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Mariners-Indians Preview

Aug 22, 2009 - 4:10 AM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Seattle (62-59) at Cleveland (52-68), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Bill Hall joined the Seattle Mariners hoping a change of scenery would do him some good. After one game, that certainly seems to be the case.

Hall will try to build on a stellar debut for the Mariners on Saturday when they face the Cleveland Indians in the middle game of their series at Progressive Field.

The Mariners (63-59) acquired Hall from Milwaukee on Wednesday in exchange for minor league pitcher Ruben Flores, hoping Hall could rejuvenate a once-promising career. He hit .270 with career highs of 35 homers and 85 RBIs in 2006, earning a four-year, $24-million contract.

The versatile Hall, who has played six positions in his career and debuted in left field for the Mariners, hasn't came close to that production since. He posted a .201 average with six homers and 24 RBIs in 76 games for the Brewers this year, and also spent time in the minors.

"I put too much pressure on myself," Hall told the Mariners' official Web site. "When you have a season like that (in '06), get a (big) contract, and not have another one again, you put a lot of pressure on yourself. And there was pressure from inside the organization.

"You are out there trying to do too much to live up to the contract. Nobody likes to not succeed when they get that kind of contract. I wasn't succeeding and I was trying harder and harder. It's OK to try hard, but I was pressing way too much on a daily basis. I was trying to hit 10 home runs at once."

Hall responded to his new surroundings Friday, driving in two runs on two hits - including a double - to lead Seattle to a 9-4 win in Cleveland (52-69).

"I hadn't played in a week-and-a-half and was wondering about my timing," Hall said. "Getting a hit in my first at-bat helped me forget about my timing. I was able to be more relaxed."

The Mariners will give the ball to rookie Doug Fister (1-0, 1.93 ERA), who has pitched effectively in each of the first two starts of his career.

The 25-year-old right-hander earned his first career win Sunday, allowing three runs and eight hits in seven innings of a 10-3 victory over New York. That performance came five days after he yielded one hit in six innings while not getting a decision in a 3-1 loss to Chicago.

"Outstanding," manager Don Wakamatsu said. "This guy's really got a great feel for pitching."

The Indians, losers of three of four, will turn to Aaron Laffey (7-3, 3.38) as he attempts to continue his home dominance and extend his winning streak to a career-high four.

The left-hander is 9-1 with a 1.82 ERA in 13 games - 12 starts - in Cleveland dating back to May of last year. He hasn't given up an earned run while winning his last two outings at home.

Pitching in Minnesota on Sunday, Laffey allowed three runs in 5 1-3 innings of a 7-4 victory.

"It was some luck and some skill," Laffey told the Indians' official Web site. "Baseball, especially with the way I pitch, it could go either way. It went in my favor (Sunday). Some of those pitches that I threw, if it was just a half inch one way or the other way..."

Laffey is 1-1 with a 3.45 ERA in five starts against the Mariners. He beat them July 24, yielding three hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings of a 9-0 victory in Seattle.