Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez took drastic action to Djibril Cisse's petulance after being substituted in Saturday's victory over Manchester City by leaving the French striker out of the squad.
Fernando Morientes took over and there was no place either for Stephen Warnock or Dietmar Hamann with Garcia coming into the side.
Mick McCarthy dropped Nyron Nosworthy and Andy Welsh, while Anthony Le Tallec, on a season long loan from Liverpool, was ineligible.
Stephen Caldwell, Liam Lawrence and Chris Brown were restored to the starting line-up.
The Black Cats boss was heavily critical of his players after Saturday's defeat by fellow strugglers Birmingham City and though his side trailed by two goals at the interval, he could not fault their effort.
Brown, normally an out and out striker, caused endless problems on the left flank and with Jonathan Stead a constant threat, there was always hopes of an unlikely upset.
Brown, however, missed a great chance in the 18th minute only to completely miss his kick in front of goal from a Lawrence centre.
Liverpool's attacks always carried more threat with Peter Crouch getting up well at the far post to head straight at Ben Alnwick and then Caldwell almost diverted a Gerrard centre into his own net.
Alnwick raced from his goal to deny Crouch and Moirentes headed past as Liverpool stepped up a gear and it came as no surprise when the Reds swept into a 30th minute lead.
The impressive Xabi Alonso split the home defence wide open and despite Justin Hoyte making an attempt to intercept, Garcia beat Alnwick in the chase for the through ball and shot just inside the post.
Brown sent a header straight at Jose Reina two minutes later, but after Garcia was just wide, Liverpool increased their lead a minute before half time.
Alonso was again the provider for the alert Gerrard to cut inside and easily beat the advancing Alnwick.
Crouch will never have a better chance to end his goal drought than in the 46th minute.
But with the goal at his mercy, the tall striker fell over the ball and then looked hopefully for a penalty when challenged by Caldwell in the resultant melee.
Sissoko was booked in the 51st minute and should have been sent off two minutes later for another foul on Lawrence, but he failed to ride his luck, felling Lawrence in the 65th minute leaving referee Phil Dowd no option but to show a red card.
But Liverpool had plenty left in the tank to cope with their numerical disadvantage with only the woodwork denying John Arne Riise from adding a third goal in the 74th minute with a rasping 25-yard drive.
Stead twice came close to breaking his duck for Sunderland in the closing stages but not so the luckless Crouch who departed from the action in the 77th minute.
Sunderland's plight deepens by the match and with successive visits to the capital to take on Tottenham Hotspur and Charlton Athletic, time is fast running out for McCarthy to turn the tide.