MLB

Sabathia guts out needed win for Yankees

BOSTON — CC Sabathia was behind in the count to Adrian Gonzalez 3-1. The Red Sox third-place hitter represented the tying run at that moment, but this was a symbolic showdown in so many more ways for the Yankees ace.

Here were the Red Sox again authoring one wearying at-bat after another against Sabathia, testing his patience, endurance and repertoire. They were the team he could not beat so far in 2011 and he was teetering now.

Sabathia essentially had been in a prevent defense all game, a lot of bending. No breaking.

Sabathia had struck out Gonzalez three times in three at-bats to this point, finishing each with a devilish slider. But Gonzalez did not bite on two sliders that Sabathia described as “pretty good.” That is how the count moved to 3-1 and how Sabathia moved off of that pitch, feeling an elite hitter had seen too much of the slider already.

Cory Wade was warming. But the Yankees bullpen was, in the words of manager Joe Girardi, “pretty short.” David Robertson was unavailable. Hector Noesi was at Triple-A, so there was no long man. Every out the starter could generate mattered. So Girardi sent Sabathia out with 109 pitches in the sixth, informed him this was his last inning and to “empty the tank.” But Gonzalez was going to be Sabathia’s final batter — completed inning or not.

Sabathia would deny that this game held more meaning, suggesting that was a media concoction. But pitching coach Larry Rothschild conceded Sabathia “has pride.” Which is a way of saying that everyone knew what the big scoreboard said in 2011: Red Sox 4, Sabathia 0.

And everyone knows the Red Sox are the team the Yankees define themselves against, and so this was a statement moment for a No. 1 starter: Could Sabathia induce the out against Boston that had basically escaped him in 2011?

The big southpaw had enough left to throw 95 mph on the outside corner. Full count. His next pitch would be his 128th, tying the second most in his career. Still he found 96 mph. He had only thrown one pitch harder all night. As statements went, that was a pretty darn good one.

“It says he is big and strong and that he can carry a big load,” Girardi said.

Gonzalez — second in the majors in RBIs — grounded out to Derek Jeter. Sabathia was done, not with a work of art, far short of dominance. Instead, this was about Sabathia’s perseverance. He outlasted the Red Sox more than outclassed them.

With a 5-2 victory, the Yankees beat the Red Sox for just the third time in 13 games this year and after 0-4 with a 7.20 ERA, Sabathia finally had defeated Boston.

Sabathia had arrived with this plan: To aggressively challenge with his fastball and concentrate on strike one to try to shorten the long at-bats that had so bedeviled him against Boston. But even with what he described as his best stuff in the last month — his fastball lived at 93-96 mph — and the ability to throw strike one to 21 of 30 hitters, Boston still managed to extend at-bats against Sabathia. For example, Sabathia walked two, both after getting ahead 0-2.

He never had a 1-2-3 inning and Boston produced 10 hits off Sabathia and is now hitting .336 off of him this year compared with .234 for the rest of the sport.

But Sabathia offered what you want in your staff leader: A resolve not to surrender to either the season-long struggles vs. Boston or this onslaught. He struck out two batters in each of the first five innings and held the Red Sox to three hits in 15 at-bats with men on base, including 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Gonzalez was the last of those at-bats.

At that moment the Yankees led 4-2. But events in 2011 between the Yankees and Sabathia vs. Boston suggested discomfort, and so did having Phil Hughes and, especially, A.J. Burnett looming against Josh Beckett and Jon Lester. The Yankees needed this game. So they needed their ace to make a stand.

He did. Sixth inning. His tank emptying. An elite hitter at the plate. Bad memories as much a part of this game as the Green Monster.

Sabathia reached back for his fastball. He delivered a message that after all the losing to Boston this year, he would not retreat. There would be no surrender.