Delgado Starts Subway Series with 9-RBI Bang; Sabathia Blanks Reds

Players of the Day from Friday, June 27 2008 American League After a rough start to the season, C. C. Sabathia has turned things around in a hurry. Over his last four starts (3 wins), he's allowed just 20 hits and 4 earned runs over 32 innings. On Friday, he was in complete control, blanking the Cincinnati Reds on 4 hits over 8 innings in a 6-0 Cleveland win. Sabathia (6-8) struck out 11, including Ken Griffey Jr. three times, while walking two. Generally pitching better than his record indicates, Sabathia carries an ERA of 3.78 and a 1.24 WHIP. Cleveland trails the White Sox by 7 1/2 games and the red-hot Twins, who have won 10 straight, by 7. Notes: The American League onslaught continued against their undermanned NL opponents, winning 11 of 15 interleague games on Friday night. That boosts the AL's record since June 13 to 123-70 over the NL. National League Carlos Delgado didn't get off to a very promising start, flying out with a man aboard to end the first and striking out in the 3rd inning as the Yankees forged a 4-3 lead. All of that changed in the 5th inning, as Delgado doubled home a pair of runs, then hit a grand slam in the 6th, followed up with a 3-run homer in the 8th, as the Mets buried the Yankees, 15-6, in the Shea Stadium game of a home and home subway series. Delgado drove in 9 runs, a Mets single-game record. Notes: In the Yankee Stadium nightcap, the Yankees turned the tables, blanking the Mets, 9-0, getting 6 innings out of starter Sidney Ponson. Streaking Bobby Abreu went 4-for-4, with a double and three singles, driving in 4 runs. Over his last 5 games, Abreu is 10-for-20, with two homers and 9 RBI.