Rizzuto is expected to have a private wake and funeral this week near his longtime Hillside, N.J., home.

Bombers bits: Two U.S. Navy F-18s will fly over Yankee Stadium on Saturday as the Yankees celebrate Military Appreciation Day. The U.S. Army Golden Knights will also parachute jump into Yankee Stadium. ... The Yankees have 32 home sellouts in 2007 and are averaging a Major League-best 52,355 fans per game.

Coming up: The Yankees play the third game of their four-game series with the Tigers on Saturday, sending right-hander Roger Clemens (4-5, 4.00 ERA) to the mound opposite right-hander Chad Durbin (7-5, 4.68 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 3:55 p.m. ET on FOX.

Notes: Giambi relieved by decision

2007-08-16T09:20:00.000-07:00

Notes: Giambi relieved by decision

Yankees slugger ready to move on after helping Mitchell

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Jason Giambi expressed relief in escaping discipline from Major League Baseball, given his cooperation with Sen. George Mitchell's ongoing performance-enhancing substances investigation and his own off-field charitable activities.

Saying he considered the matter "over and done with," Giambi had been summoned to meet with Mitchell and discuss his personal training history. Commissioner Bud Selig announced Thursday that Giambi will not be punished, as he was "frank and candid" with Mitchell.

"I'm happy with it," Giambi said. "Now I can move forward and not hurt the ballclub by taking a suspension or anything like that."

In a letter to Giambi, Selig detailed that he had been convinced that further action was unnecessary after learning that Giambi intends to donate $50,000 to the Partnership for a Drug Free America, plus an additional donation of $50,000 in cash or equipment to the Harlem Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program.

Selig's letter also noted that Giambi will make an appearance at the MLB Academy in Compton, Calif., during the offseason, and participate in a check presentation ceremony for the Baseball Tomorrow Fund. Giambi said he had been involved with numerous charities even before agreeing to cooperate with the Mitchell investigation.

"I felt they were good programs and I thought they were great for the kids," Giambi said. "I know they were important for me before any of this was done."

Giambi said that his meeting with Mitchell went "great" and that the Senator handled Giambi's unique circumstances professionally. Giambi said that he was not sure how much his contributions had benefited the investigation.

"I'm just one piece of a huge puzzle, to be honest with you," Giambi said. "I really don't know how in-depth I go in the things I went through. I think they're just trying to go through. We'll see at the end, because I really don't know what is the light at the end of the tunnel."

The Yankees were pleased with the Commissioner's decision regarding Giambi, who recently returned from a left foot injury and started at first base Thursday.

"It's the last thing you want to be talking about," general manager Brian Cashman said. "We support the quality efforts of Bud Selig and the work he's been doing and continues to do to ensure this game is real. I think he's doing everything in his power to do so."

Key decisions: The city of New York honored Alex Rodriguez for hitting his 500th home run on Thursday, with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg presenting the infielder with a ceremonial key.

"We want A-Rod to know that he will always have a special place here in the greatest city in the world," Bloomberg said. "We hope that Alex will make New York his home for many years to come."

Those were interesting choices of words for the mayor, given Cashman's lengthy appearance on the New York sports talk radio station WFAN Thursday afternoon.

In an interview with host Mike Francesa, Cashman detailed that should Rodriguez decide to opt-out of his contract with the Yankees after this season, the club would have no interest in negotiating to keep the Major League home run leader past that point.

The reasoning, Cashman said, would be that as part of Rodriguez's current contract, the Texas Rangers are still responsible for $30 million on the back end of the deal. If Rodriguez opted out, that provision would be erased and, more than likely, any new club would have to assume that financial windfall plus an increase A-Rod could receive as part of a free-agent contract.

"It's something that has been in the papers before. It's nothing new," Cashman said. "If he opts out, the Yankees lose all that Texas money. It's the time to have the conversation before he decides to stay or go, and we'll do that at the end of the year."

Rodriguez has advised his agent, Scott Boras, that he has no intention of discussing terms of his contract during the season, though he has stated numerous times that he wants to be in New York.

"He's said publicly he wants to stay," Cashman said. "We've said publicly we want to keep him. We've both said we'll talk at the end of the year."

Nothing cooking: Manager Joe Torre said that he would "probably not" speak to Tigers slugger Gary Sheffield during this series in New York. Sheffield made waves with controversial comments that accused Torre of treating white and black players differently during his time with the Yankees.

"I meant what I said, said what I said, and stand by what I said," Sheffield said Thursday.

Torre declined to address Sheffield's comments, a stance he has taken for some time, but did offer compliments for Sheffield the player. Sheffield was booed soundly before his first at-bat in Thursday's game.

"Sheff always played his tail off when he was here," Torre said. "There was no question he went out there and played hard all the time, and needed to win. That's one of the reasons we signed him to begin with."

Time off for Mo? Mariano Rivera will have some down time after suffering the loss in Wednesday's series finale against the Orioles. Rivera allowed three runs in the 10th inning and was hit hard, and though the Yankees insist they do not know of any physical issues, Torre and pitching coach Ron Guidry have agreed that Rivera appeared to be forcing his delivery. Torre suggested that Rivera could be given the next two games off.

Headed home: Cashman said former North Carolina State University right-hander Andrew Brackman, the Yankees' top pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, headed home to Cincinnati on Thursday from Birmingham, Ala., where he visited with noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews.

Brackman, 21, agreed to a four-year Major League contract with the Yankees on Wednesday ahead of an 11:59 p.m. ET deadline. He is expected to report to Tampa, Fla., this week, where a number of Draft picks are taking part in a minicamp.

Bomber bits: The Minnesota Twins claimed infielder Chris Basak, who was designated for assignment Wednesday, on waivers. ... The Yankees had a sign posted in their clubhouse warning against interaction with Tigers players this week, due to "medical issues we do not wish to contract." Several Detroit players have battled the flu recently. ... New York entered Thursday's action with the league's best record against the American League Central (23-7).

Coming up: The Yankees and Tigers play the second game of their four-game series on Friday at Yankee Stadium, with New York sending left-hander Andy Pettitte (9-7, 3.93 ERA) to the mound opposite left-hander Nate Robertson (7-9, 5.01 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET.

Selig chooses not to discipline Giambi

2007-08-16T05:58:00.000-07:00

Selig chooses not to discipline Giambi

'Appropriate decision' based on veteran's charitable endeavors

By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com

TORONTO -- Yankees slugger Jason Giambi won't face any disciplinary actions from Major League Baseball for his comments about his own use of performance-enhancing drugs, which received wide circulation in May, Commissioner Bud Selig said Thursday.

