Wang stays perfect by stopping Seattle

NEW YORK -- Before Chien-Ming Wang’s latest gem, Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner gave a pointed assessment of the team’s sluggish start.

“We just can’t win one out of five games, every time Wang pitches,” Steinbrenner said. “It’s not going to work . . . Starting pitching is where it’s at, especially in the postseason.”

Wang keeps doing his part. On a night so chilly that his pitching hand cramped, Wang became the American League’s first six-game winner with a 5-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners Friday night.

While the Yankees have won all seven starts by Wang (6-0), they are 8-16 in other games. He pitched shutout ball into the sixth inning, and Kyle Farnsworth, Joba Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera completed a four-hitter.

Wang improved to 7-0 against the Mariners in seven starts, yielding three hits in six innings. Early in the game, catcher Jose Molina went to the mound with a message.

“Attack the zone. Don’t be afraid to throw through the middle,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where he throws it, it’s going to move.”