Make it four wins in row for CC Sabathia after his latest gem, an 8.2 inning effort in Cali to lead the Yankees over the Angels 3-2. Not only was it his fourth win in a row, but the fourth with at least 8 innings pitched. The southpaw scattered eight hits, while allowing just one earned run, walking one, and striking out three. The earned run came all the way in the bottom of the ninth when the Halos strung together two 2-out hits, with a defensive indifference in between, to knock the big fella out of the game.
Ervin Santana pitched well for the Angels as well, and both he and Sabathia traded zeros over the first three. Robinson Cano changed on that when he hit a solo homer with two out in the 4th to give the Yanks a 1-0 lead. The homer was his 12th of the season. The Angels came back with one of their own after Alberto Callaspo led off with a double and later scored on a sac fly by Jeff Mathis. It was an unearned run thanks to an error by Jeter on a Howard Kendrick grounder which allowed Callapso to get to third.
It would remain tied at one until the top of the sixth when Alex Rodriguez crushed Santana's 1-1 offering deep into the seats in left-center for a two-run homer. The 3 runs would prove to be enough, even if things did get a little scary in the 9th after the Angels brought the winning run to the plate. Those fears wouldn't last very long, because Mariano needed just one pitch to get Erick Aybar to pop out short and wrap up the Yanks 32nd win of the season.
Nice solid win for the Yanks who look to take the series in tomorrow afternoon's rubber game with Bartolo Colon on the mound. Joel Pineiro will start for the Angels. First pitch is at 3:35 PM.
(BOX SCORE)
PLAYER OF THE GAME: CC Sabathia
HONORABLE MENTION: Alex Rodriguez