Rookie Michael Saunders becomes the sixth man to start in left field for Seattle this season - joining the ranks that include Wladimir Balentien, Ronny Cedeno, Endy Chavez, Ken Griffey Jr. and Ryan Langerhans.

He'll start behind lefty Erik Bedard, who hasn't won a game since June 7 - not the best stat to put up as the trading deadline approaches.

In his fourth start back from the disabled list, Bedard hasn't yet pitched into the sixth inning - and he's thrown 93 pitches in each of his last two.

This is a game the Mariners have to win, given they lost Friday and face Cliff Lee tomorrow.

It's Bedard vs. Jeremy Sowers.

Good news and bad

The Indians haven't scored in two innings against Bedard, but they've made him throw more than 40 pitches.

Before the game, Don Wakamatsu was asked what he hoped to see from his veteran lefty and he said: "Pitch efficiency."

What the Mariners need - and what scouts in the stands want to see - is a Bedard capable of gettting deeper into a game than the fifth inning. No matter how low that ERA, if he requires four innings from the bullpen every time out, he's not a top of the rotation guy.

What Bedard would like to see? Maybe a run behind him.

The end is near

Bedard labors through the third inning, throwing 40 pitches and giving up a two-out, two-run single after loading the bases with walks.

Now, he trails by two runs and has thrown 82 pitches - so he has about 18 left. Plate umpire Dale Scott had a small strike zone in the third, but 40 pitches to get three outs?

Not good.

In the third: Indians 2, Mariners 0

The end is here

Bedard left after three innings, and five pitches into the fourth, reliever Chris Jakubauskas had given up a single and a home run. A Ronny Cedeno error led to two unearned runs.

If you're scoring at home, Cleveland has now out-scored Seattle in the first 13 innings of this series, 15-0.

In the fourth: Indians 6, Mariners 0

Dancin' on the diamond

No sooner had Asdrubal Cabrera homered in the fifth inning than Jakubauskas drilled Ben Francisco in the back with a fastball.

The Indians came out of their dugouts willing to wrestle, but never quite reached the mound, and the Mariners came out even slower - so nothing happened, as cooler heads took over.

Wakamatsu lifted Jakubauskas for Garrett Olson and, with an eight-run lead, Francisco stole second base.

On your toes, lads.

In the fifth: Indians 8, Mariners 0

Just another long ball

Four home runs on Friday, three more today. Hard to believe these Indians came in with the second worst record in the American League.

The Mariners, meanwhile, have four hits today - all singles.

When a team is built around pitching and defense, and gets neither, it doesn't have much to fall back on. Which explains another lopsided score.

In the sixth: Indians 10, Mariners 0

To the ninth!

Well, the chances for a comeback seem ... um ... remote.

The Mariners are about to post their worst back-to-back games of the season, and while it was bound to happen at some point, they'd just as soon it happen on the road somewhere.

Instead, they're being blown out at Safeco Field by a bad team for the second night in a row, held to four hits today.

They haven't scored yet in this series, so they'r bearing down on their seventh shutout of the year.

That would mean Seattle hitters have one more shutout than Mariners pitchers this season.

And in the end

Apparently, the Indians hadn't forgotten Jakubauskas hitting Francisco in the fifth inning.

Winston Abreu began the bottom of the ninth by hitting Jack Hannahan in the back, which got Abreu and manager Eric Wedge ejected.

No one charged the mound. Everyone understood. Now, it should be over - much like the game.
Rob Johnson doubled into the right field corner, and umpires awarded Hannahan home, perhaps feeling bad about him being hit by a pitch. Right fieldr Chris Gimenez robbed Saunders of extra bases with a leaping catch at the wall.

Cedeno grounded out, pushing Johnson home. Ichiro doubled. Russell Branyan doubled to score Ichiro.

It's a final: Indians 10, Mariners 3

The new left fielder of the future, 22-year-old Michael Saunders, was in the Seattle Mariners lineup today - and the expense of the former left fielder of the future, Wladimir Balentien.

Saunders was recalled from Tacoma to make his big-league debut today, adding a bat with power potential to a batting order lacking it.

To make room for him on the 25-man roster, the Mariners designated Balentien for assignment, meaning they must trade, release or offer him the opportunity to play in the minors.

Saunders, a 6-foot-4, 210 pound left-handed hitter, batted .310 in 64 games with Tacoma this season, with 13 home runs and 32 RBI as he came back from 2008 shoulder surgery.

Balentien, a right-handed batter, hit .213 in 56 games with Seattle this year, hitting four home run and driving in 13. Once considered as good a young player as Adam Jones, the 25-year-old Balentien never blossomed in the big leagues and lost his starting job last month.

"I heard about all this last night about 11:30, and I didn't sleep a wink all night," Saunders said. "My family was already here to watch me play in Tacoma - my mom, dad and some friends - so they're coming here to watch me play now."

Penciled into the lineup, Saunders will play regularly, manager Don Wakamatsu said.

"I'll pick and choose a few spots, but he's here to play," Wakamatsu said. "The two questions you always ask about young players is, one, can he help you and, two, is he ready? We think he's ready. We'll find out about the first part."