By Mike Brandyberry

Tuesday evening the Indians Roberto Hernandez pitched into the seventh inning, giving the Tribe a chance to win but tired in his second start of the season. In a 1-1 tie game Hernandez allowed the Mariners to take the lead and set the table for John Jaso’s three-run homer to break the game open and give Seattle a 5-1 lead. It was all the run support Felix Hernandez would need, dealing the Wahoo’s their seventh straight defeat.

Today, the Indians play a game in the daylight hours for Clevelanders. No need to moonlight to see today’s 3:40 pm ET start from Safeco Field. While more fans may see the Tribe in action, it might not necessarily be a positive for the team that has lost seven in a row and 20 of their last 24 games. With the Tribe just two and one-half games away from the worst record in the American League, the team is trying to survive the final quarter of the season amidst negativity from the public and speculation that Indians Manager Manny Acta could be fired.

Cleveland will try to salvage the final game of the three-city, nine-game road trip. They have not won since the first game in Los Angeles. Zach McAllister (5-4, 3.64 ERA) will try to make the flight across the country and back to Cleveland a happy one when he takes the mound this afternoon. He received a no-decision last Friday evening in Oakland, allowing four earned runs in six innings of work. McAllister has not had great success against the Mariners in his career, going 0-1 with a 11.00 ERA in two starts.

Seattle will counter with rookie right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma (4-3, 3.79 ERA). Iwakuma pitched in Japan from 2000-11, but has been throwing the ball well with Seattle this summer. He gave up only one run—an unearned one—on four hits in seven innings against the Minnesota Twins last Friday. He’s 3-1, with a 2.37 ERA in his last six starts.

Prior to last night’s game the Indians announced that Josh Tomlin would undergo Tommy John elbow surgery today. It is likely he will miss the entire 2013 season while rehabbing and strengthening his arm. The Indians also announced Grady Sizemore has been shut down and will likely not play this season. Sizemore signed a one-year $5 million contract last winter, but was injured in Goodyear, Arizona before Spring Training officially began. Originally slated to return in June, Sizemore has had several setbacks trying to run.

The battered and beaten Tribe take the field this afternoon at 3:40 before travelling home for an off day on Thursday. All of today’s action can be seen on SportsTime Ohio or heard on the Indians Radio Network.

Cleveland Indians Starting Lineup
1. Jason Kipnis, 2B
2. Asdrubal Cabrera, SS
3. Shin-Soo Choo, RF
4. Carlos Santana, DH
5. Michael Brantley, CF
6. Casey Kotchman, 1B
7. Ezequiel Carrera, LF
8. Jack Hannahan, 3B
9. Lou Marson, C

Seattle Mariners Starting Lineup
1. Dustin Ackley, 2B
2. Michael Saunders, CF
3. Kyle Seager, 3B
4. John Jaso, DH
5. Jesus Montero, C
6. Eric Thames, RF
7. Justin Smoak, 1B
8. Trayvon Robinson, LF
9. Brendan Ryan, SS

Photo: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images