NEW YORK — CC Sabathia was fired up after striking out David Ortiz with the bases loaded in the fifth inning.
Apparently those were not the only fireworks during the New York Yankees’ starter’s six effective innings in Thursday’s 2-1 win over the Boston Red Sox.
In the fourth, he appeared to get upset at not getting a 2-2 pitch to left fielder Hanley Ramirez for a called strike three. At least that was the perception of plate umpire Rob Drake.
Sabathia walked around the mound for a few seconds and Drake was under the impression he was being shown up.
Not so, Sabathia said after the game.
“I guess he got mad about the 2-2 pitch to Hanley,” Sabathia said. “I was walking off the mound which had nothing to do with him. I didn’t complain about one pitch all night. For him to come out and tell me not to walk around the mound (makes me mad).”
It was not the first time Sabathia became angered with an umpire. On June 7, against the Los Angeles Angels, Sabathia was ejected by Dan Bellino following a wild argument when he did not get a close pitch on outfielder Kole Calhoun.
This time Sabathia avoided his fourth career ejection and was baffled why Drake was even talking to him in the first place.
“He was trying to tell me to calm down but I don’t think he needs to tell me anything,” Sabathia said. “Don’t talk to me if I’m not talking to you and I think that’s a lot of umpires problems is they interpret your body language. That’s not his job. His job is to call balls and strikes. Don’t say anything to me if I don’t say anything to you.”
Added Yankees manager Joe Girardi: “I think CC thought that a pitch was a strike. Rob just kind of said something to him. Players are in the heat in the battle and that’s basically it.”
As for the rest of the outing, it was a positive night for the 35-year-old, who was hospitalized for dehydration after pitching five innings in the Texas heat a week ago.
Besides having effectiveness with his 99 pitches, his velocity appeared to increase with a few readings of 93 and 94 mph.
The cause of the increased velocity?
“I have no idea,” Girardi said. “Dehydration I guess.”