- Yankees 8, Mets 2: This game didn't take too long to be decided. Alex Rodriguez deposited a ball in the back of the Mets bullpen in the bottom of the first, and the Yankees cruised behind Chien-Ming Wang. They took two of three of this version of the Subway Series and split the six games during the regular season. As good as Orlando Hernandez pitched for the Yankees, he hasn't done too well against them. He fell to 0-4, and the Mets lost for the 10th time in 12 games. That, and not losing two of three to the Yankees, should be their primary concern. They have Minnesota and Oakland at home this week.
The Yankees keep on rolling. They've now won 11 of 12, and Chien-Ming Wang looks as good as ever. His strikeouts are on the rise, and his starts almost always serve as a means for the Yankees to rest their weary bullpen. He's economical with his pitches, and he works quickly. When Wang starts, the Yankees win more than 60 percent of the time. They can't ask for more than what Wang's given them.
Plenty has changed since the Yankees salvaged a game at Shea Stadium a month ago. The Yankees' record rests over .500, and the Mets haven't looked good in a while. Just as Yankees panic was premature then, Mets worries aren't quite right here. Both these teams are playoff-caliber teams, even if they're not capable of looking like it at the same time.
Photograph of Chien-Ming Wang tipping his cap to the fans at Yankee Stadium after 8 2/3 innings last night by Kathy Willens/AP
