06/14: Joba the Starter Starts Paying Dividends as Yankees Go Two (Yes, TWO!) Games Above .500
Posted by: Patrick
Friday night's game featured a pitcher's duel between Yankees starter Joba Chamberlain and one-time Yankee Shawn Chacon. Chacon had the better game statistically (he pitched one additional out and allowed three less hits), but Joba was right there with him and threw 6 innings of 1 run ball, allowing 6 hits while striking out 2 and walking 4.
The Yankees scored first thanks to an A-Rod RBI single in the first inning that scored Bobby Abreu. It would be all zeros from there until the Astros finally answered with an RBI single of their own.
Jose Veras relieved Joba to start the seventh and was awesome, retiring all six batters that he faced. The final run of the game was scored in the eighth when Derek Jeter led off the inning with a go ahead home run. Yankees 2, Astros 1.
Mo has been worked pretty hard lately, so Girardi opted to go to Kyle Farnsworth. The first batter Farnsworth faced, he hit. You can imagine the collective sound throughout the nation, loosely translated to "here we go again". But, then, something happened. Farnsworth retired the speedy Michael Bourn. Jose Molina caught Ty Wiggington stealing to clear the bases. And Geoff Blum struck out swinging to end it. Farnsworth collected the save, his first of the year.
Hideki Matsui continued his hot bat, as the only Yankee to collect 2 hits, going 2 for 4. Posada had the other hit, along with a walk. Cano, A-Rod and Giambi had walks, as well, and Abreu stole his sixth base of the year.
With the win, the Yankees moved into third place in the division, 6 games behind the Red Sox. Tonight, at 7:05 PM ET, Mike Mussina (9-4, 3.82) will take the hill against Wandy Rodriguez (2-2, 1.99).
The Yankees scored first thanks to an A-Rod RBI single in the first inning that scored Bobby Abreu. It would be all zeros from there until the Astros finally answered with an RBI single of their own.
Jose Veras relieved Joba to start the seventh and was awesome, retiring all six batters that he faced. The final run of the game was scored in the eighth when Derek Jeter led off the inning with a go ahead home run. Yankees 2, Astros 1.
Mo has been worked pretty hard lately, so Girardi opted to go to Kyle Farnsworth. The first batter Farnsworth faced, he hit. You can imagine the collective sound throughout the nation, loosely translated to "here we go again". But, then, something happened. Farnsworth retired the speedy Michael Bourn. Jose Molina caught Ty Wiggington stealing to clear the bases. And Geoff Blum struck out swinging to end it. Farnsworth collected the save, his first of the year.
Hideki Matsui continued his hot bat, as the only Yankee to collect 2 hits, going 2 for 4. Posada had the other hit, along with a walk. Cano, A-Rod and Giambi had walks, as well, and Abreu stole his sixth base of the year.
With the win, the Yankees moved into third place in the division, 6 games behind the Red Sox. Tonight, at 7:05 PM ET, Mike Mussina (9-4, 3.82) will take the hill against Wandy Rodriguez (2-2, 1.99).
Seamus wrote: