Yankees at Twins
CC Sabathia is healthy - physically and mentally - and hopes to continue his renaissance when he gets the ball Thursday as the New York Yankees visit the Minnesota Twins for the opener of their four-game series. Sabathia, who has benefited from the use of a knee brace and a sober lifestyle, is 3-2 with a 0.71 ERA in his last six starts and also can serve as a stopper since New York has lost four straight games following a 6-3 setback in Colorado on Wednesday.
"I knew that, obviously every pitcher ages, and you lose your fastball velocity and all that stuff," the left-hander, who turns 36 next month, told reporters. "It took a while (to adjust), and it was health. I just wasn’t healthy enough to execute the pitches, so me being pain-free is a big difference." The last-place Yankees (31-34) have scored the third-fewest runs in the American League, averaging four per game, but have raised that number to 5.2 in their last 13 contests while going 7-6 as they trail Baltimore and Boston in the AL East by 6 1/2 games. Minnesota (20-45) has the worst record in the AL, its starters own the highest ERA in the majors at 5.62 and its 5.21 overall ERA is worst in the AL after Wednesday's 10-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Kyle Gibson, who was rocked in his return after missing more than seven weeks with a right shoulder strain, takes the mound for the Twins on Thursday.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, YES (New York), FSN North (Minnesota)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH CC Sabathia (4-4, 2.28 ERA) vs. Twins RH Kyle Gibson (0-4, 6.49)
Sabathia has the lowest ERA among New York's starters after allowing five hits in seven innings of a 4-0 victory over Detroit on Friday. "Feels good," the Californian, who is in his 16th season, told reporters after winning his 218th game. "You want to keep building, pitching better, and hopefully I can keep doing that." Joe Mauer is 7-for-43 with 17 strikeouts against Sabathia, who is 17-9 with a 3.20 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 36 starts versus Minnesota.
Gibson allowed five runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings of a 15-4 loss to Boston on Saturday - his first start since April 22. The 28-year-old Indiana native recorded only one quality start among his four April turns, and it resulted in a no-decision when he permitted two runs in seven frames of Minnesota's 3-2 victory over the Angels. Gibson is 1-3 with a 10.72 ERA in five starts versus the Yankees - including 0-1, 10.45 in two turns last season.
WALK-OFFS
1. New York manager Joe Girardi said he hopes RF Carlos Beltran (knee) can play Thursday after missing both games in Colorado.
2. Minnesota dropped two of three to Los Angeles in its only road contests during a 20-game stretch, as it plays its next seven at home.
3. Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira (knee), who went on the disabled list June 4, could begin a rehab assignment as early as next week.