Fiery Sabathia shouts at Rays in tense Yanks win

NEW YORK -- Barely a week after an at times contentious series against division rival Tampa Bay, Yankees starter CC Sabathia appeared to have a few choice words Friday for the Rays as he pitched against them in the opener of a pivotal mid-May matchup.

Twice after he walked off the mound during this latest outing, Sabathia was caught by cameras shouting.

The first time, he appeared to be yelling toward his own dugout. As he sauntered across the first-base line in the middle of the fifth, moments after throwing a pitch to Rays designated hitter Austin Meadows that missed far inside, Sabathia appeared to say, "I was definitely trying to hit his ass."

An inning later, after striking out Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe swinging, Sabathia appeared to turn in the direction of Tampa Bay's dugout and shout some more words.

After the Yankees won 4-3 onGio Urshela's walk-off single in the ninth, Sabathia said he remembered saying something in the Rays' direction in the sixth but didn't recall the exact words.

"Just excited about the game," Sabathia said. "We're playing for first place."

With the win, the Yankees overtook the Rays for first place in the American League East. It's the first time since April 1 that anyone other than the Rays has led the division.

Sabathia's apparent chippy on-field demeanor came after a few tense moments in his previous start, which came against the Rays last Saturday at Tropicana Field.

In the top of the sixth of that game, Yankees first baseman Luke Voit was hit by a pitch that was up and in. Plunked for the fifth time this season and second time in barely a week, Voit was enraged. He was upset in part because he was hit one batter after DJ LeMahieu had homered off Rays reliever Yonny Chirinos.

"It's frustrating," Voit said after last Saturday's game. "He can hit me anywhere else. This one is up and in. It's a situation that can be career-ending. He's a sinkerballer, and that was pretty straight."

Sabathia was among those who did not hide his displeasure when Voit was asked to take his base.

Sabathia, who departed the game the half inning prior, came out of the Yankees' dugout and shouted across the field to the Rays. It was a scene reminiscent of his previous start at Tropicana Field in September.

During his final start last regular season, Sabathia hit then-Rays catcher Jesus Sucre after his own catcher, Austin Romine, had been thrown behind the previous half inning. Sabathia was ejected for throwing the errant pitch and suspended the first five games this season because of it. When he walked off the mound that time, he also shouted an obscenity in the direction of Tampa Bay's dugout.

"It's just the same thing, you hit a home run and then they throw up and in," Sabathia said just after his start last weekend. "It's stupid."

On Friday, he said whatever emotion he demonstrated during this latest start was not a carryover from the previous game.

Asked whether he thought Sabathia had more of an edge than normal in Friday's six-inning, six-hit, one-run, four-strikeout outing, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said no.

"CC's always got a little bit of an edge," Boone said. "He gets between the lines. He's an awesome competitor. You're going up against a good club, and he went out and set the tone really well to start off this series."