In big spot, Sabathia can’t stop Bombers’ woes

OAKLAND, Calif. — CC Sabathia selected an inopportune time to stop being the Yankees’ stopper.

The Yankees’ hopes of starting this road trip on the right foot faded with every pitch Sabathia threw in an ultra-long first inning Monday afternoon at the Oakland Coliseum, and the big lefty got pinned with the loss as his team fell to the upstart A’s, 6-3, to drop their American League wild-card lead to 3 ¹/₂ games. Sabathia lasted only 3 ¹/₃ innings as he allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out four.

While his manager Aaron Boone blamed an ineffective cutter for failing to neutralize the A’s lineup of nine righty bats, Sabathia countered, “It was everything. I didn’t ma ke enough good pitches. It was one of those days.”

The Yankees, having lost five of eight games, recorded t heir second straight defeat, and that broke a regular-season streak of sorts for Sabathia. He hadn’t taken a loss immediately following a Yankees loss since Sept. 3, 2016; in his previous 22 starts after a Yankees loss, he had gone 12-0 with a 2.81 ERA, according to the Yankees. Of course, those with good memories will note that Sabathia lost Game 7 of the 2017 AL Championship Series to the Astros after the Yankees dropped Game 6.

The A’s picked up three doubles against Sabathia, although they did their most damage in a threerun first inning that resulted from four singles, a walk and a Miguel Andujar throwing error.

“They were just taking [the cutters] to right field,” said Sabathia, who threw 39 pitches in that inning, compelling Boone to warm up Luis Cessa in the bullpen. “I felt like I could still try to navigate, maybe give us a chance to win, but that wasn’t the case today.”

It wasn’t the case even after the Yankees tied the score at 3-3 in the top of the second, courtesy of Luke Voit’s two-run homer. Sabathia let the A’s get right back ahead, 4-3, in the second, followed by an insurance run in the fourth as A.J. Cole inherited Sabathia’s runner (Marcus Semien’s double sent Sabathia to the showers) and let him score. Sabathia didn’t shine in the ballpark closest to his hometown of Vallejo, Calif.

“It’s a good lineup,” Sabathia — who said his chronically troubled right knee felt fine — said of the A’s.

Go o d enough to extend the Yankees’