Is CC Sabathia New York's Ace After Dominating Boston ?
When the season started in April I am sure everyone thought right -hander Masahiro Tanaka was going to be Joe Girardi's ace.
We are now two months into the season and so far that hasn't been the case as Masahiro Tanaka has struggled as he lost the series opener to Boston on Tuesday.
Is 2017 just not Masahiro Tanaka's year? It hasn't been as of late and his struggles continued Tuesday as Boston visited the Bronx for the first time this season for the first game of a three-game series. Does he need time away to clear his head and find consistency again?
Mitch Moreland and Hanley Ramirez hit back-to-back home runs while Andrew Benintendi also went deep to continue Masahiro Tanaka's baffling slide as Boston defeated New York by a score of 5-4. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/234723694/red-sox-hit-three-home-runs-in-win-vs-yankees/
Moreland and Ramirez hit their homers in the fourth and Benintendi went deep in the fifth off Tanaka, who generated just three swings and misses in his 62 pitches, surrendering five runs in five innings. Tanaka has lost each of his last five starts while allowing 27 earned runs in 22 2/3 innings (10.72 ERA).
With the rivals meeting for just the third time this season, Boston's big bats helped them 32-25) close within one game of the division-leading Yankees (32-23), the closest they have been to first place since the beginning of play on April 21. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/234723694/red-sox-hit-three-home-runs-in-win-vs-yankees/
Boston center fielder Jackie Bradley Junior had this to say about the American League East race. I think we all note the standings," said Red Sox center fielder "We all know that it all shakes out as the season goes on, and I think we should start paying more attention to it at the very end." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/234723694/red-sox-hit-three-home-runs-in-win-vs-yankees/
Moreland and Ramirez hit their homers in the fourth and Benintendi went deep in the fifth off Tanaka, who generated just three swings and misses in his 62 pitches, surrendering five runs in five innings. Tanaka has lost each of his last five starts while allowing 27 earned runs in 22 2/3 innings (10.72 ERA). "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/234723694/red-sox-hit-three-home-runs-in-win-vs-yankees/
Meanwhile, right -hander Masahiro Tanaka had this to say about his outing. "I have been inconsistent. Obviously, I'm trying to fix that," Tanaka said through an interpreter. "As for today, I think I made some good pitches and bad pitches in the game. The bad ones, I think I missed. They were crucial mistakes and they went right down the middle." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/234723694/red-sox-hit-three-home-runs-in-win-vs-yankees/
Boston guided Drew Pomeranz through five innings despite a season-high 123 pitches.Chris Carter hit a fifth-inning homer off Pomeranz, who picked up his first career victory over the Yankees after permitting two runs (one earned) and six hits. New York closed within a run in the eighth as a Craig Kimbrel wild pitch on a third strike with two outs allowed Matt Holliday to score from third base. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/234723694/red-sox-hit-three-home-runs-in-win-vs-yankees/
Kimbrel struck out Carter to end the eighth, then struck out the side in the ninth, ending the performance with three straight heaters of 99 mph or above against Yankees slugger Aaron Judge. The dominant righty (1.01 ERA, 17-for-18 in save opportunities) became the first pitcher in history to have a five-strikeout, four-out save. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/234723694/red-sox-hit-three-home-runs-in-win-vs-yankees/
However in game two of their three-game set on Wednesday New York veteran left -hander CC Sabathia who has been in pinstripes since 2009 pitched a gem of a game as he continued his resurgence with his best start of the season while Didi Gregorius and Chris Carter homered off reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello, leading to an 8-0 victory over the Red Sox on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/235002912/cc-sabathia-leads-yankees-to-win-over-red-sox/
CC Sabathia also picked up his fifth straight win permitting just five hits over eight scoreless innings, a 95-pitch gem that restored New York's lead in the AL East to two games over Boston. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/235002912/cc-sabathia-leads-yankees-to-win-over-red-sox/
CC Sabathia had this to say about his outing. "There's a long way to go, but it feels good to be contributing," Sabathia said. "That's the biggest thing. These guys have been playing well. It's a young team, we've been playing really good. You just want to be a part of it." according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/235002912/cc-sabathia-leads-yankees-to-win-over-red-sox/
Stepping up to help bolster a rotation that continues to search for answers with struggling ace Masahiro Tanaka, the veteran left-hander walked none and struck out five in his longest outing since April 2015, retiring the last 12 batters he faced. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/235002912/cc-sabathia-leads-yankees-to-win-over-red-sox/
New York manager Joe Girardi who is a former catcher and played for five different teams during his career that included New York from 1996-1999 had this to say about CC Sabathia's performance. "His stuff was really good tonight. We needed this," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Just a big performance by CC. I think he takes a lot of pride in it. He's been that guy his whole career that you can turn to when you needed a big win, and he still does it." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/235002912/cc-sabathia-leads-yankees-to-win-over-red-sox/
The New York offense meanwhile thumped Porcello for six runs (five earned) and eight hits over 6 1/3 innings, handing him his eighth loss of the year. Porcello walked two (one intentionally) and struck out five, throwing 71 of 103 pitches for strikes. Coming off a Cy Young Award season, Porcello is 3-8 with a 4.46 ERA. "according to
"Just the execution of pitches, what it always comes down to," said Porcello. "You make good pitches and guys get hits, you can live with that. But in crucial times, when you've got to bear down and locate, I haven't been very consistent with that, and I've got to get better." "according to
Didi Gregorius put New York on the board in the third inning with a solo homer and Carter added a three-run shot as part of a four-run fourth. Yankees batters have homered in 43 of 56 games this season, winning 31 of those contests. "according to
New York thumped Porcello for six runs (five earned) and eight hits over 6 1/3 innings, handing him his eighth loss of the year. Porcello walked two (one intentionally) and struck out five, throwing 71 of 103 pitches for strikes. Coming off a Cy Young Award season, Porcello is 3-8 with a 4.46 ERA.
