C.C. Sabathia. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- The Yankees trail a playoff series two-one for the third straight time. Last two tries, Bombers forced a Game 5, and they'll try to do so again tonight with C.C. Sabathia on the mound in the Bronx. Sabathia's made 22 postseason starts--23 appearances-with a 4.20 ERA. In the Division Series, he's a perfect 6-0 with a 3.32 mark in 11 outings.
"I get excited for these games for sure," he said. "Just try to stay even kiel, and go out and pitch as best as I can."
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C.C. started three games against the Red Sox this year, with a 4.50 ERA. What's the toughest part about their lineup?
"I think all of it, just top to bottom it's a tough lineup," he said. "They got speed, they got power. They take a lot of pitches. It's a good lineup--bad lineup for me, in the fact that they take a lot of pitches, they're patient, and they do a good job of working the count. I'm just trying to be aggressive in the strike zone, attack, and try to get some swings early in the count."
Sabathia faced Boston twice in the 2007 ALCS--11.61 ERA. But, he's relying on himself now.
"I like to just go off my own knowledge," he said. "I know everybody's different, but I know these guys, and I've faced them so much. I don't think anything in the scouting report is gonna tell me anything that I don't know about these guys. I don't really watch any video or anything, I just go off of what I know."
First pitch is at 8:07 p.m.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) reports