It's Only A Start ... And A Huge Relief

CC Sabathia and Alex Rodriguez gave the Yankees the boost they needed.

But let's not get too giddy, yet. It's a big win, but we need a quite a few more before we should start to feel good.

Alex Rodriguez returned to the lineup and hit a three-run homer on the first pitch he saw and CC Sabathia pitched a four-hitter with eight strikeout as the Yankees ended a torturous, five-game losing streak with a 4-0 victory over the Orioles Friday at Baltimore. Thank goodness that agony is over.

It didn't take long for A-Rod to turn around the Yankees' fortunes. The Yankees had gone 41 straight innings without a lead, dating to Saturday's loss to the Angels. With two on and one-out, A-Rod stepped to the plate and sent Jeremy Guthrie's first offering, a fat 98 mph fastball, into the stands in left.

It was dramatic. It was amazing. It was pure A-Rod.

Before the game, he was the center of attention as the media swarmed around him. He actually came off better than he normally does, talking about how he's dedicated himself to just playing the game, like he did in 2007, and admitting that he's not the savior for this team. He deflected questions about Serena Roberts' book, while acknowledging he's made mistakes.

Mostly he deflected attention from the Yankees' struggles. Mariano Rivera's baseball mortality was no longer and issue. Mark Teixeira was no longer being pestered about his slump. Questions weren't being asked about the leaky bullpen. The rest of the team could breath a little.

A then, bam! The Yankees had a three-run. It was kind of beginning they desperately needed. But it would have meant nothing if Sabathia didn't step up and be a dominant ace.

Sabathia showed improvement in each of his previous two starts, but came away with losses. But Friday he put it all together. He was efficient, walking one and throwing 112 pitches (79 strikes), while mowing down the Orioles. He lowered his ERA from 4.85 to 3.94.

It was the kind of start the Yankees were longing for, not only this season, but for the past few. The last shutout thrown by a Yankees starter was by Chien-Ming Wang in 2006. Sabathia gave that beleaguered bullpen a needed night off, but more importantly, he injected a shot of confidence into the rest of the staff.

Of course, this win means nothing if Phil Hughes comes out and bombs or the bullpen fizzles away another lead or the offense continues to waste opportunities.

But for now, let's appreciate this win for what it is: The end to a painful losing streak and potentially the start of a run.

The Good
Johnny Damon has been the most reliable hitter in the lineup recently and he continued his strong play with an RBI double in seventh. Also Francisco Cervelli was quite serviceable in his first start, going 1-for-2 with a walk and a sacrifice bunt. He also threw out Adam Jones on the back end of a double steal in the first, displaying a cannon for an arm. The kid has potential. We'll find out just how ready he is.

The Bad
The offense continues to struggle with runners in scoring position, going 2-for-9 and stranding seven. Sabathia was dominant, so it didn't matter, but the Yankees can't expect that kind of performance out of Hughes. They offense needs to get cranking soon. Teixeira also went 0-for-3, lowering his batting average to .192. We're trying to be patient Mark, but you've got to get going soon.

Also, the Yankees announced Ian Kennedy will have surgery to remove an aneurysm under his right armpit, similar to what David Cone had in 1996. There is no timetable for Kennedy's return. It's a tough break for the kid, but this is something that he can overcome, as Coney showed us.

What We Learned
Good pitching and a little bit of timely hitting can hide much of a team's blemishes. But don't be fooled. Those holes still exist. The Yankees need more starts like Sabathia's to buy enough time for those flaws to be fixed.

Runners In Scoring Position
Friday
2-for-9 (.22)
Season
68-for-277 (.244)

Up Next
Today at Orioles, 7:05 p.m., YES
Hughes (1-1, 2.70 ERA) vs. Adam Eaton (1-3, 7.18)

Which Hughes will we get? The brilliant one from his first start against the Tigers, or the one who couldn't hit his spots and allowed four runs against the Red Sox?