nysports

It’s Offical, I’m aboard the Joba Express Train!  This time, Joba Chamberlain stuck around.

Chamberlain pitched into the sixth inning Tuesday, a step forward in his development as a starter, and the New York Yankees took advantage of four Cincinnati errors in a 6-3 victory over the Reds, who played the last few innings without their ejected manager.

The Yankees wanted Chamberlain to pitch six innings for the first time this spring, and he came close. The right-hander allowed five hits and two runs in 5 1-3 innings, leaving after the Reds scored twice.

The Yankees’ fifth starter hadn’t lasted longer than 4 1-3 innings in any of his five previous games this spring, going a total of 14 2-3 innings. It was Chamberlain’s final chance to pitch deeper into a game, and he did what the Yankees wanted, striking out six along the way.  Chamberlain began last season in the bullpen, then moved into the rotation in late May and made 12 starts. He wound up leading all AL rookies in ERA (2.60) and was second with 118 strikeouts.