ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — In the hands of a wily old gunfighter such as CC Sabathia, baseball’s century-old system of frontier justice is not only understandable, it’s fascinating to watch, especially up close.
You could see this one coming. You could see it from the moment a Tampa Bay Rays pitcher named Andrew Kittredge unleashed a purposeful four-seam fastball in the top of the sixth inning, one that took off on a wicked diagonal plane heading right for the chin — or worse — of Austin Romine.