CC Sabathia faced off with Avisail Garcia in a tense at-bat that brought some old drama back to the surface. Garcia came to the plate with a runner on second, and CC tried to end the inning. After getting to a full count, Sabathia froze Garcia with a perfect backdoor slider for strike three. As Garcia walked away, he turned back, seemingly confused or annoyed. CC appeared to yell something, which led Garcia to ask if it was directed at him. That lit the fuse.
Garcia pressed the issue, but Sabathia shut it down with a blunt response: “If I was talking to you, I’d be talking to you.” The back-and-forth grew louder, and benches started to stir. Aaron Judge and Luke Voit sprinted in, with Judge reaching the front first. Didi Gregorius held CC back, which made for a funny visual given the size difference. Sabathia wasn’t looking to fight, just to make a point and defend his edge.
The moment fired up both the Yankees and the crowd. Sabathia has always been an emotional pitcher, and this exchange fit his personality. Garcia seemed unsure if it was personal, but CC made it clear he wasn’t backing down. No punches were thrown, but the tension was real. The Yankees fed off it, and so did the fans.