Bauer stellar but bats stall vs. Seattle's Walker 'Stupid pitch' proves costly in Bauer's tough loss

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1 Bauer stellar but bats stall vs. Seattle's Walker By Jordan Bastian and Doug Miller / MLB.com 3:56 AM ET COMMENTS SEATTLE -- A taut pitcher's duel broke out between the Indians and Mariners on Friday night at Safeco Field, and one swing of the bat proved to be the difference in Seattle's 2-1 victory. A two-run home run by Seth Smith off Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning, and young Mariners starter Taijuan Walker did the rest of the work for his team, going eight innings and striking out eight without walking a batter in his best performance of the season. Walker was electric from the get-go. Mixing 97-mph fastballs with 75-mph curves, he was able to rebound from a leadoff hit by Jason Kipnis in the first inning and retire the next 13 batters, facing the minimum until a Nick Swisher single in the fifth. After that, Walker got the next 10 in a row to seal his gem, and closer Fernando Rodney escaped the ninth after giving up a run on a Ryan Raburn RBI triple. Bauer was excellent, too. The right-hander gave up nothing but singles until the sixth, but his one-out single to Nelson Cruz was followed by Smith's bolt into the right center field seats. The Indians couldn't muster any run support to get him into the win column, though, and he was left with a tough-luck loss despite 10 strikeouts. It was Bauer's third double-digit strikeout effort this season, and Bauer has given up a total of five earned runs over his last four starts, a span of 29 1/3 innings. "I thought I threw the ball really well actually," Bauer said. "They hit one ball hard tonight. Seven innings. One hard-hit ball. Ten strikeouts. What are you going to do?" Indians manager Terry Francona agreed. "On a lot of nights," he said, "we're sitting here saying he gave us seven really good innings and we're patting him on the back. I don't want to lose sight of that. There was some bend, but not break. I think he wasn't always efficient, but you look up after seven innings, two runs, we'll take it." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Sweet-swinging Smith: The Mariners started Smith at designated hitter and batted him in the cleanup role with a lineup that had to be shuffled around with Robinson Cano still out with flu-like symptoms. It paid off in the sixth inning when Smith hit the two-run homer into the seats. More > "It was a cutter. It was a stupid pitch," Bauer said. "I shouldn't have thrown it. It was the wrong pitch at the wrong time. I should've thrown him a fastball in, but it happens." Almost isn't good enough: The Indians had a chance to get on the board and put pressure on Walker right out of the chute, but it didn't work out. Kipnis led off the game with a single to left field -- his 49th hit this month -- but Jose Ramirez struck out and Michael Brantley grounded into a double play. Walker proceeded to retire the next 11 batters after the squelched rally and didn't look back. Showing love for the glove: Seattle defenders did their part in helping Walker shine. Mariners second baseman Willie Bloomquist made a highlight-reel play to end the top of the sixth inning, ranging far to his left to snare a Kipnis grounder and firing across his body to nip him at first. And in the top of the seventh, left fielder Dustin Ackley chased a long Brantley fly ball to the wall and lunged to make a difficult catch. "The defense was unbelievable," Walker said. "Ackley had a great play and Willie, too." Last chance: With two outs in the ninth inning, Kipnis drew a walk against Rodney, giving Cleveland some life. The Tribe then turned to Raburn, who drilled a pitch to the wall in right-center field for an RBI triple that trimmed Seattle's lead to one run. Rodney recovered, though, getting Brantley to fly out to end the game and notch a save. QUOTABLE "That kind of came out of nowhere tonight. I'd come up to look at a pitch in the video room and I'd sit down and look and it's like, 'Oh, we have two outs already?' I get to look at three pitches and go out and pitch. It makes for a good rhythm for the game and stuff. Unfortunately, they had two and we had one at the end of the night." --Bauer, on Walker's performance SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager singled in his first at-bat on Friday night and now has recorded a hit in 23 of 27 career games vs. the Indians. He's batted.377 (40-for-106) with 12 doubles, one triple, two homers and six RBIs in those matchups. WHAT'S NEXT Indians: Veteran right-hander Shaun Marcum will aim to get back on track when the Indians face the Mariners in the third game of this fourgame set at 10:10 p.m. ET Saturday at Safeco Field. Two starts ago, Marcum turned in a strong effort for the Tribe, but he endured a rocky outing on Monday against the Rangers. In only 2 2/3 innings, the 33-year-old righty gave up seven runs on four hits, including a pair of homers. Mariners: The Mariners' starting rotation has been hurt by injuries to Hisashi Iwakuma and now James Paxton, but Saturday's starter, lefty Roenis Elias, has been huge for the club. Elias was beaten out by Walker for the fifth spot in the rotation in Spring Training, but he has replaced Iwakuma with aplomb, going 2-1 with a 2.56 ERA. Elias faced Cleveland once last year, giving up five runs in six innings and taking a loss on June 28. Watch every out-of-market regular season game live on MLB.TV. 'Stupid pitch' proves costly in Bauer's tough loss By Jordan Bastian / 2:24 AM ET + 8 COMMENTS SEATTLE -- Trevor Bauer made one costly mistake on Friday night, leaving the starter second-guessing his approach in the one moment that led Cleveland to a 2-1 loss. Bauer threw a cutter to Seth Smith in the sixth inning. Smith sent it over the wall for a two-run homer. "It was a stupid pitch," Bauer said after Seattle evened the series at Safeco Field. "I shouldn't have thrown it. It was the wrong pitch at the wrong time. I should've thrown him a fastball in, but it happens."