The decision comes a little more than a month after Giambi met with former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell and members of his law firm, DLA Piper, which has been investigating MLB's so-called steroids era for the past 17 months. Selig had demanded that Giambi meet with Mitchell before determining whether there should be any action.

"There's more to it than that," Selig told reporters after Thursday morning's owners meetings broke without a vote on any items. "He's doing a lot of public service work. He was forthright with Senator Mitchell -- at least that was Senator Mitchell's conclusion. I think with all the off-field charitable activities he's doing, this will do more good. Given everything, this is an appropriate decision."

Selig said that Giambi, who is earning $20 million this season, intends to donate $50,000 to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America and make an additional $50,000 contribution in cash or equipment to the Harlem chapter of the RBI program. In addition, Giambi has agreed to make an appearance this offseason at MLB's Youth Academy in Compton, Calif.

"I'm happy with it," Giambi said in New York before the Yankees started a four-game series with the Tigers. "Now I can move forward and not hurt the ballclub by taking a suspension or anything like that."

On Aug. 7, Giambi was reinstated by the Yankees from the disabled list after a left foot injury kept him from playing since May 30. Giambi is currently batting .270 with nine home runs and 26 RBIs in 51 games.

Giambi has one guaranteed year remaining on the seven-year, $120 million free-agent contract he signed prior to the 2002 season. Because the deal was back-loaded, he is owed $21 million for next season and at least a $5 million buyout for 2009.

Yankees officials, here for the meetings, were not aware of the Commissioner's decision until they were told about it by reporters.

After reading a press release, Yankees president Randy Levine said that the club was fully supportive of Selig's decision.

"The Commissioner took the action and he's the person empowered with doing this, and we support his decision," Levine said.

"And it's clearly appropriate," added Lonn Trost, the club's chief operating officer.

Giambi, after essentially publicly admitting his use of performance-enhancing drugs, was the first active player to meet with the committee that was established last year to investigate who did what and when during MLB's steroids era. Selig said on Thursday that Giambi's situation was special and he didn't plan to intervene in any others as far as the players are concerned.

"Senator Mitchell does that," Selig said. "This was a special circumstance. I have no other plans to do anything."

Officials from MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association reached a compromise regarding the context under which Giambi would speak about his past use of performance-enhancing drugs before he met with Mitchell's committee.

Giambi didn't have to talk about other players. In addition, there was no transcript or recording of the meeting.

On June 6, Selig gave Giambi a two-week deadline to make a decision about meeting with Mitchell and then reportedly threatened to suspend him if he did not comply.

The fact that Giambi agreed to a meeting was a breakthrough for the committee. During his investigation, Mitchell has had little cooperation from either the Players Association or the individual current players, who previously have all declined to meet with his group.

Mitchell was charged with investigating and submitting a report to MLB about the steroids issue in March 2006. This year, he has been negotiating with the Players Association to obtain medical documents and player interviews, but up until now, those efforts have been unsuccessful. His committee doesn't have the authority to subpoena documents or compel testimony.

Four years ago, Giambi was among a number of athletes who appeared before a grand jury investigating the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative for money laundering and the illicit sale of performance-enhancing drugs. In his testimony, illegally leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle, Giambi admitted that he had used steroids, although the full text of that testimony has never been released.

Giambi came under pressure this season following the May 18 publication of statements he made to USA Today in which he vaguely talked about his drug use, saying he shouldn't have used "that stuff."

He also chastised MLB by saying: "What we should have done a long time ago was stand up -- players, ownership, everybody -- and said, 'We made a mistake.' We should have apologized back then and made sure we had a rule in place and gone forward."

Yanks walk-off with fourth straight

2007-08-15T09:16:00.000-07:00

Yanks walk-off with fourth straight

After Rivera falters in ninth, Yanks rally to take down O's

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- The Yankees did without a quality effort from their ace starter, and were surprised to see their Hall of Fame closer once again turn mortal. By the end, it still didn't matter.

Melky Cabrera scored the winning run on Derek Jeter's ninth-inning dribbler Monday as the Yankees edged the Orioles, 7-6, bailing out ineffective performances from both Chien-Ming Wang and Mariano Rivera.

The Yankees, baseball's best team since the All-Star break, haven't yet found a hurdle that can keep them down in the second half. New York's latest victory, opening a seven-game homestand, was its fourth straight.

"Every time out, we need to try to win, regardless of who's pitching," said Jeter, who connected off Orioles sidearmer Chad Bradford. "Guys aren't going to go out there and pitch perfect at all times. Mo has picked us up plenty of times and it felt good to pick him up."

With home runs from Bobby Abreu and Wilson Betemit, plus another electric inning by rookie Joba Chamberlain, the Yankees delivered a one-run lead to Rivera in the ninth inning, overcoming five runs charged to Wang.

Rivera had converted 19 consecutive save opportunities dating back to April 28, but the Orioles detached the string, despite a terrific throw to home plate by center fielder Melky Cabrera that cut down what would have been the tying run.

It mattered little because one batter later, Brian Roberts dunked a bloop single to right field, scoring Tike Redman ahead of Abreu's high throw home to send the game to the bottom of the ninth, where the Yankees rescued their treasured fireman.

"It's great," Rivera said. "Today I wasn't able to hold the lead, so the guys came back and scored. That's good to see guys picking you up."

In the decisive frame, Cabrera was hit by a one-out pitch and moved to third when pinch-hitter Jason Giambi -- a reflection of the Yankees' suddenly-lethal wealth of bench talent -- punched a single through the right side of the infield.

Jeter followed by getting enough of a check-swing to dribble the ball past Bradford and force the second baseman Roberts to throw home on a fielder's choice, failing to catch Cabrera giving the Yankees their 24th victory in 32 games since the All-Star break.

"We've been on the balls of our feet, basically," said Yankees manager Joe Torre. "We're not waiting around for something to happen. We're trying to make things happen."

The Yankees had enough early to bail out a shaky first inning from Wang, who had allowed a season-high eight runs to the Blue Jays in his previous start last Wednesday and gave up three more in the first before settling.

"We made some adjustments during the game, trying to make him realize that pitches were up in the zone," catcher Jorge Posada said. "He felt strong and wanted to throw a little harder, and I told him, 'Less is better.' It helped him a little."

Matched with Orioles right-hander Jeremy Guthrie, Wang proved better Monday, though it didn't start that way. The right-hander was buoyed by Abreu's two-run homer off Guthrie in the bottom half and Betemit's shot in the second.

Wang -- who drew pitching coach Ron Guidry to a bases-loaded situation before he even recorded an out -- was not stellar, but he received enough support to leave as the pitcher of record.