"Just the execution of pitches, what it always comes down to," said Porcello. "You make good pitches and guys get hits, you can live with that. But in crucial times, when you've got to bear down and locate, I haven't been very consistent with that, and I've got to get better."
Didi Gregorius put New York on the board in the third inning with a solo homer and Carter added a three-run shot as part of a four-run fourth. Yankees batters have homered in 43 of 56 games this season, winning 31 of those contests.
New York thumped Porcello for six runs (five earned) and eight hits over 6 1/3 innings, handing him his eighth loss of the year. Porcello walked two (one intentionally) and struck out five, throwing 71 of 103 pitches for strikes. Coming off a Cy Young Award season, Porcello is 3-8 with a 4.46 ERA. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/235002912/cc-sabathia-leads-yankees-to-win-over-red-sox/
"Just the execution of pitches, what it always comes down to," said Porcello. "You make good pitches and guys get hits, you can live with that. But in crucial times, when you've got to bear down and locate, I haven't been very consistent with that, and I've got to get better." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/235002912/cc-sabathia-leads-yankees-to-win-over-red-sox/
New York has gotten league-worst production from their first basemen this season, but Carter's bat may be heating up. After singling in his first at-bat and mistakenly advancing to an occupied base to force an error, Carter blasted a three-run homer, narrowly missed another homer in the sixth when Mookie Betts made a leaping catch at the right-field wall and added a RBI single in the eighth. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/235002912/cc-sabathia-leads-yankees-to-win-over-red-sox/
"I'm just trying to not jump out at the ball," Carter said. "When I got a pitch away, I would lean toward it or go after it. I'm just trying to stay balanced and stay in place. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/235002912/cc-sabathia-leads-yankees-to-win-over-red-sox/
Sabathia had it all under control on Wednesday, even after a strap on his protective knee brace broke during the fourth inning. The brace was repaired for the fifth when Josh Rutledge led off with a triple to left-center field. Sabathia remained cool under pressure, barehanded Jackie Bradley Jr.'s 97.9-mph comebacker to pin the runner at third before retiring the next two batters as well. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/235002912/cc-sabathia-leads-yankees-to-win-over-red-sox/
"I'm just trying to make pitches," Sabathia said. "I wasn't really worried about how I got the outs, I was just trying to get outs and make some good pitches. It was just right there so I grabbed it. It was a big play at the time, keeping the ball on the infield." according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/235002912/cc-sabathia-leads-yankees-to-win-over-red-sox/
Wednesday marked Sabathia's 25th career start where he has thrown at least eight scoreless innings, and his first since Sept. 21, 2012, vs. Oakland. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/235002912/cc-sabathia-leads-yankees-to-win-over-red-sox/
New York improved to 33-23 while Boston dropped to 32-26 on the season. New York and Boston will finish up their three -game series tonight in the Bronx. New York right -hander Michael Pineda will start the finale. He has a record of 6-3 with a 3.76 earn run average and has been one of their better starters this season but in his last outing turned in a clunker last time out against Toronto. He allowed five runs and ten hits over five frames. Prior to that, Michael Pineda had a string of nine starts with three runs or fewer allowed. He will go up against Boston left-hander David Price who has a record of 1-0 with a 3.00 earn run average. He will make his third start since returning from the disabled list. He struggled mightily against New York last season as he went 1-3 with a 7.89 earn run average in five starts. In his career at Yankee Stadium, he has a record of 8-5 with a 3.98 earn run average. "according to https://www.mlb.com/gameday/red-sox-vs-yankees/2017/06/08/490994#game_state=preview,game_tab=,game=490994
First pitch is set for 7:05 pm. The game will be televised on ESPN. "according to https://www.mlb.com/gameday/red-sox-vs-yankees/2017/06/08/490994#game_state=preview,game_tab=,game=490994