CC finds vintage form in win over Mariners

SEATTLE — The nights are getting shorter, October is getting closer, and the big man was dealing again.

The Yankees might be a long shot to reach the postseason, but CC Sabathia, the man they acquired long ago to be their playoff horse, was back to vintage form in a 5-1 win over the Mariners on Tuesday night at Safeco Field.

And it can’t come soon enough.

“He did whatever he wanted tonight,” Yankees catcher Brian McCann said. “He started throwing the cutter away to lefties tonight, and he missed a lot of barrels. He kept them in between speeds and changed eye levels and made his pitches.

“We need it.”

Sabathia had his best outing in nine weeks, bedeviling Seattle hitters all night en route to a seven-inning, three-hit, one-run masterpiece that brought back memories of the CC of old who helped New York to the 2009 World Series championship.

“He threw the ball really well,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “Textbook, Pitching 101. Back and forth, changing speeds, on the edges, pitching inside. He was very effective against us tonight.”

Every time the Mariners got a sniff of a rally, Sabathia was there to quickly extinguish any spark. He retired the first seven batters of the game …

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