NEW YORK -- CC Sabathia had just gotten the first out of the fourth inning when he pulled up his right pants leg, then unstrapped and unscrewed the large black brace that has supported his knee during starts since September 2015. The strap had broken, and the burly 6-foot-6 lefty would have to pitch without it.
"I was watching every pitch on his landing leg," New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi said later. "Yes, it did make me nervous."
Sabathia allowed an infield hit but got out of the inning with a double-play grounder. He went on to win fifth straight start and beat Rick Porcello in a matchup of Cy Young Award winners , an 8-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night.
"That was really weird. It was scary," Sabathia said. "But I didn't feel any pain."
Chris Carter drove in four runs with a three-run homer and an RBI single. Sabathia (7-2), who had last won five in a row in April 2012, allowed five hits in eight innings, his longest outing since April 2015.
Yankees head athletic trainer Steve Donohue repaired the brace in time for the fifth. Josh Rutledge led off with a drive to center field for a triple, but Sabathia then retired his final 12 batters. He walked none and struck out five -- four of them looking.
A month from turning 37, Sabathia hasn't been dominant since the last of his six All-Star seasons in 2012. He had a bone spur removed from his left elbow that October and right knee surgery in July 2014.
"Being hurt was the biggest thing and just not knowing my future, especially at my age," he said.
After an inconsistent 2016 and mixed results in his first seven outings this year, he has a 1.11 ERA during his streak, rediscovering an ability to throw his cutter inside to right-handed hitters.
"It helps with the backdoor slider and the changeup," he said.
All five wins followed losses by Masahiro Tanaka
"There's a lot of heart in that guy," Girardi said. "He's always been that guy that is a fierce competitor, and when you have that in you, you have the ability to make changes and to figure things out."
Sabathia made a bare-hand grab of Jackie Bradley Jr.'s fifth-inning comebacker after Rutledge's triple, a ball that came off the bat at 98 mph.
"That was the big turning point in the game," Girardi said.
Jonathan Holder followed Sabathia with a perfect ninth. Boston's final 15 hitters went down in order.
Didi Gregorius hit a go-ahead home run starting the third and Carter homered for the second straight day , a fourth-inning drive that followed Starlin Castro's leadoff triple and an RBI single by Gary Sanchez.
Boston right fielder Mookie Betts robbed Carter of another homer in the sixth, leaping and getting his glove above the 8-foot wall for a sparkling catch. A fan touched the ball before it landed in Betts' glove, and umpires concluded Girardi did not ask for a video review within the 30-second window.
"I felt I was going to catch it, regardless of hitting the guy's hand or not," Betts said.
Carter, New York's No. 9 batter, had three hits, including a run-scoring single off the left-field wall in a two-run eighth. New York stopped Boston's three-game winning streak and reopened a two-game lead over the second-place Red Sox in the AL East.
Porcello (3-8) lost his third straight start, giving up six runs -- five earned -- and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. On Monday, he attended the dedication of Porcello Field at Seton Hall Prep in West Orange, New Jersey, where he was 10-0 as a senior in 2007.
"It's execution of pitches," Porcello said. "I haven't been very consistent."
STREAK STOPPER
New York was hitless in 15 at-bats with runners in scoring position dating to Sunday before Sanchez's hit. Sanchez was dropped from second to sixth in the batting order, flipping slots with Aaron Hicks.
SPEED DEMON
Brett Gardner stole his sixth base but first since April 10.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Red Sox: LHP Brian Johnson is to be recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket and start Friday against Detroit, his first big league appearance since a five-hit shutout against Seattle on May 27. Johnson slipped and injured his left hamstring while pitching for the PawSox on Saturday but threw a successful bullpen Tuesday and passed agility tests Wednesday. He takes the place of LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, who injured his right knee slipping on a bullpen mound before a 7-5 loss at Baltimore on June 1. Boston manager John Farrell said Rodriguez threw from 120 feet on flat ground Wednesday. ... RHP Carson Smith threw about 20 pitches to batters who didn't swing, his first time facing batters since Tommy John surgery on May 24 last year. He is to throw batting practice again Saturday.
Yankees: All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman, out since May 12 with rotator cuff inflammation, is to throw a simulated game on Friday or Saturday. ... 1B Greg Bird, who hasn't appeared for the Yankees since May 1 because of a bruised right ankle, is to play for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at Lehigh Valley on Friday night. ... CF Jacoby Ellsbury is still experiencing headaches from a concussion sustained May 24 when he crashed into the wall catching a drive by Kansas City's Alcides Escobar.
UP NEXT
LHP David Price (1-0) starts for Boston in Thursday night's series finale, his third outing since returning from a sore pitching elbow that had sidelined the 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner since spring training. RHP Michael Pineda (6-3) pitches for the Yankees.
---
More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball




Final
Series: Game 2 of 3

Red Sox 0

(32-26, 15-16 away)

Yankees 8

(33-23, 18-9 home)





