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Sabathia tosses shutout to lead Indians

Jun 6, 2007 - 2:48 AM CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- Needing to stop a modest losing streak, the Cleveland Indians turned to their ace.

C.C. Sabathia pitched his first shutout of the season as the Indians defeated the Kansas City Royals, 1-0, on Tuesday, ending Cleveland's two-game skid.

In picking up his first shutout since July 7, 2006, against Baltimore, Sabathia (9-1) scattered five hits and didn't allow a runner past second after the second inning. He struck out eight and did not walk a batter.

"That's why he is the number one," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "That is why he is leading our staff."

It is also the first complete game this season for the Indians' lefthander, who threw 111 pitches.

Sabathia, who is tied with the Los Angeles of Anaheim Angels' John Lackey for most wins in the majors, is now 5-0 at home this season and 4-0 in his last five starts overall.

"I need to be that guy if this team is going to make the playoffs," Sabathia said. "I am trying to elevate. For us to make the playoffs, I am going to have to be that type of pitcher."

Sabathia also benefited from the strong arm of catcher Victor Martinez, who twice caught the Royals trying to steal.

Martinez ended the fourth inning by throwing out Mark Teahen trying to steal, and also extinguished a Kansas City threat in the seventh.

Mike Sweeney hit a one-out single and was replaced by pinch runner Angel Berroa. Sabathia struck out Teahen, the Royals' RBI leader, on a 3-2 pitch and Martinez completed the double play by nailing Berroa at second.

"That was the biggest play of the game," Sabathia said. "Vic made a great throw."

Sabathia allowed a two-out single in the ninth to David DeJesus but came back to retire Mark Grudzielanek and help Cleveland improve to 12-1 in his starts this season.

"We have lost only one game when I have started, that means more to me than the 9-1 record," Sabathia said.

Sabathia received all the run support he needed from Franklin Gutierrez's first home run of the season. Gutierrez lined a 1-1 pitch from Royals starter Jorge De La Rosa (4-6) over the left field wall in the third inning.

"They (The Indians) told me that I would be given me more chances against lefties," Gutierrez said. "I feel really good, because today I felt like I did my job."

It was the only mistake De La Rosa made in 7 1/3 innings. The Royals' lefthander equaled a career high with seven strikeouts and allowed only five hits in absorbing his third straight loss.

"Sabathia is one of the best pitchers in the game," De La Rosa said. "You like pitching against him. You know you can't give up many runs. This was probably one of my best games."

De La Rosa rebounded from an awful outing against the Indians 12 days ago in Kansas City, when he allowed nine earned runs and seven walks in 4 1/3 innings.

"(De La Rosa) was tough," Indians third baseman Casey Blake said. "He was running the fastball up there 95 to 96 and he was commanding the strike zone on both sides.

"I think over in Kansas City he got behind a lot of guys. He had seven walks over there, which isn't typical of his kind of game."

Blake extended his hitting streak to 14 games - one short of his career high - with a single in the eighth inning. Blake is batting .352 (19-for-54) during his streak.

Sweeney had two hits for the Royals, who have lost 10 of their last 12 games.