Sabathia ends season with stellar outing

NEW YORK — The Yankees granted CC Sabathia’s request to head back to the mound for one more out as the eighth inning began on Thursday, and once he returned to the dugout with his season’s workload complete, pitching coach Larry Rothschild was waiting with a morsel of good news.

Sabathia’s 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball in the Yankees’ 5-1 win over the Red Sox reduced his ERA to 3.91, his lowest in a single season since 2012. It was a bittersweet stat to absorb on a night that the Yankees were eliminated from postseason play, but it may fuel the big lefty’s preparation for next year.

“Larry told me that as I was walking off,” Sabathia said. “That’s just another plus, to be able to go out and put up that kind of season. For me, it was just about staying healthy.”

As Sabathia continues to transition away from power in the latter stages of his career, he departed Yankee Stadium encouraged about what the future can hold. His $25 million option is set to vest for 2017, and the 36-year-old left-hander believes that he will provide valuable innings in exchange.

Sabathia was pleased to make all but two starts this year as he worked 179 2/3 innings, during which he has continued to build confidence with a deeper repertoire that includes a difference-making …

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