Yankees Lose Sabathia Before Falling Late to Brewers
MILWAUKEE - C. C. Sabathia's disappointing season got worse on Sunday when he was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of a buildup of fluid in his right knee.
Sabathia, who had surgery to repair a meniscus tear in the same knee in 2010, had a magnetic resonance imaging test Sunday that showed no damage, according to Yankees Manager Joe Girardi.
Girardi said that Alfredo Aceves would most likely move into the starting rotation in Sabathia's absence. Matt Daley was called up from Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take Aceves's place in the bullpen.
During their series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday afternoon David Phelps, thrust into the starting rotation when Michael Pineda went down with a strained back muscle, lasted five innings and surrendered four runs, eight hits and three walks as the Brewers overcame Francisco Rodriguez's first blown save of the season to win, 6-5.
The Yankees trailed, 5-4, with two outs in the ninth and Rodriguez pitching, which this year has meant almost certain victory. Not only had he converted all 15 save opportunities, but he had not surrendered a run, let alone a home run. But on a full-count pitch, Mark Teixeira hit a home run to right field to even the score.
But in the bottom of the ninth Rickie Weeks hit a one-out, ground-ball double off Adam Warren and went to third on a wild pitch. Warren struck out Lyle Overbay, but Mark Reynolds hit a ground ball through the left side of the infield, scoring Weeks.
The Yankees scored three times in the first inning off Matt Garza, but did little after that. The Brewers scored two in the third and three more in the sixth to take the lead.
Derek Jeter, who went 1 for 5, made the first out in the ninth and received a standing ovation from the fans at Miller Park. It was Jeter's last at-bat in the regular season in Milwaukee.
The Yankees return to New York for their matchup with the Mets, two at home and two at Citi Field, with their pitching staff hanging by a thread. In addition to Pineda and Sabathia, Ivan Nova is out for the season with an elbow injury.
Sabathia has been struggling to find his form over the last two seasons. On Saturday, he gave up three home runs in the Yankees 5-4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, and his earned run average is 5.28 after eight starts.
Girardi said Sabathia never mentioned any discomfort in the knee until after Saturday's game, but said that Sabathia told him then that he had felt it in previous starts this season, but usually on only one or two pitches. On Saturday, the discomfort was more prevalent and after the game his knee became swollen.
Girardi said the hope was that after draining fluid from the knee and two weeks of rest Sabathia would be able to come back after he rebuilds his arm strength.
'We've just got to get it to calm down,' he said.
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