Series vs. Seattle

[Special_K19]

Where: Jacobs Field.

TV/radio: Fox Sports Net Ohio; WTAM AM/1100.

Pitching matchups: Jason Davis (1-3, 6.06 ERA) vs. Ryan Franklin (2-4, 4.78) tonight at 7:05; C.C. Sabathia (2-2, 2.26) vs. Jamie Moyer (2-2, 4.63) Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. and Jake Westbrook (3-2, 3.02) vs. Gil Meche (1-4, 5.68) Thursday at 7:05 p.m.

Series: The Indians lost six of nine games to Seattle last year. The Indians lead, 163-126, overall.

Indians update: The Mariners are the first AL West team the Indians have played this season. They hit .255 against Seattle last year and are coming off being swept in a three-game weekend series by Tampa Bay.

Mariners update: They've lost 12 of their last 15 games. Ichiro Suzuki hit .389 (14-for-36) and Moyer was 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA against the Indians last year.

Injuries: Indians - Pitchers Jeff D'Amico (back), Jason Stanford (left forearm), Bob Wickman (right elbow), Brian Tallet (left elbow), Billy Traber (left elbow), outfielder Ryan Ludwick (right knee) and catcher Josh Bard (hernia) are on the disabled list. Outfielder Matt Lawton (right hip) is day to day. Mariners - Pitcher Rafael Soriano (right elbow) is on the DL.

On deck: Oakland visits Jacobs Field for a three-game series starting Friday.

[Special_K19]

Ryan Franklin (2-4 4.59)
http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/images/gameday/mugshots/211041.jpg

vs.

:cheer:Jason Davis (1-3 6.06):cheer:
http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/images/gameday/mugshots/425186.jpg

:dancin: :banana: :dancin: :banana: :dancin: :banana: :dancin: :banana:

[duckboy]

OK, so we have been as battered this season as a water cooler around Paul O'Neill. In all reality, we kind of resemble that bird that got in the way of the Randy Johnson fastball in spring training.

All that is about to change. We are gonig to be up for this series. It's time to take all of our hitting frustrations out on Jason Davis.

My prediction:


Mariners - 8
Native Americans - 4

My name is Duckboy, and I approve this message.

:luvkiss:

[duckboy]

Okay, what I meant obviously was 5-4 in extra innings. :clap:

This game tonight is going to be harder. Don't be fooled by Moyer's ERA. He has been pitching very well as of late. I think it won't the the Tribe as well that they are missing their top offensive player in Lawton.

My Prediction :hmm:

Mariners - 2
Native Americans - 1

Another win for the Seamen. :thumbsup:

Enjoy!

:luvkiss:

[Special_K19]

You have such little faith in the Tribe's offense, even without Lawton they are one of the best in the league, and with C.C. going tonight, it's a pretty good bet the Tribe'll win if the 'pen doesn't come in.
---------------------------------

'Pen blows another late lead
Miller, Riske, Jimenez, Stewart falter as Tribe loses
By Justice B. Hill / MLB.com


http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/images/2004/05/25/bfHXw9Pq.jpg
Casey Blake hits a solo home run off Ryan Franklin in the sixth inning. (Mark Duncan/AP)


CLEVELAND -- Manager Eric Wedge continues to look for answers in his beleaguered bullpen

"Ultimately," Wedge said Tuesday night, "when you bring somebody in the game, they gotta make pitches and get the job done."

Yes, those relievers do. But, no, his relievers are not.

The Indians bullpen proved that fact again at Jacobs Field as Matt Miller, David Riske, Jose Jimenez and Scott Stewart combined to turn a two-run lead in the eighth inning against the Mariners into a 5-4 loss in 12 innings.

Entrusted with a 4-2 lead to safeguard in the eighth, the bullpen showed that no lead is safe in its hands.

The chief culprit in this late collapse was Miller, who left with Mariners on second and third with two men out. Riske had his fingerprints on this inning as well. He took over for Miller, and the first batter Riske faced, John Olerud, doubled home the tying runs.

Olerud's hit saddled right-hander Jason Davis with a no-decision. He deserved better, because Davis had pitched well. His only real missteps came in the first. He gave up three hits and two runs that inning.

"I think it was probably his best outing of the year," said Wedge, whose team has lost a season-high six in a row. "I mean, look at the way he settled himself down, and the way he went back out there and really commanded the ballgame."

That's the way Davis saw his performance, too. He admitted he had some problems with his two-seam fastball early on, but he abandoned it for a four-seam variety in the second. The switch paid dividends.

"I kinda got comfortable out there in the second inning; I kinda got locked in," Davis said. "I was able to locate my fastball."

He said he had figured the Mariners would be aggressive early, so he was trying to get them to swing at bad pitches and beat the ball into the ground. What happened, instead, was he kept falling behind in the count. He also fell behind in the game, 2-0

But that 2-0 deficit proved no problem. The Indians scored one run in the bottom of the first on Victor Martinez's RBI single, and in the sixth, they scored three more runs, including one on Martinez's sacrifice fly that tied the game.

Davis held firmly to that 4-2 lead before leaving.

"He done his job," Wedge said.

The relief pitchers did not. They came in and merely complicated things for the Tribe, and those complications turned into a loss in the 12th.

With Jimenez (0-3, 8.62 ERA) on for the Indians, Randy Winn slapped a leadoff single to right field. Ichiro Suzuki then legged out an infield single, which moved Winn to second.

Jimenez got Spiezio to ground into what should have been a double play, but Omar Vizquel's relay to first fell out of Jimenez's glove. The misplay kept the inning alive.

With Mariners now on first and third with just one out, Jimenez fanned Bret Boone, which brought in Stewart to face Ibanez. He lined a single to right that scored the go-ahead run.

Ibanez's RBI single saddled the bullpen with another loss -- No. 14 to go along with 11 blown saves. Nobody seems to be providing quality relief for a starting staff that has continued to pitch well.

"I know how really good our bullpen is," said Davis, who gave up six hits and just two runs. "To see those guys struggling, it really is frustrating. But as a team, we know how really good those guys are."

Justice B. Hill is a senior writer for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

[Special_K19]

Jamie Moyer (2-2 4.63)
http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/images/gameday/mugshots/119469.jpg

vs.

:cheer:C.C. Sabathia (2-2 2.26):cheer:
http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/images/gameday/mugshots/282332.jpg

LET'S GO C.C.!! START THE WINNING STREAK FOR US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:dancin: :banana: :dancin: :banana: :dancin: :banana: :dancin: :banana:

[duckboy]

I do think you guys have positioned yourself nicely. Good young hitters, and surprisingly good pitching.

I'm not trying to knock your offense, just tyring to say that Moyer is hot. :banana: