Baseball - For at Least a Night, Wang and the Yanks Have Control

Hitters usually know just what to expect from the Yankees? Chien-Ming Wang: heavy sinkers begging to be topped into the dirt. David Ortiz, the Boston Red Sox slugger, has faced Wang many times, but he did not quite recognize him last night at Yankee Stadium.

?At the beginning, I thought he was hurting,? Ortiz said. ?He wasn?t trying to be too aggressive, just throwing more off-speed. At one point, I got a double and when I got into second base, I asked Derek Jeter, Is he hurting? and he said, ?No.? But he was very different than what he always used to be.?

Mixing more sliders and changeups among his sinkers, Wang held an early lead and worked six and a third strong innings, guiding the Yankees to a 6-2 victory before 55,078 fans. The crowd gave Wang a standing ovation as he left the mound.

The Yankees are still below .500, at 20-23, and still far behind Boston in the American League East, at nine and a half games back. But for a team that has not won more than three games in a row all season, any kind of winning streak is important.

?We?ve won two in a row,? Manager Joe Torre said. ?It?s not something we usually trumpet, but we haven?t done that in a while.?

The Yankees had been sabotaged by poor offense lately but have scored at least six runs in each of their past three games. This time, the Red Sox left 12 runners on base, including 8 in scoring position.

They left the bases loaded in the second inning against Wang, who impressed Torre by striking out Kevin Youkilis with a slider on a full count. Of his 114 pitches, Wang said catcher Jorge Posada called about 20 sliders, which he guessed was his most ever.

?Sado said not every time the same pitch,? Wang said, referring to Posada by his nickname. ?I changed something.?

Wang?s sinker has been very effective, but Boston has tormented him. Before last night, Wang was 2-4 with a 5.05 earned run average against the Red Sox. Ortiz came into the game 9 for 20 (.400) off Wang, and Manny Ram?rez was 10 for 16 (.625).

?When you pitch against a team a lot and you pitch them the same way, they know how you pitch,? said Ron Guidry, the pitching coach. ?He still had good velocity throughout the game, but we talked a lot about trying to do things differently ? when you?re pitching in certain counts, maybe try something else once in a while.?

Guidry said he jokingly told Wang that he was not happy with him because he had walked three batters. But there was also much to like ? Wang retired the leadoff man in every inning, he struck out five, a season high, and he evened his record at 3-3.

For all of the Yankees? pitching injuries, their rookie starters have not been their problem. In 21 games started by rookies, the Yankees are 10-11, about the best they could hope for.

They have mostly failed to capitalize on starts by their top three of Wang, Mike Mussina and Andy Pettitte. When those three have pitched, the Yankees are only 8-12.

This game was never in doubt, though, because of Boston starter Tim Wakefield, who said he never got comfortable. Wakefield worked five innings, allowing six runs, nine hits and five walks. Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi homered off him.

?The ball stayed up; it wasn?t diving at the end, as you can tell by the two home runs,? Wakefield said. ?I just didn?t have great stuff tonight and they took advantage, not only of the walks but the ball staying up in the zone.?

Johnny Damon had three hits and a walk for the Yankees, with two stolen bases. Damon said he had lost weight and was down to 206 pounds, his lightest in six years. He has been slowed by calf and back injuries, but looked spry last night.

?His body just looked like it was electric,? Torre said.

Electric is a term sometimes applied to Wang?s sinker, when it darts down and away from left-handed hitters. It stayed up at times last night, but Wang had other choices. The more pitches he can command, the more staying power he may have.

?He?s going to be pitching in this game for a long time,? Ortiz said. ?He?s got good stuff, and he?s real smart out there when he?s trying to do his job.?

INSIDE PITCH

Phil Hughes, who strained his left hamstring May 1, threw 25 fastballs from halfway up a mound in Tampa, Fla., yesterday. It was Hughes?s first time throwing on a mound since the injury, and he is expected to throw from all the way up the mound in a day or two. ... Darrell Rasner was in the clubhouse last night, two days after surgery to insert pins in his broken right index finger. Rasner, who is expected to miss at least three months, wore a thick cast and said he could have the pins removed in four weeks. ?I can?t believe what happened,? said Rasner, who was struck by a comebacker Saturday. ?I?m at a loss for words.? ... With his 204th home run Sunday, Jorge Posada passed Roger Maris for 10th on the Yankees? career list. Next up is Dave Winfield, at 205. ... Carl Pavano was absent again yesterday when the Yankees returned home after nine games at other ballparks. General Manager Brian Cashman said the team expected to have a resolution today on whether Pavano would have reconstructive elbow surgery.

I am a SEO Analyst working with A1 Internet Design.