Sabathia set to start on 3 days’ rest
October 31, 2009
PHILADELPHIA (AP)—CC Sabathia(notes) actually likes starting on three days’ rest.
“I hate to throw bullpens,” the New York Yankees big man said. “I don’thave to throw a bullpen when I pitch on three days’ rest.”
Sabathia will throw on short rest for the second time this postseason whenhe starts Game 4 of the World Series on Sunday night against Philadelphia’s JoeBlanton(notes).
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said before Game 3 on Saturday night that it’spossible A.J. Burnett(notes) and Andy Pettitte(notes) could also come back on short rest,leaving New York with a three-man rotation. Sabathia would pitch a possible Game7.
“It feels good for them to have confidence in you, especially in thesesituations,” Sabathia said. “It gives you confidence when your team hasconfidence and the guys want you out there and everybody is asking: `Are youpitching today?’ and `Are you pitching tomorrow?”’
Sabathia lost to Cliff Lee(notes) in the opener and is 3-1 with a 1.52 ERA in fourpostseason starts for the Yankees. Last year, he lost Game 3 of the divisionseries for Milwaukee at Citizens Bank Park, allowing five runs and six hits in 32-3 innings. It was his fourth straight start on short rest.
“CC has pitched extremely well for us this year,” Girardi said before Game3. “We wanted to see how he came out today, how physically he came out today,and he physically feels good.”
Sabathia gave up two runs over seven innings in Wednesday’s opener—twohomers by Chase Utley(notes)—struggling with his control far more than he did in hisprevious postseason appearances. He pitched once on three days’ rest in theleague championship series, beating the Los Angeles Angels 10-1 in Game 4,allowing five hits over eight innings with five strikeouts and two walks.
Burnett is 4-0 with a 2.33 ERA in four career starts on short rest,including three with Toronto in 2008. Pettitte is 8-7 with a 3.68 ERA in 21starts on short rest, last doing it in April 2007 following a one-inning reliefappearance. He hasn’t gone on short rest coming off a start since September2006, while with Houston.
“There is no baseball after the World Series for four or five months, sothere will be plenty of time to rest,” Girardi said. “A.J. was pretty good onshort rest last year, if you look up his numbers. He actually shut us down onshort rest last year. And they physically feel good.”
Girardi did not completely commit to Burnett for Game 5 on Monday, when Leewill start for the Phillies. While Girardi said Chad Gaudin(notes) was still an option,he appeared to lean toward Burnett, who gave up one run and four hits over seveninnings and struck out nine in the Yankees’ 3-1 win in Game 2 on Thursday.
Gaudin was 1-0 with a 3.19 ERA as a starter after the Yankees acquired himfrom San Diego on Aug. 6, making five of 11 appearances in relief. New York wonall six starts by the 26-year-old right-hander.
“That’s one thing that we like about him,” Girardi said. “But he knowshow to mix his pitches.”
Blanton will be starting Game 4 for the second straight year. He combinedwith four relievers on a five-hitter in a 10-2 win over Tampa Bay last Octoberthat gave the Phillies a 3-1 Series lead. He also hit the first Series home runby a pitcher since Oakland’s Ken Holtzman in 1974.
“It’s a big game, but it’s another game,” Blanton said Saturday. “And Ithink just the experience you draw from last year, just the fact that you’vebeen there before, you’ve been in that environment, you’ve been in thatatmosphere, you’ve kind of been in that big game situation—and you can justkind of draw back and kind of keep your emotions in check.”
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