Wang allowed five runs and eight hits over six-plus innings, walking one and struck out two. He said that he needed to keep the ball down and get more on top of the ball, tasks that were more efficient after the first inning.

"It looked like he was trying to be a little too deliberate, trying to make pitches," Torre said. "The way his ball moves, it's very tough for him to do that."

In the fifth, Wang experienced a rarity, giving up a solo home run on a changeup to Corey Patterson -- the first blast allowed by Wang in 56 2/3 innings. Left-hander Ron Villone inherited a runner in the seventh and threw two wild pitches, allowing a run, but otherwise recorded three outs.

Chamberlain nearly stole the show in the eighth, bringing the crowd of 54,398 to chant his first name as he made his Yankee Stadium debut, striking out two in a perfect frame.

"To be honest with you, I didn't even know who I was facing," Chamberlain said. "Sometimes I like it better that way. I just went in and attacked the zone."

New York roughed up Guthrie for six runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings, including the two home runs. The right-hander walked two and struck out three, throwing a wild pitch while also allowing run-scoring hits to Posada and Cabrera, who extended his hitting streak to a career-high 18 games with a double in the fourth.

Abreu continued his RBI surge with his 12th blast in the first inning, giving the outfielder 21 RBIs in his last 13 games. Betemit boosted New York with his second blast since joining the Yankees, reaching the wall in front of the right-center bleachers.

"That's how we are," Abreu said. "We know we can score some runs. We've got the team to score a lot of runs. Early in the game, it doesn't matter. We've got late innings and we can make comebacks."

Chamberlain wows 'em in the Bronx

2007-08-14T05:03:00.001-07:00

Chamberlain wows 'em in the Bronx

Reliever puts on impressive show in scoreless eighth inning

By Caleb Breakey / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- First came the collective, ahhhhh, when Joba Chamberlain entered the game in the eighth inning and fired a 99-mph fastball. Then, after the big right-hander struck out two of the Orioles' most dangerous sluggers -- Miguel Tejada and Aubrey Huff -- the 54,398 in this House That Ruth Built embraced the one wearing No. 62 with a standing ovation and chants of "Joba! Joba! Joba!"

That's how Chamberlain introduced himself and his slingshot of an arm to New York. It was his first time pitching in Yankee Stadium.

Joba, the Big Apple is happy to meet you.

Chamberlain has followed in the footsteps of another homegrown Yankee, Shelley Duncan, quickly entrenching himself as a fan favorite by way of instant results.

Armed with a fastball approaching triple digits and a slider that can border on unfair, Chamberlain has the tools to be a big part of the Yankees' bullpen down the stretch. Still, Jorge Posada knew Chamberlain would be running high on adrenaline in his first home appearance, and he made sure to tell the rookie to stay within himself.

"You know, the crowd gets involved and you want to throw 1,000 [mph]," Posada said. "But the biggest thing is to throw strikes, and that's why I went out there before he even threw."

The Yankees have made no secret of their plan to not over-extend one of their most coveted organizational properties. They do not plan to pitch Chamberlain on back-to-back days. If he is stretched out to two innings in an outing, the big right-hander is slated to have at least two days of rest.

Given Saturday and Sunday off following his two-inning shutdown of the Indians on Friday night, Chamberlain had met the prerequisites to get into the action against the Orioles. After fanning Aubrey Huff with a nasty slider to end the eighth, Chamberlain pumped his fist and yelled with excitement.

"He was trying to keep himself in touch with the rubber out there," manager Joe Torre said after the Yankees 7-6 victory. "I think he was really pumped up."

Despite his amped up presence on the mound, Chamberlain didn't pitch like a rookie with jitters on the big stage. He threw 14 pitches in the frame, including nine for strikes.

Chamberlain has walked two and struck out eight in five innings since being called up. He said after Monday's game that his slider remained his most unpredictable pitch.

"It does whatever it wants to do sometimes, and so as long as it keeps getting outs and I keep getting confidence in it, I'm just going to keep going on."

Chamberlain hasn't been afraid to call on his veteran teammates for questioning and advice. Mariano Rivera -- who blew his first save since April 20 after following Chamberlain into the game on Monday -- praised the rookie for his openess with teammates.

"It's interesting," Rivera said. "Like I said before, it's unusual that he comes to you and asks you. I love it. Aggressive. I love his aggressiveness."

"He wants to learn and he asks a lot of questions," Jason Giambi said. "Even when I was down there [at Triple-A], he sat next to me and asked me, 'What's it like facing guys up there?' It's kind of fun to watch and reminds me of what I was like, trying to pick everyone's brain. He's going to be a phenomenal player. He really has a ton of talent but he really wants to learn."

Chamberlain's willing to learn, and he's certainly teaching American League hitters that he's capable of jumping into a pennant race without missing a beat.

"The kid is going to be good," Bobby Abreu said. "God bless him."

Yanks walk-off with fourth straight

2007-08-14T05:00:00.000-07:00

Yanks walk-off with fourth straight

After Rivera falters in ninth, Yanks rally to take down O's

"It's great," Rivera said. "Today I wasn't able to hold the lead, so the guys came back and scored. That's good to see guys picking you up."

"We've been on the balls of our feet, basically," said Yankees manager Joe Torre. "We're not waiting around for something to happen. We're trying to make things happen."

Wang -- who drew pitching coach Ron Guidry to a bases-loaded situation before he even recorded an out -- was not stellar, but he received enough support to leave as the pitcher of record.

"It looked like he was trying to be a little too deliberate, trying to make pitches," Torre said. "The way his ball moves, it's very tough for him to do that."

Chamberlain nearly stole the show in the eighth, bringing the crowd of 54,398 to chant his first name as he made his Yankee Stadium debut, striking out two in a perfect frame.

"To be honest with you, I didn't even know who I was facing," Chamberlain said. "Sometimes I like it better that way. I just went in and attacked the zone."

"That's how we are," Abreu said. "We know we can score some runs. We've got the team to score a lot of runs. Early in the game, it doesn't matter. We've got late innings and we can make comebacks."

Yanks continue to dominate Tribe

2007-08-12T23:10:00.000-07:00

Yanks continue to dominate Tribe

A-Rod homers twice; Mussina earns 100th win with Bombers

By David Briggs / MLB.com

CLEVELAND -- Pick your location: the Bronx or on the shores of Lake Erie.

It doesn't matter.

Show Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees the threads of Cleveland, and domination has ensued.

So perhaps it came as no surprise that Rodriguez laced a pair of two-run homers and the Bombers shoved aside the American League Central's first-place Indians, 11-2, in front of 41,977 at Jacobs Field on Saturday night.

