Sabathia fans 11, Brewers tie Mets for wild card

[September 25, 2008]  MILWAUKEE (AP) -- CC Sabathia sizzled on short rest, and the Milwaukee Brewers pulled even with the New York Mets in the NL wild-card race. Sabathia gave up four hits over seven innings while striking out a season-high 11 and the Brewers rallied past the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2 on Wednesday night.

The Brewers entered the day one game behind the Mets, who lost 9-6 in 10 innings to Chicago on Wednesday.

Milwaukee won its 11th straight over Pittsburgh in its desperate quest to make the postseason for the first time since 1982.

There's been no better midseason pickup than Sabathia, who came to Milwaukee on July 7 from Cleveland for four prospects. He had his eighth game this season with at least 10 strikeouts.

Sabathia's latest performance came at a crucial time for the Brewers, who started September with a 5 1/2-game lead in the wild card but squandered it with a 2-8 road trip that saw Dale Sveum replace Ned Yost as manager.

Sabathia (10-2) retired 13 of his final 14 batters after giving up a two-out RBI single to Jason Michaels in the third as the Brewers rallied again following a 7-5 win on Tuesday on Prince Fielder's two-out in the bottom of the ninth.

This one wasn't nearly as dramatic because Pirates starter Paul Maholm (9-9) walked three more batters in the fourth inning after Fielder extended his hitting streak to 14 games with an RBI single that tied it.

Trailing 1-0, Mike Cameron singled, Bill Hall walked and Ryan Braun popped out before Fielder's hit. Maholm then walked J.J. Hardy to load the bases and struck out Corey Hart, but he walked Rickie Weeks and Jason Kendall to give Milwaukee a 3-1 lead before getting out of the jam.

Milwaukee made it 4-1 in the sixth on Hart's sacrifice fly that scored Fielder, even though Milwaukee didn't have a hit after Fielder's, taking advantage of an error and nine walks.

Adam LaRoche homered with one out in the ninth against Salomon Torres, who picked up his 28th save by striking out Andy LaRoche to end it.

Milwaukee's run support appeared to energize Sabathia, who struck out the last two in the fifth and first two in the sixth, keeping his fastball in the mid-90s despite pitching on three days' rest for the second consecutive start.

He was nearly as dominant as when he held the Pirates to one hit in a complete game on Aug. 31, and he helped stop the Brewers' tailspin that began the next day and kept Sabathia from winning any of his previous four September starts.

He hopes to pitch one more time.

The free-agent-to-be has promised to start a third time on short rest Sunday, if needed, but the Brewers have a long way to go with a game remaining against the Pirates before a three-game series with the Cubs.

Milwaukee's rotation remains iffy, with Yovani Gallardo starting Thursday for the first time since May 1 after tearing a ligament in his right knee and needing surgery.

On Friday, Jeff Suppan (0-3, 10.47 ERA in four starts) will face Chicago's Ryan Dempster (17-6, 2.99 ERA) followed by either Ben Sheets (sore elbow) or Dave Bush on short rest before Sabathia's turn would come up again.

[Associated Press; By COLIN FLY]

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