Better outing for Sabathia

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- CC Sabathia didn't like anything about his previous outing Saturday against the Nationals. Matched against Roy Halladay Thursday, he fared much better in the Yankees' 7-0 loss to the Phillies.

"It felt good, a lot better than the other day," said Sabathia, who allowed three hits, no walks and no runs in five innings. "Delivery was a lot cleaner and I was able to actually work on some things."

Halladay shut out the Yankees in his six innings.

Sabathia, who had allowed five runs and six hits in 22/3 innings last Saturday, got hit on the side of his left thigh by a comebacker from John Mayberry Jr. with one out in the second inning. He stayed in, waving off Joe Girardi and trainers.

"I've got a lot of meat down there," Sabathia joked.

Girardi was pleased with what he saw. "CC looked really good," he said. "That's pretty much the CC we're used to seeing."

First impressions

Jorge Posada, though he's played in 28 career games at first base, said he initially felt "like a fish out of water" when he started there Thursday, though he later said it was "like riding a bicycle." The Yankees want to see if Posada, who will be the primary DH, is capable of starting on occasion to give Mark Teixeira a day off.

Posada looked fine for the most part, catching Placido Polanco's first-inning liner and doubling off Shane Victorino -- "self-defense," Posada called the catch -- and making a nice stop of Ben Francisco's ground smash for the first out of the fourth. He also scooped Ramiro Peña's low throw to get Delwyn Young leading off the fifth.

"I'm clear with what's going on," Posada said of his first non-DH start of spring training coming at first base and not catcher. "I understand what's going on and I'm looking forward to DHing, I really am."

Extra bases

Girardi said Brett Gardner, who started Thursday in leftfield and is scheduled to make the two-hour-plus trip to Viera Saturday, will get one DH at-bat Friday. He'll start Saturday in centerfield; the regular-season plan is for Gardner to start in center when Curtis Granderson gets a day off . . . Peña, in competition for a backup infield spot, had one of the Yankees' four hits off Halladay . . . Righthander Mark Prior, unscored on in three previous games, gave up two hits and two walks in allowing three runs -- one earned -- in two-thirds of an inning.