MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — CC Sabathia had to work hard for this milestone, just like most of his victories in this challenging season for the New York Yankees.
To the Minnesota Twins, well, he was the same overpowering, nearly unbeatable pitcher.
Sabathia won his 200th career game to stretch his winning streak over Minnesota to nearly six years, and Robinson Cano hit a tying two-run double to spark the Yankees to a 3-2 victory over the Twins on Wednesday night.
The significance of Sabathia's accomplishment at age 32 was lost, at least publicly, on the burly left-hander.
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"It's hard not to be aware of it, but I don't know if it means anything right now," Sabathia said. "I'll be ready in five days to go again and just try to get No. 201."
Cano fueled the three-run sixth against Twins starter P.J. Walters (2-5), who was pitching for his job. Trevor Plouffe homered against Sabathia (9-6), but he finished seven innings with seven hits and three walks while striking out nine. The Yankees are missing almost all of their stars, and Sabathia's fastball isn't in the upper 90s anymore. The big man can still throw, though.
"I think it's still a work in progress. I think you're always trying to get better and trying to reinvent yourself," Sabathia said. "I've still got some work to do, but hopefully I can just keep getting better."
Sabathia is 11-0 with a 2.01 ERA in his last 12 starts against the Twins. He threw a season-high 121 pitches.
"He did really grind this one out," manager Joe Girardi said. "It's just his will. He never gets down on himself. He always believes that he can make the pitch, and eventually he does it."
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The Twins were on their way to beating Sabathia for the first time since July 29, 2007, the year he won the AL Cy Young award. Brian Dozier drew a leadoff walk in the third and scored on Joe Mauer's double, his first extra-base hit in nine games.
Shortstop Luis Cruz, signed before the game as a replacement for Jayson Nix — the latest Yankee to hit the disabled list — was charged with an error for throwing over first baseman Lyle Overbay's head to give the Twins runners at the corners with no outs.
But Sabathia bore down after that, striking out Justin Morneau, retiring Plouffe on a fly out and striking out Oswaldo Arcia to finish the inning.
With two outs in the fifth, Plouffe's drive escaped the outstretched glove of center fielder Brett Gardner and bounced high off the top of the wall onto the black batter-eye backing behind it for a 2-0 lead. That was all the Twins could get, though.
"With a guy like CC you have to score those runs, especially against the Yankees," Plouffe said.
Mariano Rivera pitched a scoreless ninth to notch his 28th save in 29 tries in his farewell season.
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