The LoHud Yankees Blog

CC Sabathia has his doubters earlier this season when he was 7-5 with an ERA of 3.85 after 17 starts.

The big man is 7-2 since and has dropped his ERA down to 3.58. He, Josh Beckett and Adam Wainwright are tied for the most wins in the majors and Sabathia has given the Yankees 178.2 innings. Just like he promised in the spring, Sabathia improved as the season went on.

Remember that Chicago game on Aug. 2? With the Yankees having dropped the first three games of that series, CC allowed four runs in the third inning. Here is what he has done since:

27.2 innings, 13 hits, 4 earned runs, 5 walks, 29 strikeouts. He came back to win that game and has won every start since. It was like he said, “That’s enough, it ends here.”

Take away the intentional walk and Sabathia threw 62 of his 90 pitches for strikes tonight. Once the Yankees got the lead he went to his sinker and change and got a series of groundball outs.

“He has that ability to change gears and keep you from getting back in the game,” Nick Swisher said. “Once CC gets a lead, he’s not going to start walking people and give you a chance. He bears down.”

You wanted an ace? You have one.

Here’s CC talking about his night:

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Oh, and he picked up 150 tickets for his family and friends. Half of Vallejo was here tonight based on the noise in the crowd.

CC-Beckett on Sunday night at Fenway. That’s going to be fun.

Lots of comments deep into the night, so let’s start a second thread.

Yankees lead 7-2 in the seventh.

UPDATE, 12:37 a.m.: Not Adam Kennedy’s day. He’s 0 for 4 with four K’s.

Meanwhile, the other leadoff hitter is 3 for 5. Jeter is 12 of his last 25. He’s hitting .330.

CC is at 90 pitches with two outs in the eighth. They could let him finish this one in front of all his friends and family. He deserves it.

UPDATE, 12:52 a.m.: No complete game for CC and now Dave Robertson has walked the first two he faced.

UPDATE, 12:57 a.m.: Girardi has Mariano up now. Seems a little much.

UPDATE, 12:58 a.m.: Back later with clubhouse reaction. Carsten Charles will be quite pleased, I’m sure.

YANKEES (74-45)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez 3B
Matsui DH
Posada C
Cano 2B
Swisher RF
Cabrera CF

Pitching: LHP CC Sabathia (13-7, 3.64).

ATHLETICS (53-65)
Kennedy 3B
Davis CF
Suzuki C
Hairston LF
Garciaparra 1B
Ellis 2B
Everidge DH
Sweeney RF
Pennington SS

Pitching: RHP Vin Mazzaro (4-8, 5.54).

TIME/TV: 10:05 p.m., YES.

STATE OF THE ‘STRIPES: The Yankees have lost the last two games of their road trip. They start the day seven games ahead of Boston in the AL East.

BUMP IN THE ROAD: The Yankees have scored three runs on 13 hits in their last 18 innings.

THREE’S NOT A CHARM: The Yankees lost three straight in Chicago July 30-Aug. 1. They also lost three straight in Anaheim July 10-12.

LOCAL HERO: Sabathia is from Vallejo, Calif., about 25 minutes up Route 80. But the Coliseum has not been kind to him. Sabathia is 1-4 with a 7.12 ERA in eight career starts at the Coliseum — 0-4 with an 8.54 ERA in his last five. The left-hander had one of the worst performances of his career in Oakland on July 25, 2005 when he lasted only 2.1 innings in a 13-4 loss, giving up eight runs on eight hits. Sabathia hasn’t won in Oakland since July 30, 2003.

DON’T BLAME HIM: Derek Jeter is 9 for 20 on the road trip with five RBI. His batting average has climbed from .317 to .327.

HIS KIND OF TOWN: Jeter has hits 81 of 226 (.358) in Oakland.

SWISHER SAFELY: Nick Swisher has reached base safely in his last 26 games. He once reached base safely in 36 straight for Oakland in 2006.

PRETEND NOBODY IS ON: Robinson Cano is hitting .365 when there are no runners in scoring position (123 of 337). He is at .203 when there are runners in scoring position (28 of 138).

VINNY FROM JERSEY: Mazzaro, the pride of the Garden State, faced the Yankees in the Bronx on July 23 and gave up six run on eight hits in 4.1 innings.

