All about Joba

Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain came into Wendesday's start with a lot of hype and lived up to the billing.

The hard-throwing 22-year-old consistently threw his fastball in the mid-to-upper 90's and didn't give the Pirates much of a chance to do anything. He finished with 6 2/3 shutout innings and seven strikeouts.

"He worked from 93-98 with a breaking ball and a slider and hitting his spots," Pirates manager John Russell said. "That's pretty tough to hit."

"He was good tonight, he's got really good stuff," Pirates starting pitcher Zach Duke said. "He shut us down."

"When he throws 97-98 with a good breaking pitch, he's got real good stuff," said shortstop Jack Wilson, who had two singles and was hit by a pitch by Chamberlain.

Even his veteran teammates are impressed.

"He's been throwing well for us," Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said. "I don't know how many starts he's had. Now it seems like he has no pitchcount. He's going out there, he's throwing strikes and he's not hurting himself. And even if he gets in jams he's capable of striking guys out."