Sabathia, home runs keep Yankees alive in ALCS

Added on Oct 20, 2010 by Ted Sillanpaa in

MLB

CC Sabathia returned to the form that has made him one of the best big-game pitchers of his generation on Wednesday.

The veteran left-hander used back-to-back home runs by Nick Swisher and Robinson Cano to lift the host Yankees to a 7-2 win over the Rangers.

The victory sends the series back to Texas with the Rangers leading 3-2. Righty Colby Lewis will face New York’s Phil Hughes on Friday.

New York is trying to overcome its first 3-1 postseason deficit 1958. Since the LCS went to a best-of-seven format, 24 of the 30 previous teams to take 3-1 series leads have won pennants.

Sabathia lasted just four innings in the opener, when he started on eight days’ rest and the Yankees rallied from a five-run deficit. Leads of 5-0 and 6-1 never seemed comfortable in this one as he allowed two runs and 11 hits — matching his season high — in six innings with no walks. His key outs came in the sixth, when the Rangers loaded the bases with one out.