It's now official:
Joba Chamberlain is a starting pitcher and will take his first turn in the rotation Tuesday. Manager Joe Girardi announced the decision before Friday's game after discussing the matter with general manager Brian Cashman on Thursday.
The Yankees opted to keep Andy Pettitte on his regular rest and have him start Monday and let Chamberlain go Tuesday at home against Toronto.
Chamberlain said he expected an adrenaline-filled atmosphere from the enthusiastic Yankee Stadium crowd, which usually hits another gear for the rookie pitcher.
"Just having those people behind us and the atmosphere that you're accustomed to, it's going to help," Chamberlain said.
YANKEES 6, TWINS 5: The Yankees overcame a three-run deficit in the first inning and piled on with 16 hits to give Mike Mussina a share of the American League lead Friday with his eighth victory. The Twins scored four runs in the first, but the Yankees pecked away and were led by Bobby Abreu, Alex Rodriguez and Hideki Matsui, who each had three hits.
