Sabathia continues climbing the K list
With a 91-mph sinker that Chris Gimenez whiffed at to end the second inning Tuesday, CC Sabathia waded further into the record books.
By the end of the night, the veteran southpaw had helped the Yankees do their own wading, closer to the postseason.
Surviving first-inning bunt attack by the Twins in the Yankees’ 5-2 win, Sabathia moved into 18th place all-time and third among lefties in career strikeouts.
The 37-year-old’s five strikeouts on the night gave him 2,836 in his 17year MLB career, passing Mickey Lolich (2,832). The only lefties in front of him are Randy Johnson (second overall, 4,875 strikeouts) and Steve Carlton (fourth, 4,136).
“That’s pretty cool, especially with the two guys out in front of me I’m never going to catch,” Sabathia said with a grin.
Pitching on seven days’ rest, Sabathia allowed just two runs on six hits (five singles) over six innings, undeterred by the Twins’ bunting in the first inning.
After the lefty allowed a brokenbat single on his first pitch of the night, the Twins executed back-toback bunt singles. Joe Mauer’s hugged the third-base line all the way to the bag before Jorge Polanco legged out his own after a replay review revealed he was safe at first. Sabathia responded by rolling a double-play ball and another grounder to limit the damage to just one run.
“Just tried to make a pitch, get a double play,” Sabathia said of his mindset after the bunts.
With a surgically repaired knee, Sabathia has not been shy about expressing his dislike for opponents bunting on him. When the Red Sox’s Eduardo Nunez bunted for a single off him Aug. 31, Sabathia called it “weak.”
It hardly bothered seemed to bother Sabathia on Tuesday. Max Kepler scorched a solo home off him in the third inning, but Sabathia was largely in control the rest of the way. He had three 1-2-3 frames and later left the bases loaded in the sixth to end his night.
“Just an outstanding job by CC,” manager Joe Girardi said. “It’s amazing what he’s accomplished in his career. He’s been the guy you can always count on in big situations.”