N.Y. Yankees: CC Sabathia Achieves 3,000 Career Strikeouts

From the desk of:  BLAME CARLOS MAY

CONGRATULATIONS

CC SABATHIA

He becomes the 17th pitcher in major league history, 

and only the third left-hander ever to record 3,000 strikeouts in a career.

CC Sabathia entered Tuesday's game against the Diamondbacks just three strikeouts shy of one of baseball's all-time hallowed milestones.  After retiring Arizona in order in the first, Sabathia seized the moment with three strikeouts in the second inning.

The soon to be 39-year old would unfortunately exit on the losing side of a 2-1 game after yielding just two earned runs on five hits with five strikeouts through 5.1 innings pitched.  Sabathia previously topped out at five innings and 86 pitches in each of his last two starts.  Tuesday at Arizona he pitched into the sixth for the first time this season, while throwing 87 pitches with 51 (59%) going for strikes.

Sabathia has spent more than half his career pitching for the Yankees, with whom he twice led the league in wins (2009-10), and in 2009 helped lead them to a World Series championship.  He entered Tuesday's game with a career record of 130-80, and 3.73 ERA, and has now fanned 1,609 batters while donning pinstripes.

During his eight season with the Indians, Sabathia posted a 106-71 record with a 3.83 ERA.  He recorded 1,265 strikeouts while pitching for Cleveland, where he captured the 2007 American League Cy Young award.

#3000