Sabathia Tough-Luck Loser To Yankees

C.C. Sabathia wishes he had just one pitch back out of the 111 he threw to the New York Yankees on Sunday. Melky Cabrera hit it for a homer, giving New York's Chien-Ming Wang a 1-0 win at Progressive Field. The Yankees' right-hander outdueled Cleveland's ace lefty almost pitch for pitch to help New York break a three-game losing streak and stop the Indians' winning streak at five in a row.

Both teams played without their most dependable players, Grady Sizemore for the Indians and Jorge Posada for New York.

Sizemore's streak of playing 382 consecutive games was snapped as he rested a sore right ankle, which he injured Saturday by stepping on second base awkwardly. The all-star center-fielder said he is day-to-day and hopes not to miss too much time.

Posada, who lined a pinch-hit, game-tying, three-run triple on Saturday, is headed for the disabled list for the first time. He didn't play because of a sore right shoulder and is scheduled to visit orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews.

Neither offense paid much of a visit to the ballpark, thanks to the overpowering pitching of Wang and Sabathia.

Wang (5-0, 3.23 ERA) mixed a sharp slider with his usually reliable sinker to limit the Indians to four hits, three of them singles. He walked two, struck out nine, and threw 73 of 113 pitches for strikes over seven innings.

Sabathia (1-4, 7.88 ERA) pitched his best game of the season, also yielding only four hits, walking one and fanning eight. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner threw 78 of 111 pitches for strikes.

Robinson Cano opened the Yankees' fifth inning with a single, but was picked off first base by Sabathia. Cabrera then hit the next pitch over the left-field wall.

Wang was in trouble only in the third inning. Jason Michaels hit a leadoff double. With two outs, Michaels went to third on a passed ball by Jose Molina, who replaced Posada in the Yankees' starting lineup minutes before the first pitch. Wang then got Travis Hafner to ground out, ending the inning.

Joba Chamberlain pitched a perfect eighth in relief of Wang and Mariano Rivera fanned two in a perfect ninth to earn his seventh save of the season and 450th of his career.