Final
Mariners-Indians Preview
Jul 16, 2009 - 1:37 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS WriterSeattle (46-42) at Cleveland (35-54), 7:05 p.m. EDT
Seattle's run toward its first playoff berth in eight seasons resumes on the road. With the way the Cleveland Indians have struggled this season, Progressive Field is probably not a bad place for the Mariners to open the second half of 2009.
Back from the All-Star break, Seattle goes for its fourth straight win in Cleveland on Thursday night when it opens a four-game set with the last-place Indians.
Seattle (46-42), which last made the playoffs in 2001 when it fell to the New York Yankees in the AL championship series, closed the first half of the season by taking three of four against visiting Texas. Sunday's 5-3 victory pulled the Mariners with 2 1/2 games of the Rangers for second place in the AL West behind the Los Angeles Angels.
"If we were winning one way, it would be hard to say we are a good team," All-Star outfielder Ichiro Suzuki said through an interpreter. "But with so many people contributing, it shows that we are a good team."
Targeting his ninth straight season with at least 200 hits, Suzuki has hit safely in 11 straight games and is second in the majors with a .362 batting average.
Suzuki went 1 for 3 in Tuesday's All-Star Game, and is hitting .365 in 34 career games in Cleveland. He was 5 for 12 (.417) as the Mariners swept a three-game set from Aug. 29-31 in their last visit to Progressive Field.
Garrett Olson (3-2, 4.42 ERA) gets the start for the Mariners as they open a seven-game swing that includes a visit to Detroit, which currently leads the AL Central. The left-hander made his last two appearances out of the bullpen, but is back in the rotation after Brandon Morrow and Jason Vargas were optioned to Triple-A Tacoma within the past week.
Olson makes his first start since a 3-2 win at Boston on July 4. He did not factor in the decision, but struck out a season-high five and allowed two runs and four hits over 6 1-3 innings.
Olson is 1-0 with a 5.25 ERA in two starts against the Indians.
While Seattle's staff boasts the AL's best ERA at 3.73, Cleveland (35-54) owns the majors' worst at 5.40.
"(The first half has) been a disappointment," said Indians manager Eric Wedge, whose team has dropped 18 of 24 and trails the Tigers by 14 games. "There's a long way to go, and I still feel good about the lineup we are putting out there every day, but we've got to improve the rotation and our bullpen."
Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee (4-9, 3.47) is well off his 2008 pace of 22 victories. Since pitching a three-hitter in a win over St. Louis on June 14, the left-hander is 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA in five starts.
"I can only control what I can control," Lee said following a 5-1 loss at Detroit on Friday when the Indians had four hits. "I can't score runs for us, which has been a problem for us all season."
Lee has received 3.90 runs per start - among the lowest in the AL. He's hoping for a similar second half as last season when he threw three complete games and went 10-1 with a 2.83 ERA.
Lee is 7-1 with a 3.74 ERA in 10 starts against the Mariners.
Cleveland took two of three over Seattle at Safeco Field following last season's All-Star break and finished 81-81 despite a 41-53 mark heading into the second half.
- ** CONFIRMED **
AL
SEATTLE 1
CLEVELAND 4 FINAL
Jul 16 9:50 PM - AL
AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JHONNY PERALTA SCORED SHIN-SOO CHOO
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J PERALTA ON FIRST, T HAFNER ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: SEATTLE 1
CLEVELAND 4 BOTTOM,5TH
DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: B FRANCISCO (.240, 0-FOR-2)
Mariners 1, Guardians 4 Bot 5, 0 OutsJul 16 8:48 PM - AL
AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY RONNY CEDENO (5) TO RIGHT WITH 1 OUT IN THE
5TH OFF CLIFF LEE.
CURRENT SCORE: SEATTLE 1, CLEVELAND 3
DUE UP FOR SEATTLE: I SUZUKI (.362, 1-FOR-2)
Mariners 1, Guardians 3 Top 5, 0 OutsJul 16 8:33 PM - AL
AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY GRADY SIZEMORE SCORED JAMEY CARROLL
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, G SIZEMORE ON FIRST, K SHOPPACH ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: SEATTLE 0
CLEVELAND 3 BOTTOM,2ND
DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: A CABRERA (.303, 1-FOR-1, RBI)
Mariners 0, Guardians 3 Bot 2, 0 OutsJul 16 7:49 PM - AL
AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY JAMEY CARROLL SCORED BEN FRANCISCO
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J CARROLL ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: SEATTLE 0
CLEVELAND 2 BOTTOM,2ND
DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: K SHOPPACH (.194, 7 HR, 24 RBI)
Mariners 0, Guardians 2 Bot 2, 0 OutsJul 16 7:44 PM - AL
AT CLEVELAND - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY ASDRUBAL CABRERA SCORED GRADY SIZEMORE
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, A CABRERA ON SECOND, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: SEATTLE 0
CLEVELAND 1 BOTTOM,1ST
DUE UP FOR CLEVELAND: S CHOO (.292, 13 HR, 54 RBI)
Mariners 0, Guardians 1 Bot 1, 0 OutsJul 16 7:18 PM
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