Facing Verlander, CC has tough task ahead

They are two aces who have been going in two directions.

CC Sabathia takes the mound Friday night in Game 1 of the ALDS against Detroit's Justin Verlander, coming off a career season that could result in his winning both the AL Cy Young Award and MVP honors.

Sabathia, very much in the thick of the discussion for the Cy Young Award heading into August, stumbled down the stretch.

"I felt like probably the month I've been putting myself in bad counts and putting myself in hitter's counts and trying to make pitches,'' Sabathia said before the teams worked out Thursday afternoon at the Stadium. "So you see me throwing 125 pitches in six innings, and that's not where I want to be. Hopefully [Friday night] I can just get ahead, be aggressive in the strike zone and get some outs early in the count.''

Sabathia, who threw 2371/3 innings this season and has thrown at least that 230 innings the last five seasons, prides himself on going deep into games. As he struggled in the final two months -- beginning Aug. 6, he went 3-3 with a 4.30 ERA in his last nine starts after going 16-5 with a 2.55 ERA in his first 24 -- Sabathia failed to pitch into the seventh inning in three of his last five starts. He did not thrive in the last six weeks of the season after Joe Girardi went to a six-man rotation, allowing 10 hits in five of his last 10 games.

Sabathia, who finished 19-8 with a 3.00 ERA, has consistently said the extra day's rest he received between starts in the six-man rotation had no impact. Maybe this time of year will provide just the jolt he needs. It certainly has in his time with the Yankees.

Sabathia is 3-1 with a 3.41 ERA in five Game 1 postseason starts since joining the Yankees before the 2009 season. In 2009, when the Yankees won the World Series, Sabathia was 3-1 with a 1.98 ERA in five starts, including two on three days' rest. If there's a Game 4 this series, Sabathia will pitch it on short rest.

"He's our ace,'' Mark Teixeira said, "and we feel like we're going to win every game when he's on the mound.''

The Tigers, of course, have had that feeling all season with Verlander, and for the most part, they've been right. The 28-year-old righthander went 24-5 with a 2.40 ERA this season, leading the league in victories, ERA, starts (34), innings pitched (251), strikeouts (250) and WHIP (0.92).

"He's had one of the best seasons for a pitcher ever, I think,'' Sabathia said. "It's going to be tough.''

Verlander returned the compliment, though both pitchers said their opposite number isn't their concern.

"You obviously don't really pay attention to who is pitching for the other team,'' Verlander said. "But you know in the back of your mind when a guy like CC is going that runs are going to be at a minimum.''

Verlander started Game 2 of the 2006 ALDS at the old Stadium, allowing three runs and seven hits in 51/3 innings in a 4-3 Tigers victory.

"I'm a totally different pitcher now as opposed to back then,'' Verlander said.

Five years ago, Verlander relied mostly on his ability to throw his 100-mph fastball past people. Now the righthander, in addition to still being able to throw 100, has an-above average curveball, slider and changeup.

He's been in a league of his own, but the Yankees, even with Sabathia not being as good of late, feel good about their own starter.

"I have a ton of confidence in CC,'' Girardi said. "This is a guy that's been doing it for a long time. He's been doing it in the postseason for us as well. He's a guy that gives you a ton of innings, but he gives you quality innings. I have a ton of belief.''

Tigers manager Jim Leyland said the matchup is how the postseason should be.

"Two premier pitchers on a big stage; doesn't get much better than that,'' Leyland said. "That's what it's supposed to be. The one thing that in most cases will always hold true is that when you go to the postseason, you're going to see a good pitcher every night. And the whole world is going to see two of the best [Friday night].''