CC Has a Rare Bad Start, Yanks Streak Ends At 7

(REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine)

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E
SEA	1	2	0	3	0	0	0	0	2		8	12	1
NYY	0	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	0		4	7	1

Winning pitcher - Miguel Batista (5-2)
Losing pitcher - CC Sabathia (7-5)

With their ace on the mound I really thought the sweep was in the bag. CC Sabathia had been rolling and the Mariners can't hit. Well, I guess that's why they play the games. CC has his worst start in over two months, and his shortest outing since Opening Day at Yankee Stadium all the way back on April 16th. In 5.2 innings the big left-hander allowed six runs on a season-high ten hits, walked three, struck out eight, and threw 70 of his 107 pitches for strikes. After the game CC said that everything he threw stayed up in the zone and that was the cause of his problems. From watching the game I would agree with that analysis.

One of the biggest game-changing hits of the game off CC came in top of the fourth, a two run double off the bat of Ichiro Suzuki to extend a 4-2 game to 6-2.

The Yankees offense fought back several times, cutting a 3-0 M's lead to 3-2 with a couple sac-flies in the bottom of the second. Then, after Seattle scored three in the top of the fifth, Hideki Matsui hit a two-run homer in the bottom half to cut a 6-2 lead to 6-4. Matsui had a very good game, going 2-for-3, with a double, a homer, a sac fly, and drove in three.

After cutting the lead to two in the fourth, both offenses stayed silent while the two team's bullpens did their work four the next four innings. But in the top of the ninth the Mariners broke through with two runs off Alfredo Aceves to put the game away. Ace pitched very well for the first two innings, but then after Ichiro Suzuki reached on Mark Teixeira's first error in 106 games, Russell Branyan mashed a pitch off the Mohegan Sun Sports Bar in center to put the M's up 8-4. It was the first ball that has been hit off that ugly eyesore in center.

The Yanks got the first two men on in the bottom of the ninth but that's where the rally would end as M's closer David Aardsma retired the next three men he faced to shut the door on the game and the Yanks seven-game winning streak.

As I've said before, the most important game of a winning streak is the game after the streak ends, that game will be tomorrow afternoon in the Bronx as Toronto comes in for a four-game series. A.J. Burnett will start for the Yanks with southpaw Brian Tallet going for the Jays. It's very important that the Yanks win tomorrow, because the pitching matchup for Saturday is Chien-Ming Wang vs. Roy Halladay, and I can't say I'm too confident about that.

	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	LOB	AVG
Jeter, SS	4	0	1	0	0	1	1	.307
Damon, LF	4	0	0	0	0	0	1	.288
Teixeira, 1B	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	.274
Rodriguez, A, 3B	3	1	0	0	1	1	0	.235
Cano, 2B	3	2	3	0	1	0	0	.307
Swisher, RF	3	0	1	1	0	1	2	.240
Matsui, H, DH	3	1	2	3	0	0	2	.254
Cabrera, Me, CF	4	0	0	0	0	1	4	.282
Cervelli, C	3	0	0	0	0	0	2	.257
a-Posada, PH	1	0	0	0	0	1	2	.267
Totals	32	4	7	4	2	5	14
a-Struck out for Cervelli in the 9th.
BATTING 2B: Cano (19, Vargas, J), Matsui, H (14, Lowe, M). HR: Matsui, H (11, 4th inning off Vargas, J, 1 on, 2 out). TB: Jeter; Cano 4; Swisher; Matsui, H 6. RBI: Swisher (40), Matsui, H 3 (31). 2-out RBI: Matsui, H 2. Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Jeter; Posada. SF: Swisher; Matsui, H. Team RISP: 0-for-6. Team LOB: 5. BASERUNNING CS: Jeter (2, 2nd base by Vargas, J/Johjima). FIELDING E: Teixeira (1, throw). Outfield assists: Damon (Woodward at 2nd base).

	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Sabathia (L, 7-5)	5.2	10	6	6	3	8	1	3.85
Aceves, A	2.1	2	2	1	0	1	1	2.25
Robertson, D	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2.45

MARINERS STATS

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Franklin Gutierrez (3-for-5, HR, RBI, 2 R)

HONORABLE MENTION: Ichiro Suzuki (2-for-4, 2 doubles, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB)

GOAT OF THE GAME: CC Sabathia (6 runs on 10 hits in 5.2 IP - worst start in a long time)

Tomorrow's Game

Yankees vs. Blue Jays
Game Time: 1:05 p.m. | TV/Radio: YES, WCBS
RHP A.J. Burnett (6-4, 3.93 ERA) vs. LHP Brian Tallet (5-5, 4.47 ERA)