C.C. Sabathia tied a career high with 11 strikeouts and Ryan Garko homered and drove in a career-high five runs to lead the Cleveland Indians to a 6-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.

Sabathia (12-11) improved to 4-0 this season and 12-3 in his career against the White Sox. The left-hander allowed four hits over eight innings without a walk to win for the second time in five September starts. He retired the last 10 batters he faced.

Sabathia reached double digits in strikeouts for the third time this season and eighth time in his career.

Chicago starter Javier Vazquez (11-11) struck out 12, surpassing 10 in a game for the fourth time in five September starts. But the right-hander dropped to 0-5 in eight starts since beating the New York Yankees on Aug. 10. He allowed six runs, six hits and two walks over seven innings.

Chicago lost for the ninth time in 12 games, continuing the second-half skid by the 2005 World Series champions, who were eliminated from returning to the playoffs Monday by a 14-1 drubbing at Jacobs Field.

Casey Blake drove in five runs for Cleveland in that game and Garko matched him as Cleveland won its fourth straight.

Garko doubled home two runs in the third inning, then hit a three-run homer in the fifth to make it 6-0.

Franklin Gutierrez doubled high off the wall in left to start Cleveland's three-run third. Andy Marte walked and one out later, Jason Michaels beat the throw from third baseman Joe Crede, who had stopped his sharp grounder with a backhanded dive.

Gutierrez scored on a sacrifice fly by Victor Martinez to short right. Garko then doubled to the gap in left-centre.

In the fifth, Michaels walked and Martinez singled to right to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Both scored on Garko's seventh homer, an opposite-field shot into the Chicago bullpen in right.

Notes: Sabathia had a 2.23 ERA in six starts against the White Sox this year and has a 3.64 mark in 20 career starts against them. ... Vazquez has struck out 10 or more 29 times in his career, five this year. ... White Sox C Sandy Alomar Jr., hit seven foul balls before finally singling on the 12th pitch of his at-bat in the fifth. He is 2-for-15 (.133) in his career against Sabathia.

© The Canadian Press, 2007