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Indians-Mariners Preview

Sep 5, 2010 - 6:38 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Editor

Cleveland (54-81) at Seattle (53-82), 4:10 p.m. EDT

Felix Hernandez has made few mistakes during an impressive recent run, but one of them came against the Cleveland Indians and Travis Hafner.

The Seattle Mariners ace looks to avenge a loss to Cleveland and help his team salvage a four-game split Sunday at Safeco Field.

Hernandez (10-10, 2.38 ERA) has allowed one earned run while striking out 48 in 37 innings over his last five starts, a stretch that includes road wins over New York and Boston.

The right-hander, though, gave up six unearned runs in the seventh inning of a 9-1 road defeat to the Indians on Aug. 15, with Hafner's grand slam the biggest blow. Hernandez had pitched six shutout innings, but Chone Figgins' error with two outs in the seventh enabled Cleveland to rally.

Slip-ups have been rare lately for Hernandez, who has posted a 1.44 ERA in his last 16 starts - second in the majors to San Diego's Mat Latos over that span. He needs six strikeouts Sunday to take over the major league lead from the Los Angeles Angels' Jered Weaver, who has 205.

Hernandez didn't get a decision Tuesday despite limiting the Angels to three hits in seven shutout innings, but Seattle went on to win 3-1.

"We win. That's the most important thing," Hernandez said. "I do my part. Give us a chance to win. That's what we did."

Mariners interim manager Daren Brown pulled him after 104 pitches as Seattle looks to lighten the workload for its 24-year-old ace down the stretch.

"Going along with what we said the last month and a half of the season, taking care of him a bit, I thought that was enough," Brown said. "He did his job and I thought he was outstanding."

The Mariners (53-83) didn't score while Hernandez was in that game, the fifth time in nine starts that he's gotten no run support - a big reason for the .500 record that may harm his AL Cy Young candidacy.

Seattle ranks last in the majors in runs, batting average and home runs, and its only win in this series was a 1-0 victory Friday night.

Cleveland (55-81) won 4-2 on Saturday and has gone 7-1 in its last eight at Safeco.

Shin-Soo Choo has sparked the last-place Indians in this series, going 4 for 10 with three walks and six RBIs against his former team. The Mariners traded Choo to Cleveland for Ben Broussard on July 26, 2006.

The Indians hope rookie right-hander Jeanmar Gomez (3-2, 3.08) can help them take the series as he replaces Justin Masterson, who left the team due to a family matter.

Hernandez's Venezuelan countryman has posted a 3.08 ERA in his seven major league starts, and helped the Indians beat Kansas City 4-3 in 10 innings with his most recent outing Aug. 28. He gave up two runs in 5 2-3 innings.

Gomez may want to be careful with Russell Branyan, who was traded from Cleveland to Seattle on June 26. Branyan has two home runs in this series and is the only Mariners player with a homer in the last 10 games.