Joba Chamberlain Outduels Josh Beckett as Yanks Win Seventh Straight

There are still some people who think Joba Chamberlain should be in the bullpen.

No, seriously.

Joba turned in the best start of his career Friday night at Fenway Park, shutting out the Boston Red Sox over seven innings while allowing just three hits and one walk.  He struck out nine.

That's right, against the second best offense in the league, Chamberlain struck out more than twice as many batters as he allowed on base. Yeah, he's a setup man.

And after Kyle Farnsworth briefly became Kyle Farnsworth again in the eighth inning, Mariano Rivera entered for a five-out save to close the door on a big 1-0 victory for the Yankees. 

New York is now 45-1 when leading after six.  Clearly, the bullpen misses Joba.

Here are the grades from the Yankees' seventh straight win.

Joe Girardi, Manager (B)

My left leg began to shake when Girardi called on Farnsworth to pitch the eighth.  My right leg followed after Kyle gave up two hits to the first three batters he faced. 

I don't understand taking out Joba in that situation.  He had retired the last 10 batters he faced and was completely mowing down the Sox hitters.  Chamberlain had thrown 102 pitches, but he's gone as high as 114 this season, so he definitely had one more inning in him.  Why risk it by bringing in Farnsworth?

I will give credit to Girardi, however, for not playing with fire for too long.  After Kyle got into trouble, the skipper wasn't stubbornly loyal like his predecessor.  He quickly went out to bring in Mo.

Johnny Damon, DH (A)

Damon was 1-3 with a walk and a stolen base.

Derek Jeter, SS (C-)

The Captain was 1-4 and left two runners on.

Bobby Abreu, RF (A)

Abreu keeps hitting.  He went 2-4 and scored the only run of the game.

Alex Rodriguez, 3B (A-)

A-Rod went 2-4, but struck out twice and left two runners on.

Jason Giambi, 1B (C+)

Giambi struck out three times, but his ugliest swing may have been the one that drove in the only run on the night, an "excuse me" hack that went through the vacant hole at short with the shift on.

Robinson Cano, 2B (C+)

What, no multi-hit game?  What's wrong with this guy?

Cano did extend his hit streak to seven with a 1-4 night and he made the play of the game, a backhand stab that he turned into an inning-ending double play in the second.

Melky Cabrera, CF (C)

Cabrera went 1-4 with a K, but made a great diving catch in the second inning.

Jose Molina, C (D)

I'll give him some credit for calling a good game, but Molina was 0-4 and failed to throw out the only base stealer of the night for Boston.

Brett Gardner, LF (F)

Gardner's days as the Yankees' starting left fielder are numbered now that Xavier Nady is on his way to the team from the Pirates.  The rookie went 0-3, dropping his average to .153.

Richie Sexson, 1B (INC)

Sexson replaced Giambi for defensive purposes in the eighth.

Joba Chamberlain, SP (A+)

In addition to all the great statistics Joba put up on this night, I was also impressed by the way he kept his cool in hostile territory after his up-and-in fastball to Kevin Youkilis in the seventh got everyone riled up.

Chamberlain didn't get worked up. Instead he just settled down to calmly strike out Youkilis and Mike Lowell and then got J.D. Drew to fly out to complete his third straight 1-2-3 inning.  Joba is a true ace in every sense of the word.

Kyle Farnsworth, RP (F)

Farnsworth gave up his first hits since June 22.  Thanks to Rivera, though, it didn't cost the Yankees.

Mariano Rivera, RP (A)

Now, that's a save.  Rivera entered a tough situation with one out and two on in the eighth and he retired both Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia.  He then gave up a single in the ninth, but escaped without giving up a run to give the Yankees the win.

Yankees' Overall Grade (B+)

The Bombers' clutch hitting disappeared again, as they plated just one of 10 base runners, but it was enough for Joba Chamberlain, who gave the Yankees their seventh win in his 10 starts.

Pretty good for a reliever.

Jordan Schwartz is Bleacher Report's Yankees Community Leader. His book "Memoirs of the Unaccomplished Man" is available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and authorhouse.com.