Indians have a pair of aces in Sabathia, Carmona
They're simply the best 1-2 punch in the league, a pair of aces who have the Indians playing the Red Sox in the American League Championship Series.
Think of them as kind of a modern day Koufax and Drysdale. One is lefthanded, the other righthanded. One has killer stuff, the other wins on his terms. Both have eye-popping numbers.
Comparing C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona to Koufax and Drysdale might be a bit of a stretch; after all, no one is making room for their plaques in Cooperstown just yet. In 15 or 20 years, though, that might change. More seasons like the one they just completed could have people talking that way.
"They're as good as any tandem in baseball," said Red Sox hitting coach Dave Magadan.
"I've never been on a team where the top two have been as good as these two have been," said Indians outfielder Kenny Lofton.
He should know; he's been with 12 different teams and nine different franchises.
Sabathia is the more well-known of the pair, having been in the Indians' rotation since 2001. He's always been a pitcher with terrific talent; he just had to harness it and mature. Welcome to 2007.
He throws a mid-90s fastball and has a wicked slider that moves down and away from lefthanded batters. Think of him as crooked-hatted Randy Johnson, only without the moustache and about 70 pounds heavier.
"It was just a matter of time (for him)," said Red Sox shortstop Julio Lugo.
This year was his time. Look at the league leaders at the end of the season, and you'll see Sabathia's name dotting most of the categories. He had 19 wins (tied for second most in the league), he had a 3.21 ERA (fifth in the league), he pitched 241 innings (first in the league), he struck out 209 (fifth in the league) and he had a winning percentage of .731 (fourth in the league).
There's more, but that would belabor the point.
"I think when you look back to the middle of '05 is when he really transitioned into the pitcher you see today," said Indians manager Eric Wedge. "Obviously, he's continued to improve in the last couple of years right on top of that. This is a guy that is a true No. 1."
His partner on the mound is almost the exact opposite, except for the same type of success. He's righthanded, three inches shorter and 60 pounds lighter than his teammate, and he throws a pitch that hitters keep pounding into the ground. Think of him as a Chien-Ming Wang on the shores of Lake Erie.
But if Sabathia is the ace No. 1 for the Indians, Carmona is ace No. 1A. His 19 wins matched Sabatahia's this year, and his 3.06 ERA was even lower (second in the league). His winning percentage was .704, the difference of going 19-8 instead of 19-7 as Sabathia did.
"It seems like he's on a mission," said Red Sox infielder Alex Cora.
Sabathia's success isn't much of a surprise to those who have seen him pitched. He broke into the big leagues by winning 17 games his first year, and never had fewer than 11 wins in any season. He was always a star in the making; a pitcher who just had to mature, harness his pitches and reduce his pitch count.
He did that this year.
Besides ranking in the top 10 in strikeouts, he also walked just 1.4 per nine innings, second in the league to teammate Paul Byrd's 1.3 walks. The wild young mustang at 21 has turned into the well-trained thoroughbred at 27.
What he'll try to do is try to take the Red Sox out of their game tonight. The Sox pride themselves on taking pitches, driving up the pitch count and seeing the starters exit by the sixth inning.
With Sabathia, though, taking pitches could put them in strike-one or strike-two holes, holes they might not be able to climb out of.
"We've got to do a good job of getting a good pitch to hit," Magadan said. "We've got to be sure we're not hitting his pitch on the first pitch. If it's a borderline pitch, we've got to be patient enough to make him work."
David Ortiz put it more succinctly.
"You've got to see a hittable pitch and try not to miss," he said.
That's Carmona's game plan. He's a pitch-to-contact pitcher, and his plan is to keep his infielders busy. He tied with Wang this year by getting 32 double plays, most in the league.
"Fausto is a guy that pitches to contact so we're surprised (about his success)," said Cora, "but not that surprised."
There was little in Carmona's past that hinted of this kind of season. He was always a prime prospect in the Indians' organization, but he broke in last year by going 1-10 with a 5.42 ERA, pitching mostly in relief. Red Sox fans might remember him for a two-game meltdown during a series at Fenway Park when the Indians tried him as a closer.
But he's found his niche as a starter.
"He was a shining star for them and got knocked around," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. "They redid him a little bit and got him back as a starter, and then all of a sudden he's throwing all these gems and everybody's saying, 'Where did he come from?'"
"He's been good for awhile, and he's been high in their plans for awhile. It just got derailed a little bit when he went to the closers role."
The two will take center stage at Fenway Park tonight and Saturday. Sabathia will start Game 1 for the Indians against fellow Cy Young candidate Josh Beckett of the Red Sox. Carmona will get the ball for Game 2 against postseason sensation Curt Schilling.
If the two pitchers are dealing; if they pitch like they did most of the season then the Sox could head to Cleveland in an 0-2 hole.
If the Sox find a way to solve them, unlike what the rest of the league did this year, then their chances will improve greatly.
"We've got two No. 1s on this team," said Indians infielder Chris Gomez. "That's no secret. You need guys like that to get this far. I'm glad they're on our side."
-- The Enterprise