PHILADELPHIA (AP) -Down a game in the division series against Philadelphia, who else would Milwaukee turn to but CC Sabathia?
The burly left-hander who almost single-handedly carried Milwaukee into the playoffs gets the ball again on three days’ rest in Game 2 on Thursday. Sabathia saved Milwaukee’s season and helped it win the wild card with a complete game victory against Chicago on the final day of the regular season. He went a sizzling 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA after he was acquired July 7 from Cleveland.
Just don’t try and give last year’s Cy Young Award winner too much credit. Sabathia won’t take it.
“I don’t want to say I brought them to the playoffs,” Sabathia said. “This team was a good team before I got here. I was just trying to do whatever I could to add to that.”
One stat working in Philadelphia’s favor is Sabathia’s postseason mark. He is only 2-2 with a 7.17 ERA in four postseason starts. Sabathia said he felt all the pressure last season in Cleveland to be “the guy.” The lefty said he felt last year that if he didn’t pitch well, the Indians couldn’t win the World Series.
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“I can keep this team in games and keep them close, I think that we have enough in the clubhouse to (win),” Sabathia said. “I know we did it last year in Cleveland, too, but I felt I needed to shoulder all the pressure of being the guy to go out there and throw shutouts and no-hitters and be this great pitcher in the postseason.”
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CAN QUENTIN PLAY: Carlos Quentin still needs more time.
The injured White Sox outfielder was not listed on the playoff roster posted in the Chicago clubhouse Wednesday, a day before Game 1 against Tampa Bay.
Quentin led the AL in home runs when he broke his right wrist on Sept. 1 after slamming it on his bat in frustration. He has not given up on playing again should the White Sox advance in the postseason, and was hitting off a tee.
“As long I keep taking swings, I think they keep an eye on that,” Quentin said. “I’m trying to do what I can to get back.”
The All-Star left fielder hit 36 home runs with 100 RBIs this season, batting .288 in 130 games.
The posted lineup for the White Sox in the opener: SS Orlando Cabrera, LF DeWayne Wise, RF Jermaine Dye, DH Jim Thome, 1B Paul Konerko, CF Ken Griffey Jr., 2B Alexei Ramirez, C A.J. Pierzynski and 3B Juan Uribe.
all.
Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said Mark Buehrle will start Game 2, with John Danks set for Game 3 and Gavin Floyd in Game 4, if necessary.
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HELP FROM A HIGER POWER: The Chicago Cubs aren’t taking any chances in trying to break a 100-year championship drought.
Before Wednesday’s National League division series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Father James Greaneus poured holy water on the wall of Cubs’ dugout. The act was caught on TV.
Greaneus, a longtime Cubs fan from the Midwest, contacted the ballclub and was invited to Wrigley Field, according to a team spokesman.
The Cubs lost Game 1 to the Dodgers 7-2.
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NO PERCY?: Tampa Bay may go without closer Troy Percival in their series with the White Sox.
Team officials have told Percival that it’s likely he will left off the first-round playoff roster. The 39-year old closer, battling back tightness, has 28 saves this season, but only one since Aug. 13.
“Right now it doesn’t look like I’m going to be on it,” Percival said. “They’re not 100 percent positive yet. There’s nothing I can do about it. It is what it is, and I understand I’ve spent the good majority of two months not healthy and not pitching well.”
Percival, who closed out the Angels’ championship in the 2002 World Series, provided key leadership for the upstart Rays, who are in the postseason for the first time ever.
not going to argue with them,” Percival said. “They’re going to do what they think is best. If it includes me great, if it doesn’t then I’ll be here clapping.”
Dan Wheeler filled in for Percival during his two stints on the disabled list (left hamstring and right knee), and converted 13 of 18 save opportunities.
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GREEN LIGHT FOR CRAWFORD: Rays left fielder Carl Crawford will hit fifth instead of his usual second spot for Game 1 Thursday.
Crawford hasn’t had an at-bat in a major league game since hurting a tendon in his right middle finger on Aug. 2. He would prefer to hit second, but is not complaining about Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon’s decision.
“I just think that, the top of the lineup I can do a little bit more and cause problems for the other team,” Crawford said. “Joe, he’s been making the right calls all year long, and this should be no different. I’m hoping to see he had some smart reason why I’m sitting in the six hole. It always works. so we’ll go with the flow with it right now.”
Maddon said one reason was Crawford’s prolonged absence.
“He hasn’t played in a while,” Maddon said. “He’s got a whole bunch of different strengths. Everybody just looks at him as speed. But Carl, to me, is able to drive in an important run.”
Crawford played in two instructional league games this week, and is hopeful of returning to the second spot soon.
vincing them right now,” Crawford said. “I won’t be in the two spot, so I don’t think they’re convinced all the way yet. Hopefully these next two games I can convince them a little bit more that I’m ready to be back and doing the things I do on the baseball field.”
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BULLPEN NEWCOMERS: Angels right-handers Jered Weaver and Jon Garland, members of the starting rotation this season, will be working out of the bullpen against the Red Sox.
It’s an unaccustomed role for both, and manager Mike Scioscia said they’ll probably get extra warmup time before being used.
“I think our template is to use them if we would get into a situation of extra innings or possibly late in the game on the road where they could take a fresh inning and go as long as they could,” Scioscia said. “I think it gives us a nice option with those two guys with so much length to really get matchups early on and not have to save anybody for extra innings.”
Ervin Santana is scheduled to pitch Game 2 and Joe Saunders Game 3 for the Angels. The schedule makes Game 1 starter John Lackey available for Game 4 without having to pitch on short rest.
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WINDY CITY RIVALRY: Both Chicago teams are in the postseason for the first time since the White Sox beat the Cubs in the 1906 World Series.
That fact has little meaning right now for White Sox outfielder Jermaine Dye.
Chicago,” Dye said. “We don’t really read too much on what’s going on on the North side. We’ll worry about that hopefully if we meet them in the World Series.”
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BEEN THERE: Chad Billingsley will be making his first postseason start on Thursday, but it won’t be his first playoff appearance.
Billingsley pitched two scoreless innings in relief in 2006, when the Dodgers got swept by the Mets in the first round.
“In ’06 it was a little different coming out of the bullpen. I mean, I was just kind of there in the moment, didn’t really know what to expect,” Billingsley said. “I’m going to approach it as any other start.”
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