M’s enjoy matinee
CLEVELAND – Jose Lopez figured looking at videotape would help him break out of a slump.
The film session paid off as he had three big hits in the afternoon.
Lopez and Raul Ibanez each had two-run singles with two outs in the ninth to help the Seattle Mariners defeat the Cleveland Indians 7-3 on a hot, sunny Sunday afternoon.
“I looked at some film this morning,” said Lopez, who broke an 0-for-15 slump by going 3 for 5. “I was moving my left foot up a little bit. I made a little change and it helped. I felt comfortable today.”
Jacob Woods (3-1) pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the win and J.J. Putz got out of a jam for his 22nd save in 26 chances. Putz forced Grady Sizemore to hit into a game-ending double play with the bases loaded as Seattle won for the seventh time in 10 games.
The Mariners started the day in last place in the A.L. West, but were only 3 1/2 games out of first. They improved to two games under .500 (51-53) with the win.
“All four teams are trying to grab it,” said Mariners manager Mike Hargrove. “I laugh when I hear people say no one wants it. It might be a case where everyone wants it too bad.”
Cleveland lost for the 11th time in 15 games since July 14 and went 3-6 on a nine-game homestand. The Indians are 0-6-1 since last winning a series June 30 to July 2 in Cincinnati.
Fausto Carmona (1-4) walked pinch-hitter Ben Broussard to start the ninth. Broussard was bunted to second by Yuniesky Betancourt and went to third on an infield single by pinch-hitter Greg Dobbs, but was caught in a rundown when pinch-hitter Kenji Johjima grounded to third.
“You can’t walk the leadoff guy on four pitches,” said Indians manager Eric Wedge, who also was upset that catcher Victor Martinez did not run Broussard back towards third. The prolonged rundown, scored 5-2-5-1-6, allowed the runners to move up.
With runners on second and third, Carmona walked Ichiro Suzuki intentionally to load the bases.
Lopez, who entered the game in an 0-for-15 slump, then lined a single to left to score Dobbs and Johjima and break the tie.
“It was a big day for him and a big day for us,” said Mariners manager Hargrove. “He had one RBI the whole month.”
After Carmona hit Adrian Beltre with a pitch to load the bases, Ibanez hit a two-run single to make it 7-3.
Cleveland scored each of its runs on groundouts – by Travis Hafner in the first and third innings and Joe Inglett in the fourth off Seattle starter Joel Pineiro.
Sizemore walked and scored in the first and doubled and scored in the third to put Cleveland ahead, 2-1.
Richie Sexson sent Seattle ahead, 3-2, with his 22nd homer, a two-run shot in the fourth.
“I tried to throw a cutter inside and left it over the plate,” said Cleveland starting pitcher Cliff Lee. “We got the lead and I gave it back. That’s on me right there.”
The Indians tied it in the bottom half on Inglett’s bases-loaded groundout.
Lee allowed three runs and seven hits over 7 2/3 innings, striking out two and walking one. The left-hander is winless in three starts since July 13 and failed to build on his 5-1 career record against Seattle.
Pineiro gave up three runs and four hits in seven and failed to win consecutive starts for only the second time this season. The right-hander walked three, struck out four and retired the last 10 batters he faced.
Notes
Play was stopped for a few seconds with two outs in the top of the seventh when the outfield sprinklers went off – not a bad idea on a sultry day that had some fans leaving front-row seats to go sit in shaded areas underneath the second deck. … Plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt was hit in the left arm by a foul tip in the first and attended to by Indians trainer Lonnie Soloff, but stayed in the game. … Suzuki played in his 900th game.
Correction
The Mariners schedule that ran in Sunday’s sports section mistakenly listed the Texas Rangers as Sunday’s and today’s opponent. The Mariners begin a three-game series at Baltimore today.