Indians 9, Cubs 2

MESA, Ariz.

Fausto Carmona is in control — something he hadn’t been able to say for almost three years. After going 19-8 with a 3.06 ERA in 2007, when he finished fourth in Cy Young voting and helped the Cleveland Indians win the AL Central, Carmona had trouble throwing strikes. He averaged more than five walks per nine innings the next two years and went 13-19 with a 5.89 ERA for disappointing teams. This spring, Carmona has walked only two batters in 13 innings while posting a 0.69 ERA. The big right-hander, who got in better shape over the winter and adjusted his mechanics on the mound, was especially dominant Monday, pitching six shutout innings in a 9-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs. “Impressive,” Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. “It’s the best spring training start I’ve seen. He made it look easy.” Carmona, who was so wild last season that the Indians demoted him to rookie ball in June, spent Monday sawing off bats with hard, sinking fastballs — just as he did in 2007.

Associated Press