CC Sabathia (11-10, 4.83 ERA) looks to gain some momentum back from last nights tough life. He goes up against David Price (7-5, 3.29 ERA) at the Trop in game two. Sabathia was absuedfor six runs in 5 1/3 innings by the Red Sox his last time out, allowing seven hits and five walks, including a home run. Sabathia said that he fell behind hitters and was not able to make pitches, but he felt good. Sabathia’s 4.83 ERA is more than a full run higher than his 3.59 career mark, and with 11 victories, he’s on pace for his lowest win total since 2006.
Price picked up his seventh win Monday night with a gritty five inning performance against Baltimore. The lefty pitched himself out of jams throughout the outing. He is 4-0 with a 2.28 ERA and just five walks in 51 1/3 innings since the break. Holding a six game advantage over New York in the AL East, the Rays have won six of the eight matchups between the two lefties, with Price posting a 2.52 ERA in those contests. Eight of Price’s 18 starts against the Yankees have come against Sabathia.
The Yankees are hopeful that Derek Jeter will be activated before Monday’s series opener at Toronto. Jeter is currently rehabbing his right calf strain with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In Friday night’s rehab game, Jeter went hitless in four plate appearances, but he did score on a wild pitch, sliding in safely just ahead of the throw. “I was running fine,” Jeter said. “I don’t ever try to give a percentage. I don’t know how people figure that out, but I ran. I’m not concerned about running. Everything felt good.”
Notes on the game.
In 63 career plate appearances against Sabathia, Rays third baseman Evan Longoria is hitting .380 with a .508 on-base percentage. He has homered six times and doubled five times for an .840 slugging percentage.
Ben Zobrist’s 76 consecutive error free games at second base is tied with Akinori Iwamura for the Rays’ all time record.
The Yankees have won 22 one run games this season, equaling their total from last season.
First pitch at 7:10 PM on Yes
