The Yankees spent more than $250 million to lock up free agents CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett to long-term deals last winter. But it was two homegrown pitchers who will make less than a million dollars combined this season who allowed the Yankees to avoid a crisis this week in Detroit.
Joba Chamberlain gave up one run on three hits and three walks while striking out six over seven innings in his best and longest start of the season as the Yankees beat the Tigers, 8-6, to salvage a 2-4 record in a six-game road trip that began with four straight losses. The strong performance by Chamberlain, who lasted seven innings for the second time in 16 big-league starts, came one night after fellow homegrown product Phil Hughes tossed six shutout innings to earn the win in the Yankees' 11-0 victory.
"You want to feed your big-league team with your system," manager Joe Girardi told reporters. "You keep those guys coming up and being productive. To me, that's how you maintain (successful) runs as a club."
Chamberlain is the most highly touted Yankees prospect since Derek Jeter, but what role he should fill has been the source of much debate. Chamberlain started in the minor leagues before he debuted in the big leagues at the end of 2006 as a dominant setup man in front of Mariano Rivera. Because of Chamberlain's four-pitch arsenal, the Yankees have long envisioned him as a potential ace and shifted him to the rotation last June, but he went on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder after 12 starts and finished the season in the bullpen.
Chamberlain's slow start this season -- he entered Tuesday with a 3.94 ERA, 11 strikeouts and 10 walks in 16 1/3 innings over three starts -- and the Yankees' continued struggles to find reliable setup men have renewed the calls for Chamberlain to return to a relief role as the heir apparent to Rivera. More outings like Wednesday will surely silence those voices.
"I'm sure we'll debate this forever," Girardi said. "But that's what we think he can do - he can give us seven strong innings."
YANKEES 8, TIGERS 6: The Yankees scored seven runs in the third inning, Joba Chamberlain threw seven impressive innings and a late rally by the Tigers fell short as the Yankees won the finale of a three-game series in Detroit. Nick Swisher crushed a three-run homer to begin the outburst and capped the scoring with a solo blast in the fourth. Hideki Matsui delivered a three-run double, and Johnny Damon had an RBI double. Chamberlain struggled in the third, when he issued three walks and allowed his only run, but was otherwise dominant and gave up just three hits while striking out six. Jonathan Albaladejo gave up four runs in the ninth before Mariano Rivera got the final out in a non-save situation.