ON THE iPOD RIGHT NOW: A Boy Named Sue By Johnny Cash from the The Best of the Johnny Cash TV Show CD. Great CD.

“I grew up quick, I grew up mean, my fists got hard and my wits got keen.” The Man in Black, none better.

Back with more later.

UPDATE, 7:35 p.m.: Matsui is back and says he feels better. … Brett Gardner saw the doctor today and was told he needs to keep the split on his thumb on for another week. So his return is delayed. … Sergio Mitre will work out of the bullpen until he starts again later this month. … Girardi claimed their was a possibility Damaso Marte will be activated on Friday. That would certainly be a surprise. … Girardi, who is buddies with Mike Singletary, went to see the 49ers-Raiders scrimmage this morning. The manager was a QB and SS in high school.

UPDATE, 9:21 p.m.: Here is Joe Girardi’s pre-game press conference. At least some of it:

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UPDATE, 10:06 p.m.: We are underway in Oakland and Jeter singles. Now there’s something you don’t see every day. Well, wait, you actually do.

Enjoy the game.

UPDATE, 10:12 p.m.: A-Rod gets drilled on the same elbow he did last Wednesday. Those dastardly A’s.

UPDATE, 10:24 p.m.: Well, now. CC did exactly the right thing and threw behind Suzuki waist level to protect A-Rod. Then Suzuki did the right thing and drilled the next pitch into the seats.

The teams have been warned and it’s 1-0 Oakland.

UPDATE, 10:39 p.m.: Oakland 3B Adam Kennedy gives the run right back with an error. Now it’s 1-1 and the Yankees have two runners on. I don’t think we’re getting another 2:15 game tonight.

UPDATE, 10:47 p.m.: CC has given up two hit and they were both rockets. 2-1 A’s.

UPDATE, 10:57 p.m.: All tied up. Then Cano pops up with a runner on second. What a stunner. He’s 28 of 139 with RISP, a robust .201.

UPDATE, 10:59 p.m.: My God is Posada slow. Nonetheless, it’s 2-2. Let’s see if CC can avoid another bomb into the LF seats.

UPDATE, 11:13 p.m.: Jeter is 11 of 23 on the road trip and 9 of 12. His WAR, VORP, UZR and OPS+ are going through the roof. MVP! MVP! MVP!

UPDATE, 11:28 p.m.: CC pitches out of a jam. Still 2-2.

UPDATE, 11:39 p.m.: Mazzaro has put 10 runners on base in five innings but it’s 2-2. Yankees are 1 for 6 with RISP.

UPDATE, 11:47 p.m.: Swish has now reached safely in 27 straight games. Meanwhile Wilson Betemit just drove through a Taco Bell in Charlotte with a AAA teammate and two not-so-hot community college girls who work as ushers at the park.

UPDATE, 11:51 p.m.: Smooooth, Melk. Real smooth.

UPDATE, 11:51 p.m.: OK, enough messing around. 1-3rd, one out, Jeter up.

UPDATE, 11:52 p.m.: Goes the other way for an RBI single. MVP, MVP, MVP!

UPDATE, 11:56 p.m.: Nice work by Jay Marshall. 1-3, double, HBP. single, double. Yankees now lead 4-2 and threatening for more.

UPDATE, 12:04 a.m.: And the game is out of hand, 7-2 Yankees as A-Rod (walk), Matsui (single) and Posada (sac fly) drive in runs. Now Cano gets to make another out with RISP.

UPDATE, 12:07 a.m.: Way to go, Cano. He’s a staggering 28 of 140 with RISP. A perfect .200.

UPDATE, 12:13 a.m.: Long inning by the Yankees a problem for CC? Not so much. He has been terrific 6 4 2 2 1 6.

UPDATE, 12:17 a.m.: Starting a new post.

This is tentative, but here are the expected pitching matchups for the Boston series:

Friday: Andy Pettitte vs. Brad Penny.

Saturday: A.J. Burnett vs. Junichi Tazawa

Sunday: CC Sabathia vs. Josh Beckett

The Yankees in the last two games:

3 runs
15 of 68 (.221)
2 walks
11 strikeouts
0-9 with RISP
1 home run

Could today be bust-out day? Meanwhile stealthy MVP candidate Derek Jeter is 9 for 20 on this road trip and is up to .327 with a .392 OBP.

