More from RealGM
 More Yankees NewsYankees LinksPhil Hughes couldn't help but know that he might be possessing no-hit stuff. If the Athletics' feeble swings and quick trips back to the bench weren't telling him, the scoreboard glaring into the Yankees' dugout surely was. Hughes carried that bid into the eighth inning before settling instead for his second win in as many starts this season, walking away on the good side of a 3-1 victory at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on Wednesday as the Yankees won their sixth straight game. Relying on a fastball that consistently sat around 93-94 mph and a biting cutter, Hughes racked up a career-high 10 strikeouts and allowed just one hit -- an Eric Chavez comebacker that struck Hughes' left forearm and came to rest safely between the plate and the mound. "Obviously, I knew I hadn't given up a hit," Hughes said. "To have it end that way is kind of a bummer, but that's the game. I'm just happy to get out of here with a win." From ESPN's Buster Olney and Andrew Davis: A) A career-high 10 strikeouts, nine of which came from the fastball B) He used his fastball on 86 pitches, 71 percent of which resulted in a strike C) He maintained his velocity: Hit at least 92 mph on the gun in every inning and averaged at least 90 mph in 7 of 8 innings started D) He had quick innings, averaging 12.6 pitches per inning with no more than 17 in one inning. E) He got ahead in the count, throwing a strike within the first two pitches on 92 percent of at-bats |
