Even after taking it on the chin Sunday afternoon in the New York Yankees' 8-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, CC Sabathia hasn't been "bad" in 2013. His overall record is 4-4 with a 3.96 ERA and he's been his workmanlike self. Despite getting rocked for a season-high seven runs on seven hits, Sabathia pitched seven innings and has worked into the seventh in nine of his 11 starts.
Here's the problem: Sabathia is supposed to be an ace and he hasn't pitched like an ace. In a disturbing trend, the Big Lefty allowed 10 hits to the Seattle Mariners and 11 to the Baltimore Orioles in his previous two starts. On top of the fact that Sabathia is 3-10 at Tropicana Field and winless there since April 10, 2010, he hasn't won a game period since April 27, going 0-2 with three no-decisions and a 4.90 ERA.
All this after starting the season 3-1 with a 2.57 ERA.
"I'm hurting the team," Sabathia said. "Not being able to make pitches with two strikes, fastball command. I feel fine. It's just one of those things where I feel like the ball is coming out pretty good, but I'm just not making pitches."
This isn't the time to declare Sabathia's career over, but given his diminished velocity (89-91 MPH) and the alarming hits-allowed rate, there is a cause for concern on a Yankees team that's otherwise been smashing tempered preseason projections that had it missing the playoffs for just the second time since 1995. New York is 30-19 and tied for first place in the AL East with the Boston Red Sox on the strength of overachieving spare parts and a solid starting five.
Right now, the nominal ace is not Sabathia, but Hiroki Kuroda, who starts Game 1 of the Subway Series Monday night against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Kuroda is 6-3 with a 2.67 ERA and pitched into the seventh inning in seven straight starts before taking a line drive off his calf two innings into last week's loss in Baltimore.
Here's the problem: Sabathia is supposed to be an ace and he hasn't pitched like an ace. In a disturbing trend, the Big Lefty allowed 10 hits to the Seattle Mariners and 11 to the Baltimore Orioles in his previous two starts. On top of the fact that Sabathia is 3-10 at Tropicana Field and winless there since April 10, 2010, he hasn't won a game period since April 27, going 0-2 with three no-decisions and a 4.90 ERA.
All this after starting the season 3-1 with a 2.57 ERA.
"I'm hurting the team," Sabathia said. "Not being able to make pitches with two strikes, fastball command. I feel fine. It's just one of those things where I feel like the ball is coming out pretty good, but I'm just not making pitches."
This isn't the time to declare Sabathia's career over, but given his diminished velocity (89-91 MPH) and the alarming hits-allowed rate, there is a cause for concern on a Yankees team that's otherwise been smashing tempered preseason projections that had it missing the playoffs for just the second time since 1995. New York is 30-19 and tied for first place in the AL East with the Boston Red Sox on the strength of overachieving spare parts and a solid starting five.
Right now, the nominal ace is not Sabathia, but Hiroki Kuroda, who starts Game 1 of the Subway Series Monday night against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Kuroda is 6-3 with a 2.67 ERA and pitched into the seventh inning in seven straight starts before taking a line drive off his calf two innings into last week's loss in Baltimore.
Follow Jon Lane on Twitter: @JonLaneNYC
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