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It's on the New York Yankees' ace - and their slumping bats - if they want to advance in tonight's decisive Game 5 of the ALDS against the Baltimore Orioles.
Although New York scored 804 runs in the regular season - second-best in the majors - they've only scored six combined in the past three games, losing twice by a single run. They've put great performances by Andy Pettitte and Phil Hughes to waste, and if it wasn't for a monster eighth inning in Game 1 and Raul Ibanez' game 3 heroics, they would have done the same with outings by C.C. Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda. Although the brunt of the criticism has focused on Alex Rodriguez, who, to be sure, is slumping, he's joined by Ichiro Suzuki, Nick Swisher, Robinson Cano, and Curtis Granderson as normally productive players hitting .200 or lower in the series - over half their starting lineup.
Sabathia will take the mound again after allowing two runs across 8.2 innings in his Game 1 start. He'll need to come through if the Yankees want to have any hopes of advancing, considering how anemic their offense has been. He faces Jason Hammel, who allowed as many runs in 5.2 innings in their first matchup of the series.
The game will be on TBS at 5 p.m. ET.