BOSTON — With an ocean of uncertainty behind CC Sabathia, the Yankees are dancing with death when they don’t win games started by their ace.
Even though Sabathia wasn’t sharp last night at Fenway Park, where the Red Sox and vintage Josh Beckett hung a 4-0 defeat on the Yankees in front of 37,861, the big left-hander provided his mates with a strong chance at victory.
Yet the Yankees’ lineup that was without Alex Rodriguez (flu-like symptoms), was dominated by Beckett, whose 2010 season was marred by back injury and ineffectiveness. In his second start this season, the former ace blanked the Yankees for eight innings. He struck out 10 and allowed two hits, singles by Eric Chavez and Robinson Cano.
“[Beckett] was probably as good today as we have seen him in quite some time,” said Derek Jeter, who went 0-for-4. “He was at 94-95 mph and I don’t think he threw the ball straight. It was one of those days.”
Since winning Sabathia’s Opening Day start, when he didn’t figure in the decision, the Yankees are 0-2 in his last two starts.
Rafael Soriano flushed a potential win for Sabathia last Tuesday. The hitters and Joba Chamberlain, who allowed a two-run, bases-loaded double in the seventh inning by light-hitting Marco Scutaro, did the damage last night.
“[Sabathia] has pitched well for us,” manager Joe Girardi. “We let a four-run lead get away [in his last start] and tonight we didn’t score any runs. He could easily be 3-0.”
That would be nice, but more importantly the Yankees, would be 3-0 in three Sabathia starts. Instead they are 1-2. Considering the funk Phil Hughes is in, the highs and lows that Ivan Nova has experienced and the presence of Freddy Garcia in the fifth spot, the Yankees must find ways to win when Sabathia takes the ball.
“I was in trouble pretty much every inning. I was trying to make pitches to make sure I could keep the team in the game,” said Sabathia (0-1), who allowed nine hits and walked four in 5 2/3 innings, but gave up only a run. “I just didn’t have the command today. Fastball command was off. Really from there I throw pretty much everything off of that. I left some off-speed pitches up and you end up with nine hits.
“I think I was a little sharper on Opening Day. It was just command problems from the start. It was just one of those nights. You just keep battling and trying to make pitches.”
Sabathia left Chamberlain a two-out, bases-loaded jam in the sixth and the reliever needed two pitches to get the frigid Kevin Youkilis on a grounder to Chavez, who filled in at third for Rodriguez.
In the seventh, however, Chamberlain placed himself in quick trouble by walking David Ortiz to start the inning. After fanning Mike Cameron, Chamberlain walked J.D. Drew and gave up a single to Jason Varitek that loaded the bases for Scutaro, the No. 9 hitter.
Two pitches later, Scutaro delivered a line-drive, two-run double to left that increased the Red Sox lead to 3-0.
Having lost two of three to the Red Sox, who were 0-6 when the series between blood rivals opened Friday, the Yankees put more stock in Beckett turning their bats to dust last night than this being the opening act of the Dead Bats Society.
“[Beckett] was really good tonight,” said Teixeira, who hasn’t had a hit in the last 18 at-bats. “Some nights you beat yourself up and some nights you tip your cap — and this was one of those nights.”
george.king
@nypost.com