2 On another night, that pitch would have been a footnote. Due to the eight-inning gem spun by Mariners starter Taijuan Walker, Bauer's mistake became magnified. Walker handcuffed the Tribe's offense, scattering two hits, striking out eight and taking advantage of a strike zone that favored high fastballs. Walker entered the game with a bloated 7.33 ERA that did nothing to show how hard the right-hander can fire his fastball. He certainly found it against Cleveland and turned in his best outing of the season. As a result, Bauer was hung with a hard-luck loss after spinning a solid seven innings of his own. "On a lot of nights," Indians manager Terry Francona said, "we're sitting here saying he gave us seven really good innings and we're patting him on the back. I don't want to lose sight of that." The 24-year-old Bauer struck out 10 batters, registering his third double-digit effort of the season. By giving up two runs, the right-hander saw his streak of starts with no more than one run allowed end at three. Still, over his past four starts, Bauer has fashioned a tidy 1.53 ERA with 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings and a.183 opponents' average. Bauer (six hits and three walks allowed) gave up a pair of singles in the first inning, but the Mariners ran into two outs, including a caught stealing after the righty struck out slugger Nelson Cruz. Seattle loaded the bases behind a base hit and a pair of two-out walks in the fourth, but Bauer induced a flyout to Brad Miller to escape the jam unscathed. "There was some bend," Francona said, "but not break." After trading zeroes with Walker for five innings, Bauer finally flinched. After striking out Kyle Seager to begin the sixth, Bauer gave up a groundball single to Cruz. The young righty then slipped into a 2-1 count and went with the ill-fated cutter to Smith, who deposited it over the wall in right-field for the decisive home run. Cleveland scratched one run across in the ninth inning, but the damage was done. "Really, one pitch was the whole game," Indians first baseman Brandon Moss said. "It [stinks], but that's how some games go. There's nothing you can do about that one." Bauer (4-2) was also forced to try to shrug off the tough loss. "They hit one ball hard," he said. "Seven innings. One hard-hit ball. Ten strikeouts. What are you going to do? It's my job to go out there and give the team a chance to win. While I feel like I did a good job of that tonight -- I think in most cases if you go seven innings and give up two runs, you'll win -- it's a loss. "And we've got plenty of those already on our record." Santana plans to rejoin Indians on Sunday By Jordan Bastian / May 29th, COMMENTS SEATTLE -- The Indians were willing to give Carlos Santana until Tuesday to suit back up with the team, but the first baseman will rejoin the club in Seattle before the end of the current series. Santana was placed on Major League Baseball's paternity list on Thursday after he and his wife, Brittany, welcomed a daughter into their family that morning in Cleveland. After an off-day on Monday, the Indians open a three-game series in Kansas City, but Santana is planning on flying to Seattle for Sunday's game at Safeco Field. "Everything is good," Indians manager Terry Francona said prior to Friday's game. "I think he's comfortable with Brittany, that she's got enough help. So, he's good to go.... He was like, 'No, I'll be there.' That made it easier." Had Santana elected to return on Tuesday, Cleveland would have likely needed to transfer him to MLB's restricted list. The paternity list only allows a player a maximum of three days away from the club. Worth noting Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis had two more hits on Thursday night, giving him a franchise record 48 for the month of May. Kipnis' offensive tear has been reminiscent of June 2013, when he hit.419, won the American League Player of the Month honor and hit his way onto his first All-Star team. "He's in the midst of a really good run here," Francona said. "Right now, you're seeing a good player that feels good, and it's fun to watch. His level, when he feels good, is pretty dang high. You're seeing what he's doing. He's contributing all over the place." In the sixth inning on Thursday night, shortstop Jose Ramirez pulled off a hustle double on a ball hit into the left-center gap, and he later scored from third base on a grounder to second base by Kipnis with Seattle's infield drawn in. Francona said Ramirez (.395 on-base percentage in his last 10 games, entering Friday) has been making strides of late. "He's very confident," Francona said. "He's so aggressive. I would say lately it's been a lot more smart aggressive. If you can get smart and aggressive, that's the best. Having one without the other sometimes isn't real helpful.... He's fearless and we don't ever want to take that away." Indians catcher Yan Gomes, who returned from the disabled list on Sunday after missing six weeks with a sprained right knee, is scheduled to start back-to-back games for the first time since the injury. With an off-day on Monday, Francona said Gomes is slated to start Saturday and Sunday against the Mariners. Marcum looks for bounceback effort vs. Mariners By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com May 29th, COMMENTS The Mariners are hoping that Saturday's contest against the Indians will present a favorable matchup. Cleveland has struggled against lefthanded pitching for most of this season and Seattle will hand the ball to one of its hot hands, lefty Roenis Elias. Elias (2-1, 2.56 ERA) has allowed no more than one earned run in each of his past three outings, picking up a pair of wins and posting a 1.35 ERA in that stretch. On Monday, the 26-year-old southpaw held Tampa Bay to one run over six innings, ending with six strikeouts and three walks.

