High-stepping CC Sabathia giving Yankees mound gems and so much more

CC Sabathia held the Boston Red Sox to one run over seven innings on Friday night in an 8-1 Yankees win at Yankee Stadium.

NEW YORK — CC Sabathia is the oldest pitcher on the Yankees by almost five years, and with a round belly that’s a signature part of his big frame, it’s probably assumed by many that this 6-foot-6, 300-pounder who turns 38 next month isn’t much of an athlete.

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Yankees manager Aaron Boone frequently talks up the athleticism that Sabathia shows on a regular basis, and we saw it Friday night during the seventh inning of this 8-1 win over the Boston Red Sox.

The big man showed he can still get off the mound quickly when Mookie Betts topped a runner-on-first, two-out chopper to the first base side of the mound.

Sabathia flashed his quickness, agility and defensive skills by hustling to his left and reaching out with his right arm to make a backhand catch, then jogging a couple of steps toward first base before underhanding a lob to Greg Bird.

When Bird squeezed the ball to end the inning with the Yankees still ahead four runs, Sabathia looked like Deion Sanders returning a punt in the open field high-stepping it a few steps.

CC Sabathia never gives up, never gives in, never gives less than 110% [?] pic.twitter.com/AGVhnkISw3

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) June 30, 2018

“That was just straight adrenalin,” Sabathia said with a smile from his locker after a one-run, six-hit, seven-inning gem that hiked his record to 5-3, lowered his ERA to 3.02 and ran his career win total to 242 in 18 seasons.

Every Yankees player and coach got as much of a kick out from Sabathia’s seventh-inning celebration as his latest pitching clinic. They adore Sabathia, who has had a very good first three months to the 2018 season while still acing his just-as-important role as vocal clubhouse leader.

“We feed off that, the energy that he provides,” right fielder Aaron Judge said after a 1-for-4 night that included a seventh-inning, two-run homer. “He pounds the strike zone. He just dominates and he doesn’t miss a spot. It’s fun to see out of him. He’s pitching.

“I remember back in the day he’d just go out there and throw 98 and 99. But now he’s pitching and it’s fun to play defense behind a guy like that.”

Following his best game in a long time, a two-homer night that included an opposite-field shot off a lefty, Bird talked more about what Sabathia brings than his own standout effort.

Watching Sabathia go about his business before, during and after games reminds Bird of two of former Yankees teammates who had great careers, Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Beltran.

“Just watching him, not just on the mound but in the dugout before the game in here (in the clubhouse), he’s so methodical and there’s something to that,” Bird said. “I think the great players, the guys who have been around a little while, are like that. Alex and Carlos were the same way. CC’s just very methodical and goes about his business and it’s just refreshing.”

Sabathia’s pitching has been refreshing, as well.

“CC has been in this league for a long, long time and to see him go out there and compete the way he knows how to is … it’s amazing,” Baby Bomber third baseman Miguel Andujar after going 3 for 4 with a two-run homer and sacrifice fly. “He’s kind of how knows what to do and he goes out there and gets the job done.”

Looking back, Sabathia felt appreciation that manager Aaron Boone let him get through seven. Sabathia was mad at himself for hitting No. 9 hitter Jackie Bradley Jr. with a pitch with two outs and nobody on in the inning to bring up Betts, a right-handed hitter who is having an MVP-caliber season, in a 5-1 game.

With righty David Robertson warm in the bullpen, this seemed to be an ideal time for a call to the Yankees bullpen.

Instead, Sabathia stayed in and finished his night’s work in style, as Betts hit that inning-ending comebacker that was celebrated with the high-stepping.

“(Boone) could have easily taken me out right there, but he stuck with me,” Sabathia said.

Boone made it clear when he signed on as Yankees manager last winter that he was a big Sabathia fan and he’s been showing faith him in him letting him go deeper in games more frequently than former skipper Joe Girardi did in recent years.

“He’s been great all year,” Boone said. “That might have been his best outing. That is a really good offense that he was in complete command against. On a hot night, for him to go out there and be in command … it was nice.”

Randy Miller may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.