New York Yankees: The Hits Just Keep on Coming

For the third time in four days, the Yankees scored at least eight runs, extending their season-high winning streak to four with a 12-6 victory Saturday afternoon over the struggling Seattle Mariners.

Joba Chamberlain, meanwhile, continued to get stretched out for his move from the bullpen to the rotation, as he relieved a shaky Mike Mussina in the sixth and threw two scoreless innings.

Critics said the transition couldn't be made during the season, but the Yankees are proving them wrong.

Second-guessers will use the fact that Farnsworth gave up two runs in the eighth inning of a blowout to defend their point that Joba's role as the setup man is too important to sacrifice for his move to the rotation, but this game actually proves the opposite. 

How often are the Yankees leading by exactly one to three runs in the eighth inning anyway?  Maybe once every three games.  And of those games, how often will Farnsworth, Veras, Ramirez or Ohlendorf not be able to hold onto a lead that Joba would've been able to hold?  Once every three times?

So Joba not being in the bullpen will have a negative effect on the Yankees maybe once every nine games, while him being in the rotation will have a positive effect once every five.  Do the math.

And if you have such a problem with Farnsworth or someone else other than Joba pitching the eighth, why can't the so-called greatest relief pitcher of all time Mariano Rivera pitch both the eighth and the ninth once in a while?  Oh, right, he doesn't do that.

Now to the grades from New York's series clinching win over the M's.

Joe Girardi, Manager: (B+) Back from suspension, Girardi didn't have to work too hard in this one as he just filled out the lineup card and let his hitters do the rest.  I thought he pulled Mussina a little early after just 74 pitches, especially since the Moose had settled down a bit in his final two innings after giving up four runs in the third.  I also thought Girardi was going to let Joba throw three innings this appearance, because he had already achieved the two inning threshold his last time out.

Johnny Damon, LF: (D+) 1-for-5 with a run scored and three left on base.

Derek Jeter, SS: (D-) The Captain is now 0-for-14 since getting plunked on the hand against Baltimore earlier this week.  Hopefully the injury isn't still bothering him.

Bobby Abreu, RF: (A+) Abreu's heating up again.  He went 2-for-5 with a homer, a double and four RBIs.

Alex Rodriguez, 3B: (B-) A-Rod went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored, but he did strike out twice.  The Yankees are now 4-1 since his return from the DL.

Hideki Matsui, DH: (A+) Godzilla continued his hot hitting, going 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, three runs scored and a run batted in.

Jason Giambi, 1B: (A+) Where did this come from?  Giambi went 3-4 including a three-run homer to, get this, the opposite field.

Robinson Cano, 2B: (A+) To anyone who bought low and traded for Cano in their fantasy leagues a few weeks ago, I congratulate you.  I was about a week too late.  Cano continued his amazing May going 4-for-4 with three doubles.

Jose Molina, C: (D+) Even Molina joined the party, going 1-for-5 with an RBI single and a run scored.

Melky Cabrera, CF: (A+) Melky likes batting in the nine hole.  He's now hitting .314 down there after a 2-for-5 performance Saturday.

Shelley Duncan, 1B: (INC) Duncan played some first base late in the game.

Alberto Gonzalez, PR-SS: (INC) Gonzalez pinch-ran for A-Rod late and took over for Jeter at short.

Morgan Ensberg, PH-3B: (F) Ensberg struck out swinging for Giambi with the bases loaded in the seventh.

Mike Mussina, SP: (C-) Just one bad inning, but it was a biggie. Mussina gave up four runs in the third.  That's still enough to win the way the Bombers are hitting these days, but it may not pass later in the season and that's why Joba's move to the rotation is necessary.

Joba Chamberlain, RP: (A) A perfect sixth and then he worked around a hit and a walk in the seventh.  Joba's progressing nicely towards becoming a starter.

Kyle Farnsworth, RP: (F)

Jose Veras, RP: (A) A perfect ninth.

Yankees Overall Grade: (A-) Another great performance by the offense, but Mussina and Farnsworth were shaky.  Still, the Yankees have a chance Sunday to go through an entire turn in the rotation without losing a game. It's a good chance, because Chien-Ming Wang is starting.