Minneapolis ? Though they’re stuck in fourth place, Cleveland has something Minnesota is desperately lacking.

An ace.

C.C. Sabathia threw a four-hitter and Jody Gerut homered to help the Indians hand the stumbling Twins their fourth straight defeat, 4-1, Thursday night.

Shane Spencer went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for Cleveland, which won the first meeting of the season between the AL Central foes and saw Sabathia win his fourth straight decision.

“He’s been our guy all year,” Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said. “Even though he’s only 22, he’s a guy who steps up when we need him to.”

In his first complete game this season and the third of his career, Sabathia (8-3) walked one and struck out five.

“I feel good — I still feel like I can pitch right now,” Sabathia said afterward.

Matthew LeCroy homered in the ninth to break up the shutout bid, but Minnesota fell to 5-14 in its last 19 games.

Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia smiles after getting the second out in the ninth inning against Minnesota. The Indians' starter allowed just four hits in a complete-game, 4-1 victory Thursday night over the Twins in Minneapolis.

And it wasn’t the first time during the past few weeks that the Twins’ lack of fire angered manager Ron Gardenhire.

Gardenhire — given an automatic ejection in the seventh after Kenny Rogers retaliated for two hit batsmen by Sabathia by hitting Milton Bradley with a pitch– was mad that his team didn’t respond to what he felt were intentional beanings by Cleveland’s 6-foot-7, 290-pound pitcher.

“That was a very uninspiring baseball game,” Gardenhire said. “I know C.C. Sabathia pitched very well, but we did nothing, really, until Kenny Rogers finally took the bull by the horns.”

Rogers was tossed after plunking Bradley with two outs and one on in the seventh.

Sabathia defended himself.

“I’ve never thrown at anyone intentionally and I never will,” he said, “so obviously they took it the wrong way.”

Rogers (7-4) gave up three runs, six hits and four walks in 62/3 innings.

Athletics 5, Mariners 2

Oakland, Calif. — Barry Zito pitched into the eighth inning for his second victory in nine starts for Oakland.

Five players drove in a run as the Athletics salvaged a split of their four-game series between AL West division leaders.

After a lengthy stretch of bad innings and bad luck, Zito (8-5) finally got back on track with one of his better starts in two months. The AL Cy Young winner, who blew a six-run lead in his last start, allowed 10 hits — but nine were singles.

Keith Foulke got the final four outs for his 22nd save in 25 chances.

Edgar Martinez hit his 17th homer of the season for the Mariners.

Ryan Franklin (6-7) lost his third straight start, allowing a season-high 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Devil Rays 6, Red Sox 5, 10 innings

St. Petersburg, Fla. — Marlon Anderson singled with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning for Tampa Bay. Anderson delivered the game-winning hit off Mike Timlin (3-3) after Aubrey Huff and Travis Lee singled and Al Martin — whose two-run homer off Brandon Lyon tied the game at 5 in the eighth — drew an intentional walk with one out. Travis Harper (1-4) pitched two scoreless innings for the win. Manny Ramirez homered twice and drove in three runs for the Red Sox. David Ortiz and Trot Nixon also homered for Boston.

Orioles 6, Blue Jays 5

Baltimore — Jeff Conine went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer to back a solid pitching performance by Jason Johnson as Baltimore beat Toronto. Melvin Mora had two hits and drove in two runs to help the Orioles win their second straight after a five-game skid. Johnson (7-3) gave up four runs and eight hits over seven innings to earn his first win in eight decisions against the Blue Jays. Jorge Julio got the final four outs for his 17th save. Eric Hinske homered, and Shannon Stewart and Carlos Delgado each had three hits for the Blue Jays, who have lost five of six. Doug Davis (4-6) allowed three runs on nine hits in four-plus innings.

Rangers 6, Angels 5

Anaheim, Calif. — Hank Blalock homered twice and doubled, helping Tony Mounce earn his first major-league win. The 28-year-old Mounce (1-2), who missed the entire 2001 season after having reconstructive surgery on his left elbow, went 5 1/3 innings and gave up three runs on six hits. He struck out two, walked none and left with a 6-3 lead. Blalock hit a solo home run off Kevin Appier (6-5) in the first inning and added another solo shot against Scot Shields in the sixth, his 14th homer and first career multihomer game.