Joba vs. Justin
Maybe Hank Steinbrenner was right and Joba Chamberlain should have been in the Yankees rotation sooner. Chamberlain picked up his first win as a starter on Wednesday (6 2/3, 6 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K).
Chamberlain is scheduled to pitch again Monday and then will be scheduled to pitched Saturday, July 5 in the Bronx, on the FOX game of the week, against the Red Sox.
Boston, which has a day off today, will have Justin Masterson going on July 5, if the rotation stays the same. Will be a nail-biter for Sox fans every time a left-handed batter comes to plate.
In the minors, a few moves are underway.
According to soxprospects.com, third-baseman Jorge Jimenez is jumping from advanced Class A Lancaster to Triple-A Pawtucket ... catcher/first baseman Luis Exposito is going from Low A Greenville to Lancaster ... and catcher Juan Apodaca is going from the Gulf Coast League to Greenville.
Jimenez, 23, batted .352 in Lancaster and figured to be moving, only the destination was thought to be Portland (and that is likely where he will eventually end up) ... A corresponding move has not been made in Pawtucket. Either someone goes on the DL, is sent down or out ... Pawtucket back-up third-baseman Chad Spann is batting .197.
Exposito, 21, was batting .283 in Greenville with 11 home runs ... Apodaca, 21, was acquired from the Reds for cash and has been stuck in Fort Myers, first in extended spring training, then the GCL.
In Pawtucket, the PawSox are now 50-31 after a 10-1 win over Richmond ... Clay Buchholz did not allow a run until a solo homer in the 7th. He went 6 2/3 (5 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 7 K) ... Bryan Pritz (.308) went 3-for-4 ... George Kottaras (.228) hit two homers and how has 14.
Old friend Nat Bump (Sea Dogs, '02, with the Marlins organization) pitches for Connecticut now and gave up only 1 run in 6 innings, in a 5-1 win over Portland ... Daniel Bard relieved for 2 innings (1 H, 1 K).
In the Gulf Coast League, outfielder Roberto Feliz, 20, hit 3 home runs in a 4-for-5 day. He's batting .750 (8-12) in 3 games. He spent the previous two seasons in the Dominican Summer League.
Posted at 09:29 AM
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