The Yankees are now 5-0 against Cleveland this year, and A-Rod has left the park in all five games.

Then again, Rodriguez has been an offensive wizard all year. Perhaps the story in Saturday's victory, one which kept New York tied atop the American League's Wild Card race, was the continued supremacy of the Yankees' scorching bats and Mike Mussina's emotional 100th victory in pinstripes.

Whatever it was, the good times rolled on for a club that has now won 10 of its last 12 games.

"There's a good feeling," Rodriguez said.

Said catcher Jose Molina, "Everything seems to be working for us."

The Tribe's nightmare began early Saturday. Wasting little time in silencing a sellout crowd, the Majors' highest scoring offense put up seven runs in a decisive second inning.

The Yankees had six of their 19 hits in an inning that saw 10 Yankees come to the plate. There was the first of four hits by Molina, a two-run double by Johnny Damon, a two-run single by Bobby Abreu and Rodriguez's two-run homer over the center-field wall.

Rodriguez would later drive a two-run shot into the right-center-field stands for career homer No. 503 (39th of the season), and pinch-hitter Jason Giambi clubbed a majestic ninth-inning shot into the left-field bleachers to cap the thrashing.

"We look great at the plate," Mussina said. "Everyone seems to be swinging well."

Perhaps it was laughable then that the Yankees starter said his motivation for pitching so well was because -- get this -- "Today might be the day we score only three or four runs."

To be fair, though, it worked.

The right-hander allowed just two runs on eight hits while striking out six over 7 2/3 innings in a start manager Joe Torre called "probably" his finest of the season.

It was definitely Mussina's most meaningful. He became just the ninth pitcher in big league history to reach 100 victories with two teams. He previously won 147 games with the Orioles.

"It's a lot of wins. It's fun," Mussina said. "Not a lot of guys have pitched for this team and pitched long enough to win that many games. It's pretty cool, I guess."

The way he reached the centennial mark was vintage Mussina, and perhaps a sign Moose is at last back to old form after a frustrating start to the year. In winning his fourth straight game, Mussina has been far more confident Mussina, said Torre.

On Saturday, what most impressed was Mussina's efficiency and command. He threw 89 pitches, 69 for strikes, a fact Mussina credits to a curveball that had the Indians either flailing at or turning into easy outs.

"For sure, it was the curveball," Molina said. "That was his pitch tonight."

"He was pretty darn good," Torre said. "He pretty much did he wanted to do. They had some futile swings off him, which was a good sign."

A good sign for the stretch run, too. For like A-Rod and the Yankees in Cleveland, Mussina has quite the track record. One, in fact, that is now 100 victories deep in New York.

"I probably won't make it to 200," Mussina said, "so I better savor 100."

A-Rod, Yanks back sharp Hughes

2007-08-11T23:14:00.000-07:00

A-Rod, Yanks back sharp Hughes

Chamberlain, Rivera close door as New York coasts to win

By David Briggs / MLB.com

CLEVELAND -- It's a strange prospect for the Yankees.

A team that has relied on experience and big-money stars for much of the past decade have entrusted their playoff fortunes in the hands of two of the game's four-youngest pitchers.

No pressure, kids.

Yet Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain are no ordinary 21-year-olds. And in the tension-filled atmosphere of a soldout Jacobs Field on Friday night, the pair showed just why they may be better stretch run options than any quick-fix trade deadline move could have offered in the Yankees' 6-1 dusting of first-place Cleveland.

Hughes, in his second start back from the disabled list, was brilliant over six innings and Chamberlain, in his second big league outing, was even better over the next two in a message-sending win that lifted the Yankees into a first-place tie with Seattle in the American League Wild Card race.

Yes, the Yankees are back. By winning 20 of their last 27 games, the Bombers now find themselves back in a setting -- leading a race -- they haven't seen since Opening Day.

And on Friday, it was thanks to the improbably green duo.

"To come up and contribute on a team like this where they haven't seen this [youth] in a while, " Hughes said, "it's a pretty cool thing."

Said Chamberlain, "Age is just a number."

Perhaps that will offer some consolation to the Indians' bats, which came in with baseball's fifth-best run-scoring offense.

Hughes gave up just one run on four hits while striking out six over six innings. Tactically mixing his curve and change with a flawlessly commanded fastball, the right-hander kept the Tribe flailing all night.

"He really pitched tonight," said bench coach Don Mattingly, who led the club Friday night while manager Joe Torre served his one-game suspension for his role in Tuesday's melee in Toronto.

Hughes' second career win was particularly welcome after his disappointing return from the disabled list. On Saturday against Kansas City, Hughes was battered for six runs over just 4 2/3 innings.

That changed Friday, thanks to a pair of mechanical changes Hughes worked on during his week's side sessions. Whereas last time out, he positioned himself on the far right side of the rubber and rushed through his delivery, Hughes shifted to the slab's middle Friday and made a conscious effort to slow himself down once he got into the set position.

"Both of [the changes] felt like they really paid off," Hughes said.

And what about the other guy, Chamberlain?

"This other kid, wow," third baseman Alex Rodriguez said. "That's pretty darn electric stuff. I'm glad I don't need to hit that guy."

Chamberlain tossed two perfect innings and struck out four in the seventh and eighth, his devastating slider and high 90s fastball leaving Cleveland's bats with hardly a chance. In the eighth inning, he consecutively struck out Josh Barfield, Grady Sizemore and Kenny Lofton, all swinging.

All this came from Chamberlain in his second big league appearance -- in a pennant race and in the opener of a defining three-week stretch that sees the Yankees playing 17 games against playoff-contending clubs.

"Pressure's what you make of it," Chamberlain said. "I try not to think about it."

Same for Hughes, his four career outings making him the graybeard of the two.

"To be honest, it didn't feel any different than any other game."

Said shortstop Derek Jeter: "They don't seem fazed by anything. They have a lot of confidence in their ability. And they should."

Offensively, Rodriguez laced his 37th homer of the season over the center-field wall in the second, Melky Cabrera extended his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games and the Yankees' offense tagged one of the league's hottest pitchers, Fausto Carmona, with four runs over seven innings. Yet the way Hughes and Chamberlain were throwing, it didn't seem to matter.

Not that they'll say as much. The two 21-year-old locker neighbors in the corner of Cleveland's visiting clubhouse are still deferring to the club's veterans.

"Right now, we're getting our feet wet," Hughes said. "We're soaking it in."

But give them a few more weeks, a few more seasons, and perhaps they'll be the stars. They were Friday.

"Hopefully it can continue for a lot of years," Hughes said with a smile.

