Mariano Rivera Returns; Jason Giambi Powers Yankees Past Rangers

Good news and double bad news for the Yankees on Wednesday.  The bad news, Joba Chamberlain has landed on the 15-day DL with rotator cuff tendinitis in his right shoulder. The Yankees said Chamberlain will rest for about a week before starting a throwing program.

Horrible news for the Yankees who are already without ace Chien Ming Wang who has yet to remove his protective boot on his right ankle.  The hits just keep on coming for the boys in the Bronx.  Also, the Rays and Red Sox both won again on Wednesday.

The good news, Mariano Rivera returned to save the Yankees on Wednesday night against the Texas Rangers.  The Yankees won 5-3 after dropping the first two games to the Rangers in a very hot Arlington ballpark. 

Temperatures have been over 100 for all three games thus far and aren't cooling down for tomorrows series finale.  The Yankees however, did cool down the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night with a much needed victory.

After Texas went ahead with a quick 2-0 lead of of Yankees starter Sidney Ponson, the Yankees answered in the top of the third with three runs of their own.  Wilson Betemit who started at third had an RBI double that drove in Cano.  Damon grounded out and knocked in Molina and then Jeter hit a bloop single for the lead that knocked in Betemit.

Jason Giambi crushed his 22nd home run of the season on a solo shot to right center in the fourth to tack onto the lead.  Looks like the shaving of the stache has giving Giambi an Edge thus far, get it?, shaving?, Edge?  Yea okay, so I am not good with playing on words.  Regardless, Giambi is on fire.

Jeter drove in Damon on a RBI double in the fifth to extend the lead to three runs.

Michael Young answered with a solo shot off of Ponson in the sixth but that was all the Rangers got as the Yankees bullpen shut the door on any chance of coming back into this game.

Joe Girardi went with Edwar Ramirez for an inning as he struck out one on two hits. Damaso Marte and Jose Veras each came in to face one batter and they got the job done.

In the ninth it was time for Mariano Rivera to close it out.  He struck out Boggs and Laird and then gave up a single to red hot first basemen Chris Davis.  Then Ramon Vazquez grounded out to end the game.  It was the 27th save for the season for Rivera.

Ivan Rodriguez is day-to-day after colliding with David Murphy in the fourth.  Looks like he will be okay but Jose Molina will be catching the next few games it looks like.

With the win, the Yankees move back up to 10 games above the .550 mark, 62-52 on the year.  They remain 6.5 games behind Tampa in the East and 2.5 games behind the Red Sox in the Wild Card.

Thursday the Yankees look to even up the series with the Texas Rangers.

Right-hander Mike Mussina (14-7, 3.44) will take the mound for the Yankees.  In his last appearance he got the win against the Angels throwing just 89 pitches in seven innings.  After the Angels took an early 2-0 lead, Mussina bared down and retired 16 straight Halo batters to keep them off the scoreboard. 

Mixing speeds and pitching efficiently is what the Yankees would like to continue to see from Mussina.  With Wand and now Chamberlain out, Mussina and Pettitte need to win their starts.

The Texas Rangers will also send a right-hander out to the mound.  Scott Feldman (4-4, 4.97) gets the call.  He actually picked up a victory earlier this season against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium none the less. 

The Yankees can have some big innings againt Feldman if they are patient enough, he has walked 43 batters in 105 innings this season and only struck out 50.

The Yankees also need Alex Rodriguez to pick it up a notch as he hasn't shown any signs of doing good in this series.  He is an abysmal 0-10 in a ball park that he is very familiar with after playing three seasons with the Rangers before he came to the Yankees in 2004. 

A-Rod actually led the Majors in home runs in all three seasons with Texas.  The Yankees could really use him right now, we'll see if he comes through.