VIERA, Fla. — CC Sabathia was confused as to where he was after pitching poorly Tuesday against the Nationals on a day he introduced a cut fastball. Yet, the Yankees’ ace was very clear about how he pitched.
“I sucked today. I’ll leave it here in Vero or Viera, wherever we are,’’ Sabathia said.
Unable to slow down his rhythm or get on a downhill plane, Sabathia estimated very few of his pitches were quality.
“It was kind of erratic, all over the place. I couldn’t get my delivery down, kind of push off and tried to get leverage and it was hard for me,’’ Sabathia said in the middle of a 3-2 Yankees loss at Space Coast Stadium. “I was jumping, leaving too early. A couple of times [pitching coach] Larry [Rothschild] told me to slow down. I threw a couple of good pitches but I only threw a couple of good pitches out of [62].’’
Two starts and a simulated game into spring training Sabathia wasn’t ready to fret over giving up three runs, four hits and two walks in three innings.
“Not yet, maybe a little later,’’ he said when asked if he was bothered by the rocky outing. “I have been throwing the ball well. Even warming up today I felt good. I have to take it and keep working.’’
With the help of Andy Pettitte, Sabathia incorporated the cut fastball last week in a simulated game. Tuesday was the first time he threw it in a real game.
“I thought it was pretty good. None of them got put in play. That’s a plus,’’ said Sabathia, who guessed he threw eight or nine cutters. “They yanked it foul or just took it.’’
While the cutter will possibly be a season-long process Sabathia says he won’t abandon, the addition of the pitch has made his slider better.
“My slider has been tighter since I started throwing the cutter,’’ Sabathia said. “It’s never really that tight this early in the spring. I am excited about that.’’
Sabathia’s declining velocity last season didn’t force him to learn the cutter. Nor has he lost confidence he can’t get inside right-handed hitters with the four-seam fastball.
On Tuesday, his best heater was in the low 90s and the two times manager Joe Girardi looked at the gun it spit out 88 and 89.
“I didn’t look at it that much. I am not worried about that. We worried about that last year,’’ Girardi said of Sabathia’s velocity.
Sabathia views the cutter as another way to tie right-handed hitters up and catcher Brian McCann said it will allow the large lefty to work both sides of the plate.
“To get in on righties, to get some early swings,’’ Sabathia said of what he wants to do with the pitch that defined Mariano Rivera’s career.
Sabathia doesn’t have a timetable for when he will feel comfortable throwing the cutter or when it will be a pitch he can rely on.
“I don’t know if it comes right away or if it’s something that takes the whole season,’’ Sabathia said. “When I threw my slider I was able to pick it up right away.’’
No matter if the cutter gets hit or has trouble finding the strike zone, Sabathia isn’t going to junk it.
“I am not going to give up on it. Andy talked about not getting frustrated with it and I am going to stick with it,’’ Sabathia said.
Sunday in Panama City, Panama, in front of Rivera, Sabathia will show the Marlins the new pitch. For the Yankees’ and Sabathia’s peace of mind it would be good if he didn’t suck.