Oakland A's Cleveland Indians: C.C. Sabathia Roughed Up in Loss

A is for Ace?  Not in Cleveland’s case. 

C.C. Sabathia made his second start of the season, and left in the sixth sporting a 7.59 ERA for the year after being roughed up yet again. 

Oakland sent Dana Eveland to the mound, a guy they acquired in the offseason in a trade that sent their ace, Dan Haren, to Arizona.  Eveland made his first start of the season a memorable one, giving up one run and six hits in seven strong innings. 

Oakland registered the win in a 6-1 victory over the Tribe.  The game was over after the first inning, but required both teams to play the other eight to insure the outcome.

The Indians got on the board in the first on an Asdrubal Cabrera double with one out.  One batter later, Travis Hafner doubled to left, scoring Cabrera.  That rounded out Cleveland’s scoring for the afternoon.

The A’s bit right back, roughing up Sabathia for three.  After a flyout by Mark Ellis to open the game, Daric Barton tripled to center.  Emil Brown singled to right, scoring Barton, and Mike Sweeney was hit by a pitch.  With runners at first and second, Jack Cust doubled to left, bringing both runners home. 

That was all the A’s needed for Eveland, but they tacked on one in the fifth, and two in the eighth anyhow, giving them an even half-dozen for the night.  The homer in the fifth by Ellis didn’t chase Sabathia, but two walks in three batters in the sixth did. 

Jensen Lewis came on in relief, recording two fly ball outs to end the inning.

Masa Kobayashi entered in the seventh, giving up a double to Barton, but Indians shortstop Jhonny Peralta nailed him at third on a fielder’s choice when Brown hit a grounder to short.  Sweeney flied out, Bobby Crosby singled, putting two on with two out.  Kobayashi buckled down, though, inducing Cust to ground out to end the inning. 

In the eighth, Rafael Betancourt took over, uncharacteristically giving up two runs while only recording one out on a sacrifice, and gave way to Craig Breslow.  He closed out the eighth with no further damage. 

There was no need for Oakland to bat in the ninth, since the Tribe went quietly and in order to end the game. 

The Indians mustered up six hits in the loss.  Ryan Garko and Cabrera each had two, Grady Sizemore one, and Hafner one.  The A’s got twelve.  First baseman Barton led the way, going three for five.

Sabathia threw 107 pitches, a mere 46 of those strikes, and never really established any rhythm, constantly pitching from behind.  16,000-plus showed up in Oakland to root on the A’s.

The loss guarantees the Indians their first series loss of the young season, and they’ve lost three in a row, putting them at 2-3 on the season.  These same two go at it Sunday at 1:05 pm (4:05 EST).