Chamberlain doesn't get out of third inning in first start

Baseball Betting Lines

06/04/2008 -

Joba Chamberlain's first big league start was over almost as quickly as it began.

The star reliever got just seven outs in his much-ballyhooed move to the Yankees' rotation, coming out after he approached his pitch limit in the third inning.

By then he'd walked four batters, given up a pair of runs and generally looked nothing like the shut-down reliever he has been.

``I was mad at myself,'' Chamberlain said. ``You know you've only got so many pitches and I didn't do a very good job of conserving those pitches.''

Roy Halladay held New York in check despite some control problems of his own, leading the Toronto Blue Jays to a 9-3 victory on Tuesday night.

In Tuesday's other games, it was: the Los Angeles Angels 5, Seattle 4; Oakland 5, Detroit 4, 11 innings; Boston 7, Tampa Bay 4; Baltimore 5, Minnesota 3; Texas 12, Cleveland 7; and Chicago White Sox 9, Kansas City 5.

Chamberlain touched 101 mph on the Yankee Stadium scoreboard but walked three and threw 38 pitches in the first inning as Toronto took a 1-0 lead on Alex Rios' groundout.

Chamberlain retired the side in order in the second and got Marco Scutaro to fly out to right to begin the third. But Rios walked on four straight balls, and that was enough for manager Joe Girardi, who lifted him for Dan Giese (0-1) after 62 pitches, about what the Yankees had planned to limit him to.

His line for the night: 2 1-3 innings, one hit, two runs - one earned - four walks and three strikeouts. Not a disaster, but not what anyone had in mind. Except maybe the Blue Jays.

Toronto savvily concentrated on Chamberlain's pitch count and forced New York to use six pitchers total.

``We worked him good, we really did,'' Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. ``He's going to be really good once he builds up his stamina. He's got overpowering stuff.''

Chamberlain, the 41st overall pick in the 2006 amateur draft, was converted to a reliever last year to help the Yankees bridge the gap to closer Mariano Rivera. He made his major league debut at Toronto on Aug. 7 and went 2-0 with a 0.38 ERA in 19 games.

He opened this season in the bullpen but was stretched out over three appearances before he joined the rotation.Angels 5, Mariners 4

In Seattle, Joe Saunders allowed one earned run in seven innings to become the AL's first nine-game winner.

Saunders (9-2) allowed six hits and likely would have cruised with a 5-1 lead but for two errors in the fifth inning for the Angels, who scored more than four runs for the first time in 14 games.Athletics 5, Tigers 4, 11 innings

In Oakland, Calif., Jack Cust beat out an infield single to give Oakland the win.

Kurt Suzuki scored the winning run after reaching base on a fielder's choice. Mark Ellis singled and Bobby Crosby walked to load the bases against Freddy Dolsi.

Chad Gaudin (5-3) pitched two innings in relief. Bobby Seay (0-1) faced the first two batters of the 11th.Red Sox 7, Rays 4

The Red Sox kept winning at home even without David Ortiz. Coco Crisp hit a tiebreaking double and Boston won the matchup of the AL East's top two teams.

Crisp snapped a 1-for-25 slump with the two-run double in a four-run sixth inning and Jacoby Ellsbury followed with a sacrifice fly.

With Ortiz sidelined for at least three weeks with a left wrist injury, the Red Sox won their 11th straight game at home, matching the longest AL streak of the season held by the Rays. Boston cut Tampa Bay's lead in the division to a half game.Orioles 5, Twins 3

In Minneapolis, Radhames Liz made a solid 2008 debut and got help from homers by Kevin Millar and Melvin Mora.

Liz (1-0) allowed two runs and four hits in 5 1-3 innings for the Orioles, who snapped a nine-game losing streak to Minnesota and improved to 25-8 when scoring at least four runs in a game.

The Twins got three straight doubles in the sixth from Carlos Gomez, Alexi Casilla and Joe Mauer to cut the deficit to 4-2, ending Liz's night. Matt Albers allowed one run in 1 2-3 innings of relief and George Sherrill picked up his 19th save in 21 chances.Rangers 12, Indians 7

In Arlington, Texas, Josh Hamilton and Milton Bradley hit consecutive homers to set the tone in a four-run first inning.

Hamilton went deep in his career-high fourth straight game one out after Ian Kinsler led off with a single to extend his career-best hitting streak to 18 games. Hamilton's two-run drive gave him 17 homers and 67 RBIs, tops in the AL in both categories.

Tom Mastny (0-1), making his first major league start after 68 career relief appearances, struggled through a 37-pitch first inning and lasted only 1 1-3 innings, allowing five runs and six hits.White Sox 9, Royals 5

In Chicago, Carlos Quentin, A.J. Pierzynski, Nick Swisher and Alexei Ramirez homered to help the White Sox beat the Royals and Zack Greinke.

Pierzynski's first homer since April 22, a two-run shot, capped a four-run second against Greinke (5-3) and put the White Sox ahead 6-0.

Greinke allowed nine hits and eight earned runs in six innings. His ERA rose from 2.88 to 3.56.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.