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(Sports Network) - CC Sabathia tries to become the majors' first 16-game winner this evening when the New York Yankees open a four-game series with the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.
Sabathia was absolutely magnificent on Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners, as he flirted with a perfect game before giving up his lone hit in the seventh inning. The big lefty struck out a career-best 14 -- including seven in a row at one point -- in the win and improved to 15-5 on the year, while lowering his earned run average to 2.56.
"He sure was good," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of his ace, who is 6-1 with an 0.82 ERA in his last seven starts.
Sabathia beat the White Sox earlier in the season and is a marvelous 17-4 lifetime against them with a 3.68 ERA in 30 starts.
The Yankees won the final three games of their four-game set with the Baltimore Orioles, winning Sunday's finale 4-2. Brett Gardner's bases-clearing triple highlighted a four-run fourth inning for New York, which got another tremendous effort from Freddy Garcia.
"I was happy to get it to the bullpen," said Garcia, who allowed five hits and struck out six in six innings
All the news was not great, though, as shortstop Derek Jeter had to leave the game with a bruised right middle finger after being hit with a pitch. X-rays came back negative and he is listed as day-to-day.
Chicago, meanwhile, dropped two of three to the Boston Red Sox over the weekend, losing 5-3 in Sunday's finale.
Jesse Crain (5-3) took the loss by allowing the deciding runs to cross the plate. Mark Buehrle started the contest and went six innings, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks in Chicago's third loss in five games.
Chicago also lost Paul Konerko in that one, as he left after being hit by a pitch in the left leg and is questionable for tonight's opener. Konerko is a career .315 (101-for-321) hitter with 20 home runs and 60 RBI against the Yankees.
Tonight, the White Sox rely on veteran righty Jake Peavy, who is 4-4 with a 5.26 ERA. Peavy did not get a decision on Tuesday against Detroit, as the Tigers reached him for four runs and 10 hits in six innings.
Peavy has lost both of his starts to the Yankees, surrendering four earned runs in 10 innings of those outings.
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New York Yankees Monday, Aug 1, 2011, 8:10 PM EDT Partly cloudy. Winds blowing in from center field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 85.
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Yankees-White Sox Score: 3-2 Yankee Victory Gives Sabathia 16th Win
Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - CC Sabathia chalked up win No. 16 with eight effective innings, helping the New York Yankees open a four-game series against the Chicago White Sox with a 3-2 victory.
Sabathia's only costly mistake came in the fourth when he hung an offspeed pitch that Alexei Ramirez sent into the left-field bleachers for a two-run homer.
But the Yankees, bolstered by Curtis Granderson, had a three-run lead at the time and Sabathia (16-5) settled in, allowing a total of 10 hits with no walks and six strikeouts.
Mariano Rivera closed out New York's fourth straight win with a perfect ninth.
The White Sox had numerous chances against Sabathia, but went just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position to drop their third game in a row.
The lack of a big hit spoiled a quality start by Jake Peavy (4-5), who surrendered three runs on eight hits over seven innings to take the loss.
Both clubs were missing All-Stars, as Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter sat with a bruised right middle finger and Chicago's Paul Konerko was bothered by a bruised left calf.
Granderson picked up the slack in Jeter's absence by playing a part in all three of the visitors' run.
In the first, Granderson doubled down the right-field line to plate Brett Gardner, who singled to lead off the game. Robinson Cano's base hit off the glove of Konerko's replacement at first, Adam Dunn, scored Granderson from second.
Granderson hit a two-bagger again in the third, moved up 90 feet on a Mark Teixeira single and raced home when Cano grounded into a double play.
"It's great to have a lead, because you can change the way they play the game a little bit. CC was aggressive and kept his pitch count down," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.
While Sabathia wiggled out of potential jams, Rivera needed just nine pitches to record his 28th save.
SV: Mariano Rivera (28)
LP: Jake Peavy (4 - 5)
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Aug 02 8:17a by Ed Valentine