It's early, but Yanks are up to the test

BOSTON

The Yankees put on a show in batting practice yesterday afternoon, with Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira sending balls over not just the Green Monster, but also the Monster seats. While just practice, it served as a symbolic continuation of what this Yankees lineup accomplished over its first two games.

"I just feel like, going into these games, we feel like we can put up good at-bats against whomever we face," Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long said, less than an hour before first pitch. "We're certainly not intimidated by a Beckett, or a Lester. We're feeling like everybody does their part and does what they're capable of doing, we can put up innings, put some runs up. And that's what we've done."

Alas, these are the Red Sox, and they threw yet another frontline starting pitcher at the Yankees last night. Behind Josh Beckett and Jon Lester stands John Lackey, who shined in his debut for his new club.

The Yankees won their second straight game, 3-1 in 10 innings, when Curtis Granderson's solo homer highlighted a two-run rally off Sawx closer Jonathan Papelbon. Yet the effort of Lackey, who threw six shutout innings, ensured that the Yankees would re-digest the bigger picture.

"You know, pitching and defense win championships," Teixeira said, prior to the game. "I think what the Red Sox did this offseason was great for this team, because they upgraded their pitching and they upgraded their defense.

"I think as good as our offense is with the Yankees, we won the championship last year because of our starting pitching and our bullpen. And we played solid defense. That's what they did this offseason."

Actually, with all due respect to Teixeira, they rode their high-powered offense to the American League East title, at which point their starting pitching carried the ball in the postseason. Yet you can see where the first baseman is coming from.

Lackey, Teixeira's Angels teammate for a couple of months in 2008, allowed just three hits and walked two over his six innings, striking out three. He successfully mixed his fastball, curveball and cutter to prevent the Yankees from doing much of anything; a Yankee didn't reach second base until the fifth inning, when Curtis Granderson singled and stole a bag.

The righthander ranks among the game's better starting pitchers; we knew that already. It's why the Red Sox agreed to pay him $82.5 million over five years. What stood out on this night was how Lackey picked up the pace for his new teammates.

Beckett couldn't make it out of the fifth inning on Opening Night Sunday, getting hammered for five runs and eight hits while throwing 94 pitches, and on Tuesday, the lefty Lester grinded out five tough innings with his 94 pitches, allowing four more runs. Throw in some beatdowns on the Red Sox's bullpen, and the Yankees began the night with a .395 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage.

"We've swung the bats really good the first two days, and I hope it continues. John Lackey's job is to make it not continue," Girardi said before the game. "I think the guys feel good about the way they're swinging the bat."

The Yankees could feel good about their entire first week, and now it's onto Tampa Bay for the difficult Rays. There's clearly enough talent in the Bronx for a repeat. To the north and south, however, lay serious hurdles.

They may not be intimidated, but they certainly will be tested.