Notes: Posada continues break

2007-08-11T23:13:00.001-07:00

Notes: Posada continues break

Catcher could return to lineup Sunday after resting neck

By David Briggs / MLB.com

CLEVELAND -- It's a rough life catcher Jorge Posada lives behind the plate, foul tips slamming into him several times a night.

It goes to figure then that a bad night of sleep would force the Yankees All-Star to miss his longest stretch of the season.

Yes, Posada missed his second straight game Saturday night with an aching neck that stems from some bad pillows in a Toronto hotel earlier this week.

The injury, however, is not believed to be serious. Posada said Saturday his neck "feels better" and manager Joe Torre said his catcher may return for Sunday's series finale.

Posada last played Wednesday, but the pain in his stiffened neck gradually worsened after taking a couple foul balls off his mask. The tenderness reached a head Friday.

But his neck improved Saturday, to the point where Posada did some light hitting. For now, though, the Yankees seem bent on being cautious.

"You don't want to mess with the neck too much," Posada said.

Posada is hitting .338 with 14 homers and 67 RBIs.

Karstens on starting track: If all goes to plan, Torre said Jeff Karstens will fill Tuesday's vacant starting spot in the rotation.

"He seems to be the guy that will get the nod," Torre said.

The only way that would change is if the Yankees were forced use Karstens out of the bullpen this weekend.

That is unlikely, but possible. Consider that New York's pen was essentially down two men Saturday night.

Reliever Jim Brower was away from the club to be with his wife, Jessica, who delivered the couple's first child -- a baby girl named Landry Joy -- in Minnesota. And the Yankees planned to give the sensational Joba Chamberlain, who tossed a pair of perfect innings Friday, at least a day of rest between outings.

In safe hands: Alex Rodriguez stood smiling and flipping a sullied ball in front of his locker following the Yankees' 6-1 win Friday.

"I finally got it," Rodriguez said.

Home run No. 500? Nah. It was No. 501, which he laced over the center-field wall in the second inning.

"There were long negotiations," Rodriguez joked. "I gave up a chapstick and a glass of water. I hope the Rutgers kid is listening."

That's a reference to Sonny Kowalczck, the Rutgers graduate student who is still sitting on Rodriguez's milestone blast.

"We're going to get it at some point," Rodriguez said. "I hope."

Goodbye Igawa? Kei Igawa's brief and disappointing tenure in pinstripes could be in its final act.

According to a report on foxsports.com, the San Diego Padres have placed a waiver claim on the 28-year-old left-hander.

The Yankees, if they so choose, would have until weekend's end to complete a deal.

Igawa was 2-3 with a 6.79 with the Bombers this year. And since his second and most recent demotion to Triple-A Scranton, Igawa has allowed seven earned runs over 11 innings.

Yet considering the fortune already invested in Igawa, a trade seems unlikely. The Yankees paid his former Japanese club $26 million simply for the rights to negotiate with Igawa, and then signed the pitcher to a five-year, $20 million contract.

Giambi idle: Jason Giambi has not exactly been a busy man since returning from the disabled list.

And with Melky Cabrera having entrenched himself in center field and Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui splitting time in left field and DH, that might not soon be changing.

"Buy in or not, it's the reality," Torre said. "We're trying to keep the finger on the pulse of the team and do what works."

Giambi started at DH in his second game back Wednesday, but has sat out the first two games in Cleveland. Torre said Giambi will likely see the lineup Sunday.

"Everybody understands," Torre said. "We talked to him about that. There's a lot of talent here ... and our job is to keep people sharp."

Yankees extras: Torre rode out his one-game suspension in a Jacobs Field luxury box with friend and former NBA coach Mike Fratello. Alas, the buddies had little time to talk. Fratello was busy fielding calls from friends who saw the pair on TV, including former Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda. Meanwhile, Torre's pals left him alone. "I guess they figured I was managing," Torre said. ... Cabrera celebrated his 23rd birthday Saturday. ... As Rodriguez goes, so go the Bombers. The Yankees had won 17 of the last 18 games in which A-Rod has homered entering Saturday. He hit career homer No. 502 in Saturday's seven-run second inning.

On deck: The Yankees wrap up their weekend set with the Tribe on Sunday afternoon at Jacobs Field. Andy Pettite (8-7, 4.00 ERA) will be opposed by Cleveland right-hander Jake Westbrook (3-6, 5.00 ERA).

Bonds promises more bounty

2007-08-10T02:02:00.000-07:00

Bonds promises more bounty
Each homer sets new record, no telling which will be last By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com

SAN FRANCISCO -- With the pursuit of the all-time home run record behind him, and with only a cameo role to play as a pinch-hitter on Thursday, a relaxed and confident Barry Bonds played pitchman and prognosticator.

With his record-setting 756th home run in the books -- and now 757 as well -- Bonds said he has his sights on new goals: 2,000 RBIs, 3,000 hits and 800 home runs.

And he said he'll be littering Major League parks all season with authenticated baseballs.

Bonds told MLB.com, and the Giants confirmed, that Major League Baseball will continue putting marked and authenticated baseballs into play on every pitch tossed to the all-time homer leader. That figures, considering every home run creates a new record and no one knows which one will be the last.

"These fans better understand something. It's the last home run ball that's really going to be worth something," said Bonds. "Baseball is trying to downplay it, but that's why they keep changing the balls every time I come up to hit. Technically, the last one is it -- 756 doesn't exist anymore. That ball's worth what it is. The last home run ball is worth the real money. The people need to keep coming out to see it. Because I swear I'll go run out there and catch it myself."

Matt Murphy, a tourist from Queens, N.Y., came up with the big fly about four rows deep in the bleachers just to the right of center field on Tuesday night when Bonds eclipsed Hank Aaron's record with his 756th homer. An offer for that ball of $500,000 has already been made public. No. 757 on Wednesday night was plucked out of McCovey Cove by a kayaker.

The outpouring of well-wishers from fans has been so overwhelming since Tuesday, Bonds said, that he has set up a hotline for people to leave their good-will messages -- 866-218-4117. Some of them will be available for public consumption on the slugger's web site, barrybonds.com.

Despite constant jeers on the road, fans have filled the stadiums - both at home and nationally - as Bonds chased down Aaron's record. Thursday's game included, the Giants have played in front of 16 consecutive sellouts at AT&T Park dating back to June 30, the day after Bonds hit No. 750 vs. the Diamondbacks, and 30 in a row overall since drawing 30,080 at Cincinnati on July 5.

Beginning with Friday night's opener of a three-game series against the Pirates, the Giants have 25 games remaining on a home slate that ends this season against the Padres on Sept. 26.

