Moyer makes the difference

By Tom Withers

Associated Press

SEATTLE – Pressure? What pressure? Jamie Moyer and the Seattle Mariners handled their biggest game this season – and the Cleveland Indians – just like they’ve done 116 times since April.

With an easy win.

Moyer took a shutout into the seventh inning and Seattle used three homers to bounce back and even their AL playoff series at one game apiece Thursday with a 5-1 win over the Indians.

The 38-year-old Moyer, who won a career-high 20 games during the regular season and beat Cleveland twice, allowed five hits and one run in just the second postseason appearance of his 14-year career.

He missed a chance to pitch last October when he broke his kneecap during a simulated-game tuneup before the ALCS.

Mike Cameron and Edgar Martinez hit two-run homers in the first inning off losing pitcher Chuck Finley and David Bell added a solo shot for the Mariners, who refused to panic after losing Game 1.

Another loss at home, and Seattle would have been in jeopardy of having its AL record-setting, 116-win season end prematurely. But as they did in winning the West by 14 games, the Mariners opened a big, early lead and never looked back.

For the second straight game, the Mariners managed just six hits. But this time, three were homers.

Following an off-day on Friday, the best-of-five series resumes Saturday at Jacobs Field in Cleveland. Indians rookie C.C. Sabathia, who won 17 games but didn’t face the Mariners this season, will start for Cleveland against Aaron Sele.

Sele had two no-decisions against the Indians, and started the Aug. 5 game in which the Mariners built a 12-0 lead after three innings before Cleveland staged baseball’s biggest comeback in 76 years to win 15-14 in 11 innings.

Moyer wasn’t going to let there be any kind of miracle comeback in Game 2.

Staked to a 4-0 lead in the first, Moyer, who was 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA against Cleveland in the regular season, had the Indians swinging over, through and above his assortment of breaking pitches.

In the fourth, the Indians had runners at first and second with one out. But Moyer retired Ellis Burks on a fly ball to the warning track in right, and with a runner at third, he struck out Jim Thome on a chest-high, 85 mph fastball.

Moyer gave up consecutive singles to start the seventh and was replaced by Jeff Nelson.

Before leaving the field, Moyer touched the brim of his cap to salute plate umpire Ted Barrett and then acknowledged a standing ovation before giving high-fives to his teammates.

Nelson walked Travis Fryman to load the bases but got Marty Cordova to hit into a double play that scored a run. Any chance that Cleveland could pull off another magical rally then ended when Mike Cameron caught Einar Diaz’s sinking liner to center.

Shut out in Game 1 by Bartolo Colon, the Mariners scored four runs in the first on the homers by Cameron and Martinez. Seattle had gone 22 straight innings – dating to Game 5 of the ‘95 ALCS – against the Indians without scoring.

Finley waited 15 years to make his first postseason start, and after just 14 pitches he was already behind 4-0 following the shots by Cameron and Martinez.

Ichiro Suzuki walked leading off and Cameron followed with a line shot into the left-field seats for his first career postseason homer and just his second hit in 18 at-bats against Finley, 19-8 in his career against the Mariners.

Bret Boone singled and Martinez jumped all over Finley’s first pitch, hitting a meaty fastball 421 feet to center giving a Safeco record sellout crowd of 48,052 more reason to believe the Mariners’ remarkable season was far from over.

Bell made it 5-0 in the fifth, leading off with his homer – Seattle’s first hit since Martinez’s homer.

Earring Gate Part II: Omar Vizquel and Arthur Rhodes had their first meeting since Aug. 25 when the Indians shortstop complained Rhodes’ diamond-studded earrings were bothering him at the plate. Rhodes was ejected from that game and the benches emptied over the jewelry. On Thursday, Vizquel popped out to right against Rhodes. … Indians manager Charlie Manuel is a media favorite of Japanese journalists covering Suzuki. Manuel starred for six seasons as a player in Japan and is frequently asked about the difference between American and Japanese baseball as well as the sensational Ichiro. He said he can’t hold a conversation in Japanese, “but I can curse.” … Finley’s 19 regular-season wins are the third most by a Mariners opponent, behind Roger Clemens (21) and Dave Stewart (20). … Nelson’s appearance was his 17th in division series play, adding to his own record. … Cleveland reliever Danys Baez hit 101 mph on the radar gun on a pitch to Boone in the eighth.