C.C. Sabathia’s early spring troubles continued yesterday. After a dominating season last year, many fantasy owners have fretted over C.C.’s bad start to the season. Mike has covered the subject once before, and, more recently, mentioned Sabathia’s struggles in his Leaders & Laggards series. Unfortunately, C.C.’s rough start collided yesterday with Detroit’s resurgence: Sabathia struggled through the first four innings, giving up three runs to Miguel Cabrera (a two-run home run and an RBI single), before ultimately falling apart in the fifth, when the at-bats went: walk, balk, walk, single, single, grand slam. Edgar Rentería hit that grand slam, and it cleared the mound as well as the bases. C.C.’s full numbers for the game: 4.0 IP, 8 H, 9 ER, 5 BB, 1 K. He has yet to last more than 5.1 innings this season.
Miguel Cabrera, who had been hitting .213 going in to the game, went four-for-six with five RBI, rising to .264 and doubling his season total in one night.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Mike Podhorzer // Apr 17, 2008 at 8:23 am
I fully expect to check Rotoworld over the next couple of days and read that Sabathia was placed on the DL with elbow soreness or something. Elbow issues is what causes control problems, and since he’s not experiencing a drop in velocity, it very well could be that.
I just can’t believe a pitcher of Sabathia’s caliber is just going through a rough stretch with his control, or it’s mental or some BS like that.
2 BrandonH // Apr 17, 2008 at 10:24 am
I think expecting Sabathia to go on the DL because he is having a rough stretch is sort of a ‘freak out’ manuever.
Forget the innings spike, that is a theory that has been proven incorrect more often then it has been proven correct. Consider then, that Sabathia ranked 26th in Pitcher’s Abuse Points for the 2007 season.
Right now, his velocity is fine. Reports are that he is spotting his fastball fine and it has the regular movement. The issue now, is that his slider is not hitting its location. When you are going to the bump with two pitches and missing your go-to pitch, its sort of tough to pitch up to par.
Furthermore, consider who his starts have been against. Thats right, teams Sabathia typically struggles against.
Again, its too soon to jump off a bridge and assume he is hurt.
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