Indians homers, Laffey turn this one into laugher for Indians, 9-0 over Mariners

Laffey, Indians blank Mariners 9-0

SEATTLE — Travis Hafner hit a two-run homer and Ryan Garko added a three-run shot to give Aaron Laffey and the Cleveland Indians all they needed in a 9-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night.

Ben Francisco and Jamey Carroll added solo homers for Cleveland, which is tied with Kansas City for most losses in the AL at 58. The Indians have won consecutive games for the first time since July 3-4, thanks to their largest shutout win since May 10, 2008.

That 12-0 rout of Toronto was the last time Laffey had a scoreless start, a span of 20 starts.

Laffey (4-2) allowed three hits, struck out seven and walked three in seven innings. He retired his last 13 batters.

Ryan Rowland-Smith (0-1) allowed four runs in his first start for Seattle since April 10, following an elbow injury and lengthy, sputtering rehabilitation stint.

The Mariners were shut out for sixth time this season and have scored four runs in their last 29 innings, dating to a 9-7 loss at Detroit on Tuesday.

They are next-to-last in runs scored in the major leagues, ahead of only Kansas City. Even with the league’s best ERA, Seattle is six games over .500.

Hours after Indians manager Eric Wedge said he will try out most of the bullpen to find a eighth-inning replacement for traded setup man Rafael Betancourt, Wedge used right-hander Joe Smith to get the first two outs while allowing a hit in the eighth. Lefty Tony Sipp then got Ichiro Suzuki to fly out to the warning track in right to end the inning.

Garko then hit his 10th home run of the season in the ninth, off Miguel Batista, to make it 7-0. Carroll followed with his first home run, and second in 150 games since Cleveland acquired him from the Rockies following the 2007 season.

Rowland-Smith had been out for months because of elbow pain and then ineffectiveness in an extended rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Tacoma. Asked before the game if Rowland-Smith needed to reprove his place in the major leagues, Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu would only say the Australian has to work deep into games like most of the staff has.

He lasted seven innings, allowing five hits.

Jhonny Peralta led off the seventh with a single. Hafner sent the next pitch into the first row of seats in right-center for his 10th home run to make it 3-0.

Two hard outs later, Francisco hit his eighth home run.

NOTES: Seattle-area native Grady Sizemore went 0 for 4 for the Indians to leave his average at .227 — 52 points below the three-time All-Star’s career mark entering this season. … Suzuki met with rapper Flo Rider on the field before the game beside the batting cage. Suzuki uses the artist’s songs before his at-bats, and Flo Rider includes the Japanese superstar in some of his lyrics.

(Indians 9, Mariners 0; SUBS lead to correct to ‘Laffey’)