In ML debut, Sanchez, 'pen shut out Yanks

NEW YORK (AP) -- Yankee Stadium was nearly empty for Anibal

Sanchez's major league debut. That doesn't mean his impressive

performance went unnoticed.

Elias Says
The Marlins took the nightcap from the Yankees, 5-0, behind starter Anibal Sanchez, who pitched 5 2/3 innings in his big league debut. In the Joe Torre era (1996 to date), the only other starting pitchers to win their major league debut against the Yankees in the Bronx are Jason Dickson (Aug. 21, 1996) and Gustavo Chacin (Sept. 20, 2004). • For more Elias Says, Click here.

Sanchez shut down the Yankees for almost six innings, Miguel

Cabrera homered and the Florida Marlins beat New York 5-0 Sunday

night to split a doubleheader.

"I was a little nervous because the Yankees are the big team in

the big leagues," said Sanchez, who pointed to his mom in the

crowd when he departed in the sixth. "I just kept throwing and

following the catcher so we're working together."

Sanchez (1-0) was called up from Double-A Carolina for an

emergency start after rain postponed Saturday's game, forcing the

makeup date Sunday night. He allowed seven hits without a walk in 5

2/3 innings, striking out two.

The 22-year-old right-hander, acquired from Boston last November

as part of a trade for Josh Beckett, didn't get into much trouble.

Robinson Cano's sixth-inning double was the only extra-base hit

against him.

The Yankees were the only major league team that hadn't been

shut out this season.

"He didn't walk anyone tonight and that's impressive for a kid

that a half an hour before the game [Saturday night] we pulled him

out of Double-A and said, 'Youre going to pitch up here,'" Marlins

manager Joe Girardi said. "He was outstanding. It's just another

unbelievable performance by another young kid."

Cano strained his left hamstring while legging out his double.

He was to be re-evaluated Monday, and his status for the series

opener against Atlanta was uncertain.

Sanchez, who was 3-6 with a 3.15 ERA for Carolina, became the

20th rookie used by the Marlins this season -- and the 10th to make

his major league debut. He retired eight of nine during one stretch

to help Florida avoid a three-game sweep and win for the 11th time

in 14 tries.

Sanchez is the second starting pitcher to win his major league

debut against New York at Yankee Stadium in the past 10 years.

Toronto's Gustavo Chacin did it on July 20, 2004.

"He had a lot of movement on his fastball," Yankees manager

Joe Torre said. "It was cutting, it was sinking, he was

impressive. I wish we had 50,000 people in the stands to intimidate

him, not that it would have."

The sparse crowd of 6,809 was the smallest at Yankee Stadium

since April 7, 1994, for a game against Texas. While the Marlins

are used to tiny crowds, especially at home, New York is not -- more

than 54,000 tickets were sold for Saturday.

New York's best chance came in the sixth, when Cano's double put

runners at second and third with one out. But Marlins first baseman

Wes Helms made a diving grab of Bernie Williams' liner, and

reliever Randy Messenger retired Melky Cabrera on a popup.

Logan Kensing and Joe Borowski finished the seven-hitter,

Florida's second shutout this year. It was the Marlins' first

victory at Yankee Stadium since Beckett went the distance to clinch

the 2003 World Series with a 2-0 win in Game 6.

Florida took a 1-0 lead in the first on Jeremy Hermida's RBI

single off Shawn Chacon, who threw 16 pitches Saturday before the

game was called. Miguel Cabrera made it 2-0 in the third with his

11th homer.

The Marlins padded their lead with the help of two throwing

errors by Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi. The first one put

runners at the corners in the fifth, setting up a double steal on

which Reggie Abercrombie stole home.

Another bad throw by Giambi on Abercrombie's seventh-inning bunt

allowed a run to score and sent Abercrombie all the way to third.

He scored on a short sacrifice fly by Alfredo Amezaga, making it

5-0.

Chacon (4-2) allowed three runs -- two earned -- and five hits in

five innings. He hasn't won since May 6 -- he spent three weeks on

the disabled list during that span with a badly bruised left leg.Game Notes
ESPN agreed to

carry Sunday night's makeup game in the New York and Miami markets.

Originally, it was to be blacked out because of ESPN's national

broadcast of the game between the Houston Astros and Chicago White

Sox.