Yankees win fifth straight behind Sabathia
NEW YORK -- CC Sabathia pitched seven innings and the New York Yankees moved over the .500 mark for the first time in nearly two months with a 4-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Friday
Sabathia (4-4) allowed five hits and equaled his longest outing of the season by pitching seven innings for the third time. He won for the third time in his last six starts, lowering his ERA from 5.06 to 2.28 since April 27.
The left-hander picked up his 21st career victory against Detroit on a night which began with a 12-pitch strikeout to Ian Kinsler. He struck out four, walked two and threw 108 pitches.
The Yankees (31-30) won their fifth straight game and moved over .500 for the first time since April 13 when they had a 4-3 record.
Brian McCann drove in the first run with a bases-loaded walk, Didi Gregorius added a two-run double and Carlos Beltran contributed an RBI single in the third.
The Tigers were shut out for the fifth time this season and have lost two in a row after tying a season high with five straight wins.
Miguel Cabrera was hitless in three at-bats against Sabathia and struck out against Dellin Betances. He had his 10-game hitting streak stopped and remained one hit shy of becoming the seventh active player to get 2,400 career hits.
Mike Pelfrey (1-6) allowed four runs (three earned) and six hits in 6 2/3 innings. He has one win in his last 19 starts dating back Aug. 12.
The Yankees loaded the bases with one out in the first on a walk and two singles before taking a 1-0 lead on a bases loaded walk by McCann. New York took a 3-0 lead when Gregorius doubled over left fielder Justin Upton's head on a ball that wound up reaching the warning track. The Yankees had a chance for more but Upton compensated for his bad read by throwing out McCann at the plate.
New York took a 4-0 lead by scoring an unearned run in the third.
Detroit catcher James McCann had Brett Gardner nearly picked off but his high throw went into right field and Gardner reached third. On the next pitch, Brett Gardner trotted home on Beltran's single up the middle.
The Yankees had two on and one out in the fifth when Sabathia committed a throwing error fielding a push bunt by Cameron Maybin. One pitch after his throw eluded first baseman Rob Refsnyder, Sabathia got Cabrera to hit into a double play.
NOTES: The Yankees placed 1B Chris Parmelee on the 15-disabled list with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain and said he will be sidelined for at least a month. ... Yankees manager Joe Girardi said 1B Nick Swisher was not promoted from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre because reports indicated Swisher's bat was not "doing what he was capable of doing." ... CF Cameron Maybin returned to Detroit's lineup after not starting the past two games. Maybin had a cortisone shot to deal with soreness in his left wrist, which he broke during spring training. ... Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said he knew about first-round pick RHP Matt Manning because he threw for the Tigers in Comerica Park. ... New York 1B Mark Teixeira (right knee) will start tee and toss work at some point next week. If it goes well, he will progress to taking batting practice and fielding ground balls.