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Sabathia stellar again for Brewers

Jul 19, 2008 - 6:38 AM By Al Barba PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- CC Sabathia has given the Milwaukee Brewers everything they could have asked for and more.

Sabathia logged his second straight complete game as the Brewers opened the second half of the season with a 9-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Friday night.

The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, Sabathia (3-0) allowed just four hits, including a solo homer by Aaron Rowand, to remain perfect in three starts since being acquired by the Brewers from the Cleveland Indians on July 7. The 27-year-old lefthander struck out 10 without walking a batter.

"I'm doing what I need to do to help the team win," Sabathia said. "I was just trying to pound the strike zone, get outs early in the count and stay in the game as long as possible. I felt pretty good and was able to have some success tonight."

After allowing an infield single to leadoff batter Fred Lewis in the first inning, Sabathia, who was raised in nearby Vallejo, California and requested 90 tickets for friends and family for Friday's series opener, retired the next 17 batters in order. Lewis snapped the streak by reaching on an error in the eighth.

"(Sabathia) was really on tonight," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "He was just banging strike after strike. His changeup was very, very good. He spotted his fastball very good. He was Cy Young.

"I don't worry about CC getting too hyped after his first game with us. He didn't get too hyped then. That was a tester. If you're not going to get too hyped after that first game when we got him there in Milwaukee, then I know he's going to be OK."

Acquired to anchor Milwaukee's pitching staff, Sabathia has provided the Brewers with an additional bat as well.

After stroking a game-winning home run against the Cincinnati Reds on July 13, Sabathia doubled in his first at-bat against Giants starter Matt Cain (5-8) and scored the game's first run in the third inning.

"I'll take a hit. It's just tougher when you have to hit every time now, but I'll take a 1-for-3 or a 1-for-4," Sabathia said. "I'm liking taking (batting practice) everyday. It's been fun."

"They (Brewers) acquired a great pitcher and he showed why tonight," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He had all his pitches going, great stuff. He shut us down. The only thing you can do is battle. You battle your tail off up there. He is making great pitches and was throwing 95 with a good changeup and breaking ball to go with it. It is a matter of competing and battling."

Milwaukee doubled its lead in the fourth after Rickie Weeks' two-out single plated Russell Branyan, who opened the frame with a double.

The Brewers sealed the victory in the seventh, forging a 6-0 lead with four runs against Cain and the Giants bullpen. Prince Fielder dealt the decisive blow, launching a three-run blast - his 19th of the season - against San Francisco reliever Jack Taschner.

Mike Cameron capped the scoring with a three-run homer of his own in the ninth inning off rookie Sergio Romo.

"(Sabathia's) done really well. He's taken a lot of pressure off the bullpen the last couple of starts," Cameron said. "He's one of those big stoppers. He has dominating stuff and he just neutralizes any kind of lefties another team has."

Cain yielded four runs - three earned - and seven hits in six innings, walking five while striking out five. The Giants' righthander also recorded his 500th career strikeout when he fanned Branyan to end the fifth inning.