CLEVELAND, Ohio - C.C. Sabathia was the second-best ace on the mound. Again.

Outpitched by Boston's Josh Beckett for the second time in the AL championship series, Sabathia can only hope for a chance to redeem himself in the World Series.

Sabathia had an opportunity to help Cleveland clinch the pennant at home, but let it slip away as the Indians lost to the Red Sox 7-1 Thursday night. The Tribe will return to unfriendly Fenway Park for Game 6 on Saturday night ahead 3-2 in the best-of-seven series.

"I feel like he worked through it, got a little better as the game went on," Indians manager Eric Wedge said.

Sabathia struggled to find the groove that made him a Cy Young Award candidate, giving up four runs and 10 hits in six-plus innings. He walked two, hit two batters and threw a wild pitch.

He battled, instead of dominated.

"There's some games C.C. has thrown this year that I'm not sure it matters who it is," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "He's going to throw that nine-inning complete game just because he's so good. But we've had a very consistent approach."

Sabathia looked shaky from the start, giving up a home run to No. 2 hitter Kevin Youkilis in the first. The inning would have been worse had Franklin Gutierrez not thrown out Manny Ramirez at home to end the inning.

Ramirez's single off the top of the right-field wall in the third made it 2-1 and was all the Red Sox needed with Beckett on the mound.

Sabathia put runners on in every inning except the sixth. Things quickly got worse though.

Against the top of the Red Sox lineup in the seventh, the left-hander gave up a double to Dustin Pedroia and a triple to Youkilis.

Grady Sizemore charged in from center on Youkilis' drive to right-center. He dove but the drive ticked off his glove.

Sabathia's whole body appeared to slump under his crooked cap as Pedroia scored.

Gutierrez was closer to the ball and it appeared he could have had an easier play.

Sabathia said after the Indians went up 3-1 in the series Wednesday night that he planned to have fun in Game 5. He wanted to throw strikes and give his team a chance to win, unlike in Game 1 when he allowed eight runs in 4 1-3 innings.

He did give his teammates a shot, but the Indians again couldn't figure out Beckett, who struck out 11 in eight innings. 

Sabathia's postseason ERA is 8.80 after a regular season where the 27-year-old set career bests in wins (19), ERA (3.21) and strikeouts (209).

The 6-foot-7, 290-pound lefty has insisted that he doesn't feel fatigued after a season in which he also had a career-high 241 innings and 34 starts.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press.