Indians 10, Mariners 1: Scott Kazmir allowed one hit over eight innings while Michael Bourn belted his first career grand slam as visiting Cleveland ended Seattle’s bid for its first nine-game winning streak since 2003.
Kazmir (6-4) allowed an unearned run and struck out seven to collect his first road win since Sept. 25, 2010. Asdrubal Cabrera scored four times and recorded three RBIs while Carlos Santana drove in a pair of runs for Cleveland, which avoided a three-game sweep after taking four straight from the Mariners at home in mid-May.
Joe Saunders (9-9) entered Wednesday with a 4-0 record and 1.73 ERA in July, but was tagged for six runs and nine hits over 4 2/3 innings. Justin Smoak opened the fifth inning with a single to end Kazmir’s no-hit bid and Nick Franklin started the ninth with a single off reliever Vinnie Pestano to account for Seattle’s only hits.
After Bourn began the game with a bunt single and Nick Swisher drew a walk, Cabrera delivered a two-run double to the gap in left-center and Santana followed with a ground-rule RBI double down the left-field line. Seattle scratched across its only run in the second when Cabrera threw wide of second base, allowing Jason Bay to score from first.
Santana got the run back in the third with his second run-scoring double and Cleveland put the game away in the fifth as Bourn lifted a 3-2 fastball from reliever Hector Noesi over the fence in right-center. Cabrera added a mammoth solo shot off Noesi one inning later.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Seattle failed to hit a home run for the second straight contest after going deep in 25 of its previous 26 games. … Cleveland backup C Yan Gomes, who has caught each of Kazmir’s last seven starts, went 2-for-4 and is batting 8-for-15 against the Mariners this season. … Santana’s first-inning double was the 100th of his career.
Cleveland | Seattle | |
Scott Kazmir | Player | Joe Saunders |
Win | W/L | Loss |
8.0 | IP | 4.2 |
7 | Strikeouts | 5 |
1 | Hits | 9 |
0.00 | ERA | 9.64 |
Cleveland | Seattle | |
Carlos Santana | Player | Nick Franklin |
3 | Hits | 1 |
2 | RBI | 0 |
0 | HR | 0 |
5 | TB | 1 |
.600 | Avg | .333 |