By Matthew Van Wormer
The Indians go for their fourth straight win as they take on the Mariners this afternoon, looking to hold on to, at least, a three game lead over their next competitor in the Central Division, the Detroit Tigers. An offensive outburst by the Tribe gave them a 9-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night that they will look to build on.
Shin-Soo Choo continued to thrive in the leadoff spot in the order, going 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored in the winning effort for the Indians while Ubaldo Jimenez had a great outing, getting ahead of hitters and keeping them off the base paths. Jimenez was able to get ahead of 16 of the 24 hitter he faced in his fourth victory of the year.
Zach McAllister (1-1, 4.15 ERA) will make his third start of the year for the Indians, taking on a Mariners lineup that has little experience against the righty. In his start against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, McAllister pitched well but gave up four earned runs in seven innings of work. He walked no Red Sox hitters while striking out eight at Fenway Park.
Right-hander Hector Noesi (2-4, 6.32 ERA) gets the call for the Mariners who are quickly losing their chance to compete for the American League West while other teams in the division also struggle. Noesi’s last start saw him walk four hitters while giving up five runs over seven innings. Noesi’s only wins on the season have come at Safeco Field this season.
The Indians look to sweep their second straight two-game set heading into Interleague play. The ballgame gets underway at 12:05 on the Cleveland Indians Radio Network.
Cleveland Indians Starting Lineup
1. Shin-Soo Choo, RF
2. Jason Kipnis, 2B
3. Asdrubal Cabrera, SS
4. Travis Hafner, DH
5. Carlos Santana, C
6. Michael Brantley, CF
7. Johnny Damon, LF
8. Casey Kotchman, 1B
9. Jose Lopez, 3B
Seattle Mariners Starting Lineup
1. Dustin Ackley, 2B
2. Michael Saunders, CF
3. Ichiro Suzuki, RF
4. Kyle Seager, 3B
5. Justin Smoak, 1B
6. Alex Liddi, 3B
7. John Jaso, C
8. Mike Carp, DH
9. Brendan Ryan, SS
Photo: Jason Miller/Getty Images
