ON THE MONEY
CC needs to come up big again
THE ASTROS got a complete-game gem from $28 million man Justin Verlander in Game 2, and the Yankees will need a similar performance out of $25 million man CC Sabathia in Game 3 with their season once again hanging in the balance — down 0-2 in the ALCS but returning to the Bronx, where they’ve gone 54-30.
Sabathia, of course, doesn’t possess the stuff — or distance — of Verlander, but the Bombers would presumably take five solid innings out of the 37-year-old lefty, who is no stranger to excelling in big games during his illustrious career.
Sabathia has a 3.72 postseason ERA in 2017 with 14 strikeouts over 9.2 innings (two starts).
“Our bullpen is unbelievable — top to bottom,” Sabathia said. “We have I think the best (bullpen) in the game. So it just gives you confidence to go out and do whatever you can and leave it all out there and let those guys come up and clean up the mess.”
That was the case in Game 5 of the ALDS, when Sabathia dominated for four innings before running into trouble in the fifth. In came David Robertson with two in, two on and one out, inducing an inning-ending double-play ball to preserve a onerun lead.
So Sunday’s off-day could prove pivotal in allowing their taxed relievers some much-needed rest. Robertson and Tommy Kahnle — the two impact guys acquired from the White Sox — have combined to allow only an opposite-field homer to Jay Bruce during the playoffs.
“Just go out and try to be aggressive in the strike zone,” said Sabathia, who was undefeated following a Yankee loss in the regular season (9-0, 1.71 ERA). “Throw strikes and let them swing early in the count and get deeper in the game. Nothing different than I always do.”
Joe Girardi’s formula has proven to be the same with Sabathia lately: feel out the situation, and make a change if necessary, perhaps upon the first sign of trouble. “I’m not going to change my philosophy with him. It’s kind of worked all year,” the manager said.
Sabathia didn’t face the Astros in the regular season, but will get his first look at a lineup that doesn’t strike out much and is very capable of producing in clutch situations. Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa have proven they can hit the heater and off-speed
stuff, too. Aroldis Chapman, who had gone 18.2 consecutive scoreless innings with 30 strikeouts since August, can tell you that much.
Only two runs have separated the two clubs over the first two games of the series. A couple of baserunning blunders and a botched relay, and things could easily be different. That’s why Girardi plans to stick with the same lineup — even if Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez have one hit and eight strikeouts between them.
As for Sabathia, his year has been a roller coaster, getting through a shaky start to 2017 and a balky knee that had him thinking retirement in August. But the Bombers wouldn’t be where they are without him. And he seems like the perfect candidate to pitch them right back into this thing.
“It’s always fun to have a chance to pitch in the playoffs and have the opportunity to win a championship,” said Sabathia, who is in the final year of his deal. “I don’t really think about it, that it had been so long (since 2012). I didn’t think about whether I’d be back or not (in the playoffs). I just wanted to be healthy enough to go out and pitch. This for me is a bonus, being able to pitch in the playoffs. I missed it, but I didn’t really think about it.”