GOT HIS BACCK
Bats save Sabathia from 2nd sorry start
CC Sabathia had as much to do with Wednesday’s victory as one of the hotdog vendors at the Stadium. For the second straight start, the veteran was hammered, only to be bailed out by the powerful lineup that has supported him like a mother watching over her newborn baby. The Yankees have won five of his six starts, but he’s had little to do with those wins recently. “It feel good to have the team winning, but you want to be a part of something, be a part of the winning,” Sabathia said after the Yankees’ 8-6 come-from-be- hind win over the Blue Jays.
Somehow, despite allowing 13 earned runs and three home runs over his last two outings, Sabathia has received two no-decisions. He put the Yankees in a four-run hole before they came to bat Wednesday night, but it didn’t matter. They rallied, thanks to the relentless lineup and sturdy work from the bullpen. On Friday, he put them in a 7-1 divot against the Orioles, only to see the Yankees to come storming back.
Sabathia, unable to control his cut fastball on the inside corner, only lasted two batters into the fifth inning, tagged for six earned runs on seven hits. He walked four, and struck out five, and was fortunate his night lasted as long as it did. He hasn’t gone past the sixth inning in his last three starts, and has given up 17 earned runs over 14 2/3 innings pitched in that span.
“I need to command the inside part of the plate to get them off everything else, and I just couldn’t get it there,” he said. “Commanding the inside part of the plate, I did that early in the season pretty good, and had some good results.”
Sabathia, now sporting an unhealthy 5.45 ERA, lacked command, and was behind all of the 11 hitters he faced. But as has been the case with the big southpaw since recreating himself as more of a control pitcher that relies on precision, he got by with what he had.
“The way the fans reacted, pulling for me, the way my teammates reacted between innings, pulling for me,” he said, “it really makes you want to go out there and do well.”