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  Saturday, Aug. 12 4:05pm ET
Colon's strong start sparks Indians
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME LOG

SEATTLE (AP) -- Bartolo Colon felt dizzy in the fourth inning.

The Mariners were off balance in all seven innings he pitched.

Colon struck out eight, allowing just four hits as the Cleveland Indians beat Seattle 5-4 Saturday for their eighth win in 10 games.

Bartolo Colon
Bartolo Colon won his second straight decision following a three-game losing streak.

"He throws pretty hard," Mariners manager Lou Piniella said in rare praise for an opposing player. "It's the first time I've seen the radar gun here light up to 100 mph a few times. He's a good power pitcher."

Colon (11-8) was an 18-game winner last season, when he was 11-2 during the second half.

"In the fourth inning, everything was going around," Colon said. "I don't know why it happened, it just happened. I hope this is the only time I get dizzy in a game."

With the score 2-all in the fifth, Cleveland went ahead when Kenny Lofton doubled to center off John Halama (10-6) and scored on a double error -- first Mike Cameron kicked the ball, then shortstop Alex Rodriguez's relay throw was wild, going past third baseman Carlos Guillen and pitcher John Halama.

"It was a situation where he took advantage of it," Cameron said. "That is what you're supposed to do when you have good legs. It was a tough play on my part."

David Segui had a two-run single in the eighth off Brett Tomko, who loaded the bases on walks to Lofton and Omar Vizquel, a sacrifice by Roberto Alomar and an intentional walk to Manny Ramirez.

Seattle made it close in the bottom half when Rodriguez, who went 3-for-4, hit an RBI single off Paul Shuey and Edgar Martinez followed with a run-scoring single off Steve Karsay.

With the bases loaded and one out, Rodriguez was thrown out at the plate by Karsay on Jay Buhner's comebacker and Cameron hit into an inning-ending fielder's choice.

Bob Wickman got three outs for his fifth save in six chances since Cleveland acquired him from Milwaukee on July 28. Stan Javier singled leading off the ninth, went to second on Guillen's sacrifice and took third on Al Martin's groundout, but Mark McLemore hit a blooper into short left that Vizquel caught up to to end the game.

"I didn't think I was going to get to the ball until the last second," said Vizquel, a seven-time AL Gold Glove at shortstop.

Wickman, who blew a save against Tampa Bay on Aug. 1 and cost Colon a win, thought McLemore's ball was going to drop in for a hit in short left.

"Omar's first steps are so quick," Wickman said. "He managed to catch up with it."

Cleveland remained one game behind Oakland, the AL wild-card leader.

Colon won his second straight decision following a three-game losing streak, retiring 13 straight batters after Rodriguez's third-inning double. He tied Baltimore's Mike Mussina for second in the AL in strikeouts at 148, trailing only Boston's Pedro Martinez (204).

"It was tough to take him out of the game," Indians manager Charlie Manuel said. "But when he got close to 130 pitches (129), I had to do it."

Halama allowed three runs -- two earned -- six hits and three walks in six innings.

Seattle took a 2-0 lead lead in the first on an RBI double by Rodriguez and a run-scoring groundout by Martinez, who leads the major leagues with 111 RBI.

Cleveland tied it in the second on Jim Thome's RBI double and Travis Fryman's run-scoring, double-play grounder.

Game notes
The Indians have gone five games and 47 innings since their last homer, in the fourth inning last Sunday. ... Seattle has been in first place or tied for the AL West lead for 105 days this season. The last day the Mariners weren't in first was June 28. ... Alomar, who has won eight Gold Gloves, committed his 11th error of the season, most by an Indians' fielder. ... The Mariners had their 45th sellout in their 100th game at Safeco Field. ... Rodriguez has two errors in two days, giving the All-Star SS seven in 103 games. ... The Mariners are 61-39 in their first 100 games at Safeco.
 


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 The Indians took advantage of Mike Cameron's error in the fifth inning.
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