Indians, Tomlin are routed by Mariners
Associated Press
CLEVELAND
One of their hottest hitters got hurt without even swinging the bat. Their most consistent pitcher had the shortest outing of his career, and the last-place Seattle Mariners spent four days taking batting practice against Cleveland’s worn-out staff.
Frayed all season, the Indians are falling apart.
Felix Hernandez shook off a hard fall on a fielding play to strike out 10, Wily Mo Pena drove in four runs and the Mariners chased Cleveland starter Josh Tomlin before the sixth inning for the first time Wednesday in a 9-2 rout that left the Indians’ playoff hopes flickering.
Just 11/2 games out of first place less than a week ago, the Indians have lost six of seven and are under .500 for the first time since April 3. They’re 61/2 games behind Detroit in the AL Central.
The race may go on without Cleveland.
“I still feel like we have a good streak in us,” manager Manny Acta said. “We’ve still got to play the games. We have to get out there and fight.”
The Indians don’t have much punch left.
Outfielder Shin-Soo Choo hurt his back on a check-swing Tuesday night, and when he reported that it was sore while taking pitches during pregame indoor batting practice, Acta dropped him from Wednesday’s starting lineup. Also, catcher Carlos Santana left woozily in the ninth after taking a foul tip off his mask. He was being evaluated for neck pain, Acta said.
Acta has juggled his lineup because of injuries all season, and his batting order included just three players on the field for him on opening day.
“You can’t sit here and feel sorry for yourself,” he said. “… you have to continue to play.”
Tomlin gave up an RBI single to Miguel Olivo to snap a 2-2 tie. Kyle Seager hit his third double, a ground-rule shot that made it 4-2. Pena, who homered in his previous at-bat, then laced a double to finish Tomlin.