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Sabathia tries to pitch Yanks to series win at Fenway

Apr 10, 2011 - 3:01 PM (Sports Network) - CC Sabathia takes aim at his first win of the season this evening and will try to give his New York Yankees a series win in the process, as they wrap up their three-game set against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Sabathia, who tied for the major league lead with 21 wins last season, hasn't received a decision in his first two starts, but has pitched to a 1.38 earned run average. Sabathia was magnificent on Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins, retiring the final 17 batters he faced, while yielding just two hits over seven scoreless innings. He left with the lead, but the Yankee bullpen couldn't hold on.

"I just felt pretty good," Sabathia said. "I was trying to pound the strike zone and use both sides of the plate, and get ahead. I threw the ball a lot better today. My offspeed pitches were pretty good. I'm still struggling with my changeup a little bit, so we'll work on that in the bullpen."

Sabathia has owned the Red Sox of late, going 4-0 with a 2.72 ERA in his last seven starts against them. For his career Sabathia is 6-5 against them with a 3.45 ERA in 15 outings.

Boston, meanwhile, will counter with righty Josh Beckett, who was charged with the loss in his season debut on Tuesday in Cleveland. Beckett allowed three runs and five hits in that one and struck out four, while walking four.

Beckett has faced the Yankees 22 times and is 1-7 against them with a 6.26 ERA.

Boston's early season struggles continued on Saturday, as Russell Martin hit two of New York's four homers and drove in four runs, as the Yankees earned a 9-4 victory.

Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson also homered for the Yankees, who bounced back from Friday's 9-6 loss in Boston's home opener to win for the fifth time in eight games this season. Cano finished 3-for-5 and Eric Chavez contributed three hits with a pair of doubles and a run batted, as New York banged out a season-high 13 hits.

"You want to feel you're going to have enough firepower," said Yankee manager Joe Girardi. "It's not what you want to do on a daily basis, but I feel with our lineup we can put up big numbers some days. Today we needed them."

Dustin Pedroia doubled three times and drove in two runs for Boston, which finally notched its first win of the season on Friday after starting the campaign with six straight losses.

Clay Buchholz (0-2) took the loss for the second time in as many starts this season. He was tagged for five runs -- four earned -- on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

New York starter Ivan Nova didn't work the requisite five innings and failed to qualify for a win. He gave up four runs on seven hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings. David Robertson (1-0) retired all five batters he faced in relief and picked up the victory on his 26th birthday.

The Yankees have split their 18-game season series with the Red Sox in each of the last three years.