 out to deep right-center field after Robinson Cano had opened the inning with a single. Each of Cruz's last three home runs have gone to the opposite field, and he upped his AL-leading RBI total to 114.''I threw a couple bad breaking balls to Cano. You throw some bad pitches like that to some really good hitters, more often than not they're going to beat you,'' Allen said.It was a pitchers' duel most of the way between Seattle's Erasmo Ramirez and Cleveland's Trevor Bauer. Giovanny Urshela homered for the Indians' only run, and Seattle pulled even in the seventh. Kyle Seager led off with a double, and Yonder Alonso followed with a single to right. Seager was initially held at third, but Jay Bruce mishandled the ball, and the error allowed Seager to score and tie the game.Urshela's homer was his first of the season and seventh of his career. His last home run came on Sept. 14, 2015.Ramirez tied a career high with eight innings, getting there for the first time since Sept. 18, 2012 - during his first stint with the Mariners. Ramirez kept the Indians guessing throughout, also matching a career-high with 10 strikeouts. He retired his final 18 batters after Urshela's homer in the third inning.Ramirez was the first Seattle pitcher to go eight innings since Andrew Moore on July 3. Edwin Diaz (4-6) pitched the ninth to cap a three-hitter.''To be able to get back on track after that homer was something huge, for me and for the team, too,'' Ramirez said.The outstanding performance from Ramirez kept Bauer from being able to match teammate Corey Kluber with his 17th victory. Bauer scattered five hits over seven innings but was lifted before the eighth with his pitch count at 116 pitches. It was his eighth start of the season allowing one earned run or fewer.LONG TIME COMINGWhile Cruz has three game-ending hits this season, it was the first time he homered to end a game since Sept. 10, 2010, when he was playing for Texas. It was the fifth time in his career he ended a game with a long ball.TRAINER'S ROOMCleveland: OF Lonnie Chisenhall is scheduled to begin running Saturday as he continues to recover from a calf strain that has kept him out since July. Chisenhall will begin his running rehab back in Cleveland. ... OF Brandon Guyer (wrist) will be re-examined when the team returns to Cleveland next week but could be soon cleared to resume hitting.AWARD SEASONCruz and teammates James Paxton and Nick Vincent were honored by the local chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America on Friday. Cruz was named the team's MVP, Paxton was voted the pitcher of the year and Vincent was honored with the ''Unsung Hero'' award.''For a long time, he was probably the MVP of our team,'' Seattle manager Scott Servais said of Vincent.UP NEXTIndians: Carlos Carrasco (16-6) tries to match Kluber with 17 wins. Carrasco will be making his 31st start and has won his past four decisions.Mariners: RHP Andrew Moore (1-4) makes what could be his last start of the season. It will be Moore's ninth career start and his first against Cleveland.---More baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball)
Mariners hope to stay alive against surging Indians 14m ago• 3 min read SEATTLE -- Just as the Seattle Mariners are looking for any break they can muster to remain in the postseason race, they get to welcome one of the hottest teams in baseball history -- not the sort of break they needed.The Cleveland Indians (96-57) come to Safeco Field on a tear, boasting a 27-1 record over their past 28 games, a run that featured an American League-record 22-game winning streak as they ran away with the AL Central division title."They've got a good squad," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "They've played great. Watching the game today, they're not backing off at all." It isn't surprising to Cleveland manager Terry Francona that his club would just keep on winning."I never thought there would be a letdown," Francona said. "All the things that I say, and I know sometimes people roll their eyes, but it's why we do it. We play the game today. If you do that, there's no reason to have a letdown." Meanwhile, Seattle is licking its wounds having lost a season-worst six straight. The Mariners (74-79) were just swept by the Rangers in a three-game series at Safeco Field, capped by a 4-2 Texas win Thursday.The Indians might be on a historical tear, but the Mariners have held their own the past two seasons against the defending AL champions: Cleveland and Seattle are 5-5 head to head in 2016 and 2017.Cleveland has made a couple of improvements however, adding slugger Edwin Encarnacion (.254, 37 home runs, 96 RBIs) in the offseason and outfielder Jay Bruce (.257, 34 home runs, 96 RBIs) in a trade with the New York Mets on Aug. 9."We've played pretty well against them," Servais said. "Obviously, Encarnacion has added a nice element to their lineup." With a victory against Seattle on Friday, the Indians could match the 1884 Providence Grays -- the team that featured 59-game winner Old Hoss Radbourn -- for baseball's best 29-game stretch. More practically, the Indians are a game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in baseball and home-field advantage throughout the postseason."It's refreshing to see that we have a chance to overtake them and hopefully have that best record," Indians pitcher Josh Tomlin said Wednesday night. "If you're going to get to the World Series, home-field advantage will help." The Mariners are still trying to stay in the chase for the second AL wild-card spot, sitting five games behind the Minnesota Twins.Right-hander Trevor Bauer (16-9, 4.41 ERA) takes the mound in the series opener for Cleveland. Bauer took the loss when the Indians' 22-game winning streak was snapped against Kansas City on Sept. 15, pitching 5 1/3 innings and allowing four runs on nine hits.Prior to that, Bauer had won his last nine decisions, a streak that dated back to July 21.Bauer has not enjoyed great success against the Mariners, going 1-4 with a 5.52 ERA in 31 innings. Kyle Seager has hit .400 (6-for-15) with a homer and five RBIs against Bauer in his career, while Nelson Cruz is 6-for-10 with a homer and three RBIs.Right-hander Erasmo Ramirez (5-6, 4.56 ERA) will start for the Mariners, having gone winless in his past five starts. However, Ramirez has been solid of late, notching quality starts in six of seven outings for a 3.54 ERA over his past 40 2/3 innings.In six career appearances (three starts) against the Indians, Ramirez is 1-2 with a 4.58 ERA, though he hasn't faced them this year.Ramirez has had some success against Encarnacion, limiting him to a .235 average (4-for-17) in his career -- but that has come with two home runs.
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