[外電] Yanks gear up for first trip to Fenway

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Yanks gear up for first trip to Fenway
New York (5-5) at Boston (5-5)

轉自洋基官網 http://tinyurl.com/3puk2g

Chien-Ming Wang watched the Yankees' win in Kansas City from the dugout on
Thursday, but he'll be right in the middle of the action on Friday. (Reuters)
http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/images/2008/04/11/RiwAx9p7.jpg

KANSAS CITY -- You could make a strong case that the Yankees and the Red Sox,
in their respective bids for the American League East, actually possess many
of the same strengths and weaknesses.
The Yankees' season-opening power outage notwithstanding, both big-market,
big-money clubs have been designed as offensive juggernauts, capable of
pounding mediocre pitching and creating very long workdays at the ballpark.

The Red Sox may have their true ace in Josh Beckett, but the Yankees can
counter with a 19-game winner in Chien-Ming Wang, a pitcher they feel
confident sending out every fifth day. And there are prominent injuries --
the Yankees have limited use of Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada, while the Red
Sox prepare for life without Mike Lowell and Alex Cora.

There are recognizable closers finishing games, hot young prospects on the
rise, some shaky items in the back end of the rotation and question marks in
middle relief. Oh, and both teams are 5-5. Sound familiar?

"I think there are similarities," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I think
they're happy with their young players, like we are, and I think they believe
that their young players are going to blossom, like we believe. To me, that's
how you keep from getting old as a club -- you keep bringing up youth. It's a
good mixture."

The Yankees and the Red Sox play the first three of 18 scheduled games
head-to-head on Friday, as New York visits Fenway Park for its second road
series of the new season. Wang draws the nod against Boston's touted Clay
Buchholz.

The trip will be slightly different than those in past years for the Yankees,
who will walk through the 1912-era building knowing that they have not only
entered the home of the defending division champs, but for the second time in
four years, the Red Sox have a world championship banner to show off.

"They filled a lot of positions last year to be in that situation," said
Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon. "They probably played the best of any team
all throughout the season, so they definitely deserved to win."

Damon, a member of that celebrated 2004 World Series squad, has lost much of
his connection to the Red Sox -- that sort of thing tends to happen when you
accept a four-year deal with the organization's most hated rival.

But Damon, who still counts an army of friends in the Boston area, doesn't
believe that seeing the Red Sox's latest championship banner will provide the
Yankees with any additional motivation.

"Over the two years that I've been here, I feel like we've had a good enough
team to do that," Damon said. "It's just a matter of getting the job done."

For Girardi, this will mark his first venture to Fenway Park as a Yankees
manager, though he has experienced the rivalry of Yankees vs. Red Sox as a
player, coach and broadcaster.

Girardi is expecting a much more charged atmosphere than the two clubs had
when they met at Legends Field in Tampa, Fla. for a Grapefruit League matchup
last month, though that exhibition had just as much jazz in the stands as a
meaningless game possibly could. On Friday, it counts for real.

"I think it'll be just as hostile, enjoyable and intense," Girardi said.
"It's great anytime you go into ballparks and it's full, whether it's for you
or against you, and I think it's a good environment. It's loud, and people
are on the edge of their seats. I always think that's a good environment for
athletes to play in."

The Yankees hand the ball to Wang, a 38-game winner over the last two
seasons, in the first game.

"Obviously, you feel comfortable whenever he's on the mound just because of
his past and what he's done," Girardi said.

Wang intends to continue trying to modify his game to put the Red Sox
off-balance: Last season, former pitching coach Ron Guidry suggested that
Wang incorporate more changeups against AL East clubs because it appeared
some lineups -- Boston included -- had figured out how to sit on Wang's
bowling-ball-like sinker and reduce its effectiveness.

Going to secondary pitches was a work in progress during Spring Training for
the Taiwanese right-hander, but the dress rehearsals are over. Wang will have
his best test yet to see how Guidry's old advice holds up.

"They were sitting on my sinker," Wang said. "I threw more soft, and it
helped."

Wang has pitched in the playoffs -- to less-than-desirable results, the
Yankees would bemoan -- and in the Olympic Games, but he would agree that
there's nothing that quite compares to the raw energy when the Yankees and
Red Sox clash. He says that, even at Fenway, it's an environment he enjoys.

"The fans are crazy," Wang said. "It's not bad, it's not good. Sometimes you
laugh."

Pitching matchup
NYY: RHP Chien-Ming Wang (2-0, 1.38 ERA)
Wang took a no-hitter into the fifth on Sunday, when he blanked the Rays for
six innings. A high pitch count kept Wang from lasting deeper into the game,
but it was enough for him to earn his second win. He'll look for No. 3
against the Red Sox, a team he beat three times in five starts last year. For
his career, Wang holds a 2-3 record and 6.17 ERA at Fenway Park. Wang last
faced the Red Sox on Sept. 15 at Fenway Park, suffering the loss in a 10-1
rout. He surrendered five runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.

BOS: RHP Clay Buchholz (0-1, 5.40 ERA)
Although his pitching line might not show it, Buchholz took a step in the
right direction with his performance against the Blue Jays in his last
outing. The 23-year-old right-hander used all four of his pitches effectively
en route to surrendering four runs on six hits while striking out seven and
walking two. If it weren't for an error by first baseman Sean Casey and a few
bloop hits by Toronto's offense, those numbers would have looked even more
impressive. Buchholz has never faced the Yankees during his young career but
is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in two career starts at Fenway Park.

Tidbits
The Yankees are 21-2 when Joba Chamberlain appears. ... The Yankees hit
back-to-back home runs on Thursday (Rodriguez, Posada) for the first time
since Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano did it at Boston on Sept. 14, 2007. ...
Manny Ramirez is 13-for-22 with two homers and five RBIs lifetime against
Wang. David Ortiz is 15-for-30 with four doubles, two homers and 10 RBIs.






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