Cleveland @ Seattle preview

Cleveland at Seattle

Last Meeting ( Sep 2, 2010 ) Cleveland 6, Seattle 3

The Seattle Mariners saw their former players come back to haunt them in the opener of a four-game series with the Cleveland Indians on Thursday night.

The Mariners (52-82) will try to prevent the Indians (54-80) from a seventh consecutive victory at Safeco Field on Friday night when Cleveland right-hander Fausto Carmona (11-13, 4.19) opposes left-hander Luke French (3-4, 4.13).

In a battle of division cellar-dwellers vying for draft position, the first round went to the Indians - or rather the Mariners, who are now two games up on Cleveland for the third-worst record in the majors.

Seattle’s Doug Fister was seemingly cruising along Thursday night with a 3-0 lead through five innings thanks to a two-run home run by former Indian Russell Branyan. He had retired 15 consecutive Cleveland batters.

Then the sixth inning started and, faster than you can say Shin-Soo Choo, the Mariners found themselves facing a deficit.

Former Mariners Luis Valbuena and Asdrubal Cabrera, plus Michael Brantley, hit singles to load the bases for Choo, another ex-Mariner, who cleared them with a hard-hit double off Fister. Travis Hafner followed with a single for a 4-3 lead. The results were typical of Fister’s frustrating season. He has just one win in his last 11 decisions.

Choo added a two-run homer in the ninth off reliever Jamey Wright for a season high-tying five RBIs.

Choo never had a night like Thursday’s in 14 appearances with the Mariners. After signing with the Mariners in 2000, the South Korean played sparingly in 2005 and 2006 in Seattle, going 2-for-29, before he was traded to Cleveland for first baseman Ben Broussard, who has since retired.

Now Choo will try to help the Indians continue their recent success at spacious Safeco Field.

Cleveland has scored 52 runs in its six consecutive wins at Safeco. Seattle has not scored more than three at home since Aug. 6. Of course, the Mariners have just one player – Ichiro Suzuki (.311) – on the roster hitting above .250.

Carmona has to like the sound of that. He has struggled in the last month, losing five consecutive starts, including one to the Mariners. In his last start Sunday against Kansas City, he walked four and allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings of a 6-2 loss.

With 13 losses, Carmona is near the bottom of the list for most losses among starters in the majors this season.

French limited Minnesota to three hits and one run in seven innings for a 2-1 victory Sunday. He has gone at least seven innings, allowing a run or less in three of his six August starts. In all four of his losses, he has allowed at least four runs.