Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - C.C. Sabathia hurled eight scoreless innings and fanned 11 Reds en route to carrying the Cleveland Indians to a 6-0 victory over Cincinnati in the opener of their Ohio Cup series at Progressive Field.

After an hour rain delay, the Indians' ace was masterful in allowing just four hits and two walks. The Indians' 37-43 record has sparked rampant rumors about Sabathia (6-8) being traded before he becomes a free agent in the offseason, but those didn't stop the lefty from winning his third straight decision.

Grady Sizemore homered and drove in three runs, while Jamey Carroll went 3- for-4 with an RBI in Cleveland's second straight win.

In his second career start, Daryl Thompson (0-1) was touched for four runs on eight hits in five-plus innings of work for the Reds, who have dropped four of five. Cincy's offense failed to record an extra-base hit in defeat.

Thompson matched Sabathia pitch for pitch until the fifth, when the rookie served up a one-out, 1-0 fastball down the middle of the plate to Sizemore, who sent a laser to the right field seats for his 18th home run of the season.

Cleveland's five-spot in the sixth did in Thompson and the Reds. With runners in scoring position, Casey Blake bounced a single up the middle to bring in a run and end Thompson's night.

After Bill Bray recorded a strikeout and a walk to load the bases, Gary Majewski gave up a sacrifice fly to Kelly Shoppach to bring in another run.

Sizemore followed with a two-run double down the right-field line, and Carroll knocked him in with a single past a diving Jerry Hairston Jr. to give the Indians a comfortable six-run cushion.

Sabathia, meanwhile, could do no wrong. He retired 15 straight hitters before Jeff Keppinger recorded a single off the glove of a diving Ben Francisco in left field in the seventh.

"As the game went on I just worked on my fastball, throwing it for a strike," Sabathia said. "Everything for me comes off my fastball."

In the eighth, Sabathia surrendered a hit and a walk, but mowed down Ken Griffey Jr. to end the frame on his 116th pitch.

'[Sabathia] was fantastic tonight, from the first pitch all the way through to the final pitch he threw in the eighth inning," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "He was in control the entire ballgame. He had great stuff."

Masahide Kobayashi preserved the shutout with a one-hit, scoreless ninth.