Chien-Ming Wang won his 50th career game last night in just 85 starts. He is the fastest to 50 since Doc Gooden did it back in 1986 for the Metropolitans and first Yankee since Ron Guidry to complete the feat.
Wang is now 4-0 on the season with the Yankee bats pitching in to get him a win on a night where he didn’t have his best stuff. The only other 4-0 pitcher in the American League right now is Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Wang has gotten 19 wins the past two seasons and neither time did he start out 4-0. In 2006 he started out 2-4 and in 2007 he began the year 3-4. Wang started 33 games in ‘06 and 30 last year and with only four starts in the books for ‘08, there is no question that this guy can win 20 games.
The last Yankee pitcher to win 20 games was Andy Pettitte in 2003 when he went 21-8. Pettitte also went 21-8 back in 1996, but neither year did he win the Cy Young. He lost the award in ‘96 to Pat Hentgen who as 20-10, but beat Pettitte in ERA and in ‘03 he came in sixth behind Roy Halladay, Esterban Loaiza, Pedro Martinez, Tim Hudson, and Jamie Moyer.
Pettitte (3-1) has a legitimate shot at 20 wins this season as well. He did win 15 games last year and received a no decision five times when he gave up 2 ER or less in 6 or more inning of work.
