Sabathia Shines, Yankees Shut Out Red Sox for Second Straight Time

David Ortiz looked to be trying to hit a 15-run home run in the top half of the ninth. He took two hard whiffs before gazing at strike three to end the game.

The Yankees once again upstaged the Red Sox on Saturday afternoon with a shutout, beating them 5-0.

The Yankees have not allowed Boston to score in 24 consecutive innings, and shut them out in consecutive games for the first time since August 2002.

“Coming into this series, we talked about winning a game first,” Yankee manager Joe Girardi told the press after the win.

“After focusing on winning one, then we concentrated on winning the series.”

CC Sabathia was dealing against the Red Sox, putting together what he said was his best performance as a Yankee to this point.

“It was unbelievable, I had goose bumps,” he commented to the media.

“”It was the best start for me so far, and I felt good. I threw the ball better than my last starts, and my delivery was where it needed to be.”

Sabathia went 7 2/3 innings, and gave up no runs on just three hits. He walked two and racked up nine strikeouts while taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Jacoby Ellsbury broke up his no-hit bid with a two-out single in the frame.

“I think everyone knows when they’re throwing a no-hitter,” Sabathia continued.

“I was just trying to get outs and get our team back in the dugout.”

The Yankee offense helped him out, scoring five runs in the game.

Leading 3-0 in the bottom of the eighth, Derek Jeter put a bow on the game, smacking a two-run homer that just cleared the right-field wall.

“I don’t care that it barely made it out,” Jeter said to the media.

“As long as they weren’t catching it, I don’t care.”

For Jeter, it was his 12th home run of the year.

The Yankees scored three more runs on the afternoon, getting on the board for the first time in the third with an RBI single from Mark Teixeira to score Melky Cabrera.

Their second run came on an RBI sacrifice fly from Jose Molina in the sixth, and the Bombers also scored in the seventh on a bases loaded walk to Nick Swisher to knock in Alex Rodriguez, who was hit with a pitch that put him on base.

The Yankees were skeptical as to whether or not the pitch was meant to hit Rodriguez.

“Only the individual knows intent,” Girardi said.

“We were expecting something, and it happened.”

In Thursday’s 13-6 win over Boston, Yankee reliever Mark Melancon hit Dustin Pedroia with a fastball immediately after tossing a pitch over his head. Girardi told the press after the game it was unintentional.

The Yanks have played great ball over the last three games, scoring 6.7 runs per game and posting a team ERA of 1.64.

“Our pitchers have done a wonderful job,” Girardi said.

“We hope they continue it, because Boston is a very tough club.”

Sabathia’s brilliant performance earned him a win today, and he now owns a season record of 12-7. Five of those 12 wins have come at home.

Tomorrow night, the Yankees will look to sweep Boston in the series finale.

Andy Pettitte (9-6, 4.35 ERA) will take the hill against Jon Lester (9-7, 3.79 ERA)

Media Credit: YES Network, Fox