San Diego, CA – Andrew Cashner tossed seven effective innings and CC Sabathia continued his recent struggles as the San Diego Padres downed the New York Yankees, 7-2, in the first of three interleague games at Petco Park.
Cashner (8-5) scattered two runs on seven hits and did not walk a batter in pitching San Diego to its fifth win in its last six games.
"He had them dancing a little bit with the fastball," Padres manager Bud Black said of his starter. "I thought he was very effective."
Everth Cabrera went 4-for-5 with a triple and an RBI while Logan Forsythe, Will Venable and Jedd Gyorko each added solo homers for the Padres, who pounded out 14 hits and chased Sabathia in the sixth inning.
Sabathia (9-10) gave up five runs on a season-high tying 11 hits and dropped his fourth straight decision while seeing his ERA rise to 4.78, which would easily be the highest of his 13-year career.
"It obviously makes it more difficult," manager Joe Girardi said. "That's the bottom line. We need him to be CC if we're going to make a run."
Eduardo Nunez had an RBI double and scored New York's other run in the club's fourth loss in its last six games. Curtis Granderson, in his first game back in the Yankees' lineup since breaking his left pinkie on May 24, went hitless in four at-bats.
Sabathia, a California native, faced an early jam and couldn't get out of it. He loaded the bases in the first inning and, after narrowly missing on a 2-2 offering, was low on a payoff pitch to Yonder Alonso to force in a run.
Gyorko followed with a comebacker off the left-hander that rolled slowly to Robinson Cano, who was able to get the out at first as Chase Headley crossed the plate for a 2-0 Padres lead.
Nunez got the runs back in the next half-inning, as his double -- New York's only extra-base hit all night -- inside the right-field line knocked in Ichiro Suzuki. Nunez advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a bouncer to third from Sabathia, who was credited with his first RBI since 2009.
Brett Gardner threw out Headley trying to score from second to end the third frame, but the Padres took the lead again with two more in their next turn.
Forsythe smacked a low line drive that carried into the first row of seats in left field, and Cashner reached on an infield single and scored all the way from first when Cabrera tripled into the left-field gap.
Chris Denorfia's two-out single into the right-field corner plated Nick Hundley and chased Sabathia in the sixth, and Preston Claiborne struck out Jesus Guzman with the bases loaded to keep the Yankees within 5-2.
Joba Chamberlain couldn't do the same in the eighth, however, as Gyorko took the reliever deep to straightaway center for his first home run since June 7.
Venable hit a towering homer off Adam Warren in the eighth to account for the final margin.
Game Notes
Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez launched a two-run homer in a Double-A rehab assignment game Friday. Rodriguez, who is facing a lengthy suspension from MLB for his alleged role in obtaining performance-enhancing drugs from Biogenesis of America, will play in Trenton again on Saturday and he could return to the Yankees on Monday, which happens to be the same day the suspensions are reportedly set to be handed out .... This was the Yankees' second trip to San Diego, and their first visit to Petco Park, since they swept the Padres in the 1998 World Series ... Sabathia has given up 27 runs -- 22 earned -- over his last four outings. He came in 3-0 in four career starts versus the Padres with a 2.12 ERA ... The Padres won despite going just 2- for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranding 10 baserunners ... San Diego has won five straight games started by opposing lefties.
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