Meanwhile, two things to note from the division. Dustin Pedroia left the Red Sox today to be with his wife for the birth of their first child. Good luck to him. And Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon dyed his hair jet black. The Rays are having a “Ring of Fire” road trip. The players all have to dress in black as they travel and Maddon is paying tribute to the great Johnny Cash.

Last year Tampa had a trip where they all wore Ed Hardy t-shirts. How great is that? Every manager, at least the good ones, knows how to keep his team loose. Maddon certainly finds unique ways.

UPDATE: 5:59 p.m.: He’s a photo of the “new” Maddon:

Let’s have a hand for Alex Rodriguez.

Back in February A-Rod was King Clown of the sports world. He denied he took steroids, then sort of admitted it, then admitted some more of it and then held the most awkward press conference in history.

But, to his credit, he has since stopped listening to his army of sycophants, shut his mouth and just played ball. Now Alex is playing well on the best team in the game and has gone six months without the remotest controversy. When is the last time you shook your head about something he said? See what I mean?

A-Rod looks better every day as new sports clowns have risen up to take his place. It’s a list that seems to grow longer as each day passes.

Let’s see:

Brett Favre, the new active leader in stupidity. Just go away.

Lance Armstrong, who fought with his own teammate and the drug testers on the Tour de France.

Michael Vick, who killed dogs but is now somehow easier to root for than Favre.

Omar MInaya, who somehow blamed a beat writer for his assistant GM being a nutcase.

Michael Phelps, much better in water than out.

Rick Pitino, a long-time paragon of family values who cheated on his wife with the Makeup Queen of Kentucky, paid for an abortion and now still wants to coach.

I’m sure I’m forgetting a few people. The point is, you can recover from a case of acute clownishness. Just keep quiet, play ball and somebody else will arrive on the scene soon enough and make everybody forget about you.

So on behalf of grateful Yankees fans, atta boy, Brett. Please tell us again how difficult this decision was for the 1,675th time.

UPDATE, 4:13 p.m.: The people have spoken. I forgot forgetful David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and his female fertility drugs, Roger Clemens and a few other purveyors of foolishness. The point stands: A-Rod has done well to move down the list. Hopefully he stays in that mode.

Our second-annual outing to a Scranton game is set for Aug. 30 after being postponed in July.

There are five tickets available for the 5:05 p.m. game against Pawtucket. The $32 cost includes the game, a hat, t-shirt, program, plenty of door prizes via the Yankees and The Journal News and all the food you can eat.

There will be hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken, pasta salad, cookies, soda and water. A cash bar will be available.

Anyone interested should e-mail Ron at yankslifer@yahoo.com with the number of tickets they need and he will connect them with a seller.

I’ll be going myself and looking forward to talking baseball and having a good time.

You play fantasy football, right? Of course you do. Everybody does.

Even the Yankees.

There has been limited interest in recent years. But commissioner Eric Hinske has rounded up a solid group this year that includes CC Sabathia, Johnny Damon and Eric Hinske. They’ve been hashing out the rules and preparing for the draft.

CC told us yesterday that he gave up his tickets to the Golden State Warriors when he signed with the Yankees. But he’s keeping his seats for the Raiders. He’ll fly in for a few games and let one of his buddies have the rest.

Here’s how scary the crowd is in Oakland: CC sits on the visitor’s side of the field.

“It’s too wild on the other side,” he said.

Brett Gardner, out since July 26 with a broken thumb, is scheduled to see a doctor on Wednesday. If cleared, he will start a rehab assignment soon after. According to Joe Girardi, Gardner should return quickly.

“He’ll need some at-bats, but it shouldn’t be too long,” the manager said.

That’s good news for the Yankees, especially with Meky Cabrera in a 6-for-52 skid that has dropped his batting average down to .266 and his OBP to .327.

Brett Tomko proved his point to the Yankees as he and the Athletics posted a 3-0 shutout.

For CC Sabathia, Oakland Coliseum has good memories and bad ones.

The Yankees signed their top two draft picks. This notebook also has an update on Russ Ortiz’s leaving the organization.