AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS Tribe leaves no doubt

Cleveland goes for the improbable series win today at 1.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CLEVELAND -- It took the Cleveland Indians just four at-bats to grab a lead against top-seeded Seattle in Saturday's Game 3 of the American League Division Series.
Even better for the 45,069 fans packed into Jacobs Field for the first playoff game here in two years, it took the Tribe less than three innings to seize control of the series.
Cleveland shattered the club postseason records for hits (19) and runs in a 17-2 romp that has the favored Mariners on the brink of elimination and the Indians one win away from advancing to their fourth AL Championship Series in seven seasons.
"We hit the ball hard and we moved our runners," manager Charlie Manuel said. "We hit in situations, we hit the ball to all fields and things fell for us."
Today, Cleveland goes for the knockout with ace Bartolo Colon on the mound in a rematch of Game 1 with Seattle's Freddy Garcia.
If necessary: Should the Mariners win, the decisive Game 5 would be played Monday at Safeco Field.
"Our top three guys really set the stage for us," said Indians first baseman Jim Thome of Kenny Lofton, Omar Vizquel and Roberto Alomar. "They make so much happen all the time."
Alomar's three hits included a double and he drove in three runs. Lofton walked twice, hit a solo homer and a sacrifice fly.
Vizquel had four hits to drive in six runs to break the club record for RBIs in a postseason game.
Cleveland pummeled Seattle starter Aaron Sele, the AL's winningest pitcher since 1998, for four runs in two innings.
Abbott no better: Then the Indians knocked around Paul Abbott for eight runs over the next four innings to break the club record of 11 runs set in the 1999 ALDS Game 2 against Boston and the 1997 World Series Game 4 against Florida.
Cleveland's 19 hits broke the mark of 15 set against the Marlins.
Vizquel led off the hit parade against Sele with an opposite-field single to left with one out in the first inning. Vizquel scored to tie the game 1-1 when Alomar doubled to right and took third on a wide throw to the plate by Ichiro Suzuki.
Juan Gonzalez's single put the Tribe ahead for good.
Two unearned runs in the second inning sent Sele to the showers. Second baseman Bret Boone's throwing error allowed Travis Fryman to reach base. Following an Einar Diaz single, Vizquel connected for a two-out triple to right for a 4-1 lead.
"I felt fine," said Sele, who won 15 games during the regular season. "Really, the one bad pitch I felt like I made was the curveball that was up a little bit to Vizquel."
One pitch, one run: Things fell apart completely for the Mariners when Abbott replaced Sele to start the third. Gonzalez deposited Abbott's first pitch onto the left-field porch.
With two outs and Ellis Burks at first base, Russell Branyan and Diaz singled, Kenny Lofton walked, Vizquel beat out an infield hit and Alomar walked to increase Cleveland's lead to 8-1.
Thome began the Indians' three-run sixth inning with the 17th postseason homer of his career.
Back-to-back-to-back doubles by Vizquel, Alomar and Gonzalez in the eighth inning triggered a five-run outburst.
The Mariners said they wouldn't be affected by the blowout.
"A loss is a loss," said Sele.
Boone, who struck out four times, said, "Believe it or not, we've been blown out this year and we always bounced back. This isn't the end of the world."
SEATTLECLEVELAND
abrhbiabrhbi
Suzuki rf4121Lofton cf3212
Sprgue ph1000Vizquel ss6246
Cmeron cf4020RAlmr 2b4233
BBoone 2b4000JGnzlez rf6143
EMrtnz dh3000Thome 1b6121
Olerud 1b3001Burks dh4210
Buhner lf2000Frymn 3b4200
AMartn ph1000Brnyan lf3110
Vzquez ss0000JolCbra lf1111
DWilsn c3010EADiaz c4321
Lmpkin c1000
DaBell 3b4120
Mclmre ss2000
Gipson ph1000
Totals33272Totals41171917
Seattle100000100--2
Cleveland22401305x--17
E--Suzuki (1), BBoone (1), Buhner (1). DP--Seattle 1. LOB--Seattle 10, Cleveland 9. 2B--Cameron 2 (2), DWilson (1), DaBell (1), Vizquel (1), RAlomar 2 (3), JGonzalez 2 (2). 3B--Vizquel (1). HR--Lofton (1), JGonzalez (1), Thome (1). SF--Lofton.
IPHRERBBSO
Seattle
Sele L,0-1254200
PAbbott398853
Halama220001
Paniagua135520
Cleveland
Sabathia W,1-0662255
Riske2-300011
Rincon1-300000
Burba100001
Rocker110001
PAbbott pitched to 3 batters in the 6th, Sabathia pitched to 3 batters in the 7th. HBP--by Paniagua (JolCabrera). Umpires--Home, Schrieber; First, Reed; Second, Rapuano; Third, Gibson; Left, DeMuth; Right, Nelson, Jeff. T--3:24. A--45,069.