For Bonds, that still gives him plenty of time to accumulate the 17 RBIs he needs to become only the third player in the modern era behind Aaron and Babe Ruth to reach the 2,000 plateau in that category. Aaron leads with 2,297 and seems to be out of reach.

"The way I'm hitting now, I'll have no trouble doing that [reaching 2,000] this year," said Bonds, who's batting .316 (6-for-19) this month after a .186 month of July.

Bonds also is 84 hits away from becoming the 28th player to amass 3,000 hits. His godfather, Willie Mays, is 11th with 3,282 hits, which also seems to be a bit of a stretch. But there's nothing more important to Bonds than chasing down Willie's records. Bonds hit his 661st homer to pass Mays into third on the all-time list on April 13, 2004.

"Don't challenge me," said Bonds, noting that there were Mays marks he was still after.

When Bonds was told to consider it a challenge, he said: "I'll take that challenge and I'll blow you away."

Bonds, who already has said multiple times he intends to play next season, should pass the 3,000-hit mark in 2008. But he would probably need to continue on into 2009 if he has any chance of catching Mays in that department. He's only had 186 hits since 2004, including 12 in 14 games at the end of his injury-riddled 2005 season that included three surgeries on his right knee.

"We'll just see about that," Bonds said. "I'll do what I have to do."

Of course, edging closer to the 800-homer mark and creating more distance between Bonds and Alex Rodriguez is the big thing. The Yankees third baseman is expected to be the greatest challenger to Bonds' home run record. A-Rod just turned 32 last month and hit his 500th homer this past Saturday.

Bonds, now 43, has homered three times in his last four starts, a departure from the one-a-week pace he'd been on since opening the season with eight homers in April. Since then, he's hit four homers each in the months of May, June and July, but is off to that blistering start in August.

It's not inconceivable that he could hit 13 more, thus ending the season with 770, placing him well within distance of reaching 800 next season. Bonds' 23 homers this year are already the most for a player turning 43 or older in that particular season. Carlton Fisk, then with the White Sox, held that record when he hit 18 at 43 during the 1991 season. And Bonds' 74 since turning 40 are the most for any player after that age.

Aaron, in comparison, hit only 42 homers after turning 40, 22 of them as a designated hitter for the Brewers in his final two seasons. The Hammer's career petered out at 44. Fisk hit four homers in his final two seasons before retiring at 45.

"I can still hit," Bonds said. "I may not be able to run much anymore, but even then I can still pick my spots. All I want to do is hit more homers than I did last year."

Bonds is only three away from the 26 he hit last year when he played on a right knee recovering from those surgeries and with bone chips in his left elbow. His Major League-leading 115 walks in 100 games are already as many as he had when he played in 130 games all last season.

"Isn't that crazy?" asked Bonds, who is the career leader with 2,541 walks and 679 intentional.

Bonds reaches destination, destiny

2007-08-08T01:54:00.000-07:00

Bonds reaches destination, destiny

SAN FRANCISCO -- Barry Bonds shot his arms in the air, cast his eyes on the ground and embarked on a 360-foot tour into Valhalla.

He jogged lightly around the AT&T Park infield, perhaps not even leaving any footprints in the dirt. If you looked real close, real perceptively, you could see two angels levitate him around the diamond -- Bobby Bonds on his left shoulder, Babe Ruth on his right.

Bobby had given him baseball genes and lessons, teaching him to play hard and live in a hard shell.

And The Babe created the legacy which Bonds now inherits, his 756th homer on Tuesday night relieving Hank Aaron of the responsibility he accepted honorably for 33 years and has now relinquished nobly.

Al Downing, you're off the hook. You have been replaced, too, by another left-hander, Mike Bacsik, the newest straight-man for history's loudest punch line.

The moment of triumph, rejoice and relief arrived at 8:51 Post Meridian (PDT), Aug. 7, 2007 Anno Domini.

Bonds lashed out at Bacsik's 3-and-2 fastball and immediately dropped his bat, rocked slightly back on his heels and raised his arms -- while simultaneously 43,154 mimicked the motion all around him.

With the ball streaking toward the seats in dead center -- its arc a rainbow at the end of which Matt Murphy found his pot of gold -- he floated down the first-base line, clapping, as pandemonium that had festered for weeks erupted.

By the time he turned third, the dugout had emptied of Giants, and the box seats had emptied of his loved ones -- wife Liz, daughters Aisha and Shikari, his mother, his sister.

The biggest Giant of them all, Willie Mays, was at the head of the reception. The Say Hey Kid gave his godson a hug, and a microphone.

Far from the celebratory scrum, in the euphoria's blind spot, Washington Nationals first baseman Dmitri Young waved his teammates off the field, clearing the stage.

Responding to the roars, Bonds bowed deeply toward all parts of the ballpark. Fireworks exploded, "756" banners dropped from the light towers to frame the scoreboard, the soundtrack of conquest shook the house.

And then Hank Aaron's earnest face and smooth voice appeared on the video board, offering an olive branch that slackened everyone's jaw, moistened everyone's eyes.

"I would like to offer my congratulations to Barry Bonds on becoming baseball's career home run leader," began a speech Aaron concluded with, "I move over now and offer my best wishes to Barry and his family on this historical achievement."

Aaron smiled. Bonds raised his helmet toward the big screen, as if Aaron could see him through the pixels.

"That meant absolutely everything to me," Bonds later acknowledged. "It hit me so fast, I didn't know what to think. It was absolutely the best."

There it was. Just as the beauty of the game continues to renew peoples' faith in the purity of baseball, Aaron reaching out to Bonds across the sea of previous acrimony once again renewed faith in the game's ability to heal wounds.

Visibly touched, Bonds quickly recovered to intone into the microphone he held, "I thank all of you -- all the fans of San Francisco. I want to thank my teammates for their support. They've given me all the support in the world and I will never forget it.

"And," he added, quickly, before his voice cracked, "my dad ..."

Bonds pointed to the sky, where his late father arose four years ago. But he couldn't for long: He soon needed his pointer to wipe the tears from his eyes.

Slowly, he receded into the dugout, along the way shaking some hands stretched out from the adjoining boxes. Once inside, he spent a private moment with manager Bruce Bochy -- who wanted to know about his preferred way to make an exit out of this game.

That decision made -- Bonds would depart in the top of the next inning as part of a double-switch, affording fans another opportunity to cheer his slow trot in from left field -- Bonds took some quality time with teammates alternating with congratulations.

Then he plopped on the bench, alone with his thoughts, his glassy eyes reflecting the depth of the emotions he was feeling.

