CC Sabathia's 250th Career Win Is Put On Hold With New York's Loss To Chicago
Well, the 250th win is going to have to wait for CC Sabathia after New York suffered their third straight loss.
Sabathia came into Friday’s outing with a solid handle of the White Sox during his career going 19-7 with a 3.67 ERA in 38 starts against Chicago, but his historically solid track record did him no favors this time around. Much of that was due to not getting his cutter where he wanted it to go. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/cc-sabathia-road-struggles-continue-vs-white-sox
“It just wasn’t there,” Sabathia said. “It wasn’t moving a lot.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/cc-sabathia-road-struggles-continue-vs-white-sox
The White Sox immediately ambushed Sabathia, sending nine men to the plate in the first inning and tagging him for four runs. Three runs came via Sox rookie sensation Eloy Jimenez, whose home run in the bottom of the first sent New York to a quick 4-1 deficit. It was his first of two three-run blasts in the game. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/cc-sabathia-road-struggles-continue-vs-white-sox
The Yankees’ southpaw wasn’t able to use his primary pitch effectively in his 4 2/3 innings of work. He threw 33 cutters in the game with the White Sox putting nine of them in play, including one that was center-cut on the Jimenez homer. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/cc-sabathia-road-struggles-continue-vs-white-sox
Sabathia admitted following Friday’s loss that he’s fighting the feeling on his signature pitch and looking to re-establish what has made him so successful over the years. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/cc-sabathia-road-struggles-continue-vs-white-sox
“My grip feels off. Everything about it feels off,” Sabathia said. “I’ve had times like this where the feeling’s been off, but two games like this, this has been the longest stretch. We’re going to have to figure something out between today and Wednesday to get it back where it needs to be.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/cc-sabathia-road-struggles-continue-vs-white-sox
“He was struggling with his cutter. Just from the velocity, shape of the pitch and getting it where he wanted to,” manager Aaron Boone said. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/cc-sabathia-road-struggles-continue-vs-white-sox
Sabathia’s road woes continue to plague him, as he moved to 1-3 with a 6.30 ERA in six starts away from Yankee Stadium this season. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/cc-sabathia-road-struggles-continue-vs-white-sox
It also shines the light on a Yankees rotation that has failed to record a quality start in seven straight games. With a four-man rotation trying to stay afloat, Yankees starting pitchers know 4 2/3 innings like they got tonight aren’t going to get it done. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/cc-sabathia-road-struggles-continue-vs-white-sox
“It’s tough, especially with us not pitching well right now,” Sabathia said. “You wanna go out and help the team. I just wasn’t able to do that tonight. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/cc-sabathia-road-struggles-continue-vs-white-sox
“It’s just a long season. We’ve had a bad 10 days, but this team is very capable of doing what they did before that.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/cc-sabathia-road-struggles-continue-vs-white-sox
Bats go silent
The American League Cy Young front-runner continued to show why he’s been one of the best pitchers in the game. White Sox starter Lucas Giolito silenced the Yankees’ offense after Luke Voit's solo homer in the first inning. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/cc-sabathia-road-struggles-continue-vs-white-sox
Giolito tossed six-plus innings, allowing just one earned run for his Major League-leading 10th victory of the season. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/cc-sabathia-road-struggles-continue-vs-white-sox
While Voit’s homer made it 17 consecutive games in which the Yankees have homered, they have also fanned 20 times in the last two games vs. Sox pitching. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/cc-sabathia-road-struggles-continue-vs-white-sox
“That’s a hot pitcher right now. The guy’s been throwing the ball really well. He settled in and showed us why he’s been so tough,” Boone said. “The ability to pitch with his fastball, but that changeup in any count that he’s able to throw even if he’s behind is an equalizer for him. He made it tough on us.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/news/cc-sabathia-road-struggles-continue-vs-white-sox
Meanwhile Chicago won another game in the series.
