Sabathia scuffles, but no cause for concern

CC Sabathia continues to mix good and bad starts in 2009. The Yankees ace threw 112 pitches, just half of them for strikes, without getting through the seventh inning against the A's. He walked four, gave up six hits and a three-run homer to Kurt Suzuki. Sabathia's six earned runs in 6 2/3 innings is messy at best, although he avoided a loss as the Yankees rallied to tie and won the game in 14 innings, 9-7.

Fantasy Impact: This is not the first time Sabathia has struggled. While his ERA ballooned to 4.81, Sabathia has just a 3.65 lifetime ERA. Last season's incredible run with the Brewers, in which he won 11 times in 17 outings while posting a 1.65 ERA, was the best stretch of his career. Those stunning numbers probably had some to do with Sabathia facing a league of hitters that had rarely or never faced him before.

Now he's back in the A.L. with DHs and opponents who know him well. We're going to expect that ERA to return to the mid-threes this year. Sabathia is just one good start away from accomplishing that.