• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Yankees use dominant pitching to blank Rays

Apr 6, 2008 - 10:30 PM BRONX, New York (Ticker) -- With their bats remaining quiet, the New York Yankees rode the pitching of Chien-Ming Wang, Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera to a 2-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.

Wang (2-0) won for the second time in as many starts this season, allowing four hits in six-plus innings with two walks and six strikeouts. He tired in the seventh and left after singles by Cliff Floyd and Eric Hinske put runners on the corners.

"He had a good changeup," Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said of Wang. "He's pretty good at mixing his pitches up. He pitched well last year and he's off to a good start this year."

Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who returned to the dugout after missing two games with an upper respiratory infection, asked Chamberlain to get more than three outs for the first time this season.

"We brought Joba in (during the seventh inning) because we felt we needed some strikeouts," Girardi said. "Right there, we had to keep in check. He got three quick outs and we were able to use him in the eighth."

Chamberlain, who got a 101 mile-per-hour reading on the radar gun, had no problem with the extra work load. He worked out of the jam in the seventh by striking out Willy Aybar and getting Shawn Riggans to line to second baseman Robinson Cano for an inning-ending double play.

"I'm still young and dumb sometimes, and sometimes that works for me," Chamberlain said. "I don't try and do too much. I just try to attack the zone and be aggressive."

Chamberlain worked a perfect eighth before Rivera recorded the final three outs for his third save.

"I don't know accurate those things (radar guns) are," Jeter added. "I'm sure when you're facing (Chamberlain) and see that, it sort of speeds everything up and it could sort of be intimidating for guys."

Hideki Matsui provided all the offense Wang needed with a two-run home run off James Shields (1-1) in the fourth inning. Alex Rodriguez doubled with one out and scored on Matsui's shot into the right-field seats.

It was the second homer of the season for Matsui, who also singled twice.

Wang, who defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-2, in the season opener, held the Rays hitless until Aybar singled with one out in the fifth.

"I did get more out of the slider this time," Wang said. "I'm trying to find more ways to get hitters out. I don't want to just rely on my sinker."

The Yankees missed a chance to turn a double play when Cano dropped shortstop Derek Jeter's throw on Riggans' grounder for an error.

But with runners on first and third, the Yankees got a break when Jason Bartlett failed to make contact an an attempted squeeze. Aybar was caught in a rundown and easily tagged out.

"We messed up," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "It's not how it should have happened. It was a missed sign. It was a mental mistake and they'll get you every time."

Shields allowed eight hits in five-plus innings, working out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth.

"WanG pitched pretty well and he outpitched me today," Shields said.