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Phillies-Yankees Preview

May 24, 2009 - 1:07 AM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Philadelphia (23-17) at New York (24-18), 1:05 p.m. EDT

The last time CC Sabathia faced the Philadelphia Phillies, that outing in the playoffs turned out to be his last before he joined the New York Yankees. This time, he'll be facing a pitcher who was simply outstanding in last year's postseason.

Two of the top left-handers in baseball square off Sunday when Sabathia and the Yankees take on Cole Hamels and the Phillies.

Sabathia (4-3, 3.43 ERA) was heroic down the stretch last year for Milwaukee, winning on three days' rest in his final two outings to get the Brewers into the postseason.

He took the mound on three days' rest again when he faced Philadelphia in Game 2 of the NL division series, but the result was a disaster. Sabathia gave up five runs in the second inning and was chased in the fourth as Milwaukee fell 5-2 and went on to lose the series in four games.

"I know CC well," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told his team's official Web site. "He'll want to prove he can beat us. He'll give us everything he's got. At the same time, we'll give him everything we've got."

Sabathia joined New York (25-18) on a $161 million, seven-year contract in the offseason and has been stellar after a slow start.

He improved to 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA in his last three outings after beating Baltimore 9-1 on Tuesday. Sabathia gave up one run and three hits while striking out seven.

While Sabathia lost his third straight postseason start in the defeat to the Phillies (23-18), it was a different story in the 2008 playoffs for his counterpart Sunday. Hamels (2-2, 4.95) went 4-0 during Philadelphia's run to the World Series title.

Hamels also pitched poorly at the start of 2009, but is 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA in his last five outings. He yielded three runs with seven strikeouts over six innings Tuesday to beat Cincinnati 4-3.

This will be Hamels' second career start versus New York. He allowed two runs over seven innings on June 21, 2006, in a 5-0 loss at Citizens Bank Park.

Before that, Hamels worked a memorable two innings against the Yankees in spring training on March 5, 2004. Less than two years after graduating high school, he did not allow a run and struck out Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and former Yankee Tony Clark in succession in his second inning.

After New York had its nine-game winning streak snapped with Friday's 7-3 loss, the Yankees rallied for their major league-leading ninth victory in their final at-bat by winning 5-4 on Saturday. Rodriguez hit a tying two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth off Phillies closer Brad Lidge and Melky Cabrera came through later in the frame with an RBI single.

Cabrera recorded his third walk-off hit of the season.

"He's doing great," Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano said. "Last year he was really down, but he has worked hard to bring himself back."

The teams have combined for 11 homers in this series with Rodriguez, Jeter and Philadelphia's Raul Ibanez each hitting two. Phillies right fielder John Mayberry Jr. went 2 for 4 with a homer in his major league debut in Saturday's loss.

Philadelphia fell to a major league-best 15-6 on the road, and 2-6 all-time in road games against the Yankees.