CC doesn't get 20th, but it's about titles

If CC Sabathia isn't the Yankees employee of the month for working overtime, it likely is because there are just too many candidates. So while manager Joe Girardi kept his pitching ace in last night's doubleheader nightcap about as long as he reasonably could, trying to get Sabathia his 20th victory, there came that point in the eighth inning -- bases loaded for Tampa Bay, one out and the score tied at 2 -- when a wiser strategy prevailed.

Girardi called for David Robertson, who threw one pitch to Ben Zobrist, and the resulting 4-6-3 double play cleared the decks for the winning Yankee rally in the bottom of the inning, clinching the American League East title.

Sabathia (19-8, 3.00 ERA) had walked Evan Longoria with his 127th pitch. That followed Desmond Jennings' single to right and B.J. Upton's single off Sabathia's glove. And it came one inning after Sean Rodriguez's solo homer tied the score.

"I felt good,'' Sabathia said. "But Joe told me that our ultimate goal was to just try to win championships. So he went to Robertson and, with the bases loaded, he got out of it. [Robertson] has been unbelievable, one of the best years for a reliever.''

Wednesday night's start could be Sabathia's last extended one of the regular season, so as not to interfere with him pitching the first game of the playoffs.

"I haven't thought about that yet,'' Sabathia said.

Nor, Girardi insisted, had he. "We'll figure something out,'' Girardi said. "I'll talk to [Sabathia] later about that.''

Sabathia was escorted to the dugout by a loud ovation when Robertson was called from the bullpen. Sabathia allowed seven hits and two runs, walked two and struck out six. Solo homers by Kelly Shoppach, in the fifth, and Rodriguez, in the seventh, caused him his only real difficulty until the eighth.

During the long day -- longer for Tampa Bay -- Yankee quantity got to the visitors before Yankee quality did. Eight Yankee pitches -- all of them relievers and six of whom spent at least a few days with minor-league Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season -- held Tampa Bay in check during the first game to set up Robinson Cano's winning double and Mariano Rivera's 44th save.

Then came Jorge Posada's deciding pinch hit to win the second game. Another top employee candidate.