Baseball is an acquired taste. Best to have an older relative who knows the game and introduces you to it when you're young. Otherwise you don't learn to appreciate the subtle joy. The hidden moments that make it a game of the mind as well as the body.

Like a 1-0 game.

You don't see these anymore. Nine inch pitching mounds, the DH, and obsessive compulsive managers have just about driven them out. But now and again, if you're really lucky....

Sunday in Cleveland. The Yankees come to town and the tumblers fall into place. Two number one starters, Chien-Ming Wang and C.C. Sabathia, both on their game.

Yankees up first get two on. Damon on a single and Rodriquez with a walk. Here's the problem for the Yankees. Sabathia has no need to pitch to Rodriquez with Shelly Duncan hitting behind him. Plus, Sabathia's stuff is impressive. Five foul balls, an early sign the hitters can't get around.

Delluci gets a hit to start the Indians half, Hafner walks, Garko can't come close to Wang's slider. The tipoff. Five batters and five looking strikes on the first pitch. It's a Money Ball game, but seriously, sometimes the first pitch is the best to hit.

The second passes, 3 up and down both sides. Garko, having one of those days, puts Damon on with an error in the third. No problem, Sabathia puts down Jeter and Abreu. Michaels doubles and goes to third on a passed ball by Molina. Molina is wearing sunglasses under his mask and looks like the warning label on some industrial chemical. Hafner, a lifetime .300 hitter batting .226, leaves Michaels at third when he can't get the ball out of the infield.

The Indians get a runner on in their half of the fourth, then Wang strikes out the side on 14 pitches. Wang has heavy stuff, mainly a slider with bite, that he spots low. As he throws more pitches he actually gets better because the ball stays down.

You go into the 5th thinking the Indians will break through and score. Sabathia has given up only one hit, and that to open the game. Robinson Cannot (Cano) is up, hitting a robust .157. He gets kind of sort of infield hit, immediately realizes what he has done and gets picked off. And then comes Melky Cabrera.

Cabrera is fate's way of having a laugh at the Yankees expense. New York could have acquired Johan Santana but no, Cashman would part with Cabrera or Hughes but not both. So fate is sitting in the stands in Cleveland out in left field, working on its tan and enjoying a glorious sunny day and starts feeling bad about Cano, bad about the Mets having Santana, bad about an AL East with the Orioles in first. What the heck, give them a home run.

Cano broke the rhythm. That's all I can figure. Sabathia is confused by Cano getting on base. Cano is confused by Cano getting on base. Then the pickoff. Time stops to ponder absurdity. So Sabathia grooves a fastball that Cabrera deposits in the left field bleachers. Being neither drunks nor buffoons, the well mannered Indian fans keep the ball. 1-0 Yankees.

So that's the play of the game? No. This is. Last of the 5th, Gutierrez singles to left. Tight game, Wang is pitching well, the Indians decide to have Michaels bunt the man over. Runner on second, one out, a fair exchange. Then Girardi, or Molina, wins the game. The first pitch is high and tight and backs Michaels out. And just that easy, the Indians get the idea they won't get a pitch to bunt and put the hit sign back on.

But there is still the matter of second base. Wedge sends Gutierrez, who is thrown out. Michaels strikes out, Delluci walks. Now take that inside pitch away. You'd now have two on, one out. Instead, two out one one. Cabrera (2nd base, Indians) goes down swinging.

Sabathia awakes. After Jeter opens the Yankee 6th with a double and Abreu (a lefty) hits the ball to the right side to move him over, Rodriquez and Duncan give a neighborly wave before quietly exiting. Garko gets hit in the Indians half of the inning but no damage. Still 1-0.

The seventh passes with 1-2-3 innings on both sides. Wang is at 113 pitches, but has an inning left if required. After the Yankees politely bow to Sabathia in the 8th, Girardi has a decision. But not much of one. Joba Chamberlain is in for Wang.

Overmatched is overused. A major league hitter should seldom be overmatched. The Indians were. Delucci fouled out. Why Cabrera even brought a bat with him to the plate is a subject for conjecture (three pitch strikeout). Hafner does his best imitation of a road sign watching a Mercedes roar past and is down looking.

Ninth inning. The Indians bring in Kobayashi (not the competitive eater, the pitcher). Abreu, Rodriquez, Duncan all place the ball in the air in some tepid form. Death to flying things and on to the last of the 9th.

Rivera is in and the announcers drone on about all the leads he has protected. Shakespeare said there is nothing good or bad that thinking does not make it so. The expectation of failure hung in the air.  Maybe Rivera is that good, maybe teams expect to lose when he comes in. 

Martinez goes all in and flys to right on the first pitch. Garko strikes out looking, although for what it is unclear. Peralta fouls three off and as much in resignation as contemplation leaves his bat on his shoulder for a third strike.

There was just one run and that was enough.

New York 0-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-0 1 4 0
Cleveland 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 0 4 1