SEATTLE — Trevor Bauer pitched 7 1/3 strong innings and Rajah Davis homered to lead the Cleveland Indians to their sixth straight victory with a 3-1 win over the Seattle Mariners on Monday night.
Bauer (4-2) gave up one run while scattering five hits. He walked one and struck out 10 to earn his first victory since May 10. Bryan Shaw got the final two outs in the eighth and Cody Allen worked the ninth to pick up his 12th save in 13 opportunities.
It’s the longest win streak for the Indians since Aug. 25-31 and extended their lead over Kansas City in the AL Central to 2 1/2 games.
James Paxton (0-2) took the loss for the Mariners, who have dropped four straight. He allowed all three runs — just one earned — on five hits. He walked one and struck out 10 in six innings.
After the Mariners jumped ahead 1-0 in the third on Nori Aoki’s two-run, RBI single, the Indians rallied for two unearned runs in the fourth. Paxton yielded a one-hit single to Carlos Santana followed by a Jose Ramirez double into the left-field corner.
Santana, waved home, was beaten by the relay throw but catcher Chris Iannetta dropped it for an error. Ramirez, who advanced to third on the throw, scored on Juan Uribe’s sacrifice fly.
Davis hit his sixth home run in the fifth.
Robinson Cano had his career-best on-base streak to 34 consecutive games ended with an 0-for-4 evening.
Mariners reliever Edwin Diaz, called up from Triple-A Tacoma Saturday, made his major league debut in the seventh. He retired the side in order.
INFIELDER FOR OUTFIELDER
The Mariners, carrying 12 pitchers, juggled their thin position-player personnel by adding an infielder, shortstop Ketel Marte off the DL, and returning an outfielder, OF Stefen Romero, to Triple-A. “With the four right-hand starters and a prominent right-hand bullpen,” manager Scott Servais said, “there was not a great opportunity (for right-hand-hitting Romero) to get any starts or impact the game much.”
ROTATION JUGGLING
The Indians are shifting their rotation a bit this week to help rest some nagging injuries. RHP Cody Anderson will start Tuesday to give RHP Carlos Carrasco, who came off the DL June 2, an extra day. He’ll start Wednesday, replacing RHP Danny Salazar, described to have some “shoulder fatigue.” Salazar will skip his turn and is scheduled to return Sunday in Anaheim.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Indians: RHP Joba Chamberlain (intercostal strain), eligible to return from the DL Monday, will be activated Wednesday, as Anderson will be optioned out after his Tuesday start.
Mariners: OF Leonys Martin (strained left hamstring) ran the bases before the game and appears on schedule to return Friday. Felix Hernandez (strained right calf) has not started running yet. His DL end date is Saturday.
UP NEXT
Indians: Anderson (1-3, 6.81) had his best outing — and only win — of the season in his previous outing May 23. He lasted seven innings, allowing five hits, one run, no walks, and nine strikeouts in a 5-1 win over the White Sox.
Mariners: Despite LHP Wade Miley (5-2, 5.84) giving up 12 hits and nine runs Thursday to San Diego he had a no-decision. The Mariners rallied for a 16-13 victory. Miley has had just two career starts against Cleveland. He is 0-1 with an 8.22 ERA.
