Diamondbacks beat Yankees 3-1 as Sabathia hits 3K strikeouts

PHOENIX (AP) — CC Sabathia became the 17th player in major league history and third left-hander to reach 3,000 career strikeouts, but was outpitched by Arizona ace Zack Greinke in the Diamondbacks’ 3-1 win over the New York Yankees Tuesday night.

Sabathia (1-1) arrived in the desert needing three strikeouts to hit 3,000 and got them all in the third inning.

The milestone whiff came when he got John Ryan Murphy swinging, sending the Yankees pouring out of the dugout. The crowd roared and continued cheering until the big left-hander tipped his cap before hugging his kids in the front row.

Sabathia became the first pitcher to reach 3,000 strikeouts since Atlanta’s John Smoltz in 2008, and joined Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton as the only lefties to do it.

Wilmer Flores hit a solo homer and a run-scoring single off Sabathia. He allowed two runs and five hits, and struck out five before being lifted with two on and one out in the sixth inning.

Greinke (5-1) won his fifth straight game and stretched his scoreless innings streak to 18 before Gleyher Torres’ run-scoring double in the fourth inning.

Greinke allowed one run on five hits in 7 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and has 2,481 in his career to move past Jack Morris (2,478) for 38th all-time.

Greg Holland worked a perfect ninth for his sixth save in six chances.

GODLEY TO BULLPEN

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo shook up his starting rotation by sending struggling right-hander Zack Godley to the bullpen.

A replacement in the rotation was not named.

Godley is 1-2 with a 7.58 ERA with 18 walks in 29 2/3 innings. He lasted just 2 2/3 innings and gave up five runs his last start against the Chicago Cubs.

Arizona also reinstated LHP T.J. McFarland (shoulder) from the 10-day injured list. The reliever had been out since March 25 after a steady 2018 season.

TRAINER’S TABLE

Yankees: Infielders DJ LeMahieu (right knee) and Gio Urshela (left hand) were on the bench after being removed from Sunday’s game with injuries. Urshela grounded out as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning. … SS Troy Tulowitzki (left calf) hit a two-run homer for Single-A Tampa in a rehab game Tuesday night and 3B Miguel Andujar (right shoulder) was 0 for 4 with two errors.

UP NEXT

Yankees RHP Masahiro Tanaka has allowed one earned run in four of six starts heading into Wednesday’s game against Arizona. He faces RHP Merrill Kelly, who’s held right-handers to a .222 average in his first big-league season.