Game 70: Whitley Wednesday

Masahiro Tanaka has been the toast of the town this season, leading the Major Leagues with 11 wins after picking up another one last night against the AL East leading Toronto Blue Jays when he held Toronto to just one runs on five hits over six innings, as the Yankees went on to take the series opener 3-1.

But while Tanaka been dominating the league as the early favorite to win the AL Rookie of the Year award, there has also been another rookie pitcher making his way through lineups fairly easily -- right-hander Chase Whitley.

Coming off of his first career victory, against the Kansas City Royals, when he tossed seven innings of two-run ball -- also the longest outing of his short career -- the rookie right-hander struck out six Seattle Mariners over 7.2 innings, permitting just two runs on five hits.

He didn't walk a single batter in either one of those starts, and has only issued three free passes in 33.2 innings.

Whitley's career high in pitches in a game is only 91, and that was against the St. Louis Cardinals a couple weeks ago. It'll be interesting to see how far he can make it tonight's game against a Blue Jays lineup that will work the count, and made Tanaka throw over 100 pitches in only six innings.

Tonight's lineup against Mark Buehrle:

LF Brett Gardner
SS Derek Jeter
CF Jacoby Ellsbury
1B Mark Teixeira
RF Alfonso Soriano
DH Carlos Beltran
C Brian McCann
3B Yangervis Solarte
2B Brian Roberts

Follow @GavinEwbank