"He's the guy we want out there," David Robertson said.
Sabathia seemed equally confident in the nine guys who will be charged with giving him some run support, pointing to the Yankees' 4-0 record in elimination games this postseason.
"Just the way we can turn the page, it's something that these guys have a gift to do," Sabathia said. "It's hard to do, especially for a young team. And they seem to do that every day.
"We'll come out tomorrow and play a great game and win tomorrow."
That confidence should serve the Yankees well on Saturday, when they'll try to keep their surprising season going in the ALCS presented by Camping World at Minute Maid Park.