• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Sabathia tries to pitch Yanks to sweep of White Sox

Sep 4, 2013 - 2:32 PM (Sports Network) - The New York Yankees are right in the thick of the American League playoff race and have received next to nothing from ace CC Sabathia.

The big left-hander can put a season's worth of frustration behind him on Wednesday when the Yankees try to complete a three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium.

Sabathia has won three of his last four starts, but it has had to do more with the amount of support he received in those outings, as he has pitched to a 6.17 ERA in that stretch. Overall on the year he is 12-11 with a 4.91 ERA.

"If I can keep these guys in the game, we've got a good chance of winning," Sabathia said.

September has traditionally been the best month for Sabathia in his time with the Yankees, as he has pitched to a 2.82 ERA in 20 starts for them. Also, he is 18-4 lifetime versus the White Sox with a 3.63 ERA in 32 starts and is unbeaten with the Yankees against them (4-0).

New York picked up one of its biggest wins of the season Tuesday, as the Yankees rallied from three runs down to plate five runs in the eighth inning in a 6-4 triumph.

Eduardo Nunez's two-RBI double capped the pivotal frame and Alfonso Soriano added a two-run single of his own, as the Yankees won for the 12th time in their last 14 home games and remained 2 1/2 games back in the AL wild card chase.

"It's a tough place to play," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said of Yankee Stadium. "Once they get going and the crowd gets into it, the team feeds off of it."

Alejandro De Aza finished 3-for-4 with a solo homer in the loss, Chicago's fifth in a row. Alexei Ramirez added a two-run triple and Gordon Beckham scored twice while going 2-for-3.

Chicago will hand the ball to one of its top prospects on Wednesday, as Erik Johnson makes his big league debut. He was 12-3 with a 1.96 ERA, three complete games and 131 strikeouts over 24 starts between Triple-A Charlotte and Double-A Birmingham this season.

"It's a great opportunity," Johnson said of making his debut at Yankee Stadium. "If you ever wanted to start somewhere in your Major League debut, this would be it."

After winning six in a row against the Yankees, Chicago has now lost the last two.