Excuse the White Sox if they took a little time to celebrate reaching .500 following a 10-2 victory over the Yankees before 31,438 on Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. “according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/eloy-jimenez-has-multi-homer-game-vs-yankees
Yes, their 34-34 record only means they break even, the literal definition of average. But with the losses they’ve endured over the last two years during the rebuild, hitting this mark is a sign of much greater things to come. “according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/eloy-jimenez-has-multi-homer-game-vs-yankees
It means a lot,” said White Sox left fielder Eloy Jiménez, who homered twice and drove in six during the team’s second straight victory over New York and fourth in five games this season. “For us, we are going to keep pushing and we are going to try to get a spot in the playoffs.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/eloy-jimenez-has-multi-homer-game-vs-yankees
"We've been climbing. We've been playing better baseball, more consistent baseball,” said White Sox starter Lucas Giolito, who extended his career-high winning streak to nine and won his eighth straight start. “We're playing really well at home, which is huge. I'm happy we're at .500. It's kind of like a turning point and we just keep going from there.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/eloy-jimenez-has-multi-homer-game-vs-yankees
The White Sox improved to 11-5 overall since May 27, 9-2 in their last 11 home games and 19-10 at home since April 15. In the process, Jimenez basically announced his Major League arrival. His two home runs gave him five in the last 13 games to go along with a .348 average, four doubles and 14 RBIs. “according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/eloy-jimenez-has-multi-homer-game-vs-yankees
Jimenez’s most important blast came in the first. After Luke Voit’s home run staked the Yankees to a 1-0 lead and ended Giolito’s career-high scoreless innings streak at 22, Jimenez connected on a first-pitch cutter from CC Sabathia in the bottom half of the frame and laced a three-run blast to right-center. That drive came with two outs, after Sabathia struck out James McCann to hold runners at first and third. “according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/eloy-jimenez-has-multi-homer-game-vs-yankees
When asked what pitch he hit from Sabathia, Jimenez paused, shook his head, smiled and honestly replied “I don’t know” before adding he thought it was a fastball. Whatever the pitch, it worked for Jimenez and the White Sox. “according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/eloy-jimenez-has-multi-homer-game-vs-yankees
“Man, he's a beast,” Giolito said. “He's coming into his own a little bit. They've been pitching him like a 10-year vet ever since he got into the league, but he's starting to dial in on his approach and he's showing the power a little bit. I'll take it. I'll take 10 runs for sure.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/eloy-jimenez-has-multi-homer-game-vs-yankees
“I feel more patient at the plate,” Jimenez said. “I’m seeing the ball better because I don’t rush anything. I just go into the game and if it happens, it happens. I feel really good. I’m starting to enjoy the game more and now, you see the results.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/eloy-jimenez-has-multi-homer-game-vs-yankees
Giolito took over the Major League lead in victories with No. 10. He became the ninth White Sox pitcher since at least 1913 to start a season 10-1 and has a 1.67 ERA (13 earned runs in 70 innings) since his last loss, dropping his ERA to 2.22. In what he described as a grinder sort of game, Giolito struck out six, walked four and allowed four hits over six-plus innings and 104 pitches. “according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/eloy-jimenez-has-multi-homer-game-vs-yankees
“Obviously, that’s a hot pitcher right now,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “The guy’s been throwing the ball really well. He settled in and showed us why he’s been so tough.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/eloy-jimenez-has-multi-homer-game-vs-yankees
This duo of Jimenez and Giolito helped the White Sox reach .500 for the first time since they were 3-3 on April 5. But if you want to get technical, it’s the first time they’ve reached .500 this late in the season since they were 50-50 on July 26, 2016. “according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/eloy-jimenez-has-multi-homer-game-vs-yankees
It’s of little wonder quiet confidence was flowing through their postgame clubhouse. “according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/eloy-jimenez-has-multi-homer-game-vs-yankees
“Everybody is playing hard right now, and we enjoy the game and we enjoy winning too,” Jimenez said. “That’s why we keep working hard and we are going to be good.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/eloy-jimenez-has-multi-homer-game-vs-yankees
“We can be one of the best teams in the league,” Giolito said. “We 100 percent have the talent. We have more talent on the way developing in the Minor Leagues. The sky’s the limit for us. Absolutely.” “according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/eloy-jimenez-has-multi-homer-game-vs-yankees
With the loss, New York drops to 41-27 and is now in second place in the American League East while the Chicago White Sox who are a member of the American League Central improve to 34-34 on the season. “according to https://www.mlb.com/yankees/standings “according to https://www.mlb.com/whitesox/news/eloy-jimenez-has-multi-homer-game-vs-yankees
New York and Chicago are supposed to play game three of their four game series Saturday night but mother nature might have something to say about if they get the game in or not.