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Lee wins fifth as Indians rout Mariners

May 1, 2008 - 3:35 AM By Todd Krepop PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- Cliff Lee's consecutive scoreless inning streak might have come to an end, but his winning streak is still going.

Lee pitched six effective innings to win his fifth straight start as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Seattle Mariners 8-3, on Wednesday night.

Lee (5-0) extended his consecutive scoreless inning streak to 27 innings, before giving up a three-run homer to Wladimir Balentien in the seventh. It is the longest streak by an Indians pitcher since John Denny's 34 consecutive scoreless innings in 1981.

"It was nice," Lee said. "That's what I am trying to do. I am trying to put up zeroes every inning, but it had to come to an end eventually."

Balentien's home run caused Lee's ERA to skyrocket from 0.28 to 0.96 - still best in the majors. Lee yielded three runs on eight hits and struck out three.

"I didn't know (he had given up one earned run)," said Balentien, who was called up from Class AAA prior to the game. "I got here and guys told me what he likes to throw. It was a fastball away and I hit it well."

It was the first run Lee had allowed since the fourth inning against the Oakland Athletics on April 13.

"It's nothing you would ever expect from anybody at this level," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "This is the top level of baseball. To be able to have that type of month, that's something special."

"I am happy," Lee said. "I am doing my job, giving the team a chance to win. We have won every game I have pitched."

Lee went 46-24 from 2004-2006, but had a disastrous 2007 season which included a trip to the minors and being left off the postseason roster. Lee started last year on the disabled list and never got on track, going 5-8 with a 6.29 ERA.

"He's been a good pitcher in the past," Seattle manager John McLaren said. "I don't know what happened to him last year. Right now, he's probably one of the best pitchers going."

Grady Sizemore drew a walk to start a five-run fifth and came around to score on Victor Martinez's double. After a hit batsman ended Seattle starter Jarrod Washburn's night, Casey Blake greeted reliever Cha Seung Beck with an RBI double to make it 6-0.

Franklin Gutierrez, who had three RBI, plated two more runs with a single and Kelly Shoppach's sacrifice fly capped the scoring for Cleveland.

"I am starting to take good swings," said Gutierrez, who is batting .400 (14-for-35) over the last 10 games. "I am playing my game and relaxing out there."

Sizemore's 12th career leadoff home run gave the Indians a quick 1-0 lead. He blasted Washburn's 1-1 offering over the right field wall for his third home run of the season.

"Grady got us going early and it kept going from there," Wedge said. "It was a good day. There are some good things happening. It's starting to come together."

Cleveland tacked on another run in the first on Ryan Garko's sac fly after Jamey Carroll and Martinez hit consecutive singles.

Gutierrez's RBI single in the fourth increased the lead to 3-0.

Washburn (1-4) lasted only 4 1/3 innings yielding six runs - five earned - on six hits. The lefthander struck out seven and walked two.