"You look at the lineup card and see C.C.'s name," Hafner said, "and you know he's going to give you a chance to win the game. It might be unfair to him, but you almost feel like every time he's out there, he's going to throw a complete-game shutout."

Sabathia didn't get the shutout Tuesday night, but the Indians will certainly settle for the complete game the big left-hander turned in. For he was instrumental in their 5-2 victory over the Blue Jays at Jacobs Field -- a win that clinched their sixth series win in seven tries.

Those counting Sabathia's complete games this season should get ready to employ another hand. He now leads the Majors with five of them.

"That's kind of weird," Sabathia said. "I didn't know it until I looked at the [video]board tonight. It's a good accomplishment. Hopefully I can keep it up. Not throwing CGs, because it's kind of ridiculous to think I could keep throwing CGs, but to keep pitching well."

Sabathia has pitched well all month. He is 3-1 with a 1.87 ERA in six August starts.

In fact, he's pitched well throughout the past year. Since Aug. 1 of last season, he is 19-9 with a 2.90 ERA in 34 starts.

"He's just been very consistent," manager Eric Wedge said. "We're seeing a guy with so much ability who continues to evolve into a great pitcher."

The greats know how to finish what they start, whether it be an inning or a ballgame. That's what Sabathia did in this outing, even when he reached a patch of trouble in the sixth.

Trouble didn't come until after Hafner got the Indians on the board with his 40th homer of the season -- a solo shot off left-hander Gustavo Chacin in the first. Sabathia dominated with that 1-0 lead.

Jays leadoff man Reed Johnson got on base against Sabathia with a single at the outset of the game, only to be doubled up on Aaron Hill's groundball. Hill became the first of 14 straight batters retired by Sabathia from the first through fifth innings.

"You know what kind of arm he has got," Jays manager John Gibbons said. "He was pounding those right-handers in and hitting that corner at about 95 [mph]. There's not a whole lot you can do with that pitch. He was rolling. He can do that to you."

The roll stopped momentarily in the sixth, though.

Lyle Overbay got that inning going with a leadoff single, then moved to third on Jason Phillips' double. One out later, Johnson knocked in a run with a base hit, and Hill knocked in another on a force out.

Just like that, the Indians were in a 2-1 hole. But while a younger Sabathia might have let such an inning further spiral out of control, this more refined version got the last out of the inning and moved on.

"I made an adjustment in the game," Sabathia said. "I was able to do it in an inning. It's about being comfortable and knowing my delivery. That's just being my own pitching coach."

Sabathia might not have needed coaching, but he did need some more run support.

He got it in the seventh.

With Chacin out of the ballgame with an index finger cramp, the Indians got some momentum against reliever Brandon League. They had two aboard and pinch-hitter Joe Inglett at the plate, and Inglett put down a perfect sacrifice bunt that Overbay dropped. The error loaded the bases.

"[Inglett] did an outstanding job getting that bunt down," Wedge said.

Andy Marte took advantage, hitting a hard grounder to shortstop John McDonald and reaching on an RBI infield single that tied it. The Jays brought out former Indians hurler Brian Tallet, and he promptly gave up a sacrifice fly to Grady Sizemore and an RBI double to Jason Michaels to put the Tribe ahead, 4-2.

Sabathia didn't need any more help than that. He overpowered the Jays in the seventh and eighth. And with his pitch count at 105, it wasn't even a debate as to whether he'd go back out for the ninth.

"[Wedge] just walked up to me, and, before he could get anything out, I said, 'I'm going back,'" Sabathia said. "I was happy he agreed with me. He just turned around and walked away. It worked out well."

Yes, it did. Because in the ninth, Sabathia looked as strong as he had at the game's outset, retiring the top of the order with just nine pitches, the last of which got Vernon Wells to go down swinging.

Thus ended another workhorse outing for Sabathia, who has lasted at least seven innings in each of his last seven starts.

"I'm getting a lot of guys to swing early in the count, and I'm keeping my pitch count down," he said. "I've been able to finish strong."

And Hafner's pregame feelings have been proven to be justified. So much so, in fact, that the slugger thinks drastic -- even groundbreaking -- front-office actions should be taken.

"The Indians should just give [Sabathia] a lifetime contract," he said with a slight smile. "They should just say, 'As long as you want to pitch here, you can.'"