Joba Gets No Help In First Major League Start

While there were no emphatic fist pumps on the mound for Joba Chamberlain in his first major league start, Yankee Stadium was oozing electricity.

While Chamberlain did not seemed fazed, he had to feel the pressure and the anticipation inside himself. Chamberlain came out with some apparent nerves, not pitching quite as Yankee fans are used to seeing Chamberlain, and Chamberlain did not exactly do himself any favors, walking four in two and a third innings, while throwing 62 pitches.

Chamberlain did however seem to get squeezed by home plate umpire, Ed Hickox, who seemed to give more generous calls to the veteran, Roy Halladay, at least in the begining. Chamberlain was also called for a balk which in the replay no one could find what Chamberlain did wrong.

Just as much of a problem however, was Joba's own defense - his catcher in particular. Jose Molina is best known as a defensive catcher, however, his passed ball in the first and throwing error in the third helped the Blue Jays get their two runs off of Chamberlain.

With one out in the first, Shannon Stewart, who reached on a leadoff walk was awarded second on the phantom balk and then Molina just missed a pitch which allowed Stewart to move to third. Then a grounder to Robinson Cano at second led to the Jays' first run.

Chamberlain then settled down with a 1-2-3 second. However, Chamberlain did allow Alex Rios to reach base on a walk with one out in the second. Then, a near lifetime minor leaguerer who had some great numbers in the moinors for the Yankees this season, Dan Giese, took over for his first Yankee appearance. On Giese's first pitch Rios was off for second and in an attempt to throw him out, Molina hopped the ball into center allowing Rios to easily move on to thrid base.

A weak grounder by Scott Rolen then allowed Rios to basically walk home and score. This ended the box score for Chamberlain in his first start.

Chamberlain official final line was a no decision, pitching two and a third innings, allowing one hit, four walks, striking out three, allowing two runs, only one which was earned.

As Girardi came out of the dugout to retrieve Chamberlain, disappoint ratiated off his face, despite a rousing ovation by the Yankee faithful.

Chamberlain, who was greeted by Andy Pettitte and Tony Pena threw his gear on the bench.

While Chamberlain did not pitch poorly, and pitched much better than the box score will show, with a normal strike zone, some better defense behind the plate, a loss of some of his first start jitters and of course a few more pitches added to his pitch count, his next start and his many starts to come loom to be a much better one than his first on Tuesday, June 30, 2008.