CC Sabathia tossed eight innings, giving up two runs as the Yankees defeated the Blue Jays, 3-2.
Hideki Matsui, who returned after missing a game with a hamstring injury, gave the Yankees a lead with a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning. Matsui hit a 2-2 slider from Jesse Carlson (0-2) over the rightfield wall for his fourth home run of the season.
Sabathia (3-3) allowed five hits in eight innings to win consecutive starts for the fourth time this season. All three of Sabathia's wins this season have come on the road.
Both Matsui and shortstop Derek Jeter returned to action after missing last night's game. Jeter, who sat two games with a strained oblique muscle, finished 1-for-5 with an RBI. Matsui finished 1-for-3 with a walk.
The win gave the Yankees three straight road series wins and moved them back to .500. Toronto, meanwhile, lost consecutive home games for the first time this season.
The Yankees scored the first run of the game when Nick Swisher worked a bases-loaded walk against Blue Jay's starter Brian Tallet. The Blue Jays tied it in the fourth inning with a solo home run from Alex Rios.
Toronto took a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning. Scott Rolen led off the inning with a walk and scored on Rod Barajas' one-out double. John MacDonald followed with a single, but Yankees centerfielder Brett Gardner threw out Barajas at home.
The Yankees came back to tie the game in the seventh inning. Gardner left off the inning with a walk, and advanced to third on a successful hit-and-run with Frank Cervelli. The Blue Jays brought in Jason Frasor, and Jeter hit a single to bring home Gardner.
The Blue Jays loaded the bases on Sabathia in the bottom of the seventh, but the threat ended when Aaron Hill grounded out.
Tallet allowed two runs and six hits in six plus innings, issuing a season-high five walks.
Box Score:
Jeter: 1-5, RBI
Damon: 1-5, 2B (tied the franchise record for most consecutive games with an XBH)
Teixeira: 1-4
Rodriguez: 0-5
Matsui: 1-3, SOLO HR
Swisher: 0-2, RBI
PH: Cabrera: (defensive sub - did not get an at-bat)
Cano: 1-4
Gardner: 0-2
Cervelli: 2-4
My Thoughts:
1. Is this the CC we paid for?
CC Sabathia has been picking up steam, having a great start in Detroit and continuing to carry that momentum. He went eight innings tonight, making sure he brought his team to Mariano Rivera in the ninth. It seems he's found his comfort zone on the mound. The four walks were a little high, but he still pitched pretty well tonight. He had some hard hit balls, but at one time he retired eight in a row. These are the starts we should expect from an ace, and in his last four I feel CC has stepped up and become the ace of this staff. Just an interesting tidbit: In the past two games, CC has gone 17 innings and gave up two - TWO - earned runs (that's a 1.06 ERA)
2. Is Teixeira finally coming around?
Tex had himself two pretty good days. Overall, he went 3-for-8 with an RBI. It seems as if he's been showing glimpses of coming out of this slump he's in, and the past two days have been encouraging. It can be a little maddening though - it seems every time we see something good, Tex goes back into a shell and strikes out four times in a game. We'll wait to see, but I think we saw some good things from him in the past few games.
3. A-Rod, where did you go?
Since A-Rod has come back, he's 3-for-16 with three strikeouts. He's had four walks, and he's made some solid contact, but I was thinking we'd see him come out a little more hot. Maybe I was just a little to optimistic. I would assume that tomorrow we'll see Ramiro Pena at third, as A-Rod has started six straight days at third base. In the pregame show, Kimberly Jones of YES made it seem as if Girardi wants to try and limit his play in the field early in his comeback.
4. Would you look at that - a winning streak!
Sure, it's only two in a row, but you have to think the Yankees feel confident after winning their third straight road series. They beat a good Blue Jays team, and they played solid baseball. They also, finally, beat some tougher AL East competition. The team has watched CC pitch two good games, and now they head home for a weeklong homestand. At 17-17, the Yankees are only three back in the loss column from Toronto and Boston.
By the way, all three Boston teams lost tonight. I have no rooting interest in the NBA, I'm glad the Sox loss, but as a Devils fan I was hoping to see Carolina bounced from the playoffs. But at least I don't have to hear Bob Ryan gloating about how great Boston sports are tomorrow.
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