| Highest WPA | Lowest WPA | ||
| Jhonny Peralta | .096 | CC Sabathia | -.382 |
| Ryan Garko | .044 | David Dellucci | -.064 |
| Rafael Betancourt | .020 | Jason Michaels | -.062 |
You know how sometimes a pitching line doesn't tell the whole story? This isn't one of those times:
3.1 IP, 9 ER, 12 H, 4 SO, 2 BB
Causes of CC's early-season struggles? There's no perceptible change in CC's velocity, and his pitch mix hasn't changed dramatically. And there's no physical problems:
Sabathia said he "felt great," which only made the night more difficult.
"There's no excuse ... why I'm pitching this way," he said. "It's just one of those things. But I've been here before, and I'm definitely going to get this thing right."
So is it his uncertain contract status? That uncertainty isn't changing until at least November. He's allowed 35 baserunners in 14 innings, a combination of not staying in the strike zone and, when in the strike zone, staying in the middle of the plate.
Even with Sabathia's problems, the Indians made a game of it, scoring six runs in the eighth inning, and brought the tying run to the plate. Huston Street settled things down, though, getting a weak fly from the bat of David Dellucci to end the rain-lengthened eighth. He then set the Indians down in order in the ninth.
Jorge Julio allowed the final two Sabathia runs to score in the fourth, but otherwise the bullpen was perfect, finishing out the game without allowing any more damage. Craig Breslow hasn't allowed a run in his four innings pitched this season.