"CC Sabathia was behind in the count to Adrian Gonzalez 3-1. The Red Sox third-place hitter represented the tying run at that moment, but this was a symbolic showdown in so many more ways for the Yankees ace.

Here were the Red Sox again authoring one wearying at-bat after another against Sabathia, testing his patience, endurance and repertoire. They were the team he could not beat so far in 2011 and he was teetering now.

Sabathia essentially had been in a prevent defense all game, a lot of bending. No breaking.

Sabathia had struck out Gonzalez three times in three at-bats to this point, finishing each with a devilish slider. But Gonzalez did not bite on two sliders that Sabathia described as "pretty good." That is how the count moved to 3-1 and how Sabathia moved off of that pitch, feeling an elite hitter had seen too much of the slider already.

Cory Wade was warming. But the Yankees bullpen was, in the words of manager Joe Girardi, "pretty short." David Robertson was unavailable. Hector Noesi was at Triple-A, so there was no long man. Every out the starter could generate mattered. So Girardi sent Sabathia out with 109 pitches in the sixth, informed him this was his last inning and to "empty the tank." But Gonzalez was going to be Sabathia's final batter -- completed inning or not.

Sabathia would deny that this game held more meaning, suggesting that was a media concoction. But pitching coach Larry Rothschild conceded Sabathia "has pride." Which is a way of saying that everyone knew what the big scoreboard said in 2011: Red Sox 4, Sabathia 0."