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Yankees turn to CC in finale with Blue Jays

Sep 4, 2011 - 3:01 PM (Sports Network) - CC Sabathia tries to continue his domination of the Blue Jays as the big left-hander takes the mound this afternoon when the New York Yankees go for a three-game sweep.

Coming off a 128-pitch effort Tuesday in a 5-2 win over the Red Sox, Sabathia is 2-0 over his last three outings -- this despite allowing a total of 27 hits over those three games. In fact, he has allowed at least nine hits in five of his last six appearances.

Sabathia is 11-3 with a 3.03 ERA in 14 career games against Toronto, but has won each of his last six starts vs. the Blue Jays dating to the start of the 2007 season.

What's also impressive about Sabathia is that he has held Toronto's Jose Bautista hitless in 15 career at-bats has recorded seven strikeouts in the matchup.

"Regardless of who we put out there, they're going to do the job," Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher said of the team's starting pitchers. "I think that's exactly what's happened."

Mired in a six-start winless stretch, Brett Cecil takes the mound today for the Blue Jays. The lefty threw six innings in a no-decision at Baltimore on Tuesday. Toronto has lost in five of the last six games Cecil has started. He's 0-3 in that stretch and hasn't won since July 29 against Texas.

Cecil has fashioned a 4-2 mark with a 4.82 ERA in eight games against the Yankees. His lone start against New York this year came April 20 when he allowed six hits and five runs over five innings.

On Saturday, Robinson Cano's two-run double put the Yankees ahead in a three- run seventh inning, lifting New York to a 6-4 victory.

Francisco Cervelli belted a two-run homer for the Yankees, who have won three in a row and welcomed Alex Rodriguez back to the lineup. The star third baseman had missed the past six games with a jammed thumb and went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored while batting third instead of in his customary cleanup spot.

Cano batted fourth and his lone hit of the game erased a 4-3 deficit after Curtis Granderson was hit by a pitch with two outs and Rodriguez drew a walk. Nick Swisher, playing first base for the second straight day in place of an ailing Mark Teixeira, singled home Cano for a two-run edge and David Robertson worked the final two innings for the save.

Mariano Rivera and Rafael Soriano were both unavailable for New York after pitching each of the last two games. Robertson, who did not pitch in Friday's 3-2 win, got the final six outs to notch his first save since August 12, 2010.

The Yankees maintained their half-game lead on Boston in the AL East.

Dewayne Wise tripled, homered and scored twice for Toronto, which has lost two straight after winning three of its previous four. Adam Lind also homered in defeat.

Toronto starter Ricky Romero (13-10) worked 6 2/3 innings and was charged with five runs on eight hits, suffering his first loss since July 16 against New York. He had been 6-0 in has last eight starts.

The Yanks are 9-5 versus Toronto this season, including wins in six of the eight matchups in the Bronx.