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Sabathia muzzles Nationals

Aug 9, 2008 - 4:39 AM MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- CC Sabathia continues to pay dividends for the Milwaukee Brewers.

The 28-year-old lefthander tossed his fourth shutout for his new team and Mike Cameron and J.J. Hardy homered as the Brewers defeated the Washington Nationals, 5-0, on Friday.

Sabathia (6-0) remained unbeaten with the Brewers, extending his career-best winning streak to nine games by allowing five singles and one walk with nine strikeouts. It was his fourth complete game in seven starts with Milwaukee.

"(Losing) is part of the game," Sabathia said. "It's gonna happen eventually, but I just keep going out, working hard and see what happens. I didn't expect to come in and do this. I just tried to come in and help out and do whatever I can to help the team win."

The 2007 American League Cy Young Award winner has not lost since June 5. In this one, Sabathia helped the Brewers snap a season-high five-game home losing streak and increased their lead over the St. Louis Cardinals for the NL wild card to two games.

"There's a reason why they got him," Washington manager Manny Acta said. "A lot of people sitting at home probably just sit at home and see him as a lefthanded J.R. Richard, who just blows people away. But this guy can pitch."

Sabathia needed 103 pitches, 77 of which were strikes.

"I've just been trying to pound the zone and get some swings early in the count," Sabathia said. "I was throwing everything pretty good today. I try to make sure I get the first guy of the inning. That's the big thing, if you can get an out quick and then work from there."

The Nationals had three runners in scoring position, and none advanced past second. Washington had multiple runners on base in just one frame.

"He used to be a guy who threw a lot of fastballs," said Washington's Ryan Zimmerman, who was 0-for-4. "Now, he mixes it up. Every pitch looks the same, and he's throwing every pitch for strikes."

Prince Fielder extended his hitting streak to 11 games with an RBI single off Washington starter Collin Balester (2-4) in the first inning and Cameron hit a solo home run in the second to make it 2-0. The Brewers then took advantage of the young righthander's wildness in the third.

"You don't want to waste this opportunity," Fielder said. "You get a pitcher like (Sabathia), you want to give him everything you've got so he can get the win, because he's doing his part. I get excited when he's pitching. You know (if) you score a couple runs, that's probably all you need."

Hardy and Ryan Braun singled and moved up a base when Balester's pickoff attempt at second base wound up in center field. Balester then uncorked his second wild pitch of the night, allowing Hardy to score, and Corey Hart plated Braun with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.

"We got (Sabathia) some runs early, and that always helps," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "That helps anybody, no matter how good they're going. We scored four in the first three innings and allowed him to take it from there."

Hardy tacked on the final run with a homer off reliever Jesus Colome in the seventh.

Lastings Milledge had two hits for the Nationals, who had won six of their previous seven.