Sabathia takes control as Yanks top Twins

It had not gone well for CC Sabathia two starts into the season, which usually wouldn't have caused too much concern.

After all, there'd been previous bad Aprils for the lefthander.

But with inconsistency plaguing the Yankees' rotation 10 games into the season, the ace's difficulties took on the appearance of an early-season crisis.

"Hopefully tonight is the sign of a lot of good things to come,'' Joe Girardi said Tuesday.

The signs were mostly good in the Yankees' 8-3 victory over the Twins in front of 40,194 at the Stadium, certainly better late than early.

Sabathia, aided by a 13-hit attack that helped knock out Twins starter Francisco Liriano (0-2) after 21/3 innings, overcame a sluggish start to go 71/3 innings, allowing three runs and four hits -- though none of either after the third. He struck out seven and walked one.

"He did what we asked him to,'' said Girardi, who had a taxed bullpen. "One way or the other, he had to give us some distance.''

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Five Yankees produced two hits, including seldom used backup catcher Chris Stewart, who had a game-best three RBIs. Derek Jeter had two RBIs and Andruw Jones hit his second home run of the season.

Sabathia's quality start was just the third produced by a Yankees starter in the first 11 games, though the first three innings didn't indicate one was coming Tuesday night.

After a 1-2-3, 14-pitch first inning, Sabathia (1-0) allowed a run in the second on Josh Willingham's fifth homer of the season and two runs in the third.

The third -- highly entertaining because of the odd sequence featuring the ejection of Twins leadoff man Denard Span and manager Ron Gardenhire -- could have been worse, but Brett Gardner made a sliding catch on Willingham's sinking liner to save a run. Gardner's right wrist bent awkwardly as he hit the ground and while he said it felt sore at the time, it was better after the game.

"That was huge,'' Sabathia said of Gardner's catch.

The out was the second of 13 straight retired by Sabathia, who suddenly found the command that had been eluding him. The lefthander said it was a simple suggestion from pitching coach Larry Rothschild.

"Larry told me to stay on top of the ball,'' said Sabathia, who lowered his ERA to 5.59 from 6.75. "Once he said that, it kind of clicked.''

After the third, Sabathia allowed just two baserunners, both in the seventh when Trevor Plouffe walked and Luke Hughes reached on an error.

"He just got his arm where it should be in the right slot,'' Rothschild said. "It's not unusual for him to hit his stride and then take off.''

Stewart said Sabathia wasn't bad the first three innings. "He was just that much better the second half of the game,'' Stewart said.

Stewart delivered the key hit in the Yankees' four-run third, a two-run single that made it 4-3. Jeter's sacrifice fly capped the inning and made it 5-3.

"I told [Stewart] that was the biggest hit we've had all year,'' Gardner said. "Today was a must win for me, with CC on the mound . . . That was huge.''