Wang works wonders
NEW YORK – Before Chien-Ming Wang’s latest gem, New York Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner gave a pointed assessment of the team’s sluggish start.
“We just can’t win one out of five games, every time Wang pitches,” Steinbrenner said. “It’s not going to work. It’s not a good win percentage. Starting pitching is where it’s at, especially in the postseason. At this point, we’ll see if we even make the postseason.”
Wang keeps doing his part. On a night so chilly that his pitching hand cramped, Wang became the American League’s first six-game winner and ended the Yankees’ three-game losing streak Friday with a 5-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
While New York has won all seven starts by Wang (6-0), the Yankees are 8-16 in other games. He pitched shutout ball into the sixth inning, and Kyle Farnsworth, Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera completed a four-hitter.
The Yankees improved to 27-7 when Wang starts following a loss, winning 11 in a row, and he is 22-6 in those games.
Wang improved to 7-0 against the Mariners in seven career starts, allowing three hits in six innings and striking out five. Early in the game, catcher Jose Molina went to the mound with a message.
“Attack the zone. Don’t be afraid to throw through the middle,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where he throws it, it’s going to move.”
In the past, Wang relied heavily on his sinker most nights. This year, he’s shown a more varied repertoire.
“We don’t even talk. That’s probably the good thing about it. I don’t know if he likes me, anyway,” joked Molina, who sported a Wang T-shirt. “Now you have to look for the slider, maybe change, maybe split, and still have the sinker there.”
Mariners catcher Jamie Burke explained why Wang’s assortment of pitches is tough on hitters.
“He comes after you with his fastball. He’s got a great sinker and he mixes it on both sides of the plate,” said Burke. “He comes with the slider, and it’s tough when it’s 94 and it’s right in the zone, and the next thing, it’s at the bottom of the zone.”
Hideki Matsui hit an RBI single in the first inning and Melky Cabrera added a two-run double in the second off Erik Bedard (2-1). Bedard entered with a 20-inning scoreless streak against the Yankees but was hurt by Seattle’s defense, which made four errors in the first three innings and allowed two unearned runs. New York padded its lead in the eighth, when Morgan Ensberg hit an RBI single off Sean Green and Molina had a sacrifice fly.
Bedard, in his second start since returning from a hip injury, allowed four hits in seven innings – none after the second – struck out six and walked one, retiring his final 14 batters.
He didn’t worry about the fielding follies, which included errors by third baseman Adrian Beltre, second baseman Jose Lopez, shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt and Burke, who came out from behind the plate and muffed a foul popup.
“If you do, you’re going to give up a lot more runs,” Bedard said. “You just focus on the next guy.”
Seattle lost its third straight and dropped to 6-10 on the road. The Mariners got their run in the sixth, when Ichiro Suzuki singled, stole second and third and came home on Raul Ibanez’s groundout.
Burke walked with one out in the fifth, just after a Yankees trainer came out to check on Wang’s cramp. Betancourt swung at the next pitch and grounded into a double play.
Mariners manager John McLaren didn’t speak with reporters afterward.
“It’s just one of those times right now where we’ve got to get through it and forget about what happened and go on to the next day,” Burke said.