Slammed In Seattle To Start 2nd Half

So much for building on that four-game sweep of Tampa Bay to end the first half. The Indians played their first game after the All-Star break pretty much like they did throughout May and June, getting swatted in Seattle, 8-2, Friday night. Aaron Laffey yielded a second-inning grand slam to Raul Ibanez. Casey Blake homered and drove in a run with a mighty groundout. That pretty much sums it all up.

Blake (.282) hit his 10th homer in the third inning off Mariners ace Felix Hernandez. All-Star Grady Sizemore had a double for Cleveland's only other extra-base hit. Seattle relievers Mark Lowe, Roy Corcoran and Cesar Jimenez, none of whom currently confused with Mariano Rivera, held the Tribe to two hits and one walk over the final three innings.

Laffey (5-6, 3.61 ERA) had perhaps his worst outing since being called up from Buffalo. The left-hander gave up two walks, nine hits and eight runs over 3 2-3 innings -- though only three of the runs were earned.

Shortstop Jhonny Peralta's error on a two-out grounder with two on in the second inning led to a five-run uprising.

Jamie Burke hit a two-out single and Laffey plunked Yuniesky Betancourt with a pitch before Ichiro Suzuki reached when Peralta misplayed his grounder -- loading the bases.

Laffey walked Willie Bloomquist to force in a run, keeping the bases loaded. Ibanez unloaded them with a shot to right for a 5-0 lead.

Jose Lopez's three-run homer with two outs in the fourth made it 8-1 and finished Laffey.

Jensen Lewis (4.41 ERA) pitched 2 1-3 scoreless innings and Juan Rincon (6.54 ERA) finished with two scoreless innings.

Oh, by the way ...

Down the coast in San Francisco, CC Sabathia pitched another complete-game victory for the Milwaukee Brewers, beating the Giants, 9-1. He struck out 10 and allowed four hits and no walks.

In three starts since being dealt July 7, Sabathia is 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 24 innings.