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Sabathia outduels Santana for second time in five days

Sep 3, 2007 - 10:59 PM By Brian Hall PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- If the Cleveland Indians hold on in the American League Central, C.C. Sabathia will have had a big say in the title-winning effort.

Sabathia pitched eight scoreless innings and beat reigning Cy Young winner Johan Santana for the second time in five days in the Indians' 5-0 victory against the Minnesota Twins on Monday.

The win puts Cleveland (79-58) six games up on idle Detroit (73-64) and a full 10 games clear of Minnesota (69-69). These two teams met last week in Cleveland and the Twins had a season-high five-game winning streak going in. But the Indians promptly swept Minnesota in three games with Sabathia getting the win in the finale.

"We just know that the division comes through here if we want to win the division," Sabathia said. "We know they are a good team, scrappy veteran team. We need to go out and try and play hard every time we play against them and it has been working out this year."

Sabathia (16-7) allowed just six hits and a walk with six strikeouts to run his record to 4-1 against the Twins this season with a 1.93 ERA. He has allowed two earned runs or fewer in his last nine starts overall.

"C.C. is a great pitcher, great competitor," Indians' manager Eric Wedge said. "He works so hard to keep himself in control out there in every area. He makes his emotions work for him. He makes big pitches, pitches big games. He is really the complete package for us."

Cleveland gave him all the run support he needed early as the Indians scored once in each of the first three innings, and four of the first five against Santana. They also got a hit in each of the first six innings against the lefthander, who allowed four runs and 10 hits in six frames in his last matchup with Sabathia.

"The guys did a good job today manufacturing, finishing off innings," Wedge said. "Getting some big hits, some big at-bats, some tough at-bats. That is what it takes to beat a guy like Santana."

Santana wasn't as sharp as usual, giving up three walks and his league-leading 30th home run of the season, a solo shot by Ryan Garko in the fifth. But, the lefthander was also undone by some sloppy play by shortstop Jason Bartlett.

After Kenny Lofton started the game with a walk, Santana got Asdrubal Cabrera on a comebacker. He threw to Bartlett, who dropped a potential double-play opportunity. Lofton ended up scoring on a sacrifice fly by Victor Martinez.

The next inning, Bartlett bobbled a throw from center fielder Torii Hunter and subsequently couldn't make a relay throw to home to try and get Casey Blake, who scored on the play.

In the third, Bartlett cut off a throw from right fielder Michael Cuddyer, which had the chance at getting Martinez going from first to third on a Garko single. Martinez later scored on a sacrifice fly by Franklin Gutierrez.

"The shortstop had a tough day out there, miss a double-play ball, miss a cut off, relay," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Things like that you can't do to that baseball team over there. They take advantage of every mistake you make."

Santana (14-11), losing to Cleveland for the second time in five days, went six innings, allowing four runs on six hits. He added three strikeouts.

"Frustration I never use that word," Santana said. "Now, are things working out? No. That is reality. You have to make some adjustments, then you aren't going to win. That's reality. I am very realistic and I know exactly what I have to do."

The Twins didn't get their ace lefthander the same run support as Cleveland. Minnesota's only runner to reach third base was Hunter in the first inning.

The lone bright spot was second baseman Alexi Casilla's first career four-hit game. However, Casilla was stranded each time, twice at second base.

A day after scoring a single eighth-inning run in a 8-1 loss to Kansas City, the Twins were shut out a league-high 13th time.

"Those guys over there they are playing good baseball," Santana said of the Indians. "They are comfortable. They have a lot of confidence and that is how you win games. If you look around, we don't have that. We go out there and then we are not giving everything that we have.

"We are supposed to be one of the best teams with fundamentals. We are not making those things. If you don't do that, you are not going to win. Everything is going to go to one pitcher or one player, I don't think so. It is a team effort, and as of right now, we aren't doing it."