3 For Cleveland, veteran right-hander Shaun Marcum will aim to get back on track after a rough outing against the Rangers on Monday. In only 2 2/3 innings, the 33-year-old Marcum surrendered seven runs on four hits, including a pair of home runs. Things to know about this game Indians catcher Yan Gomes is scheduled to start behind the plate both Saturday and Sunday, marking the first time he will work in consecutive games since coming off the disabled list with a right knee injury. Cleveland thought it was an opportune time to do so, especially with a scheduled off-day on Monday. Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano was out of the starting lineup on Thursday and Friday due to flu-like symptoms, but he had a pinch-hit appearance late in Thursday's loss to Cleveland. Cano is day-to-day with the issue and it is unclear what his status will be for Saturday's game. With Elias on the mound, look for Cleveland to play some its better hitters against left-handed pitching. Utility men Ryan Raburn (.349 average against lefties, entering Friday) and Jerry Sands (.389) could both be in the lineup. Cleveland has gone 8-11 against lefty starters this year. Slumping Chisenhall shines with defense, baserunning 'It's been my savior so far,' says Indians third baseman By Jordan Bastian / May 29th, COMMENTS SEATTLE -- While dealing with a persistent offensive slump, Lonnie Chisenhall has tried to focus on other ways he can help the Indians. The third baseman has improved his defense and has developed into one of Cleveland's best baserunners. Chisenhall has taken a lot of pride in those elements of his game. "Especially when you're not hitting well, you focus on it even more," Chisenhall said on Friday. "It's been my savior so far this year." Heading into Friday's game against the Mariners, the 26-year-old Chisenhall led the Indians in Ultimate Baserunning (1.4), according to Fangraphs.com. He ranked 15th overall among qualified Major League batters in that category. Defensively, Chisenhall has bounced back from a dismal 2014, posting seven Defensive Runs Saved to date, tying him with Kansas City's Mike Moustakas for the best mark in the American League. Chisenhall also had a 6.5 Ultimate Zone Rating, which ranked sixth in the AL and 10th in the Majors among third baseman. A few seasons ago, Indians manager Terry Francona talked to Chisenhall about the importance of focusing on those aspects. "I think he took it to heart," Francona said. "I think Lonnie says some things now, even like in the course of a conversation, that he wouldn't have three years ago.... There's a lot of maturity there. Now, has he swung the bat the way he can? No. But, we know he can, and he's also playing the game. That's important." Chisenhall carried a.215 average and.616 OPS into Friday's action, but the third baseman had connected for three extra-base hits and four hits in his previous 12 at-bats. It is a small sample of plate appearances, but the third baseman said it felt good to be rewarded for some good swings, and some of the work he has put in with hitting coach Ty Van Burkleo. Chisenhall's solo shot Chisenhall's solo shot 5/27/15: Lonnie Chisenhall belts a solo shot, his fourth of the year, to give the Indians an 11-0 lead over the Rangers "I'm a feel hitter," Chisenhall said. "The things that I had written down from last year, a few keys that helped me, haven't done too much for me this year. So, I've kind of simplified it and got with Ty and we've worked on shortening up the swing, and maybe working on driving the ball the other way.... Maybe you're one hit away. Hopefully that's where I'm at right now." W alker, Smith lead Mariners to 2-1 win over Indians SEATTLE (AP) -- Taijuan Walker showed the Seattle Mariners how good he can be. Walker allowed just two hits over eight innings and Seth Smith hit a two-run homer to lead the Mariners to a 2-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Friday night. Walker (2-5) got his first win since April 27 with one of the best starts of the 22-year-old's young career. He did not walk a batter and struck out eight, matching his career high, for his first victory at Safeco Field. ''With young starters, there's going to be two starts that you're not going to like, there's going to be one that you're shaking your head,'' Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. ''Then there's one where he's going to show you a glimpse of the future and tonight that was one of those starts. ''He worked fast, he threw strikes, he worked ahead in the count, he was in and out, he had a great change.... He did everything we asked him.'' Smith, batting cleanup for the first time this season with Robinson Cano out sick, hit a 2-1 pitch from Trevor Bauer (4-2) into the right-center seats in the sixth inning. It scored Nelson Cruz, who had singled. It was Smith fifth home run this season. The Mariners have homered in eight straight games and 13 of their last 14. ''It was a cutter. It was a stupid pitch. I shouldn't have thrown it,'' Bauer said. ''Wrong pitch, wrong time. I should have thrown the fastball in. But, you know, it happens.'' Bauer went seven innings, allowing two runs, six hits with three walks and 10 strikeouts.

4 Fernando Rodney had trouble in the ninth, allowing a pinch-hit, run-scoring triple by Ryan Raburn, but still earned his 14th save in 16 opportunities. Despite only two blown saves, Rodney continually puts the team on a roller coaster during many of his save situations. That has led to some calls for replacing him. ''You know people talk about you ought to get another closer and this and that,'' McClendon said. ''If someone told me I could get you a closer over the next two years who saves 62 of 66 games I don't think anyone in this room would say, don't get that guy. Then when he blows a couple everyone wants to get another closer. I think that's an unfair shot.'' TRAINER'S ROOM Mariners: LHP James Paxton was placed on the 15-day DL Friday with a strained tendon in his middle finger. RHP Dominic Leone was called up to replace him.... RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (strained lat), on the DL since April 24, threw catch from 90 feet Friday with no timetable for a return. LHO Joe Beimel was placed on the restricted list to attend his son's high school graduation. LHP Lucas Luetge was called up from Triple-A Tacoma.... 2B Cano missed the game with flu-like symptoms. Indians: INF Carlos Santana is on the restricted list to be with his wife Brittany, who gave birth Thursday morning to a girl. He will fly from Cleveland on Saturday night and is expected to be available for Sunday's game. UP NEXT Mariners: LHP Roenis Elias (2-1, 2.56) started the season at Triple-A Tacoma but after five starts has become an integral part of the Mariners injury-riddled rotation. Elias has won his past two starts and has not allowed more than three runs in any start. Indians: RHP Shawn Marcum (1-0, 6.28) will try to rebound from a poor start Monday against Texas. He lasted just 2 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs and four hits. He gave up two home runs, had six strikeouts and three walks. He is 1-2 with a 4.00 ERA in five career starts against Seattle. PEERLESS KIPNIS Indians 2B Jason Kipnis went 1 for 3 with a walk after entering the game hitting.449 in May with 13 doubles, three triples, four home runs and 16 RBIs. From May 9-16, he had club-record-matching 19 hits over seven games and his 49 hits this month is the most for the franchise since at least STRIKEOUT STREAK The Mariners are going through