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Indians 2, White Sox 1

CLEVELAND (AP) -- C.C. Sabathia pitched eight overpowering innings and the Cleveland Indians got only one hit -- a leadoff double in the first -- in a 2-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

Wearing No. 42 to honor Jackie Robinson, Sabathia hit another significant number: 3-0.

On four previous occasions, the left-hander had opened a season 2-0 only to lose his next start. But, pitching with a strong wind gusting to nearly 30 mph at his back, Sabathia allowed five hits, struck out 10, walked three and improved to 14-3 -- 2-0 this season -- in 22 starts against Chicago.

The Indians' only hit was Grady Sizemore's double in the first off Jose Contreras (1-2). Cleveland took advantage of three errors and some walks to take two of three in the series.

Joe Borowski worked the ninth for his fifth save, striking out pinch-hitter A.J. Pierzynski with a runner on first to end it.

The last time the Indians won while getting just one hit was April 12, 1992, a 2-1 victory over Boston.

Sabathia was lucky to escape the eighth with the lead. The White Sox got runners to first and third with two outs, when Rob Mackowiak hit a shot through the middle that caromed off Sabathia and bounced directly to third baseman Casey Blake, who barehanded the ball and threw out Mackowiak.

Sabathia pumped his arm and screamed in delight before heading back to the dugout.

Contreras did a remarkable job of keeping the game close, considering the White Sox made three errors behind him and he walked five in the first four innings.

The right-hander allowed only Sizemore's hit and was able to get big outs when he needed them. However, Contreras ran into trouble again in the fourth with a leadoff walk and an error by third baseman Joe Crede.

Contreras walked No. 9 hitter Kelly Shoppach to load the bases and then put on Sizemore, giving the Indians a 2-0 lead.

Sabathia took a one-hitter into the sixth before giving up a one-out infield single to Pablo Ozuna. He struck out Darin Erstad but walked Paul Konerko before Dye dropped an RBI single into right.

Sabathia, though, recovered by striking out Crede, who flipped his bat on the plate and was ejected by umpire Jerry Meals.

Sabathia's win concluded a strange, two-city homestand for the Indians, who have spent most of the season's first two weeks dressing in layers to stay warm.

Cleveland's home opener at Jacobs Field was stopped by swirling snow and the club had its entire four-game series against Seattle postponed by a weekend blizzard and cold weather.

Fearful of the Indians missing more games, Major League Baseball switched Cleveland's three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels to Milwaukee's Miller Park and its retractable roof. The Indians finally played their true home opener on Friday, losing to the White Sox 6-4.

But they bounced back with a 4-0 win on Saturday and have won four of six against Chicago to start the year.

Sizemore, also wearing Robinson's No. 42, led off the first with a double into the right-field corner, moved up on a passed ball and hustled home on Trot Nixon's grounder to give the Indians a 1-0 lead.

Game notes

Following a day off, the Indians will play a three-game series in New York, which was bracing for a nor'easter. "That figures," Hafner said. "The bad weather is following us everywhere we go." ... Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said MLB has not yet rescheduled the missed games against the Mariners, whose only planned visit to Cleveland has come and gone. Shapiro is strongly opposed to making up the games in Seattle. "We don't plan on playing home games somewhere else," he said. ... White Sox DH Jim Thome, 0-for-11 with seven strikeouts in his career against Sabathia, delivered a pinch-hit single with two outs in the ninth.