Offense Comes To Life, Lee Now 5-0

Score: Indians 8 Mariners 3


Turning Point: Grady Sizemore set the tone for this ballgame right off the bat. Sizemore led off the game with a solo shot. That would get the offense rolling in the right direction.


Analysis: Eric Wedge’s shake up paid dividends tonight. Wedge held line up regulars Travis Hafner and Jhonny Peralta on the bench. The result was eight runs and eleven hits. Grady Sizemore and Franklin Gutierrez led the offensive charge. The Tribe had the lead off man on base in five of the eight innings, and they had five doubles. Cliff Lee continues his hot start. He pitched six innings and gave up a season high three runs in his start. He just ran out of gas in the seventh, when he gave up the three runs. Lee struck out three. Jensen Lewis pitched two innings of shut out ball, and Jorge Julio closed out the Mariners in the ninth. With the offensive success tonight, it will be interesting to see what Wedge does tomorrow.


MVP: Franklin Gutierrez
Gutierrez continued to stroke a hot bat tonight. He went 2-4 with three runs driven in. He is 7-11 in his last three ball games, and he has raised his average to .276.


Extras:

- Cliff Lee’s scoreless innings streak was snapped at twenty seven tonight in the seventh inning. His ERA rose from 0.28 to 0.96.

- When Grady Sizemore led off tonight’s game with a home run, it was the twelfth time he has done so in his career.


Next Up: The Indians face Seattle again tomorrow night in the rubber match of this three game set. The Tribe will send Paul Byrd, who got his first win last time out, to the hill. Byrd is 1-2 with a 4.85 ERA. The Mariners will pitch journey man, Miguel Batista. Batista is 2-3 with a 5.26 ERA. The game will start at 7:05 PM from Progressive Field.