CC what I did there?
So how exactly did CC Sabathia end up on the mound tonight for the Yankees? Why is this man making another start at Camden Yards?
The Yankees-Blue Jays game was postponed yesterday because of rain, which Orioles manager Buck Showalter referenced following a 3-1 loss to the Rays.
"They somehow got rained out in New York," he said.
I see what he did there.
Sabathia's start was pushed back to tonight, against a team that's lost five games in a row, all of them at home.
Sabathia is 17-3 lifetime against the Orioles. They would have been perfectly fine with him making that start yesterday against the Blue Jays.
Danny Valencia will remain in the lineup tonight after going 1-for-3 with a double yesterday in his Orioles debut.
"Good," Showalter said. "I wouldn't say that's a home run in Norfolk, because it definitely wouldn't have been a home run at Norfolk, but he had some good swings off a tough left-hander (Matt Moore). It's kind of the resume he brings, so hopefully we'll see him again tomorrow and see how he does."
That's when Showalter dropped his rainout line.
Showalter has started Yamaico Navarro at second base in the last three games, but he's got an interesting decision to make tonight. He wants to take an extended look at Navarro, but Alexi Casilla is 14-for-24 (.583) against Sabathia.
Got to be Casilla, right?
Navarro was 3-for-8 in his first two starts, including his first career triple, but he failed to make two plays in the field yesterday and laid down a sacrifice bunt in the third inning that Showalter didn't endorse.
"Yami bunted on his own there and his heart was in the right place, but he really hits the ball well the other way," Showalter said. "It's something we need to correct."
Navarro was charged with an error after flipping the ball over J.J. Hardy's head on an attempted force at second. He easily could have been charged with another one after failing to make a backhanded pickup of Ben Zobrist's ground ball.
Showalter referenced the play while reviewing Chris Tilman's start.
"We made an error at second," Showalter said. "I think they called it a hit, but we've got to make that."
Showalter isn't going to bury Navarro, but he's in full critique mode while deciding on a replacement for Ryan Flaherty, who was replacing Brian Roberts.
Freddy Garcia makes his fourth start for the Orioles, and the last two have been underwhelming. He's allowed eight runs and 12 hits in 9 2/3 innings. The Orioles won't keep running him out there if he continues to struggle.
Garcia is 5-4 with a 4.09 ERA in 12 starts against the Yankees. Travis Hafner is 15-for-33 (.455) with two doubles and four homers against him. Ichiro Suzuki is 11-for-30 (.367) with three doubles and a home run. Vernon Wells is 7-for-16 (.438) with a home run. Lyle Overbay is 4-for-11 (.364) with two doubles. Brett Gardner is 3-for-5 (.600).
Otherwise, it isn't so bad for Garcia.
Robinson Cano is 2-for-15 (.137). Curtis Granderson is 6-for-35 (.171). So yes, I'm saying there's a chance.
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