NewsCC hoping to enjoy some home cooking
Detroit (48-40) at New York (52-37), 1:05 p.m. ET
By Thomas Boorstein / MLB.com
07/18/09 1:36 AM ET
NEW YORK -- In the season's first half, CC Sabathia's performance mirrored the Yankees' -- dominant against most but subpar against the best. The Yankees have gone 6-15 against the Red Sox, Angels, Tigers and Phillies, the four first-place teams they have played this season. Against those clubs, Sabathia -- who is 8-6 overall -- has an 0-4 record in five starts, two against the Angels and once each against the rest.When the Yankees and the American League Central-leading Tigers continue their three-game series at Yankee Stadium on Saturday afternoon, the left-hander will get a chance to end his losing streak against the league's best.
As have most Yankees pitchers, Sabathia has posted better numbers on the road than he has at home. In eight starts in the Bronx, he has a 4.55 ERA. Away from Yankee Stadium, that falls to 3.33 in 11 starts. Despite the results, manager Joe Girardi doesn't believe that Sabathia's putting more pressure on himself at Yankee Stadium. "I don't think so, because I think as a player you have those expectations no matter where you go," Girardi said before Friday's game. "It's more of the uniform you put on than anything else. The question is always easier to answer when you have a bigger sample. When you have small samples, things are a little bit harder to answer because the difference could be a couple of starts. If he had 50 starts here and 50 starts on the road, you could say there might be something to that." The set against the Tigers is part of a 10-game homestand that also includes games against the Orioles and Athletics. "It's a very good test," Girardi said of the Detroit series. "They're playing very well. [Saturday starter Justin] Verlander seemed to get on a roll against us in Detroit." Verlander is 3-1 against the Yankees after his seven scoreless innings against them on April 27. In that game he struck out nine and didn't walk a batter. His career ERA against New York stands at 4.85. In Verlander's past 15 starts, dating back to his outing against the Yankees, the right-hander has gone 10-2 with a 2.22 ERA. Edwin Jackson, another All-Star, will start Sunday's series finale. "It's a good measuring stick," Mark Teixeira said. "This is a really good team, and we're facing really good pitchers the next two games." Sabathia enters Saturday's game on the heels of two rocky starts in his three most recent outings. Against Seattle at home on July 2, he allowed six runs on 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings. After shutting down the Twins five days later in Minnesota, he faltered on the road against the Angels on Sunday, giving up five runs in 6 2/3 innings. Pitching matchupNYY: LHP CC Sabathia (8-6, 3.86 ERA)
Sabathia begins the second half looking to bounce back from a defeat in his last outing, against the Angels, in which he allowed nine hits, walking three and striking out six. He faced the Tigers on April 27 at Detroit and threw his first complete game as a Yankee, allowing four runs on six hits in a 4-2 loss. He is 1-2 with a 5.59 ERA in three July starts. DET: RHP Justin Verlander (10-4, 3.38 ERA)
Since Verlander did not pitch in Tuesday's All-Star Game, instead throwing a side session, the Tigers will have him start on Saturday instead of Sunday. That still gives him an extra day beyond normal rest after he started Detroit's last game before the All-Star break, last Sunday against Cleveland. He needed 116 pitches to blank the Indians for seven innings and recorded eight strikeouts. The AL leader in strikeouts could use a few swings and misses or called strikes to keep the ball inside the homer-friendly new Yankee Stadium. Tidbits
David Cone will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, the 10th anniversary of his perfect game against the Montreal Expos. ... The Yankees have now won the first game following the All-Star break in eight consecutive seasons. That is the longest active streak in the Major Leagues and the second-longest in franchise history. ... Mariano Rivera has saved seven of the Yankees' past 10 wins. Tickets
Buy tickets now to catch the game in person.
On the Internet
MLB.TV
Gameday Audio• Gameday
• Official game notes On television
• YES On radio
• WCBS 880, 92.7 WQBU (Español) Up next
• Sunday: Yankees (Joba Chamberlain, 4-2, 4.25) vs. Tigers (Edwin Jackson, 7-4, 2.52), 2:05 p.m. ET
• Monday: Yankees (Andy Pettitte, 8-5, 4.85) vs. Orioles (David Hernandez, 2-2, 3.94), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Tuesday: Yankees (TBD) vs. Orioles (Rich Hill, 3-2, 7.22), 7:05 p.m. ET
Thomas Boorstein is a reporter for MLB.com This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
