Richard Perry/The New York Times  C. C. Sabathia, after a month of puzzling outings, struck out 10 and held the Red Sox to one run over seven and a third innings.  The Mets had finally and mercifully departed the city, leaving the Yankees behind to contend with a more formidable and important foe. Intracity rivalry turned to intradivisional rivalry Friday as the Yankees felt the pressure to end a five-game losing streak.  The return of two key players from lengthy stays on the disabled list was supposed to be the balm that would soothe the sting of the Metsâ four-game sweep. Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis finally came back, but it was the seeming return of a player who never left that was the most helpful and reassuring aspect to the Yankeesâ evening.  After a month of baffling performances and questions about his ability to pitch with a slightly slower fastball, the old C. C. Sabathia â dominant, aggressive and precise â suddenly reappeared on the mound when the Yankees needed him most.  Pitching like the ace he is supposed to be, Sabathia held the Red Sox to one run over seven and a third commanding innings as the Yankees beat the Red Sox, 4-1, ending their losing streak â and his own â and moving within a game of first-place Boston in the American League East.  It was Sabathiaâs first win since April 27, and in his previous five starts he was 0-2 with a 4.85 earned run average.  As much as the Yankees have minimized the mysterious dip in Sabathiaâs velocity coming into Fridayâs game, the fact that he reached 94 miles per hour with his fastball with regularity for the first time this season was suddenly greeted with near jubilation from nearly all corners.  âHis velocity was getting up there a little bit and I think he could feel the moment,â Vernon Wells said. âThis is a big game for us with the way weâve been playing. Him being able to get back on the mound and do what he did was huge for us.â  Since the beginning of last season, Sabathia is 9-2 with a 2.63 E.R.A. after a Yankees loss.  He gave up six hits, walked none and struck out 10, tying his season high in that category. And to underscore Wellsâs point that Sabathia seemed to be motivated for what was really a vital game, it was the first time since he joined the Yankees that he struck out 10 without issuing a walk.  âWith us having a tough week and us being swept by the Mets, you want to go out and have a good game,â Sabathia said. âI was lucky enough to do that tonight.â  Luck had almost nothing to do with it. Sabathia was replaced after getting the first out of the eighth inning on his 109th pitch. All game he worked ahead of hitters, pitching with confidence and attacking them with the resurgence of his high-velocity heaters. For Manager Joe Girardi, the only explanation for the increased pace of his fastballs was the warm weather.  âI havenât seen any 94s until tonight,â Girardi said, âand there were a lot of 92s and 94s whereas weâve seen a lot of 89s to 91s.â  Teixeira went 0 for 3 and scored a run in his season debut after a three-month recovery from a torn tendon sheath in his wrist, and Youkilis returned from a bulging disk in his back to go 1 for 4 with a run batted in.  Mariano Rivera, who blew his first save opportunity of the season against the Mets on Tuesday, returned to the mound for the first time since then and earned his 19th save, despite giving up ground ball singles to Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz with one out. He struck out Mike Napoli, then got Stephen Drew to ground out to end the losing streak.  âIf he would have loaded the bases with nobody out,â Brett Gardner said, âI still would feel good about my chances.â  But even with Riveraâs comeback performance and the return of Youkilis and Teixeira, this game was about the return of Sabathia and the promise it could hold. He was disconsolate after allowing a season-high seven runs in his last outing against Tampa Bay that started the Yankeesâ losing streak, and vowed to be more aggressive.  Catcher Chris Stewart said that from the moment Sabathia started warming up in the bullpen, his stuff was hard and true, and it held into the game. Sabathia insists that he does not look up at the radar gun readings on the scoreboard during his games, and that he does not care anymore what they say.  âWhen I was younger, I did,â he said. âI thought that was the way I was getting guys out. But as I get older, I know itâs more about location than velocity.â  Ivan Nova and Vidal Nuno were optioned to Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to make room for Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis on the 25-man roster. Nova and Nuno are expected to join the starting rotation there. ... After failing to draw a walk in their last three games, the Yankees drew four on Friday, all of which led off innings. ... Joe Girardi was ejected for arguing a call in the sixth inning. He admitted that replays showed he was wrong. ... Kareem Abdul-Jabbar watched the game from the stands wearing a Brooklyn Dodgers hat.
The Yankees had lost five in a row, but the return of Mark Teixiera and Kevin Youkilis, as well as a vintage performance from C. C. Sabathia, led the team to a victory over the Red Sox.