With free agency looming, CC Sabathia climbed the hill at Tropicana Field on Thursday afternoon to make perhaps his final regular-season start in pinstripes. Sentimentality aside, there was a lot at stake. Although the Yankees had already punched their ticket to the postseason, they remained singularly focused on winning at least two more games, thus ensuring that the American League Wild Card Game would be played in the Bronx.
Sabathia stepped up to do his part, and then some. The 38-year-old carried a perfect game into the fourth inning. With two outs, CC induced an easy groundball to third base, but there was nobody there to field it due to the shift.