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Pauley gets first win, Mariners beat Indians 3-2

Aug 14, 2010 - 2:49 AM CLEVELAND(AP) -- A long way from first place, all that's left for the Seattle Mariners this season is picking up individual firsts.

They enjoyed a couple Friday night.

David Pauley earned his first career win, helping make Daren Brown's road debut as Seattle's interim manager a success, and the Mariners beat the Cleveland Indians 3-2.

"An outstanding job by Pauley and his first win, which is something I can relate to this week," said Brown, 3-1 since replacing the fired Dan Wakamatsu on Monday.

Pauley (1-4) gave up two runs and seven hits over six innings in his 11th start and 19th career appearance. The right-hander worked in nine games for the Boston Red Sox in 2008 and entered his sixth start of the season for Seattle with a career record of 0-7 and 6.40 ERA.

"I'm just grateful to get this opportunity," said Pauley, who was signed as a minor league free agent in December and had only a 1-6 record at Triple-A Tacoma before being called up June 27.

The Mariners beat Fausto Carmona (11-10) to snap a seven-game road losing streak. They started a season-long 12-game trip in which they play three apiece in Cleveland, Baltimore, New York and Boston. Their 16-40 road record is worst in the AL.

Pauley struck out five and did not walk a batter. Sean White worked a perfect seventh and Brandon League allowed a hit in the eighth to set up David Aardsma. Seattle's closer got three quick outs in the ninth for his 23rd save in 27 chances.

"I wasn't worried because those guys have been doing a really good job," Pauley said. "It was a good feeling to see the last out. I think somebody got the ball for me. Now, I have to go call my wife."

Seattle had two runners thrown out trying to score. Right fielder Shin-Soo Choo easily nailed Casey Kotchman running from second on a two-out single by Michael Saunders in the fourth. Jose Lopez opened the sixth with a single and Franklin Gutierrez followed with a double into the left-field corner. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera's relay throw to catcher Chris Gimenez was in plenty of time to get Lopez, playing with a tight left hamstring.

"On the first one, Choo bobbled it a bit and we took a chance," Brown said. "Choo has a good arm. We know it and he showed it. On the second one, we were aggressive. When you are, sometimes you run into outs."

Gutierrez went to third on the play and scored when Jason Donald couldn't handle Adam Moore's two-out grounder hit sharply, but only a step or two to the second baseman's right. It was ruled an error with no RBI and gave Seattle a 3-2 lead.

"He booted it," Indians manager Manny Acta said tersely. "We should have made a couple of plays we didn't make. That cost us the game. When you're not scoring runs, you have very little margin for error."

Donald offered no excuse.

"I took a bad angle to it," he said. "I was probably overly aggressive. I should have laid back. It was a costly mistake."

Ichiro Suzuki's speed put Seattle ahead 1-0 in the first. Suzuki, who went 2 for 5 for his major league-best 47th multihit game, beat out a slap single to shortstop. He then stole second, moved to third on a groundout and scored on another groundout, by ex-Indian Russell Branyan. It was Seattle's first road run in 22 innings.

Cleveland tied it in the second on consecutive two-out doubles by Donald and Gimenez.

Branyan opened the Mariners' fourth with a double high off the left-field wall. He scored on Kotchman's two-out single, a high bouncer off a leaping Carmona's glove.

Former Mariners outfielder Choo tied it at 2 with a two-out RBI single in the fifth. Michael Brantley singled with one out, stole second, and scored on Choo's line drive to center.

Carmona gave up two earned runs and nine hits over six innings. He left after yielding a leadoff double to Josh Wilson in the seventh. The right-hander has yielded 37 hits over 23 innings in his last four starts, going 2-2.

NOTES: Acta said the Indians will decide whether DH Travis Hafner is ready to go on a rehab assignment after batting practice Saturday. Hafner took full BP on Friday for the first time since being sidelined with an inflamed right shoulder July 29. ... Seattle OF Michael Saunders made his first start since injuring his neck and shoulder running into a wall to make a catch Aug. 5. ... Seattle OF Milton Bradley is still bothered by a sore right knee and yet to begin baseball activities. "He's not feeling real good and that's kind of the way we're leaving it," Brown said of the ex-Indian, on the DL since July 27. ... Gutierrez is batting .229 (74 for 323) since May 1, but .314 (11 for 35) in his last 10 games.