CLEVELAND (AP) -C.C. Sabathia was as dominant as he was last season when he won the AL Cy Young Award.
Now if he could only do it on a consistent basis for the Cleveland Indians.
Sabathia pitched a five-hitter for his seventh career shutout – and second this season – as the Indians defeated Minnesota 1-0 Tuesday night, extending the Twins’ season-high losing streak to six games.
“C.C. was the story,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “He shut us down, used all his pitches. I know what his record is this year, but he’s tough. The home plate umpire (Joe West) said that’s the best he’s seen him the last two or three years.”
Sabathia (4-8), a 19-game winner last year when the Indians went to the AL championship series, pitched his other shutout this season on May 14 but he was 0-3 in four starts before Tuesday.
In other AL games, it was: Baltimore 10, Boston 6; Detroit 6, Chicago White Sox 4; Toronto 3, Seattle 1; Texas 6, Kansas City 5; the New York Yankees 3, Oakland 1 and the Los Angeles Angels 6, Tampa Bay 1.
Sabathia didn’t allow a baserunner after the fourth, striking out five without a walk. Cleveland’s ace retired the last 17 in a row.
“He was outstanding in every way,” Indians manager Eric Wedge said. “He was as strong late, if not stronger, than he was early. He’s one of the greatest pitchers in the game.”
Sabathia has received an average of only 2.1 runs a game over his last nine starts, so when Ryan Garko doubled home a first-inning run off Scott Baker (2-1), the left-hander figured he had better make it stand up.
“My job is to keep it close and give us a chance to win,” Sabathia said after pitching Cleveland’s first 1-0 decision over the Twins since Sam McDowell in 1969. “If that means giving up five and we score six, fine. Tonight, though, I felt it was the best I’ve been all year.”
Baker gave up one run and eight hits over seven innings. Ben Francisco doubled with one out and scored on Garko’s two-out single to center in the first.
“I didn’t feel my stuff was overpowering,” said Baker, who walked one and struck out one. “I feel it was a pretty good start, but Sabathia was dominating.”
Blue Jays 3, Mariners 1
Dustin McGowan pitched his third career complete game, and Vernon Wells and Brad Wilkerson each homered to lead host Toronto.
McGowan (5-4) retired the final 10 batters as the Blue Jays needed just 2 hours, 2 minutes to hand the Mariners their seventh loss in nine games.
Mariners right-hander Carlos Silva (3-7) failed to win for the first time since April 17 at Oakland.
Orioles 10, Red Sox 6
Aubrey Huff matched his career high with four hits, including a tying two-run single, and Baltimore came from behind twice to hand Boston its second home loss in 17 games.
The Orioles rebounded from deficits of 1-0 and 6-4 and overcame homers by Manny Ramirez and J.D. Drew. Huff’s two-run single tied the game at 6-all in the seventh and chased Hideki Okajima (1-2). Kevin Millar then hit a sacrifice fly off Manny Delcarmen.
After Daniel Cabrera allowed six runs in five innings, Dennis Sarfate (4-1), Jamie Walker, Chad Bradford and George Sherrill held the Red Sox scoreless.
Tigers 6, White Sox 4
Miguel Cabrera’s go-ahead two-run single in the fifth inning helped host Detroit snap Chicago’s seven-game winning streak.
Nate Robertson (4-6) allowed three runs and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings for the win. Todd Jones pitched a scoreless ninth for his 11th save.
Trailing 2-1, the Tigers scored three times in the fifth off Jose Contreras (6-4) to take a lead they wouldn’t give up.
Rangers 6, Royals 5
Ian Kinsler scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball in the ninth inning and visiting Texas used five unearned runs to rally from four down.
Kinsler led off the ninth with a double against Yasuhiko Yabuta (1-1). He advanced on a groundout and scored from third when Ramon Ramirez’s pitch got away from catcher John Buck.
Eddie Guardado (1-1) picked up the victory, while C.J. Wilson worked the ninth for his 12th save.
Yankees 3, Athletics 1
Chien-Ming Wang ended the worst stretch of his career with his first win in seven starts and Melky Cabrera hit a homer in the ninth inning of New York’s victory at Oakland.
The Yankees staked Wang to a 2-0 lead in the first on RBI singles by Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi.
Wang (7-2) hadn’t won since beating Seattle on May 2 to start the season 6-0 and had been tagged for 23 earned runs in his last four outings. He allowed one earned run and seven hits in 7 1-3 innings.
Oakland’s Dana Eveland (4-5) struggled to find any consistency in his first career outing against the Yankees, surrendering a season-high six walks in six innings.
Angels 6, Rays 1
Jered Weaver gave up four hits in eight innings and Los Angeles beat visiting Tampa Bay.
Garret Anderson and Vladimir Guerrero each hit two-run home runs as the Angels picked up their first win against the Rays this season.
The Angels quickly generated four runs against Tampa Bay starter James Shields (4-5) in the first inning Tuesday and that was more than enough for Weaver to work with.
Weaver (6-6) held the Rays to three hits over the first seven innings before giving up a solo homer to Gabe Gross in the eighth.
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