Yankees win first series and first game by more than one run in two weeks; victory enables Sabathia to notch first 20-win season

CC Sabathia threw seven innings of one-run ball as the Yankee bats came alive to thump the Baltimore Buck Showalters 11-3 on Saturday night, representing their first series win and first victory by more than one run in two weeks. As exciting as tremendous pitchers’ duels can be, I’ll happily take a good ol’ fashioned blowout behind my ace all day every day.

Given the frustrating manner in which the Yankees were leaving seemingly record numbers of men on base while also being on the wrong side of too many one-run games of late, it was especially satisfying to finally have the team come out of the gate, score early and never really look back.

The Bombers plated two quick runs in the top of the first off Jeremy Guthrie on a Jorge Posada RBI single, added another on a Derek Jeter sacrifice fly an inning later and blew the game open on a Robinson Cano two-run bomb in the 5th inning that made the score 6-2. The O’s were able to cut the lead to one run in the third, manufacturing a couple of runs off sacrifice flies, but that was as close they’d get. With the Yanks already up by five in the ninth, Curtis Granderson completely shut the door on any possible hope Baltimore may have had in coming back, launching a big three-run homer over the center field wall, his 19th of the season.

So for the first time in a while, everything came up Yankees. They received another great outing from their ace, who became a 20-game winner for the first time in his spectacular career, and big and timely run-scoring hits from nearly everyone in the lineup. The team goes for the sweep this afternoon, and all eyes will be on Andy Pettitte as he takes the mound for the first time in two months. If Pettitte is able to pick up anywhere near where he left off, he’ll help put quite a number of Yankee fans’ fears to bed.

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