Orioles hitters stifled for second straight night.
No one is doubting the pure talent of C.C. Sabathia, who has been the center of controversy lately pertaining to his sometimes "wild" temper. He is a competitive and very gifted pitcher but loses focus when he makes mistakes that often puts the game in jeopardy.
He is the youngest pitcher ever to record 50 wins before his 25th birthday, but his last few outings have been ruined due to his lack of control over emotions that a professional is taught to tame.
Tonight he took the mound for his 10th start of the season perhaps hoping to silence some of his critics who dont believe he is an "Ace" pitcher...boy did he ever silence them.
Despite an early Baltimore score, Sabathia would find his groove, never letting up allowing only one run on just 3 hits while striking out 7. He devastated the Orioles lineup with a onslaught of 99mph fastballs and ridiculous offspeed pitches that left little room for adjustment.
Sammy Sosa was a prime and frequent example. 3 times Sosa would strike out and 3 times he looked absolutely foolish, swinging so hard at one point that after the ball was already by him his back faced Sabathia.
The 6th inning would be the turning point of the game. Hafner led off with a single and Broussard walked. Belliard hit a chopper off home plate that he beat out. That would load the bases for Aaron Boone. Boone and Jody Gerut would score two runs on consecutive sacrifice flyballs as Josh Bard would double in Belliard. The Tribes offense wasnt as potent as it had been a day earlier but 3 runs would be more than enough.
Howry would relieve C.C. in the 7th as he would pitch 1 3rd of a scoreless inning. Bob Wickman allowed the first two batters in the 9th to get on base but somehow would work out of it for his 25th save of the year. The most in the Majors.
Kevin Millwood ( 3-5 3.08 ) gets the ball tomorrow as he'll face off against 2nd year pitcher Daniel Cabrera ( 5-7 5.48 ). Cabrera has never faced the Indians.
So Close: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays held a late inning lead against Minnesota only to allow a late twins rally that they couldnt counter. Had the twins lost Cleveland would have been in Sole posession of the top wild card spot.
Bob Howry is now 5-2 matching his career best that he set in 1999.
He is the youngest pitcher ever to record 50 wins before his 25th birthday, but his last few outings have been ruined due to his lack of control over emotions that a professional is taught to tame.
Tonight he took the mound for his 10th start of the season perhaps hoping to silence some of his critics who dont believe he is an "Ace" pitcher...boy did he ever silence them.
Despite an early Baltimore score, Sabathia would find his groove, never letting up allowing only one run on just 3 hits while striking out 7. He devastated the Orioles lineup with a onslaught of 99mph fastballs and ridiculous offspeed pitches that left little room for adjustment.
Sammy Sosa was a prime and frequent example. 3 times Sosa would strike out and 3 times he looked absolutely foolish, swinging so hard at one point that after the ball was already by him his back faced Sabathia.
The 6th inning would be the turning point of the game. Hafner led off with a single and Broussard walked. Belliard hit a chopper off home plate that he beat out. That would load the bases for Aaron Boone. Boone and Jody Gerut would score two runs on consecutive sacrifice flyballs as Josh Bard would double in Belliard. The Tribes offense wasnt as potent as it had been a day earlier but 3 runs would be more than enough.
Howry would relieve C.C. in the 7th as he would pitch 1 3rd of a scoreless inning. Bob Wickman allowed the first two batters in the 9th to get on base but somehow would work out of it for his 25th save of the year. The most in the Majors.
Kevin Millwood ( 3-5 3.08 ) gets the ball tomorrow as he'll face off against 2nd year pitcher Daniel Cabrera ( 5-7 5.48 ). Cabrera has never faced the Indians.
So Close: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays held a late inning lead against Minnesota only to allow a late twins rally that they couldnt counter. Had the twins lost Cleveland would have been in Sole posession of the top wild card spot.
Bob Howry is now 5-2 matching his career best that he set in 1999.
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