The Indians were shut out for an AL high 13th time on Sunday. Manager Manny Acta was ejected in the fifth inning.
SEATTLE, Wash. -- Felix Hernandez, the best pitcher in baseball with just 11 victories, threw eight scoreless innings Sunday as Seattle beat the Indians, 3-0, today at Safeco Field.
It was the 13th time the Indians have been shutout this season and the second time in this four-game series. The Tribe managed a split in spite of the two shutouts.
In his last six starts Hernandez has allowed one earned run in 45 innings. That he's only 5-1 in those games says a lot about a Seattle offense that is last in runs and batting average in the American League.
The Indians handed Hernandez his only loss in his last six games. They scored six runs against him on the way to a 9-1 victory on Aug. 15, but all those runs were unearned. Hernandez (11-10, 2.30) was in a different frame of mind on Sunday.
He held the Indians to four hits, while striking out nine. Hernandez has 209 strikeouts in 219 1/3 innings this season.
David Aardsma pitched the ninth for his 28th save.
Tribe manager Manny Acta was ejected in the fifth for arguing a call at second base. With two out and Josh Wilson on first, Ichiro Suzuki sent a grounder to short. Asdrubal Cabrera grabbed the ball and hit second with his foot in almost one motion.
Second base umpire Hunter Wendlestedt said he missed the bag and called Wilson safe. Cabrera argued as Acta came on the field. Acta voiced his complaint for a few minutes before Wendlestedt ejected him. Acta pleaded his case to crew chief Jerry Layne to no avail.
It was Acta's second ejection this season and fourth of his career. Bench coach Tim Tolman took over the club.
Replays showed Cabrera did, indeed, touch the bag.
Russell Branyan continued to drive the AL's worst offense.
He started the sixth with a homer to right off Jeanmar Gomez (3-3, 3.07) for a 2-0 lead. It was Branyan's third homer of the series and fourth against the Tribe this year. He also hit 10 for the Indians before they traded him to Seattle.
In the eighth he doubled home Chone Figgins for a 3-0 lead off Frank Herrmann. Figgins reached on third baseman Jayson Nix's second error of the game. He has nine in 23 games at third for the Tribe.
Michael Saunders ran his way out of a double play in the second inning to give the Mariners a 1-0 lead.
With one out and Casey Kotchman on third, Saunders sent what appeared to be a DP grounder to second baseman Luis Valbuena. Valbuena flipped to Cabrera at short for the force, but Cabrera's throw to first pulled Matt LaPorta off the bag as Kotchman scored.