a particularly tough stretch of strikeout pitchers. It started Wednesday, facing Tampa's Chris Archer, second in the AL with 82 (he had 12). On Thursday, they faced Cleveland's Corey Cluber, the leader with 96 (he had 13). Bauer, who came in with 55, had 10. On Sunday, Cleveland's Danny Salazar, tied for fifth with 66, is scheduled, and on Monday the Yankees' Michael Pineda, fourth with 67, is expected to start. Trevor Bauer, Cleveland Indians must grin and bear loss to Seattle Mariners Paul Hoynes, on May 30, 2015 at 6:00 AM, updated May 30, 2015 at 6:05 AM SEATTLE Manny Ramirez, perhaps the best right-handed hitter to ever wear an Indians uniform, had a saying he used to deal with the wild swings of fortune that take place on a baseball diamond. "Sometimes you get the bear. Sometimes the bear gets you," said Ramirez. The bear got Trevor Bauer on Friday night at Safeco Field. Bauer did just about everything right. He pitched seven innings, struck out 10 and walked three batters in the Indians' 2-1 loss to Seattle. "On a lot of nights we're sitting here saying he gave us seven really good innings and we're patting him on the back," said manager Terry Francona. "I don't want to lose sight of that." Two people and one pitch put Bauer in the bear's path. Right-hander Taijaun Walker, 22, came into the game at 1-5 with 7.33 ERA. It looked like a mismatch, but Walker spent the night throwing a 96 mph to 97 mph fastball past the Indians at the top of the strike zone for eight scoreless innings. "That kind of came out of nowhere tonight," said Bauer, of Walker's performance. "I'd come up to look at a pitch in the video room and I'd sit down and look and it's like, 'Oh, we have two outs already? I get to look at three pitches and go out and pitch.' It makes for a good rhythm for the game and stuff. Unfortunately, they had two and we had one at the end of the night." Bauer entered the sixth inning with no score. He struck out Kyle Seager for the first out, but Nelson Cruz singled through the hole at short. Lefthander Seth Smith was next. Smith was 0-for-4 lifetime against Bauer, but he worked the count to 2-1. Bauer threw a cutter and in the words of catcher Roberto Perez, "It didn't move like it had been moving the whole game. It just spun." In one swing of the bat, Smith sent the spinning cutter sailing into the right field seats for a 2-0 lead.

5 "It was a stupid pitch," said Bauer. "I shouldn't have thrown it. It was the wrong pitch at the wrong time. I should've thrown him a fastball in, but it happens." Said Franona, "A ground ball hit by Cruz and then a 2-1 cutter that was right in the heart of the plate to the wrong guy. But, other than that, there was some bend, but no break. I think he wasn't always efficient, but you look up after seven innings, two runs, we'll take it." In his last four starts, Bauer is 2-1 with a 1.53 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings. "I thought I threw the ball really well actually," said Bauer, 4-2, "But, they hit one ball hard tonight. Seven innings. One hard-hit ball. Ten strikeouts. What are you going to do?" Just to make things more maddening, pinch-hitter Ryan Raburn made it a 2-1 game with a two-out triple off closer Fernando Rodney in the ninth. Raburn was on third base, representing the trying run that could get Bauer off the hook, when Michael Brantley flied out to right to end it. In the distance, you could hear the bear growl. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: Taijuan Walker's Seattle Mariners defeat Trevor Bauer's Cleveland Indians: DMan's Report, Game 48 Dennis Manoloff, CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Right-hander Taijuan Walker gave up two hits in eight shutout innings and Seth Smith hit a two-run homer as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Cleveland Indians, 2-1, Friday night at Safeco Field in Seattle, Wash. Tribe righty Trevor Bauer allowed the two runs and struck out 10 in seven innings. The Indians fell to 22-26; the Mariners improved to Here is a capsule look at the game after a DVR review of the Fox SportsTime Ohio telecast: Too good: Walker, 22, entered the night at 1-5 with a 7.33 ERA. Against the Indians, he pitched like Corey Kluber. He authored the best start of an MLB career that began Aug. 30, Walker faced one batter over the minimum. He threw 76 of 102 pitches for strikes. Walker allowed a leadoff single to Jason Kipnis, who was erased on Michael Brantley's double-play grounder. The Tribe's other runner against Walker resulted from Nick Swisher's single with two outs in the fifth. Walker relied on a mid-90s fastball and changeup. He leaned heavily on the fastball. He struck out eight -- all swinging; six came on fastballs ranging from the belt to the letters. Walker was terrific, no question. He deserved plenty of praise. But he had help. The first pitch Brantley saw in the first inning was a fastball that scraped the letters. Plate umpire Pat Hoberg called it a strike. Fox SportsTime Ohio analyst Rick Manning identified immediately that, if Walker continued to get that call, the Indians could be in for a long night. Bauer also benefitted from Hoberg's generosity upstairs. But the 6-4 Walker needs pitches above the belt more than the 6-1 Bauer does. Regardless of Hoberg's interpretation of the zone, the Tribe offense has culpability for failure to make the necessary adjustment to lay off enough of the high stuff -- as difficult as it might have been. The Indians forced Walker to throw more than 15 pitches in an inning just once (10, 13, 11, 14, 15, 8, 17, 14). The defense behind Walker was stellar. Center fielder Austin Jackson, second baseman Willie Bloomquist, left fielder Dustin Ackley and first baseman Logan Morrison made plus-plays. Jackson and Bloomquist denied Kipnis; Ackley robbed Brantley with a sliding catch at the base of the wall; and Morrison knocked down a sharp hop to erase David Murphy. Making matters interesting: Seattle's struggling closer, Fernando Rodney, walked Kipnis with two outs in the ninth. Kipnis advanced to second on defensive indifference and scored when pinch-hitter Ryan Raburn tripled to right. Raburn's AB was the Tribe's first with a runner in scoring position. The Indians had the player they wanted at the plate, but Brantley was unable to do anything with a 1-0 fastball and flied to right. Strong work: Bauer (4-2, 2.97 ERA) allowed six hits and walked three. He notched his fourth straight start of seven or more innings and two or fewer earned runs. Seattle scored twice in the sixth. With one out, Nelson Cruz hooked an 0-0 off-speed pitch on the outer third to left for a single. Lefty Smith, in a 2-1 count, drilled a cut piece deep to right for the homer. Bauer was unable to get the ball inside enough; it backed up to the inner third at the thighs -- a spot that appeals to Smith. Spotlight on...jason Kipnis. The Tribe second baseman and leadoff batter entered with a.449 average and 48 hits in May. Here is a look at his at-bats Friday: First inning vs.taijuan Walker fastball called strike (outside corner); 96 fastball low and in; 96 fastball swinging strike (outer half at belt); 96 fastball, single to right (inside corner at knees). Skinny: Manning said: "I figured teams would try to start pitching Jason in a little bit more, because he's been wearing left-field out. Well, here you go. They want it up and in; (Walker) got it down and it wasn't quite in. So what does (Kipnis) do? He pulls the ball. You talk about seeing the ball well and hitting it where it's pitched. There you have it.''