The observance took all of 10 minutes, a blink compared to the lifetime it took to get here. At 9:01, Bacsik was back on the mound, delivering to Bengie Molina. A consistent buzz remained around the park; the audible part of electricity.

The Nationals' comeback victory permitted Bacsik to openly revel in his contribution to history without guilt.

"I'm excited," he said. "I was part of history, and we won the game. I didn't want to give it up. Now there's nothing I can do about it. Me and Al Downing are linked in history.

"I'm proud to have been part of that, and a part of Major League history."

We've all had a part. Fans from the West Coast to the Midwest. Millions have taken the ride, the older ones making daydreaming side trips to the Atlanta of an April evening long ago.

Even reporters had caught themselves taking inventory of their surroundings prior to every pitch to Bonds. They wanted to commit the images to their mental negative -- in case that became the pitch turned around into history. It was reflexive: They wanted to be able to remember everything about the moment; you know, in case the grandkids ever asked.

Are fans standing? What did that one in the right-field corner just shout? Is there still daylight? Or is that the light from the twinkling flashbulbs? Did Bonds just take a deep breath? How deep is the left fielder?

Is the fog-line above or below the palm trees? Did the pitcher flinch on that swing? What is the music rattling the speakers? What is the message on the video board?

And then, there was no more reason to reset mind's camera. All the images stuck.

Bonds reached his destination, and his destiny.

Wang wins 13th as A-Rod stays put

2007-08-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

Wang wins 13th as A-Rod stays put
Royals held to one run as third baseman remains at 499 homers
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- The urgency of Alex Rodriguez's chase for a home run has worn off. The Yankees are too busy putting runs on the scoreboard, with or without A-Rod.

Robinson Cano homered for the third time in four games and Melky Cabrera contributed an unusual two-run infield ground-rule double, backing Chien-Ming Wang and helping the Yankees to a 7-1 victory over the Royals on Friday.

The victory was the Yankees' fourth in five games against cellar-dwelling Kansas City, helping New York improve its record since the All-Star break to a Major League-best 16-7.

"For us, every win is important right now in the second half," Cano said. "[If] we want to make it to the playoffs, we need to win some games."

Rodriguez's last home run came on July 25 at Kansas City, and the return of Royal blue uniforms to the mound didn't spur the Major Leagues' leader off his perch of 35 homers.

Then again, it hasn't mattered -- with Rodriguez joking that perhaps he could become a "choppy hitter," he has concentrated more on a line-drive approach, which translated to a double in three at-bats, plus a sacrifice fly and a walk that spurred a sellout crowd of 54,246 to vociferously boo Royals left-hander Odalis Perez.

"He's there," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "I'm fine. The home run's going to come now, instead of, 'Let's wait for it.' It's just going to come by nature of the fact that he's playing the game of baseball."

With the Yankees scoring 50 runs over their last five games, opponents have had more to worry about than becoming a historical footnote in some future Rodriguez biography.

Cano got the Yankees started by clubbing a mistake breaking ball for a solo shot -- his 11th -- off Perez in the second inning. New York added two runs in the fourth off Perez as Shelley Duncan and Cano singled, moved up on an Andy Phillips sacrifice bunt, then scored on a Jose Molina sacrifice fly -- his first RBI as a Yankee -- and a booming Johnny Damon double to center field.

"I've just got everything going through right now," said Cano, who came back strong after making two errors in Thursday's matinee. "I've been working hard with [hitting coach Kevin Long] on everything the last two weeks, getting here earlier than everybody and hitting in the cage."

In his last 20 games, Cano is batting .462 (36-for-78) with five home runs and 20 RBIs.

"He's so much calmer at the plate -- he's not jumping all over the place, not swinging at everything," Torre said. "He's got a little bit better idea out of the strike zone."

Cabrera, who matched a season high with three hits, brought home a fifth run with an unorthodox ground-rule double in the sixth. Cabrera smacked a liner up the middle that ricocheted off pitcher Ryan Braun's right foot and shot off into the field-level seats behind the Yankees' dugout, allowing Phillips and Molina to score.

"Unbelievable," Cabrera said. "Good swing. Maybe a base hit, but [it was a] double, and two RBIs."

"That ball was smoked," Torre said. "He hit that ball hard. It certainly made the game less stressful for us."

And for Wang, who has gritted past a run of threatening scenarios in his recent starts. He kept that string of success alive by stifling Kansas City.

Wang allowed a run in the second inning as Kansas City strung together three of the seven hits he'd allow, including an RBI single by Ross Gload, but the right-hander otherwise settled in, throwing the hard sinker that the Yankees have long come to savor.

"I didn't try to think too much and played catch with the target," Wang said.

Molina, catching Wang for just the second time, hasn't needed much time to see what all the fuss has been about.

"It's awesome," Molina said. "It's a hard, heavy sinker, and it's hard to pick it up. It's not like 89 [mph]; it's 93 and 94. It's a little bit tough, especially when he's throwing strikes."

Wang hurled seven innings to pick up his team-leading 13th victory and his 10th win in his last 11 decisions, walking one and striking out three. Pitching coach Ron Guidry credited Wang's willingness to make slight alterations to his form for the recent success, which has spanned three consecutive victories.

"He's been predominantly pitching one way, with sinkerballs away," Guidry said. "That's where it's effective. It's tough for him to throw sinkers in to left-handers, because it always comes back over the plate. We talked about [going] in with four-seamers, your best fastballs, 94, 95, 96 mph."

In his chase for history, Rodriguez had a chance to make -- well, history. No batter in Major League history has hit a grand slam for his 500th home run, but Rodriguez came to bat with the bases loaded as part of New York's three-run sixth inning. Rodriguez instead settled for a well-hit sacrifice fly to right.

He'd have one more chance to become the 22nd member of the 500 home run club in the eighth inning, as rain began to pelt the playing field and thunderclaps drew "oohs" and "ahhs" from those fans brave enough not to seek cover.

Working against Braun, Rodriguez jumped on the first pitch and momentarily spurred hope that his long-awaited pursuit was over. His fly ball died in the glove of Royals right fielder Mark Teahen; the cinematic ending was not to be, though A-Rod admitted that a preview had crossed his mind.

"I thought of 'The Natural' there, with the lightning and the rain," Rodriguez said. "I was looking for my 'Wonderboy' bat, but I couldn't find it. It fell a little short, but that was a perfect setting to end this dramatic week."

Wang strong enough to earn 12th win

2007-07-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

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."

Yanks look to salvage finale

2007-06-28T07:24:00.000-07:00

Yanks look to salvage finale
New York (36-39) at Baltimore (34-43), Thursday, 7:05 p.m. ET
By Geremy Bass / MLB.com

The Yankees will try to end their dismal nine-game road trip on a positive note and snap a four-game losing streak when they wrap up their three-game series in Baltimore Thursday at Camden Yards.

