Manny Acta's decision to use Justin Masterson as a starting pitcher was harshly criticized by Indians fans who believed Masterson was better suited in a relief role. However, following a pair of dominant starts, Masterson appears to be the right man for the job.
In his most recent outing, Masterson limited the Mariners to 1 run over 6 1/3 innings of work while striking out 9.
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| Masterson led the Indians to their 6th straight win |
Despite Masterson's valiant effort, the M's nearly overtook the Tribe in the closing stages of the contest. Masterson did surrender 1 tally in the 7th, but Rafael Perez escaped a 2 on, 1 out jam when Ichiro Suzuki bunted back to the mound. In the 8th, Tony Sipp allowed a leadoff double before retiring the next 3 hitters in succession. Chris Perez then hurled a 1-2-3 9th to nail down his 3rd save of the season.
Cleveland scored its 2 runs in the top of the 4th. Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo hit back-to-back singles to start the rally. Carlos Santana's weak bouncer to 1st base moved the 2 runners up 90 feet, and Travis Hafner was walked intentionally. By loading the bases, the Mariners were hoping to set up a double play, but Orlando Cabrera took advantage of the strategy by lofting a fly ball to left field. Asdrubal Cabrera scored easily as Milton Bradley inexplicably fired the ball to 3rd where no defenders were located. The errant throw skipped into the Indians dugout, allowing Choo to score as well.
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