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Wang helps Yankees halt three-game slide

May 3, 2008 - 4:05 AM By Larry Fleisher PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BRONX, New York (Ticker) -- Inconsistent starting pitching has been a problem for the New York Yankees. But when Chien-Ming Wang is on the mound, that trend is reversed.

Wang pitched six effective innings to become the first six-game winner in the American League as the Yankees recorded a 5-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday.

The Yankees snapped a three-game losing streak but continued to struggle offensively. They capitalized on four errors to score three runs in the first two innings and went on to win despite mustering just four hits against Erik Bedard (2-1).

That was enough for Wang (6-0), who allowed one run and three hits in joining Arizona's Brandon Webb as the only six-game winners in the majors. Wang also became the first Yankee to open 6-0 since teammate Mike Mussina in 2003.

Wang struck out five and issued a pair of walks while throwing 53 of his 90 pitches for strikes. With the performance, he improved to 7-0 in seven career starts against Seattle.

"The second inning, I used two-seamer and slider (more)," said Wang, who is 22-6 in starts following a loss by the Yankees.

"He comes at you with his fastball," Seattle's Jamie Burke said. "He's got a great sinker. He mixes it on both sides of the plate and he comes in with the slider. It's tough. He throws 94 (miles per hour) and it's right in the zone. The next thing you know, the bottom is out."

Kyle Farnsworth struck out two in a hitless seventh, Joba Chamberlain allowed a two-out single in the eighth and Mariano Rivera worked a perfect ninth in a non-save situation.

Wang's outing was a welcome sight for first-year manager Joe Girardi, who had watched rookies Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes - as well as veteran Andy Pettitte - struggle against Detroit, which swept its recent three-game series with New York. Hughes eventually landed on the disabled list with a rib injury after lasting just 3 2/3 innings, Pettitte allowed two home runs for the second straight start and Kennedy was unable to escape the fifth frame.

"After losing three games to Detroit, we were frustrated," Girardi said. "He came out and delivered in a big way."

Wang has allowed just one run and seven hits over his last two outings and is 22-3 in the last 30 dating to June 1. Girardi attributes the success to an effective slider.

"It's been really good his last two starts," Girardi said. "What I like is the depth of it. When you get something going the other way, it just really keeps hitters off-balance."

"The first couple of innings wasn't that great," New York catcher Jose Molina said. "But his slider and changeup was really good (afterward)."

Wang, who has lasted six innings in each of his victories this season, was attended to in the fifth on Friday for what turned out to be a cramp in his hand.

"I was able to grip the ball, but it wasn't that comfortable for me to release the ball," he said.

Bedard allowed three runs - one earned - and four hits in seven innings.

The lefthander, who had won his previous three decisions against New York while with Baltimore, did not allow a hit over his final five innings. He has surrendered just one earned run in his last 27 innings vs. the Yankees.

Bedard did not allow a hit after Melky Cabrera's two-run double in the second, which gave New York a 3-1 lead. The two-base hit was set up by a pair of errors on plays involving Morgan Ensberg.

"If you do (lose focus), you're going to give up a lot more runs," Bedard said. "I just focused on the next guy."

Ensberg opened the inning with a hard grounder that was misplayed by third baseman Adrian Beltre. He then was caught stealing, but second baseman Jose Lopez botched the throw from catcher Burke.

An inning earlier, shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt booted Derek Jeter's one-out grounder. Jeter later scored New York's first run on Hideki Matsui's two-out single, which extended the Japanese veteran's hitting streak to 12 games.

The shaky defense resulted Seattle's third straight loss and seventh in 11 games.

"It's just one of those things where we have to get through it and forget about it," Burke said.

Ensberg added an insurance run in the eighth with an RBI single and Jose Molina followed with a sacrifice fly to cap the scoring.