By MARK HALE
June 6, 2008
In four straight starts, Chien-Ming Wang has left the game earlier than before. That's not exactly the path of least relief assistance.
Wang's mechanics are off, and he was blasted again in yesterday's 9-8 comeback victory over Toronto, though he avoided a loss thanks to Jason Giambi's game-winning, ninth-inning home run.
Nevertheless, Wang gave up seven runs (six earned) on five hits and four walks in 41/3 innings. He went an inning shorter than his previous start (51/3 frames), two innings shorter than his start before that (61/3) and three shorter than his start before that (72/3).
In those four starts Wang has gone 0-1 with a 8.75 ERA.
"I'm not concerned," manager Joe Girardi said, "but we have to get him right."
Wang said he has no problems physically, but catcher Jorge Posada, who returned behind the plate yesterday after more than a month on the disabled list, noticed a change.
"He's throwing from different arm angles," Posada said. "We have to get him to throw from the same slot. He's dropping down a little bit on his slider."
Wang opened with three scoreless innings, but he collapsed after that, surrendering Matt Stairs' game-tying two-run homer in the fourth and five more runs (four earned) in the fifth. Melky Cabrera's dropped fly ball didn't help, and Wang couldn't pick up his teammate, following the error with a hit-by-pitch, a two-run single and a two-run double.
Wang hasn't won since May 2 - six starts without a victory - and his ERA for the year has soared to 4.57. He said he will have to fix his problems with video and bullpen sessions.
"It's my job and my responsibility to get it right and we will," pitching coach Dave Eiland said.
"He's in a funk and we will get him out of it," Girardi said.
Additional reporting by George King.
