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Sabathia looks to get untracked against Royals

Apr 11, 2009 - 1:52 AM By Matt Becker Stats Senior Writer

New York Yankees (2-2) at Kansas City Royals (2-2), 7:10 p.m. EDT

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (AP) -- CC Sabathia's debut with the New York Yankees was certainly memorable. Not for reasons he would prefer, though.

Sabathia hopes his second start goes a bit better when he takes the ball Saturday night as New York continues its three-game series with the Kansas City Royals.

In his first start with the Yankees (2-2) after signing a $161 million, seven-year contract in December, Sabathia (0-1, 12.46 ERA) was knocked around in a 10-5 opening-day loss to Baltimore on Monday.

The left-hander was tagged for six runs, eight hits and five walks and tossed 96 pitches while going just 4 1-3 innings. He also threw two wild pitches in one inning for the first time in his career and failed to record a strikeout for the first time since July 25, 2005.

"I was terrible. I battled from the first inning on," Sabathia said. "At some point I'm usually able to find it. (Monday) was just one of those days where I didn't. When I have one of those days, this is the result you get."

Sabathia, the 2007 AL Cy Young Award winner, is hoping to avoid another slow start like he had last season with Cleveland. He opened 0-3 with a 13.50 ERA in his first four starts and was just 1-5 with a 7.51 ERA through seven starts.

"With me, whether I pitch good or bad, after the game's over, it's over," Sabathia told the Yankees' official Web site. "I just look to the next start and the next bullpen (session)."

Sabathia made three starts against Kansas City last season before being traded to Milwaukee in July, going 1-2 with a 3.54 ERA. He is 14-10 with a 3.40 ERA lifetime versus the Royals, and 2-2 with a 2.79 ERA in four starts in Kansas City since 2007.

The Yankees defeated the Royals 4-1 in the opener of Kansas City's renovated Kauffman Stadium on Friday.

Jorge Posada hit a two-run single for New York, which has evened its record after opening the season with consecutive losses to the Orioles. The Yankees also improved to 8-3 in Kansas City since the start of the 2007 season.

Less than a week into the season, Kansas City's offense has picked up where it left off in 2008 - and that spells trouble.

The Royals were 12th in the AL in runs (691) last season and have managed a major league-low seven this year. Kansas City had only four hits Friday and is batting .194 (26-for-134) with 41 strikeouts.

Kansas City's pitching staff, though, has been sharp, allowing only nine runs.

Horacio Ramirez looks to continue that trend when he makes his first start in more than a year.

After starting 20 games for Seattle in 2007, the left-hander worked out of the bullpen for Kansas City and the Chicago White Sox last season, going 1-4 with a 4.34 ERA in 32 relief appearances. Ramirez didn't have a spectacular spring - allowing 32 runs including 25 earned and 44 hits in 25 innings - but was still awarded a spot in the Royals' rotation, which was without a lefty.

Ramirez struggled in two relief outings against New York last season, allowing three runs and five hits in one inning. He has been solid against the Yankees as a starter, though, going 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA in three career starts.