The Wang Way is the Right Way

Chien-Ming Wang struggled last September, got thrashed in the '07 ALDS, and was pretty much mediocre this spring. Some fans thrashed out at him even though he'd won the most regular season games the last 2 years. They felt it was a fluke and that he wasn't truly an ace. We wonder what those dopes think now.

The Wanger dominated the Red Sox last night in a 2-hit complete game, 4-1 at Fenway Park. Wang threw just 93 pitches and nearly had a no-hitter entering the 9th. Leading 1-0 in the 6th, Wang retired the first two hitters on deep fly outs to right. The next hitter, J.D. Drew sent one even deeper. Bobby Abreu got back to the wall, but his leap was impeded on the way up, when he banged into the wall. The ball glanced off the top of his glove and into the Red Sox bullpen for a game tying home run. Though Coco Crisp's 2-out bunt in the 9th provided the Sox with a second hit, Abreu still felt bad about the play after the game.

"I feel bad. It could have been a chance for a 'no-no' there. ... I gave up the hit.
I should have caught it," Abreu said."

The Yankees had Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz on the ropes in the 5th and 6th innings, but couldn't break the game open. Terry Francona turned things over to Mike Timlin, fresh off the DL, to start the 7th, and he was quickly greeted by a Jason Giambi home run to straight away centerfield. For the slumping Giambi it was just his second hit of the season, both of them home runs.

Jose Molina, who had doubled in the Yankees first run, doubled again off of Timlin. Alberto Gonzalez sacrificed Molina to 3rd and Melky Cabrera brought him home with a sacrifice fly.

The Yankees left the bases loaded in the 8th, but tacked on a run in the 9th off of David Aardsma. Gonzalez doubled, was sacrificed to 3rd by Cabrera and scored on Abreu's infield single.

Two runs would have been enough for Wang though who faced just 29 batters, 2 over the minimum. He retired the first 10 men he faced until Dustin Pedroia ripped one down the 3rd Base line. Alex Rodriguez made a lunging stop, but his throw to 1st Base was high, pulling Giambi off the base. A-Rod was charged with an error on the play.

News and Notes

David Ortiz's season long slumped continued. He was for 0-3 and has just 3 hits in 39 at-bats. Manny Ramirez's 0-3 dropped his average to .256.

Jorge Posada took 20 throws from 90 feet prior to the game, but said he's not ready to return to his catching position. His shoulder does feel better though.