SAN FRANCISCO(AP)
CC Sabathia pitched a four-hitter to win his third straight
start since joining Milwaukee and the Brewers beat the San
Francisco Giants 9-1 on Friday night.
It was Sabathia's 21st career complete game and second
straight. His lone blemish for much of the night was a leadoff
infield single in the first inning by Fred Lewis.
Prince Fielder hit a three-run homer in the seventh to help
Sabathia's cause, then Mike Cameron added a three-run shot in
the ninth.
Sabathia (3-0), pitching in his native Northern California for
the first time since the Brewers acquired him in a trade with
Cleveland, retired 17 straight batters until Lewis reached on an
error to start the seventh. Aaron Rowand homered leading off the
eighth for the second hit off Sabathia to end the shutout bid.
Sabathia struck out 10 and didn't walk a batter in the
110-pitch effort.
He doubled in the third, his third hit in 10 at-bats this
season. All are extra-base hits, including two home runs. He scored
his team's first run on J.J. Hardy's RBI groundout. Hardy
doubled in a run in the seventh.
Sabathia outpitched Matt Cain (5-8) to improve to 2-4 on the
road this season. Sabathia, the burly left-hander from nearby
Vallejo, won in the Giants' waterfront ballpark in June
2005.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy was ejected for arguing a call during
the fifth inning. He came out of the dugout to complain after home
plate umpire Jim Wolf ruled Ryan Braun safe at third after a triple
to left-center. San Francisco third baseman Jose Castillo took the
relay throw from shortstop Omar Vizquel and appeared to tag Braun,
but Wolf _ covering third when crew chief Ed Montague ran to the
outfield to watch the hit _ called Braun safe.
Bochy and Braun engaged in a brief discussion and the
Giants' manager turned and began walking back to the dugout
when he was tossed. Bochy then came back out to argue further. It
marked the fourth time this season and the 37th time in his
managerial career that Bochy has been ejected.
Cain saw his winless stretch reach three starts with his second
straight loss, and the Giants' major league-worst home record
fell to 17-29. They have just four victories in their last 16 home
games.
Cain, one of three Giants' starters with 100 or more
strikeouts at the All-Star break, recorded his 500th strikeout when
he fanned Russell Branyan to end the fifth. Cain also matched his
season high with five walks, one intentional.
Both San Francisco second baseman Ray Durham and first baseman
Rich Aurilia were late scratches after arriving to the ballpark
with the flu bug that's been going through the Giants
clubhouse. Ivan Ochoa replaced Durham and John Bowker played first
for Aurilia.
"We have some pretty bad crud going around right now,"
Bochy said.
Notes:@ Giants RHP Merkin Valdez (strained elbow) was examined
by Dr. James Andrews over the All-Star break and nothing was found
to be wrong structurally. Bochy hopes he can begin throwing again
sometime in the next week. ... Brewers manager Ned Yost plans a
platoon approach in his rotation. RHP Seth McClung will start in
road games and RHP David Bush at home. That means McClung will
pitch Monday in St. Louis. ... On Sept. 6, the Giants will dedicate
a 9-foot bronze statue in honor of Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda _
part of the club's celebration of its 50th anniversary in San
Francisco. ... The Giants drew 40,882 for their ninth sellout.
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