CLEVELAND — Joba Chamberlain is the answer to the Yankees’ eighth-inning bullpen problem, the club’s only weakness.
Yet, when Chamberlain pitches like he did last night, it’s easier to understand general manager Brian Cashman’s staunch belief the Yankees are better with Chamberlain in the rotation instead of setting up Mariano Rivera.
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Featuring a fastball that pushed the speed gun to almost triple digits late in the game and athletic ability few knew he had, Chamberlain hurled the sizzling Yankees past the Indians, 5-2, in front of 23,651 at Progressive Field.
Not only did Chamberlain go a career-high eight innings, in which he allowed two runs and four hits, he also made a diving grab of a sacrifice bunt attempt with runners on first and second and no outs in the fifth with the score tied, 1-1.
The victory was the Yankees’ 15th in 19 games and hiked their AL East lead over the Red Sox to one game. It was the 18th straight game in which the Yankees didn’t commit an error, the longest streak in MLB history.
Nick Swisher and Alex Rodriguez drove in two runs each and Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira extended hitting streaks to 15 and 14 games, respectively.
Rivera recorded the final three outs for his 11th save in 12 chances and was fortunate Ben Francisco’s smash leading off the ninth hit him in his glove instead of his pitching hand.
“That’s the best I have seen him pitch,” Swisher said of Chamberlain, who won for the first time since beating the Orioles on May 10 and swallowed a bug in his latest battle with Lake Erie insects.
The turning point of the game, a moment which produced laughter from CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte in the Yankees’ dugout, came in the fifth, when Kelly Shoppach’s sacrifice bunt attempt went into the air toward the third base line.
A charging Chamberlain got his 6-foot-2, 230-pound body off the ground and made a lunging grab of the ball as his left shoulder crashed to the sod and the bill of his cap stuck in the grass.
“I knew I would get the out but I didn’t know where the runner was,” said Chamberlain.
When he got up, Chamberlain eventually fired to second to double off Ryan Garko.
“It was an unbelievable play, it changed the game,” said manager Joe Girardi, who admitted he was surprised at Chamberlain’s agility.
Instead of having runners on second and third and one out, the Indians had Jamey Carroll on first and two outs. And he was erased when the dugout instructed Jorge Posada to pitch out to catch Carroll attempting to swipe second.
Four Indian pitchers issued 11 walks (one intentional). Reliever Greg Aquino walked four (one intentional) in 1 1/3 innings and was the loser.
Aquino escaped the bases-loaded, no-out headache he inherited from starter Jeremy Sowers in the sixth without giving up a run, but his wildness led to the Yankees scoring four runs in the seventh and taking a 5-1 lead.
Pinch-hitter Hideki Matsui, Brett Gardner and Jeter drew consecutive one-out walks, and pinch-runner Ramiro Pena and Gardner scored on Swisher’s opposite-field double high off the left-field wall. Teixeira was walked intentionally to load the bases for Alex Rodriguez and his single off shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera’s glove scored two runs.
“The pitches I was getting tonight I was putting in play and not fouling them off,” Swisher said.
The Yankees need bullpen help. Chamberlain has excelled in that role. Yet, when he dominates for eight frames it’s hard to argue with those who believe he is more valuable as a starter.