News
Ichiro is key to Mariners for Lee
Seattle (46-42) at Cleveland (35-54), 7:05 p.m. ET
By Matt Wentworth / Special to MLB.com
07/12/09 7:59 PM ET
DETROIT -- The Indians kick off the season's second half by facing the Mariners on Thursday for the first game of a four-game series. Seattle a winning record despite scoring the fewest runs in the American League.One of the key reasons? Ichiro Suzuki, of course.
"Hopefully he hits it at somebody and makes an out," said Cliff Lee, the Indians' ace, who'll start Thursday. Ichiro's .361 batting average is second only to Twins catcher Joe Mauer in all of baseball.Lee is 7-1 lifetime against the Mariners. However, this will be the first time the two teams have played since August 2008.
"It's been a long time since I've faced those guys," Lee said. "[You have to] work ahead, stay out of the middle of the plate. They have a good mix of speed and power. You've got to get them to swing the bat."
Lee has given up three runs in each of his past two games. Both were quality starts, but both were losses. Lee was visibly upset after his previous outing against the Tigers. Lee's 3.47 ERA is 12th in the AL, but he is tied for the Major League lead with nine losses."It's always frustrating when you lose, regardless of the circumstances," Lee said. "It's a waste of time and energy to worry about what I can't control. My job is to go deep into games and give my team a chance to win."
Suzuki is one of the toughest outs in all of baseball. His contact-hitting ability and speed can drive pitchers crazy."He's one of the best hitters in the game," Lee said. "He definitely demands attention."
Manager Eric Wedge agrees.
"He's one of the best hitters in the game, and one of the best ever," Wedge said. "He's racking up 200 hits a year. The only other guy I've seen do that is Wade [Boggs] in the '80s."
The Mariners are a balanced club. They hit .261 against lefties, and .260 against right-handers. The Indians will throw three lefties in the four-game series. With players coming back from the All-Star break, Wedge wants to keep his players focused, especially after a rough first few months of the season."We'll just talk about the first half," Wedge said. "We're figuring things out. We have to think good thoughts and believe good things will happen."
Pitching matchupCLE: Cliff Lee (4-9, 3.47 ERA)
The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner is 7-1 lifetime against the Mariners. SEA: Garret Olson (3-2, 4.42 ERA)
This will be Olson's third career appearance against the Indians and he is 1-0 with a 5.25 ERA against them. Tidbits
Catcher Victor Martinez is the Indians' lone representative in St. Louis for the All-Star Game. It's his third Midsummer Classic. ... Many of the Tribe players said they didn't have major plans over the break. Most are just hanging around Cleveland for the three days. "Just relaxing and hanging out with my wife and kids," said Lee. ... Cleveland has lost 10 of its past 15 games, and 18 out of 25 overall. ... Through 89 games, the Indians have two more losses this year than they did at the same point in 2008. Last season, the Tribe finished strong and ended up in third place with an 81-81 record. Tickets
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• Friday: Indians (Tomo Ohka, 0-3, 6.40) vs. Mariners (Felix Hernandez, 9-3, 2.53), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Saturday: Indians (David Huff, 4-3, 6.71) vs. Mariners (Jarrod Washburn, 6-6, 2.96), 7:05 p.m. ET
• Sunday: Indians (Aaron Laffey, 3-2, 4.24) vs. Mariners (Eric Bedard, 5-2, 2.58), 1:05 p.m. ET
Matt Wentworth is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
