There were two remarkable games this month that I believe indicate something very important about this Yankee club and their potential outcome for the 2008 season. These games on paper seemed to be as different as possible except for the fact that both ended in Yankee victories and could potentially foreshadow the outcome of this year's season. One game was against the Blue Jays and starred Jason Giambi with heroics resembling that stormy 2002 miracle when he officially became a "Yankee" with a walk-off homer, just as he replicated in this game. And the other game with potentially long term implications was today's game. This one starred the phenom Joba Chamberlain and conjured images of his adrenaline-soaked call up last year and his celebratory fist pumps: the elated gyrations that demonstrated the full emotional content of the electrifying, late innings. Chamberlain had been told to hide these emotions, as to not offend his competitors and he did for a while. But he was not able to this game as raw passion and joy erupted from his 230 lbs. frame. As he celebrated, the 54,362 in attendance today serenaded him with zealous cheer.

Only a few weeks ago, in a game against the Blue Jays, the Yanks showed their grit by grinding out, in my opinion, the hardest and most deserved win of the year. The Yankees scratched out a first inning lead from a ground out and sacrifice fly from Abreu and Rodriguez respectively. This lead lasted only until the 4th when Matt Stairs lofted a game tying, 2-run home run barely clearing the wall to the left of the 314 ft. sign and a leaping Abreu. The next inning, the Jays take the lead due to a costly error from Cabrera, and by the end of the 5th they extend their lead to 7-2. A score that was nearly a death sentence due to the previously struggling Yankee lineup. However, in the bottom of the inning the home team began to chip away at the 5-run deficit from a ground out from Abreu, which also moved Damon to 3rd. Arod scored the speedster with a shallow sacrifice fly, barely snatched by the second basemen Inglett, putting the Yankees within three. After a scoreless half inning, Cano led of the Yankees half with a single up the middle only to be brought around the bases by a homer from the new target of fan hatred, the newly villanized Wilson Betemit. The score was then 7-6 Bluejays, Yanks down by one. The score remained the same until the 9th when the newly unveiled Yankee killer Matt Stairs scored his 5th RBI of the day as a ground-rule double explodes of his bat. The score is now 8-6. Things are not looking too good. Now to the bottom of the 9th where Jeter grounds out and Abreu lines out. 2 out, game over right? Next, Arod reaches first base on a single and advances to second from defensive indifference. Next batter, Bam! Hideki Matsui smokes a laser to center allowing Rodriguez to round 3rd and score. 8-7. And then Giambi approaches the plate hitting a measly .258 in place for Jose Molina. Giambi immediately goes down in the count to 0-2 and it looks like a Giambi out would end the Yankee rally. But, Giambi connects on a 84-mph fastball from the usually reliable closer, B.J. Ryan, and deposited it far back in the upper deck and simultaneously won the game for the Yanks.

Usually when a team is down by five runs they begin to think about tomorrow. But in a win like this, all teammates forget about the self and seem to remind us all that the ghosts haven't vacated the old Yankee Stadium just yet. Team unity were able to overcome the Jays and the white-hot Stairs whose 5 RBIs had constantly tested the Yankees; teasing the home team as they flirted with losing control of the game until they finally did at the final possible moment: the bottom of the 9th with 2 out. This game did a lot to indicate the future of the team through one uncommon feature of the game: Wang was terrible yet we won anyway!

I'm not saying that we can come back from a 5 run deficit every game but what I'm saying is this: due to the Yankees' offensive firepower, all the replacement starter has to do is keep us in the game. This is the stated objective of Mike Mussina who happens to be New York's most winning pitcher (with 10 wins). Mussina has pitched 81 1/3 innings this year while surrendering 35 earned runs for an ERA of 3.81. Pretty good right? There is no way how the Yankees can mirror this kind of production with a replacement from the minors or Giese or someone (Ponson? ehhhhh.... shutters. But who knows? I maybe biting my tongue in a month or two?) but they may need to. Just find somehow to get a quality start of 6 innings of 3 run ball. Hell, with our offense I'd be happy if our starter gave up 4 runs over 6 innings or even 3 runs over 5 innings. If we could do that consistently, we could win many games, but not close to all of them, with the team's 4.76 run/game average. There are 59 games left this year before Wang's return in September which means that there will be about 13 games that he would normally start. Let's say that the Yanks go 8-7 for those games, and they are aiming to win 94 games. During the rest of the team's 76 games (counting all starters except Wang until his starts in September), the team must have a winning percentage of .621 or go 46 and 28. Is that possible? Given the fact that the Yanks have seemed to find themselves over the past few weeks, considering last year's epic winning streak, and considering the winning potential of Joba Chamberlain in the starting rotation, I believe so.

Chamberlain has given his best start of the season today going 5 2/3 innings surrendering 1 run while striking out a career high 9. This is impressive regardless of the stellar strikeout total which led to an elevated pitch count and an early exit. The fans at the stadium perhaps acknowledged how much the team's future laid in the hands of a 23 year old rookie and how good it felt to be after today's start.

Do the Yankees need Wang uninjured, without missing starts to make the playoffs? No, but it would certainly help. However, as long as Wang's replacement isn't a complete bust, going 5-10, we should be able to win 94 games as long as the team avoids prolonged slumps. And with the starting rotation's highly effective Moose, Pettite who can scratch out a win when he needs to, and the fire-baller Chamberlain, there is no reason to believe so.