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Sabathia wins again as Brewers rout Astros

Aug 19, 2008 - 5:24 AM By JR Radcliffe PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- The Milwaukee Brewers fan base hopes the trade for CC Sabathia will not someday merit comparisons to one for Doyle Alexander in 1987. In the meantime, a comparison between the two hurlers is great news.

Sabathia held the Houston Astros in check over nine innings during a 9-3 victory Monday, improving his record to 8-0 since becoming a Brewer in early July. The left-hander allowed three runs -- two earned -- on 11 hits, with nine strikeouts and two walks. He also contributed at the plate, lining a two-out, two run single that sparked a major rally in the fourth.

Sabathia is only the third pitcher in the last 90 seasons to win his first eight or more decisions after switching teams mid-season. Virgil Trucks started 8-0 in 1953, and Alexander went 9-0 for the Detroit Tigers after being traded from the Atlanta Braves in 1987.

Alexander compiled a 1.53 ERA in Detroit's pennant-winning season and finished fourth in the American League Cy Young race, despite just two months in the AL. He also went elsewhere after the season, and the player he was traded for -- future Hall of Famer John Smoltz -- wound up making the exchange look one-sided in the other direction.

Whether traded prospect Matt LaPorta becomes the new John Smoltz is temporarily irrelevant to Brewers fans, seeking their first postseason since 1982. Milwaukee (72-54) now sits 2 1/2 games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Wild Card standings after the Monday win.

"I thought I had pretty good stuff," said Sabathia, who lasted 130 pitches. "They did a good job staying on balls away, two-strike hitting and stuff like that. I asked Ned (Yost, Brewers manager) if I could go back out there (in the ninth), and he let me."

Sabathia has now thrown five complete games in nine starts with his new team. He showed brief chinks in the armor when he allowed solo home runs in the fifth and sixth, but by then the Brewers had a comfortable cushion to work with.

"He always finds a way to kick it into another gear when runners get into scoring position," Yost said. "He's done that ever since he's been here. He's done a great job. I'm sitting here trying to remember the last time they manufactured runs off him."

Sabathia helped himself on the scoreboard.

With two outs in the fourth, Houston starter Randy Wolf (2-1) elected to walk Jason Kendall to load the bases for Sabathia, whose single gave the Brewers a 3-0 lead. Ray Durham followed with a run-scoring base hit, and J.J. Hardy's single brought home two more runs, upping Milwaukee's lead to 6-0.

Corey Hart, who finished a triple shy of the cycle, homered in the seventh to pad the lead. Sabathia later added a second single and successful sacrifice bunt in the eighth prior to an RBI double by Ray Durham. Durham finished with three hits and three RBIs.

"I've been prepared, not only physically but mentally," said Durham, another midseason acquisition who started while Rickie Weeks nurses a sore thumb. "I get my work in during batting practice, so I stay ready. During the games, I constantly stretch and I'm in the cage, hitting off the tee, hitting live. I keep myself mentally prepared."

Durham has been impressed with his new teammate Sabathia.

"For a guy that throws as hard as he does and throws as many pitches as he does, he's always around the strike zone," Durham said. "He doesn't waste pitches. Once he gets a guys 1-2, 0-2, he's going for the jugular. He's looking to strike them out."

Wigginton's booming shot to center in the sixth upped his hitting streak to 15 games. The Astros sent seven men to the plate in the ninth and scratched an unearned run across against Sabathia, but he still emerged with the victory.

"He showed he's a horse," Astros manager Cecil Cooper said. "I guess they're going to hitch their wagon to him and ride him on off in the sunset. He was a horse tonight. Not only on the mound, but swinging the bat. He got a big base hit there to kind of open things up. "

The Astros have now lost three of four since enjoying an eight-game winning streak.

"CC pitched a heck of a game," Wigginton said. "He was up, down, in, out, changing speeds ... everybody got to watch an ace today. You know when you're going against Sabathia you have to have your A-game on. He was just nails."