Yanks, CC go for sweep of Indians
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(Sports Network) - CC Sabathia tries to pitch the New York Yankees to a three- game sweep of the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium.
Sabathia won for the first time in more than a month on Friday with a terrific effort against Boston, as he held the Red Sox to a run and six hits and struck out 10 over 7 1/3 innings to run his record to 5-4, while lowering his ERA to 3.71.
"When I was younger, I (focused on velocity), I thought that was the way I was getting guys out," Sabathia said. "But as I got older I know it's more location than it is velocity."
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Sabathia, who spent the first 7 1/2 years with the Indians and won an AL Cy Young Award pitching for them in 2007, is 3-1 against his former team with a 2.70 ERA in six starts.
Mark Teixeira continued to mash on Tuesday, as he belted a three-run homer and David Phelps bounced back from a horrendous last start to help pitch the Yankees to a 4-3 win.
Six days after recording just one out while being rocked for five runs in a loss to the rival Mets, Phelps (4-3) yielded only one hit and scattered four walks while striking out seven over six shutout innings to lead the Yankees to a second straight win in this set and deal the Indians a seventh consecutive road defeat.
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"One infield hit, I think ... that's impressive against that team," said Teixeira of Phelps' performance. "Phelpsie showed a lot of guts tonight after a tough outing last week. He just pitched great tonight."
Teixeira, who delivered a grand slam in Monday's 7-4 verdict over the Tribe, capped a four-run third inning against Cleveland starter Scott Kazmir with his blast and finished 2-for-3. Ichiro Suzuki came through with an RBI single earlier in the frame.
Kazmir (3-3) fanned seven over six innings and allowed seven hits, five of which came in succession during New York's outburst in the third.
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"One play here and one play there, that can be the difference in a ball game," said Kazmir afterward. "We're in a good place, we've just got to keep battling."
Drew Stubbs accounted for all of the Indians' scoring with a three-run homer in the seventh inning and had two of Cleveland's four hits.
Getting the call for the Indians on Wednesday will be righty Corey Kluber, who is 3-3 with a 4.36 ERA. Kluber only pitched two scoreless innings on Friday against Tampa before rain halted play and cut his night short. He struck out three and did not give up a hit in that one.
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"I did feel good," Kluber said afterward. "I felt like I had all my pitches working and I felt comfortable out there, so it's unfortunate I only got to go a couple."
Kluber did not get a decision in his only other start against the Yankees.
The Yankees have won 10 of the last 11 head-to-head meetings with the Tribe in the Bronx.