Saturday, August 30, 2008
Associated Press
Photo
TAGGED OUT: Cleveland Indians third baseman Andy Marte, left, tags out Adrian Beltre of the Seattle Mariners at third base in the third inning of Friday's American League game at Progressive Field in Cleveland. Beltre tried for a stolen base.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Felix Hernandez stopped baseball’s hottest team, Raul Ibanez homered and drove in three runs and the lowly Seattle Mariners beat Cleveland 3-2, ending the Indians’ winning streak at 10 games Friday night.
Hernandez (9-8) allowed two runs and six hits in six innings to win for the first time in six road starts. He came up with the big pitch when he needed it as the Indians went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position against the right-hander.
Fresh off winning six straight on the road, Cleveland opened a six-game homestand with its first loss since Aug. 16. The Indians, who also lost 10 straight earlier this season, have not won 11 in a row since 1982.
Not even the return of Victor Martinez from the disabled list could keep the Indians’ winning streak alive against the Mariners, the AL’s worst team at 51-83. The two-time All-Star catcher, who underwent elbow surgery in June, was activated before the game. He went 1-for-3 with a walk while playing first base.
It’s not that the Indians didn’t have their chances. They hit into three double plays — two by Jhonny Peralta — and stranded the tying run at third in the eighth despite getting three hits in the inning.
Seattle closer J.J. Putz, who had blown four of his previous six save chances, worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 10th save.
One of baseball’s best hitters in August, Ibanez put the Mariners ahead 3-0 in the third off Jeremy Sowers (2-7) with his 22nd homer.
Yuniesky Betancourt singled with one out and Ibanez followed with a shot into the left-field bleachers, giving him seven homers, 28 RBIs and a .396 (40-for-101) average this month.
The Indians got runners to second and third with none out in the third, but managed to score just once off Hernandez on Jamey Carroll’s RBI groundout.
The right-hander struck out David Dellucci and retired Peralta on a foul pop to avoid further damage.
Cleveland pulled to 3-2 in the fourth on Shin Soo-Choo’s RBI double with none out, but Hernandez again worked out of trouble. First, Choo was thrown out trying to steal third. Hernandez then fanned Franklin Gutierrez and Kelly Shoppach.
Ibanez’s run-scoring single in the first made it 1-0. Ichiro Suzuki led off with a single and moved up on a fielder’s choice. He stole third, and on Sowers’ next pitch, Ibanez dropped a base hit into right.