Sele gets drubbed once more

SEATTLE – Victor Martinez and Grady Sizemore made sure there was plenty of run support for Kevin Millwood.

Martinez and Sizemore each homered and finished one hit shy of the cycle, and Millwood worked into the seventh inning as the Indians beat the Seattle Mariners 10-5 Friday night.

Cleveland had 17 hits, most coming early in the game off Aaron Sele. The late innings were dominated by five ejections – four on Cleveland’s side.

“It’s always nice when you start a game and the team puts a couple of runs on the board in the first inning,” Millwood said. “It doesn’t make it easier, but it definitely makes it more comfortable.”

Making what could be his final start for the Indians, Millwood (5-9) was ejected in the seventh for hitting Yuniesky Betancourt in the hip with his first pitch of the inning. Cleveland manager Eric Wedge was also tossed and both benches and bullpens emptied, but no punches were thrown.

Shigetoshi Hasegawa had plunked Sizemore in the top of the seventh and was ejected by plate umpire Chris Guccione.

By then, Cleveland’s offense had done its damage.

Martinez singled, doubled and hit a three-run homer in his first three at-bats, and finished with four RBIs. Sizemore, who grew up in nearby Everett, led off the game with a home run to center, tripled in the fourth and had an RBI single in the fifth.

“Victor’s swinging the bat very well right now,” Wedge said. “Once he got beyond May, he’s been very consistent for us, and obviously of late, even beyond that.”

The Indians lost another pitcher – and bench coach Robby Thompson, who was filling in for Wedge – when David Riske hit Ichiro Suzuki in his back in the ninth. Riske and Thompson were immediately ejected, bringing in Arthur Rhodes.

All three pitchers said they were just trying to come inside on the hitters, but none argued the ejections.

Most of Cleveland’s hits came off Sele (6-12), who lost his seventh straight start. Sele lasted into the fifth inning, but mostly to give rest to Seattle’s bullpen that worked the final six innings on Thursday.

Sele gave up nine runs and 12 hits, and has not won since beating Philadelphia 5-1 on June 15. During his losing streak, Sele has given up 40 runs and 68 hits with a 10.59 ERA.

“He had no command of his pitches,” Seattle manager Mike Hargrove said. “There was really nothing good that happened for Aaron tonight. Everything he threw up there got hit.”

Cleveland had a season-high 21 hits June 25 against Cincinnati.

Millwood said he didn’t feel good on the mound, and gave up a hit in each of the first five innings. But Randy Winn’s solo homer in the first was the only damage.

Millwood, whose name has been coming up in trade talk as Sunday’s deadline approaches, allowed two runs, seven hits and struck out three. It was just the third time the Indians have scored more than five runs for Millwood, on a night he said he needed the support.

Trying for the cycle, Sizemore was hit in the seventh and struck out in the ninth. Martinez grounded out in the fifth and struck out in the eighth in his bid for the triple.

“You know what you need when you’re playing,” Sizemore said. “You always like to play good in front of your friends and family.”

Seattle scored twice in the seventh on RBI singles by Suzuki and Winn. Raul Ibanez hit a two-run single in the ninth.

Winn finished with four hits.

Sizemore hit his second leadoff homer of the season on a 3-2 fastball from Sele, and Martinez added an RBI double in the first.

Sizemore tripled to lead off the fourth, as Seattle center fielder Jeremy Reed crashed hard into the outfield wall. The ball hit the palm of Reed’s glove, but bounced out after he hit the wall.

Ronnie Belliard followed with an RBI single, and two batters later Martinez homered for the second consecutive game, a towering shot that barely eluded Suzuki’s glove above the fence in right.

Reed finished the inning and lined out to third to lead off the bottom of the fourth, but was pulled with a mild concussion. He was replaced by Willie Bloomquist to start the fifth.

“Before the game, the Mariners recalled catcher Wiki Gonzalez from Triple-A Tacoma and designated veteran catcher Pat Borders for assignment.