CLEVELAND (AP) – C.C. Sabathia pitched eight sharp innings and Trot Nixon drove in three runs to lead the Cleveland Indians to a 7-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night.

Sabathia (6-1) allowed five hits, struck out five, walked one and hit a batter. Minnesota’s only run came on Nick Punto’s single in the second. The left-hander won his first five decisions before allowing six runs in a loss to Oakland on May 11.

Nixon drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single in the fifth and added a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Grady Sizemore, who has six hits in his last nine at-bats, scored three runs and stole two bases for Cleveland. He has been successful in all 14 of his steal attempts this season.

Travis Hafner drove in two runs for the Indians with a groundout in the first and a sacrifice fly in the third.

Twins starter Carlos Silva (2-4) allowed five runs in six innings. The right-hander has lost his last three starts with the Twins scoring one run in them.

Sizemore started the first inning with a single and scored on Casey Blake’s double into the left field corner. Hafner’s groundout scored Blake.

Sizemore began the third with a walk, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Hafner’s sacrifice fly.

Sizemore’s single, a stolen base and walks to Hafner and Victor Martinez loaded the bases in the fifth before Nixon dropped in a single to left-center to score two runs. Nixon added a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded and David Dellucci had an RBI single.

Jeff Cirillo walked in the second, went to second on Chris Henitz’s single and scored on Punto’s single.

Both teams were warned by home plate umpire Jim Reynolds after Sabathia hit Justin Morneau in the right shoulder in the fourth. Reynolds held separate discussions with managers Eric Wedge and Ron Gardenhire, who were both unhappy with the decision.

Notes: RHP Fernando Cabrera, who didn’t allow a run in 11 2-3 innings to begin the season, has allowed eight runs and 14 hits in his last 6 1-3 innings. … C Mike Redmond, who had started all nine games since Joe Mauer (strained left quadriceps) went on the DL, wasn’t in the lineup Wednesday, despite the fact he has a nine-game hitting streak and is 7-for-14 lifetime against Sabathia.

AP-ES-05-16-07 2218EDT