MLB

After two good starts, Sabathia struggles in loss to Mariners

CC Sabathia wasn’t happy about the four runs he gave up in the fifth inning of the Yankees 6-3 loss to Seattle Tuesday night.

He also seemed less than thrilled about how Robinson Cano was treated in his return to Yankee Stadium.
When asked if he was surprised by the fans’ constant booing of Cano, Sabathia said, “No. Were you?”

Apparently, the lefty has been around The Bronx long enough to know that though Cano helped the Yankees win a World Series, he wasn’t going to be treated to a hero’s welcome.

“It’s New York,” Sabathia said. “It is what it is. He left to make a better decision for him and his family, a 10-year contract. People are going to be mad either way. For him, I know he’s just going out, trying to play. For us, I don’t think it’s that surprising.”

Derek Jeter had a similar response.

“Some people cheered, most people booed,” Jeter said. “Some people probably booed because they wish he was here, some people booed because they were upset he left. Some people booed because the people next to them booed. It’s not the first time someone’s come back and got booed.”

Unlike the Red Sox, who had a video celebrating Jacoby Ellsbury’s time with the team when he went back to Fenway Park, the Yankees opted not to honor Cano.

“We didn’t do a video,” Sabathia said of why Ellsbury eventually got some cheers from the Red Sox faithful earlier this month.

The fans were so busy going after Cano, they may have been distracted from noticing Sabathia coughed up a 2-0 lead when he surrendered four runs in the fifth, failing in his bid to win a third straight start for the first time in over a year.

The Mariners loaded the bases with three singles — including a bunt hit in which Brian Roberts wasn’t able to cover first in time — but after getting Cano to ground out, Sabathia was one out away from giving up just one run in the inning.

He left a fastball over the plate to Corey Hart, who laced a two-run double to right.

“I made good pitches to get to two outs and then I didn’t make good pitch to Corey,” Sabathia said. “I think a change or a two-seamer there would have been a better choice.”

Justin Smoak added a run-scoring single to plate the fourth run.

“It’s frustrating,” Sabathia said. “I need to finish that inning stronger.”

It didn’t help the Yankees’ offense mustered just a pair of runs off soft-tossing ex-Met Chris Young.