6 Fourth inning vs. Walker (none on, none out) curve down and in; 89 changeup low; 96 fastball swinging strike (over plate at belt); 96 fastball foul (over plate at letters); 96 fastball, liner to center (inner half at thighs). Skinny: Kipnis pounced on a mistake and sent it a long way, but he hit it in the wrong park to the wrong guy. Jackson smoothly made a backhanded running catch on the track. Sixth inning vs. Walker (none on, two outs) curve down and in; 95 fastball called strike (inner half at thighs); 90 changeup swinging strike (outside corner at shins); 96 fastball, grounder to second (outer third above belt). Skinny: The pitch with which to do something was the 1-0 fastball -- and Kipnis knew it. Still, he almost scratched another hit. He chopped the 1-2 fastball over the middle, where Bloomquist fielded after ranging far to his right. Bloomquist's throw across the body to Morrison beat Kipnis by a half-step. Ninth inning vs. Fernando Rodney (none on, two outs) changeup called strike; 82 changeup high and away; 95 fastball high; 83 changeup inside; 95 fastball high, walk. Skinny: Rodney wasn't close with any of the misses. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: Cleveland Indians fall to Seattle, 2-1; Taijuan Walker throws eight scoreless innings Paul Hoynes, on May 30, 2015 at 12:38 AM, updated May 30, 2015 at 1:12 AM SEATTLE -- The Indians were overpowered Friday night at Safeco Field by 22-year-old right-hander Taijuan Walker. You pronounce the first name TIE-wahn in case you're interested. The Indians just called him Mister Walker after seeing him for the first time in the regular season. While Walker kept throwing a 96 mph fastball past the Indians, Seth Smith hit a two-run homer off Trevor Bauer to lead the Mariners to a 2-1 victory to even this four-game series at one win apiece. Walker came into the game with high-velocity stuff, but there was no indication that he knew where it was going. He was 1-5 with a 7.33 ERA. In 43 innings, he had 39 strikeouts and 23 walks. Left-handers were hitting.333 (33-for-99) and right-handers were hitting.288 (23-for-80) against him. He'd allowed eight homers, but except for Jason Kipnis' single to start the game and Nick Swisher's two-out single in the fifth, the Indians couldn't do a thing with Walker. Walker (2-5, 6.18) struck out eight and didn't walk a batter in eight scoreless innings. He threw 75 percent (76-of-102) of his pitches for strikes. The win was Walker's first since April 27 against Texas. Closer Fernando Rodney completed the three-hitter, but not before the Indians gave him a scare. After Kipnis drew a two-out walk, pinch-hitter Ryan Raburn tripled to make it a 2-1 game. Rodney retired Michael Brantley on a fly ball to right for his 14th save. Bauer (4-2, 2.97) turned in his fourth straight quality start, but it wasn't enough because Walker never let a runner reach second base. Bauer allowed two runs on six hits in seven innings. He struck out 10 and walked three. In his last four starts, Bauer has 31 strikeouts in 22 1/3 innings. Bauer started the sixth by striking out Kyle Seager. Nelson Cruz singled to left and Smith hit a 2-1 pitch into the right field seats. It was Smith's fifth homer of the season and the fifth homer Bauer has allowed this year. In three starts against Seattle, Bauer is 0-3. What it means The Indians (22-26) saw their modest two-game winning streak come to an end. They have still won eight of their last 11 and 10 of their last 15 games. They stand at in May after going 7-14 in April. Seattle (24-24) has won six of its last eight games. They are 2-3 against the AL Central. Highway robbery Brantley was robbed of extra bases in the seventh inning by Dustin Ackley. With one out, Brantley sent a drive toward the left field corner. Ackley tracked it down and caught it just in front of the wall. On the road again The two-run homer by Smith in the sixth inning represented just the second and third runs Bauer has allowed on the road this season. Bauer came into the game having allowed just one earned run in 20 1/3 innings on the road this season for a 0.44 ERA. He trailed only Zack Greinke, who had not allowed a run in 21 2/3 innings on the road this year. Thanks for coming The Indians and Mariners drew 32,454 fans to Safeco Field on Friday night. May day

