Indians score three in 12th to beat M’s

SEATTLE – Dominic Leone sat facing into his locker in another silent Mariners clubhouse following a 6-3 loss in 12 innings to the Cleveland Indians on Sunday. He lowered his head and buried his dark, curly hair into his hands. “If they want me up here and I’m going to be up here,” said Leone, called up by the Mariners on Friday, “I’ve got to perform.” Sunday, he absolutely had to. Seattle had no one else left to pitch. That – plus more damaging stretches of nonexistent hitting – cost the Mariners a series win over Cleveland. After using four relievers to get the Mariners through innings six, seven and eight, Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon basically ran out of arms by the 12th. That was when Leone walked the leadoff man then allowed a one-out double off the glove of first baseman Logan Morrison, who later said “I have to make that play.” With no options to use other than a starter on an already-depleted staff, McClendon and the Mariners watched Leone (0-4) walk Cleveland’s Michael Brantley to force home the go-ahead run and allow David Murphy to single home two more. That sent Seattle to the loss in front of 32,112 after four hours and 36 minutes on Little League Day at Safeco Field. Asked what the plan was behind Leone, McClendon said: “Me. I was going to go back to my Little League days.” “I can’t make any excuse,” Leone said, thinking also of his walk-off losses at Houston and on April 30 and at the Los Angeles Angels May 5. “I’ve got to be better than that.” But this latest frustrating loss shouldn’t even have gotten to him. Seattle had zero baserunners from the sixth inning until Seth Smith’s double off the glove of Murphy at the right-field wall with two outs in the 10th. Robinson Cano then grounded out. Nelson Cruz walked leading off the 11th and got to second one out later on a wild pitch. But Wellington Castillo grounded out. Then Willie Bloomquist – pinch-hitting for Chris Taylor, lined out. That sent the game to the 12th. “I can sit here and analyze it,” McClendon said. “But the fact is we got five hits … and the game went 12 innings.” The Mariners have relied on the home run for nearly half its runs this season – 88 of its 183 runs, 48.1 percent, entering Sunday, the most in the major leagues. After years of struggling to hit ‘em deep, new slugger Cruz and friends had homered in nine consecutive games and 16 of their last 18. Then didn’t hit one Sunday – and are now 3-11 when not hitting one. “We’ve got to hit better,” Morrison said. “We’ve got to produce more.” Seattle did get a welcomed, eclectic rally in Sunday’s fifth inning. Morrison singled for Seattle’s second hit off Danny Salazar, who then walked Miller. Dustin Ackley attempted a sacrifice bunt. Cleveland third baseman Mike Aviles threw that low and wide of first base for a generously scored single and error that scored Morrison. After a single by Austin Jackson scored Miller, Salazar was called for a balk. Cano’s sacrifice fly then made it 3-0. M’s starter J.A. Happ then gave up his first two runs in 17 innings at Safeco Field in the next half inning on a homer by Raburn and an RBI single by Michael Bourn. The Indians tied the game in the eighth. That’s when Carson Smith allowed two singles to begin the inning. Joe Beimel entered that mess and Jason Kipnis hit the tying sacrifice fly.