AMERICAN LEAGUE
C.C. Sabathia became Major League Baseball’s first 19-game winner this season as the New York Yankees moved within a game of the American League East title with a 3-0 win over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.
Sabathia (19-7) held Boston to one hit over seven innings. The left-hander, who had a no-hitter through four innings, struck out eight and walked two in the Yankees’ fourth consecutive win.
PHOTO: AFP
Signed in the off-season to a US$161 million, seven-year contract, the former Cleveland and Milwaukee pitcher is the first Yankee to win 19 games since Tommy John went 21-9 in 1979.
The Yankees have not lost a game in Sabathia’s last 11 starts, with the left-hander going 9-0 during the two-month stretch. He had no decision in the other two games.
“He’s been everything that you’d ask for and more,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters. “From the way he’s pitched on the field, the way he right away in Spring Training came and brought the pitching staff together, he is an ace.”
New York, who have already qualified for the playoffs, have the best record (99-56) in the majors.
Boston (91-63) are also likely to make the post-season, with a healthy lead over the Texas Rangers in the American League wild-card race.
Robinson Cano’s sixth inning home run opened the scoring for New York, who added two more runs on Johnny Damon’s bases-loaded single in the eighth off Boston reliever Billy Wagner.
“With these guys, you feel like you have a chance to win every time you go out there,” Sabathia said. “That’s what I try to do. I go out and give everything I have.”
The Red Sox’s Mike Lowell ended Sabathia’s no-hit bid with a fifth-inning single.
“He’s pitched tough against us almost every time,” Lowell said. “He’s a guy who has elite stuff. He’s so big on the mound, it looks like he’s about 10 feet [3m] away from you, which seems a little bit unfair. He’s got a plus fastball, he’s throwing his change-up for strikes. He can come in, he can go out. When he’s executing his pitches, he’s tough for anyone.”
Boston’s Daisuke Matsuzaka (3-6), who has pitched well since returning earlier this month from a lengthy injury layoff, held New York to one run — Cano’s homer — and six hits over seven innings.
He struck out three and walked five.
“He did a nice job,” Girardi said. “Fortunately, our guy was a little bit better.”
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