7 Kipnis, with his leadoff single, has hits in 24 Tribe's 27 games in May. He came into the game hitting.449 (48-for-107) with 13 doubles, three triples, four homers and 16 RBI in May. What happens next? Right-hander Shaun Marcum (1-0, 6.28) will make his third start for the Tribe when he faces LHP Roenis Elias (2-1, 2.56) at 10:10 p.m. Saturday at Safeco Field. SportsTime Ohio, WTAM AM/1100 and WMMS FM/100.7 will carry the game Marcum lasted just 2 2/3 innings in his last start in a 10-8 loss to Texas. He allowed seven runs on four hits, two of which were homers. Marcum needs a good start to help him secure the fifth spot in the rotation. He has made nine appearances against Seattle, going 1-2 with a 3.77 ERA. Elias has won his last two starts, including a win over Tampa Bay on Monday. He has not allowed more than three earned runs in a start this season. He is 0-1 against the Indians, allowing five earned runs in six innings in his only appearance against them. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: Corey Kluber once again pitching like Corey Kluber: Cleveland Indians notes Paul Hoynes, on May 29, 2015 at 10:12 PM, updated May 29, 2015 at 10:31 PM SEATTLE Corey Kluber has found it again. He says it really wasn't that far away, just a bad pitch here or there, a ground ball that snuck past the glove of a diving infielder. The engine block wasn't cracked. There was no need to pull the transmission or replace the clutch. Really, Kluber just had to throw his fastball a little more early in the count. That's how he did it last year when he stepped out of the shadows outside of Cleveland that is to win 18 games and the AL Cy Young award. In Seattle they're still stomping and hissing about it. Kluber edged Felix Hernandez for the award. Nobody apparently does that to King Felix. The overtones were still heavy in the air when Kluber and the Indians opened a four-game series Thursday night against the Mariners at Safeco Field. There would be no head-to-head matchup because Hernandez threw a complete-game shutout against Tampa Bay on Wednesday at Tropicana Field. The King improved to an impressive 8-1 with a 1.91 ERA and left a calling card for Kluber at the same time. It consisted of eight strikeouts and one walk in 101 pitches. Something to catch Kluber's eye before he took the mound in the Great Northwest. Consider Kluber's eye caught, but he was not distracted. In the Tribe's 5-3 victory, all Kluber did was pitch seven innings, allow three runs and strike out 13 batters. He is 3-0 with a 1.41 ERA in his last four starts. He's struck out 50, walked two and allowed five earned runs in 32 innings over those four starts. Kluber's record (3-5, 3.52) still isn't something to put on the mantel. But it's a lot better than it was on May 7 when he was 0-5 with a 5.04 ERA. He leads the big leagues with 96 strikeouts and 76 2/3 innings pitched. "Like I was saying when things weren't going that great, it's not that far off," said Kluber. "A lot of balls were just out of guys' reach... things like that. For the most part I've been in a good spot. "There hasn't been anything major to adjust. I've got to clean up little things here and there an go out and try to get guys out." Kluber ends May with 60 strikeouts and six walks. He is the first Indians pitcher, according to Elias Sports Bureau, to strike out 50 or more batters in four starts in the same season. Bob Feller did it over four starts that stretched from the 1938 season to The last pitcher to strike out 50 or more batters over four starts was Hall of Famer Randy Johnson. The Big Unit did it for Arizona in This is the second time Kluber has recorded 60 strikeouts in a month. He did it in May of Before Thursday, the Indians scored just over two runs per game when Kluber was on the mound. Thursday they scored three in the fourth inning to give him a 4-1 lead. In his first 10 starts he never had more than a two-run lead. "Anytime that you get that kind of support offensively it's always nice because it gives you a little cushion for when you make a mistake," said Kluber. There were two defining moments in the game. They featured Kluber and AL home run leader Nelson Cruz. In the fifth, with the Tribe leading, 4-1, Seattle had two on and two out when Cruz came to the plate. Kluber struck him out on a 2-2 pitch. In the seventh, with the Tribe leading, 5-3, Cruz was in the batter's box with two out and a chance to tie the score. Kluber struck him out on three fastballs, the last one clocked at 96 mph. It was Kluber's 112th and final pitch of the game. "He really threw good quality pitches, because if you don't (Cruz is) going to hurt you," said manager Terry Francona. "His last pitch was probably his best fastball of the night." Eight of Kluber's last nine outs came on strikeouts.

