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CLEVELAND(AP)
Cliff Lee
finally got just a little run support. It was enough for the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner.
Lee won for the first time in more than a month, allowing one run in his second complete game of the season to give the
Cleveland Indians
a 4-1 victory over the
Seattle Mariners
on Thursday night.
''He showed why he was the
Cy Young
winner last year,'' Seattle manager
Don Wakamatsu
said. ''He never kept anything in the middle of the plate. We had a hit every inning, which is hard to do, but we couldn't
capitalize on it and put anything together.''
Lee (5-9) hadn't won since a three-hit shutout against St. Louis on June 14, when he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning.
He had lost three straight starts, thanks mostly to a lack of run support. The Indians have scored three runs or less in 11
of Lee's 20 starts.
''We got some runs early,'' Lee said. ''We got a nice lead and I got ahead in the count. That's how you win games.''
Lee allowed nine hits, including
Ronny Cedeno
's solo homer in the fifth inning. He also struck out six and didn't walk a batter. Even after
Kenji Johjima
singled with two out in the ninth for his third hit of the game Indians manager
Eric Wedge
gave no thought to removing Lee, who struck out
Chris Woodward
to end it.
''It was Cliff's game,'' Wedge said. ''He was in control.''
The Mariners stranded seven, but didn't get a runner past second base other than on Cedeno's home run.
''When people are on base, that's where you have to bear down and get out of it,'' said Lee, who is 8-1 with a 3.35 ERA in
12 career appearances against Seattle.
Grady Sizemore
, batting leadoff for the first time since May 16, had two hits and drove in a run. He also banged into the center field wall
after catching Cedeno's fly ball in the third inning.
''There were some unbelievable defensive plays behind me,'' Lee said.
Besides Sizemore's catch, Lee was also helped by a dazzling double play in the seventh. Shortstop
Asdrubal Cabrera
fielded Cedeno's ground ball in front of second base and made a behind-the-back flip to
Jamey Carroll
, who threw to first.
''I don't think anyone saw the behind-the-back throw,'' Wedge said. ''I'm glad
Jamey Carroll
saw it. It would have hit him right in the chest.''
Garrett Olson
(3-3) allowed three runs in 2 2-3 innings in his first start since July 4 for the Mariners, who made four errors.
Ichiro Suzuki
extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a third-inning single, but it was a sloppy first game after the All-Star break
for the Mariners. First baseman
Russell Branyan
committed two errors while pitcher
Chris Jakubauskas
and Woodward, the third baseman, had one each.
''The guys had three days off. The timing just wasn't there,'' Wakamatsu said.
Sizemore singled to lead off the first and scored on Cabrera's double. Sizemore, who was on the disabled list for three weeks
with a sore elbow, has been batting in the second spot.
An error by Branyan helped the Indians in the second. Woodward fielded
Ben Francisco
's ground ball, but Branyan failed to catch the ball because the sun that was setting on the other side of the field got in
his eyes. Francisco was awarded second when the ball went into the stands. Branyan went to the dugout for a pair of sunglasses.
Carroll's double scored Francisco. Sizmore's bloop single to right made it 3-0.
Jhonny Peralta
added an RBI single in the fifth.
NOTES: The Mariners opened a seven-game road trip Thursday. ... 3B
Adrian Beltre
rejoined Seattle after having shoulder surgery July 1 to remove a spur. He could start taking ground balls next week, but
the team doesn't expect to have him back for another month ... Mariners DH
Mike Sweeney
(back spasms) took early batting practice and is on pace to be activated July 21, when he is eligible to come off the DL.
... Indians manager
Eric Wedge
flipped C
Victor Martinez
and OF Shin-Soo Choo in the batting order. Martinez was moved to cleanup while Choo batted third. ... Choo was caught stealing
for the first time this season in the third. He had been 13 for 13 in stolen base attempts. ... RHP
Fausto Carmona
, Cleveland's No. 2 starter when the season began, allowed two runs in seven innings for Triple-A Columbus against Syracuse.
Carmona could be called up to start on July 25.
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