Currently: - Game info: 10:05 pm EDT Mon Sep 6, 2004
- TV: FSOH, FSNW
C.C. Sabathia will try to halt Cleveland’s losing streak at five games when the Indians begin a three-game series against Ichiro Suzuki and the Seattle Mariners.
The Indians, who were within one game of the top spot in the AL Central three weeks ago, have lost 16 of 20 and are now 11 games behind first-place Minnesota.
Cleveland was shut down by Anaheim’s John Lackey on Sunday, managing just one unearned run in a 2-1 loss to the Angels.
Sabathia, who is 10-9 with a 4.20 ERA, has a 5.66 ERA in 10 starts since the All-Star break. The 6-foot-7 left-hander will almost certainly have his hands full with red-hot Suzuki.
The 2001 AL MVP comes into this series needing 34 hits in the final 26 games to break George Sisler’s single-season major league record of 257.
Suzuki has fared well against Sabathia in his career, batting .429 (9-for-21) with two doubles, a triple and a home run.
However, even with Suzuki being the toughest out in the majors, the woeful Mariners have still lost five in a row.
Jolbert Cabrera’s ninth-inning home run was one of few highlights Sunday as the Mariners were beaten 6-2 by the Chicago White Sox.
Suzuki hit a single off reliever Jon Adkins in the seventh and finished 1-for-4.
The Mariners are hoping right-hander Gil Meche can get them into the win column on Monday.
Meche, who will turn 26 on Wednesday, has pitched well for Seattle since being called up from Triple-A Tacoma on July 31, going 3-0 with a 3.80 ERA in seven starts.
Meche began the season 1-5 with a 7.06 ERA in 10 starts before getting sent down to the minors in early June.
Let's Go Tribe
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