8 "He works so hard," said Francona. "He doesn't run out of gas. He's built himself to where he can go out and do what he needs to do as long as he needs to do it." Welcome back: First baseman Carlos Santana, placed on the paternity list on Thursday, will rejoin the Indians on Sunday in Seattle. Santana's wife, Brittany, had a baby girl Thursday morning. Finally: Francona said catcher Yan Gomes will catch consecutive games Saturday and Sunday for the first time since coming off the disabled list on May 24. Gomes injured his right knee on April 11 and missed six weeks.... Seattle left-hander James Paxton, who started against the Tribe on Thursday, was placed on the disabled list Friday with a strained left middle finger. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: Columbus Clippers remain in the chase despite slide: Cleveland Indians Class AAA Report Branson Wright, CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Columbus Clippers (26-22) are three games behind West Division leader Indianapolis heading into the weekend. The Clippers have lost seven of their last 10 following Thursday night's loss at Charlotte. Indianapolis has won seven of its last 10. Like the team, Clippers pitcher Nick Maronde has also struggled. On Tuesday night he gave up five runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings in a loss to Charlotte. Maronde, who had seven strikeouts and four walks in that game, is 0-6 this season. Maronde has a 6.34 ERA in six starts. He's third on the team with 44 innings pitched. Prospect watch: Outfielder James Ramsey (No. 12 prospect) is hitting.253 with seven home runs. Ramsey has two homers in his last three games.... Third baseman Giovanny Urshela (No. 11 prospect) is hitting.327 with three home runs. Urshela has five hits, two homers and three RBIs in his last three games. Up and down: Shortstop Francisco Lindor has run hot and cold. On the first two road trips, he hit.148 with three RBI in 54 at-bats. During the first two homestands, he hit.358 with one homer and eight RBI in 53 at-bats. Over the last 10 road games, he's hitting.327 with seven RBI in 49 at-bats. For his last five home games, he's hitting.053 in 19 at-bats. He's hitting.251 overall. Zach attack: Since returning from a stint with the Indians, Zach Walters has lifted his average from.239 to.296, collecting 13 hits in 35 at-bats, with one homer and six RBI. Visiting team: A member of the Gwinnett Braves, infielder Elmer S. Reyes, was arrested last weekend following a series with the Clippers. Reyes is accused of rape and kidnapping. Upcoming home schedule: The Clippers host Toledo Monday-Wednesday. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: Dose of May Madness has brought out best in Jason Kipnis, Cleveland Indians Paul Hoynes, on May 29, 2015 at 6:23 AM, updated May 29, 2015 at 12:45 PM SEATTLE May madness continues to roar through Jason Kipnis' body. He reached base three more times Thursday night as the Indians beat Seattle, 5-3, behind 13 strikeouts by Corey Kluber and a surging offense ignited one of the hottest hitters in baseball. "All winter, I think I kept telling you guys that he was going to come out with a vengeance," said manager Terry Francona. "And that's exactly what it looks like. He's attacking every game. He's in the middle of everything." Last year Kipnis strained his right oblique muscle at the end of April and never fully recovered. He grinded through 500 at-bats, but hit just.240 with.640 OPS. Thursday night, Kipnis singled with two out in the second inning following a Brandon Moss homer that put the Tribe ahead, 1-0. In the third, he singled with the bases loaded to give the Indians a 2-1 lead that they never gave back. In the sixth, he pushed the lead to 5-1 with the help of Jose Ramirez's flying feet and belly-flopping dive at home plate. Ramirez, on third with one out and the infield pulled in, scored on Kipnis' grounder to second. Brad Miller had a chance to throw Ramirez out, but he bounced his throw to catcher Mike Zunino, who never attempted a tag. "He (Ramirez) is fearless," said Francona. "Sometimes, it's probably to the point where he thinks he's invisible. He's probably the only guy who scores on that play." Kipnis is definitely not invisible. His statistics won't let him fade into the background. He's hitting.449 (48-for-107) with 13 doubles, three triples, four homers and 16 RBI in May. He's scored 28 runs and drawn 14 walks. Kipnis' overall batting average has gone from.218 on April 30 to.345. Now that's some May madness to talk about. "We've all seen it before," said Kluber, who will end May with 60 strikeouts and six walks. "When he gets on these kind of rolls it seems like you can't get him out. Guys make good pitches and he still finds ways to get hits. I think he's into one of those hot streaks right now and I hope he rides it for as long as he can." Kipnis hit.419 (39-for-93) with 12 doubles, four homers and 25 RBI in June of It earned him AL Player of the Month honors and propelled him to his first All-Star game. The same thing could happen this year.

9 Moss, unlike Kluber and Francona, didn't play for the Indians in He was not prepared for what Kipnis looks like on a hot streak. "I have no words for it," said Moss, acquired from Oakland in December. "I'm surprised it's not being talked about more around baseball. I know he gets his credit, but I've never seen anything like it. I mean I really haven't." Kipnis' 48 hits in May are the most by an Indians player in May since The two hits Thursday pushed him past Bobby Avila, who had 47 in May of "I've seen guys on tears," said Moss. "I've played with a few guys who have had some good years, but I have never seen a guy consistently stay within himself and stay with the same approach and do the things he does." Kipnis has hit in 23 of his 26 games in May. He's first in the AL in WAR at 2.81 and second in batting average at.345. "I feel like I've seen 70 line drives to left field from him," said Moss. "And then, they'll hang an off-speed pitch and it's a double in the gap or a homer. It goes without saying how hard it is to do what he's doing. I've never seen anything like it the amount of line drives." Moss said he'd take Kipnis over any hitter in the big leagues at this moment with the game on the line. "I know Prince Fielder is locked in, but I'd still take Kipnis," said Moss. