Taiwan’s Wang Chien-ming got what he wanted when the surging New York Yankees decided to put him back in the starting rotation and move Phil Hughes to the bullpen on Wednesday.
Wang got off to an awful start this season before going on the disabled list with weakness in the adductor muscles in his hips. He has pitched well since he was activated on May 22, allowing two runs and nine hits in eight innings over three relief appearances to lower his ERA from 34.50 to 16.07, and he was to start against the Texas Rangers yesterday.
Wang threw two scoreless innings at Texas on May 27 and followed that with three shutout innings against Cleveland on Sunday, convincing the Yankees he was back to the form that helped him win 19 games each in 2006 and 2007.
PHOTO: REUTERS
“We weren’t just going to move him to move him,” manager Joe Girardi said. “We had to feel that his stuff was back and watching him these last two times has made us feel that his stuff is back.”
Wang will be limited to about 80 pitches in his first start since April 18. CC Sabathia was pushed back to today’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays, originally scheduled to be Hughes’ start.
The move splits up Andy Pettitte and Sabathia, the left-handers in New York’s rotation, and gives Sabathia an extra day of rest.
Wang, who missed the final three-and-a-half months of last season after severely injuring his right foot while running the bases in Houston, was happy about the switch. He acknowledged he didn’t like the bullpen very much.
“[It’s] very hard because you don’t know when you’re going to pitch,” he said.
Hughes, who joined the rotation when Wang went on the disabled list, is 3-2 with a 5.45 ERA in seven starts this year. He said his two games in the 2007 American League division series against Cleveland are the only times he has worked out of the bullpen in his life.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, NEW YORK
The Texas Rangers leapfrogged New York for the best record in the American League with a 4-2 win over the Yankees on Wednesday.
Scott Feldman pitched into the seventh inning, allowing only one earned run, to win his third consecutive start.
New York catcher Jorge Posada homered for the second straight day. Veteran pitcher Andy Pettitte, who left his previous start with a stiff back, looked shaky over five innings.
The Yankees were without first baseman Mark Teixeira, who was scratched with a bruised right ankle.
Ranger closer Frank Francisco got three outs for his 12th save.
RED SOX 10, TIGERS 5
In Detroit, Boston beat Detroit, and took advantage of New York’s defeat to move equal atop the AL East Division.
Also on Wednesday it was:
• Angels 8, Blue Jays 1
• Rays 9, Royals 0
• Mariners 3, Orioles 2
• Indians 10, Twins 1
• Athletics 5, White Sox 3
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, ATLANTA, GEORGIA
Pinch-hitter Micah Hoffpauir blooped an RBI single to left field in the 11th inning for the Chicago Cubs to beat the Atlanta Braves 3-2 in the National League on Wednesday.
Derrek Lee started the 11th by drawing a walk from Jeff Bennett (2-3), then pulled off a nifty bit of baserunning to reach second.
On a routine fly to left, Lee caught Matt Diaz off guard by tagging up and just beating a delayed throw to the bag. Lee stopped at third on a single by Reed Johnson but came home when Hoffpauir looped a single just over the head of third baseman Chipper Jones.
Wednesday’s other games:
• Reds 9, Cardinals 3
• Brewers 9, Marlins 6
• Astros 6, Rockies 4
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