As CC Sabathia watched Wil Myers’ fly ball to right-center barely elude Brett Gardner, bounce off the top of the wall and into the stands for a grand slam, Sabathia appeared to be in disbelief.
“I’m used to playing here, knowing balls are going to get out that probably wouldn’t get out anywhere else,” Sabathia said of the rookie’s shot that put the Rays up by two runs in the sixth inning yesterday. “I wasn’t frustrated by that. It was just that I was one pitch away from getting out of it and not being able to execute it.”
Sabathia and the Yankees came back and won the game, 7-5, thanks to a four-run inning of their own in the seventh, but the lefty was still upset he had to rely on an offense that continues to be without most of its top players.
“We had the lead and giving it up — especially at a time when we have been struggling to score runs — is tough,” Sabathia said. “A 3-1 lead in the sixth inning, I need to be able to go out there and hold it.”
Despite his disappointment, Sabathia improved to 8-5. And he has won four of his last five starts after going without a victory in five straight outings.
Nevertheless, Sabathia has surrendered at least four runs in three of his last four turns on the mound.
Prior to Myers’ blast — which came off a 94-mph fastball that got too much of the plate — Sabathia had little trouble with the Rays and knew Gardner was just inches away from making a leaping grab.
“At first when I looked, I thought he had a chance, but it hit off the top of the wall,” said Sabathia, now 6-1 with a 3.17 ERA in his last eight appearances in The Bronx. “He gave it a great effort though.”