HOUSTON – Buried below yesterday’s sight of Chien-Ming Wang needing assistance from manager Joe Girardi and trainer Steve Donohue to get off the field after suffering a right foot injury was the Yankees’ latest victory.
Thanks to Wang’s five shutout innings, four more zeroes from four relievers, home runs and three RBIs by Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada and three hits by Johnny Damon, the Yankees cruised to a 13-0 win over the Astros.
At 37-33, the Yankees are four games over .500 for the first time this year. They have won four straight, nine of 12 and remain six games behind the AL East-leading Red Sox.
Even after a scoring decision deleted a hit from Damon following the game, the leadoff hitter is sizzling. His 3-for-6 effort raised Damon’s average to .328. Since May 20, Damon is batting .447 (46-for-103) despite getting his bats shattered nightly.
“I have never seen anything like it, he breaks five bats a game and gets four hits,” Derek Jeter said. “He gets on base and sets the tone. You couldn’t ask for anything more.”
The Yankees copped a 3-0 lead off Roy Oswalt in the third but it took an outstanding play by Rodriguez to keep the Astros from getting back into the game in the bottom off the inning. With runners at the corners and two outs, Rodriguez dived toward the line to field Miguel Tejada’s smash, scrambled to his feet and threw out Tejada by a step.
Rodriguez’s three-run homer in the eight-run sixth had significance attached to it. The three RBIs raised his total to 1,540 and moved him past Joe DiMaggio into a tie with Willie Stargell for 40th on the all-time list. Fred McGriff is next with 1,550.
Rodriguez’s 12th homer was his 530th and leaves him four short of tying Jimmie Foxx for 14th place.
Finally, it was his 185th as a Yankee and tied Paul O’Neill for 16th place on the club’s list.
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Former Yankee and Houston resident Chuck Knoblauch and his 21/2-year-old son, Jake, were on the field during batting practice yesterday. Jake had his picture taken with Jeter and Posada.
Knoblauch, who testified in front of Congress after being named in the Mitchell Report, could be called as a witness with Andy Pettitte if the feds prosecute Roger Clemens for perjury. Knoblauch didn’t discuss that situation.
He said he was looking forward to being part of the closing ceremony at Yankee Stadium in November when the club wants to have every living Yankee on hand.