Yanks show glee over Wang's return - 棒球

BALTIMORE -- April has not necessarily been kind to the Yankees in recent memory, as the club looks to avoid another slow start and post the first winning record in that month since 2006.

Following Tuesday's off-day, the Yankees return to action on Wednesday against the Orioles at Camden Yards, attempting to even their regular-season record. Opening Day may have been a dud, but the Yankees are ready to try and get it right for the rest of the month.

"I think there's a lot of optimism here with our team, but it's a long season," Derek Jeter said. "Hopefully, we can get off to a good start -- the last few years, we've dug ourselves a little bit of a hole. As long as people stay healthy, I like our chances."

Wednesday will mark the first regular-season start for right-hander Chien-Ming Wang since he limped off the field on June 15 in Houston, where he injured his right foot while running the bases in an Interleague contest.

The 29-year-old Wang was 1-2 with a 4.15 ERA in six official Spring Training starts against big league competition, coming back strong from the injury and recording his only victory while pitching the first game at the new Yankee Stadium on Friday.

His presence is a welcome one in the No. 2 slot for New York, having won 46 games over the past three seasons, including back-to-back 19-victory campaigns in 2006 and '07.

"That's a lot of games from a starter," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "He was one of the innings guys as well, and we didn't have that. He was a big loss last year. I've been happy with what I've seen from him, whether it's been pitching or physically. I have a good feeling about his season."

Though CC Sabathia was unable to find his command on Opening Day and Mark Teixeira took an 0-for-4 collar in front of his booing home state of Maryland, the Yankees still believe they have a club that will go toe-to-toe with any other staff in the American League.

"I think you have to go through it," Jeter said. "Everybody struggles. I don't care if you're a new guy or you've been here for a long time, there's periods when you're going to do good and periods when you're going to do bad. It's just how you deal with the bad times, because here, everything is under a microscope a little bit more."

After Wang gets the game ball on Wednesday, A.J. Burnett will start Thursday against Baltimore, with the rotation rounded out by Andy Pettitte and Joba Chamberlain.

"We have a five-man rotation with a good chance to win every night, and that's the way we want it," catcher Jorge Posada said. "Whoever is on the mound, we have a pretty good chance to keep the opposition down and score some runs."

Pitching matchup
NYY: RHP Chien-Ming Wang (8-2, 4.07 ERA in 2008)
Wang made 15 starts for the Yankees last season before his year ended due to a right foot injury suffered while running the bases in Houston. The blow was crushing to the Yankees, as they were 12-3 in games the right-handed sinkerballer had started. Despite missing much of last year, Wang has won 46 games since 2006, tied for third most in the AL and eighth most in the Majors. His .754 combined winning percentage over the past three seasons is the second highest in the big leagues, behind only Boston's
Jon Lester. Wang did not face the Orioles in 2008 and is 3-1 with a 5.13 ERA in nine career games (eight starts) against Baltimore.

BAL: RHP Koji Uehara (Major League debut)
Uehara, a former ace of the Yomiuri Giants, will make his Major League debut in the second game of the season. Uehara is undefeated in international competition in his career and was highly decorated in his homeland, winning his league's equivalent of the Rookie of the Year Award once and the Cy Young Award twice. Now, Uehara has come to the United States for a new challenge and will immediately slot in as one of Baltimore's most experienced pitchers. Uehara, who learned a circle changeup in Spring
Training, is known as an extreme strike thrower.

Tidbits
Wang was 5-0 with a 2.18 ERA in seven starts away from New York in 2008. ... The Yankees are 30-8 in Wang's last 38 starts dating back to June 1, 2007. ... The Yankees will be part of four home openers in 2009, having opened Baltimore and also taking part in openers in Kansas City, Tampa Bay and New York. They are the only big league team to have that many this year. ... New York's Opening Series rotation in Baltimore has a combined 15-2 record and 4.06 ERA vs. the Orioles. ... Nick Swisher stroked a
pinch-hit double in his first Yankees at-bat on Monday.

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