Thanks to Chien-Ming Wang’s dominant outing last night, and the strong defense that enabled it, the Yankees ran their streak of scoreless innings pitched to 18 before the Devil Rays were finally able to break through with a single run in the ninth. It was too little too late as the Yankees capitalized on a Rocco Baldelli error for a run in the sixth, then drove Scott Kazmir from the game in the seventh when Johnny Damon, who scored that first run as a pinch-runner for Jason Giambi, tripled in Melky and Jeter to make it 3-0. Damon’s triple was just the fourth extra base hit by a lefty off Kazmir all year. The Yanks got two more in the eighth off reliever Edwin Jackson and that was all she wrote, 5-1 Yanks.
Today the Yankees have a chance to both sweep the Devil Rays, who took three of four from the Red Sox in the series prior to this one, and extend their current winning streak to five games, tying their two longest winning streaks of the year. Not a bad way to enter the All-Star break, though one almost wishes they didn’t have to take four days off the way they’re playing right now.
The man trying to stop them will be Casey Fossum, who held the Yanks to two runs over 6 1/3 back on May 3, but wound up losing that game 4-2. More recently, Fossum’s been pulling a Jaret Wright routine, lasting no more than six innings with ugly peripherals, but managing to minimize the damage, allowing two runs or less in four of his last five starts. Most recently, the ex-Sock held his former team to one run over five while striking out eight.
Kris Wilson will take the ball for the Yankees and will be backed up by a very well rested bullpen, with perhaps only Kyle Farnsworth, who pitched in each of the last two games, unavailable.
