A look back at sports
 |
Sports pictures of the year
From a nail-biting pass at Superbowl XLIII to a bloody WBO World Welterwight fight, here's a look at the best sports photos of 2009. Slideshow
Sabathia's ninth win lifts Indians over Royals
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Cleveland Indians eked out a 1-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, improving their home record to 20-6 on the back of C.C. Sabathia's ninth win of the season.
Sabathia (9-1) joined the LA Angels' John Lackey as the only nine-game winners in the Major Leagues after he gave up five hits and struck out eight in his fifth career shutout that took his 2007 home record to 6-0 in eight starts.
"I need to be the guy if this team is going to make the playoffs," Sabathia told reporters.
"I'm definitely trying to raise up my game."
Franklin Gutierrez's first home run of the season was the only scoring of the game.
He connected off unlucky losing pitcher Jorge De La Rosa (4-6) in the third inning as the first-place Indians (35-21) increased their AL Central Division lead to three-and-a-half games over the Detroit Tigers, who lost 7-4 in Texas.
"You can't say enough about that performance in that type of ballgame," Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said of Sabathia.
"That's why he's a number one (pitcher). That's why he's leading our staff."
The last-place Royals (21-38) have lost 10 of their last 12 games.
*The New York Yankees evened their series in Chicago at 1-1 as Alex Rodriguez hit his Major League-leading 21st homer and drove in three runs in a 7-3 victory over the White Sox, who have lost six of their last seven. The Yanks had 17 hits.
*Oakland beat Boston for the second straight night as former Red Sox left Lenny DiNardo pitched six shutout innings in a 2-0 victory over Japanese import Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Eric Chavez, who won Monday's game with an 11th-inning homer, hit another one as Matsuzaka fell to 7-4 in his rookie season. The A's turned five double plays.
*The Blue Jays rallied for six runs in the bottom of the ninth to pull out a wild 12-11 decision over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in Toronto.
Aaron Hill's second walk of the inning, with the bases loaded, brought in the winning run. Adam Lind drove in five runs as the Blue Jays won their third straight.
