MLB

JOBA NEEDS CHEERS TONIGHT

ROOT for Joba Chamberlain tonight.

For the first time in his career there should be no debate whether Chamberlain should be in the bullpen or be a starter. Tonight he is just a Yankees pitcher who will need help from his teammates, help from the fans to carry him through against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.

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Tonight is one of those games where Joba will be tested in so many ways.

His mother Jacqueline Standley, 44, was arrested over the weekend in Lincoln, Neb. Cops say she sold methamphetamine to an undercover officer on Feb. 11. Chamberlain and his mother have been estranged for a long, long time, but she remained one of his biggest fans through all her troubles.

In so many ways it appears that Chamberlain was all she had going right in her life.

No matter what kind of relationship Chamberlain has with his mother, pitching tonight with his mother’s arrest being front-page news has to be one of the most difficult situations a professional athlete could face, especially one who is only 23 years old.

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No matter how much the relationship has disintegrated, having his mother’s life continue to spiral out of control has to weigh on Chamberlain. And here he will be on the biggest pitching stage in the world, throwing against the Red Sox.

Sunday is Mother’s Day.

Chamberlain has had to face his own demons, those close to him say he has worked hard to overcome his problems. He was arrested in October for drunken driving.

Chamberlain has been one of the more pleasant Yankees to deal with this season. He always goes out of his way to say hello. He is always at his locker after a game. Chamberlain is trying to make the difficult adjustment from one-inning phenom reliever to solid starter.

There have been questions about his velocity and questions about his shoulder, but Chamberlain has continued to improve through the starting process.

This is only his 17th major league start. He is coming off a good start against the Tigers, where he allowed one earned run over seven innings.

The Yankees desperately need Chamberlain to be a success as a starter because the rotation has struggled. The Yankees went into last night’s game carrying a 5.93 ERA, worst in the American League.

CC Sabathia, who was supposed to carry the staff, is 1-3 with a 4.85 ERA. Chamberlain goes into the game with a 1-0 mark and a 3.13 ERA.

Yankees starters went into last night’s game with a 5.52 ERA. Much has been made about Alex Rodriguez’s absence, but if the Yankees starters continue like that, the Yankees could have eight A-Rods and still may not win. This game is all about pitching.

Phil Hughes was the starter last night. Hughes’ velocity is not where it should be, so that makes Chamberlain’s start that much more important.

The Red Sox have dominated the Yankees so far this season. They swept the series in Boston. The Yankees gave up 25 runs in those three games. Chamberlain lasted 5 1/3 innings in his start at Fenway, giving up nine hits and walking four. He surrendered two runs, but the Yankees need a much better start tonight.

Chamberlain has always been able to rise above the difficulties in his life. He formed a bond with his father, Harlan. They worked together to try to make the best of a tough situation while Chamberlain was growing up. His father once said in the living room of his house in Lincoln, “I honestly believed that [Joba] had a gift.”

That gift has carried Chamberlain a long way. The gift will have to carry him again tonight.

kevin.kernan@nypost.com