Right-hander Chien-Ming Wang will take the mound to make his 13th start of the season. Wang received his only no-decision of the year in his last start, when he left leading San Francisco, 4-3, after allowing four runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. He's left nine of his 12 starts with the lead, mostly because the Yanks are posting an average of 5.3 runs per game when he starts. Wang is 8-3 in June over his three-year career.

New York will face erratic righty Daniel Cabrera, who can either baffle entire lineups or struggle mightily to throw strikes. In his last start, Cabrera two-hit the Diamondbacks over six innings to record his fifth win of the season. But in each of the two starts prior to that, he surrendered a career-high three home runs and picked up a loss. Cabrera's 49 walks are also tied for most in the Majors.

The Yanks have lost seven of eight games on the road trip and haven't been swept by the Orioles since April 2005.

Pitching matchup
NYY: RHP Chien-Ming Wang (7-4, 3.51 ERA)
Wang is 2-1 with a 4.19 ERA in five career starts against Baltimore, and in his last start at Camden Yards he allowed just one run in 7 1/3 innings to record a win.

BAL: RHP Daniel Cabrera (6-8, 4.98 ERA)
Cabrera is 2-3 with a 3.94 ERA in eight career starts against New York.

Player to watch
Third baseman Alex Rodriguez was 1-for-4 Wednesday and is 8-for-18 (.444) with two home runs in his career against Cabrera.

With A-Rod's help, Wang denies Mets

2007-06-18T07:28:00.000-07:00

With A-Rod's help, Wang denies Mets
Major League-leading 27th homer supports 10-strikeout gem
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Chien-Ming Wang's day started with a rude awakening, the discovery of a stiff neck from sleeping wrong. He ended it right, pitching as though he was in a dream.

Wang struck out a career-high 10 batters and came within one out of a complete game, while Alex Rodriguez clubbed his Major League-leading 27th home run, leading the Yankees past the Mets in Sunday's Subway Series finale, 8-2. The win clinched a series victory and kept momentum on the side of the Yankees, who have won 11 of their last 12 games and 14 of 17.

Complaining of a tight feeling in the right side of his neck, Wang reported to Yankee Stadium well ahead of the players' 5 p.m. ET report time on Sunday, administering heat therapy to help loosen him up for the start.

The treatment didn't completely knock out the kink, but that seemed to be just about all Wang couldn't put under wraps. He limited the Mets to just six hits and mixed in an effective slider and used his changeup often -- more, he said, than in any previous big-league start, complementing his vicious sinker.

The results were striking, as Wang shut the Mets out through six innings before being touched for a run in the seventh inning -- by which time the Yankees had already pieced together a six-run lead -- on a Carlos Delgado double. Otherwise, Wang was dominant going into the final frame, striking out the side around a hit in the eighth inning.

"That's something certainly out of character for him," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "But it gives you an idea -- when he gets that off pitch working for him, the slider or changeup, that really makes a difference for him."

By Wang's 10th and final strikeout, a whiff of Mets spark plug Jose Reyes to end the eighth, Rodriguez said that he looked up and marveled at what the Yankees' "special talent" had achieved.

"I couldn't believe it," Rodriguez said. "I thought it was a different game."

With a series of relievers having risen in the bullpen, only to be seated once again as Wang continued to rifle past the Mets, Torre permitted Wang to go batter-to-batter in the ninth inning as he neared his eventual 113-pitch conclusion.

A route-going effort dangled as a teaser, but Wang allowed a leadoff double to Ramon Castro and a run-scoring hit to Carlos Beltran before getting David Wright to hit into a 5-4-3 double play that put him just one out away from completion.

Torre said that the Yankees had already decided that Wright would be Wang's last batter, no matter the outcome, and Mike Myers came on and struck out Delgado to end the game.

"There was no sense in him going 120 [pitches]," Torre said.

The Yankees built their lead by battering around an old friend, right-hander Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, who surrendered six runs and seven hits -- including the two-run homer to Rodriguez and a solo shot to Johnny Damon -- before being lifted with two outs in the fifth inning.

The red-hot Rodriguez's blast came with two outs in the first, as the slugger unloaded on a 2-0 pitch and sent it over the left-field wall, the beginning of a three-RBI night for A-Rod. Rodriguez clubbed five home runs on the Yankees' homestand and leads the Majors with 73 RBIs, personal achievements that he said are more enjoyable now that the Yankees have found a formula for success.

"Winning's what makes it all special," Rodriguez said. "April was OK, but we weren't really winning any games, so it was hard to enjoy that. The fact that we're [winning], that's what counts."

Miguel Cairo added an RBI double and Damon had a run-scoring hit in the second, and the Yankees tacked on when Bobby Abreu tripled and came home on a Rodriguez sacrifice fly in the third.

Damon reached Hernandez in the fifth for a solo shot to right, the designated hitter's fourth home run of the season and an extremely good sign for the Yankees, given Damon's recent absence from the lineup due to a mild abdominal strain that the club feared might make him unavailable for use in National League parks.

"I definitely feel like I should be doing better," Damon said. "Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come."

Torre said that the Yankees still haven't come to a decision on where Damon could play, if at all, under NL rules. But Sunday's showcase certainly didn't hurt.

"Doing what he's doing right now has kept him pretty healthy," Torre said. "I'm not saying we're not going to play him in the outfield and we're not going to play him at first base. We're going to have to make a decision."

Jorge Posada completed the Yankees' scoring by ripping a two-run homer, his ninth, off reliever Aaron Heilman in the eighth inning. The power displays provided plenty of support for Wang, who won his fourth consecutive outing and his first career start against the Mets.

After missing the beginning of the season and having a slow beginning, Wang has been rolling, allowing just four earned runs in his last 28 innings.

As the Yankees prepare to embark on a three-city, 10-day road trip to Colorado, San Francisco and Baltimore, Torre said that Wang will have the benefit of an extra day of rest on the upcoming schedule. Pushed back to Saturday, Wang's next outing and an attempt at a fifth straight win will come at San Francisco's AT&T Park, a setting Wang said he was looking forward to due to a large Taiwanese population in the Bay Area.

Of course, there's also one large caveat to that matchup, one that could serve to somewhat interrupt the good feelings of the hurler's recent run.

Yet, when asked about the prospect of facing Giants slugger Barry Bonds in less than a week, Wang simply showcased the smile of a man with weapons of confidence at his disposal.

"Keep the ball down," he said, grinning.