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: Bradley Zimmer tearing up Carolina League: Cleveland Indians Class A Report Tim Warsinskey, on May 29, 2015 at 9:01 AM, updated May 29, 2015 at 4:03 PM CLEVELAND, Ohio A year ago, Bradley Zimmer was waiting to be drafted. A year later, Indians fans can start to wonder when he'll be in Cleveland. Zimmer, 22, quickly has risen to near the top among Tribe prospects while tearing up the Carolina League for the Class A Lynchburg Hillcats. Zimmer (6-4, 185 pounds) hits for power and average, runs well and plays solid outfield defense. His recent numbers are ridiculous. Heading into Thursday, he was hitting.487 with a.592 on-base percentage in his last 11 games. During that span, he produced 19 hits, 19 runs, four doubles, three home runs, five stolen bases, seven walks, five strikeouts and he was hit by a pitch three times. He reached base at least twice in every game. Zimmer raised his batting average to a league-best.319. His 40 runs scored were 10 more than anyone else. He was tied for the Carolina League lead in home runs (eight) and second in stolen bases (20 in 21 attempts). All eight of his homers have been solo shots. He also had 22 walks. A left-handed batter, he was hitting lefties (.326, three homers) as well as righties (.317, five homers). Zimmer bats third for the Hillcats and splits center and right fields with 2013 first-round pick Clint Frazier. Zimmer had two errors and three outfield assists. Zimmer was the 21st pick overall in last year's draft, out of the University of San Francisco. He signed for $1.9 million. Nellie heating up: Lynchburg first baseman Nellie Rodriguez had at least one RBI in nine straight games through Wednesday, and 18 RBI in his last 13 games. He owned a seven-game hitting streak during which he raised his batting average from.220 to.253. On Wednesday, Rodriguez was 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and an RBI double Wednesday to increase his league-leading RBI total to 36. He has six home runs on the season, as well as 49 strikeouts and seven errors at first base. Papi struggles: Hillcats outfielder Mike Papi, who starred for Virginia in the College World Series last year, has yet to find any traction at the plate since being drafted 38th overall. He is hitting.168 with no home runs this season, and.174 with three homers in 287 career minor-league at-bats. LAKE COUNTY CAPTAINS Feyereisen promoted: Right-handed closer JP Feyereisen was promoted from Lake County to Lynchburg on Tuesday and was set to join the Hillcats during their current road trip. He was 1-0 with a 1.08 ERA (one run) and 10 saves in 16 games this season. He allowed the first run of his career last week. Kivett clobbers Captains: Broadview Heights native Ross Kivett was 6-for-11 in the first two games of a three-game series against Lake County this week. Kivett is a West Michigan center fielder in the Tigers farm system. He was hitting.316 overall and led the Midwest League with 16 doubles and his 60 hits ranked second in the league. Coming up: The Captains begin a four-game series Friday against South Bend at Classic Park. They hit the road Tuesday for six games and return June 10. Cleveland Plain Dealer LOADED: Is Cleveland Indians closer Cody Allen walking into trouble? Hey, Hoynsie Print Paul Hoynes, Northeast Ohio Media Group By Paul Hoynes, Northeast Ohio Media Group SEATTLE Do you have a question that you'd like to have answered in Hey, Hoynsie? Submit it here. Hey, Hoynsie: What's going on with Cody Allen this season? It seems like every time he comes into a game, he's giving up at least one run and a couple of hits. This seems concerning, -- John S., Shaker Heights. Hey, John: You could say the same thing about almost every Indians reliever. They look fried from the heavy workload of the last two seasons.

10 I think Allen is probably putting pressure on himself. I also think he's a guy that needs regular work and saves haven't been a part of the Indians' regular diet to date. Allen's stat lines after 21 appearances this year and 2014 say something is amiss: 2015: 0-2, 5.85 ERA, 10 saves in 11 chances, 20 hits, 13 earned runs, 20 innings, 30 strikeouts, 13 walks. 2014: 2-1, 3.38 ERA, one save in one chance, 15 hits, seven walks, six earned runs, 16 innings, 23 strikeouts, seven walks. Allen hasn't controlled the strike zone like he did last season, which has led to an outbreak of walks. The good news is that in his last four appearances, he's struck out six and walked one. He also opened this season as the Tribe's closer. Last year he replaced John Axford in May. So that could have added stress to the situation. Hey, Hoynsie: Any chance that LeBron takes less money, like Jordan did, so they can keep the team together? Tristan can't go anywhere, if this team wants to continue to be successful. I don't think they can pay him and have any money left for anyone else. --- Jamie Stabl, Lewis Center. Hey, Jamie: We deal in baseball here, friend. By the way, who is this LeBron fellow you're talking about? Hey, Hoynsie: I know that the front office has to play the waiting game on Francisco Lindor to avoid his super two status. But I don't want any more excuses that he's not hitting or his bat is not ready. His glove is what they need to help the pitching staff. If third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall doesn't figure something out soon, they need to get somebody there as well. If they have to promote Giovanni Urshela even though he's been hurt, so be it. If not then they have to explore trade options; Adrian Beltre should be given a hard look. Nick Kellogg, Austin, Texas. Hey, Nick: I don't see Lindor getting promoted until the Indians are convinced he's ready offensively and defensively. He's under the microscope at Columbus and he's made some mistakes running the bases and on defense. I don't think Urshela is an option just yet because he's just getting over back problems that started in spring training. Promoting a player when he's not healthy isn't fair to anyone involved. As for Beltre, with the Rangers as hot as they are, he's not going anywhere. Hey, Hoynsie: With the struggles of the Indians' fifth starters do you see them making a trade for a power arm? Or is Jhoulys Chacin the next man up? Jack Hoffman, Brunswick. Hey, Jack: I don't think you make a trade for a fifth starter. All you're going to get is other team's problems at this time of the year. I think you just keep gathering candidates for the job off the waiver wire or through free agency. I would think the next man up, if Shaun Marcum doesn't claim the job, would be TJ House. I'd like to see him get a shot at taking a regular turn in the rotation. That opportunity wasn't available to him in April because of the schedule and, of course, his sore left shoulder. Chacin pitched well the last time out, but his velocity still isn't where the Indians would like. Another guy to watch is left-hander Michael Roth, who is pitching well at Class AAA Columbus. Cody Anderson, who could be in line for a promotion to Columbus from Class AA Akron, might be a candidate as well. Hey, Hoynsie: Any chance that the Indians make a trade from their depth of middle infielders and outfielders in the farm system for a fifth starter? - Ryan Smith, Fort Wayne, Ind. Hey, Ryan: Teams like to trade from a position of strength, so yes, I'd say that's a possibility. But I don't think you try to make a trade for a "fifth' starter. You should be aiming for a better arm than that. Hey, Hoynsie: Any news on the Tribe minor leaguers that failed their drug tests? How does MLB and the Indians help them? - Ramsey, Cleveland. Hey, Ramsey: The Indians had three minor-league players suspended during the off-season. They are still under suspension and still with the organization. Pitchers Tyler Sturdevant and Duke von Schamann are currently in extended spring training in Goodyear, Ariz. Sturdevant was suspended for 50 game for testing positive for an amphetamine. Schamann was suspended 50 games for his second violation of the MLB's minor-league drug policy. Outfielder Brian Ruiz was suspended for 80 games for testing positive for steroids. He is not in extended spring training. The Indians and MLB educate players about what they can and cannot put in their bodies and the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs.