Joba well done! Chamberlain leads Yankees to eighth straight win, 8-3 over Athletics

Chamberlain pitches Yankees to 8-3 win over A’s

NEW YORK — Joba Chamberlain pitched into the eighth inning and allowed two hits, Derek Jeter and Johnny Damon provided the offense and the New York Yankees beat the Oakland Athletics 8-3 on Friday night for their eighth straight win.

Chamberlain (6-2) was dominant for the second straight start, giving up a run in the first and little else. His only real trouble came in the fifth when he struck out Eric Patterson with runners on second and third, emphatically pumping his fist as he walked off the mound.

Damon drove in three runs, Jeter had two RBIs and Jorge Posada hit a solo homer for the Yankees, who are 21-5 over the last month to seize control of the AL East. Oakland has lost eight straight to New York and 17 of 26 overall.

The stumbling A’s wasted another decent start from young Brett Anderson (5-8), who came into the game riding a 21-inning scoreless streak. He lost for the first time in six starts, done in by an offense that couldn’t score runs even when it had Matt Holliday.

The three-time All-Star was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals earlier Friday for three minor league prospects, taking one of the A’s hottest bats out of the middle of the order. Holliday’s trade had been widely expected, with Oakland (40-55) off to its worst start since 1997.

Things began promising enough for the A’s, with Orlando Cabrera hitting a one-out double and scoring on Scott Hairston’s sacrifice fly. But they managed only one other hit against Chamberlain. The 23-year-old right-hander allowed one run and struck out six in his longest outing since June 1.

The Yankees’ eight-game winning streak has been a testament to their pitching more than anything. This was the first time they had won by more than three runs, and it was their best offensive performance in nine games.

New York took the lead for good in the third, when Damon followed Jeter’s RBI single with a broken-bat dribbler to first. Daric Barton fielded the ball and threw to Cabrera covering second, but his throw back to first for an attempted double play plunked Damon in the hip, allowing Melky Cabrera to score.

Damon’s fielder’s choice in the fifth made it 3-1, and Hideki Matsui added an RBI groundout in the sixth.

Posada ensured closer Mariano Rivera got the night off with his solo shot in the eighth, and the Yankees tacked on three more runs off the A’s ineffective bullpen.

NOTES: The A’s recalled Patterson from Sacramento to fill Holliday’s roster spot. He arrived at the ballpark just before the start of the game. … Yankees RHP Chien-Ming Wang was awaiting a second opinion Friday on his injured right throwing shoulder from noted orthopedist Dr. James Andrews. Wang was also examined on Wednesday.