Uncovered

Chien-Ming Wang wasn’t on the newspaper covers and neither was Melky Cabrera. Bigger stories than seven shutout innings and a game-winning homer bumped them off, but they were still the lead conversation on the 2 train this morning.

“Wang and Melky made my day,” said Carlos from Tremont Avenue. “Wang has led this pitching staff all season and Melky has been our best player. They don’t get as much attention as they should because they do things so quietly.”

Quiet excellence has always been the mark of Wang’s career. He is now 5-0 with a 3.23 ERA and has the best winning percentage in the big leagues since the start of the 2006 season.

“He’s been rock-solid from day one,” Carlos said. “The wins keep coming, but he never says anything or does anything to grab the spotlight.”

Cabrera – hitting .291 with five homers and 11 RBI – also stays in the shadows.

“Melky just keeps helping us win games,” Carlos said. “Still nobody talks about him or writes about him either.”

Carlos stopped and smiled.

“The headlines and newspaper covers don’t really matter,” he said. “They don’t help win any ballgames and that’s all these guys care about.

“That’s all I care about, too,” Carlos continued. “And that’s why I care so much about Wang and Melky.”