Joe Girardi and Rick Kranitz already took action to correct a flaw in Dontrelle Willis' delivery:

Watching from behind the batting cage was manager Joe Girardi, and standing just off the mound with arms folded was pitching coach Rick Kranitz, both looking to correct what mechanical flaws caused Willis to surrender 10 hits, walk six and allow eight earned runs in 5 2/3 innings.

Girardi said Kranitz, in comparing videotapes from last season with those of Willis in the WBC, detected a kink or two that required minor tinkering to rectify.

''Kranny noticed it,'' Girardi said. 'He saw the tapes [from the WBC], and the tapes when he was doing well, and said `This is what you're doing [wrong].' ''

Too bad they didn't notice that before round 2 of the WBC and call Buck Martinez with the info.

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