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Sabathia, Brewers muzzle Cardinals

Jul 24, 2008 - 4:50 AM By James Walsh PA Sports Ticker Contributing Writer

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- The acquisition of CC Sabathia is paying huge dividends for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Sabathia tossed a three-hit shutout in pushing the Brewers to their seventh consecutive win, a 3-0 triumph over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday.

Ryan Braun collected four hits, including his 25th home run, and J. J. Hardy contributed a solo blast for the Brewers.

The Cardinals entered hitting .332 over their last nine contests but could not muster an extra-base hit against the 2007 American League Cy Young Award winner. Sabathia (4-0), who pitched 5 2/3 hitless innings, struck out seven and walked two in becoming the first Milwaukee pitcher to toss three consecutive complete games since Cal Eldred threw four straight in 1994.

"I didn't really have any expectations," said Sabathia, who recorded his eighth career shutout. "I knew we'd score runs, and if I kept us in some games, I could win some games. But you don't try to go out and throw complete games all the time. I just go out and try to keep us in the game and see what happens."

"That's as well as anybody has pitched against us all year," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said. "From the first pitch to the last."

Acquired from the Cleveland Indians on July 7 for four prospects, Sabathia lowered his ERA to 1.36 with the Brewers.

"I knew he was a competitor," said Milwaukee manager Ned Yost , who was ejected in the top of the fifth inning by plate umpire Ed Rapuano for arguing balls and strikes. "A fierce competitor, I knew he was as durable as he could be. I knew he filled up the strike zone with three different pitches, so it doesn't really surprise me, what he's capable of doing."

Sabathia walked Brendan Ryan to start his night, then retired 17 straight batters before Ryan and All-Star Ryan Ludwick delivered back-to-back, two-out singles in the sixth. The 6-7 lefthander recovered by retiring Albert Pujols on a flyout to center field.

"He had command of his pitches," Ryan said. "He had the fastball working, the great changeup, the slider, and then it seemed like with two strikes, he had that 95, 96 (miles-per-hour pitch) in his back pocket. He was filthy."

"I think they were hacking early," said Sabathia, who threw 71 of his 106 pitches for strikes. "They swung early a lot and I started mixing some off-speed pitches in and I was able to keep my pitch count down."

Rickie Weeks had three hits and a sacrifice fly for Milwaukee (58-43), which moved 15 games over .500 for the first time since 1992.

"We have kids that play with a lot of fire," Yost said. "They play with a lot of passion and intensity, and they have fun, too."

After his team had stranded six runners over the first four innings against Cardinals starter Braden Looper, Hardy lifted a 2-2 slider over the left field wall to give the Brewers a 1-0 lead in the fifth.

"We get one run with (Sabathia) on the mound, we feel like it's over," Braun said. "He's that good, he's been that dominant and that consistent. It's a lot of fun to watch."

It was the only run Looper (9-8) surrendered in five innings. He yielded seven hits but remained winless in his last five starts.

"I just wish I hadn't made that one mistake," Looper said. "I battled all night to get out of trouble and made a lot of good pitches. It's just unfortunate their guy pitched a good game."

Braun finished a double shy of the cycle, collecting two singles and a triple to go with his solo shot in the ninth.

The Cardinals lost for the eighth time in their last 10 meetings with the Brewers.