Aces Up: Ms-Yanks Gamer I

Erik Bedard (2-0, 2.04) was signed by Seattle in one of the larger moves of the major league off-season, as five prospects went to the Orioles for Baltimore's strikeout phenom. Fanning 30% of the total batters he faced in 2007 (7th best in the history of the game), Bedard was thoroughly effective against the Yankees in their three contests as he struck out 21 batters in 21 innings, allowing 11 hits and only three walks. Bedard's health has always been the predominant question mark about the dominant lefty, and those concerns quickly resurfaced when he had to sit out much of April with an inflamed hip. In his return against Oakland, he struck out four while walking four and giving up two hits and no runs for his second win of the season. He has 14 strikeouts in 17 and 2/3 innings so far.

Chien-Ming Wang (5-0, 3.23) has been the indisputable ace of the Yankee rotation this season. With five victories and one no-decision — a game in which the Yankees came back to win — Wang has 27 strikeouts across 39 innings, or .69/IP, slightly above his career rate of .44/IP while allowing a single home run so far, a shot by J.D. Drew (Abreu.. oh how I wish you had hops) that came in an otherwise brilliant two-hit complete game performance at Fenway. Wang was 2-0 in two starts (both in NY) last year against Seattle, allowing 7 hits, 2 walks, and 2 runs (both off the long ball) over 15 and 1/3 innings.

Like the Yankees, the Mariners are in the lower-half of the league in most offensive categories and are sitting a few games on the wrong side of .500. These teams split their season series 5-5 in 2007 edit: stupid aside redacted and face off for a set at the Stadium starting tonight with their best weapons on the bump in what on its face has the makings of a classic duel. Lineups follow, comment away.

Seattle
I. Suzuki cf	.266
J. Lopez 2b	.308
R. Ibanez lf	.296
A. Beltre 3b	.294
J. Clement dh	.333
R. Sexson 1b	.230
W. Balentien rf	.250
J. Burke c	.167
Y. Betancourt ss	.289
E. Bedard	2.04
NY Yankees
M. Cabrera cf	.286
D. Jeter ss	.286
B. Abreu rf	.277
S. Duncan 1b	.167
H. Matsui lf	.316
J. Giambi dh	.164
M. Ensberg 3b	.234
J. Molina c	.231
A. Gonzalez 2b	.273
C. Wang	3.23

Comments

[attackgerbil]

This is Shelley's second career start in the bigs at cleanup. SHELLEY SMASH! Or at least I hope so.

[stuck working]

Hey AG, why do you attribute three of Seattle's 2007 victories to Bedard starts when, as you note, he played for the Os last season?

[attackgerbil]

Stacking the righties a bit. Betemit doesn't hit well from the right side against lefties and I looked up that Giambi has a bit of success against Bedard.

[attackgerbil]

'cause I'm dumber than a bag of hammers and had to write this more quickly than I wanted to. I'll fix it.

[Atheose]

As the announcers note, Wang's using his slider a lot more often and it's working very well. He's the only bright part of a Yankees team that's in a lot of pain right now.

[attackgerbil]

> bright part

Mo.

Just tuning in now to see a nice lead for the home team, but--ugh--a diagnosis of tendonitis that will leave Posada on the shelf for 6 weeks. So....Molina & Moeller until mid-June.

Oy Gevalt. Wang with some kind of finger problem here w/ 1 down in the 5th. Walks a batter.

[Sam-YF]

Wang's K/9 is up to 6.4 this year. Im hoping that if he continues to perform like this some of his doubters around these and other parts will start to turn towards realizing he is a legit dominating ace....

[AndrewYF]

> bright part

Mo.

Joba. Melky. Matsui. Even Damon.

Actually, the bullpen has been the most consistently good part of the season so far. And it's not all attributable to Joba or Rivera.

[attackgerbil]

You're right, Andrew. There's much to laud regardless of the general underperformance of the team. I'd add Abreu's bat (his glove .. umm .. yeah) to the mix