Wang overpowers Sox with two-hitter

[BronxBomberz]

Chien-Ming Wang took a no-hitter into the fifth inning and surrendered just two hits in a complete-game gem as the Yankees defeated the Red Sox, 4-1, on Friday at Fenway Park, taking the opener of the season series between the two rivals.

Tied at 1 with the defending World Series champions after six innings, the Yankees took the lead in the seventh when Jason Giambi greeted reliever Mike Timlin with a solo home run, just over the 379-foot mark in left-center field. The ball hit near a television camera platform as center fielder Coco Crisp waited for a rebound bounce that never came.

New York extended its lead to two runs when Jose Molina stroked his second double of the game, moved up on a bunt and then scored on Melky Cabrera's sacrifice fly, providing a healthy cushion to help back Wang's economical effort. Making his third start of the season, the sinkerballing Wang improved to 6-5 in 12 career appearances against Boston, going nine innings and throwing just 93 pitches.

Wang's latest bid for a no-hitter began as he retired the first 10 batters and faced the minimum until J.D. Drew slugged a solo homer -- his third -- just over Bobby Abreu's leap and into the Red Sox's bullpen. Wang's hitless string was helped by a questionable error charged to Alex Rodriguez on a Dustin Pedroia ground ball in the third inning, and Wang faced just two batters over the minimum.

Clay Buchholz started for Boston and limited the Yankees to one run in six innings, leaving with the game tied at 1 in and taking a no-decision. The Yankees touched Buchholz in the fifth inning when he walked three and surrendered a run-scoring double to Molina, but the right-hander escaped when Cabrera lined to first for a double play. Facing the Yankees for the first time in his career, Buchholz walked three and struck out three.

Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui and Molina each had two hits for the Yankees, who added a run in the ninth on Abreu's broken-bat infield single. The Red Sox and Yankees will meet 17 more times this season, including twice more as they complete the weekend series in Boston.

The Official Site of The New York Yankees: News: New York Yankees News

Nice win

[browntown653]

...Necessary?

[brewersfan19]

I have Wang on one of my Yahoo fantasy teams. I like it that he is off to a hot start.