CC's Arm, Holliday's Bat Beat A's

Note the Jersey Mike's ad in the background.

I think CC would like Jersey Mike's subs.

Yesterday, The Arsenal beat Chelsea to win the FA Cup, the New York Red Bulls beat the New England Revolution (yet another bunch of cheaters from New England, but, this time, it didn't work), and the Yankees... won. Not a particularly big game, and not against a particularly big rival. But I'll take it.

CC Sabathia, who grew up in Vallejo, California, with the Oakland Athletics as the closest team, started against them at Yankee Stadium. The Big Fella did well against the team he grew up rooting for, going 6 1/3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks, striking out 9. Of course, Joe Girardi removed him when his pitch count reached 96. God forbid, he should let a workhorse continue to work well.

The Yankees gave him an early lead to work with. With 1 out in the 1st inning, A's starter Jharel Cotton walked Gary Sanchez, hit Matt Holliday with a pitch, threw a wild pitch that advanced the runners, and gave up a sacrifice fly to Starlin Castro. One-nil to the Pinstripe Boys. (Apparently, I'm still in soccer mode.)

Both teams scored in the 6th inning. The A's scored to tie it, but with 2 out, Cotton again walked Sanchez. Cliche alert: Walks can kill you. This time, Holliday made him really pay for it, crushing a 413-foot home run to the Bleachers in left-center field.

Adam Warren finished off the 7th inning, but, as he did yesterday, Tyler Clippard ran into trouble in the 8th. Girardi must have decided not to look in the binder, because, this time, he took Clippard out before he could blow the game, and decided to risk Dellin Betances on a 5-out save. It worked: Betances faced 5 batters, and got them all out, striking out 3 of them.

Yankees 3, A's 2. WP: Sabathia (5-2 -- matching his uniform number, 52.) SV: Betances (5). LP: Cotton (3-5).

The series concludes this afternoon. Michael Pineda starts against Andrew Triggs. The Yankees go into it 2 games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East, 3 in the loss column.

Come on you Pinstripes! (Yeah, I'm still in soccer mode. Don't forget, Arsenal were big underdogs.)