Mariners 9, Indians 3
CLEVELAND -- Kyle Seager had a double, a grand slam, and five RBIs as the Seattle Mariners snapped a franchise-record streak of 13 consecutive games of scoring three or fewer runs with a 9-3 rout of the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night at Progressive Field.
Right-hander Taijuan Walker (3-6) pitched six innings to beat Cleveland for the second time in his last three starts. In those two starts Walker is 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA, having held the Indians to one run on 10 hits in 14 innings. He has struck out 14 and walked two.
Cleveland right-hander Trevor Bauer (5-3) gave up six runs on four hits and five walks in 3 2/3 innings to take the loss.
Leading 6-1, the Mariners struck for three more runs in the seventh inning vs. right-hander Austin Adams. With one out, second baseman Robinson Cano reached second base on a throwing error by shortstop Mike Aviles. Third baseman Seager followed with a double to center field, driving in Cano to make it 7-1.
Designated hitter Seth Smith also doubled, this one to left field, driving in Seager to extend the Seattle lead to 8-1. Right fielder Mark Trumbo made it three hits in a row with an RBI single to right field, scoring Smith and Seattle had a 9-1 lead.
The nine runs are the most the Mariners have scored in a game since they beat San Diego 11-4 on May 8.
Cleveland scored a run in the eighth inning on an RBI groundout by left fielder Zach Walters and another run in the ninth on an RBI groundout by third baseman Giovanny Urshela.
The loss is the Indians' fourth in the first five games of their six-game homestand. The Indians are just 11-18 at Progressive Field.
Right-hander Trevor Bauer came into the game on a roll. In his previous five starts he was 3-1 with a 1.75 ERA. But Bauer's control eluded him in this game, particularly in the third inning when he walked the bases loaded and gave up a grand slam.
Catcher Mike Zunino led off the top of the third with a walk. Bauer retired the next two batters, but he walked center fielder Austin Jackson and second baseman Robinson Cano to load the bases.
Third baseman Kyle Seager then pounded a 1-1 pitch from Bauer over the wall in right-center field for his 10th home run, to give the Mariners a 4-0 lead.
Seattle scored two more runs to knock Bauer out of the game in the fourth inning. Left fielder Dustin Ackley led off the inning with a single, and went to second on a one-out walk drawn by shortstop Brad Miller.
First baseman Logan Morrison followed with a double, driving in both base runners and extending his hitting streak to 16 games.
Bauer pitched 3 2/3 innings and allowed six runs on four hits with five strikeouts and five walks.
Walker was starting against Cleveland for the second time in his last three starts. In a 2-1 win over Cleveland in Seattle on May 29, Walker pitched eight shutout innings on two hits.
This time, Walker held the Indians scoreless until the fourth inning. Designated hitter David Murphy led off the inning with a single and Murphy went to second on a single by catcher Yan Gomes. Center fielder Michael Bourn hit a grounder to Morrison at first. Morrison threw to second to retire Gomes, but Walker, covering first, was unable to handle the return throw from shortstop Miller in an attempt to complete what would have been a double play.
The error on Walker allowed Murphy to score, cutting the Seattle lead to 6-1.
NOTES: The Mariners came into the game having scored three runs or fewer in 13 consecutive games, dating back to May 27. It's the longest such streak in Mariners' history and the first time a team has done it since the Atlanta Braves in September 1981. ... Mariners OF Nelson Cruz was not in the starting lineup due to back spasms. He hopes to play Thursday. ... Indians 2B Jason Kipnis went into Wednesday with a 19-game hitting streak at Progressive Field, tying him with Michael Brantley (2014) for the longest streak there by an Indians player.