Control deserts calm Sabathia

BOSTON -- C.C. Sabathia walked calmly toward the dugout, his night cut short by a flurry of poorly placed pitches and hard-hit balls.

That solitary stroll was a rare moment of control for the Indians' once-fiery ace.

Looking nothing like the dominating lefty and Cy Young Award contender who led Cleveland to the best record in baseball (tied with Boston at 96-66), Sabathia walked five while allowing 8 runs and 7 hits in 4½ innings Friday night.

The Indians never recovered, and the Red Sox rolled to a 10-3 win in the opener of the AL championship series. Fausto Carmona, another Cy Young Award hopeful, tries to even it Saturday night for the Indians against Curt Schilling.

Round 1, though, went to Josh Beckett over Sabathia.

The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the first on Travis Hafner's homer off Beckett, another one of the Cy Young favorites. Sabathia squandered it after facing just four batters -- and nearly taking a liner to his head.

Dustin Pedroia hit that ball and Sabathia got his glove up just in time to spear it for the first out. But then he gave up singles by Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, tying the game.

If Sabathia was coming unglued, his demeanor didn't show it.

But he allowed his most runs since he gave up eight on July 21, 2006.

In 2004, just 24 years old, he was demonstrative on the field. And in the clubhouse after a tough loss, he once punched a pillar near his locker, leaving a hole in it.

Those days seem to be gone now. He keeps his emotions in check.

That hasn't helped him find the plate lately.

In the opener of the AL division series, Sabathia walked six Yankees in 5 innings -- the number of walks he issued in all of September. The Indians still won 12-3.

Cleveland manager Eric Wedge could have brought Sabathia back on three days' rest for Game 4 but stuck with his regular rotation. Paul Byrd pitched well and the Indians won 6-4 to advance to the ALCS.

Maybe Sabathia had too much rest by Friday. Maybe the skills that produced a 19-7 record and 3.21 ERA had become stale.

His latest wild streak came one day short of the sixth anniversary of his playoff debut. He gave up 2 runs, 6 hits and 5 walks in Cleveland's win over Seattle in Game 3 of the 2001 division series. But the Indians lost that series 3-2.

On Friday, Sabathia loaded the bases in two innings. He also retired the side in order -- once on three strikeouts -- in two others.

His worst inning was the third, when the Red Sox batted around and scored four times for a 5-1 lead. Ramirez walked with the bases loaded, Mike Lowell doubled in 2 runs, and Jason Varitek drove in another with a groundout.

There were signs of hope when Sabathia breezed through the fourth. They ended -- and so did his night -- when he put the first four batters on base in the fifth.

Ortiz walked, Ramirez singled and Lowell walked, loading the bases. Then Bobby Kielty singled in 2 runs and brought Wedge out of the Cleveland dugout.

Moments later, Sabathia -- with no outbursts but 5 walks -- was headed there himself.