TORONTO — One is a big-league neophyte taking advantage of a huge break early in the season. The other has been around forever and seen almost all there is to witness in the game.
Tuesday night, Miguel Andujar and CC Sabathia led the Yankees to a 7-2 win over the Blue Jays in front of 29,308 at Rogers Centre.
After Marco Estrada blanked the Yankees across six innings he was replaced by Seunghwan Oh in the seventh and watched a 1-0 lead vanish on Andujar’s first career grand slam.
Sabathia (3-1), who hadn’t won since April 29 and was 0-1 with a 7.86 ERA in his previous four starts, worked seven innings, allowed two runs and three hits. Sabathia, who tied a season-high for innings, didn’t face a batter with a runner in scoring position. Since the start of the 2017 season, Sabathia is 10-0 with a 2.71 ERA in 16 regular-season starts following a Yankees loss.
Andujar is a 23-year-old rookie and only in the big leagues because third baseman Brandon Drury suffered migraine headaches and blurred vision in early April and went on the disabled list. Sabathia will be 38 next month and is in his 18th big-league season.
“I hope to try and get some pitches to hit and help the team,’’ Andujar said of the slam that erased a 1-0 deficit and landed in the second deck of the left-field seats. “I was very excited for that and I was excited CC threw a really good game.’’
C.C. SabathiaGetty ImagesAaron Hicks sealed the 39-18 Yankees’ seventh win in nine games with a three-run homer off Aaron Loup that hiked the Yankees’ lead to 7-2 in the eighth. The victory allowed the Yankees to remain a game back of the Red Sox in the AL East race.
It was the first time this season Yankees pitchers didn’t face a batter with a runner in scoring position.
Working with six days of rest instead of the usual four appealed to Sabathia, whose fastball had life to it.
“I didn’t realize I had that much rest until I got out there,’’ said Sabathia, who gave up homers to Teoscar Hernandez in the sixth and Kevin Pillar in the seventh. “Then it felt good.’’
Ever since replacing Drury at third on April 7, Andujar has given off a vibe that he feels good at the plate and in the field.
“He has great at-bats against everybody,’’ Hicks said. “He is a young hitter and the first pitch he is ready to go. That’s hard to come by.’’
When the Yankees acquired Drury early in spring training they were high on his ability and believed there was more talent to come. After a lengthy rehab assignment Drury was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre because the Yankees simply couldn’t do without Andujar’s bat and defense.
“I have been really impressed,’’ manager Aaron Boone said. “He is so important to what we are able to do. What I love is his adjustability. He has shown the ability to make adjustments against pitchers and what they are trying to do to him.’’
Sabathia has made adjustments his entire career. The biggest one was going from a gas thrower to a finesse pitcher. That move, however, hasn’t changed everything about the way he pitches.
“I was aggressive in the strike zone and Gary [Sanchez] called a good game,’’ Sabathia said of the catcher whose bat has been ice cold. “I haven’t shaken him off in a long time. He has a game plan.’’
The same can be said for Andujar, who is hitting .305 and leads the Yankees in doubles with 20.
“It doesn’t surprise me, he is always confident,’’ Didi Gregorius said. “Every day he is the same, always aggressive and selective aggressive.’’



