Bronx, N.Y., June 7, 2015; Yankees 6, Angels 2 — Seated just to the right of home plate in the Stadium grandstand, we’re located directly below the banner that represents the second-place team in the AL Western Division. With the incredible Astros start, it has invariably been the flaming red banner of the Angels all year. The first thing I noticed when I looked up today was that, not only had the Yanks’ five-game win streak improved their hold on first place in the East. The last two wins, it seems, have knocked Anaheim from that perch: The blue banner of the Texas Rangers has grabbed the spot.

The second realization was that, with the sole lefty in the Yankee rotation, CC Sabathia, toeing the mound this afternoon, the visiting club’s offense was driven by twin-engine power righties: Mike Trout and Albert Pujols. With 29 home runs and 60 rbi’s between them, we had to hope CC came out with his “A” stuff right off the bat, so to speak. Judging exactly what level of pitching that would be was also a (not very) open question. With no wins at home and an era near 6, one-time ace Sabathia, 2-7 on the season, has had different kinds of bad days, but very few good ones. A not very patient fanbase was not expecting much.

Eight pitches in, Trout drilled a 3-2 fastball over the wall in left, and Pujols did the same two pitches later. More often than not, CC has been a guy to tease the faithful with several decent innings, only to have it all come apart in an ugly frame in the middle of the game. An ensuing hard double to left and liner just short of the wall in right calmed no one, even if a routine fly to left ended the top of the first with Yanks down, 2-0.

Little did we know that the only ugly inning the visitors would foist on CC had just come to an end. With the Yanks offering little resistance against southpaw C.J. Wilson, our tall lefty powered through the second on nine pitches. Then Sabathia’s defense put him in hot water, and quickly rescued him from it, in what could have been the turning point of the game.

To start the third, speedy — the guy is fast afoot; it’s a key point — Erick Aybar reached on a hot shot past short. Didi Gregorius made a diving grab, but his throw to first was high. One pitch later, third baseman Chase Headley threw away a double play ball for first and third, no one out, a setup that remained once center fielder Brett Gardner ran seemingly forever before snagging a short pop fly. But David Freese’s 1-1 drive to right was not short, almost to the wall. With Aybar trotting to the plate once Carlos Beltran caught the missile, all-world Trout, to many the game’s best player, tagged up from first, trying to make second base. Not only was Beltran’s great throw on target and on time, Gregorius slapped on a perfect tag, doing so before Aybar crossed the plate. Incongruously, the score remained at 2-0. But not for long.

Capitalizing in the bottom half on Jose Pirela’s leadoff booming double, the Yanks small-balled him in for a 2-1 score. CC, meanwhile, was dealing, striking out four of the next five and five of seven, for one out in the top of the sixth. Wilson, on the other hand, found his ugly inning in the home fifth. Struggling Chris Young homered to left leading off for the tie, and John Ryan Murphy and Gregorius delivered back-to-back singles with one down. A strike out victim to close the third, Gardner watched ball one and ball two go by, then homered to left for a 5-2 Yankee lead.

If the dangerous and lazy Anaheim baserunning in the third was not the turning point, this four-run uprising was. Pirela’s first ever major league home run leading off the seventh was the only remaining scoring, with the stellar bullpen work of Justin Wilson, Dellin Betances, and Andrew Miller shutting the Angels down. The 6-2 Yankee victory was complete in a nifty two hours and 20 minutes, with the last five visitors going down on strikes.

CC Sabathia is something of a gentle giant. He was the monstrous horse that largely carried the Yankees to their 27th Championship in 2009, but by pitching on short rest and stopping the game’s best, not through large, loud demonstrations of power. He’s a husband, a father, a man who generously gives of not only his money, but his time, to a number of charities. And the 2015 season is not the only one through which he has struggled. He continued to pitch well from 2010 through 2012, but barely posted a .500 record with an inflated era in ’13. Then he went 3-4 last year before losing the season to knee surgery. Through the struggles, he takes the questions, does not lash out at those asking, and honestly tells people what he feels: that he has plenty left.

Which made the manner of his exit from the game Sunday a little startling. His string of 10 straight retired was broken on a one-out Pujols infield single in the sixth. David Freese reached on a full-count walk that appeared to infuriate CC, and he was not shy on sharing his opinion on home plate ump Dan Bellino’s work as he strode toward the dugout after escaping the frame on a double-play ball to Kole Calhoun. Using a few magic words, Carlston Charles got himself tossed, along with his manager who charged to his defense.

Along with being the anniversary of the always beloved Yankee Thurman Munson’s birth, June 7 also marks the 1848 birth of post impressionist artist Paul Gaugin. Sabathia earned his first home win Sunday on six solid innings or work. He allowed two runs and five hits, with just two infield rollers after the first. His 57/30 strikes/balls ratio, attained with 16 swings and misses from Anaheim batters, led to seven strike outs, and the one, lone walk that so infuriated him at the end.

He has been an ace, and a horse, before. And an injured hurler, and an underperforming one, of late. Today he exploded at the ump, and turned in a great start. Perhaps now, his fans and opponents see a new guy. Maybe they are having,

Post Impressions

BTW,TYW
YANKEE BASEBALL!!!