Game 4 of the American League Championship Series ended with a 8-3 win for the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium that brought them just one game away from qualifying for the World Series for the second time in three years.
It was a rough night for the Yankees, who saw their World Series hopes significantly dashed. What was possibly even more painful to see for baseball fans as a whole, however, was veteran lefty CC Sabathia limping off of the field in the eighth inning after suffering knee and shoulder injuries.
The 39-year-old stated earlier in the season that this would be his last year before retirement, meaning that his relief appearance in Game 4 was almost certainly the final time he will take the mound as a professional baseball player.
The possible future Hall of Famer exited after delivering a pitch to George Springer with the bases loaded in the top of the eighth inning with tears in his eyes. The crowd gave him a standing ovation, and players from both the Yankees and Astros stood to applaud a player who will go down as one of the best left-handed pitchers in the history of the sport.
Sabathia will finish his career with a 251-161 record, a 3.74 ERA, and 3,093 strikeouts in 19 seasons as a pro.
