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Sabathia leads Yankees into test with Blue Jays

Jul 16, 2011 - 3:19 PM (Sports Network) - The major league leader in victories is set to take the hill this afternoon for New York, as CC Sabathia will try to get the Yankees back on track against the Toronto Blue Jays in the third portion of a four- game series at Rogers Centre.

Sabathia was one of many elite pitchers from the American League to not take part in the All-Star Game. However, those extra days of rest should come in handy for the hefty lefty, who will be aiming for his 14th win of the season.

Sabathia seems to be heating up at the right time, and rolls into this contest with a personal six-game winning streak. Over his last three victories the southpaw has held the opposition scoreless, while racking up 33 strikeouts in 23 2/3 innings of work.

The last time he was on the bump, Sabathia went toe to toe with Tampa Bay's James Shields and squeeze out a 1-0 victory. In nine innings the veteran twirler scattered four hits and surrendered just one walk, while punching out nine Rays batters.

Sabathia tossed his only other complete game earlier this season against Toronto, but in that victory the left-hander allowed four runs. In 13 career outings against the Blue Jays, the oversized hurler is 10-3 with a respectable 3.19 earned run average.

The Blue Jays will hand the ball to Ricky Romero, who is looking to get past his last outing in which the southpaw was pounded by Boston. In the loss to the Red Sox, the young lefty surrendered six runs on nine hits and three walks in less than five innings of work.

Clearly Romero has hit a wall this season because since the beginning of June, the left-hander has won just twice in seven outings. However, the majority of Romero's success has come at home, where the pitcher is 4-2 with a strong 2.75 earned run average.

In eight career outings against the Bronx Bombers, Romero is 3-2 in eight starts and has an ERA of 4.74. One of those starts came earlier this season and over seven innings Romero allowed just one run, but still did not factor in the decision.

On Friday, Brandon Morrow worked 6 2/3 strong innings, giving up only one run, to lead the Blue Jays to a 7-1 win over the Yankees.

Morrow (6-4) scattered four hits while fanning six and walking only a pair to win his fourth straight decision.

Yunel Escobar went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI, while Eric Thames smacked a pair of doubles. Edwin Encarnacion, who filled in for the injured Jose Bautista at third base, added an RBI double for the Blue Jays, who extended their winning streak to five games and blasted New York, 16-7, in Thursday's series opener.

Bautista hurt his right ankle in Thursday's 16-7 win when he caught a spike in the turf while sliding into third base. He could return to the lineup on Sunday for the series finale.

"He wants to be out there every day, but at the same time, he's going to be smart about it and go through the daily treatment, the daily testing, that we'll eventually take him through," Blue Jays manager John Farrell told the club's official site. "That will give the appropriate information of when to put him back into the lineup."

Eduardo Nunez knocked in the only New York run with a single. Nick Swisher added two hits for the Yankees, who have lost six of nine games and sit 1 1/2 games behind Boston for the AL East lead.

Freddy Garcia (7-7) worked five innings in defeat, giving up six runs -- five earned -- on seven hits while striking out five and walking four.