QUEENS – When he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers last season, even CC Sabathia could not have foreseen the type of success he would have.
After carrying the Brewers to the playoffs and pitching to a 1.80 ERA over three months, the National League was more than happy to see him go back to the American League and pitch in pinstripes.
He said he enjoyed hitting as well as pitching in that league. On Friday night, with his left bicep feeling 100 percent, he went out (with the help of the Mets defense) and stifled what resembled the Buffalo Mets lineup in the Yankees 9-1 victory at Citi Field in the first game of the weekend Subway Series.
Attempting to score runs against the big left-hander is tough enough as is, but needing to do so when you are short-handed and compounding with terrible defense, only makes things more difficult.
In the second inning, the Mets defense paved the way to four Yankee runs off starter Mike Pelfrey.
Melky Cabrera led off the inning by reaching base on an infield chopper that third baseman David Wright fielded and his off balance throw sailed by first baseman Nick Evans and allowed Cabrera to reach second. After Francisco Cervelli struck out, Ramiro Pena lofted a softly hit double over the head of Wright for the Yankees first run.
Sabathia would then help his own cause by hitting a solid single up the middle past shortstop Alex Cora to center to make it 2-0. After Brett Gardner singled, the Mets appeared to be getting out of the inning on a double play groundball by Johnny Damon. However, Cora’s throw to second went into right field as Sabathia scored.
Still with one out, Mark Teixeira hit a ground ball to first. Evans had the ball and was going to step on the bag, but bobbled and the ball trickled away far enough to allow Teixeira to reach safely and have Gardner score to make it 4-0.
It was all Sabathia would need.
Showing no ill effects from the bicep injury that removed him in the second inning of his last start against Florida, he was sensational. Sabathia’s fastball at times reach 98 MPH with a slider that Mets hitters were swinging over all night.
Through the first four innings, he had not allowed a man to reach base. That would change in the fifth when Gary Sheffield homered to left to lead off the inning making it 4-1.
Fernando Tatis then singled and was out when Ryan Church reached on a fielder’s choice. Evans singled to put runners on first and second.
However, it would be his only blip on the night. Retiring the final eight hitters he would face on the night, Sabathia would strike out catcher Omir Santos and then pinch hitter Argenis Reyes to end the inning.
The way he was pitching was exactly why the Yankees were paying him the big money. He was the true definition of an ace.
Realistically, the Mets did not have much of a chance.
Outside of the fifth, the big man was perfect in each frame through his seven innings of work that needed only 99 pitches. He would scatter only those three hits and a run while striking out eight and not walking a batter to improve to 7-4 on the year.
The Yankees would finally put the game away in the late innings when Gardner ignored the dimensions of new Citi Field and homered off newly called reliever Elmer Dessens down the line in right. Alex Rodriguez would follow that with a titanic blast to right center, a two-run shot to make it 7-1.
So far this season, no right-handed hitter has been able to hit the ball out of the yard the opposite field. Rodriguez however, took a hanging slider and was able to deposit it there.
Gardner capped off his career five hit night (5 for 6) with an RBI triple to right along with a Damon double to cap the scoring at 9-1 as the new park cleared out quickly leaving only Yankees fans to celebrate.
Brett Tomko pitched to scoreless innings to finish the night as the team picked up on its offensive high from Thursday night’s victory in Atlanta to win the first game of the series.
Saturday night matchup features AJ Burnett for the Yankees and Tim Redding for the Mets.
Game time is at 7:05.
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