Yanks 8

Tigers 1

In the middle of the Yankee clubhouse, there is a white interlocking NY on the gray rug. A little more than an hour before his start last night, David Wells spread his chronically bad back next to the emblem, twisting and turning, looking like a yoga student.

Wells’ back is in great shape, as are his mechanics. It fits the mood at the Stadium these days, where just about everything is fine-tuned.

Last night, predictably it was another ho-hum domination with the Yankees whacking the Tigers, 8-1, on a five-hitter in a nifty two hours and 28 minutes. It was the Yankees fourth-straight win.

Wells pitched a complete game. Jason Giambi ripped a solo homer. And the magic number dropped to 14.

In the first week of September, Wells has 16 wins, a number that seemed unfathomable to Joe Torre in spring training.

“It is a surprise,” Torre said. “We scored a lot of runs for him early that helped him [win] when he wasn’t pitching as well as he is now.”

On the other hand, the Yankees beating the Tigers is about as shocking as a U.S. invasion of Iraq would be.

To begin the game, Tiger starter Mark Redman broke the norm. He retired 11 consecutive Yankees before being crushed, highlighted by seven singles – including six consecutive – in a six-run fifth.

In the middle of July, Redman pitched tremendously at the Stadium. He shut out the Yankees for eight innings before giving up two runs in the ninth and losing.

Last night at the start, Redman’s change fooled the Yankees again. The batters adjusted, taking more pitches and forcing Redman to move the ball up in the zone.

With two outs in the fourth, Giambi was the first Yankee to knock Redman, slapping a clean sharp single to center.

After Bernie Williams’ infield single, Jorge Posada smacked an RBI double to left, tying the game at 1-1.

After Redman escaped the fourth, the Yankees pounded him out of the game in the fifth. With two outs and a man on first, Alfonso Soriano, Derek Jeter, Giambi, Williams, Posada and Raul Mondesi all singled. All except for Mondesi was off Redman.

The most embarrassing moment for the Tigers came in the fifth. It is one thing to not be as talented, it is another to be fundamentally inept.

On Posada’s RBI single, Bobby Higginson threw a ball way over catcher Brandon Inge’s head. This is understandable because sometimes the ball slips.

What is more puzzling was Redman standing in the middle of the diamond. If Redman is backing up the play, as he is supposed to be doing, maybe he saves a base.

Meanwhile, Wells is a picture of calmness these days. His mechanics, like a car’s alignment, are in rhythm, which is taking pressure off his back.

When he wakes up in the morning his back feels good. It is hard to imagine Wells not being in the post-season rotation.

That is what he is preparing for. It is more than anyone could have hoped for, even George Steinbrenner, who overruled his staff to yank Wells away from the Diamondbacks in winter.

Last night, the Yankees and Wells continued to heed Torre’s pre-series advice to take the Tigers seriously.

“You can’t take them lightly,” Wells said.

The Yankees seem to be picking up the intensity as they prepare for October. They crushed the Tigers again. It is what they are supposed to do. As for Wells, he continues to do what he wasn’t supposed to do.