(Best E Casino) - Cleveland Indians starting pitchers are on an unbelievable roll right now that Aaron Laffey will try to continue when he takes the mound for the Tribe in this afternoon's finale of a three-game series with the Oakland Athletics.

Cleveland's starting five has combined to throw an astounding 43 consecutive scoreless innings that was extended when C.C. Sabathia fired a five-hit shutout in Wednesday's 2-0 decision over the Athletics. Laffey did his part in his last start, as the 23-year-old scattered six hits and walked just one in seven scoreless frames to pick up the victory in the Indians' 12-0 win over Toronto last Saturday.

The young left-hander has taken full advantage of an opportunity to enter the Indians' rotation that came about when Jake Westbrook was placed on the disabled list a few weeks back. In three starts since being recalled from Triple-A Buffalo, Laffey has allowed just four earned runs over 19 2/3 innings and has limited enemy hitters to a .178 batting average.

Laffey, who went 4-2 with a 4.56 earned run average during a nine-start audition with Cleveland last season, has never previously faced the Athletics.

The Indians have now won five of their last six games following last night's triumph over Oakland, with four of those victories coming by way of a shutout. In Cleveland's lone loss over that stretch, Cliff Lee tossed nine shutout innings against Toronto on Monday, but the Blue Jays broke a scoreless tie with three runs in the 10th.

Sabathia (3-5) was virtually unhittable in Wednesday's win, with the reigning American League Cy Young winner racking up 11 strikeouts and issuing just two walks while throwing 77 of 117 pitches for strikes.

Grady Sizemore and Ryan Garko provided the offense with solo home runs off A's starter Joe Blanton (2-6), who yielded just four hits and two walks over seven innings in a hard-luck defeat.

Oakland will also be sending out a young lefty that has impressed in the early going today in Greg Smith. The LSU product comes in on a three-start winless streak that can be attributed to a lack of offensive support, although Smith struggled somewhat in Friday's 4-0 loss to Texas. He worked six innings in that game and surrendered all four Ranger runs along with six hits.

Prior to that outing, Smith struck out a career-high 10 Texas hitters and fired six innings of one-run ball on May 4, but left the contest trailing 1-0 and eventually received a no-decision. Five days earlier, the rookie held the Angels to two runs and three hits over eight frames but came out on the short end of a 2-0 decision.

Smith, one of six players acquired by the A's in the offseason trade that sent All-Star pitcher Dan Haren to Arizona, will also be pitching against the Indians for the first time.

These teams have split eight meetings so far this year and will square off for the final time during the 2008 regular season this afternoon. Oakland took two of three games from the Indians at Progressive Field last month.