SEATTLE — There wouldn’t be chance for late-inning heroics. This time, the baseball hierarchy was proved correct with cold and familiar execution.
After suffering just their second loss since Aug. 23 on Friday night, the Cleveland Indians reasserted their proper place in this series of two teams going in different directions with an 11-4 win on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Safeco Field.
The Indians improved the best record in the American League to 97-58 and moved closer to gaining home-field advantage and facing the winner of the AL wild-card game. The Mariners moved one game closer to elimination from that wild card game — a fate that seemed inevitable a week ago.
Cleveland got a solid start from right-hander Carlos Carrasco and took advantage mistakes from three Mariners pitchers and five errors committed in the field.
Making his 31st start of the season — a career high — Carrasco worked 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts. He wasn’t particularly dominant or efficient, but he was effective.
His only run allowed came in a sixth inning he wouldn’t finish with his team leading 3-0. He allowed a one-out single to Nelson Cruz and double to the gap in left center off the bat of Kyle Seager. Cruz was able to score all the way from first.
With two outs and Carrasco’s pitch count at 99 pitches, Cleveland manager Terry Francona called on do-everything reliever Andrew Miller. The long-armed lefty walked pinch-hitter Danny Valencia and Mike Zunino to load the bases, but struck out Guillermo Heredia looking to end the threat.
The Indians provided more than enough run support with a little help from Seattle’s mistake-prone defense.
Cleveland had a 1-0 lead one batter into the game as Francisco Lindor yanked a leadoff homer to right field off Seattle starter Andrew Moore. It was Lindor’s 33rd homer of the season — a stunning total for the young shortstop. Cleveland pushed the lead to 3-0 in the third inning on an RBI single from Austin Jackson and a sac fly from Jose Ramirez.
The Indians tacked on two more runs in the seventh on pair of sac flies.
The Mariners’ other bright spot came from Nelson Cruz, who has been Seattle’s best hitter all season. Cruz homered for the fourth straight game, crushing a solo homer into The Pen are beyond the wall in center for his 37th homer. But it had little factor in the outcome.
Jean Segura left the game following the Mariners’ fifth error in the top of the ninth. Ariel Miranda, who had already given up a two-run homer in the inning, fired wildly to second on a comebacker to the mound. Robinson Cano couldn’t grab the wayward throw and it hit Segura on the right hand as he backed up the throw.
Moments after Segura left the game, Miranda served up a three-run homer to Yan Gomes. It was the 37th homer he’s allowed this season, the most in MLB.
