Womack, Wang spark Yanks to 'W' - 棒球

Womack, Wang spark Yanks to 'W'

The Yankee Stadium faithful welcome Chien-Ming Wang to the big leagues. (Ed
Betz/AP) http://tinyurl.com/aex7h 去現場看的球迷拿著王建民加油的海報

NEW YORK -- Tony Womack's ninth-inning single with the bases loaded Saturday
gave the Yankees a 4-3 victory over the Blue Jays, snapping the Bombers'
three-game losing streak.
Womack's dart into right field off reliever Vinnie Chulk (0-1), making a
winner out of a resurfaced Mariano Rivera, was the last act, snapping a 3-3
tie.

But there was little question at Yankee Stadium to whom the first seven acts
belonged:Chien-Ming Wang, whose Major League debut left everyone begging,
and waiting, for an encore.

"The kid pitched really well. It has to go a long way toward his next start,"
said a grateful Joe Torre, who called the 23-year-old Taiwanese's debut
stronger than any other he could recall during his first nine years at the
Yankees' helm.

"We haven't seen one like it since I've been here. Even when he got into a
little trouble, he wiggled off. He didn't do anything wrong."

Except, leave. Wang held the Blue Jays to six varied hits and two runs
through seven innings, then was told to give up the ball.

The Jays, thereafter, completed their comeback from 0-3 on Corey Koskie's
one-out homer in the eighth off Tom Gordon, pulling them into a 3-3 tie and
spoiling Wang's effort.

Not that you could read it on his face afterwards. Actually, you couldn't
read anything on the face of the calm, composed youngster -- before, during
or after his performance.

His eyes definitely are not a window into his soul.

"I did feel a little nervous in the first inning, then I started to feel more
at ease," said Wang, the first Yankees rookie pitcher to bow with a start in
Yankee Stadium since Bret Jodie, on July 20, 2001, also against the Blue
Jays.

In that "nervous" first, Wang retired the Blue Jays on six pitches. He went
on to mow down the first 10 men he faced, a spell broken by Orlando Hudson's
infield single, and allowed six hits and two runs in seven economical
innings. Wang needed only 81 pitches in an outing most remarkable for his
lack of a strikeout.

"But he's very sneaky. His fastball jumps, and he jammed a lot of people and
broke a lot of bats," Torre said. "His delivery may be deceptive because it's
so deliberate."

The 47,483 in Yankee Stadium got soaked, but not the Yankees braintrust which
had high hopes for Wang, trusting that his Minor League successes would
translate to the Majors.

The organization's Pitcher of the Year in 2004 and off to a 2-0 start in
Columbus this season, Wang appeared to have Toronto batters off balance,
swinging off their front feet.

"This was my typical performance," he said. "Like I would pitch at Triple-A.
I thought their hitters were pretty sticky."

Another pine tar controversy at Yankee Stadium? No, no. As his interpreter
elaborated, "By that, he means they tried to analyze him, were rather
persistent in trying to hit the ball."

No question, Blue Jays hitters began taking lustier swings and producing
harder-hit balls after a couple of times around the lineup. But although
suddenly surrounded by baserunners, Wang kept his composure -- and his lead.

"I felt OK," he said, despite the most earnest prodding of journalists from
his country. "My straight ball and curve ball ... I felt pretty good about
them today."

Wang -- who has a long-term reservation in the New York rotation with Jaret
Wright expected to miss five more weeks with his sore shoulder -- topped the
feel-good charts on the last day of April.

Another positive was clutch hitting. David Bush and his relief gave the
Yankees few scoring chances, but they maximized the opportunities.

Tony Womack / 2B
Born: 09/25/69
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 170 lbs
Bats: L / Throws: R

The epilogue belonged to Womack, who followed a bases-loading intentional
walk of pinch-hitter Jorge Posada with his game-winning single.

"I wanted to make him get the ball up," Womack said of Chulk. "We've all been
grinding. But we're still there. Time to turn the page."

Alex Rodriguez set up the Yankees' second last at-bat win of the season by
drawing a four-pitch leadoff walk. He was forced on a bunt by Andy Phillips,
who motored to third on Tino Martinez's single before Posada was walked
intentionally to load the bases for Womack.

Then there was Rivera (2-1), who worked a perfect ninth in his first
appearance in nine days. And that prior April 21 sighting in Toronto had come
after an earlier lull of eight days.

"I was surprised that his command was so good. Aside from being ill [Thursday
and Friday], he hadn't pitched for a week before that. I was surprised how
sharp he was," Torre said.

The Yankees jumped into a 2-0 lead in the first inning, before Bush got his
bearings.

Derek Jeter led off with a single and, running on the pitch, scored all the
way from first base as Bernie Williams caromed a single off the glove of
Hudson. After advancing on another single by Gary Sheffield, Williams scored
as Hideki Matsui bounced into a double play.

Rodriguez led off the fourth with his ninth homer -- and fifth in five games
-- for a 3-0 lead.

The Blue Jays cut into that with a powder-puff rally in the fifth, scoring
two runs driven in by Russ Adams' infield grounder and Frank Catalanotto's
infield single.

http://tinyurl.com/aex7h
04/30/2005 4:46 PM ET Womack, Wang spark Yanks to 'W'
Second baseman's RBI single in ninth ends slide
By Tom Singer / MLB.com

--
★☆^^滿滿ㄉㄟ幸福與感動^^☆★


--