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Choo powers Indians over struggling Mariners

Jul 20, 2008 - 12:21 AM By Paul Lowenberg PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

SEATTLE (Ticker) -- Jeremy Sowers tossed six solid innings for his first victory of the season for the Cleveland Indians, who used a six-run third inning to post a 9-6 victory over the dismal Seattle Mariners on Saturday afternoon.

Former Mariner Shin-Soo Choo homered and hit a pair of doubles to drive in three runs and pace a 12-hit attack for the Indians, who have won five of their last six games.

Sowers (1-5), who had gone 13 consecutive starts without winning a game, benefited from the big inning to record his first victory since May 24, 2007, against the Kansas City Royals. The 25-year-old lefthander allowed four runs and five hits while walking three, hitting a batter and throwing a wild pitch.

"I thought he was back and forth a bit today," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "But he showed a good arm and got a couple of double plays, which means he's making pitches and he's down in the zone."

Sowers was just happy to finally put a win in his record.

"It was an outstanding feeling, no matter how I got to it," Sowers said. "I definitely could have pitched better, but I definitely could have pitched worse."

The Indians blew open the game with their third-inning outburst, highlighted by four run-scoring doubles - including one by Choo - an RBI single and a throwing error by center fielder Willie Bloomquist, taking a commanding 9-1 lead.

"Our offense did a good job of jumping out and putting a couple of good innings together, and that was really the difference," Wedge said. "We're still striving to be consistent as a ballclub."

Mariners starter Miguel Batista (4-11) was hammered for eight runs and seven hits, while walking one, hitting a batter and throwing a wild pitch before leaving without recording an out in the third inning.

Jamey Carroll hit a leadoff single and Ben Francisco, Jhonny Peralta and Choo followed with consecutive run-scoring doubles.

Casey Blake drove home a fourth run and brought on reliever Ryan Rowland-Smith. After Franklin Gutierrez doubled with two outs, Carroll scored him with the fifth two-base hit of the inning.

The 37-year-old Batista, who has not won as a starter since May 11, saw his career record against Cleveland fall to 0-4.

"Miguel certainly didn't have his best stuff out there, but we really made it tough on him," Mariners manager Jim Riggleman said. "We didn't play real good behind him for the couple or three innings he was in there. The numbers are going to look a lot worse than what he actually threw."

The righthander has given up 20 first-inning runs in his nine starts this season and allowed three in the opening frame on a run-scoring single by Peralta, followed by Choo's two-run blast.

The 26-year-old South Korean came to the Indians in a trade with the Mariners two years ago, and spent much of 2007 in the minors before undergoing "Tommy John" surgery on his left elbow last September.

"I've been impressed with him," Wedge said. "He has a chance to be a pretty good all-around player. He's still learning how to hit up here, but you're seeing progress."

Seattle got a run back when Jose Vidro doubled off the left-field wall to score Jose Lopez and cut its deficit to 3-1 in the second.

Raul Ibanez hit a solo home run off Sowers in the fourth for his second homer in as many days - 13th of the campaign - for Seattle, which scored twice in the sixth to trim its deficit to 9-4.

Ichiro Suzuki hit a two-run homer, his first extra base hit in his last 29 games, with two outs in the ninth for the final two runs for the Mariners.