7:05PM,EDT,June 7,2017
Yankee Stadium, New York,New York 

123456789 R H E
BOS 000000000 0 5 2
NYY 00140012 - 8 12 0
W: C. Sabathia (7-2)
L: R. Porcello (3-8)






View: Play-By-Play | Pitch-By-PitchInning: All | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Boston - Top of 1stSCORE
CC Sabathia pitching for New YorkBOSNYY
Betts struck out swinging.00
Young flied out to left.00
Bogaerts singled to center.00
Ramírez lined out to third.00
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 1stSCORE
Rick Porcello pitching for BostonBOSNYY
Gardner flied out to center.00
Hicks struck out swinging.00
Judge grounded out to third.00
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Boston - Top of 2ndSCORE
CC Sabathia pitching for New YorkBOSNYY
Travis grounded out to shortstop.00
León struck out looking.00
Rutledge doubled to left.00
Bradley Jr. struck out looking.00
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 2ndSCORE
Rick Porcello pitching for BostonBOSNYY
Holliday grounded out to second.00
Castro struck out swinging.00
Sánchez grounded out to second.00
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Boston - Top of 3rdSCORE
CC Sabathia pitching for New YorkBOSNYY
Marrero flied out to right.00
Betts lined out to center.00
Young reached on infield single to second.00
Bogaerts grounded into fielder's choice to shortstop, Young out at second.00
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 3rdSCORE
Rick Porcello pitching for BostonBOSNYY
Gregorius homered to right center (399 feet).01
Headley singled to center.01
Carter singled to left, Headley to second, Headley to third, Carter to second on throwing error by third baseman Marrero.01
Gardner struck out looking.01
Hicks popped out to shortstop.01
Judge intentionally walked.01
Holliday flied out to right.01
1 Runs, 3 Hits, 1 Errors
Boston - Top of 4thSCORE
CC Sabathia pitching for New YorkBOSNYY
Ramírez grounded out to shortstop.01
Travis reached on infield single to first.01
León grounded into double play, second to shortstop to first, Travis out at second.01
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 4thSCORE
Rick Porcello pitching for BostonBOSNYY
Castro tripled to deep center.01
Sánchez singled to center, Castro scored.02
Gregorius flied out to left.02
Headley singled to center, Sánchez to second.02
Carter homered to left (399 feet), Sánchez and Headley scored.05
Gardner grounded out to first.05
Hicks walked.05
Judge struck out looking.05
4 Runs, 4 Hits, 0 Errors
Boston - Top of 5thSCORE
CC Sabathia pitching for New YorkBOSNYY
Rutledge tripled to deep center.05
Bradley Jr. grounded out to pitcher.05
Marrero flied out to right.05
Betts popped out to shortstop.05
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 5thSCORE
Rick Porcello pitching for BostonBOSNYY
Holliday flied out to right.05
Castro reached on infield single to third.05
Sánchez grounded into double play, third to second to first, Castro out at second.05
0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors
Boston - Top of 6thSCORE
CC Sabathia pitching for New YorkBOSNYY
Young grounded out to pitcher.05
Bogaerts flied out to center.05
Ramírez grounded out to third.05
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 6thSCORE
Rick Porcello pitching for BostonBOSNYY
Gregorius fouled out to shortstop.05
Headley struck out looking.05
Carter flied out to right.05
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
Boston - Top of 7thSCORE
CC Sabathia pitching for New YorkBOSNYY
Travis grounded out to third.05
León struck out looking.05
Rutledge grounded out to shortstop.05
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 7thSCORE
Rick Porcello pitching for BostonBOSNYY
Gardner safe at first on error by second baseman Rutledge.05
Gardner stole second.05
Hicks flied out to left.05
Boyer relieved Porcello.05
Judge struck out swinging.05
Holliday reached on infield single to shortstop, Gardner scored.06
Castro flied out to center.06
1 Runs, 1 Hits, 1 Errors
Boston - Top of 8thSCORE
CC Sabathia pitching for New YorkBOSNYY
Bradley Jr. grounded out to shortstop.06
Marrero struck out looking.06
Betts grounded out to third.06
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors
New York - Bottom of 8thSCORE
Blaine Boyer pitching for BostonBOSNYY
Sánchez struck out looking.06
Gregorius singled to deep center.06
Headley walked, Gregorius to second.06
Carter singled to deep left, Gregorius scored, Headley to third.07
Gardner singled to left, Headley scored, Carter to second.08
Refsnyder ran for Gardner.08
Hicks grounded into fielder's choice to second, Refsnyder out at second, Carter to third.08
Judge flied out to right.08
2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors
Boston - Top of 9thSCORE
Jonathan Holder pitching for New YorkBOSNYY
Refsnyder in left field.08
Torreyes at second base.08
Holder relieved Sabathia.08
Benintendi hit for Young.08
Benintendi grounded out to third.08
Bogaerts grounded out to second.08
Ramírez grounded out to shortstop.08
0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors





 Boston Red Sox

HittersABRHRBIBBSO#PAVGOBPSLG
Betts RF40000110.259.336.455
Young LF3010008.266.347.385
1000005.272.343.427
Bogaerts SS40100012.324.381.452
Ramírez DH40000013.247.345.420
Travis 1B30100011.471.526.588
León C30000214.218.265.364
Rutledge 2B3020008.261.320.319
Bradley Jr. CF30000112.229.323.429
Marrero 3B30000112.159.198.305
Totals3105005105   
a-grounded to third for C Young in the 9th
BATTING
2B: Rutledge (2, Sabathia)
3B: Rutledge (1, Sabathia)
GIDP: León
Red Sox RISP: 0-4 (Marrero 0-1, Betts 0-1, Bradley Jr. 0-2)
Team LOB: 4
FIELDING
E: Marrero (2, throw); Rutledge (4, ground ball)
DP: 1 (Marrero-Rutledge-Travis).

Game Information

StadiumYankee Stadium, New York, NY
Attendance44,380 (89.4% full) - % is based on regular season capacity
Game Time2:42
Weather68 degrees, clear
Wind2 mph
UmpiresHome Plate - Phil Cuzzi, First Base - Vic Carapazza, Second Base - Mark Ripperger, Third Base - Tom Hallion