By Kirby Arnold and Rich Myhre
Herald Writers
SEATTLE – For 15 minutes Tuesday, he was the Freddy Garcia of old.
And that’s not a good thing.
Garcia, the 25-year-old right-hander who transformed himself into one of baseball’s best pitchers this year by maintaining his focus and avoiding the big inning, fell apart Tuesday just long enough to lose.
Garcia gave up five hits and a walk as the Cleveland Indians scored three runs in the fourth inning of their 5-0 victory in Game 1 of the American League Division Series at Safeco Field.
“I’m not sure he lost his poise,” Mariners manager Lou Piniella. “They hit the ball hard off him.”
Garcia had sailed through the first three innings, allowing only Ellis Burks’ two-out double in the second inning, then gave up a leadoff double to Roberto Alomar that started a parade of Indians around the bases.
Juan Gonzalez broke his bat but got just enough of a pitch to bloop it over Bret Boone’s head into right field for an RBI single. Jim Thome walked and M’s pitching coach Bryan Price visited the mound to speak with Garcia.
“He was trying to settle me down, but I was fine,” Garcia said.
Still, Garcia couldn’t get the ball past the next three hitters. Burks lined a single that third baseman David Bell knocked down. Travis Fryman and Marty Cordova each slapped RBI singles to center and, before Garcia recovered to get the next three outs, Cleveland led 3-0.
“They just got some big hits,” Garcia said. “They didn’t hit it very hard. Base hit, base hit, base hit. I was looking for a double play and it didn’t happen.”
Piniella called them jam shots.
“But they all count,” he said. “And then the other inning when they scored, there were three singles.”
That was the sixth, when Garcia gave up three infield hits when the Indians made it 4-0. One of the hits was a liner by Cordova that struck Garcia and bounced away for a single.
“It hit me in the foot, but I feel pretty good,” Garcia said.
Diaz smacked another infield hit to third that drove in a run and ended Garcia’s day.
“I’m not complaining,” Piniella said. “Base hits are base hits. But I don’t think they really hit Freddy hard (in the sixth).”
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