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Sabathia's stellar effort undone by defense

Jul 29, 2007 - 8:53 PM CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- C.C. Sabathia's own team prevented him from being the major league's first 14-game winner.

The Minnesota Twins scored three runs in the eighth inning to beat Sabathia and the Cleveland Indians, 4-1, in the rubber game of the three-game series Sunday.

After losing the first six games of the season between the two teams, Minnesota won the last two to take the road series.

Sabathia was on pace to pick up his 14th win of the season when the Indians defense abandoned him in the eighth.

With a 1-0 lead heading into the penultimate frame, Sabathia looked like he was on his way to his second shutout of the season, but things unraveled quickly.

With one out, Sabathia hit Jason Tyner in the back with a pitch. After Nick Punto struck out, pinch-hitting catcher Mike Redmond hit an RBI double over the head of right fielder Trot Nixon to tie the score.

Nixon immediately moved in and froze before running back as the ball went over his head, barely making it to the warning track.

The Indians defense went from bad to worse when Joe Mauer hit a routine grounder to second baseman Josh Barfield, who failed to cleanly field the ball before unleashing a wild throw wide of first base. Barfield was charged with two errors on the play, allowing pinch runner Luis Rodriguez to score for a 2-1 lead.

Justin Morneau followed with an RBI double on Sabathia's 119th pitch, ending the hefty lefthander's afternoon.

Sabathia (13-6) allowed three runs - one earned - and six hits in 7 2/3 innings. He also equaled his career high with 11 strikeouts and did not issue a walk.

It was the second tough-luck loss for Sabathia during the week. On Tuesday, he was on the wrong end of a 1-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox.

Lew Ford added an insurance run with a solo home run in the ninth off of Rafael Betancourt.

Dennys Reyes (2-1) picked up the win, pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Reliever Pat Neshek worked a inning-ending double play in the eighth before closer Joe Nathan overcame two hits in the ninth to pick up his 22nd save in 24 opportunities.

Sabathia was cruising until getting into some trouble in the sixth. After not allowing the leadoff man to reach base in the first five innings, Sabathia gave up a leadoff double to Jason Bartlett to start the sixth. The shortstop stole third base, but that would be as far as he would go.

Sabathia promptly struck out Punto the pitch after the stolen base and fanned both Mauer and Morneau to escape the inning unscathed.

Rookie Matt Garza was nearly as dominant as Sabathia as he allowed only one run and five hits in six innings. The righthander did set a new career high with 11 strikeouts.

The Indians managed their only run in the second inning on an RBI double by Nixon. Garza allowed a leadoff single to Jhonny Peralta before Nixon hit a 2-2 pitch into the gap in right-center.

Despite the fine effort, Garza failed to figure in the decision because of a lack of run support. In his last three games pitched, the Twins offense has scored only five times, counting the three runs that they plated after he left the contest.

The loss dropped Cleveland to 2-5 on its season-high 10-game homestand.